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Dr. Bavo Omoviola

Sir Alastair Goodlad: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the proposed deportation of Dr. Bavo Omoviola (H.O. Ref 0138995); and if he will make a statement. [66327]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Home Secretary and I have received a number of representations both from Members of this House, friends and supporters of Dr. Omoviola, and representatives of his local community. Full and careful consideration is being given to these representations.

Crime Reduction (Flintshire)

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been made available for the crime reduction programme in Flintshire; and if he will make a statement. [66421]

Mr. Boateng: Under the crime reduction programme, £250 million is available over the next three years for England and Wales for projects which offer a significant and sustained impact on crime. We will be announcing in due course the allocation of funding as each of the programme's initiatives is launched.

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money has been made available for the Targeted Policing Scheme in Flintshire; and if he will make a statement. [66422]

Mr. Boateng: £32 million is available over the next three years for the development of targeted policing in England and Wales as part of the crime reduction programme. The closing date for police forces to apply to be one of the first 10 projects, due to start from April, is 29 January and, as a result, no decisions have yet been taken on the location of the projects.

Ministerial Travel

Mr. Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cumulative cost to his Department of ministerial use of RAF flights in the year to 1 May 1997. [64739]

Mr. Straw [holding answer 11 January 1999]: As my answer of 9 December 1998, Official Report, column 214, made clear, Ministers are required under the terms of the Ministerial Code always to make efficient and cost- effective travel arrangements. The rules on travel for Ministers are the same as those that applied to the previous Administration. Travel by Ministers on Royal Air Force flights between the 16 month period between 2 May 1997 and 30 September 1998 is not directly comparable with the 12 months of the previous Administration.

The cumulative costs in the year to 1 May 1997 was £7,343.

19 Jan 1999 : Column: 418

NORTHERN IRELAND

Books (Funding)

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on future funding for school books and library books in Northern Ireland. [65109]

Mr. McFall: The Block Grant allocations to Boards in total will enable the School Library Service to receive £2.8 million in 1999-2000, an increase of 2.6 per cent. In addition, specific provision of £0.5 million has also been made to enhance the school library book stock. The amount is expected to increase to £1 million in each of the following 2 years.

In addition £1.45 million is being allocated to support projects within the National Year of Reading and the School Improvement Programme to enhance literacy and numeracy skills.

Employment Statistics (Foyle)

Mr. Hume: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many job losses there were in the constituency of Foyle in 1998. [65313]

Mr. Ingram: In 1998 there were 756 confirmed redundancies in the constituency of Foyle.

Mr. Hume: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for each ward in the constituency of Foyle the percentage of (a) people of working age in employment, (b) males of working age in employment, (c) females of working age in employment, (d) people unemployed, (e) males unemployed and (f) females unemployed, in (i) December 1997 and (ii) December 1998. [65347]

Mr. Ingram: The latest figures available for those of working age in employment in the Foyle Parliamentary Constituency relate to summer 1998. These are given in the table below, together with corresponding figures for summer 1997. Estimates at ward level are not available.

Percentage of working age in employment

All personsMalesFemales
Summer 198858.567.650.0
Summer 199756.761.652.1

Source:

Labour Force Survey


The percentage of the work force unemployed is not available at ward level. However, the following table shows the numbers of male, female, and total claimant unemployed in each ward in the Foyle Parliamentary Constituency Area at December 1997 and December 1998.

Derry district council--unemployment

WardMaleFemaleTotal
As at December 1997
Altnagelvin12047167
Ballynashallog15243195
Banagher10123124
Beechwood14720167
Brandywell17830208
Carn Hill18539224
Caw14140181
Claudy10415119
Clondermot10315118
Corrody16037197
Creggan Central18533218
Creggan South13324157
Crevagh & Springtown42271493
Culmore19849247
Ebrington11127138
Eglinton12630156
Enagh12325148
Faughan8520105
Glen18132213
Lisnagelvin461359
New Buildings8426110
Pennyburn11846164
Rosemount17644220
St. Peter's12228150
Shantallow East15823181
Shantallow West26935304
Strand22264286
The Diamond26872340
Victoria13632168
Westland18636222
Total4,7401,0395,779
As at December 1998
Altnagelvin7330103
Ballynashallog15136187
Banagher9713110
Beechwood13023153
Brandywell14824172
Carn Hill15531186
Caw8930119
Claudy11118129
Clondermot12525150
Corrody18240222
Creggan Central16031191
Creggan South12222144
Crevagh & Springtown39970469
Culmore18250232
Ebrington641175
Eglinton13635171
Enagh772097
Faughan10135136
Glen19451245
Lisnagelvin31637
New Buildings9735132
Pennyburn10240142
Rosemount17851229
St. Peter's13121152
Shantallow East14329172
Shantallow West22837265
Strand22270292
The Diamond28058338
Victoria13923162
Westland16830198
Total4,4159955,410

19 Jan 1999 : Column: 419

Mr. Hume: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the average income for people in employment in the constituency of Foyle (a) in the constituency as a whole, (b) per ward, (c) per ward for males and (d) per ward for females in the most recent year for which figures are available. [65315]

Mr. Ingram: Estimates of total income (including income from sources other than salaries and wages) are not available at Parliamentary Constituency level. In

19 Jan 1999 : Column: 420

1998, the average gross weekly earnings of full-time adult employees in the constituency of Foyle was £339.8. The average for males was £381.9 and the average for females £281.3. Similar information at ward level is not available.

Higher Education

Mr. Hume: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many full-time higher education places are available to students in the Northern Ireland Western Education and Library Board area. [65308]

Mr. McFall: There were 2,864 students enrolled on full-time higher education courses at institutions located in the Western Education and Library Board area in 1997-98. Enrolment figures for 1998-99 are not yet available.

Student Nurses

Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland at which locations student nurse training places are provided; how many of the places at each location have been filled by applicants; if there is a shortage of nurses in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement. [65291]

Mr. McFall: Pre-registration student nurse training is commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Services through a contract arrangement with Queen's university of Belfast. For 1998-99 the number of pre-registration places included in the contract were 425, of which 419 were taken up by applicants.

I am satisfied that we do not face the same nursing recruitment and retention difficulties as there may be in other parts of the United Kingdom. There is no immediate concern about a shortage of nurses available to meet the requirements of the HPSS in Northern Ireland. However, I have asked my Department to monitor the situation.


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