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Starter Homes

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many starter home initiative schemes have begun in Northern Ireland. [150605]

Mr. Spellar: A starter home initiative, the Co-ownership scheme, which is part funded by the Department for Social Development, has been in

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operation since 1978. The aim of the scheme is to provide assistance to those on marginal incomes, and who would not be eligible to obtain a full mortgage, to allow them to become homeowners. Since its inception the scheme has enabled 17,500 participants to gain a foothold on the property ladder through its equity-sharing scheme, over 13,000 of whom eventually moved to full home ownership.

Tourist Accommodation

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) benefits and (b) grants are available when building (i) guest houses and (ii) other forms of tourist accommodation in Northern Ireland. [148765]

Mr. Pearson: Advice on establishing and certifying tourism accommodation businesses is available from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB). Support with operating, managing and developing tourism businesses is available through Invest NI.

Invest NI can provide grant assistance for the upgrading of existing guesthouses certified by the NITB, the development of high quality "country type" guesthouse accommodation in existing habitable properties and the building of new guesthouses on brown field sites in traditional seaside resort towns. In addition, Invest NI can make available financial assistance and a range of business support programmes for the building and development of hotels, hostels, self-catering and bed and breakfast establishments.

Assistance is also available from a number of other sources. For example, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development offers assistance to create new tourist accommodation bed spaces under the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border of Ireland (PEACE II) funded Natural Resource Rural Tourism Initiative. Through the LEADER + programme, administered through 12 local action groups, existing NITB certified tourist accommodation properties may be eligible for funding to assist with upgrading and expansion. The Department of Social Development may make available grants to support the building of guesthouses or other forms of tourist accommodation to support, where appropriate, wider regeneration in Northern Ireland.

Travellers

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the rights of members of the travelling community, with particular reference to (a) facilities, (b) education and (c) entitlement to benefits. [150748]

Mr. Spellar: Irish Travellers have the same rights of access to facilities, education and the same entitlement to benefits as every other citizen in Northern Ireland.

Ulster Hospital (Courtesy Bus)

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will study the feasibility of a courtesy bus service from Belfast to the Ulster hospital; and if he will make a statement. [150746]

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Angela Smith: The Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust is currently developing a Travel Plan that will consider existing services and future provision, including access to public transport for patients, visitors and staff.

As part of this process the Trust will meet with Translink to discuss bus services and the viability of various options.

Winter Influenza

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what preparations have been made to deal with a winter influenza outbreak in Northern Ireland. [151182]

Angela Smith: The Department's annual influenza immunisation campaign is the main element of its programme to minimise any winter influenza outbreak. There are two main groups involved in the campaign: everyone over 65 and those under 65 who are considered to be at risk because of an underlying medical condition such as asthma, diabetes, a heart condition etc. The Department has proactively promoted immunisation this year with a particular focus on those 'at risk', including children. Figures on vaccination uptake to the end of November show that the campaign is ahead of the targets set for this year.

This year also the Department has regularly reminded the public of measures to protect themselves from influenza and of the steps to take to look after themselves should they develop it.

The Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (CDSC) at Belfast City Hospital monitors the incidence of influenza through a network of spotter practices and provides information directly to the Department. The assessment provided by CDSC in the middle of January 2004 is that influenza is circulating at very low levels in Northern Ireland. Boards and Trusts all have plans in place to deal with upsurges in the numbers of cases of flu, should this occur.

In 2003 the Department secured a small supply of a new anti-viral drug called Oseltamivir which can be administered, in the event of a serious outbreak, to patients and staff in nursing homes, residential homes and hospitals to prevent them catching the flu.

Young Offenders

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many young people are being held at young offender institutions in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the provision for young offenders in Northern Ireland. [151341]

Jane Kennedy: There are currently 191 male and two female inmates being held at young offender institutions in Northern Ireland.

Hydebank Wood Young Offenders Centre accommodates all young male offenders aged between 17–21 years and has a dedicated juvenile landing for those under 18. Female young offenders are detained in Mourne House at Maghaberry Prison.

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All young offenders have access to a comprehensive regime, which provides for education, recreation and offending behaviour programmes.

TRANSPORT

Rural Policing Fund

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria apply to the quantification of the Rural Policing Fund; and if he will make a statement. [150020]

Ms Blears: I have been asked to reply.

External research carried out in 1998 demonstrated that additional annual costs of around £30 million associated with more sparsely populated police authority areas, were not reflected in the general police funding formula.

The Rural Policing Fund was introduced during 2000–01, when a specific grant of £15million was made available for policing in more rural areas, without reducing grant to the predominantly urban forces. £30 million has subsequently been made available annually to the 31 forces with the most widespread populations. The Fund has always been distributed according to the relative average sparsity of population.

Driving Licences

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many asylum seekers have been issued with driving licences in each of the past three years; and what estimate he has made of the number of asylum seekers driving without valid UK licences. [150048]

Mr. Jamieson: All applications for driving licences are subject to the same requirements in relation to age, health competency and identity. A wide range of identity documentation can be produced as evidence of identity in support of an application for a photocard driving licence and most would not indicate the residency status of the applicant. It is therefore not possible to determine what proportion of applicants were asylum seekers.

Pensioners (Free Transport)

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make provision for pensioners to travel free on public transport during off-peak hours. [151636]

Mr. McNulty: We have no plans to introduce a statutory requirement for pensioners to be able to travel free on public transport during off-peak hours. The current statutory minimum requirement for concessionary travel in England introduced in 2001 ensures half fares for pensioners on local buses, with a free pass. From April 2003, we have extended concessionary travel schemes to men aged 60–64, bringing them into line with women of the same age. Local authorities may make more generous provision, including free travel, at their discretion.

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the cost of providing free off-peak travel for pensioners. [151637]

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Mr. McNulty: We have made no estimate of the cost of providing free off-peak travel for pensioners on all forms of public transport. However we estimate that the total cost of providing free travel on all local bus services for pensioners would be in the order of £800 million per year.

Public Transport (Lancashire)

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of how many people in Lancashire used (a) bus services and (b) train services in each year since 1997. [151198]

Mr. McNulty: Estimated figures for the number of bus journeys in Lancashire from 1999 is as follows:

	Number
1999–2000	57,614,463
2000–01	56,387,880
2001–02	58,672,576
2002–03	61,918,427

Note:

Comparable figures for years before 1999 are not available.

The number of train journeys starting and finishing at Lancashire stations since 1997 is as follows:

	Number
1997–98	1,515,692
1998–99	1,535,946
1999–2000	1,610,520
2000–01	1,632,682
2001–02	1,581,104
2002–03	1,427,132

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