---

3 Mar 2004 : Column 973W—continued

Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of sufferers of autistic spectrum disorders in Northern Ireland are deemed to have a learning disability. [156382]

Angela Smith: The information requested is not available.

Physiotherapy

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2004, Official Report, column 946W, on physiotherapy, if he will provide six monthly totals for each of the last five years of patients who waited between three and six months for an initial physiotherapy assessment. [156439]

Angela Smith: Information is collected centrally on numbers of persons attending a first out-patient appointment of an episode of care with a community physiotherapist, rather than on initial physiotherapy assessments. The number of persons who had waited between three and six months for their appointment is shown in the following table. The information is in respect of six-month intervals from the quarter ending

3 Mar 2004 : Column 974W

30 September 1998 to the quarter ending 30 September 2003 (the latest date for which such information is available).

		Persons who waited betweenthree and six months
Quarter ending	Total number of persons	Number	Percentage
30 September 1998	9,863	905	9.2
31 March 1999	10,679	1,505	14.1
30 September 1999	11,837	1,504	12.7
31 March 2000	11,704	2,235	19.1
30 September 2000	11,492	1,403	12.2
31 March 2001	13,446	1,995	14.8
30 September 2001	12,754	2,800	22.0
31 March 2002	14,154	2,741	19.4
30 September 2002	14,303	2,610	18.2
31 March 2003	15,644	2,632	16.8
30 September 2003	12,798	2,542	19.9

Integrated Transport System

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in the development of an integrated transport system for Northern Ireland. [157659]

Mr. Spellar: The Regional Transportation Strategy for Northern Ireland 2002- 12, the underlying principles and strategic direction of which were unanimously agreed by the Northern Ireland Assembly in July 2002, sets out a strategic framework for the future planning, funding and delivery of an integrated transport system for the region.

The implementation of the RTS is overseen, monitored and reviewed by the Regional Transportation Strategy Steering Group. The Department for Regional Development has also established an External Advisory Board, the Integrated Transport Stakeholder Group which offers advice on the implementation of the RTS.

Delivery of the RTS is being progressed through three transport plans; the Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan, the Regional Strategic Network Transport Plan and the Sub-Regional Transport Plan. Work on the BMTP is well advanced and a proposed BMTP is due for release for Equality Impact Assessment consultation in March 2004. Taking any EQIA comments into account, publication is expected later in the year.

The RSTN TP is expected to be published in summer 2004. The SRTP is being developed in association with local Development Plans and is to be completed in 2006.

Intergovernmental Bodies

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the (a) cost and (b) number of staff was in the (i) North-South Ministerial Council, (ii) British Irish Council and (iii) Inter-Governmental Conference in each year since they were created. [156625]

Mr. Paul Murphy: The cost and number of staff in each year since December 1999, when these Bodies were established, are as follows.

3 Mar 2004 : Column 975W

(a) North/South Ministerial Council

	Cost (£)(22)	Staff
1999–2000	94,949	6
2000–01	737,162	15
2001–02	787,609	16
2002–03	606,889	16
2003–04	(23)489,964	15

⁽²²⁾ Expenditure by the NI Administration which includes salaries, administration and cost of meetings.

⁽²³⁾ Provisional figure (up to 31 January 2004)

(b) British-Irish Council

Each member of the British-Irish Council is responsible for the costs of its participation. The British and Irish Governments provide the Secretariat for the Council, in co-ordination with officials of each of the other members and bear the costs between them. In addition to servicing the work of the Council, the officials are involved in carrying out a range of other duties. It is not therefore possible to provide the cost of the British-Irish Council since its inception nor to identify detailed staff numbers. However, the cost to the NI Administration for Ministerial meetings in NI and travel and subsistence costs for Ministerial meetings outside NI are as follows:

	£
1999–2000	6,365
2000–01	7,420
2001–02	10,158
2002–03	19,448
2003–04	2,597

3 Mar 2004 : Column 976W

(c) British-Irish Inter-governmental Conference

The cost of the British-Irish Inter-governmental Conferences since 1999 can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The expenditure of the British-Irish Inter-governmental Secretariat is met by the two governments. The costs given are in relation to the British Government since 2 December 1999.

	Cost (£)	(24)Staff
1999–2000	(25)232	14
2000–01	488	14
2001–02	554	12
2002–03	539	12
2003–04	(26)445	12

⁽²⁴⁾ Figures given include staff from the Northern Ireland Office and the Irish Government.

⁽²⁵⁾ As the British-Irish Inter-governmental Conference was established on 2 December 1999, this figure covers the period 2 December 1999 to 31 March 2000.

⁽²⁶⁾ Provisional figure (up to 31 January 2004)

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many meetings of the (a) North-South Ministerial Council, (b) British-Irish Inter-Governmental Conference and (c) British Irish Council took place in each year since they were created. [156626]

Mr. Paul Murphy: The numbers of ministerial meetings that have taken place are as follows:

Institution	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
(a) North-South Ministerial Council	1	22	24	18	0	0
(b) British-Irish Inter-Governmental Conference	1	0	0	2	3	1
(b) British-Irish Council	1	2	1	4	4	0

Olympic Bid

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in relation to the London 2012 Olympic Bid; and what steps he has taken to promote Northern Ireland as a venue for events within that bid. [157655]

Angela Smith: Regular contact takes place with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport through an inter-departmental group on the Olympic bid and one of the issues discussed by this group is how the regions, including Northern Ireland, can benefit from the games. Northern Ireland has been suggested as a venue for the early rounds of the football tournament and there is also the possibility of hosting training and acclimatisation camps for competing countries prior to the Games. The Olympic Bid has also become a standing item on the agenda for the Sports Cabinet, which is attended by UK Sports Ministers, including the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002–03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for ordinary written answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a question was. [155921]

Mr. Paul Murphy: This information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, I would like to assure the hon. Member that my department understands the importance of providing prompt and accurate answers to all Parliamentary Questions.

Child/Adolescent Psychiatry

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the longest time is for which a person has waited for child and adolescent psychiatry assessment in each board or trust area where the information is available. [157387]

Angela Smith: The following table details the longest time a patient has been waiting for child and adolescent psychiatry assessment at each of the health trusts in Northern Ireland which provide child and adolescent psychiatry services. The latest information available is representative of the position at 31 January 2004. ^{1 , 2}

3 Mar 2004 : Column 977W

Provider trust	Longest wait
Down and Lisburn HSS Trust	24 months
Ulster Community and Hospitals HSS Trust	5 months
Foyle HSS Trust	36 months
Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust	25 months
Homefirst Community HSS Trust(27)	12 months
Craigavon and Banbridge Community HSS Trust	8 months
Newry and Mourne HSS Trust	12 months
Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust	23 months
South and East Belfast HSS Trust(28)	3 months
The Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust	48 months

⁽²⁷⁾ Latest available data for Homefirst Community HSS Trust refers to patients waiting at 26 January 2004.

⁽²⁸⁾ South and East Belfast HSS Trust figures refer to patients waiting at 1 March 2004.

Note:

Data for all other trusts refers to patients waiting at 31 January 2004.

Source:

HPSS Trusts

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals are waiting for assessment by child and adolescent psychiatry services. [157388]

Angela Smith: Information obtained from health trusts in Northern Ireland indicates that, at the end of January 2004 ^{1 , 2} , 1,289 children were awaiting assessment by child and adolescent psychiatry services.

Number of children awaiting assessment by child and adolescent psychiatry services in Northern Ireland

Provider trust	Total number of children waiting
Down and Lisburn HSS Trust	137
Ulster Community and Hospitals HSS Trust	95
Foyle HSS Trust	127
Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust	176
Homefirst Community HSS Trust(29)	318
Craigavon and Banbridge Community HSS Trust	59
Newry and Mourne HSS Trust	69
Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust	80
South and East Belfast HSS Trust(30)	56
The Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust	172
Northern Ireland	1,289

⁽²⁹⁾ Latest available data for Homefirst Community HSS Trust refers to patients waiting at 26 January 2004.

⁽³⁰⁾ South and East Belfast HSS Trust figures refer to patients waiting at 1 March 2004.

Note:

Data for all other Trusts refers to patients waiting at 31 January 2004.

Source:

HPSS Trusts

---