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28 Apr 2004 : Column 1118W—continued
A26
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to dual the A26 between Ballymoney and Coleraine; and what assessment he has made of recent figures on relevant traffic volumes. [168299]
Mr. Spellar: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbin to Mr. Gregory Campbell, dated 26 April 2004:
You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about what plans he has to dual the A26 between Ballymoney and Coleraine; and what assessment he has made of recent figures on relevant traffic volumes. I have been asked to reply as these issues fall within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service.
Roads Service currently has no plans to dual the A26 between Ballymoney and Coleraine. Information available from the Department for Transport in Great Britain concludes that a single carriageway trunk road will operate satisfactorily with traffic flows of up to 18,000 vehicles per day (vpd), with a maximum flow capacity of approximately 22,000 vpd. You will be aware from my letter dated 5 April 2004, in response to your recent Parliamentary Question that traffic volumes for the A26 Ballymoney By-pass and the A26 Ballymoney to Coleraine fall below the 18,000 threshold.
You will recall that during the preparation of the Major Works 10-Year Forward Planning Schedule (FPS), Roads Service wrote to all MPs, MEPs, MLAs and Councils, in October 2001, enclosing a list of road schemes that Roads Service intended to appraise for possible inclusion in the schedule. Priority was to be given to the Key Transport Corridors. Public representatives were asked to identiiy and justify any further schemes that they felt should be included in the list for appraisal.
A scheme to dual the A26 from Glarryford to its A44 Ballycastle junction was included in the list however no reference was made to the dualling of the section between Ballymoney and Coleraine and no submissions in support of this scheme were received during this consultation exercise. Coleraine Borough Council did submit a request for the provision of additional overtaking opportunities on the A26 between the A44 Ballycastle junction and Coleraine and a scheme to provide these at three locations on the A26 between the junction with A44 and Ballymoney is included in the Emerging Regional Strategic Transport Network Transport Plan.
I would reiterate the importance that Roads Service attaches to the A26 route, having designated it as a Key Transport Corridor within the Regional Development Strategy. Approximately £1.2 million has been spent over the past three years on the A26 between the A44 Ballycastle junction and Coleraine, introducing safety features including differential acceleration lanes, climbing lanes, speed limits, improved road markings and junction improvements. You will appreciate however, that public resources available for the roads programme are limited and that improvements must therefore be prioritised to ensure optimum value for money. Funding is finite and the number of worthwhile schemes competing for inclusion in the roads programme far exceeds the resources available to Roads Service for major schemes. It is, therefore, essential that we target the funding available on the most beneficial schemes for the country as a whole.
Unfortunately, there are many major schemes with higher priority than the dualling of the A26 from Ballymoney to Coleraine, and it is anticipated that future improvements in the medium term are likely to include the provision of further overtaking opportunity schemes, such as climbing lanes or widened carriageway (2 + 1) schemes.
I hope this information is helpful.
Animal Cruelty
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to review the sentences available to the courts in Northern Ireland when dealing with those convicted of cruelty to animals. [168294]
Mr. Pearson: In Northern Ireland the main provisions relating to animal welfare and cruelty to animals are contained in the Welfare of Animals (NI) Act 1972. The powers available and the penalties provided for in that Act are broadly in line with those contained in GB animal welfare legislation. The maximum penalty is a fine not exceeding £5,000 or a term of imprisonment not exceeding three months, or both.
A review of animal welfare legislation is currently being undertaken in Great Britain.
If this review results in increased penalties for cruelty to animal offences, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will wish to bring the relevant provisions in Northern Ireland into line with whatever new standards may be adopted in Great Britain.
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to amend animal welfare legislation to introduce higher maximum sentences for those convicted of ill-treatment of an animal in Northern Ireland. [168713]
Mr. Pearson: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave today to the hon. Member for East Londonderry (Mr. Gregory Campbell) (Question Reference 168294).
Anti-TNFs
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety plans to give anti-TNFs to all patients for whom they are considered appropriate; and if he will make a statement. [168631]
Angela Smith: The degree to which the health and social care system can respond to presenting needs is limited by the level of resources available. However the Department remains committed to the introduction of specialist drugs, such as anti-TNFs, where they will clearly result in a significant improvement in patient care. It has consequently made provision to allow 100 addition patients to receive anti-TNF drugs during 2004–05.
Autism
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff are employed in mainstream schools in Northern Ireland specifically to assist with the needs of children with autistic spectrum disorders. [167717]
28 Apr 2004 : Column 1120W
Mr. Gardiner: I have been advised that the total number of staff employed in mainstream schools in Northern Ireland specifically to assist with the needs of children with autistic spectrum disorders is 596. A detailed breakdown across the school sectors in each Education and Library Board area is set out as follows.
| Controlled and maintained | GMI | VGS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BELB | (37)79 | 4 | 5 |
| NEELB | (38)69 | 9 | 4 |
| SEELB | (39)130 | 25 | 6 |
| SELB | (40)153 | 19 | 4 |
| WELB | 74 | 10 | 5 |
| Total | 505 | 67 | 24 |
(37) In addition the BELB has an ASD Advisory Support Service to mainstream schools and also pre-school which includes home visits for very young children. Currently there are two and a half teachers and five classroom assistants employed giving additional support to identified pupils and school staff.
(38) In addition to the 69 classroom assistants the NEELB has advised that following additional funding from the Department, the board has now a newly appointed ASD team working in support of children with autism. The team consists of a Senior Educational Psychologist and two Assistant Advisory Officers.
(39) The SEELB has advised that the 130 staff comprises 126 classroom assistants and four peripatetic teachers.
(40) Within Learning Support Centres in mainstream schools the SELB advises that there are further staff employed to work with pupils with a variety of special educational needs: while they may not work on a one to one basis with pupils with ASD, they may be providing a degree of support to them. The board also has an Autism Intervention Team which provides specific support on a board wide basis.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what training is provided routinely to parents following the diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorders in children; [167721]
(2) what steps he is taking to assist parents in dealing with behavioural challenges that arise in caring for children and young adults with autistic spectrum disorders; and if he will make a statement. [167727]
Angela Smith: The Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) provides funding for PAPA (Parents and Professionals and Autism), which provides training and support for parents.
DHSSPS's Priorities for Action 2004–05 requires Boards and Trusts to enhance diagnostic, assessment and early intervention services for children with autism. An additional £0.5 million has been allocated to Boards for this purpose. The enhanced service will provide additional support for parents following initial diagnosis.
In addition, Health and Social Services Boards provide a range of training and support for parents, following the diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorders in children, through a number of specialist services, including those provided by voluntary organisations.
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