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8 May 2003 : Column 890W—continued
Industrial Action
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many working days were lost owing to industrial action by staff in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in 2002. [101508]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Within the Northern Ireland Office there were no days lost owing to industrial action by staff in 2002.
Within the Northern Ireland Administration the available information on the number of working days lost by NI Departments, Agencies and associated non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) due to industrial action during 2002 is as follows:
| Days | |
|---|---|
| Core NI Departments | 20.5 |
| Agencies | 619.5 |
| NDPBs | 6,053 |
Figures for the core Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, its Agency—Health Estates—and one of its two NDPBs—the Mental Health Commission—are not available as unauthorised absence is recorded as unpaid leave along with properly authorised absence such as career breaks or additional maternity leave, and cannot be disaggregated.
Iraq
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action has been taken to ensure that Northern Ireland companies have an opportunity to bid for reconstruction and other work in Iraq. [111720]
Mr. Pearson: British Trade International (BTI) are taking the lead on this issue and are managing a database of companies interested in bidding for reconstruction work in Iraq.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, through Invest Northern Ireland is in regular contact with the Iraq desk at BTI and as a consequence prepared information for circulation to client companies in late March. Details of how to register on all relevant databases and other contact
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information about the humanitarian and reconstruction situation in Iraq is available to companies through Invest Northern Ireland's website at www.investni.com.
In addition, a workshop is being scheduled to further ensure that local companies are aware of the humanitarian and reconstruction contracts in Iraq. This workshop will take place in June 2003.
Justice (Northern Ireland) Act
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans the Northern Ireland Office has to bring forward legislation to amend section 46(1) of the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 to include the harbour and airport police within the remit of the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice. [110939]
Mr. Browne: Consultation with these organisations is continuing, and I am planning to meet with representatives of Belfast International Airport, Belfast City Airport, Belfast Port and Larne Port shortly. The hon. Lady shall be duly informed when a decision is reached.
Ministerial and Official Meetings
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials have had with (i) Ministers and (ii) officials of the Irish Republic since May 2002. [103253]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Ministers from the Northern Ireland Office have met with Irish Ministers on 26 occasions since the appointment of the present Secretary of State.
British and Irish officials are in frequent contact on matters of common interest. Details of these meetings are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Musgrave Park Hospital
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many operations were carried out in Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast in (a) July 2002 and (b) August 2002; and how many operations are scheduled for the same months in 2003. [111719]
Mr. Browne: The information is as follows:
- (a) During July 2002 there were 412 operations carried out at the Musgrave Park Hospital.
(b) During August 2002 there were 521 operations carried out at the Musgrave Park Hospital.
Occupational Therapy
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vacancies for occupational therapists there are within the national health service in Northern Ireland. [111797]
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Mr. Browne: As at the 30th September 2002 there were occupational therapy vacancies amounting to a Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) of 46.31. Occupational therapy vacancies detailed by Trust are given in the table below.
| Trust(27) | Whole time equivalent |
|---|---|
| Homefirst Community | 20 |
| North and West Belfast | 7 |
| Sperrin Lakeland | 0 |
| Armagh and Dungannon | 0 |
| Causeway | 3 |
| Mater Hospital | 0 |
| United Hospitals Group | 0 |
| Craigavon and Banbridge | 0 |
| Altnagelvin | 0 |
| Foyle (including Westcare) | 2 |
| Royal Group of Hospitals | 4 |
| Belfast City Hospital | 3 |
| Newry and Mourne | 0 |
| Craigavon Area Hospital | 0 |
| Ulster Hospital | 3 |
| Green Park | 2 |
| South and East Belfast | 2.31 |
| Total | 46.31 |
(27) The above figures do not include vacancy numbers from Down Lisburn HSS Trust
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals are awaiting speech therapy assessment in Northern Ireland; and how many have been waiting for longer than six months. [111802]
Mr. Browne: Information on the number of individuals awaiting speech therapy assessment is not collected centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, information is collected centrally on completed waiting times for a first outpatient appointment of an episode of care with a community speech and language therapist. In the quarter ending 31 December 2002, 2,480 persons attended their first out-patient appointment. Of these, 209 (8.4 per cent.) had waited for six months or more.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are awaiting occupational therapy assessment in Northern Ireland; and how many have waited more than six months. [111798]
Mr. Browne: At 31 December 2002 (the latest date for which such information is available), there were 9,784 persons awaiting assessment by community occupational therapists, of which 3,697 (37.8 per cent.) had been waiting for six months or more.
Pharmacies
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) when he last met the National Pharmacy Association (Northern Ireland), the Pharmacy Contractors Committee (Northern Ireland), the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland and the Ulster Chemists' Association to discuss the Office of Fair Trading report, The Control of Entry Regulations and Retail Pharmacy Services in the UK; and if he will make a statement; [105529]
- (2) if he will publish his response to the Office of Fair Trading report The Control of Entry Regulations and Retail Pharmacy Services in the UK; [105530]
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(3) what assessment he has made of the impact of the Office of Fair Trading report, The Control of Entry Regulations and Retail Pharmacy Services in the UK on the provision of health promotion and prevention services in Northern Ireland with special reference to the provision of primary care services and facilities, in line with DHSS&PS plans and priorities; [105531]
(4) when he last had discussions with his Scottish counterpart on the implications of the Office of Fair Trading report, The Control of Entry Regulations and Retail Pharmacy Services in the UK on health services in Northern Ireland and Scotland. [105532]
Mr. Browne: I announced on 26 March 2003 that I would not be accepting the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) report on retail pharmacies for Northern Ireland, and the Secretary of State fully endorsed that decision. I carefully considered the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) report, the comments received from a wide range of interested parties in Northern Ireland and the views expressed by MLAs and MPs from the political parties. I concluded that simple and complete deregulation, as set out in the OFT report, is not a realistic option and is not, therefore, the way forward for Northern Ireland.
I indicated that I planned to continue to develop Northern Ireland community pharmacy services within the context of the forthcoming Community Pharmacy Strategy. This will provide the opportunity to consider how pharmacy services, including health promotion and health protection policies, in the future can best respond to the interests and needs of patients and consumers in Northern Ireland, particularly in terms of quality and best value. I also intend to negotiate a new contract for community pharmacies. The main thrust of these negotiations will be the implementation of the new Strategy, but I will also consider how the existing regulatory arrangements can be improved to take account of changing health policies.
While I did not personally meet with representatives of the pharmaceutical profession here in regard to this matter, they provided very detailed submissions on the report which I took fully into account in reaching my decision. I have not had the opportunity to formally discuss this matter with the Secretary of State for Scotland, but the Department's officials have been working closely with their counterparts in Scotland, as well as with those in England and Wales, in the evaluation of the content of the OFT report.
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