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16 Sept 2003 : Column 707W—continued
Service Personnel (NHS Treatment)
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on service personnel getting priority NHS treatment; what budget is available for private treatment for service personnel; and whether all service personnel are eligible for prompt medical treatment. [123571]
Mr. Caplin [holding answer 4 July 2003]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 1 September 2003, Official Report, columns 897–98W.
Territorial Army
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes there have been in the strength of the Territorial Army in the last six months. [129072]
Mr. Caplin: Available information is shown in the table.
| 2003 | Strength |
|---|---|
| 1 March | 39,210 |
| 1 April | 38,140 |
| 1 May | 38,370 |
| 1 June | 38,040 |
| 1 July | 37,650 |
| 1 August | 37,360 |
Note:
Data have been rounded to the nearest 10.
Type 23 Frigate
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis), of 10 February 2003, Official Report, column 516W, on Type 23 frigates, if he will name the second six Type 23 frigates to be fitted with Sonar 2087; what plans there are for the remaining four frigates; and if he will make a statement. [128557]
Mr. Ingram: It is not currently planned to select for another year or so the second six Type 23 Frigates likely to be fitted with Sonar 2087. The remaining four Frigates will continue to contribute to Royal Naval operations until the end of their scheduled service life, around the middle of the next decade, from which point they will be progressively withdrawn.
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Ambulance Response Times
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average ambulance response time was in each year since 1997 in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) North Down; and if he will make a statement. [121926]
Angela Smith: The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service does not report average ambulance response times on a Northern Ireland or parliamentary constituency basis. Ambulance performance is assessed against national response time standards. In Northern Ireland these are applied as follows:
- ambulance at the scene of 50 per cent. of 999 calls in 8 minutes
ambulance at the scene of 95 per cent. of 999 calls in 18 minutes (eastern area); or 21 minutes (northern, southern and western areas).
| Northern | Southern | Eastern | Western | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 48 | 47 | 55 | 62 |
| 1999–2000 | 46 | 45 | 59 | 56 |
| 2000–01 | 47 | 42 | 63 | 56 |
| 2001–02 | 47 | 41 | 57 | 53 |
| 2002–03 | 47 | 41 | 57 | 53 |
| Northern | Southern | Eastern | Western | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 95 | 94 | 96 | 95 |
| 1999–2000 | 95 | 93 | 97 | 94 |
| 2000–01 | 94 | 92 | 97 | 94 |
| 2001–02 | 93 | 92 | 96 | 94 |
| 2002–03 | 93 | 92 | 96 | 94 |
Bangor Community Hospital
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funds have been made available to Bangor Community hospital (a) in 2001, (b) in 2002 and (c) since January. [120887]
Angela Smith: The information sought is not centrally available. The Bangor Community hospital, as part of the Ulster Community hospitals trust, derives the bulk of its income from the Eastern Health and Social Services Board. The trust accounts do not, however, distinguish between the income received by the Bangor Community hospital and that received by the rest of the trust.
Belfast City Airport
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with residents' groups regarding the possible introduction of late-night flights at Belfast City airport. [129837]
Angela Smith: I have had no discussions with residents' groups regarding the possible introduction of late night flights at Belfast City airport. The Department of the Environment's Planning Service has not received any request from Belfast City airport to
16 Sept 2003 : Column 709W
alter the terms of the existing planning agreement governing flight times to and from the airport, nor has Belfast City airport indicated that they intend to make such a request.
Brain Banks
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many brain banks (a) exist and (b) have existed in Northern Ireland; and where. [121606]
Angela Smith: One brain bank currently exists in Northern Ireland. This is held within the Neuropathology Department of the Royal Group of Hospitals. No other brain banks have previously existed in Northern Ireland Trusts.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what relationship with mainland (a) hospitals and (b) research facilities brain banks in Northern Ireland have had. [121611]
Angela Smith: A brain tissue bank exists in the Neuropathology Department of the Royal group of hospitals. The Royal have been involved in joint research or diagnostic projects, involving the transfer of tissue samples, with the following facilities:-
- National MS Brain Bank, London;
- Schizophrenia Research, Oxford Medical School, Oxford University;
- National Unit for Research into CJD, Edinburgh;
- National Parkinson's Disease Society, London;
- Netherlands Brain Bank, Holland and
- MS Research Project, Dublin.
All organs and tissue samples involved have been consented for use in research.
No other brain banks exist in Northern Ireland Trusts.
Broadband
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to provide broadband internet access in areas of Northern Ireland where there is no broadband provision; and if he will make a statement. [129847]
Mr. Pearson: The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) has developed a range of complementary initiatives designed to progressively develop telecommunications infrastructure in Northern Ireland, stimulate demand for broadband, and develop broadband applications to both support its innovation driven economy and to ensure everyone has the opportunity to use computers to enhance their daily life.
The Government's aim in Northern Ireland is to have 100 per cent. coverage of broadband services. To progress this aim, DETI published in the European Journal on 7 May 2003, a Prior Information Notice indicating its intention to issue a tender for the provision of broadband services. The tender was issued on 22 July 2003 and a total of 27 organisations and consortia have responded to the call to assist us to advance the Government's telecommunications agenda. I expect to announce the winner of the tender before the end of 2003.
16 Sept 2003 : Column 710W
Care Homes
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress being made by the inter-departmental working group established to examine the issue of free personal care for people in residential homes. [122355]
Angela Smith: The Northern Ireland Executive commissioned work on free personal care and a report was forwarded to the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on 8 August 2002. Following discussion at the Executive on 12 August, Ministers asked for further work to be undertaken. The inter-departmental group has reviewed a number of costed options that will be adjusted to current levels of provision at the time a further report is made to a new devolved Administration.
It is not possible at this stage to give any indication about the timing or subsequent handling of the report, since this is a matter which should be determined by the Northern Ireland Executive.
Child Maintenance
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of those paying child maintenance in Northern Ireland have yet to be incorporated into the new system for calculating child maintenance introduced in April 2002; what steps he is taking to reduce this figure; and if he will make a statement. [130402]
Mr. Spellar: The Government sought to reform the child support system to provide prompt, accurate maintenance calculations and quick, reliable maintenance payments. The introduction of the new scheme was delayed from April 2002, to allow further testing of the new IT system, and was introduced on 3 March 2003.
It was always intended that the new scheme would be introduced initially for new cases only. Existing child support cases would transfer at a later date, when Ministers were satisfied that the new scheme, supported by the new IT, was working well. The exception to this is where an existing case is linked to a new application. In such circumstances the existing case is reassessed under the new scheme.
A decision on the date when the remainder of existing child support cases will transfer to the new scheme has not yet been made.
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