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12 May 2003 : Column 120W—continued
Public Liability Insurance
Brian Cotter: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many contracts have been awarded to businesses that do not hold public liability insurance by each local authority in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [112450]
Mr. Raynsford: This information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Local authorities are independent and autonomous bodies, responsible within the law for making their own decisions on procurement matters.
Regional Government
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the administrative costs have been as a percentage of total spending of each Government Office of the Regions since 1999. [103811]
Mr. Leslie: The responsibility for the monitoring of programme funding lies with sponsor Departments (The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, DTI, DfT, DffiS, DEFRA, HO and DCMS). However in 2001–02 the estimated amount of programme funding that was either managed or influenced by the Government
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Offices was approximately £7 billion. The estimated amounts in 1999–2000 and 2000–01 were of the order of £6 billion.
The administrative funding of the Government Offices is not directly related to programme expenditure. However, the table below shows the total expenditure figures and the percentage of administrative costs as a proportion of total spending.
| Year | Programme Expenditure | Administration Expenditure | Admin %of Total Expenditure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 6,000,000,000 | 83,707,460 | 1.38 |
| 2000–01 | 6,000,000,000 | 88,094,250 | 1.45 |
| 2001–02 | 7,000,000,000 | 95,320,160 | 1.34 |
NORTHERN IRELAND
Home Start and Sure Start
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list, by district council areas, the (a) Home Start schemes and (b) Sure Start schemes funded by health boards and trusts in Northern Ireland. [110580]
Mr. Browne: With regard to Sure Start projects, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety provides funding to the four Childcare Partnerships through the appropriate Health and Social Services Board. For financial year 2002–03, the Department
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allocated a total of £6.6 million across the four Childcare Partnerships. Information regarding allocations to each district council area is not available. Details of Sure Start schemes funded through Childcare Partnerships in financial year 2002–03 are set out in Table 1 below:
| Sure Start Scheme | Childcare Partnership/HSS Board Area |
|---|---|
| Inner City South Belfast | Eastern |
| Inner City East Belfast | Eastern |
| Shankill | Eastern |
| Colin | Eastern |
| Clan Mor (Falls) | Eastern |
| Kids'n'Kin (Ardoyne/Oldpark) | Eastern |
| Downpatrick | Eastern |
| Lower Ards Peninsula | Eastern |
| Newtownabbey | Northern |
| Ballysally | Northern |
| G-old (Cookstown) | Northern |
| Close to Home (Dungannon) | Southern |
| Clogher Valley | Southern |
| Orana (Newry) | Southern |
| Blossom (Portadown) | Southern |
| Cherish (Irvinestown) | Western |
| Dungiven | Western |
| Creevagh/Springtown | Western |
| Shantallow | Western |
| LAST (Omagh) | Western |
| Straband | Western |
Information on resources allocated by Boards and Trusts for Home Start schemes is also not available on a district council basis. Details of Home Start schemes supported by HSS Trusts in financial year 2002–03 are set out in Table 2 below.
| Home Start Scheme | HSS Board Area | H and SS Trust |
|---|---|---|
| East Belfast | Eastern | South and West Belfast |
| North Belfast | Eastern | North and West Belfast |
| North Down | Eastern | Ulster Community and Hospitals |
| Newry and Mourne | Southern | Newry and Mourne |
| Causeway | Northern | Causeway |
| ColinLisburnDown District (includes Newcastle and Ballynahinch) | EasternEasternEastern | Down LisburnDown LisburnDown Lisburn |
| Armagh and Dungannon | Southern | Armagh and Dungannon |
| West Tyrone | Western | Sperrin Lakeland |
| Antrim District | Northern | Homefirst |
| Carrickfergus | Northern | Homefirst |
Speech Therapy
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many NHS vacancies there are for speech therapists in Northern Ireland. [111803]
Mr. Browne: As at 30 September 2002 there were speech and language therapy vacancies amounting to a whole time equivalent (WTE) of 12.5. Speech and language therapy vacancies detailed by the Trust are given in the table.
| Trust | WTE(19) |
|---|---|
| Homefirst Community | 5 |
| North and West Belfast | 2.5 |
| Sperrin Lakeland | 0 |
| Armagh and Dungannon | 2 |
| Causeway | 1 |
| Mater Hospital | 0 |
| United Hospitals Group | 0 |
| Craigavon and Banbridge | 0 |
| Altnagelvin | 0 |
| Foyle (including Westcare) | 1 |
| Royal Group of Hospitals | 0 |
| Belfast City Hospital | 0 |
| Newry and Mourne | 0 |
| Craigavon Area Hospital | 0 |
| Ulster Hospital | 0 |
| Green Park | 1 |
| South and East Belfast | 0 |
| Total | 12.5 |
(19) Whole time equivalent.
Note:
The above figures do not include vacancy numbers from Down Lisburn HSS Trust.
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TRANSPORT
Air Safety
Dr. Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the proposals of the European Parliament for longer flying hours. [112546]
Mr. Jamieson: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has reviewed the European Parliament's proposed Flight Time Limitations (FTL) requirements. They advise me that, while the requirements are not totally acceptable, with suitable amendment they could form a baseline European FTL requirement which could be supplemented by additional requirements in each member state. We recognise the need for FTL requirements to be harmonised at a European level and should the proposal come before the Council we will work constructively with other member states to ensure that it is appropriately amended. We will not endorse the proposal if any of the limits are significantly different to those set by the CAA in CAP 371, which are in line with scientific advice that the CAA has received over the years.
Counselling Services
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements are made in his Department to allow staff to access counselling services. [111948]
Mr. Jamieson: The Department's Counselling and Support Service is available to all its staff including those in its Agencies. Following machinery of Government changes, the service is provided by the Office of The Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) through Service Level Agreements. Staff can access the service direct during office hours about any issue where there is a perception that work performance is affected.
Goods Vehicles
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 6 May, ref 111284, if he will propose an amendment to the law to allow parish and community councils to make representations about applications for a Goods Vehicles Operators licence regardless of whether they own or occupy land or buildings in the proposed operating centre; and if he will make a statement on the basis for restricting such representation to owners and occupiers of land and buildings. [112347]
Mr. Jamieson: The most effective way for parish councils to comment on applications for a heavy goods vehicle operator's licence is to work with local authorities who have a statutory right to object. The Government launched The 'QUALITY' Town and Parish Council Initiative, a framework for partnership working equipping local councils to take on a stronger role for the benefit of the local community, on 18 March.
International Maritime Organisation
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the UK will become a contracting party to the IMO Bunkers 2001 Convention. [111425]
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Mr. Jamieson: The International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage (the Bunkers Convention) was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2001. It will establish a regime for adequate, prompt and effective compensation to persons who suffer damage caused by spills of oil, when carried as fuel in ships' bunkers.
On 19 September 2002 the Council of the European Union issued a Decision authorising member states, in the interest of the Community, to sign, ratify or accede to the Bunkers Convention, taking the necessary steps to deposit instruments of ratification, or accession with the Secretary General of the IMO if possible before 30 June 2006.
On 26 September 2002, the United Kingdom signed the Convention as a clear signal of intent to become party in the near future. We are working with both EU counterparts and states with an interest internationally so that the Convention is brought into operation as soon as possible.
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