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Examination Results

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of children (a) sat and (b) achieved a grade A to C in (i) one and (ii) two or more science GCSEs in 1996; and if he will make a statement. [19874]

Mr. Ancram: Information is not available in the form requested. The number of candidates entered for science GCSEs conducted by the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment in 1996 and the proportion who achieved grades A*-C is as follows:

	Number entered	Percentage grades A*-C
Biology	2,526	87.9
Biology (Human)	193	48.7
Chemistry	2,471	89.5
Double Award (Modular)	3,994	66.7
Double Award (Non-modular)	5,379	92.4
Physics	2,460	88.0
Single Award (Modular)	5,624	34.1
Single Award (Non-modular)	1,117	59.4

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of children (a) sat and (b) achieved a grade A to C in (i) history, (ii) geography and (iii) Latin, in (1) GCSEs and (2) A-levels in 1996; and if he will make a statement. [19878]

Mr. Ancram: Information is not available in the form requested. The number of candidates entered for history, geography and Latin GCSEs and A-levels conducted by the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment in 1996 and the proportion who achieved grades A* to C (GCSE) and grades A-C (A level) is as follows:

	Number entered	Percentage grades A*-C
GCSE
History	6,419	68.9
Geography	11,296	64.9
Latin	214	90.7
A level
History	2,166	65.6
Geography	2,296	58.7
Latin	46	78.3

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of children (a) sat and (b) achieved a grade A* to C in (i) one and (ii) two or more live foreign language GCSEs in 1996; and if he will make a statement. [19876]

Mr. Ancram: Information is not available in the form requested. The number of candidates entered for French, German, Irish, Italian, and Spanish GCSEs conducted by

19 Mar 1997 : Column: 646

the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment in 1996 and the proportion who achieved grades A* to C is as follows:

	Number entered	Percentage grades A*-C
French	9,842	62.3
German	993	75.9
Irish	2,213	59.3
Italian	178	62.4
Spanish	1,123	70.6

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of children (a) sat and (b) achieved a grade A to C in (i) one, (ii) two and (iii) three or more science A-levels in 1996; and if he will make a statement. [19875]

Mr. Ancram: Information is not available in the form requested. The number of candidates entered for science A-levels conducted by the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment in 1996 and the proportion who achieved grades A to C is as follows:

	Number entered	Percentage grades A-C
Biology	1,427	57.7
Chemistry	1,534	65.7
Physics	1,262	59.2

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of children (a) sat and (b) achieved a grade A to C in (i) one, (ii) two and (iii) three or more live foreign language A-levels in 1996; and if he will make a statement. [19877]

Mr. Ancram: Information is not available in the form requested. The number of candidates entered for foreign language A-levels conducted by the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment in 1996 and the proportion who achieved grades A to C is as follows:

	Number entered	Percentage Grades A-C
French	1,149	62.2
German	170	63.5
Irish	296	67.9
Italian	38	73.7
Spanish	255	71.4

Latin and Ancient Greek

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of (a) comprehensive and (b) grant-maintained schools in Northern Ireland currently offer (i) Latin and (ii) ancient Greek as (a) a GCSE and (b) an A-level option; and if he will make a statement. [19879]

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Mr. Ancram: The information is not available in the form requested. The number and percentage of grammar schools in Northern Ireland in which pupils took GCSE and A-level examinations in Latin and in Greek in 1995-96 are as follows:

	Number	Percentage
GCSE
Latin	29	40.8
Greek	4	5.6
A level
Latin	13	18.3
Greek	1	1.4

No non-grammar schools had pupils taking these examinations.

Petrol and Diesel

Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to set up an inquiry into the sale and price of petrol and diesel in Northern Ireland on the same basis as the inquiry in Scotland. [20316]

Mr. Ancram: I have no such plans.

Retail Outlets

Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which new retail outlets resulting from inward investments, have been given relief or assistance towards their annual rates demand in the past three years; and if he will make a statement. [20373]

Sir John Wheeler: No special rate reductions have been granted in Northern Ireland in the past three years to any part of the retail sector.

Department of Education

Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the annual running costs of DENI headquarters, Bangor, for the past financial year; and what are the budgeted total running costs at this departmental headquarters for this financial year and for the next financial year. [20372]

Mr. Ancram: The departmental running cost baselines allocated to DENI for the specific years are as follows:

1995-96: £15.670 million
1996-97: £15.695 million
1997-98: £15.450 million

The figures are at 1995-96 prices.

Martin McGartland

Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been paid to Martin McGartland in criminal injuries compensation in relation to the events surrounding his abduction by the IRA. [20750]

Sir John Wheeler: Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Compensation Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Denis Stanley. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

19 Mar 1997 : Column: 648

Letter from D. A. Stanley to Mr. Robert McCartney, dated 19 March 1997:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply on behalf of the Compensation Agency to your Question concerning the amount of money paid to Martin McGartland in criminal injuries compensation.

Mr McGartland's 1992 claim under the Criminal Injuries (Compensation)(Northern Ireland) Order 1988 had to be refused because it failed to satisfy a number of requirements of the legislation. His subsequent appeal to the County Court was also refused and as a result no money has been paid to him under the 1988 Order.

I trust this explains the position.

Statutory Rules

Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Northern Ireland statutory rules were made in 1996, by Department; and what (a) number and (b) percentage replicated rules and regulations for Great Britain. [21003]

Sir John Wheeler: The number of statutory rules made, by Department, in 1996 was:

Department	Number in 1996
Department of Agriculture	93
Department of Economic Development	53
Department of Education for NI	30
Department of the Environment for NI	186
Department of Finance and Personnel	10
Department of Health and Social Services for NI	231

Although NI statutory rules and orders may follow a general policy set by GB legislation they do not replicate those made for Great Britain. The drafting will take into account for the NI institutions and entablements and apply the policies to the local/central government structures.

Licensing Law

Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the policy appraisal and fair treatment guidelines were applied to the recent licensing law changes; and if he will make a statement. [21006]

Mr. Moss: As is the standard practice, the new licensing laws were assessed against the policy appraisal and fair treatment principles and there did not appear to be any aspect of the laws which would give rise to direct or indirect discrimination.

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