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Public Angling Estate

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to ensure adequate disability access to the Public Angling Estate. [178380]

Angela Smith: A number of the waters within the Public Angling Estate are accessible to anglers with disabilities, with special facilities, including car parks, paths, fishing stands, and a hoist to facilitate angling from boats, provided at some. Representatives of persons with disabilities have undertaken access studies at a number of waters and have provided appropriate advice to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.

The Department is committed to continuing to upgrade and enhance the facilities at its waters for anglers with disabilities and will continue to consult with those groups representing the disabled.

Recruitment Practices

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his policy is towards the recruitment practice of collective shortlisting without individual notes of assessments being taken and only a score or pass mark being recorded. [178103]

Mr. Paul Murphy: Recruitment to the Northern Ireland Civil Service and to the Home Civil Service in Northern Ireland Office is carried out in accordance with Northern Ireland and Great Britain Commissioners' Recruitment Codes respectively. Collective shortlisting is not practised.

The Commissioners' codes state that those making appointments to the Civil Service must adhere to the following requirements:

applicants are considered equally on merit at each stage of the selection process;

selection is based on relevant criteria applied consistently to all candidates;

selection criteria are objective, reliable and guard against bias;

applicants are aware which criteria will be used at eligibility sift stage;

if it is considered that shortlisting may be necessary to reduce numbers to manageable proportions, applicants are aware which job criteria will be used and in what way.

In order to adhere to the requirements it is the practice of the Civil Service that each application is examined and a determination made if the candidate satisfies each of the eligibility and if appropriate shortlisting criteria. Candidates who fail to satisfy one or more of the required criteria are offered feedback explaining the decisions reached.

Sports Facilities

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in relation to the establishment of a new sports ground development programme; and if he will make a statement. [178524]

 
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Angela Smith: The establishment of the new Sports Grounds Development Programme is a matter for the Sports Council for Northern Ireland which is responsible for the development of sport including the distribution of funding. I can confirm that the Sports Council recently completed risk assessment exercises in relation to the new programme and is now implementing the recommendations of these. It has also recently concluded discussions on proposals for taking forward the programme with the governing bodies of those sports identified as of the highest priority from its risk assessments. The Sports Council is considering the outcome of these discussions and the new programme is expected to be launched in the near future.

Sports Governing Bodies

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria are applied by the Sports Council when deciding to recognise a governing body for any sport. [178538]

Angela Smith: I refer the hon. Lady to the reply I gave on 12 May 2004, Official Report, column 395W.

TRANSPORT

Clapham Junction

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects Clapham Junction railway station (a) to have lift access to platforms and (b) to have resolved the problem of gaps between platforms and passenger trains. [179202]

Mr. McNulty: The SRA is beginning development work on solutions to improve the accessibility of stations to ensure both stations and train services meet the accessibility requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. This will apply to train operating companies that lease stations, including Clapham Junction.

Network Rail also has a programme to evaluate the risk from platform stepping distances and to identify where it is reasonably practicable to make improvements. The programme is ongoing and risk based and will be subject to acceptance by Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate (HMRI).

The delivery and timing of any works arising from these programmes will be subject to prioritisation and the availability of funding following the outcome of the Spending Review.

Congestion Charging Schemes

Mr. Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers the proposed elected regional assemblies will have (a) to (i) modify and (ii) block congestion charging schemes agreed by a local authority and (b) to introduce congestion charging schemes. [179574]

Mr. McNulty: There are no plans to give such powers to elected regional assemblies.
 
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Departmental Secondments

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff in his Department and its agencies were seconded from the (a) private and (b) academic sector in each of the last three years. [174823]

Mr. McNulty: The Department for Transport was formed on 29 May 2002. All information dates from 29 May 2002.

Department/Agency	(a) Private sector	(b) Academic sector
Department for Transport (Centre)	1 ended in 2003–04, 3 active	1
Vehicle Certification Agency	0	0
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency	0	0
Maritime and Coastguard Agency	0	0
Driving Standards Agency	0	0
Vehicle and Operator Services Agency	0	0
Highways Agency	2 ended in 2003–04, none active	0

Falmouth Harbour Revision Order

Ms Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on the Falmouth Harbour Revision Order 2004. [179579]

Mr. Jamieson: I have received representations from some harbour users opposing the making of this Order, primarily on the grounds that the proposed arrangements do not provide for an adequate degree of accountability of the Harbour Commissioners.

Ms Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to amend the Falmouth Harbour Revision Order 2004. [179580]

Mr. Jamieson: We are now in the process of considering the representations we have received and will make an announcement when this has been completed.

Intelligent Speed Adaption Systems

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what grants the Department has given to the research and development of Intelligent Speed Adaption Systems; and if he will make a statement. [177992]

Mr. Jamieson [pursuant to the reply, 16 June 2004, Official Report, c. 933W]: This research builds on an earlier project that was carried out between 1997 and 2000 at a cost of £557,997.

Mental Health

Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have left employment in his Department because of (a) anxiety, (b) stress, (c) depression and (d) other mental health reasons in each year since 1997. [175681]

Mr. McNulty: The Department for Transport was established following machinery of Government changes in May 2002.
 
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The Department does not have details of the number of staff who may have left the Department because of anxiety, stress, depression or other mental health reasons.

The Department has a Stress at Work Policy in place and recognises the legal obligation to provide a safe working environment for employees.

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