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17 Sept 2003 : Column 828W—continued
Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many surgical operations were performed in 2002 at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. [130270]
Angela Smith: There were 4,260 surgical operations performed in the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children during 2002–03.
Schools
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many temporary classrooms there were in each Education and Library Board area in each of the last three years. [128286]
Jane Kennedy: The number of temporary classrooms in controlled schools 1 in each Education and Library Board area in each of the last three years is as follows:
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| Education and Library Board | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | 119 | 119 | 103 |
| Western | 172 | 177 | 172 |
| North-Eastern | 325 | 343 | 358 |
| South-Eastern | 509 | 452 | 394 |
| Southern | 262 | 252 | 240 |
1 Information on temporary classrooms in other sectors is not currently available. However, the Department of Education will be carrying out a survey of maintained, voluntary grammar and grant maintained integrated schools before the end of the financial year to ascertain the exact number of temporary classrooms in these sectors. This information will be supplied to you when the results of the survey are available.
The increased investment in new schools, together with a £25 million programme specifically to remove temporary classrooms, spanning the financial years 2002–03 to 2005–06, should result in a substantial reduction in these classrooms over the next 3 years.
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many schools requiring (a) high priority maintenance work and (b) major works there were in each Education and Library Board area in each of the last three years. [128287]
Jane Kennedy: The information requested is as follows:
| Education and Library Board Area | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | 156 | 155 | 163 |
| Western | 238 | 215 | 188 |
| North-Eastern | 139 | 157 | 127 |
| South-Eastern | 222 | 207 | 184 |
| Southern | 240 | 262 | 234 |
(20) Figures cover controlled, maintained and Irish-medium schools. Maintenance work in voluntary grammar grant maintained integrated schools is met by the schools themselves from their annual LMS budgets. Data is held centrally by the Department on the extent of the maintenance requirements in these schools.
| Education and Library Board Area | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | 16 | 15 | 28 |
| Western | 22 | 20 | 29 |
| North-Eastern | 26 | 28 | 37 |
| South-Eastern | 14 | 13 | 14 |
| Southern | 29 | 32 | 30 |
(21) Figures cover all schools included in the Department's Schools' Capital Priorities list as published on its website.
Senior Citizens (Concessionary Travel)
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been issued with senior citizen smart passes for free travel on public transport, broken down by post code area. [125839]
Mr. Spellar: Translink advise that the information is not readily available in exactly the form requested. However, the table shows the total number of Smartpasses in issue by Northern Ireland postcode area as at 16 July 2003. Over 160,000 of the 164,596 Smartpasses in circulation are Senior Smartpasses, the remainder being made up of Smartpasses for those registered blind and the war disabled. Translink do not have the postcodes for 1,080 pass holders.
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17 Sept 2003 : Column 831W
Strategic Investment Body
Mr. Mallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are on the Board of the Strategic Investment Body; and how many are women. [125909]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Strategic Investment Board has five directors, none of whom is a woman.
Teachers
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on teacher recruitment in Northern Ireland. [129824]
Jane Kennedy: The level of intakes to teacher education courses is determined annually by the Department of Education, with the aim of maintaining a reasonable match between the numbers being trained and the projected numbers of teaching vacancies. Currently these courses are oversubscribed with around five applications for each available place.
Research has been commissioned by the Department to test the proposition that there is or will be a shortfall in the recruitment of teachers in any subject area in post-primary schools in Northern Ireland. The research findings are expected in October.
Teachers
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many teaching vacancies there are in North Belfast in (a) the primary and (b) the secondary sector. [126498]
Jane Kennedy: The number of vacancies, as indicated by the employing authorities in all school sectors in the North Belfast area at the beginning of the new school year, is seven in the primary sector and nine in the secondary sector as set out in the following.
Responses from employing authorities and North Belfast voluntary grammar and integrated schools on teaching vacancies as they apply at the beginning of the new school year 2003–04.
1. Belfast Education and Library Board
Currently the Board is not aware of any vacancies in the primary or secondary controlled sectors in North Belfast.
2. Council for Catholic Maintained Schools
Seven vacancies and nine secondary vacancies are expected to be filled in the near future.
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3. Integrated Primary Schools
Hazlewood Integrated Primary School, 242 Whitewell Road—no teaching vacancies.
4. Voluntary Grammar and Integrated Secondary Schools
Belfast Royal Academy—no teaching vacancies.
Dominician College, 38 Fort William Park—no teaching vacancies.
Hazelwood Integrated College, 70 Whitewell Road—no teaching vacancies.
St. Malachy's College, 36 Antrim Road—no teaching vacancies.
Transport
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the quality bus corridor on the Newtownards Roads is likely to open. [122367]
Mr. Spellar: I have asked the Chief Executive of Roads Service to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the plans to upgrade the Westlink. [122370]
Mr. Spellar: I have asked the Chief Executive of Roads Service to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the status is of each road scheme in the Road Service Major Works preparation. [122372]
Mr. Spellar: I have asked the Chief Executive of Roads Service to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
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