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15 May 2003 : Column 426W—continued

Job Opportunities

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many jobs have (a) been created and (b) disappeared in Northern Ireland in the last five years. [113580]

Mr. Pearson: An exact figure for the number of jobs created and disappeared in the period requested is not available. However, figures from the Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) can be used to estimate the net change in the employee job level in the last five years. The latest seasonally adjusted figures from the QES show that between December 1997 and December 2002 there was a net increase of 54,470 (+9.0 per cent.) employee jobs in Northern Ireland.

Over the five year period to May 2003, there were 23,951 redundancies in Northern Ireland confirmed to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.

Learning Difficulties

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what after school provision exists in Northern Ireland for young people with moderate learning difficulties; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of such provision. [113867]

Jane Kennedy: I would refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 29 April 2003, Official Report, column 334W. A working group has been established to consider what could be done to better meet the needs of these young people. Work is on-going.

Manufacturing Industry

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the impact of the Budget on manufacturing industry in Northern Ireland. [112614]

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Mr. Pearson: Productivity is vital in improving the competitiveness of manufacturing industry. Budget 2003 introduced a number of new measures that should enable United Kingdom companies, including those in Northern Ireland, to meet the productivity challenge.

The Research and Development tax credit will be made more accessible to small companies in particular through a number of measures including a reduction in the minimum expenditure threshold from £25,000 to £10,000. This will increase the number of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) benefiting from the scheme. There will also be a one year extension of the 100 per cent. First Year ICT capital allowances scheme. This will be available to 89,000 small businesses in Northern Ireland.

VAT compliance costs will be reduced for small and newly registered businesses thus benefiting 13,000 businesses in Northern Ireland. In addition, further steps have been taken to further boost enterprise in enterprise areas, which includes 230 wards in Northern Ireland. From 10 April 2003 all non-residential transactions are now exempt from stamp duty in these enterprise areas.

The measures announced in Budget 2003 build on those announced in previous budgets (such as the introduction of the 125 per cent. R&D tax credit for large companies and the reduction in the corporation tax starting rate for small companies). The net effect of the Government's corporation tax changes since 1997 is to reduce the corporation tax rates to the lowest in UK history. Manufacturing industry in Northern Ireland now faces one of the lowest tax burdens in the EU.

Nursery Schemes

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will increase the level of funding for nursery scheme places in the private and voluntary playschool sector. [112419]

Jane Kennedy: Under the Pre-School Education Expansion Programme, the rate of funding for places in the private/voluntary sector is increased each academic year in line with inflation. In the current year (2002–03) the grant to playgroups for each funded place is £1,230. From September 2003 the rate will rise to £1,265 per place.

Primary School Transfer Tests

Mrs. Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to ensure consistency in the marking of the transfer tests for pupils attending all types of primary education. [112411]

Jane Kennedy: The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) has responsibility for setting and marking the transfer tests and takes all necessary steps to ensure consistency in the marking of the tests for all pupils.

The test papers completed by the pupils are identified through school and pupil numbers only. Neither the names of the schools nor the names of the pupils appear anywhere on the test papers. Only senior supervisory staff have access to the list connecting school names and numbers.

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The test papers are marked under strictly controlled conditions by temporary staff employed for the purpose. A different marker marks each section on a test paper. Every question of every paper is marked at least twice. All papers close to borderlines are marked a third time. Senior professional staff, who have been involved in the process of test construction, are required to adjudicate on any answers given by pupils that are not clearly accommodated by the marking scheme.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Ali Serir

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the proposed deportation to Algeria of Ali Serir; and whether his marriage to Karen Serir is recognised. [112455]

Beverley Hughes: Mr. Serir is due to be removed from the United Kingdom on 16 May 2003, under administrative powers contained in the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999; he is not being deported. Mr. Serir lodged an application for leave to remain on 24 March 2003 on the basis of his marriage to a British citizen. This application was refused on 25 March 2003.

Antisocial Behaviour

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the accuracy and consistency of data on anti-social behaviour collected by constabularies; and if he will make a statement. [112663]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Home Office is currently undertaking work to establish a common definition for anti-social behaviour to enable more accurate statistical data to be collected.

Recorded crime statistics do not currently include figures on anti-social behaviour although statistics are published for certain offences that might be regarded as anti social, e.g. criminal damage Recorded crime statistics are collected in accordance with the Home Office Counting Rules which are instructions aimed at providing consistency across all police forces in England and Wales. The introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard nationally from 1 April 2002 further aims to improve the consistency of data collected by forces.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary collects data on calls for service on community disorder although these are primarily for inspection purposes. Returns are accepted as accurate if they are consistent with returns for the previous year. Guidance to forces asks for an explanation where data differ to what might be expected.

Asylum Seekers

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce the backlog in asylum claims. [112538]

Beverley Hughes: We have already delivered a substantial reduction in the number of outstanding asylum claims from 121,200 at the end of January 2000.

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Through a range of measures, including more efficient processes and additional resources, the number of outstanding applications had reduced to 40,800 at the end of December 2002 (the latest date for which published data are currently available).

We are determined to reduce the number of outstanding applications to normal work in progress levels as quickly as possible in order to achieve this, we are pursuing a clear strategy to reduce the intake of new, unfounded claims, including further radical reform of the asylum system through the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, tighter border controls, new visa regimes, and the replacement of exceptional leave to remain with a new narrower category of humanitarian protection, as well as increasing the proportion of failed asylum seekers who are removed.In addition, we will continue to speed up the decision making process whilst maintaining high quality decisions.

Information on the number of outstanding asylum applications is published quarterly on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Information on the number of outstanding asylum applications at the end of March will be published on 22 May.

Asylum Support

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 3 March, Official Report, column 824W, on asylum support, what the 3 digit postcode location is of the accommodation provided by the private companies with NASS contracts. [113058]

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Community Support Officers

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many community support officers will be funded by his Department in North Yorkshire; how long the community support grant will last; and what funding will be available after the community support grant ends. [112866]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: On 2 May my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary allocated Home Office funding for 30 community support officers in North Yorkshire. This funding provides 50 per cent of the salary and direct on costs for these officers until the end of financial year 2005–06.

North Yorkshire, as with all other forces in this round of funding, has secured commitments for the remainder of the cost of its community support officers from local partners. Extending as it does for the next two years, the funding structure allows forces to develop local arrangements to cover the full costs by 2006.

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