| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Paramilitary Beatings
Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list all recorded instances of paramilitary beatings in the period since the Provisional IRA ceasefire of July 1997, indicating in each instance whether the event was carried out by loyalist or republican groups and giving the equivalent figures of the preceding six months. [13856]
Mr. Ingram:
The table illustrates the number of paramilitary style assaults and paramilitary shootings attributed to Loyalist and Republican groups since the Provisional IRA ceasefire on 20 July 1997 and equivalent figures for the previous six months.
5 Nov 1997 : Column: 203
| Casualties as a result of paramilitary style assaults | Casualties as a result of paramilitary style shootings | Total casualties as a result of paramilitary style attacks | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attribution | Loyalist | Republican | Total | Loyalist | Republican | Total | Loyalist | Republican | Total |
| Dates | |||||||||
| 20 January 1997 to 19 July 1997 | 42 | 47 | 89 | 26 | 14 | 40 | 68 | 61 | 129 |
| 20 July 1997 to 28 October 1997 | 18 | 14 | 32 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 27 | 17 | 44 |
5 Nov 1997 : Column: 205
Forest Service
Mr. Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans she has for the future organisation of the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture. [14838]
Majorie Mowlam:
As my colleague the Minister with responsibility for this matter, Lord Dubs, announced in another place on 16 October in reply to a question from baroness Nicol, Official Report, House of Lords, column 200, following consideration of a Prior Options Study, which was announced to Parliament on 7 March 1995, the Government have decided that the Forest Service should become a Next Steps Agency and that preparations should proceed with a view to agentisation with effect from 1 April 1998.
5 Nov 1997 : Column: 206
The Forest Service is responsible for the implementation of Government forestry policy within Northern Ireland and performs broadly the same functions as the Forestry Commission in Great Britain. Agency status will give the service more flexibility in its commercial operations and in the delivery of Government forestry objectives.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the (a) actual deficit and (b) projected deficit of each health authority as a percentage of its budget for the last three years. [14464]
Mr. Worthington:
The following schedule gives (a) the actual deficit for each of the HSS Health Boards in Northern Ireland for the years 1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97 as per the audited accounts and (b) the deficit expressed as a percentage of each board's budget figure.
5 Nov 1997 : Column: 205
| 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Deficit | Percentage of | Deficit | Percentage of | Deficit | Percentage of |
| (£ million) | budget | (£ million) | budget | (£ million) | budget | |
| EHSSB | 1.986 | 0.37 | - | - | 5.15 | 0.95 |
| SHSSB | - | - | 1.582 | 0.62 | 5.2 | 0.2 |
| WHSSB | 1.139 | 0.53 | 2.653 | 1.16 | 1.02 | 0.44 |
NHSSB recorded a surplus in each of the three years.
Health Trust Deficits
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the (a) actual deficits and (b) projected deficits of each health trust as a percentage of their budgets for the last three years. [14271]
5 Nov 1997 : Column: 206
Mr. Worthington
[holding answer 4 November 1997]: The schedule gives (a) the actual deficit for each of the HSS trusts in Northern Ireland for the years 1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97 as per the audited accounts and (b) the deficit figure expressed as a percentage of each trust's total income.
5 Nov 1997 : Column: 205
| 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trust | Deficit (£ million) | Percentage of income | Deficit (£ million) | Percentage of turnover | Deficit (£ million) | Percentage of turnover |
| BCH | 0.997 | 1.22 | 0.586 | 0.69 | 2.406 | 2.66 |
| CAH | 0.191 | 0.45 | 0.344 | 0.76 | 1.288 | 2.82 |
| Northern Ireland Ambulance Service | 0.086 | 1.22 | -- | -- | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| UNDAH | 1.014 | 1.94 | 0.32 | 0.56 | 1.857 | 3.21 |
| RGH | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1.225 | 0.9 |
| Green Park | -- | -- | 1.118 | 2.34 | 0.519 | 1.04 |
| Mater | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.007 | 0.38 |
| Craigavon/Banbridge | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.088 | 0.27 |
| Newry/Mourne | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.25 | 0.58 |
| North and West Belfast | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.839 | 0.99 |
| Causeway | -- | -- | 0.378 | 0.8 | -- | -- |
| Altnagelvin | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.109 | 0.23 |
| Armagh/Dungannon | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.092 | 0.16 |
5 Nov 1997 : Column: 205
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Dispute Resolution
Mr. Kidney:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how he intends to promote greater use of alternative dispute resolution in place of civil litigation. [13312]
5 Nov 1997 : Column: 206
Mr. Hoon:
The Lord Chancellor has recently approved pilot schemes for alternative dispute resolution at Bristol county court and in the Court of Appeal. A mediation pilot scheme has been running at Central London county court since May 1996. Before deciding the next steps, the Lord Chancellor will consider the outcome of research on the Central London scheme. The initial report is expected early next year.
5 Nov 1997 : Column: 207
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps Her Majesty's Government have taken to ensure the up-to-date publication of all amendments to the current United Kingdom law occasioned by European Union regulations. [13387]
Mr. Hoon:
Queen's Printer's copies of all newly enacted Acts of Parliament and of Statutory Instruments implementing amendments to current United Kingdom law occasioned by European Union regulations are published promptly by The Stationery Office Limited. The text is also made available on the Internet. The explanatory note at the end of each Statutory Instrument which implements a European Union obligation will identify and cite the relevant European Union instrument.
The Lord Chancellor's Department is setting up a statute law database to ensure publication of up to date amended text of United Kingdom Public General Acts of Parliament. Amendments made to those Acts by United Kingdom legislation in implementation of European Union obligations will be duly incorporated. It is not at present intended that the statute law database should include amended text of Statutory Instruments.
Mr. Waterson:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to amend the law relating to living wills; and if he will make a statement. [13146]
Mr. Hoon:
The Law Commission report on mental incapacity published in 1995 includes recommendations relating to advance statements (sometimes referred to as living wills). As I indicated in my written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Corby (Mr. Hope) on 28 October, Official Report, column 787, the Government do not consider that it would be appropriate to legislate on the basis of these recommendations without fresh public consultation. It is hoped that a consultation paper will be issued by the end of the year.
Mr. Bill O'Brien:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received from magistrates in West Yorkshire over the work of the joint magistrates committees; and if he will make a statement. [13398]
Mr. Hoon:
I have received a letter from one magistrate from West Riding Metropolitan Magistrates Courts Committee which questioned the necessity for a magistrates courts committee for the area. I have also received a letter from the chairman of the Wakefield bench of that MCC concerning the committee's proposals to reallocate duties from the deputy clerks to an increased number of justices clerks and to remove the post of deputy clerk.
5 Nov 1997 : Column: 208
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list his Department's priorities in relation to tourism during the United Kingdom presidency of the European Union. [12972]
Mr. Tom Clarke:
We believe that the main aim for the Tourism Unit in the Commission should be to ensure that, across the range of Commission responsibilities, account should be taken of the impact on tourism of decisions and actions, and that the employment and other opportunities represented by tourism should be recognised.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |