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Punishment Shootings

Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many assaults described as punishment shootings have taken place in Northern Ireland in each year since 1991 and in 1997 to date; and how many were believed in each year to have been carried out by the (a) Provisional IRA, (b) other terrorist groups, (c) the Ulster Defence Association, (d) the Ulster Volunteer Force and (e) other loyalist paramilitary organisations. [18686]

Sir John Wheeler [holding answer 4 March 1997]: Casualties as a result of terrorist assaults (shootings) are as follows:

Year	By loyalist groups	By republican groups	Total
1991	40	36	76
1992	72	61	133
1993	60	25	85
1994	68	54	122
1995	3	0	3
1996	21	3	24
1997 (to 2 March)	11	1	12

It is not possible to specify which individual group carried out an offence.

Meat Hygiene Inspectors

Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hygiene inspectors were employed by (a) his Department and (b) the Meat Hygiene Service (i) on the most recent date available and (ii) in each year since 1979. [18167]

Mr. Ancram: It is possible to provide only details of the numbers of staff employed by the Department of Agriculture from each year since 1990. To provide details for earlier years would incur disproportionate costs.

5 Mar 1997 : Column: 661

(a) Meat inspectors employed by the Department of Agriculture
February 1997: 132
March 1996: 118
March 1995: 118
March 1994: 129
March 1993: 133
March 1992: 136
March 1991: 134
March 1990: 143
(b) There is not a separate meat hygiene service in Northern Ireland.

Food and Agriculture Scientists

Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many food and agriculture scientists were employed in Government-funded food and science establishments by his Department on (a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18182]

Mr. Ancram: In addition to the number of food and agriculture scientists employed by the Department, details of which were given to him in a response earlier today, the following food and agriculture scientists are employed by ARINI--the Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland:
February 1997: 46
March 1995: 51
March 1990: 39

The information was provided by ARINI who have advised that in the time available it was not possible to provide information for earlier years. They have further advised that up to 1990 the food and agriculture scientists employed by ARINI would have worked solely on projects funded by the Department. However, since then there has been an increase in commercial research which required a commensurate increase in scientific staff. In the time available it has not been possible to sub-divide the number of staff into those working on projects funded by the Department and those working on commercially funded projects.

Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many food and agriculture scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at the Agriculture and Food Research Council and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council establishments by his Department on (a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18184]

Mr. Ancram: The Department does not employ staff at either establishment.

Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many food and agriculture scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at ADAS establishments by his Department on (a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18183]

Mr. Ancram: The Department does not employ staff at ADAS establishments.

Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many food and agriculture scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at the Central

5 Mar 1997 : Column: 662

Science Laboratory by his Department on (a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18185]

Mr. Ancram: The Department does not employ staff at the Central Science Laboratory.

Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at the Institute of Food Research by his Department on (a) the most recent date available, and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18187]

Mr. Ancram: The Department does not employ staff at the Institute of Food Research.

Veterinary Surgeons

Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many veterinary surgeons were employed by his Department on projects funded by his Department on (a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March in each year since 1979. [18166]

Mr. Ancram: The Department of Agriculture employs veterinary surgeons for a variety of tasks including disease prevention, control and eradication, meat hygiene and veterinary research. The figure in the table indicates the breakdown between veterinary research and other duties.

It is possible to provide details only of the numbers of veterinary surgeons employed in each year since 1990. To provide details for earlier years would incur disproportionate costs.
Veterinary research
February 1997: 26
March 1996: 26
March 1995: 26
March 1994: 27
March 1993: 27
March 1992: 25
March 1991: 28
March 1990: 21
Veterinary service
February 1997: 138
March 1996: 136
March 1995: 143
March 1994: 151
March 1993: 144
March 1992: 129
March 1991: 111
March 1990: 111

Veterinary Scientists

Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many veterinary scientists were employed on Government funded projects at the Central Veterinary Laboratory by his Department on (a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18186]

5 Mar 1997 : Column: 663

Mr. Ancram: The Department does not employ any veterinary scientists at the Central Veterinary Laboratory.

Scientific Establishments

Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those scientific establishments other than the Central Science Laboratory, Central Veterinary Laboratory and the Institute of Food Research receiving funding from his Department indicating the number of scientists employed at each on projects funded by his Department on (a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18188]

Mr. Ancram: The only scientific establishment outside of the Department which receives funding from the Department is the Agriculture Research Institute of Northern Ireland. For details of the number of scientists employed by that institute, I refer the hon. Member to answer to him on that subject today.

Research and Development Expenditure

Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the Department's total research and development expenditure for each year from 1980 to the present in (a) cash and (b) constant prices on projects funded by his Department on matters equivalent to those covered by MAFF. [18181]

Mr. Ancram: The information is as follows:

5 Mar 1997 : Column: 664

Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, research and development expenditure:

Year	Cash	Constant prices (1995-96 financial year) £ million
1979-80	3.59	9.11
1980-81	4.93	10.74
1981-82	5.20	10.18
1982-83	5.75	10.50
1983-84	6.09	10.63
1984-85	6.44	10.70
1985-86	7.02	11.00
1986-87	7.50	11.40
1987-88	8.00	11.70
1988-89	7.50	10.34
1989-90	7.89	10.09
1990-91	8.31	9.69
1991-92	8.75	9.74
1992-93	8.85	9.55
1993-97	8.75	9.28
1994-95	8.62	8.90
1995-96	8.65	8.65
1996-97	n/a	--

n/a = not available. Data for years prior to 1991-92 are estimates.

Local Government Finance

Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for each council in Northern Ireland (i) the electorate, (ii) the population and (iii) the council debt (a) in total, (b) per head of electorate, (c) per head of the total population and (d) as a percentage of annual income at the latest date for which figures are available. [18516]

Mr. Moss: The information requested is set out in the table.

5 Mar 1997 : Column: 663

Council	Electorate mid summer 1995	Population mid summer 1995	Total council debt for 1995-98 £	Council debt per head of electorate £	Council debt per head of civilian population £	Total council debt as percentage of annual income for 1995-96
Antrim	31,793	46,400	6,654,277.00	209.30	143.41	134.77
Ards	51,050	66,700	9,982,147.00	195.54	149.66	131.32
Armagh	37,454	52,400	7,943,190.00	212.08	151.59	152.91
Ballymena	43,135	57,400	6,418,230.00	148.79	111.82	133.23
Ballymoney	18,107	24,600	1,697,563.00	93.75	69.01	70.54
Banbridge	27,644	37,300	4,991,104.00	180.55	133.81	127.08
Belfast	204,641	296,300	32,629,900.00	159.45	110.12	57.68
Carrickfergus	25,938	34,900	4,246,926.00	163.73	121.69	105.99
Casilereagh	48,825	63,400	9,382,079.00	192.16	147.98	164.36
Coleraine	38,231	54,100	7,948,121.00	207.90	146.92	123.39
Cookstown	22,229	31,300	280,440.00	12.62	8.96	10.29
Craigavon	55,432	77,900	11,401,098.00	205.68	146.36	121.98
Derry	66,604	101,700	17,528,766.00	263.18	172.36	117.56
Down	42,297	60,000	5,388,249.00	127.39	89.80	73.90
Dungannon	33,127	46,100	1,156,761.00	34.92	25.09	28.10
Fermanagh	40,335	54,700	1,457,629.00	36.14	26.65	27.36
Larne	22,765	30,000	4,593,901.00	201.80	153.13	125.67
Limavady	20,184	30,100	2,940,431.00	145.68	97.69	98.45
Lisburn	72,584	103,600	4,775,926.00	65.80	46.10	51.53
Magherarfelt	26,336	37,000	609,261.00	23.13	16.47	17.37
Moyle	10,939	14,800	1,391,429.00	127.20	94.02	80.46
Newry and Mourne	58,647	83,500	15,686,535.00	267.47	187.86	177.45
Newtonabbey	57,187	78,600	14,060,530.00	245.87	178.89	150.25
North Down	56,062	73,000	16,032,743.00	285.98	219.63	168.73
Omagh	31,806	46,200	7,245,187.00	227.79	156.82	148.65
Strabane	26,001	36,100	3,355,454.00	129.05	92.95	82.51
Total	1,169,353	1,638,100	199,797,877.00

5 Mar 1997 : Column: 665

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