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3 Feb 2004 : Column 860W—continued
Civil Servants
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants, broken down by grade, there are in the Department and the agencies for which the Department is responsible; and what the figures were in January 1997. [150257]
Mr. Pearson: The following tables list the number of Northern Ireland civil service staff at 1 January 1997 and 1 September 2003:
| Grade 5and above | Senior Principal/ Principal Officer | Deputy Principal | StaffOfficer | Executive Officer I/ Executive Officer II | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Social Security | 45 | 156 | 194 | 353 | 2,121 |
| Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland | 24 | 273 | 385 | 299 | 989 |
| Department of Education for Northern Ireland | 18 | 80 | 38 | 62 | 157 |
| Department of Environment | 43 | 251 | 505 | 793 | 2,085 |
| Department of Finance and Personnel | 43 | 128 | 174 | 218 | 304 |
| Department of Economic Development | 37 | 137 | 210 | 315 | 897 |
| Northern Ireland Office(35) | 46 | 116 | 134 | 154 | 373 |
| Total | 256 | 1,141 | 1,640 | 2,194 | 6,926 |
(35) Includes 187 home civil servants working in the NIO. Figures also include NICS staff working in the Nl Prison Service.
Figures include both permanent and casual NICS staff (industrial and non-industrial). Staff on career break are excluded.
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| Governor | 67 |
| Principal officer | 167 |
| Senior officer | 244 |
| Officer | 2,404 |
| Auxiliary | 68 |
| Night patrol officer | 3 |
| Prison civilian | 41 |
| Total | 2,994 |
3 Feb 2004 : Column 862W
| Grade 5and above | Senior Principal/ Principal Officer | Deputy Principal | Staff Officer | Executive Officer I/ Executive Officer II | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Agriculture & Rural Development | 23 | 290 | 504 | 337 | 1,205 |
| Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure | 7 | 27 | 45 | 58 | 189 |
| Department of Education | 13 | 84 | 56 | 59 | 159 |
| Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment | 12 | 52 | 102 | 97 | 205 |
| Department of Finance and Personnel | 38 | 194 | 374 | 436 | 668 |
| Department of Employment and Learning | 10 | 39 | 102 | 163 | 675 |
| Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety | 35 | 119 | 154 | 166 | 242 |
| Department of Environment | 17 | 99 | 222 | 326 | 731 |
| Department of Regional Development | 20 | 136 | 321 | 492 | 1,306 |
| Department of Social Development | 18 | 74 | 180 | 353 | 2,681 |
| Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister | 28 | 49 | 74 | 53 | 62 |
| Northern Ireland Office(36) | 52 | 176 | 193 | 245 | 465 |
| Total | 273 | 1,339 | 2,327 | 2785 | 8,588 |
| Administrative Officer | Administrative Assistant | Industrialgrades | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Agriculture & Rural Development | 476 | 524 | 661 | 4,020 |
| Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure | 69 | 58 | 16 | 469 |
| Department of Education | 173 | 87 | 1 | 632 |
| Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment | 163 | 95 | 2 | 728 |
| Department of Finance and Personnel | 821 | 377 | 31 | 2,939 |
| Department of Employment and Learning | 553 | 173 | 1 | 1,716 |
| Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety | 165 | 145 | 0 | 1,026 |
| Department of Environment | 533 | 319 | 137 | 2,384 |
| Department of Regional Development | 603 | 281 | 1,771 | 4,930 |
| Department of Social Development | 3,730 | 1,481 | 0 | 8,517 |
| Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister | 96 | 34 | 0 | 396 |
| Northern Ireland Office(36) | 391 | 275 | 6 | 1,803 |
| Total | 7,773 | 3,849 | 2,626 | 29,560 |
(36) Includes 226 Home Civil servants working in the NIO. Figures also include NICS staff working in the NI Prison Service. (industrial and non-industrial). staff on career break are excluded.
Figures include both permanent and casual NICS staff
| Governor | 39 |
| Principal officer | 66 |
| Senior officer | 178 |
| Officer | 1,332 |
| Auxiliary | 1 |
| Night patrol officer | 6 |
| Prison civilian | 72 |
| Total | 1,694 |
Civil Service
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to decrease sick leave in the Northern Ireland civil service; and if he will make a statement. [150757]
Mr. Pearson: The 11 departments of the Northern Ireland administration have in place a comprehensive range of initiatives aimed at reducing the level of sickness absence, and further work is planned. These are
3 Feb 2004 : Column 863W
broadly similar in the Northern Ireland Office. The actions being taken include: the collection of robust statistical information on the extent and causes of absences to inform actions by departments and enable the setting of departmental-specific targets; on-going reviews of policies and procedures to both strengthen the arrangements for ensuring prompt action by management and to assist staff in rehabilitation and return to work; comprehensive guidance for managers and GPs, communicated though a variety of media; mandatory training for line-managers; a strengthened occupational health support; and promotion of health improvement through a number of initiatives.
Coroners (Foyle)
Mr. Hume: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many full-time equivalent coroners practise in the Foyle constituency; what the average coroner to population ratio is in (a) Foyle and (b) Northern Ireland; and what plans he has to increase the number of coroners available in the Foyle constituency. [151574]
Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.
The Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs is responsible for the Coroners Service in Northern Ireland. The Foyle constituency is located within the coroner's district of Londonderry, which comprises the local government districts of Derry, Limavady and Strabane. A part-time coroner and a part- time deputy coroner are currently appointed to this district. Coroners' caseload is based on deaths reported and not on population. In 2002 there were 206 deaths reported in the coroner's district of Londonderry. The average number of deaths reported in the six coroners' districts excluding Greater Belfast was 189. Each of these districts has one part-time and one deputy part-time coroner appointed. The Northern Ireland Court Service will shortly be publishing proposals for improvements to the coroners' service in Northern Ireland, including creating a single, national coroner's jurisdiction in Northern Ireland.
Doctors
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has been made of the implications of experienced senior house officers from Northern Ireland who complete their general practitioner registrar training in the United Kingdom outside Northern Ireland remaining in practices in England, Scotland or Wales. [152351]
Angela Smith: The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has carried out a review of the medical workforce, which confirms that there is no shortage of general practitioners in Northern Ireland and that the number in training is sufficient to meet current demand. In determining the requirement for general practitioners, allowance is made for the movement of doctors into and out of the service locally.
The position will be kept under review through the Department's workforce planning process.
Employers' Liability Insurance
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to tackle the problem of
3 Feb 2004 : Column 864W
small and medium-sized businesses which are unable to obtain renewal of employers' liability insurance in Northern Ireland. [152211]
Mr. Pearson: The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) takes the lead on insurance, as it is a reserved matter. DWP recently published an agenda for action in its second stage report on employers' liability insurance. This includes actions such as longer renewal periods by insurers and brokers, and a scheme called 'Making the Market Work' to help trade associations and others access the insurance market more easily.
These actions are being taken forward in parallel in Northern Ireland. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) is already pursuing a range of initiatives aimed at improving the insurability of small and medium sized businesses and strengthening the insurance market in Northern Ireland.
In addition, DETI officials are meeting with the British Insurance Association to explore other possible actions which the industry might take. It is also planned to have discussions with the FSB to identify what further actions their members might take to improve their prospects of securing employers' liability insurance at competitive rates.
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