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17 Mar 2004 : Column 306W—continued

MRSA

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaths were attributable to MRSA in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [160615]

Mr. Pearson: There is no specific code to identify Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the International Classification of Diseases, and it is thus not possible to provide the exact information requested. Information has been provided in the table based on the number of occasions on which MRSA or Staphylococcus aureus are mentioned on the death certificate.

Table: Number of registered deaths where the death certificate mentioned Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA, 1998–2002

	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
All Staphylococcus aureus	14	20	17	32	36
MRSA	11	13	14	16	25
Percentage of mentions of S. aureus that were MRSA	79	65	82	50	69

Musgrave Park Hospital (Brain Injury Unit)

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the funding of the new Acquired Brain Injury Unit at Musgrave Park Hospital. [160586]

Angela Smith: The cost of the project is estimated at £8.4 million. The capital is being provided from Executive Programme Funds, established in the former Northern Ireland Executive's 2000 Budget. The resources are being allocated to Green Park Trust, in line with the financing requirement for the construction programme.

Olympic Bid 2012

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) meetings and (b) communications he has had with the organisers of the 2012 London Olympic bid in relation to promoting Northern Ireland as a venue for games events. [161889]

Angela Smith: The Chair of London 2012, Barbara Cassani, is undertaking a series of visits across the UK to promote and secure support for the bid. A visit to Northern Ireland is expected to take place in May or June. 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. Regular contact takes place with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport through an inter-departmental group on the Olympic bid. 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 some of the matches in the early rounds of the

17 Mar 2004 : Column 307W

football tournament and there is also the further possibility, prior to the Games, of hosting training and acclimatisation camps for competing countries.

Paramilitary Offences

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many paramilitary

17 Mar 2004 : Column 308W

offences have been committed by (a) Republican and (b) Loyalist groups in Northern Ireland since the signing of the Belfast Agreement, broken down by category of offence. [159643]

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is as follows.

Security situation statistics 11 April 1998 to 29 February 2004

	Perceived attribution(12)
	Loyalist	Republican	Other/not known	Total
Number of deaths as a result of the security situation(13)	55	49	2	106
Number of shooting incidents(14)	942	442	160	1,544
Number of bombing incidents(15)	718	157	47	922
Number of casualties as a result of paramilitary style assaults	538	298	0	836
Number of casualties as a result of paramilitary style shootings	521	283	0	804

⁽¹²⁾ Attribution is as perceived by PSNI based on the information available.

⁽¹³⁾ Includes all deaths due to the security situation.

⁽¹⁴⁾ The following types of incidents are included: shots fired by terrorists; shots fired by the security forces; paramilitary-style attacks involving shootings; shots heard (and later confirmed); other violent incidents where shots are fired (e.g. armed robbery).

⁽¹⁵⁾ An individual bombing incident may involve one or more explosive devices. Incidents recorded include explosions and defusings. Incidents involving hoax devices, petrol bombings or incendiaries are excluded.

Note:

Statistics are provisional and may be subject to minor amendment.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Police Service of Northern Ireland has paid to recruitment agencies since its formation; and how much was paid to recruitment agencies in each of the last three years of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. [160611]

Jane Kennedy: As at 1 March 2004 a total of £19,509,108 has been paid to recruitment agencies. This includes spending on the recruitment of police trainees, police reserve trainees and permanent support staff. This total also includes salary costs for temporary agency workers.

Prior to the formation of the Police Service of Northern Ireland in November 2001, the organisation did not utilise recruitment agency personnel.

Punishment Beatings

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to eliminate punishment beatings. [120819]

Jane Kennedy: The Government condemn the practice of so called punishment beatings which are quite simply barbaric and brutalising paramilitary assaults. The Government are engaged in dialogue with political and community leaders and opinion formers to use their influence to bring the practice to an end.

Radiographers

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the most recent figures are for the numbers of (a) employed radiographers and (b) vacancies for radiographers in Northern Ireland. [160628]

Angela Smith: The information requested is as follows.

Number of radiographers working in HPSS organisations as at 31 December 2003

HPSS organisation	Headcount	WTE(16)
Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust	54	48.3
Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust	0	0.0
Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust	139	122.6
Causeway HSS Trust	23	19.3
Craigavon and Banbridge Community HSS Trust	0	0.0
Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust	51	46.2
Down Lisburn HSS Trust	27	19.8
Foyle Community HSS Trust	0	0.0
Greenpark Healthcare HSS Trust	27	24.9
Homefirst Community HSS Trust	0	0.0
Mater Infirmorum Hospital HSS Trust	19	17.9
Newry and Mourne HSS Trust	21	17.0
North and West Belfast HSS Trust	0	0.0
Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust	87	77.0
South and East Belfast HSS Trust	0	0.0
Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust	23	21.5
Ulster Community and Hospitals Group HSS Trust	56	46.2
United Hospitals Group HSS Trust	68	56.2
Total	595	516.9

⁽¹⁶⁾ Whole time equivalent

Number of radiography vacancies (including long-term vacancies) within all HPSS trusts as at 30 September 2003

HPSS organisation	Headcount	WTE(17)
Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust	3	2.5
Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust	0	0.0
Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust	5	4.5
Causeway HSS Trust	0	0.0
Craigavon and Banbridge Community HSS Trust	0	0.0
Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust	9	9.0
Down Lisburn HSS Trust	0	0.0
Foyle Community HSS Trust	0	0.0
Greenpark Healthcare HSS Trust	0	0.0
Homefirst Community HSS Trust	0	0.0
Mater Infirmorum Hospital HSS Trust	0	0.0
Newry and Mourne HSS Trust	0	0.0
North and West Belfast HSS Trust	0	0.0
Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust	2	2.0
South and East Belfast HSS Trust	0	0.0
Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust	4	4.0
Ulster Community and Hospitals Group HSS Trust	2	2.0
United Hospitals Group HSS Trust	3	2.0
Total	28	26.0

⁽¹⁷⁾ Whole time equivalent

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Number of long-term (vacant more than 3 months) radiography vacancies within all HPSS trusts as at 30 September 2003

HPSS organisation	Headcount	WTE(18)
Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust	2	1.5
Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust	0	0.0
Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust	3	2.5
Causeway HSS Trust	0	0.0
Craigavon and Banbridge Community HSS Trust	0	0.0
Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust	6	6.0
Down Lisburn HSS Trust	0	0.0
Foyle Community HSS Trust	0	0.0
Greenpark Healthcare HSS Trust	0	0.0
Homefirst Community HSS Trust	0	0.0
Mater Infirmorum Hospital HSS Trust	0	0.0
Newry and Mourne HSS Trust	0	0.0
North and West Belfast HSS Trust	0	0.0
Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust	0	0.0
South and East Belfast HSS Trust	0	0.0
Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust	1	1.0
Ulster Community and Hospitals Group HSS Trust	0	0.0
United Hospitals Group HSS Trust	2	1.0
Total	14	12.0

⁽¹⁸⁾ Whole time equivalent

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