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Disability Living Allowance
Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to her answer of 23 June, Official Report, column 404, if she will make it her policy to ensure that disability living allowance reviews and appeals are costed and the price published; and if she will make a statement on the success rate for reviews and appeals. [10476]
Mr. Worthington: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Social Security Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Alec Wylie, and I have asked him to arrange for a response to be given.
Letter from Alec Wylie to Mr. Robert McCartney, dated 29 July 1997:
I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on the costs and success rate of Disability Living Allowance reviews and appeals.
Mr. Robert McCartney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will ensure that Northern Ireland is covered by the Education (Schools) Bill. [10477]
Mr. Worthington:
Separate legislation is being prepared to give effect to class size requirements in Northern Ireland.
Mr. William Ross:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many parades have taken place in Northern Ireland in the current year; how many were organised by (a) the Orange Order, (b) the Royal Black Institution, (c) the Apprentice Boys of Derry, (d) The Ancient Order of Hibernians, (e) children and youth organisations, such as boys and girls brigades, scouts, (f) the Royal British Legion, (g) Sinn Fein, (h) trade unions and (i) other organisations and individuals. [11501]
Mr. Ingram:
The information is not currently available in the format requested and would incur disproportionate cost to provide. I can, however, give details of the number of parades which have taken place in Northern Ireland in the current year which are described as either loyalist, nationalist or other.
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As explained in my letter of 17 June 1997, the Social Security Agency does not maintain records on the costs of Disability Living Allowance reviews and appeals, processes to which people who are dissatisfied with adjudication officer decisions have a statutory right of access. Compiling and maintaining this information would require a major clerical work programme at disproportionate costs and the Agency has no plans to introduce such a system.
Current available information indicates that around one third of reviews and appeals for Disability Living Allowance are successful. This is broadly in line with other similar benefits. While the Agency aims to get as many decisions as possible correct at the initial claim stage, it frequently happens that, when given a decision on their application, customers provide further evidence of their disability which then has to be reviewed. This is the main reason for the success rate for reviews and appeals.
I hope this explains the position for you but I would be happy to provide any further information you require.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Loyalist | 1,576 |
| Nationalist | 114 |
| Other | 254 |
| Total | 1,944 |
The statistics may be subject to adjustment.
Violent Crime
Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will list for each month since 1 January 1994 the number of arson attacks and explosive attacks which have been made on (a) churches, by denomination (b) other church property, (c) Ancient Order of Hibernians halls, (d) Gaelic Athletic Association buildings, (e) Orange halls, (f) other halls, (g) private houses, (h) integrated schools, (i) maintained schools, (j) controlled schools and (k) voluntary schools; [11499]
- (2) if she will list for the months of May, June and July to date in (a) 1995, (b) 1996 and (c) 1997 the numbers of incidents in which (i) petrol bombs were thrown at the security forces, (ii) firearms were used against the security forces and (iii) the security forces were attacked with stones or other missiles, broken down by town or police sub-division, giving (1) the duration of the assaults, (2) the numbers of persons involved and (3) the numbers of petrol bombs used; [11500]
(3) how many punishment beatings and shootings there have been in each month, broken down by police division, since 1 January 1994; and if he will indicate (a) which terrorist or paramilitary body was responsible and (b) how many were (i) republican and (ii) loyalist inspired. [11507]
Mr. Ingram: I shall write to the right hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.
Stolen Vehicles
Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list for the months of May, June and July to date the numbers of vehicles stolen in each police sub-division in Northern Ireland this year and in (i) 1995 and (ii) 1996; how many of them were (a) recovered and (b) destroyed; and what estimate she has made of the costs of each case of damage in each sub-division in each year. [11503]
Mr. Ingram: I shall write to the right hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.
Stormont Talks (Bodyguards)
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which delegations of participants in the all-party talks at Stormont have bodyguards within the castle buildings precincts; which of these bodyguards are armed; and if she will make a statement. [10432]
Mr. Ingram: I shall write to the right hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.
Bus Operators (Fuel Costs)
Mrs. Ballard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate she has made of (a) the
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cost to public transport bus operators resulting from the increase in fuel costs announced in the Budget and (b) its effect on the cost of travel by bus. [11617]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
I understand that Ulsterbus and Citybus, which operate the great bulk of bus services in Northern Ireland, estimate that the increase in fuel duty will add around £850,000 a year to their costs. As a result, they increased bus fares by an average of 1.75 per cent. on July 28.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding is presently committed from her departmental budget for (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000 to resolve the year 2000 computer problem; and if she will make a statement. [11895]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
The Northern Ireland Departments, together with the Northern Ireland Office, are each responsible for their own expenditure programmes. In each case the cost of rectifying the year 2000 problem will be met out of their existing public expenditure survey provision. The exact costs involved will not be known until later in the year when the Departments will have completed a set of fully costed plans for the work involved. At that point, the original expenditure programmes may have to be adjusted.
Ms Perham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how often since 1992 her Department has been responsible for employment advertisements which contained age restrictions upon those who could apply. [9512]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is her estimate of total departmental expenditure on computer-related current and capital work for (a) 1995-96, (b) 1996-97, (c) 1997-98, (d) 1998-99 and (e) 1999-2000; and if she will make a statement. [11392]
Mr. Paul Murphy
[holding answer 29 July 1997]:
For the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments, the information is as follows:
| £ thousand | ||
|---|---|---|
| Current | Capital | |
| 1995-96(22) | 25,316 | 16,319 |
| 1996-97(22) | 26,415 | 17,466 |
| 1997-98 | 26,821 | 18,202 |
| 1998-99 | 31,991 | 16,500 |
| 1999-2000 | 34,383 | 14,875 |
(22) Actual expenditure.
Waste Minimisation
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if she will make a statement on existing targets set to minimise waste within her Department; [11566]
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(3) if she will list the amount, and proportion, of paper recycled by her Department in each of the last five years. [11567]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.
(2) what plans she has to introduce a waste minimisation strategy for her Department; [11565]
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