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15 Jun 2004 : Column 879W—continued

NORTHERN IRELAND

Cattle Diseases

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average length of time was that cattle remained on farms before being collected following a positive test for (a) brucellosis and (b) tuberculosis in 2003. [178388R]

Mr. Pearson: The information is as follows:

(a) In 2003, the average length of time that elapsed between a positive brucellosis test and slaughter of the reactor animal was 14 working days.

(b) In 2003, the average length of time that elapsed between a positive tuberculosis test and slaughter of the reactor animal was 21 working days.

GCSEs

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average point score of GCSE pupils in Northern Ireland was in each of the past five years. [177666]

Mr. Gardiner: The average point scores for GCSE pupils in Northern Ireland over the last five years are as follows:

Academic year	Average point score
1997–98	35.1
1998–99	36.3
1999–2000	36.9
2000–01	36.9
2001–02	37.7
2002–03	37.9

 
15 Jun 2004 : Column 880W
 

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether vocational GCSE grades are included when calculating the average point scores of pupils in Northern Ireland. [177668]

Mr. Gardiner: Vocational GCSE's were introduced in September 2002. The first awards are expected at the end of the 2003–04 academic year. From this point they will be included in the calculation of average point scores of pupils in Northern Ireland.

Higher Education

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of young entrants to higher education in Northern Ireland were from social classes (a) iii, (b) iv and (c) v since 1995–96. [178241]

Mr. Gardiner: The Department for Employment and Learning does not hold information on social class of all students at Northern Ireland higher education institutions. However, data are available for Northern Ireland domiciled entrants to higher education in Northern Ireland who applied using the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Information for NI domiciled accepted applicants to degree courses at NIHE institutions through UCAS by social class from 1995–96 to 2001–02 is as follows.
Percentage

	Social class
	I Professional	II Intermediate	III Skilled Non-manual	IIIM Manual Skilled	IV Partly Skilled	V Unskilled
1995–96	8	41	15	24	8	4
1996–97	8	40	16	25	8	3
1997–98	8	42	17	22	8	3
1998–99	7	42	17	24	8	3
1999–2000	8	41	17	23	8	3
2000–01	9	40	18	23	8	3
2001–02	8	41	18	23	8	3

Notes:
1. Individual figures have been rounded which means that the sum of percentages in each row may not total 100.
2. The last year for which data on social class is available is 2001–02. From 2002–03, UCAS provide a Socio-Economic Classification (SEC) of students which is not directly comparable with the social class information.
Source:
UCAS

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what Government spending on student support in Northern Ireland has been as a proportion of gross domestic product in the last 10 years. [178243]

Mr. Gardiner: Student support information on the basis of Resource Allocation Budgets in Northern Ireland is only available in the Department for Employment and Learning from the 2001–02 financial year. Estimates of Gross Value Added (GVA), previously known as gross domestic product, are not yet available for Northern Ireland beyond 2001–02. Currently, therefore, the only year for which the information can be calculated is 2001–02. For that year, Government spending on student support was £59,263,000 or 0.29 per cent. of GVA.

Hotels

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the hotel occupancy rates were in Northern Ireland in each (a) year and (b) month in the last 20 years. [178842]

Mr. Gardiner: The table provided by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board gives the breakdown of annual and monthly percentage room and bedspace occupancy levels for Northern Ireland.
 
15 Jun 2004 : Column 881W
 

Hotel occupancy⁽⁴⁸⁾

Percentage rate
	January	February	March	April	May	June
2004
Room	46	56	56	—	—	—
Bedspace	28	37	35	—	—	—
2003
Room	40	51	52	55	60	66
Bedspace	24	32	32	36	39	41
2002
Room	41	53	51	53	62	63
Bedspace	23	31	32	34	38	41
2001
Room	41	50	49	49	58	66
Bedspace	22	29	29	31	35	40
2000
Room	39	46	50	58	62	63
Bedspace	22	28	29	38	38	39
1999
Room	40	47	47	51	58	63
Bedspace	23	28	30	33	36	41
1998
Room	43	53	50	53	59	64
Bedspace	24	31	28	32	34	39
1997
Room	39	51	51	52	53	59
Bedspace	22	31	33	32	34	37
1996
Room	44	55	56	58	66	67
Bedspace	25	32	34	36	42	44
1995
Room	46	55	62	60	67	72
Bedspace	27	33	39	42	44	48
1994
Room	36	48	50	49	54	57
Bedspace	21	27	28	31	34	35
1993
Room	37	51	49	48	53	62
Bedspace	23	31	31	32	37	40
1992
Room	34	46	46	46	51	54
Bedspace	21	29	28	32	35	36
1991
Room	37	42	44	48	56	57
Bedspace	22	27	30	32	38	37
1990
Room	33	45	53	49	59	62
Bedspace	21	28	34	33	40	40
1989
Room	37	47	49	53	56	55
Bedspace	23	31	32	34	36	37
1988
Room	35	44	46	46	45	52
Bedspace	22	26	29	31	32	33
1987
Room	33	49	46	49	51	52
Bedspace	21	30	29	33	35	35
1986
Room	31	42	41	42	47	50
Bedspace	19	25	26	27	31	33
1985
Room	37	42	45	49	51	51
Bedspace	24	27	27	34	36	35
1984
Room	30	41	42	44	49	51
Bedspace	19	27	28	31	35	35
1983
Room	29	34	42	41	42	45
Bedspace	19	21	28	29	30	32
1982
Room	25	30	35	32	38	37
Bedspace	16	19	22	22	26	25
1981
Room	30	37	38	33	34	34
Bedspace	19	23	24	23	22	22
1980
Room	32	33	34	35	36	41
Bedspace	19	21	23	23	24	27

 
15 Jun 2004 : Column 883W
 

	July	August	September	October	November	December	Year average
2004
Room	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Bedspace	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2003
Room	56	66	68	61	56	46	56
Bedspace	40	49	43	39	34	30	37
2002
Room	54	60	61	56	50	39	53
Bedspace	38	42	38	35	31	25	34
2001
Room	51	62	62	55	53	41	53
Bedspace	35	44	38	34	31	27	33
2000
Room	52	59	62	55	50	43	53
Bedspace	36	40	38	33	28	26	33
1999
Room	54	59	66	59	54	41	53
Bedspace	37	41	41	38	31	25	34
1998
Room	51	60	61	53	51	38	53
Bedspace	34	41	36	33	29	24	32
1997
Room	45	59	66	62	56	45	53
Bedspace	30	41	41	37	32	27	33
1996
Room	52	60	62	56	57	41	56
Bedspace	36	43	39	34	33	26	35
1995
Room	61	70	75	65	65	45	62
Bedspace	45	53	49	41	38	28	41
1994
Room	44	54	60	55	55	44	51
Bedspace	31	38	38	33	33	28	31
1993
Room	47	52	55	50	43	32	48
Bedspace	35	39	37	32	25	21	32
1992
Room	49	56	56	49	43	34	47
Bedspace	36	43	37	33	28	22	32
1991
Room	55	59	59	50	47	33	49
Bedspace	40	46	40	33	30	22	33
1990
Room	50	58	62	53	46	34	50
Bedspace	37	43	42	35	29	23	34
1989
Room	50	56	59	51	53	34	50
Bedspace	36	40	41	35	33	23	33
1988
Room	47	48	53	46	47	32	45
Bedspace	35	35	33	30	28	23	30
1987
Room	46	54	58	53	45	32	47
Bedspace	35	39	39	34	28	21	32
1986
Room	44	53	51	48	41	30	43
Bedspace	32	40	34	30	25	20	29
1985
Room	51	54	48	50	42	28	46
Bedspace	37	41	37	38	28	19	32
1984
Room	44	54	52	49	43	34	44
Bedspace	35	43	38	32	28	24	31
1983
Room	41	47	44	40	40	31	40
Bedspace	31	36	32	28	27	22	28
1982
Room	33	40	40	39	32	28	34
Bedspace	25	31	26	25	20	19	23
1981
Room	33	31	36	38	31	26	33
Bedspace	22	26	25	20	17	15	22
1980
Room	36	40	43	35	34	25	35
Bedspace	25	28	24	22	24	17	23

⁽⁴⁸⁾ A new survey methodology was introduced in 1997 therefore caution should be taken when comparing pre-1997 results with post-1997 results.



 
15 Jun 2004 : Column 885W
 

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