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21 Oct 2003 : Column 524W—continued
Elderly Mentally Infirm Unit Places
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to increase the number of elderly mentally infirm unit places in Northern Ireland. [132470]
Angela Smith: It is a matter for each Health and Social Services Board to determine the need for any service in their area and to commission that service within the resources available to it.
The Northern HSS Board is currently undertaking a review of services for older people with mental health problems, and will use the findings to determine level of need in their area. A report is due in March 2004.
The Eastern HSS Board has no plans to increase number of elderly mentally infirm places at present.
The Southern HSS Board has plans to support an additional 40 elderly mentally infirm people using a supported living model.
The Western HSS Board has recently sponsored the development of 20 nursing placements, and is currently planning for the provision of a further 30 places in a Housing with Care Unit. It has also identified further need for additional EMI places within a supported living model, and is planning a review of provision to quantify this.
Although it is not possible to provide an exact Northern Ireland total, it was estimated in 2002 that there are 2,500–3,000 permanent places available for, or occupied by, persons with dementia (equivalent to elderly mentally infirm persons) regardless of the source of funding. At the moment there is no evidence that there is a need to increase the number of elderly mentally infirm unit places in Northern Ireland.
Equality Commission
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to assess the Northern Ireland
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Equality Commission's (a) ability to carry out its activities and (b) value to the public purse following the report of the Northern Ireland Auditor General; and if he will make a statement. [128296]
Jane Kennedy: The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister is responsible for approving the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland's three year Corporate Plan and annual Business Plan. The Department monitors and assesses the Commission's progress against these agreed targets and objectives and ensures that action is taken on recommendations arising from the annual audit of accounts by the Northern Ireland Audit Office. The Equality Commission publishes an Annual Report detailing performance against its agreed objectives which is laid before Parliament.
EU Constitution
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the implications for Northern Ireland of the proposed European Union constitution. [131858]
Mr. Pearson: Treaty changes to bring the institutions and policies of the European Union up to date, in particular in view of the enlargement of the EU next year, will be negotiated by member state governments at the Inter-Governmental Conference, which begins on 4 October in Rome.
In terms of the likely implications of changes for Northern Ireland, the situation will continue to be kept under review through the normal channels operating between Northern Ireland and the relevant Whitehall Departments.
Fair Employment and Treatment Order
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to review exemptions for certain employees from the provisions of the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998. [131862]
Mr. Spellar: The exceptions in the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 for employment for the purposes of a private household and for charities as employers will be removed and the exception for the employment of schoolteachers will be restricted to teacher recruitment with effect from 2 December 2003 in order to comply with the EU Employment Framework Directive.
The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland is currently undertaking an investigation with a view to putting forward recommendations on action necessary to further equality of opportunity in the employment of teachers in schools. These recommendations will be considered in the context of the single Equality Bill.
On 22 September, the Government announced a review of the effectiveness of the temporary provisions of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 which provide for 50:50 recruitment and lateral entry to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. These temporary provisions, which are due to expire in March 2004 unless they are renewed, include an exception to the Fair Employment and Treatment Order. Government will
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carry out a wide-ranging consultation on this issue which is due to come to a close on 19 December this year.
Farming
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pedigree and commercial producers have attended (a) training programmes and (b) cattle management programmes in each of the last three years, broken down by parliamentary constituency. [133346]
Mr. Pearson: The information requested is as follows:
The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise provides a wide range of training programmes for all farmers in a number of subject areas. In general courses can be classified into five main areas:
- Practical skills courses,
Legislative courses,
Technical courses,
Environmental training courses,
Business management training courses.
- 2000–01—6,153 participants
2001–02—6,046 participants
2002–03—9,281 participants
The number of pedigree and commercial producers, by County, who have attended Breed Cattle Improvement learning programmes since delivery commenced in October 2002 is illustrated in the following tables:
| Numbers of producers | Pedigree | Commercial |
|---|---|---|
| Antrim | 56 | 130 |
| Armagh | 17 | 89 |
| Down | 36 | 116 |
| Fermanagh | 52 | 80 |
| Londonderry | 34 | 142 |
| Tyrone | 52 | 234 |
| Total | 247 | 791 |
| Numbers of producers | Pedigree | Commercial |
|---|---|---|
| Antrim | 0 | 13 |
| Armagh | 0 | 24 |
| Down | 0 | 19 |
| Fermanagh | 0 | 26 |
| Londonderry | 0 | 25 |
| Tyrone | 0 | 68 |
| Total | 0 | 175 |
Currently there are 60 pedigree producers and 111 commercial producers participating in learning
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programmes. A further 101 commercial producers have been invited to commence training before the end of October.
Delivery of the Cattle Health Management learning programmes commenced in May 03. The number of producers who have attended learning programmes is illustrated in the following table. Participants on this learning programme are not recorded by their commercial or pedigree status.
| Numbers of producers | Completed training | Currently in training |
|---|---|---|
| Antrim | 16 | 0 |
| Armagh | 14 | 0 |
| Down | 25 | 26 |
| Fermanagh | 0 | 15 |
| Londonderry | 12 | 17 |
| Tyrone | 27 | 35 |
| Total | 94 | 93 |
A further 111 producers have been invited to commence training before the end of October.
Invest Northern Ireland
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total value was of funding allocated by Invest Northern Ireland in (a) grants and (b) equity, in each of the last three years. [133341]
Mr. Pearson: During 2002–03 Invest NI offered assistance through letters of offer totalling £125.6 million, of which £8.2 million was in the form of equity. For 2001–02 Invest NI's legacy agencies issued £80 million through offers, of which £3.7 million was equity based. For 2000–01 a total of £107.7 million was offered, £2.8 million in the form of equity.
Fish Farms
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the value was of funding allocated to assist Northern Ireland's inland fish farms to improve their international competitiveness in each of the last three years. [133342]
Mr. Pearson: The information available is set out in the following table.
| EU funding (£ million) | |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 0.208 |
| 2002 | 0.313 |
| 2003 | 0.208 |
| Total | 0.729 |
Organ Retention
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the proposed new informed consent document will be available for public comment. [132475]
Angela Smith: New consent forms and information on post mortem examinations have been drafted and will form the basis of a 13-week consultation process, which will commence in January 2004. The Department will promulgate these documents together with other new guidance and information to a wide range of key
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stakeholders, including relatives, and invite their views and comments, which will be analysed following the completion of the consultation process. The documents will also be made available on the Department's website.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what form of informed consent documentation is being used in Northern Ireland pending the revision of the Human Tissue Act 1961. [132476]
Angela Smith: Trusts were issued with interim guidance on post mortem examination by the Chief Medical Officer in March 2000. This was updated in May 2003. The guidance states that consent should be obtained through the use of a form, normally signed off by the next of kin, which provides clear written information about:
- what the examination entails.
which organs and tissues may be retained and why.
how this might impact on the funeral arrangements.
whether archiving for research or legal reasons is required.
Broadly similar forms are used by all Trusts. New forms have been drafted and will form part of a consultation exercise beginning in January 2004.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress with the revision of the (a) Human Tissue Act 1961 and (b) the Anatomy Act 1984. [132478]
Angela Smith: In 2001–02 England and Wales undertook a fundamental and broad review of the law on human organs and tissues taken from adults or children (including foetuses and stillborn children), either during surgery or after death. This review encompassed the two pieces of legislation mentioned by the hon. Member, for which the Northern Ireland equivalents are the Human Tissue Act (Northern Ireland) 1962 and the Anatomy (Northern Ireland) Order 1992.
A public consultation document, "Human Bodies, Human Choices", was launched in July 2002 and copied to key stakeholders in Northern Ireland. This work not only achieved broad consensus on the way forward but also demonstrated that the system of regulation being proposed, under a Human Tissue Authority, could apply equally to Northern Ireland as to England and Wales, in very much the same way as the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority operates at present.
Work is well advanced on preparing new legislation covering England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland issued a summary of these proposals for information on Friday 17 October. It can be viewed at the Department's website: www.dhsspni.gov.uk.
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