| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Taskforces
Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will list, for each of the taskforces which have reported, the number of recommendations which (a) they made and (b) have been implemented by the relevant departments. [117966]
Mr. Stringer:
Detailed information in the form requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. A full list of taskforces established since May 1997 was placed in the Library as stated on 9 December 1999, Official Report, column
6 Apr 2000 : Column: 566W
634W. The list provides a breakdown of membership between the private, public and voluntary sectors as well as details of reports prepared by individual taskforces. Those taskforces which are classified as Non- Departmental Public Bodies are excluded from the list as information on them is published in the annual Public Bodies publication.
Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which Government Departments (a) have and (b) have not joined the Employers Forum on Disability. [117628]
Mr. Stringer:
My Department does not keep central records regarding membership of the Employers Forum on Disability or other employer organisations. The decision whether to join the Forum is a matter for individual Departments and agencies.
However, the Employers Forum on Disability tell us that as at 1 April 2000, 14 Government Departments and agencies had joined the Forum. They are:
Cabinet Office
Court Service
Crown Prosecution Service
Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA)
Department for Education and Employment
Department for Trade and Industry
Patent Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Her Majesty's Customs and Excise
Inland Revenue
Insolvency Service
Lord Chancellor's Department
Ministry of Defence
Office for National Statistics
Students
Mr. Opik: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the take-up rates were for student loans for each further and higher education college in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [114656]
Mr. Ingram:
The table shows the relevant information from 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000.
6 Apr 2000 : Column: 565W
(23) Figures based on snapshots of enrolments at 1 November each academic year include EU students who are not eligible for loans
(24) Figures provided by the Student Loans Company
(25) Figures for 1999-2000 are provisional
6 Apr 2000 : Column: 567W
6 Apr 2000 : Column: 567W
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) deaths and (b) injuries have been attributable to paramilitary groups since the start of the ceasefire in July 1997; and what was the number in the three years before the ceasefire. [116070]
Mr. Ingram:
The table shows the number of deaths attributable to paramilitary groups and casualties from paramilitary style attacks since 1 January 1995 to 29 February 2000.
| Loyalist | Republican | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995 | 2 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | 5 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997(26) | 9 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997(27) | 7 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | 17 | 37 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000(28) | 4 | -- | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Casualties as a result of paramilitary style shootings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995 | 3 | -- | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | 21 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997(26) | 33 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997(27) | 13 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | 34 | 38 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | 47 | 26 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000(28) | 7 | --
| Casualties as a result of paramilitary style assaults
| 1995 | 76 | 141
| 1996 | 130 | 172
| 1997(26) | 45 | 53
| 1997(27) | 33 | 25
| 1998 | 89 | 55
| 1999 | 91 | 42
| 2000(28) | 13 | 5
| | ||
(26) To 19 July
(27) With effect from 20 July
(28) To 29 February
6 Apr 2000 : Column: 568W
Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast
Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost of supplying and fitting the new railings around the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, including the cost of the demolition and removal of the existing wall. [116712]
Mr. George Howarth:
The cost of supplying and fitting the new railings is £415,275. A further £79,337 will be spent restoring the existing listed boundary wall. The project is jointly funded by the Millennium Commission and the Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust.
6 Apr 2000 : Column: 569W
Mr. Donaldson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many visits by potential investors there have been to the new IDB industrial site at Knockmore in Lisburn. [117096]
Mr. Ingram:
During the period April 1996 to March 1999, IDB arranged 11 visits by potential inward investors to Knockmore Hill Industrial Estate.
Mr. Hunter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what measures he is taking to ensure that funds from the European Union assigned to organisations which claim to support victims of violence are used for that purpose; [117126]
Mr. Ingram:
All organisations, including those offering support to victims of violence, which received funding from the European Union are subject to the financial controls stipulated in the European Commission's regulations and enforced by each member state. These include verification visits by the promoters through which the funds are channelled; independent audit checks by consultants acting on behalf of the promoters; and checks/visits carried out by Departmental Internal Auditors, the Northern Ireland Audit Office and the European Court of Auditors.
The total value of European Union funds allocated to Northern Ireland since December 1993 is approximately £1.5 billion comprising NI Single Programme £980 million, Community Initiatives £92 million and the European Special Programme for Peace and Reconciliation £385 million.
A total of £3.8 million has been allocated to organisations specifically offering support for victims of violence.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures he has taken to integrate the statutory equality duty into the new Targeting Social Need initiative. [117362]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 3 April 2000]: The statutory obligation on equality of opportunity under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and New Targeting Social Need (New TSN) are separate but complementary elements of the Government's equality agenda. The statutory obligation requires Public Authorities, including NI Departments and the NIO, to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity in terms of nine social categories. New TSN is a policy running through spending programmes in NI Government Departments and the NIO which requires efforts and available resources to be targeted towards people, groups and areas objectively defined as being in greatest social need.
6 Apr 2000 : Column: 570W
(2) what is the total value of EU funds provided to Northern Ireland since December 1993; and how much of this has gone to organisations claiming to support victims of violence. [117125]
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |