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Sports Council Report

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will make a statement on the Audit Commission's report on the Northern Ireland Sports Council; [122125]

(2) what action he will take to implement the recommendations of the Audit Commission's report into the Northern Ireland Sports Council. [122126]

Angela Smith: The Northern Ireland Audit Office completed an audit of the 2000–01 accounts of the Sports Council for Northern Ireland and the Comptroller and Auditor General decided to qualify his

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audit opinion on two issues. The Sports Council have fully accepted the audit report and appropriate corrective measures have been put in place.

Suicide

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the incidence of suicide per 100,000 of the population was in each of the last three years. [122546]

Mr. Pearson: In Northern Ireland in the years 1999, 2000 and 2001 respectively, there were 7.21, 9.69 and 8.35 deaths per 100,000 population caused by "suicide and self-inflicted injury".

Additionally in Northern Ireland in the years 1999, 2000 and 2001 respectively, there were 1.97, 1.31 and 1.01 deaths per 100,000 population attributed to

"undetermined injury whether accidentally or purposefully inflicted".

Terrorism

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his assessment is of the threat posed by each terrorist organisation proscribed in Northern Ireland. [113449]

Jane Kennedy: All proscribed terrorist organisations pose a potential threat. That is why the Prime Minister stated last October we must now have acts of completion and a commitment from all paramilitary organisations that they will achieve their objectives through exclusively peaceful means.

Transport

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) when Road Service will publish its 10 to 15 years Forward Planning Schedule; [122369]

(2) whether the Government plans to introduce charges for utility companies who open up the roads;[122373]

(3) what the latest figures are on traffic flow on the Knock dual carriageway; [122553]

Mr. Spellar: I have asked the Chief Executive of Roads Service to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to the questions. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

Water

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which rivers and lakes in Northern Ireland are monitored for water quality; and what the regularity is of the sampling process. [122375]

Angela Smith: The Northern Ireland river monitoring network covers approximately 5,000 km and involves some 600 sampling points. All rivers classified as primary, secondary or minor are included in the network. Rivers are sampled monthly to assess chemical quality and are monitored for biological quality either once, twice or three times a year, depending mainly on the river size. Details of the rivers monitored can be found on the Environment and Heritage Service website at www.ehsni.gov.uk/pubs/publications/River Monitoring.pdf. I am arranging for a

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copy of "A River Water Quality Monitoring Strategy for Northern Ireland May 2001" to be placed in the House of Commons Library. Maps of the monitored rivers can be accessed at www.ehsni.gov.uk/environment/waterManage/quality/rivers/freshwaterGQA/mainpage. htm. Monitoring is undertaken both to assess compliance with EC Directives and to classify river water quality under national classification schemes.

Lough Neagh, and Upper and Lower Lough Erne are designated under the EC Freshwater Fish Directive (78/659/EEC) and are monitored for compliance on chemical quality on a monthly basis. Three other Loughs (Upper and Lower Lough Macnean and Lough Melvin), although not designated, are also similarly monitored for chemical quality monthly.

Additional non-routine monitoring is carried out on rivers and lakes in Northern Ireland for a range of purposes including development of new monitoring and classification mechanisms for rivers and lakes which will be required by the EC Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) for 2006.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress being made with the Water Service's water efficiency programme. [121931]

Mr. Spellar: I have asked the Chief Executive of Water Service to write to the hon. Lady in response to this question. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefits Office (Chatham)

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) when (a) the Department and (b) the National Audit Office last audited the working practices of the benefits office in Chatham; and if he will make a statement; [121503]

(2) how many complaints have been received by his Department about delays and working practices at the benefits office in Chatham. [121504]

Mr. Browne [holding answer 24 June 2003]: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, David Anderson. He will write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Mark Grimshaw to Mr. Derek Wyatt, dated 2 July 2003:

As Jobcentre Plus is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning the benefits office in Chatham. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

Over the last year Chatham Social Security Office received 23 complaints about Incapacity Benefit processing and 5 complaints about Social Fund processing.

The working practices of the Chatham Social Security Office have not been audited by either the Department or the National Audit Office. However Jobcentre Plus has effective management systems in place to monitor each offices performance against targets. These systems identify where problems are occurring and ensure that action is taken to rectify problem areas.

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These systems successfully identified signs decreasing performance in Incapacity Benefit claims processing at Chatham Social Security Office. This was believed to be due to high staff turnover in the last two years resulting in a shortage of experienced staff in the office. Some work was temporarily transferred to Broadstairs office in June 2002 and to Ashford office from November 2002 to enable new staff at Chatham to receive further training. In addition some of the workload has been redistributed across the Kent District. As a result of these changes performance is improving but local managers are continuing to monitor the situation.

All Jobcentre Plus sites are also monitored quarterly to check levels of customer service. Independent consultants assess the speed with which telephone enquiries are answered, the length of time personal callers have to wait in caller offices and the speed with which written enquiries receive a reply.

Child Support Agency

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the proposed timetable is for bringing existing clients into the new Child Support Agency scheme. [121617]

Mr. Pond: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer the then Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, North (Malcolm Wicks), gave the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (John Thurso) on 22 May 2003, Official Report, column 918–19W.

Euro Roadshow

Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the events he plans to attend as part of the Government's euro roadshow. [121388]

Mr. Pond: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary on 20 June 2003, Official Report, column 459W.

Offshore Workers

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he will take to ensure that offshore workers are not treated as employed for benefits purposes during periods for which they receive no remuneration. [122328]

Mr. Pond: People are not entitled to jobseeker's allowance if they are engaged in remunerative work of 16 hours or more per week. If a person's hours of work fluctuate then they are averaged over a complete cycle of work. In the case of an offshore worker, any period on shore in the cycle of work is therefore included in the averaging process, whether or not they receive remuneration for that period.

If an offshore worker has no recognisable cycle of work, then a decision maker will establish whether there is a continuing relationship between the worker and their employer. If there is, and the work averages 16 hours or more per week, then the worker continues to be classed as in remunerative work during periods when they are on shore and not physically working or being paid. We have no plans to change this.

Older People

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans the Government have to take

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forward the National Audit Office's recommendation of a strategy for older people; and if he will make a statement. [120953]

Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Under-Secretary with responsibility for disabled people, my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Garston (Maria Eagle) to my hon. Friend the Member for Ilford, North (Linda Perham), on 14 May 2003, Official Report, volume 405, column 300- 01W.

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