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15 Sept 2003 : Column 577W—continued

Primary Schools

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will increase the proportion of funding to the primary school sector; and if he will make a statement. [116045]

Jane Kennedy: The Government recognises that the current differential in funding between primary and post-primary funding in Northern Ireland is too wide. The Local Management of Schools Common Formula, scheduled to come into operation in April 2004, contains a number of factors by which resources can be more effectively targeted and it is intended to use these over the initial years of the formula to reduce the funding differential.

In recognition of the issue the Budget Addition allocations for 2003–04, given to schools on top of their formula budget, were for the first time weighted in favour of the primary sector. This has resulted in an additional £1 million being provided for primary schools this year.

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Road Safety

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many road accident fatalities there were in each of the past 10 years; and how many there were in the UK. [122545]

Angela Smith: The table provides information on the number of road fatalities in Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the past 10 years.

Fatal casualties 1992–2002

	Great Britain	Northern Ireland
1992	4,229	150
1993	3,814	143
1994	3,650	157
1995	3,621	144
1996	3,598	142
1997	3,599	144
1998	3,421	160
1999	3,423	141
2000	3,409	171
2001	3,450	148
2002	3,431	150

School Examinations

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the timetable is for the replacement of the eleven plus examination in Northern Ireland. [112910]

Jane Kennedy: I announced on 24 April 2003 the establishment of a Working Group to provide advice and recommendations on options for future arrangements for post-primary education, including the development of alternative transfer arrangements with a view to the current transfer tests being withdrawn as soon as practicable. The Working Group will report by 31 October 2003.

Pupils currently in P5 and P6 will sit the existing Transfer Tests and decisions about transfer arrangements for subsequent cohorts of pupils will be taken when the advice of the Working Group has been considered. Parents and teachers of pupils currently in P4 will be advised in good time of their transfer arrangements.

Schools Finance

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the difference in funding per pupil is between primary schools and post-primary schools in Northern Ireland; and what recent representations he has received on the difference in funding. [119461]

Jane Kennedy: In 2001–02 financial year the difference in funding per pupil between primary and post-primary schools in Northern Ireland was £934.

Department officials met with a delegation from the Primary Principals' Association of Northern Ireland on 25 March 2003 and a number of letters have also been received from elected representatives, primary schools and parents of primary school pupils.

Social Security Appeal Tribunals

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he will take to ensure that

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social security appeal tribunals which have to be re-listed are not delayed because of the non-availability of panel members; and if he will make a statement. [116838]

Mr. Browne: The Appeals Service (NI) is required to re-list all adjourned appeals before the same Tribunal panel following a Direction from the President of Appeal Tribunals. As a result of additional resources being allocated to The Appeals Service (NI) and the appointment of 25 additional Tribunal members the average clearance time for all appeal types has reduced from 22 weeks during April 2002 to 16 weeks during March 2003. The Appeals Service (NI) is currently reviewing the procedures for the re-listing of appeals that have previously been adjourned to further reduce the time taken to reach a final determination and to prioritise appeals that have to be re-listed before the same Tribunal.

Sports Funding

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 9 April 2003, Official Report, column 251W, why funding has not been allocated to the Northern Ireland Cycling Federation in the last three years. [114156]

Angela Smith: The Sports Council for Northern Ireland has not allocated any funding to the Northern Ireland Cycling Federation over the last three years because it is not the recognised governing body of cycling within Northern Ireland.

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Stevens Inquiry

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the overview and recommendations of the report by Sir John Stevens on the murder of Mr. Patrick Finucane, published on 17 April. [110861]

Mr. Paul Murphy: Sir John Stevens's report is to the Chief Constable and he will no doubt wish to study it. We will also be examining his findings most carefully.

Sir John has indicated that specific criminal investigations continue and that files will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (NI). The criminal justice process must take its course.

Teachers

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many teaching posts will be lost in the primary sector in the next 12 months. [118017]

Jane Kennedy: The requested information is not yet available. Decisions on staffing levels are taken by the Boards of Governors of individual schools.

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school teaching posts were lost in each year since 1997 in each education and library board. [118018]

Jane Kennedy: The requested information is only available for the period 1999/2000–2001/02. For completeness the number of posts gained is also given.

Education and	Decrease in number of full time teachers in schools losing posts		Increase in number of full-time equivalent teachers in schools gaining posts		Net change in number of full-time equivalent teachers
Library Board Area	1999/2000–2000/01	2000/01–2001/02	1999/2000–2000/01	2000/01–2001/02	1999/2000–2000/01	2000/01–2001/02
(a) Primary schools
Belfast	67.2	79.2	54.7	40.4	-12.5	-38.8
Western	70.2	70.1	64.5	87.2	-5.7	+17.1
North-Eastern	86.6	65.5	72.4	117.1	-14.2	+51.6
South-Eastern	60.7	61.1	93.7	97.9	+33.0	+36.8
Southern	100.6	101.8	90.5	74.3	-10.1	-27.5
	(b) Secondary schools
Belfast	31.0	35.3	68.5	68.5	+37.5	+33.2
Western	22.6	51.1	76.5	29.8	+53.9	-21.3
North-Eastern	37.2	31.6	71.3	69.4	+34.1	+37.8
South-Eastern	21.3	30.6	72.4	60.5	+51.1	+29.9
Southern	27.6	58.1	49.8	40.6	+22.2	+17.5

Ulster Scots Academy

Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in making available support for an Ulster-Scots Academy. [115762]

Angela Smith: Officials are currently considering options for ensuring that the commitment in the Joint Declaration by the British and Irish Governments in April 2003 is fulfilled. Officials will make recommendations to Ministers in due course.

SCOTLAND

Beef Farming

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people are employed in the beef farming industry in Scotland; when he last met representatives of the Scottish beef farming industry; and what his assessment is of its prospects. [127844]

Mrs. McGuire: The Scottish Executive's agricultural census in 2002 recorded 32,608 people working on Scottish farms with beef cattle.

Agriculture policy in Scotland is a devolved matter for the Scottish Executive; representatives of the agriculture sector, including the beef farming industry, regularly meet Scottish Executive Ministers. The reformed Common Agricultural Policy announced on 26 June provides the basis for a sustainable future for the beef industry in Scotland.

Fishing Industry

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many are employed in the fishing industry in Scotland. [128015]

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Mrs. McGuire: Fisheries Departments estimate that there were 5,707 full and part-time fishermen working in Scotland at the end of 2002. Estimates of employment in the fish processing industry are produced as part of the economic surveys carried out by the Sea Fish Industry Authority, whose latest estimate is that the processing industry in Scotland supports 7,200 full-time equivalent jobs.

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