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Child Pornography

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been charged with offences arising out of information from the US authorities passed to the PSNI concerning child pornography in the last 12 months. [85685]

Jane Kennedy: One person has been charged with offences at the present time

Construction Industry

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has for Northern Ireland to follow practice in Great Britain with respect to the sectoral skills support for the construction industry through merging the support services relating to electrical, plumbing and building services. [91778]

Jane Kennedy: Unlike the situation in Great Britain plumbing and building services in Northern Ireland are within the scope of the Construction Industry Training Board (NI) which is a non-departmental public body established under the Industrial Training Act with the purpose of encouraging training and careers within the construction industry. The board is empowered to collect a statutory levy from companies within its scope

Electrical skills are outside the scope of the board. The electrical contracting sector is facilitated in Northern Ireland by the Electrical Training Trust (ETT) a voluntary body. These arrangements represent the wishes of employers in the various sub sectors of the local construction industry as expressed in consultation.

The Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA), a UK wide organisation established with the support of the devolved administrations , is working with the construction sector to form a sector skills council which will represent the industry in relation to skills issues. The Northern Ireland Construction Industry Training Board and Electrical Training Trust are involved in that work.

Employment Programmes

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to create (a) employers' forums and (b) job assist centres for the four areas targeted for special action regarding employability. [91779]

Jane Kennedy: On 16 December I launched the report of the Taskforce on Employability and Long-Term Unemployment and announced my intention to pilot Targeted Initiatives as a new approach to tackling these issues in four areas. As part of the pilot arrangements the Department for Employment and Learning will implement the commitment in the Taskforce report to put in place a local consultative process in each targeted area. This process will actively involve employers whose support will be a key factor in helping people overcome their barriers to employment and find work. A range of measures, including a model Job Assist Centre, will also

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be put in place in each area. My officials are currently developing the arrangements necessary for the implementation of these initiatives.

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the costs per participant are on (a) the Northern Ireland Employment Support Programme and (b) the Workstep programme in Great Britain. [91850]

Jane Kennedy: The costs per participant on the Employment Support programme in Northern Ireland were approximately £5,500 in 2001–02, the latest year for which figures are available. This figure includes the wage subsidy paid to employers to take account of the disabled workers assessed output and the fee paid to the sponsor organisations that deliver the programme on behalf of the Department.

The costs per participant on the Workstep programme in GB in 2001–02 were £3,800. This amount is paid at a flat rate to delivery organisations with no account taken of the level of wages paid or the severity of the disability of the worker.

The delivery mechanism and funding arrangements for the Employment Support programme in Northern Ireland are presently under review and a public consultation was carried out at the end of 2002.

Fair Trade Criteria

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what fair trade criteria he sets when deciding upon what suppliers to use. [89917]

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Mr. Pearson: There is no government-wide approach to the procurement of Fairtrade products. However, as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development has made clear, the Government are committed to supporting ethical trading wherever possible and provides significant support to the Fairtrade Foundation's efforts in promoting the supply and marketing of Fairtrade products.

Catering in the Northern Ireland Departments is contracted out to private sector service providers and it is primarily a matter for them as to where they procure the goods which they require. The Department of Finance and Personnel has facilitated War on Want NI by jointly organising with them an event at Parliament Buildings to promote the aims and objectives of the Fairtrade Campaign.

All of the major catering service providers to the Northern Ireland Departments attended the event and it was acknowledged as being very successful in raising awareness of Fairtrade issues within the Northern Ireland catering supply chain.

General Grant

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much of the general grant will be allocated to each district council in 2002–03; and how much he estimates will be allocated to each district council during 2003–04. [90761]

Mr. Paul Murphy: The estimated general grant allocated to each district council for the financial years 2002–03 and 2003–04 are set out in the table:

	2002–03		2003–04
District council	Derating element	Resources element	Derating element	Resources element
Antrim Borough Council	903,353	0	854,416	0
Ards Borough Council	844,826	1,076,102	874,079	1,024,975
Armagh City and District Council	621,005	2,211,802	658,360	1,770,367
Ballymena Borough Council	1,059,536	0	1,082,962	0
Ballymoney Borough Council	352,906	1,009,866	315,008	1,026,368
Banbridge District Council	494,331	1,040,650	469,018	935,925
Belfast City Council	6,725,784	0	6,502,085	0
Carrickfergus Borough Council	335,689	794,967	532,007	37,686
Castlereagh Borough Council	927,808	0	870,779	0
Coleraine Borough Council	535,519	0	526,582	0
Cookstown District Council	648,720	562,700	661,712	947,132
Craigavon Borough Council	2,272,601	64,592	2,502,081	0
Derry City Council	1,471,380	630,064	1,370,102	1,207,414
Down District Council	449,410	2,071,040	435,010	1,680,731
Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council	1,183,627	646,353	1,189,591	1,053,781
Fermanagh District Council	696,275	751,104	671,874	1,450,609
Larne Borough Council	463,838	0	523,808	140,964
Limavady Borough Council	115,888	1,011,770	131,137	1,273,410
Lisburn City Council	1,783,040	0	1,706,646	0
Magherafelt District Council	622,630	1,137,254	631,281	1,420,561
Moyle District Council	144,224	559,866	158,893	600,636
Newry and Mourne District Council	1,020,266	3,145,676	1,121,110	1,908,614
Newtownabbey Borough Council	1,731,125	0	1,836,130	0
North Down Borough Council	578,326	0	560,867	0
Omagh District Council	558,686	850,293	609,335	1,411,497
Strabane District Council	333,306	1,908,898	375,739	2,082,330

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the percentage change in rates will be for each district council during 2003–04 compared to 2002–03 as a result of changes to the general grant formulae; and what transitional arrangements will be made to moderate the effect of the changes in the local government general grant formulae to those councils for which funding has been reduced. [90762]

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Mr. Paul Murphy: The level of district rates fixed each year is a matter entirely for individual councils. While the general grant contribution is a significant factor in the calculation of the rates, councils determine estimated expenditure and corresponding income. It would not be possible, therefore, for the Department to anticipate percentage change in rates year on year.

The Department is currently considering how those councils that are adversely affected under the new formula for distribution of the resources element of general grant might be assisted in the coming period.

Grants

Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the grants funded by his Department for which individual members of the public and organisations may apply; and if he will make a statement as to (a) the total of such funding in the last financial year, (b) the total number of awards and (c) their administrative costs. [82187]

Jane Kennedy: (a) The Total of such funding in the last Financial Year (1 April 2001—31 March 2002) was £426,124,585.43.

(b) The Total number of Awards was 55,880 a.

(c) The Administrative costs were 125,881.22 b.

A full list of grants has been placed in the Library.

a Figures were not available for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.

b Figures were not available for Department of Education, Department of Finance & Personnel, Department of the Environment, Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister; Department of Enterprise Trade & Investment, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of Health Social Services & Public Safety and Department of Culture Arts & Leisure.

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