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18 May 2004 : Column 938W—continued

Education Department Budget

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by what percentage the Department of Education's budget changed this year. [173204]

Mr. Gardiner: The Department of Education's budget is 7.9 per cent. higher than in 2003–04, reflecting a 43.2 per cent. increase in provision for schools infrastructure and an overall 4.2 per cent. increase on other budgets.

Emergency Cases

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what studies he has commissioned into speeding up the flow of emergency cases through local hospitals. [173604]

Angela Smith: Significant work is under way to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of processes for managing flows of emergency patients through hospitals. The Eastern Health and Social Services Board initiated the Improving the Flow of Emergency Admissions project at the Ulster Hospital in January 2003. Building on the lessons learned from this project, and the expertise and work of similar initiatives both in Northern Ireland and Great Britain, senior officials within my Department are progressing a Regional Programme to improve the flow of emergency admissions, ensuring that recognised best practice is implemented across all hospitals in Northern Ireland.

European Working Time Directive

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action will be taken against health trusts that fail to meet the European Working Time Directive targets by August. [173592]

Angela Smith: Further to my reply of 11 February 2004, Official Report, column 1519W, I can confirm that proposed action against employers who do not comply with the European Working Time Directive (EWTD), has not been indicated by the European Commission (EC) at this stage. The EC are currently considering responses to their public consultation on the implications of the Working Time Directive and subsequent legal rulings and action on failure to comply will only be determined after this.

However, the Department recognises the problems that will arise with the application of the full requirements of the EWTD and is working with HPSS employers and the BMA to ensure compliance.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which health trusts are compliant with the European Working Time Directive. [173593]

Angela Smith: Trusts are currently undertaking a monitoring exercise, which is looking at junior doctors working patterns and rest requirements for both New Deal and European Working Time Directive (EWTD). Responses are due with the Department by early June and a clearer picture will emerge at that stage.
 
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However, the previous monitoring data indicated that 91 per cent. of junior doctors overall were already working and being trained in less than 56 hours per week, and so were meeting the EWTD requirements for August 2004 in terms of average weekly number of hours worked.

Front-Line Nurses

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is being done to increase the involvement of front-line nurses in departmental policy formulation. [173601]

Angela Smith: Front-line nurses have a range of opportunities to contribute to Departmental policy including membership of The Central Nursing Advisory Committee, secondments to the Department's Nursing and Advisory Group, participation in professional forums established by Nursing Officers and Midwifery Advisors from the Nursing and Midwifery Advisory Group and through established consultation procedures.

Infant Deliveries

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the (a) mortality and (b) morbidity
 
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rates were for (i) normal vaginal deliveries, (ii) caesarean sections and (iii) other deliveries in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [173584]

Angela Smith: The small numbers of maternal deaths in Northern Ireland preclude any robust statistical analysis of maternal death by mode of delivery. Wider literature from within the United Kingdom does indicate that whilst mortality rates for mothers are low no matter how delivered, caesarean section does carry a slightly increased relative risk compared to that for all deliveries.

Mortality and morbidity sequela are difficult to separate from the primary reasons for performing the caesarean section and detailed information about this is not routinely available.

With regard to mortality and morbidity in infants, without differentiating the underlying reasons for sections (emergency or planned), it is impossible to establish any direct correlation between mode of delivery and the nature of the subsequent morbidity. The maturity of the infant at the time of the caesarean section is the most important element of its survival and development.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) normal vaginal, (b) caesarean section and (c) other deliveries there have been in each of the last 10 years. [173610]

Angela Smith: The information requested is contained in the table.

	Mode of delivery
Year of birth	(a) Normal vaginal	(b) Caesarean section	(c) Other	Not known	Total births (live and still)
1994	—	—	—	—	—
1995	16,775	3,971	2,924	283	23,953
1996	17,055	4,167	2,988	294	24,504
1997	16,345	4,655	2,957	196	24,153
1998	15,656	4,991	3,088	126	23,861
1999	14,773	5,312	2,943	150	23,178
2000	14,706	5,786	2,974	111	23,577
2001	13,662	5,410	2,737	95	21,904
2002	13,251	5,568	2,700	48	21,567
2003	13,375	5,726	2,625	132	21,858

Note:
Figures for 1994 are unavailable.

Irish Language/Culture

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding his Department allocated to support for (a) the Ulster Scots culture and language and (b) the Irish culture and language in each of the last three years, expressed on a per capita basis of those who claim to identify with each. [171925]

Angela Smith: This information is not available in the format requested.

The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure jointly funds the Ulster-Scots Agency and the Irish Language Agency. The Ulster-Scots Agency has a statutory remit to promote Ulster-Scots language and culture. The Irish Language Agency has a statutory remit to promote the Irish language.

Funding is also available from departmental mainstream programmes for projects which may have an Irish or Ulster-Scots language or culture dimension which cannot be separated from the primary funding objectives.

Jurisdiction of the Visitor Scheme

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received from (a) students and (b) higher education institutions regarding the (i) introduction of an independent adjudicator to hear student complaints and (ii) ending of the Jurisdiction of the Visitor Scheme. [173210]

Mr. Gardiner: On 8 April 2004, the Department for Employment and Learning launched its consultation on proposals to introduce variable deferred fees, access agreements and a review of the student complaints
 
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system. The closing date for response is 30 June 2004 and, to date, no responses have been received from students or higher education institutions regarding the introduction of an independent adjudicator to hear student complaints or ending the jurisdiction of the Visitor Scheme.

Language Public Bodies

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the budget for the (a) North/South Language Body and (b) Ulster Scots Agency was in each year since its formation. [172762]

Angela Smith: The budget for the North/South Language Body and the Ulster-Scots Agency for each year since its formation is as follows:
£ million

	North/South Language Body	Ulster-Scots Agency
2000	7.879	0.667
2001	11.41	1.29
2002	11.97	1.42
2003	12.95	1.54
2004	14.603	1.704

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