---

24 Jun 2003 : Column 714W—continued

Insurance Premiums

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many jobs in Northern Ireland have been lost where the reason given was high insurance premiums in each year since 1997. [120367]

Mr. Pearson: It is not possible to identify the number of jobs that have been lost as a result of high insurance premiums in Northern Ireland as information on the reason for job losses is not provided when redundancies are confirmed to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on (a) the changes in the number of insurance underwriters in Northern Ireland and (b) the impact of the level of insurance premiums in Northern Ireland. [120368]

Mr. Pearson: The Financial Services Authority has confirmed that details regarding the geographical spread of insurance underwriters within the UK are not available.

A recent survey of Business Insurance Premiums in Northern Ireland carried out by the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment (DETI) indicated that there was an average percentage increase of 28 per cent. in 2001 compared with 2000 and an average percentage increase of 49 per cent. in 2002 compared with 2001. DETI has been engaged in a number of activities aimed at alleviating the situation.

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many small businesses in Northern Ireland have made representations to Invest Northern Ireland and its predecessors about the level of insurance premiums in each year since 1997. [120369]

Mr. Pearson: It is not possible to quantify the specific occasions on which the cost of insurance premiums has been raised with Invest NI or its predecessors. I can confirm that over the last 18 months there has been an increasing number of companies highlighting substantial rises in their insurance costs to Invest NI and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment. My Department is actively working to ensure that the Northern Ireland dimension to this problem is recognised within Government.

In response to the concerns raised by client companies, Invest NI has instigated five regional insurance seminars involving an experienced practitioner from the insurance industry, together with a leading risk assessor, to advise companies on ways to maximise insurance protection whilst minimising the costs of insurance premiums.

Play Centre (Londonderry)

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why the South East Education and Library Board did not allocate the Play Centre at Londonderry Primary School, Newtownards with Pre-school Education Advisory Group (PEAG) places for (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04. [118881]

Jane Kennedy: In each Education and Library Board area a Pre-School Education Advisory Group (PEAG) manages the allocation of pre-school places for children in their final pre-school year to settings that have

24 Jun 2003 : Column 715W

applied to be part of the Pre-School Education Expansion Programme (PSEEP). Although the Play Centre at Londonderry Primary School requested an application form for inclusion in the Pre-School Education Expansion Programme for the 2002–03 school year, it was not returned to the PEAG before the closing date of 23 November 2001. As a result the South Eastern Education and Library Board's PEAG allocated all available places in the Programme to settings that submitted their application on time.

Although the Play Centre at Londonderry Primary School again submitted an application for places for 2003–04 the PEAG already had sufficient pre-school places from existing providers to satisfy demand in Newtownards from children in their final pre-school year, including the Glen ward in which the Play Centre is located.

The number of pre-school places which the South Eastern Board's Pre-school Education Advisory Group will be funding in Newtownards in 2003–04 will be sufficient to satisfy the demand from children in their final pre-school year. Additional places will only be reallocated to other providers, such as the Play Centre, if existing providers are unable to fill places and then only within the overall needs of the town.

Post Office

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of pensioners in Northern Ireland has opened new post office card accounts since their introduction; and if he will make a statement. [119765]

Mr. Spellar: In Northern Ireland as at 30 May 2003, of the 24,762 pensioners in receipt of state pensions who have been invited to move to Direct Payment, 5,933 have indicated that they wanted to open a post office card account. This equated to 24 per cent. of those invited.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which banks operating in Northern Ireland have agreed to offer their customers automated cash access to their bank accounts at post offices. [119796]

Mr. Spellar: The following banks operating in Northern Ireland, allow access to their basic bank accounts via an automated service over the Post Office counter provided by the teller: Abbey National, Alliance and Leicester, Bank of Ireland, the Co-operative Bank, First Trust Bank, Halifax, HSBC, Nationwide Building Society, Northern Bank and Ulster Bank.

The Alliance and Leicester, the Co-operative Bank and the internet banks Cahoot and Smile also provide customers with access to their current accounts at the Post Office, using cheque books and guarantee cards.

Post-Primary Review Working Group

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria were used to select the members of the working group on the way forward on post-primary education; and how many members on that group are

24 Jun 2003 : Column 716W

drawn from organisations that are on record as opposing (a) academic selection and (b) oppose academic selection at age 11. [120658]

Jane Kennedy: The membership of the Post-Primary Review Working Group has been drawn from the main education interests and managing authorities that will be responsible for the development and implementation of future arrangements. The members were chosen on the basis of the range and depth of their knowledge and experience of the education system in Northern Ireland and include four former or practicing principals and a deputy director of a Further Education College. The individuals have been invited to participate on the group in a personal capacity and not as representatives of particular organisations. The views of all organisations that responded to the Burns Consultation are set out in the report published by my Department in October 2002, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what criteria were taken into consideration when appointing members of the working group on post-primary education in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement; [120701]

(2) how many members of the working group on post-primary education in Northern Ireland represent organisations which oppose academic selection (a) in principle and (b) at age 11; and if he will make a statement; [120702]

(3) how many members of the working group on post-primary education in Northern Ireland represent organisations which support academic selection; and if he will make a statement. [120703]

Jane Kennedy: The membership of the Post-Primary Review Working Group has been drawn from the main education interests and managing authorities that will be responsible for the development and implementation of future arrangements. The members were chosen because of the range and depth of their knowledge and experience of the education system in Northern Ireland and include four former or practicing principals and a Deputy Director of a Further Education College. The individuals have been invited to participate on the group in a personal capacity and not as representatives of particular organisations. The views of all organisations that responded to the Burns Consultation are set out in the report published by my Department in October 2002, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with grammar school principals regarding the membership of the Post-Primary Review Working Group; and if he will make a statement. [120886]

Jane Kennedy: The Governing Bodies Association, which represents Voluntary Grammar Schools, was asked to submit names for consideration and a member was invited to serve on the Working Group from the names provided. Members were chosen on the basis of the range and depth of their experience and knowledge of the education system in Northern Ireland and include four practising or former school principals and one deputy director of an FE College.

24 Jun 2003 : Column 717W

Reform and Reinvestment Initiative

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the annual regional rate increase in Northern Ireland for each £100 million of borrowing under the Reform and Reinvestment Initiative assuming a Great Britain council tax increase of 10 per cent. average. [119042]

Mr. Pearson: A 10 per cent. average increase in council tax in England would represent an increase in the average household bill of £91 per annum over current (2003–04) levels. Access to borrowing under the Reinvestment and Reform Initiative is dependent on the total rates product in Northern Ireland (i.e. the District and Regional rates). On the assumption that district rate and regional non-domestic rate increases are in line with recent trends, a borrowing power of £100 million in 2004–05 would require an increase in the average regional domestic rate of approximately £64 per household per annum over the 2003–04 figure. Each additional £100 million of borrowing in that year would require a further increase of around £10 per household per annum.

---