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5 Mar 2003 : Column 1114W—continued
TB
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received immunisation against TB in (a) the last year for which figures are available, (b) the previous 12 months and (c) 1996. [97812]
Ms Blears: Information about the number of people receiving BCG vaccinations against tuberculosis is contained in tables 4 and 5 of the Statistical Bulletin NHS Immunisation Statistics, England: 2001–02. A
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copy of the bulletin is available in the Library. It can also be found on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0218.htm
WORK AND PENSIONS
Benefit Fraud
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many successful home visits to claimants were made by local authority benefit fraud officers in each of the last three years. [86992]
Malcolm Wicks: Over the last three years, we estimate Local Authorities made around 170,000 visits every year.
The estimate does not include returns from all Local Authorities.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Dysphasia
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the prevalence and management of dysphasia in Northern Ireland. [99766]
Mr. Browne: The prevalence of dysphasia is not held by Departmental recording systems. The management of dysphasia is largely based around speech therapy and improving communication. There is a wide range of causes of dysphasia including head injury, stroke, learning disabilities, cancer etc. and supportive management of communication difficulties may be only one aspect of the treatment required.
Energy Efficiency Grants
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what energy efficiency grants are available to agricultural projects in Northern Ireland for (a) farmers and (b) processors. [99322]
Mr. Pearson: The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) is implementing Measure 1.9 of the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation. This measure may assist farmers, working in groups, to implement solutions to specific environmental problems. The assistance available is in the form of a grant to implement remedial actions on individual holdings. Such actions could improve energy efficiency on farms.
Also DARD's Rural Development Programme (2001/2006) is broad based and there may be scope for individual farmers, farmers groups, collectives and co- operatives to bring forward proposals for consideration. The scope for funding an energy efficiency project or programme will depend on the nature of the proposal. All projects or programmes will be economically appraised and must meet the appropriate Programme/measure criteria.
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Community Fund (Belfast)
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria will be applied to the spending of the money which the Prime Minister recently allocated for interface areas of Belfast. [100427]
Mr. Browne: On 12 February 2003 I announced the establishment of a new Local Community Fund with an initial budget of £3 million per year. The overall aim of the Fund will be to bolster communities that feel they have been left behind by the political process whether in Belfast or beyond. No decisions have yet been made on the areas to be targeted by the Fund nor on mechanisms for delivery. Work in ongoing on these issues and an announcement will be made in the near future.
Physiotherapists
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why the advertised vacancy for a physiotherapist in Loane house, South Tyrone hospital is for a temporary full-time position; and what funding will be made available to recruit a permanent full-time physiotherapist. [100430]
Mr. Browne: A full-time physiotherapist post in Loane house has been advertised on the basis of a temporary contract because this is an additional post to the complement that existed following the transfer of services from the South Tyrone site. The Trust is currently undertaking a review of its physiotherapy workload, which will determine the longer-term need for the post and, therefore, the funding requirements.
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland at what locations in the Southern Health and Social Services Board area physiotherapy treatment is available; and how many physiotherapists are based at each location. [100431]
Mr. Browne: Details of the locations at which physiotherapy treatment is available in the Southern Health and Social Services Board area, together with the number of whole-time equivalent staff based at each of these locations at 31 December 2002, are shown in the following table.
| Location | Staffing levels(31) |
|---|---|
| Armagh Community Hospital | 2.90 |
| South Tyrone Hospital | 4.49 |
| Fivemiletown Health Centre | 0.10 |
| Willowbank Surgery, Keady | 0.10 |
| Armagh and Dungannon Trust | 7.59 |
| Craigavon Area Hospital—General Outpatients | 2.90 |
| Lurgan Hospital—General Out-patients | 4.49 |
| Craigavon and Banbridge Community Trust | 7.39 |
| Craigavon Area Hospital—General Outpatients | 4.60 |
| Craigavon Area Hospital—A & E Clinic | 1.20 |
| Lurgan Hospital—General Outpatients | 3.00 |
| Banbridge Polyclinic—General Outpatients | 2.00 |
| Craigavon Area Hospital Group Trust | 10.80 |
| Daisy Hill Hospital—General Out-patients | 5.00 |
| Health Centres | 1.60 |
| Newry and Mourne Trust | 6.60 |
| SHSSB Area | 32.38 |
(31) Whole-time equivalent
1. The locations shown in the table are those in which physiotherapy out-patient activity is carried out. Staffing levels are expressed as whole-time equivalents, as this method reflects the activity of the staff based at the relevant locations.
2. The services at Craigavon Area hospital and Lurgan hospital sites are provided by physiotherapists from Craigavon and Banbridge Community and Craigavon Area Hospital Trusts, who both use the same sites.
3. Health centres included in Newry and Mourne Trust figures are: Rathfriland, Newtownhamilton, Crossmaglen, Warrenpoint and Mourne Hospital.
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Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many physiotherapy outpatients were treated each week for the last three months, broken down by location, in the Southern Health and Social Services Board area. [100432]
Mr. Browne: The number of physiotherapy attendances during the quarter ending 31 December 2002 (the latest three-month period for which such information is available), in the Southern Health and Social Services Board area, is shown according to location in the following table.
| Location | Average weekly attendances | Total quarterly attendances |
|---|---|---|
| Armagh Community Hospital | 200 | 2,598 |
| South Tyrone Hospital | 168 | 2,190 |
| Fivemiletown Health Centre | 4 | 56 |
| Willowbank Surgery, Keady | 7 | 97 |
| Armagh and Dungannon Trust | 379 | 4,941 |
| Craigavon Area Hospital—General Outpatients | 8 | 103 |
| Lurgan Hospital—General Outpatients | 13 | 166 |
| Craigavon and Banbridge Community Trust | 21 | 269 |
| Craigavon Area Hospital—General Outpatients | 150 | 1,948 |
| Craigavon Area Hospital—A&E Clinic | 52 | 680 |
| Lurgan Hospital—General Outpatients | 104 | 1,350 |
| Banbridge Polyclinic—General Outpatients | 51 | 669 |
| Craigavon Area Hospital Group Trust | 357 | 4,647 |
| Daisy Hill Hospital—General Outpatients | 323 | 4,204 |
| Health Centres | 35 | 461 |
| Newry and Mourne Trust | 358 | 4,665 |
| SHSSB Area | 1,115 | 14,522 |
Notes:
1. The data in the above table refer to outpatient attendances rather than to the number of individual outpatients. It is possible for a person to attend as an outpatient more than once in each week or each quarter.
2. It is not possible to provide information on attendances for each week of the relevant quarter, as for many locations only a quarterly total is available. However, it is possible to provide average weekly attendances for each location, and these are shown in the table.
3. The services at Craigavon Area Hospital and Lurgan Hospital sites are provided by physiotherapists from Craigavon and Banbridge Community and Craigavon Area Hospital Trusts, who both use the same sites.
4. Health centres included in Newry and Mourne Trust figures are: Rathfriland, Newtownhamilton, Crossmaglen, Warrenpoint and Mourne Hospital.
Textile Industry
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress is being made in implementing the Kurt/Salmon report into the textile industry in Northern Ireland. [100429]
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Mr. Pearson: The Kurt Salmon report includes a series of recommendations, the majority of which are for the industry itself to implement. Since the textile industry's endorsement of this Strategy, in 2000, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (through Invest NI) has implemented a comprehensive programme of support in line with its key recommendations. This support has included financial assistance for companies implementing these recommendations and the establishment of Catalyst, an industry grouping whose role is to provide the strategic focus, dynamic leadership and expertise to the sector. In addition, Invest NI has provided support in the areas of innovation, training, and product and trade development. A customised package of support has also been implemented on targeted sector initiatives and supporting industry trade associations to assist in the delivery of the strategy. Initiatives to date include Irish Linen plus Lycra, the Brand to Win programme, and the recent Medical Textiles conference held in Belfast's Odyssey Arena.
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