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25 Jun 2003 : Column 845W—continued
Organised Crime
14. Mr. Ben Chapman : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on measures to tackle organised crime in Northern Ireland. [120579]
Jane Kennedy: The Government are leading the fight against organised crime in Northern Ireland through the work of the Organised Crime Task Force which brings the various responsible agencies together to set the strategic priorities for concerted multi agency action.
The multi agency approach has made a significant impact and as a result of law enforcement activity 75 networks were disrupted or dismantled during the past year.
South Strand
15. Mr. Laurence Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in the South Strand area. [120580]
Jane Kennedy: The interfaces between protestant and catholic communities have been quiet, although tension continues and the potential for conflict simmers under the surface. The additional physical security measures, identified following the sustained violence last summer, have now been completed. In addition, five new CCTV
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cameras have been erected at interface locations. These measures have provided some reassurance to the beleaguered communities and aided policing in the area.
Acute Hospitals
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to ensure that the Health Service in Northern Ireland has sufficient resources to meet demand at each of the acute hospitals in Northern Ireland. [121057]
Angela Smith: The overall level of resources for the Health and Personal Social Services (HPSS) is planned as part of the annual Budget process. Following the last Budget, the HPSS baseline was set at £3,033.3 million for 2003–04—an exceptional increase of some 15 per cent. on the previous year. The bulk of this money is allocated to the four area Boards, who are responsible for funding individual Trusts for the hospital and other services that they provide to the local population.
Asylum Seekers
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful applications for asylum there were in Northern Ireland in 2002; and how many of those unsuccessful applicants have left the country. [120891]
Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
Information on asylum applications in Northern Ireland is unavailable. Asylum applications data are not available at regional level except by port of application. Information on initial decision outcomes, appeals outcomes, and removals relates to the UK as a whole and is not available by region of application and therefore the requested information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records. Information on the numbers of failed asylum seekers who have left Northern Ireland is not available, because some individuals leave the UK without informing the Immigration Service.
Disabled Children (North Antrim)
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what respite care facilities are available to support children with disabilities within the East Antrim constituency. [120945]
Angela Smith: A range of respite services to support children with disabilities in the East Antrim area are available, including Whitehaven Respite Unit, Whitehead, the Challenge Unit, Ballymena and a family based respite scheme in Carrickfergus/Newtownabbey.
The development of respite care services is included in the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety's Priorities for Action 2003–04. Additional funding has been allocated for this purpose.
Flooding Assessment Report(Carrickfergus and Newtonabbey)
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the recommendations from the
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WS Atkins Flooding Assessment Report, covering areas of Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey, will be published. [120944]
Mr. Pearson: I am pleased to confirm that the preliminary Flooding Assessment Report, sponsored jointly by DARD Rivers Agency and DRD Roads and Water Services, is now complete. Officials from each Agency are prepared to discuss the recommendations with interested organisations and Rivers Agency has already written to Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey borough councils offering to give a joint presentation on the Report and the way forward.
General Practitioners
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many trained general practitioners have provided locum cover in primary care in the past 12 months in Northern Ireland. [120981]
Angela Smith: Information is not held centrally on the number of general practitioners who have provided locum cover in primary care. There are currently approximately 160 trained GPs available to provide locum cover.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to his answer of 9 June 2003, Official Report, column 698W, on GPs, how many vacancies exist among the permanent general practice posts; and how many have required locum cover for more than six weeks in the past 12 months. [121008]
Angela Smith: The Department does not hold information on vacancies in multi-handed GP practices.
In the case of a vacancy in a single-handed GP practice the relevant Health and Social Services Board would be responsible for the arrangement of locum cover until a replacement is appointed. In the last 12 months there has been one such case, which lasted more than six weeks.
Selection of a doctor for partnership in a multi-handed GP Practice is a matter for that practice and information about locum cover for such posts is not held centrally.
Historic Buildings
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in the second survey of historic buildings in Northern Ireland; how many properties have been delisted through the survey; and how many have been added to the listed stock. [120645]
Angela Smith: Since the Second Survey began in 1997, 98 electoral wards in Northern Ireland have been surveyed by contractors working on behalf of the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) of the Department of the Environment. The findings in respect of 58 of these wards have been processed by EHS to date, resulting in 157 delistings and 91 new listings.
Further information on the results of the Second Survey is available on the EHS website (www.ehsni.gov.uk)
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Hospital Beds
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many acute hospital beds there were in Northern Ireland on 1 January (a) 1983, (b) 1993, (c) 2002 and (d) 2003. [120972]
Angela Smith: The average numbers of available acute hospital beds are provided in the table.
| Average number of acute beds | |
|---|---|
| 1983 | 7,404.3 |
| 1993 | 5,218.2 |
| 2002 | 4,292.6 |
| 2003 | 4,351.0 |
Notes:
1. Figures for 1983 are the average number available across the year.
2. Figures for 1993, 2002 and 2003 are the average number available in the quarter from 1 January to 31 March.
3. Figures for 2003 are provisional.
4. Figures on the average number of available beds along with other information on hospital activity in Northern Ireland are published each September in the Department's annual Hospital Statistics publication. This is available in the House of Commons Library and from the Department's website: http://www. dhsspsni.gov.uk/stats&research/order.html
The decrease in the average number of acute beds reflects the greater number of procedures undertaken as day cases, higher occupancy rates and a reduction in the average length of stay.
The average number of available beds refers only to those in wards which are open overnight, measured at midnight. Hospitals may also have a number of beds in wards which are only open during the day. Beds reserved for day care admission or regular day admission are not included.
The figures for 1983 may not be entirely consistent with those for later years as the descriptions of the specialties that make up the acute programme of care have changed.
Hospital Treatment
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his policy is on the treatment of NHS patients from Northern Ireland in the Republic of Ireland. [121928]
Angela Smith: I am happy, in principle, to draw on hospital services available in the Republic of Ireland and elsewhere in the interests of patients. The health and social services already make very good use of services in Dublin, Glasgow, London, and other centres, as part of the overall services available to patients. In doing so, of course, there is the issue of how that impacts on the overall financial resources available to services here. There needs to be an appropriate balance to ensure that services which people need are accessible and readily available.
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