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Departmental Mergers

Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans she has to integrate the

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functions of the various Northern Ireland departments and to merge some into her own Department; what advice she has received on this issue; and if she will make a statement. [5637]

Mr. Paul Murphy: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 6 May that my hon. Friend the Member for Clydebank and Milngavie (Mr. Worthington) would take Ministerial responsibility for both the Training and Employment Agency and the Department of Education, but without integrating their functions. She has no other plans to integrate any functions of the Northern Ireland departments or to merge some into the Northern Ireland Office. She has neither sought nor received any advice on these issues.

Pension Schemes

Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) percentage of the expenditure of the five largest public sector pension schemes and (b) amount was received from (i) the employer and (ii) investment proceeds last year. [5641]

Mr. Paul Murphy: The information requested is listed:

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(i) (ii)
Employer expenditure Investment proceeds expenditure
(a)(b)(a)(b)
PercentageAmount £ millionPercentageAmount £ million
Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (NI)72.581.2NilNil
Health and Personal Social Services Superannuation Scheme (NI)23.921.9NilNil
Northern Ireland Local Government Officers Superannuation Scheme23.512.03819.5
Teachers Superannuation Scheme4041.5NilNil
RUC Pension Scheme10041.8NilNil

Figures for financial year ended 31 March 1997.


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Scrabo High School

Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils applied for places in Scrabo High School, Newtownards for the academic year 1997-98; how many of these were new applicants; how many were accepted; and if she will make a statement.[5683]

Mr. Worthington: A total of six pupils applied as new entrants for places in Scrabo High School in the 1997-98 academic year. All the applicants would have been accepted if the school had remained in operation.

I have recently approved a proposal by the South Eastern Education and Library Board to close Scrabo High School. This decision was taken after very careful consideration of all relevant information, including the school's existing and projected enrolments, the enrolment capacities of neighbouring schools, and financial, community and educational factors. Account was taken also of the various representations which were made to the Department of Education during the statutory objection period. I concluded that the school was financially and educationally unviable and that closure was in the long-term interest of the children concerned.

Teachers and Lecturers

Mr. Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) teachers in schools and (b) college and university lecturers in Northern Ireland are employed on one year contracts of employment. [6294]

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Mr. Worthington: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

However, 614 teachers in schools and 35 lecturers in colleges and universities were employed in a full-time temporary capacity for the 1996-97 school year.

Social Security Agency

Ms Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Social Security Agency for the current financial year.[6913]

Mr. Worthington: The targets are in line with the objective of improving the service provided to customers and fully support the standards established in the Northern Ireland Citizen's Charter. I am satisfied that the targets represent a demanding challenge for the Agency. The targets will be included in the Agency's 1997-98 Strategic and Business Plan, which is due for publication in July. A copy of the Plan will be placed in the Library. The targets are as follows:


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Public Record Office

Ms Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in 1997-98.[6914]

Dr. Mowlam: For 1997-98 the following performance targets have been set for PRONI:


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