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Transport Infrastructure

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been invested in improving the (a) roads and (b) transport infrastructure in (i) North Belfast and (ii) Northern Ireland in each year since 1997. [119466]

Angela Smith: I have asked the Chief Executive of Roads Service to write to you in response to your question. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

Unadopted Main Sewers

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many households in East Belfast have unadopted main sewers. [122550]

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

Vehicle Licensing

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the

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Secretary of State for Transport about extending to Northern Ireland measures to improve vehicle licensing in line with those announced by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport in the written ministerial statement of 22 May 2003, Official Report, columns 45–46WS. [116807]

Angela Smith: I can confirm that the proposals announced by the Minister for Transport will apply in Northern Ireland. My officials in Driver and Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland are working with their counterparts in DVLA and DfT on the operational details.

Waiting Times/Lists

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients in the Province are waiting for (a) CT scans, (b) MRI scans and (c) X-rays; and what the longest time is that a patient has had to wait for each of these appointments. [130250]

Angela Smith: The information requested is not routinely collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Water and Sewerage

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been invested in improving the (a) water and (b) sewerage infrastructure in North Belfast in each year since 1997. [119467]

Angela Smith: 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.

Water Bill

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs Ministers to extend the Water Bill to Northern Ireland. [130400]

Angela Smith: I have had no discussions with Defra Ministers about extending the Water Bill to Northern Ireland. The Water Bill applies only to England and Wales and, as such, its proposed measures relate largely to the privatised water industry which does not reflect the arrangements currently in place in Northern Ireland. However, my officials have been monitoring the progress of the Bill through its various stages to consider what, if any, implications there are for future policy development in Northern Ireland.

Water Services

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) households and (b) public sector offices in Northern Ireland have been fitted with hippo bags; and if he will make a statement on the estimated savings made by their introduction. [121934]

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.

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Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Water Service met its targets in respect of domestic water efficiency in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) since January. [121932]

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.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last met the EAGA Partnership to discuss water efficiency proposals; and if he will make a statement. [121933]

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.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what comparative studies have been undertaken by the Water Service in Northern Ireland with water authorities in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales regarding water efficiency by (i) domestic premises, (ii) small businesses and (iii) public sector offices; and if he will make a statement on the results. [121935]

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.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what evaluation has been made by the Water Service regarding the distribution of hippo bags in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the results. [121936]

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.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his plans to improve water efficiency in (a) low income households, (b) small businesses and (c) public sector offices. [121937]

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.

HEALTH

Abortions

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to reduce the number of abortions in the London borough of Havering; [129048]

(2) how many abortions were performed in the London borough of Havering in each year from 1997 to 2002. [129051]

Mr. Hutton: The Government are taking a number of steps through the National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV and the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy to help

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reduce the number of abortions. We are also working to improve access to contraceptive services and the range of methods of contraception that are available and will be making £1 million available this year to support this. We are also working with the Department for Education and Skills to improve sex and relationships education.

The number of abortions performed on residents of Havering local authority is shown in the table. The data are not available by local authority prior to 1995 and have therefore been shown by health authority, district health authority, and health district which includes data for residents of neighbouring local authority areas. Data for 2002 will be available from autumn 2003.

Numbers of abortions to residents of Havering local authority, 1995–2001^(22),(23)

Year	Number
2001	862
2000	828
1999	838
1998	815
1997	757
1996	737
1995	691
1994	(24)1,288
1993	(24)1,350
1992	(25)1,557
1991	(25)1,703
1990	(25)1,777
1989	(25)1,839
1988	(25)1,750
1987	(25)1,618
1986	(25)1,435
1985	(25)1,477
1984	(25)1,435
1983	(25)1,308
1982	(26)769
1981	(26)708
1980	(24)1,220
1979	(24)1,245
1978	(24)1,029
1977	(24)989
1976	(24)933

⁽²²⁾ Prior to 1995 records were allocated by postcode to ward and then stored by health authority or district health authority. Data for 2002 will be available from autumn 2003.

⁽²³⁾ The information provided for 1976–94 is for areas that include abortions performed on residents of Havering local authority.

⁽²⁴⁾ Barking, Havering and Brentwood district health authority.

⁽²⁵⁾ Barking and Havering health authority.

⁽²⁶⁾ Havering health district.

Accident and Emergency Treatment

Dr. Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines he has issued on the target for no patient to be waiting for more than four hours in accident and emergency, with special reference to patients with a clinical need to remain for over four hours. [129682]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The NHS Plan established the target that by December 2004 accident and emergency (A&E) patients should wait no more than four hours between arrival and discharge, admission to hospital, or transfer to another facility.

There are exceptional circumstances in which an A&E department remains the safest clinical environment for a patient even though four hours have elapsed. The Department of Health has been engaged in constructive

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discussions with the British Association for A&E Medicine, the Faculty of A&E Medicine and the Royal College of Nursing about how these cases should be defined and monitored.

The product of these discussions is a paper that was published for wider consultation on 11 September. The paper is available on the Department's website, at www.doh.gov.uk/emergencycare/clinical-exceptions. htm. The consultation period runs until 31 October 2003. After consultation we will publish the final version of the paper and develop a process for excluding these patients from the monitoring of NHS trusts' performance against the A&E target.

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