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24 Feb 2003 : Column 9W—continued

Fisheries

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money was made available through the 2002 Northern Ireland fishing vessel decommissioning scheme; how many applications were received; how many successful applicants decommissioned their vessels; how many successful applicants declined decommissioning; how much of the available funding is left; and if he will allocate remaining funds to the original bidders who were unsuccessful in their application to the scheme. [97571]

Mr. Pearson: The information is as follows: (1) Under the Fishing Vessel Decommissioning Scheme (Northern Ireland) 2001 £5 million was made available for vessel decommissioning; 66 applications were received; 27 successful applicants have decommissioned their vessels and a further two successful applicants have accepted the offer of decommissioning grant; six successful applicants have declined decommissioning grant; and £0.6million of available funding is left.

(2) I have recently announced a new decommissioning scheme, whose terms and conditions will take account of those applying elsewhere in the United Kingdom. It is not my intention at this time to make any further offers under the existing scheme.

Foundation Hospitals

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to accord foundation status to hospitals in Northern Ireland. [98333]

Mr. Browne: I have no plans at present to extend NHS Foundation Trusts to Northern Ireland.

Linguistic Diversity

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the draft linguistic diversity policy of the National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland was completed for submission to the Chief Executive. [98200]

Angela Smith: The Chief Executive of the National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland has been actively involved in the development of the draft linguistic diversity policy from an early stage. It is therefore the members of the Board of Trustees rather than the Chief Executive to whom the draft policy is submitted.

A first draft was prepared in 1999, but it soon became clear that more work was required, and the Trustees agreed to set up a small working group to take the matter forward. The outgoing Trustees did not have an opportunity to consider the next draft before the end of their term of office in June 2002. Since then, some further detailed work has been carried out, and it is hoped that the new Board will be able to consider and formally adopt the new draft shortly.

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Nurse Recruitment

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on nurse recruitment in Northern Ireland during each of the last three years. [98334]

Mr. Browne: Recruitment of qualified nursing staff is a matter for HSS Trusts as employers. In recognition of recruitment difficulties, the number of pre-registration nurse training places was increased from 580 to 680 in 2001 and from 680 to 750 in 2002.

The number of qualified nurses and midwifes employed in the HPSS as at 31 December 2000, 2001 and 2002 was 13,607, 13,645 and 14,670 respectively.

There are currently 1,863 pre-registration nursing students with another 160 expected to commence training next month.

Public Liability Insurance

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the number of insurance underwriters prepared to quote for public liability insurance for charities working with children in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [98263]

Mr. Browne: There have been a number of reports within the Northern Ireland voluntary and community sector of significant increases in relation to public liability insurance costs. There have also been reports stating that organisations perceived by insurers to represent a greater risk, include groups involving children. I understand that there have been reports throughout the United Kingdom.

To date no assessment has been made of insurance brokers prepared to quote for charities working with children in Northern Ireland. Representatives from the voluntary and community sector are still gathering details of the extent of the problem faced by the sector as a whole in Northern Ireland. This information will be provided in due course to the Joint Government Voluntary and Community Sector Forum. The information will then be relayed to officials in Great Britain who are responsible for this matter on a UK wide basis.

Red Button Alert Device

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was distributed through the Social Fund for the red button alert device scheme in Northern Ireland in each year since 2000; how many people have a red button alert device; what plans he has to increase free provision of the red button alert device for pensioners; and what plans he has to update the red button alert device technology. [98363]

Mr. Browne: Information is not available on the value of Social Fund payments which have been made in respect of the red button alert device. The Social

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Security Agency has specific arrangements in place with groups in the voluntary sector who represent pensioner interests to ensure that requests for help to purchase this particular device are dealt with promptly.

At this time there are no plans to increase free provision of the red button alert devices. As the device is not the responsibility of the Department we do not hold information regarding the updating of the technology.

Where the provision of the red button alert device forms part of an assessed care management package the cost may be funded from the relevant Health and Social Services Trust's budget.

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PRIVY COUNCIL

Ministerial Cars

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the President of the Council (1) what progress has been made in the last three years in replacing (a) his and (b) his predecessor's ministerial car on a lower emission basis; and what type of (i) power unit and (ii) fuel each car used by him and his predecessor in the course of his ministerial duties used; [97016]

(2) at what annual rate he or his predecessor has replaced his ministerial car in the course of the last three years. [97018]

Mr. Robin Cook: The information requested is as follows:

		Present car		Previous car(1)
Minister	Date changed(2)	Power unit (litre)	Fuel used	Power unit (litre)	Fuel used
Robin Cook MP	22 October 2002	2.6	Unleaded	2.5	Unleaded
Ben Bradshaw MP	17 April 2002	2.0	Unleaded	1.8	Unleaded

⁽¹⁾ Inherited from predecessor.

⁽²⁾ Only such change in the past three years.

Both past and present ministerial cars were leased under an agreement with the Government Car Service (GCS). The types of car provided followed the "Prime Minister's guidance on travel by Ministers".

GCS recognises that reducing vehicle omissions is a key transport issue and a Government priority. Against a baseline of 2002–03, GCS aims by 31 March 2006 to reduce road transport vehicle carbon dioxide emissions by at least 10 per cent. and to require at least 10 per cent. of fleet cars to be alternatively fuelled. Moreover, the Deputy Leader and I both endeavour to use public transport, cycle or walk, where value for money and time constraints permit.

CABINET OFFICE

Computer Crime

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many cases of computer (a) hacking, (b) fraud and (c) theft his Department recorded in 2001–02; and on how many occasions computer systems have been illegally accessed by computer hackers (i) within and (ii) outside his Department. [97554]

Mr. Alexander: Within my Department and its Agencies during 2001–02 there have been no cases of computer hacking from (i) within or (ii) outside and no instances of fraudulent use of computers although there has been one theft in 2001–02.

Electricity

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what changes in unit payments for electricity have resulted from the switch by his Department to purchasing renewable energy which is exempt from the Climate Change Levy. [96398]

Mr. Alexander: The switch to purchasing Climate Change Levy exempt renewable energy has resulted in a 2.14 per cent. (average) increase in cost.

In view of the considerable contribution to the ENV (G) target and associated CO2 savings, Cabinet Office agreed to pay the additional cost to secure a 12 month contract for the supply of electricity from entirely renewable sources to three buildings on its central London estate. This contract came into effect on 1 October 2002.

Entertainment Expenditure

Mr. Laws: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what reasons underlie the change in his Department's entertainment expenditure between 1998–99 and 2001–02; and if he will make a statement. [95433]

Mr. Alexander: The increase in entertainment expenditure between 1998–99 to 2001–02 is mainly a result of the Cabinet Office's widening span of responsibilities in recent years and Machinery of Government changes. There has been a corresponding rise in necessary entertainment expenditure by an increased staff resource. All expenditure is in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety based on the principles set out in Government Accounting.

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