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19 Dec 2002 : Column 914W—continued
NORTHERN IRELAND
Canoeing
Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to increase access to water for canoeing; and if he will make a statement. [87886]
Angela Smith: The Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure has a water recreation remit which allows it to provide and improve facilities for promoting the recreational or navigational use of waterways. The Department has funded the installation of public canoe steps and associated facilities on a number of Northern Ireland rivers under this programme. The Department is also administering a European-funded Water Recreation Development Programme 2001–04 for projects designed to develop the inland waterway network and improve water recreation facilities available to both local and tourist users.
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In December this year the Countryside Access and Activities Network for Northern Ireland (CAAN) published a Report on XCanoeing in Northern Ireland—Strategic Review" which sets out a recommended way forward for the future development of canoeing.
Foetal Health
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what obligations there are on employers to provide protection for an unborn child at the mother's workplace. [88070]
Mr. Pearson: Obligations on employers to provide protection for an unborn child at the mother's workplace are provided through the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000. These regulations require employers to carry out risk assessments to identify hazards and take appropriate action to protect the health and safety of the expectant mother and her unborn child.
Local Government
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will meet the National Association of Local Councillors (Northern Ireland Region) to discuss (a) members' allowances, (b) the future of local government and (c) other matters of mutual interest. [87320]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I have no immediate plans to meet the National Association of Councillors (Northern Ireland Region). Local Government issues are the responsibility of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Angela Smith), who has responsibility for the Department of the Environment. I understand she plans to meet members of the Association on a regular basis, as was the practice of the former Minister of the Environment (Dermot Nesbitt). Preparations for a meeting early in the new year are currently underway.
Sickness (Teachers)
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures are in place to reduce the number of teacher sickness absences in Northern Ireland. [88077]
Jane Kennedy: The monitoring of sick absences is the responsibility of teachers' employers.
Information on teacher absences in the controlled and maintained sectors is routinely made available by the Department to each Education and Library Board and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools.
The Department of Education and the employing authorities are very much aware of the pressures and challenges facing teachers and are working closely with teacher representatives to seek ways of maintaining and improving the health of teachers. The Teachers' Health and Well-being Survey Report has just been published and a strategy group has been established to take forward its recommendations.
The Department and employers will also be looking very carefully at the recommendations in the Northern Ireland Audit Office Report on The Management of
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Substitution Cover for Teachers, about identifying local patterns and trends so that reasonable targets for reducing sick absences can be set and monitored.
Supply Teachers
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what efforts he is making to ensure that schools in Northern Ireland give priority to offering supply teaching vacancies to young unemployed qualified teachers. [88076]
Jane Kennedy: The recruitment of substitute teachers is the responsibility of teachers' employers. Employers are encouraged to give preference to newly qualified teachers and experienced non-retired teachers who are seeking employment. Retired teachers should only be re-employed to provide short-term cover where newly qualified teachers or experienced non-retired teachers unavailable. Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment's (DETI) statistics for February 2002 (the latest month for which statistics are available) indicate there were only three teachers under 25 years of age registered as unemployed for more than six months.
Capping of the levels of the central reimbursement of the costs of substitute cover also provides an incentive for schools to employ newly qualified teachers as substitutes.
Youth Services
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much is being spent in 2002–03 on youth service provision in (a) North Belfast, (b) East Belfast, (c) South Belfast and (d) West Belfast; and how many people are employed as (i) full-time staff and (ii) part-time staff in each area. [87406]
Jane Kennedy: It has not been possible to divide Belfast into areas corresponding to parliamentary constituencies. However, for Education and Library Board controlled and voluntary youth projects an attempt has been made to define the boundaries that are currently considered North, South, East and West within the Belfast Youth Service. The position in respect of 2002–03 for youth projects in these areas is as follows:
| Staffing | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | Spending (approx.) (#000) | Full-time | Part-time |
| (a) North | 908 | 20 | 40 |
| (b) East | 413 | 9 | 49 |
| (c) South | 482 | 11 | 64 |
| (d) West | 812 | 24 | 63 |
| Total | 2,615 | 64 | 216 |
As Education and Library Board Support and other services such as outdoor education centres, support to uniform organisations, training, Duke of Edinburgh and headquarter staffing are city wide or city centre initiatives it has not been possible to breakdown the remaining spending of around #l million or the remaining staffing provision.
The Belfast Regeneration Office of the Department for Social Development will have a total spend, during 2002–03, of #371,833 on youth service provision in North, South, East and West Belfast and will employ
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seven full time and one part time staff during this period. Please see details of the breakdown of these figures in the following table.
| Area/project name | Funding 2002–03 (#) | Number of employees |
|---|---|---|
| North Belfast | ||
| Ballysillan Elim Church | 1,456.00 | 0 |
| Ardoyne Youth Providers' Forum | 17,154.00 | 0 |
| Artillery Youth Centre | 23,143.00 | 0 |
| Manor Street/Cliftonville Community Group | 9,239.00 | 0 |
| Total | 50,992.00 | 0 |
TREASURY
National Insurance
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it Government policy not to (a) employ and (b) award contracts to a financial institution which uses offshore arrangements intended to avoid employers' national insurance liabilities, or has done so in the last three years. [87712R]
Mr. Boateng: Individual Government Departments are responsible for taking decisions on the goods and services they acquire—and from whom they acquire them—taking account of the Government's procurement policy of seeking value for money for the taxpayer. Under Regulation 14 (1) (f) and (g) of the Public Works, Services and Supply Contracts Regulations (SIs: 1991/2680, 1993/3228 and 1995/201 respectively), Departments may reject any potential supplier who has not fulfilled obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions or of taxes under the law of the UK and, where relevant, of another member state. This provision is not time limited.
Annual Convergence Programme
Barbara Follett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to submit an updated, annual Convergence Programme, as required by the Stability and Growth Pact. [88638]
Ruth Kelly: As required under the Stability and Growth Pact, an updated, annual Convergence Programme has today been submitted to the European Commission. Copies of the Programme are available in the Libraries of both Houses.
Community Care Grant and Budgeting Loan
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will increase the amount of money available to (a) the Community Care Grant and (b) the Budgeting Loan budget. [85289]
Malcolm Wicks : I have been asked to reply.
The discretionary Social Fund provides people on low incomes with grants and loans to help them manage a wide range of unexpected or occasional costs, including the purchase of beds and cookers, depending on their individual circumstances.
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On 27 November, we announced that from April 2003, #90 million will be added to the discretionary Fund over the three years to 2005–06. This extra investment will enhance the fund's ability to help those on low incomes manage their finances.
We have already introduced a number of important changes to the Social Fund. We have simplified the budgeting loan scheme so that all applicants who satisfy the qualifying conditions, and have no outstanding Social Fund debt, will be offered a loan. We have also extended the qualifying conditions for community care grants to help people setting up home in the community who have been without a settled way of life.
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