House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 23 Feb 2004 (pt 44)

23 Feb 2004 : Column 166W—continued

Obesity

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the cost

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to the NHS of treating obesity in Northern Ireland for each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [155419]

Angela Smith: By extrapolating from figures in a National Audit Office report relating to England and Wales, it has been estimated that obesity may cost the HPSS £15 million-£20 million a year.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action is being taken to combat increases in obesity; and if he will make a statement. [155420]

Angela Smith: Action to tackle obesity is being taken forward through programmes to promote a healthy diet such as the "Fresh Fruit in Schools" initiative and also through a range of initiatives to promote physical activity, including the "Get a life, get active" campaign.

Revised strategies and action plans on food and nutrition and physical activity are currently being developed by inter-sectoral working groups. Both documents will be issued for consultation later in the year. In addition, a task force to address the specific

23 Feb 2004 : Column 168W

issue of childhood obesity is being established under the auspices of the Ministerial Group on Public Health, which I chair.

Orthopaedic Surgeons

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce a protected elective centre devoted solely to orthopaedic surgery. [154596]

Angela Smith: Musgrave Park Hospital, which is part of Green Park Health and Social Services Trust, serves as a protected elective centre for orthopaedic surgery and has recently been expanded by the building of two new modular theatres.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many consultant orthopaedic surgeons there are in the Province; and for how many weekly NHS sessions each is employed. [154598]

Angela Smith: Number of consultant orthopaedic surgeons employed in the Province as at 31 December 2003 and the number of weekly NHS sessions they are employed for.

HSS Trust Count WTE Number of weekly NHS sessions employed for

Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust 6 5.91 5 work 11 NHS sessions per week1 works 10 NHS sessions per week

Greenpark Healthcare HSS Trust 17 15.15 1 works 8.5 NHS sessions per week7 work 10 NHS sessions per week8 work 11 NHS sessions per week1 works as and when required

Royal Group of Hosp. HSS Trust ⁽²¹⁾Not available 8.09 Total of 89 NHS sessions worked by consultants per week⁽²²⁾

Ulster Comm. and Hosp. HSS Trust 6 4.64 1 works 2 NHS sessions per week1 works 2.5 NHS sessions per week1 works 3 NHS sessions per week1 works 4 NHS sessions per week2 work 5 NHS sessions per week

Total Not available 33.79 Total of 342 NHS sessions worked per week by consultant orthopaedic surgeons

HSS Trust	Count	WTE	Number of weekly NHS sessions employed for
Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust	6	5.91	5 work 11 NHS sessions per week1 works 10 NHS sessions per week
Greenpark Healthcare HSS Trust	17	15.15	1 works 8.5 NHS sessions per week7 work 10 NHS sessions per week8 work 11 NHS sessions per week1 works as and when required
Royal Group of Hosp. HSS Trust	⁽²¹⁾Not available	8.09	Total of 89 NHS sessions worked by consultants per week⁽²²⁾
Ulster Comm. and Hosp. HSS Trust	6	4.64	1 works 2 NHS sessions per week1 works 2.5 NHS sessions per week1 works 3 NHS sessions per week1 works 4 NHS sessions per week2 work 5 NHS sessions per week
Total	Not available	33.79	Total of 342 NHS sessions worked per week by consultant orthopaedic surgeons

⁽²¹⁾ Headcount figure for number of consultant orthopaedic consultants working in Royal Group of Hosp. HSS Trust was not available.

⁽²²⁾ It was not possible to breakdown the number of NHS sessions worked by consultant orthopaedic consultants in Royal Group of Hosp. HSS Trust.

Osteoporosis

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to increase the availability of the osteoporosis drug Evista in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the treatment of osteoporosis in Northern Ireland. [155202]

Angela Smith: Evista (generic name Raloxifene) is one of a number of interventions used to prevent and treat osteoporosis. Raloxifene is available to patients on health service prescription in Northern Ireland.

The choice of any intervention in the treatment of osteoporosis is a clinical one taken in consultation with the patient and based upon the best evidence available. Key factors include the nature and stage of disease progression, the risk and benefits of treatment, the patient age and underlying co-morbidities.

Clinical Resource Efficiency Support Team (CREST) Guidelines on the Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis were issued to Health Service professionals in Northern Ireland in 2001. The guidelines identify evidence-based strategies for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, including population approaches to promote smoking avoidance, regular exercise and an adequate diet including calcium and Vitamin D. In addition, the guidelines promote selective case finding approaches to the identification and treatment of those at risk of osteoporosis as well as those with established disease.

Pension Credit

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pensioner households in Northern Ireland are in receipt of pension credit; and what steps he is taking to increase take-up. [155200]

Mr. Spellar: There are currently 82,000 households receiving pension credit. Between April 2003 and October 2004 the Social Security Agency will have written to every pensioner household where they are not already receiving pension credit to advise them about the new pension credit.

To maximise the benefit take-up, there is also a publicity campaign in local and national newspapers and also on television. In addition to this the Social

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Security Agency has also appointed a Pension Adviser to each of its office areas to actively promote the take up of pension credit and other benefits.

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2004, Official Report, column 720W, on pension credit, by what date he expects the current backlog of pension credit applications to be cleared; and how long he estimates it will take to process a new application for a pension credit. [155628]

Mr. Spellar: A recovery plan is being put in place and the situation is being addressed as a matter of urgency. Clearing the backlogs and improving the unsatisfactory standards of service to pensioners is the Social Security Agency's top priority.

It is estimated that it will take on average of 50 days to process a new application for pension credit.

Personal Details

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) prison officers, (b) police officers, (c) political representatives and (d) others have been informed since October 2002 that their personal details were held by the Provisional IRA. [151219]

Jane Kennedy: Records researched by PSNI would indicate that since October 2002 some 2,841 persons have been informed that their details may be in the possession of the Provisional IRA. The breakdown is as follows:

(a) Prison officers: 1,427

(b) Police officers: 84

(d) Other: 1,340

Please note that notification is handled at regional level and therefore these figures may be subject to slight adjustment.

Police Service

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Catholics have joined the Police Service of Northern Ireland since its creation. [154848]

Jane Kennedy: I am advised that as at 1 February of this year, 544 Catholics had been appointed to the Police Service of Northern Ireland as recruits since its creation.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many successful applicants to join the Police Service of Northern Ireland are awaiting training. [154849]

Jane Kennedy: The Police Service of Northern Ireland is currently in the process of appointing candidates from its fifth recruitment campaign, which was launched in March 2003. Thirty nine candidates have been appointed and have commenced training. There are currently 861 qualified candidates from the fifth competition, although some applicants are still in the process of going through security vetting and this number may increase.

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Up to around 270 recruits would be appointed in a six month period.

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications were received for recruitment to the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the recruitment campaigns held in 2003. [155503]

Jane Kennedy: I am advised that competition 5, which was launched in March 2003, attracted 6,044 applications; competition 6, which was launched in September 2003, attracted 5,419 applications.

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications were received from (a) Protestants, (b) Roman Catholics and (c) others in each recruitment campaign for the Police Service of Northern Ireland in 2003. [155504]

Jane Kennedy: Of the 6,044 applications received for competition 5, launched in March 2003, 3,747 were of a perceived Protestant background, 2,194 were of a perceived Catholic background and 103 were not determined.

Of the 5,419 applications received for competition 6, launched in September 2003, 3,406 were of a perceived Protestant background, 1,909 were of a perceived Catholic background and 104 were not determined.

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) Protestants, (b) Roman Catholics and (c) others were successful in entering the merit pool for each of the campaigns for recruitment to the Police Service of Northern Ireland in 2003; and how many applicants in each category were subsequently offered a place on the training course following completion of each recruitment campaign. [155505]

Jane Kennedy: 1,096 qualified candidates formed the pool for competition 5. Of this number, 778 were of a perceived Protestant background, 307 were of perceived Catholic background and 11 were not determined.

Appointments from competition 5 started in January 2004. So far, 83 qualified candidates have been appointed as police trainees. 45 of these appointments were of perceived Protestant background, 38 were of perceived Catholic background and none were classified as not determined.

The pool of qualified candidates for competition 6 will not be formed until April.

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total cost to date is of implementing the Patten Report on policing in Northern Ireland. [154867]

Jane Kennedy: It is not possible to provide the precise total cost to date of implementing the Patten Report on policing in Northern Ireland. The costs associated with the police early retirement/severance scheme and implementation of specific projects related to some of the individual recommendations from 1 April 2000 to December 2003 amount to some £197 million. Moreover there would have been other costs, which cannot be exactly identified, incurred by PSNI from its grant in support of the implementation of Patten.

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David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many officers of the full-time police reserve have been (a) killed and (b) injured (i) on duty and (ii) off duty in each year since its formation. [154868]

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available in the format requested. The following tables set out the statistic available.

Full-time reserve officers who were killed or died on duty

Reason

Death accident gun shot Death by terrorist Death non-terrorist Death traffic accident Grand total

1975 0 2 0 0 2

1976 0 3 0 0 3

1977 0 2 0 0 2

1978 0 1 0 0 1

1979 0 1 0 0 1

1981 0 2 0 0 2

1982 0 2 0 0 2

1983 0 5 0 0 5

1984 0 2 0 0 2

1985 0 7 0 0 7

1986 0 2 0 1 3

1987 1 1 0 0 2

1988 0 2 0 0 2

1989 0 1 0 2 3

1990 0 2 0 0 2

1992 0 1 0 0 1

1993 0 2 0 0 2

1994 0 0 0 1 1

1997 0 1 0 0 1

2000 0 0 1 0 1

2003 0 0 0 1 1

Full-time reserve officers who were killed or died off duty

Reason

Death accident gun shot Death accident Death by terrorist Death non-terrorist Death traffic accident Total

1976 1 0 1 0 0 2

1978 0 1 0 0 0 1

1979 0 0 1 0 1 2

1980 0 1 1 0 0 2

1981 0 0 1 0 1 2

1986 0 0 0 0 2 2

1987 1 0 2 0 0 3

1988 0 0 0 1 5 6

1989 1 0 1 0 1 3

1990 1 1 2 0 0 4

1993 0 0 1 0 2 3

1994 0 0 0 0 1 1

1995 0 0 0 0 1 1

1999 1 0 0 0 0 1

2000 0 0 0 0 1 1

2003 0 0 0 0 1 1

	Reason
	Death accident gun shot	Death by terrorist	Death non-terrorist	Death traffic accident	Grand total
1975	0	2	0	0	2
1976	0	3	0	0	3
1977	0	2	0	0	2
1978	0	1	0	0	1
1979	0	1	0	0	1
1981	0	2	0	0	2
1982	0	2	0	0	2
1983	0	5	0	0	5
1984	0	2	0	0	2
1985	0	7	0	0	7
1986	0	2	0	1	3
1987	1	1	0	0	2
1988	0	2	0	0	2
1989	0	1	0	2	3
1990	0	2	0	0	2
1992	0	1	0	0	1
1993	0	2	0	0	2
1994	0	0	0	1	1
1997	0	1	0	0	1
2000	0	0	1	0	1
2003	0	0	0	1	1

	Reason
	Death accident gun shot	Death accident	Death by terrorist	Death non-terrorist	Death traffic accident	Total
1976	1	0	1	0	0	2
1978	0	1	0	0	0	1
1979	0	0	1	0	1	2
1980	0	1	1	0	0	2
1981	0	0	1	0	1	2
1986	0	0	0	0	2	2
1987	1	0	2	0	0	3
1988	0	0	0	1	5	6
1989	1	0	1	0	1	3
1990	1	1	2	0	0	4
1993	0	0	1	0	2	3
1994	0	0	0	0	1	1
1995	0	0	0	0	1	1
1999	1	0	0	0	0	1
2000	0	0	0	0	1	1
2003	0	0	0	0	1	1

Note:

If a year is not listed it is because no officer was killed or died in that particular year

Full-time reserve officers injured on duty

Number injured on duty

1986 3

1987 3

1988 11

1989 7

1990 76

1991 361

1992 401

1993 426

1994 344

1995 474

1996 509

1997 529

1998 570

1999 616

2000 609

2001 640

2002 455

2003 221

Total 6,255

	Number injured on duty
1986	3
1987	3
1988	11
1989	7
1990	76
1991	361
1992	401
1993	426
1994	344
1995	474
1996	509
1997	529
1998	570
1999	616
2000	609
2001	640
2002	455
2003	221
Total	6,255

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It should be noted that records were computerised in the late 1980's and the PSNI can only stand over the figures from 1991.

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