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28 Apr 2004 : Column 1120W—continued
Bombings (Dublin and Monaghan)
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will hold a public inquiry into the extent of British security service involvement in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 1974. [169130]
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Mr. Paul Murphy: The Government have always condemned the bombings in Dublin and Monaghan, and offers its sympathy to the families of the victims, whose pain still continues today. The Government have noted the report by the Justice Committee of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament), following Mr. Justice Barron's investigation. We understand that the Dail and the Seanad will now debate the Committee's report and the Oireachtas will then make recommendations to the Irish Government. The British Government awaits the outcome of this process.
Christian Education Movement
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the representations he has received in relation to the decision not to provide funding for the Christian Education Movement (NI) through the Community Relations Core Funding Scheme 2004 to 2007; and from what organisations they originated. [168628]
Mr. Gardiner: The following is a list of representations made on behalf of the Christian Education Movement (NI):
Christian Education Movement (England)
Mr. P. Fishpool (two representations)
Canon John Eardley (one representation)
Dr. A. J. McCafery (one representation)
Baroness Richardson of Calow (one representation)
Christian Education Movement (Wales)
Mr. Reinhalt Thomas (one representation )
Miss Sali Roberts (one representation )
Christian Education Movement (NI)
Dr. John Morrow (one representation)
Dr. Roger Purce (three representations)
Council of Christians and Jews
Rabbi Jonathan Gorsky (one representation )
Council for Religious Education
Mr. Blaylock (one representation)
Church of Ireland Board of Education
Rev. I. W. Ellis (one representation)
Most Rev. Sean Brady 1
Most Rev. Robin Eames 1
Right Rev. Dr. McKay 1
Rev. W. Rea 1
Dr. H. McKelvey (one representation)
Lady Hermon (1 representation) (North Down constituency)
1 One joint representation.
Dromore Central Primary School
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will provide funding for a new school building for Dromore Central Primary School. [168479]
Mr. Gardiner:
I have approved funding for Dromore Central Primary School and the school was included in my capital allocations announcement on 27 April.
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Electricity
Mr. Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what he will make a decision with regard to proposals to generate electricity from wind power off the north coast of Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on these proposals. [164056]
Mr. Pearson: A private sector consortium, with consent from the Crown Estate, is currently investigating the technical, environmental and financial feasibility of the Tunes Plateau site. It is only on completion of this work that the exact size, configuration and location of any potential wind farm can be determined.
If, having completed the feasibility studies, the consortium wishes to proceed with a project, it will be required to apply to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for consent as required by Article 39 of the Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order 1992 and support this application with a detailed description of the project and a full statement on the impact which their proposals will have on the environment.
If an Article 39 consent is sought for this project, the Department will consult widely on the application and the environmental statement provided. This process is likely to take a considerable time and it is only after it has been completed that a decision would be made.
Gas Prices
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to contain gas price rises in Northern Ireland over the next few years. [168296]
Mr. Gardiner: Following my meeting with Phoenix Natural Gas on 8 April 2004 the company agreed to suspend its proposed increase in gas prices to domestic and small industrial consumers. I am maintaining close contact with Phoenix, its wholesale gas supplier Centrica and the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation and have urged all parties to work together to reach early resolution of the outstanding issues. My aim is to secure an equitable pricing structure for consumers and a stable long-term future for the gas industry in Northern Ireland.
Health Care (Young People)
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to reduce levels of (a) substance abuse, (b) alcohol abuse, (c) suicide, (d) mental illness and (e) eating disorders among young people in Northern Ireland. [168275]
Angela Smith: Since 1999, over £22 million has been allocated to initiatives to help deliver the aims of the drug and alcohol strategies, both of which place particular emphasis on targeting young people. They include education and awareness raising in schools, public information campaigns, information and research, harm reduction, substitute prescribing, and counselling services for young people.
The Department issued a Promoting Mental Health Strategy and Action Plan last year. The strategy aims to improve people's mental and emotional well-being and in particular that of people at risk. It includes a specific section on preventing suicide. A range of preventative
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measures are being taken as part of the strategy including promoting coping skills among the general population, suicide awareness and outreach work with young people in areas of need and especially young men.
A Regional Eating Disorders Working Group was established in June 2003, to consider essential service development. The model of service proposed by the working group is one of local services complemented by a regional service comprising a specialist regional consultant post with a supporting team. £l million has been secured for 2004–05 to develop these services and it is hoped to advertise for these posts shortly.
Invest Northern Ireland
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what public meetings Invest Northern Ireland has attended which involved a single political party over the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [166709]
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Mr. Gardiner: Since Invest NI was established in April 2002, its officials have attended no public meetings which involved a single political party. Information on the activities of the former economic development agencies that pre-dated Invest NI prior to April 2002 is not available.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Invest NI grants have been awarded; which companies benefited; and what amount of finance was provided through each respective award, broken down by constituency, in each of the past two years. [166745]
Mr. Gardiner: Almost 4,400 companies have been offered assistance in the last two years. To provide a list of all these companies would require a major administrative exercise, which could only be carried out at disproportionate cost. Table 1 following details the number of offers and amount of assistance offered to businesses, by Parliamentary Constituency over the past two years.
| Number of offers | Total assistance offered (£) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (41)2002–03 | (42)2003–04 | (41)2002–03 | (42)2004–04 | |
| Belfast East | 56 | 125 | 1,988,355 | 10,553,086 |
| Belfast North | 39 | 102 | 4,159,212 | 3,909,854 |
| Belfast South | 130 | 239 | 14,431,684 | 24,514,181 |
| Belfast West | 40 | 88 | 3,369,594 | 7,996,055 |
| East Antrim | 63 | 167 | 5,988,209 | 3,698,718 |
| East Londonderry | 57 | 110 | 4,113,042 | 735,628 |
| Fermanagh And South Tyrone | 67 | 211 | 4,920,677 | 3,860,934 |
| Foyle | 83 | 211 | 13,503,444 | 6,775,914 |
| Lagan Valley | 54 | 179 | 1,462,738 | 1,595,612 |
| Mid Ulster | 138 | 291 | 4,058,250 | 4,989,297 |
| Newry And Armagh | 81 | 175 | 5,363,098 | 1,543,146 |
| North Antrim | 70 | 195 | 2,177,964 | 5,594,554 |
| North Down | 44 | 83 | 1,347,025 | 3,921,590 |
| South Antrim | 86 | 196 | 22,877,977 | 4,008,124 |
| South Down | 70 | 154 | 2,439,960 | 1,023,657 |
| Strangford | 58 | 110 | 1,498,130 | 1,466,028 |
| Upper Bann | 77 | 241 | 16,436,700 | 5,772,790 |
| West Tyrone | 51 | 179 | 4,441,343 | 5,637,857 |
| Grand Total | 1,264 | 3,056 | 114,577,402 | 97,597,025 |
(41) In 2002–03 an additional £21.2 million was offered to approximately 1,000 clients for which this level of detail is not available.
(42) Offers in 2003–04 include 733 companies receiving broadband support under a scheme that was unavailable in 2002–03.
Notes:
1. 2003–04 figures are provisional and may be subject to change.
2. Although these businesses have been offered assistance, some may not as yet have received any grant.
3. Assistance includes repayables such as loans as well as grants.
Table 2 following shows the list of offers where more than £75,000 assistance has been offered in the last two years for business development projects. In addition to this 45 large projects that have been offered almost £40 million of assistance have not yet been announced to the public. The details of these projects are not included in table 2 to ensure that these investments are not compromised through the release of commercially sensitive information.
Notes:
1. Although these businesses have been offered assistance, many of the businesses may not as yet have drawn down any grant.
2. Assistance includes repayable assistance such as loans as well as grants.
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Mr. Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons were employed by Invest Northern Ireland on (a) 1 April 2002, (b) 1 April 2003 and (c) 1 April 2004. [168218]
Mr. Gardiner: On its establishment in April 2002, Invest NI had a formal staff allocation of 738 full time equivalent (FTE) posts. At that time, however, there were only 657 staff in post as Invest NI's legacy agencies had adopted a policy of not filling vacancies in the run up to the establishment of the new body. On the other specified dates the numbers employed were:
| Numbers employed | Full time equivalents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 April 2003 | 709 | 689 |
| 1 April 2004 | 703 | 681 |
Invest NI also engages a varying number of contracted staff in its overseas offices and also to deliver specific programmes. These currently number 43 in total and are separately funded.
Mr. Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons employed by Invest Northern Ireland have chosen permanently to transfer from the Northern Ireland Civil Service to Invest Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [168219]
Mr. Gardiner: To date, 39 former Northern Ireland civil servants have transferred permanently to Invest Northern Ireland.
Mr. Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to make a decision regarding the new headquarters for Invest Northern Ireland. [168220]
Mr. Gardiner: Having assessed the high quality bids received for the provision of Invest NI's new HQ accommodation and completed the process in line with European Procurement Law, a clear decision as to a preferred bidder has been reached. Final negotiations are being entered into with MRDE (McAleer & Rushe/Dunloe Ewart) the preferred bidder consortium who offered the Bedford Street site as a location. The contract should be awarded by end June 2004.
Mr. Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much she estimates the new headquarters for Invest Northern Ireland will cost; and from what source of funds it will be paid for. [168221]
Mr. Gardiner:
Final negotiations are on-going with the preferred bidder McAleer and Rushe Limited/Dunloe
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Ewart Ltd. (MRDE Ltd.) and as a result no final figures are available. The project is however estimated to be worth approximately £50 million, representing a construction value of around £20 million with the remaining value earmarked for the provision of related accommodation services over a 25-year period. Funding will come from a reallocation of existing accommodation savings and from the Strategic Investment Programme.
Mr. Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total cost of staff was at Invest Northern Ireland in each of the last two financial years. [168222]
Mr. Gardiner: The total cost of staff for Invest Northern Ireland in each of the last two financial years was:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| Year ended 31 March 2003 | 19.6 |
| Year ended 31 March 2004 | 21.2 |
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