---

8 Jun 2004 : Column 342W—continued

Stowaways

Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated cost is of his Department's efforts to detect and deter illegal immigrants from entering the UK through concealment in vehicles in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [160377]

Mr. Browne: The costs are as follows:

	Cost (£000)
2001–02	2,178
2002–03	14,049
2003–04 (To January 2004)	4,919

The costs cover both the capital investment and the costs of staff working both in the UK and at the juxtaposed control conducting the following tasks

Physical vehicle searches

The handling of trained people detection dogs

The management of new detection technology equipment

The operation and management of carbon dioxide probes

The annual cost of funding the Immigration and Nationality Directorate is less than 1 per cent. of the Government's Total Managed Expenditure and this will reduce further from next year.

The deployment of new detection technology and the extension of juxtaposed controls are part of a wide range of measures which have contributed to a 52 per cent. reduction in the number of asylum claims and the associated costs of supporting asylum seekers.

Travellers

Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the Irish Government regarding the effect upon police resources of travellers. [170132]

Ms Blears: There have been no discussions specifically on the effect on policing. However I understand that officials from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are discussing the issue of Travellers with their counterparts in the Irish Republic.
 
8 Jun 2004 : Column 343W
 

Wiltshire Coroner

Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reports he has received about delays in the holding of inquests by the Wiltshire coroner; and if he will make a statement. [171585]

Paul Goggins [holding answer 10 May 2004]: The Wiltshire coroner has reported that the investigation, and preparation for the inquest, into the death of Ronald Maddison at Porton Down in 1953 has proved extremely time-consuming and has caused delays to other cases. His county council has appointed an additional assistant deputy coroner in order to deal with the backlog.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Real IRA

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to proscribe the Real IRA under the Terrorism Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. [176968]

Mr. Pearson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is responsible for the proscription of groups which are concerned in the terrorism connected with the affairs of Northern Ireland. Following the RIRA judgment, the Attorney-General announced on 28 May that he would refer the ruling to the Court of Appeal. It would be inappropriate to comment further on matters which could be before the Court. It is however the Secretary of State's position that RIRA was proscribed under the Terrorism Act and he remains of the view that RIRA should be proscribed. The Secretary of State has made it clear that he will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that RIRA is proscribed.

Administration Budget

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made towards the 5 per cent. reduction in real terms in his Department's administration budget by 2008 announced by the Chancellor in the House on 17 March 2004, Official Report, column 331. [176506]

Mr. Pearson: The real terms reduction of 5 per cent. or more will be a central feature of the departmental settlements to be announced later this year in the Northern Ireland Priorities and Budget 2006–08 document.

Assets Recovery Agency

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the Home Office about increased funding for the Assets Recovery Agency; and if he will make a statement. [176959]

Mr. Pearson: I was consulted by the Home Office on the Assets Recovery Agency's Business Plan for 2004–05. I refer the hon. Lady to the statement made to the House, by my right hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department on 27 May 2004.
 
8 Jun 2004 : Column 344W
 

Attention Deficit Disorder

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) financial support and (b) other resources are available to each health board for help to groups assisting individuals who suffer from attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; and what (i) support and (ii) resources are offered by each board to such groups. [173095]

Angela Smith: There is no central specific financial support provided by the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) services. Boards and trusts may fund local groups providing support to families of children with ADHD, through the Mental Health Programme of Care.

The Eastern Health and Social Services Board has advised that South and East Belfast and Down Lisburn Trusts have offered some limited financial support to the Northern Ireland-ADHD Centre in Belfast.

Autism

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the role of the new Educational Centre of Excellence for Autism will be. [167604]

Mr. Gardiner: It is the intention that the Middletown Centre for Autism will be dedicated to improving the educational opportunities of children and young people with autistic spectrum disorders. Provision will be made for comprehensive educational assessment, individual intervention, training and research support. The centre will be multi-disciplinary and will not replace or prevent the development of local provision, but will seek to enhance or support existing services through collaborative working arrangements.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what services will be provided at the new autism centre of excellence. [169724]

Mr. Gardiner: It is planned that the Middletown Centre for Autism will provide the following services:

an educational assessment service;

a learning support service;

a training and advisory service for parents, teachers and other professionals; and

a research and information service.

The Centre will be multi-disciplinary in approach and work in collaboration with local services. It will not replace or prevent the development of local provision, but will seek to enhance or support existing services through collaborative working arrangements.

Costello Report

Mr. Mallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the first meeting of the Strategic Implementation Group following the publication of the Costello Report will take place. [176530]

Mr. Gardiner: Nominations to the Strategic Advisory Group have been sought from the key educational interests. The first meeting of the Group will be arranged
 
8 Jun 2004 : Column 345W
 
as soon as all the nominations have been finalised. It is hoped that this meeting will take place before the end of the current school year.

Delayed Discharges

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients in each hospital have their discharge delayed while awaiting community care packages. [172739]

Angela Smith: The number of delayed discharges recorded in each hospital at 29 February 2004 (the latest date for which such information is available), is as follows.
Number of delayed discharges, by hospital, 29 February 2004

Hospital	Total delayed discharges
Ards	0
Bangor	0
Belfast City	40
Downe	9
Forster Green	2
Lagan Valley	9
Mater Infirmorum	4
Musgrave Park	13
Royal Victoria	46
Ulster	46
Antrim	16
Braid Valley	34
Causeway	14
Coleraine	0
Dalriada	9
Moyle	10
Mid-Ulster	16
Robinson Memorial	2
Whiteabbey	28
Craigavon Area	11
Daisy Hill	11
Loane House	7
Lurgan	15
Mullinure	20
South Tyrone	10
Altnagelvin	9
Erne	6
Tyrone County	4
Northern Ireland total	391

Note:
Information is collected only for hospitals which provide an acute service. Delayed discharges refer to persons delayed in these hospitals while awaiting a community care package.

---