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NORTHERN IRELAND
Portadown Attack
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Royal Ulster Constabulary officers comprised the inquiry team into the murder of Robert Hamill. [95357]
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Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 26 October 1999]: The RUC have advised that the size of the team investigating the murder of Robert Hamill varied as the investigation necessitated. It consisted of up to 28 officers, with appropriate supporting staff.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hours elapsed between the assaults on Robert Hamill and Gregory Girvan in Portadown town centre on 27 April 1997 and the attendance of Royal Ulster Constabulary scenes of crime officers at the location of the attack. [95355]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 26 October 1999]: The RUC have advised that Scenes of Crime Officers were at the scene of the incident eight hours after the assault, though there were other officers at the scene before then.
Mr. Hume:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of students enrolled in higher education institutions in (a) Derry and (b) Belfast benefit from Department of Education Northern Ireland awards for taught postgraduate study in computer science/I.T. [97031]
Mr. McFall:
The Department of Education for Northern Ireland's awards for taught postgraduate study are tenable only at the Queen's University of Belfast and the University of Ulster. The 1999-2000 full-time postgraduate enrolment position in Londonderry and Belfast is as follows:
| Number of DENI taught postgraduate awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Higher education institution | Number of post graduate students | All areas | Computer Science/IT |
| Londonderry | |||
| Magee College, University of Ulster | 327 | 7 | 2 |
| Belfast | |||
| Queen's University | 1,899 | 25 | 9 |
| University of Ulster Jordanstown Campus | 595 | 5 | 2 |
| University of Ulster Belfast Campus | 60 | 0 | 0 |
Mr. Hume: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportions of Department of Education Northern Ireland taught postgraduate awards are allocated to each subject area. [97032]
Mr. McFall:
For the 1999-2000 academic year, the Department of Education for Northern Ireland (DENI) made available to the University of Ulster (UU) and Queen's University of Belfast (QUB), by faculty, the following numbers of taught postgraduate awards:
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| Queen's University of Belfast | University of Ulster | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facility | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
| Science | 16 | 49 | 10 | 50 | 26 | 49 |
| Social Science | 5 | 15 | 4 | 20 | 9 | 17 |
| Humanities | 4 | 12 | 3 | 15 | 7 | 13 |
| Bursaries | (15)8 | 24 | 3 | 15 | 11 | 21 |
| Total | 33 | 100 | 20 | 100 | 53 | 100 |
(15) Only four awards allocated by Queen's University of Belfast
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| Facility | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Science | ||
| Computer Science and Application | 5 | 17 |
| Palaeoecology | 2 | 7 |
| Applied Environmental Science | 1 | 3.5 |
| Engineering Computation | 1 | 3.5 |
| Manufacturing Systems Engineering | 2 | 7 |
| Materials Science | 2 | 7 |
| Occupational Psychology | 1 | 3.5 |
| Opto Electronics and Optical Information Processing | 1 | 3.5 |
| Polymer Engineering | 1 | 3.5 |
| Social Science | ||
| Town and Country Planning | 1 | 3.5 |
| Political Theory | 1 | 3.5 |
| Social Anthropology | 2 | 7 |
| Criminal Justice Management | 1 | 3.5 |
| Humanities | ||
| English | 1 | 3.5 |
| Philosophy | 2 | 7 |
| Irish Studies | 1 | 3.5 |
| Bursaries | ||
| Diploma in Information Management | 4 | 14 |
| Total | 29 | 100 |
| Facility | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Science | ||
| Engineering | 2 | 10 |
| Toxicology | 1 | 5 |
| Maritime Archaeology | 1 | 5 |
| Geographic Information Systems | 1 | 5 |
| Systems Information | 4 | 20 |
| Food Biotechnology | 1 | 5 |
| Social Science | ||
| Applied Psychology | 1 | 5 |
| International Business | 3 | 15 |
| Humanities | ||
| Irish History and Politics | 1 | 5 |
| Peace and Conflict | 1 | 5 |
| Irish Literature in English | 1 | 5 |
| Bursaries | ||
| Fine Art | 3 | 15 |
| Total | 20 | 100 |
Millennium Compliance
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what languages other than English have been used in advertising designed to convey the Government's message about Year 2000 compliance to ethnic minority communities. [97279]
Mr. Ingram:
Northern Ireland, like the rest of the United Kingdom, has relied on the publicity material produced by Action 2000 to convey the message about
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Year 2000 compliance. Government Departments in Northern Ireland have produced little or no publicity material about the Year 2000 compliance issue.
Mr. Opik:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) statutory and (b) voluntary bodies there are in Northern Ireland which deal with substance abuse and rehabilitation; and if he will make a statement. [97455]
Mr. George Howarth:
The Department of Health and Social Services is aware of 17 statutory and 34 voluntary organisations working in this area. These figures exclude organisations the primary focus of which is not substance misuse but which nevertheless may encounter such problems in the course of their work.
Mr. Opik:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money is spent per annum in Northern Ireland on substance abuse rehabilitation by (a) statutory and (b) voluntary bodies; and if he will make a statement. [97456]
Mr. George Howarth:
This information is not available in the form requested. However, a 1999 report on reducing alcohol related harm in Northern Ireland estimated that annual expenditure by Health and Social Services Boards and HSS Trusts on alcohol addiction treatment services was £2.9 million. Similarly, a consultancy report, commissioned to inform the new "Drugs Strategy for Northern Ireland", estimated that Boards and Trusts spend £1.4 million annually on drug services.
The Department of Health and Social Services awarded grants totalling almost £230,000 in 1998-99 to voluntary organisations involved in combating substance misuse.
Mr. Opik:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what indicators are used by (a) statutory and (b) voluntary bodies in Northern Ireland to measure the success of programmes working with substance abuse and rehabilitation; and if he will make a statement. [97457]
Mr. George Howarth:
No common standards or indicators are in place to assess the effectiveness of substance abuse programmes undertaken by the many statutory and voluntary organisations engaged in tackling the problem. However, a number of organisations take steps to assess such programmes ranging from client questionnaires to multi-disciplinary team evaluations. Funding of voluntary organisations by Government Departments is conditional upon the outcome of a rigorous evaluation programme every three years.
The new "Drug Strategy for Northern Ireland", published in August, sets out a series of objectives and outcomes in respect of four key areas. The Government will, in due course, publish specific plans as to how these objectives and outcomes will be met but organisations will be held accountable for progress through the drug structures and the action planning process. The new alcohol strategy due for publication in March 2000 will also include specific objectives and outcomes.
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Mr. Opik:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what level of co-operation there is between (a) statutory and (b) voluntary organisations working in Northern Ireland on substance misuse and rehabilitation programmes; and if he will make a statement. [97458]
Mr. George Howarth:
Structures are in place to ensure co-operation both within and between the statutory and voluntary sectors to tackle substance misuse. The Central Co-ordinating Group for Action Against Drugs, chaired by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, comprises representative from Government Departments and their agencies, together with advisers from the police, Prison Service and Customs and Excise. Drug Co-ordination Teams exist in each Health and Social Services Board areas. These include representatives from a wide range of statutory and voluntary sector organisations, and are responsible for developing local action plans to address local needs.
In addition, health professionals from each Health Board area work together on the Northern Ireland Committee on Drug Misuse. The Committee, which also includes voluntary sector representation, advises the Department on measures to combat the illicit drug problem.
A Drug Information Exchange Group, under the auspices of the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland, also provides a forum for co-operation and information sharing. A separate forum will be established shortly on alcohol misuse.
Following a recent review of alcohol policy in Northern Ireland, the Department of Health and Social Services intends to publish a new strategy in March 2000. The strategy will include recommendations about structures to facilitate improved co-operation.
Mr. Opik:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money is ring-fenced by local health boards in Northern Ireland for substance abuse rehabilitation schemes; and if he will make a statement. [97459]
Mr. George Howarth:
This information is not available in the form requested. However, during 1999-2000, expected expenditure to be deployed on alcohol/addiction services by each Health and Social Services Board is set out in the following table:
| Health and Social Services Board | £000 |
|---|---|
| Northern | 715 |
| Southern | 505 |
| Eastern | 1,400 |
| Western | 911 |
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