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Drugs
Mr. Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the total amount (a) spent and (b) allocated by her Department on tackling problems relating to drugs in respect of (i) improving international co-operation to reduce supplies from abroad, (ii) increasing the effectiveness of police and Customs enforcement, (iii) maintaining effective deterrents and tight domestic controls, (iv) developing prevention publicity, education and community action and (v) improving treatment and rehabilitation, for (1) 1994, (2) 1995, (3) 1996 and (4) 1997. [4782]
Mr. Ingram: Information on total Government expenditure on tackling drug misuse in Northern Ireland is not recorded on an annual basis. Estimated expenditure for the 1993-94 financial year for Northern Ireland was published in May 1995 White Paper "Tackling Drugs Together" as part of the UK expenditure figure of £526 million. Figures for the calendar years 1994 and 1995 are not available.
The most recent available estimates for Northern Ireland were published on 18 March 1997 in the NI Affairs Committee Report: Illicit Drug Use in NI and refer to the 1995-96 financial year. They show that at least £7.17 million of expenditure in 1995-96 could be directly attributable to drug prevention and treatment programmes, public information campaigns and enforcement activities across the province. Similar costings were incurred for delivering these same services for 1996 and 1997.
However, in 1996 and in addition to the £7.17 million, an extra £0.5 million was secured for each of the next three years to develop a NI Drugs Campaign, which will be used to fund a broad range of drugs services including a public information campaign, educational training and materials for schools, drug handbooks for drug professionals, and a drugs research strategy, and to create four drugs co-ordination teams.
Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what use she plans to make of the Internet to make government more open. [5096]
Mr. Murphy:
Business Development Service (BDS) of the Department of Finance and Personnel provides an Internet publishing service for NI government information.
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The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland will use the BDS Web Publishing service to augment the significant base of information which already exists on the Northern Ireland Civil Service Web Server.
Under the Deregulation Initiative, more than 250 forms have been made available to the public for printing, completion and submission to NICS Departments and Agencies.
The NICS World Wide Web service holds over 12,000 pages of Government information on topics as diverse as updates in progress in the Northern Ireland Multi-Party talks to a database of commercial property valuations. Currently, the number of accesses per month to the NI Government Web Service exceeds 450,000.
BDS has recently established a secure connection that will facilitate Internet e-mail messaging to all NI public servants.
The Web information is accessible at: http://www.nics.gov.uk using any publicly available web browsing software.
Mr. Godman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when she expects to receive the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights' review of fair employment and equality; and if she will make a statement. [4421]
Marjorie Mowlam
[holding answer 24 July 1997]: The Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights (SACHR) published its report today, copies have been placed in the Library. I am grateful to SACHR for producing this report. I shall study the recommendations with the greatest of care.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the average number of jobs created when a local authority modernises a council house; and if he will make a statement. [3151]
Mr. Win Griffiths:
I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what assessment he has made of the coordination between the local education authority and health authority of speech therapy services for schoolchildren in Flintshire; [4457]
(3) what is his policy on speech therapy in schools;[4453]
(4) what plans he has to improve speech therapy services to schoolchildren. [4454]
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Mr. Hain:
Health authorities are primarily responsible for providing speech therapy services, including services to children. If a health authority cannot provide speech therapy for a child whose statement of special educational needs identifies a need, the local education authority has to ensure the provision is made in view of its duty to maintain statements. Health authorities are statutorily required to comply with requests from LEAs unless the request is unreasonable and subject to sufficient resources. Welsh Office guidance to LEAs and health authorities has drawn attention to this duty. Copies of the guidance has been placed in the Library of the House.
The Welsh Office has introduced new measures to improve the recruitment of speech therapists. The Department has also introduced two new core indicators for health authorities which will help measure the service they provide for children with statements.
Neither my right hon. Friend nor I have made an assessment of co-ordination in Flintshire. I understand that representatives from six North Wales LEAs met the North Wales Health Authority recently to discuss the future planning of speech therapy services in the area.
We have no immediate plans to consult parents, teachers and governors. However, we shall be assessing the effectiveness of the initiatives over the coming months and reviewing the position more generally.
Mr. Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the local councils which (a) have and (b) have not installed smoke detectors in their housing stock. [4748]
Mr. Win Griffiths:
Twenty-one local authorities in Wales have fitted, or are in the process of fitting, smoke detectors in all of their housing stock. Details are in the following table:
(2) if he will consult parents, teachers and governors concerning the future of speech therapy services in schools; and if he will make a statement; [4455]
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Internet
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what use he plans to make of the Internet to make Government more open. [5097]
Mr. Ron Davies: My Department has maintained an Internet Site on the CCTA server since 1995 which at present contains hospital performance information. A pilot site for the Welsh Office Industry and Training Department was set up in 1995 and this contains mainly Industry related information.
My Department has recently completed a study of how it can make best use of the Internet to provide a wide range of information about its activities, services and regulatory guidance.
My Department is now implementing, with the CCTA, a new on-line Internet Communication System. This will enable us to quickly expand our current Internet presence to make Welsh Office information more accessible through electronic communication.
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to announce new proposals on the agri-environment programme in Wales. [5301]
Mr. Win Griffiths:
My right hon. Friend hopes to make a statement on proposals for the future of the agri-environment schemes in Wales at the Royal Welsh Show.
26 Jun 1997 : Column: 628
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