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Neurosurgery Services

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on neurosurgery services in Northern Ireland, with particular reference to the availability of elective surgery. [107478]

Mr. Browne: Neurosurgery services in Northern Ireland are managed on a regional basis by the Royal Group of Hospitals Trust. Currently, the service is under significant pressure and limited elective neurosurgery is being carried out, the majority of cases being emergency and clinically urgent cases.

The pressures on the Regional Neurosurgery service have arisen mainly as a result of shortages in experienced nursing staff, which is not a phenomenon particular to Northern Ireland; there are similar problems with this service throughout the NHS. Considerable efforts are being made by the Royal Group of Hospitals to address the current problems. These include the provision of additional theatre lists, the recruitment of nurses to allow additional neurosurgical beds to be opened, and treatment provided outside Northern Ireland for a small number of suitable patients.Work is also ongoing at the Royal Group of Hospitals in conjunction with the Health and Social Services Boards to consider proposals to further improve the service.

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Schools Threshold Awards

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which schools in the South Eastern Education and Library Board area will lose funding as a result of the Department of Education's decision on the changes to payment of the threshold award; and what the shortfall will be for each of the schools affected. [106125]

Jane Kennedy: As the increase in schools' delegated budgets in 2003–04 is greater than in 2002–03, the South Eastern Education and Library Board provided the schools it funds with threshold figures for planning purposes only. The Board compared the actual costs of the threshold salary uplift in 2002–03 with the nominal position had the threshold budget been included in the Aggregated Schools Budget that year. However, as the Board has increased its Aggregated Schools Budget by 9 per cent. in 2003–04, it is more appropriate for schools to consider their entire salary expenditure against their total budget before a budget shortfall can be inferred. It is also the case that the Board is proposing to its Finance and Property Services Committee to make £165,700 available to assist those schools with particular levels of threshold salary costs. In these circumstances, the final position will not be known until schools have completed their expenditure plans against their whole budget.

Sports Funding

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding has gone from the Northern Ireland Sports Council to the Northern Ireland Cycling Federation in the last three years. [106363]

Angela Smith: The Sports Council for Northern Ireland has not allocated any funding to the Northern Ireland Cycling Federation over the last three years.

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many awards from the (a) Talented Athlete, (b) Talented Athlete Next Generation and (c) Talented Junior programmes have been made to cyclists who are members of the Northern Ireland Cycling Federation. [106364]

Angela Smith: One award has been made to a cyclist, who is a member of the Northern Ireland Cycling Federation, under the Talented Junior Programme in 2002–03. To date no awards from the Talented Athlete or Talented Athlete Next Generation programmes have been made directly to cyclists who are members of the Northern Ireland Cycling Federation.

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in what constituencies (a) Exchequer and (b) Lottery funding goes to prepare competitions in (i) hockey, (ii) athletics, (iii) cycling, (iv) swimming and (v) equestrianism to compete against British teams. [106365]

Angela Smith: Information on Exchequer and Lottery funding for sport is retained in accordance with how it is distributed, i.e. to sport, to individual athletes and by programme. Exchequer and Lottery funding is not distributed on a parliamentary constituency basis and consequently the details you have requested cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost.

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Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been allocated to (a) athletes and (b) equestrianism in Northern Ireland from (i) Lottery funding, and (ii) Exchequer funding in (a) 2000–01, (b) 2001–02, (c) 2002–03 and (d) 2003–04; and for which country the competitors allocated funding for the 2004 Olympic Games will be competing. [106366]

Angela Smith: The total amount of funding allocated to (a) athletics and (b) equestrianism in Northern Ireland from (i) Lottery Funding and (ii) Exchequer Funding in the years listed is as follows:

(i) Lottery funding£

	Talented athlete	Talented athlete next generation	Talented junior
(a) Athletics
2000–01	92,962	20,502	36,225
2001–02	25,524	18,150	—
2002–03	80,560	11,560	31,500
Total	199,046	50,212	67,725
(b) Equestrianism
2000–01	—	—	—
2001–02	55,560	—	—
2002–03	32,800	6,600	—
Total	88,360	6,600	—

All athletes and riders currently in receipt of Lottery Funding will, if selected, represent Ireland at the 2004 Olympic Games. However, as yet, selection for competition at the 2004 Olympic Games has not taken place, and it would therefore be premature to state that any of the individuals in receipt of awards will be competing. Furthermore any funding awarded is to assist towards preparation and training for major competition in general rather than specific competition such as the 2004 Olympic Games.

(ii) Exchequer Funding£

	(a) Athletics	(b) Equestrianism
2000–01	40,500	4,663.41
2001–02	48,800	2,000
2002–03	62,500	2,874
Total	151,800	9,537.41

No awards for either Exchequer or Lottery have been issued for the period 2003–04.

Ulster Hospital

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the impact on the Ulster Hospital of proposed restructuring of hospital services in the province, with particular reference to capital expenditure. [106127]

Mr. Browne: Under Developing Better Services, the Ulster Hospital will play an integral part in the delivery of acute services for the greater Belfast area.

A 4-phase Strategic Development Plan for the Ulster Hospital, estimated at just over £100 million, was announced in July 2001 by the Department of Health,

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Social Services and Public Safety. Phase 1 has been completed at a cost of £1.5 million. The second phase is underway and due for completion during 2005–06 at an estimated cost of £44 million Phases 3 and 4, estimated at a cost of £5 8 million will address the modernisation of the A&E Unit and the enhancement of a range of services and facilities which will help ensure that the Ulster hospital fulfils its role as an acute hospital.

The timetable and funding of these developments will be decided when detailed proposals have been agreed with the Trust.

Waiting Times

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the longest time is that any individual has been waiting for neurosurgical (a) admission and (b) initial outpatient assessment in Northern Ireland. [104733]

Mr. Browne: Information from the Royal Group of Hospitals indicates that at the end of January 2003 the longest time an individual has been waiting for neurosurgical admission is 3,308 days. That individual has been in regular contact with the consultant and has been receiving other treatment during that time.

At the end of January 2003 the longest time an individual has been waiting for a first neurosurgical outpatient appointment is 749 days. That individual has cancelled their appointments on two occasions and has failed to attend on two other occasions. The first outpatient appointment was offered to the patient 183 days after the GP's referral.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Eland House

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether a building research establishment environmental assessment method document has been prepared for the refurbishment at Eland House. [96402]

Mr. Leslie: There are no current plans for a major refurbishment of Eland House. Eland House did have a Design Stage, the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) assessment in 1995, when its fit out for the then Department of the Environment was nearing completion. A Very Good rating was achieved.

Recent works to remodel two floors for open plan accommodation did not significantly alter the design of the building and thus did not require a specific BREEAM assessment.

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