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6 May 2003 : Column 672W—continued

Newry Social Security Office

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to ensure a balance in the religious breakdown of staff at Newry Social Security Office. [110209]

Mr. Pearson: Assessments of fair participation by community background in the Northern Ireland civil service are made on a service-wide basis, not at particular branch or office level.

NHS (Treatment Delays)

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and the Northern Ireland Assembly concerning a definition for an unreasonable period of delay for treatment within the NHS, as phrased in the European Court of Justice ruling on treatment of patients abroad for patients from Wales. [109880]

Mr. Browne: The European Court ruling regarding the authorisation to receive medical treatment in another member state of the European Economic Area, the E112 system, did not define what was meant by "undue delay" by implication leaving that a matter for determination by each member state. If "undue delay" is considered when dealing with applications for E112s the yardstick used is waiting time. The Department's definition of excess waiting times is similar to the national UK targets for waiting times as published in the NHS Plan.

Population Projections

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the population projections for (a) primary and (b) post-primary schools in each Northern Ireland education and library board area are for each of the next 10 years. [110574]

Jane Kennedy: The Department of Education does not produce projections of pupil numbers at any geographical level lower than Northern Ireland as a whole.

Primary Schools (Ards)

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce Key Stage 1 SEN units on site in mainstream primary schools in the Ards Peninsula. [110397]

6 May 2003 : Column 673W

Jane Kennedy: The South-Eastern Education and Library Board continually monitors the demand for places at all its special units. At present the Board advises that there are insufficient numbers of pupils in Key Stage 1 with a statement of special educational needs for moderate learning difficulties living in the Ards peninsula to warrant the opening of a new special unit.

The Board will, however, continue to monitor the demand for such a unit.

Programme Funds

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding was allocated by the Voluntary and Community Unit of the Department of Social Development to the (a) Support for Regional Infrastructure of the Voluntary and Community Sector programme, (b) District Councils Community Support programme and (c) the EU Programme: Building Sustainable Prosperity, Measure 3.2 and 3.3. [111220]

Mr. Browne: The Voluntary and Community Unit, within the Department for Social Development, allocated the following amounts in 2002–03:

(a) Support for Regional Infrastructure—£1,879,404


(b) District Councils Community Support Programme—£3,360,207


(c) EU Building Sustainable Prosperity


Measure 3.2—£1,144,780

Measure 3.3—£4,653,434

Pupil/Teacher Ratio (Northern Ireland)

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the pupil/teacher ratio is in Northern Ireland's primary and post-primary schools; and what it is projected to be in each of the next five years. [110568]

Jane Kennedy: The pupil/teacher ratios for 2002–03 are not yet available. The most recent information available is as follows:

	2001–02
Primary schools	19.9
Preparatory departments	16.9
Post primary schools	14.4

6 May 2003 : Column 674W

The Department does not calculate projected pupil/teacher ratios.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures he has introduced to prevent the spread of SARS to Northern Ireland. [110905]

Mr. Browne: I am happy to confirm that there have not been any probable cases of SARS so far in Northern Ireland. The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has been working in close liaison with the Department of Health (DOH)(L) and arising from that we have provided early, accurate information to both the public and the health service.

The Chief Medical Officer contacted all doctors on 14 March, 18 March and subsequently on 8 April with detailed information on the symptoms and signs of SARS, and what to do if they encountered a possible case. The Department has also put in place high quality public health surveillance to enable the disease to be tracked closely. The Chief Medical Officer has also issued advice, on 2 April and on 24 April, to people travelling abroad, in line with WHO recommendations. Up to date information is available to the public on the Department's website and on those of the World Health Organisation, the new Health Protection Agency and the DOH(L).

Finally, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has provided and made arrangements for posters to be displayed at appropriate points in air and sea ports advising incoming passengers, from those areas affected by SARS, about the symptoms of the disease and the importance of seeking medical attention, if they become ill, showing any of the symptoms.

School Enrolment

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the enrolment figures at (a) primary and (b) post-primary schools were in each Northern Ireland education and library board area in each of the last five years. [110575]

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is as follows:

	1998/99	1999/2000	2000/01	2001/02	2002/03
(a) Primary Schools
Belfast	30,304	29,378	28,717	27,995	26,984
Western	34,028	33,293	33,246	32,860	32,643
North Eastern	39,244	38,926	38,743	38,758	38,713
South Eastern	36,902	36,565	36,487	36,628	36,344
Southern	41,236	40,794	40,436	40,099	39,467
All Boards	181,714	178,956	177,629	176,340	174,151
Preparatory Departments
Belfast	1,652	1,593	1,490	1,415	1,355
Western	50	36	28	20	9
North Eastern	289	244	159	145	160
South Eastern	1,049	1,019	1,015	990	997
Southern	149	131	126	129	130
All Boards	3,189	3,023	2,818	2,699	2,651
(b) Post-Primary Schools
Belfast	31,774	32,052	32,071	32,083	32,121
Western	29,104	29,258	29,185	28,901	28,793
North Eastern	32,957	33,155	33,566	33,732	33,822
South Eastern	26,207	26,478	26,649	26,743	26,907
Southern	33,902	34,021	34,082	34,044	34,104
All Boards	153,944	154,964	155,553	155,503	155,747

6 May 2003 : Column 675W

Student Finance

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his plans to introduce university top-up fees in Northern Ireland. [111374]

Jane Kennedy: It is my intention to consider carefully the implications for Northern Ireland of the DfES White Paper on the future of higher education in England, including the fee issue, over the next few months; to take into consideration the outcome of the consultation process in England and discussions with local stakeholders including the Northern Ireland Higher Education Council; and to bring forward recommendations for the way forward in Northern Ireland in due course.

Teachers

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the projected number of teachers employed in primary and post-primary schools in each Northern Ireland education and library board area is for the next 10 years. [110572]

Jane Kennedy: The Department of Education does not produce projections of the number of teachers employed in primary and post-primary schools in each Northern Ireland education and library board area.

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Northern Ireland teachers have (a) retired and (b) left the profession within their first three years, in each of the last five years. [110571]

Jane Kennedy: The information is as follows:

a) The numbers of teachers who have retired in each of the last five academic years are as follows:

1997/98	1998/99	1999/00	2000/01	2001/02
870	778	748	873	782

b) The numbers of teachers leaving the teaching profession within three years of their first appointment in a permanent teaching post are as follows:

1997/98	1998/99	1999/00	2000/01	2001/02
8	15	6	9	13

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many teachers were employed in (a) primary and (b) post-primary schools in each Northern Ireland education and library board area in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [110573]

6 May 2003 : Column 676W

Jane Kennedy: The information requested (expressed as full time equivalents) is as follows:

Primary schools

	Belfast	Western	North Eastern	South Eastern	Southern
1992–93	1,384	1,614	1,769	1,586	1,894
1993–94	1,474	1,673	1,838	1,663	2,001
1994–95	1,517	1,688	1,852	1,695	2,046
1995–96	1,613	1,717	1,871	1,741	2,066
1996–97	1,611	1,737	1,897	1,758	2,085
1997–98	1,560	1,728	1,906	1,715	2,102
1998–99	1,532	1,628	1,863	1,725	2,062
1999–2000	1,479	1,607	1,836	1,744	2,085
2000–01	1,466	1,601	1,822	1,777	2,075
2001–02	1,427	1,618	1,873	1,814	2,047

Preparatory departments⁽³⁷⁾

	Belfast	Western	North Eastern	South Eastern	Southern
1992–93	71	4	15	38	10
1993–94	61	3	16	38	9
1994–95	102	3	20	45	11
1995–96	110	3	20	46	9
1996–97	110	3	19	46	10
1997–98	101	3	19	48	10
1998–99	103	3	17	49	13
1999–2000	98	2	15	50	7
2000–01	96	2	9	56	7
2001–02	92	2	8	49	9

⁽³⁷⁾ The count of teachers is on a different basis from 1994–95 onwards.

Post-primary schools

	Belfast	Western	North Eastern	South Eastern	Southern
1992–93	2,022	1,754	2,159	1,673	2,046
1993–94	2,107	1,818	2,213	1,724	2,104
1994–95	2,048	1,883	2,212	1,704	2,160
1995–96	2,086	1,931	2,236	1,743	2,214
1996–97	2,118	1,987	2,244	1,739	2,262
1997–98	2,121	2,003	2,255	1,714	2,242
1998–99	2,136	1,985	2,230	1,732	2,275
1999–2000	2,199	2,005	2,252	1,776	2,316
2000–01	2,236	2,059	2,286	1,827	2,338
2001–02	2,269	2,038	2,324	1,857	2,321

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