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13 May 2003 : Column 190W—continued

Columba Initiative

Mr. Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Columba Initiative was established; what was the Northern Ireland contribution in each financial year; and by which Department that money was contributed. [100443]

Angela Smith: The Columba Initiative was established in 1997. Northern Ireland joined in April 1998.

The Northern Ireland contribution in each financial year has been as follows:

	Department of Finance and Personnel	(£s)
1998–99	Department of Finance and Personnel	48,892
1999–2000	Department of Finance and Personnel	63,607
2000–012000–01	Department of Finance and PersonnelDepartment of Culture, Arts and Leisure	25,00042,500
2001–02	Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure	150,000
2002–03	Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure	165,000

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Community Relations

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the principal initiatives were of the former Central Community Relations Unit, to fulfil its objective of encouraging greater mutual understanding in Northern Ireland and greater respect for cultural diversity. [100444]

Mr. Browne: The former Central Community Relations Unit (CCRU) had a large and diverse community relations programme aimed at promoting greater cross-community contact between the main sections of the Northern Ireland community and increasing mutual understanding and respect for cultural diversity.

This programme included support for the Northern Ireland community relations council to fulfil its strategic aim by providing support for local groups and organisations, developing opportunities for cross community understanding and increasing public awareness of community relations work.

Support was provided for the district community relations programme to fulfil its aims to develop cross community contact and co-operation, promote greater mutual understandingand increase respect for cultural traditions.

Disability Discrimination Act

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to bring forward primary legislation to amend the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and revise the definition of disability in line with the recommendations of the Disability Rights Task Force. [101006]

Mr. Browne: The Northern Ireland Executive consulted on three of the Disability Rights Task Force's recommendations on the definition of disability in "Improving Civil Rights for Disabled People" in September 2001.

The majority of respondents to that consultation supported the recommendations on the definition: recognising HIV as a disability from the point at which it is diagnosed; recognising cancer (provided it is symptomatic) from the point of diagnosis as being a condition that is likely to require substantial treatment; and making it easier for people who are blind or partially sighted to be recognised as having a "disability" within the meaning of the Disability Discrimination Act.

The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) will also be making recommendations to Government following their recent review of the Disability Discrimination Act in Northern Ireland. These may include further recommendations on the definition of disability.

Any new recommendations from ECNI, will be considered and where agreed, will be taken forward in primary legislation with those Task Force recommendations already consulted on, in the context of the single Equality Bill. Consultation on proposals for the Bill will take place in the Autumn.

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Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which government department in Northern Ireland will be responsible for preparing proposals to remove the transport exemption from the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and when the consultation process will begin. [101010]

Angela Smith: The Department for Transport consulted on 29 November 2002 on the proposal to remove the exemption for transport services in Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in relation to GB. Once the outcome of this consultation is known it will be for the Department of the Environment and the Department for Regional Development to consider the implications for Northern Ireland and decide what action is appropriate. Any proposed action will be subject to public consultation in Northern Ireland but it is not yet possible to give a timescale for this.

Disability Rights Task Force

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the reasons were for the delay in producing a strategy to implement the recommendations of the Disability Rights Task Force in Northern Ireland; and when the strategy will be published. [101007]

Mr. Browne: The former Northern Ireland Executive agreed the Promoting Social Inclusion (PSI) priorities and the Terms of Reference and membership for the Working Group which was tasked with developing the strategy on 31 May 2002. The Group met for the first time on 2 July 2002.

The original Programme for Government target for the strategy was December 2002. Work on the draft strategy requires close cross-departmental input and agreement on how best to implement the actions flowing from the Executive's response to the Disability Rights Task Force recommendations. Active consideration of other non-legislative issues relating to access to information, services and equipment by people with disabilities has been carried out. This has been a particularly important aspect of the work as it links in with work on the European Year of People with Disabilities (EYPD) 2003 which is of high priority and will raise public awareness of issues affecting people with disabilities.

It is currently planned to publish the strategy in summer 2003. However, the delay in publishing the strategy has not resulted in delay in progressing the actions to be included within it. Many of the legislative recommendations for example are currently the subject of consultation in draft Regulations.

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reason the PSI working group developing the strategy to implement the recommendation of the Disability Rights Task Force in Northern Ireland contains no representatives of disability groups. [101008]

Mr. Browne: The Promoting Social Inclusion (PSI) Disability interdepartmental Working Group was established primarily to develop a strategy to implement the former NI Executive's response to the Disability Rights Task Force recommendations. Membership of the Working Group was agreed by former Ministers and

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comprises those who are responsible for implementing the recommendations. The consultation exercise on the Executive's response, which ended on 31 December 2001 included representatives from organisations representing the disability sector.

The Group's remit also includes wider issues raised during the consultation process such as barriers to the provision of services and equipment for people with disabilities and taking forward this part of the strategy has involved representatives of disability groups. A focus group meeting was convened (last September) comprising representatives from those groups who had responded to the questions on barriers to services and equipment in the consultation exercise. Full and active consideration of those views is on-going as part of the Working Group's deliberations on the strategy.

Foundation Hospitals

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce foundation hospitals in Northern Ireland. [112905]

Mr. Browne: There are no plans at present to introduce NHS Foundation Hospitals in Northern Ireland.

District Policing

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many ex-RUC officers applied to become members of District Policing Partnerships; how many were shortlisted; how many were deemed appointable onto the District Policing Partnerships; and how many were appointed to District Policing Partnerships. [108438]

Jane Kennedy: According to Policing Board records, 10 former police officers applied to become members of District Policing Partnerships. Of those, nine were shortlisted, and two were appointed.

Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will instigate a review of appointments to District Policing Boards to ensure that appointments are made on personal merit; and if he will make a statement. [102131]

Jane Kennedy: There are no plans to review the appointment of independent members to District Policing Partnerships.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, published a Code of Practice in August 2000, after extensive consultation, on the appointment of independent members of DPPs. The process adopted by the Policing Board was in line with the guidelines issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, and had been considered by the Equality Commission.

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the breakdown by party affiliation is of those councillors chosen to serve as members of District Policing Partnerships. [110206]

Jane Kennedy: The following table details the breakdown of the political affiliations of the councillors chosen to serve as political members of the 26 District Policing Partnerships.

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Political affiliation	Total
Alliance Party	9
DUP	69
Independent	12
Independent Unionist Party	1
PUP	1
UK Unionist Party	1
UUP	80
SDLP	68

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