| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
29 Jun 2004 : Column 267W—continued
Jarvis Contract
Mrs. Iris Robinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions Jarvis has
29 Jun 2004 : Column 268W
failed to meet its contractual obligations with regard to the completion of education public-private partnerships. [179888]
Mr. Pearson: Jarvis has not been awarded any contracts in education public-private partnerships in Northern Ireland to date.
MOT Tests
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vehicle MOT tests were carried out in each month from January to June in each year since 2001. [180816]
Angela Smith: The numbers of full tests and retests carried out by the Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency in each month from January to June for each year since 2001 are as set out as follows. The figures include all vehicle categories for which roadworthiness certificates are required. The figures for June 2004 are not yet available.
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full test | Retest | Full test | Retest | Full test | Retest | Full test | Retest | |
| January | 37,867 | 6,754 | 37,828 | 6,534 | 39,813 | 8,361 | 42,912 | 10,110 |
| February | 37,601 | 7,080 | 37,684 | 7,086 | 40,629 | 9,008 | 42,936 | 9,446 |
| March | 45,698 | 8,611 | 41,937 | 8,031 | 41,914 | 10,106 | 46,079 | 10,153 |
| April | 39,627 | 7,723 | 40,733 | 7,468 | 37,755 | 8,682 | 40,759 | 8,096 |
| May | 41,102 | 7,961 | 43,101 | 8,628 | 41,284 | 8,981 | 28,963 | 6,310 |
| June | 41,939 | 8,016 | 39,555 | 7,316 | 43,808 | 9,893 | — | — |
Note:
Retest figures may include multiple retests on a single vehicle and may not include vehicles that fail the full test but are not subsequently presented for retest.
Multiple Limb Disability
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what specialist medical facilities exist to support children and adults with congenital multiple limb disability. [179081]
Angela Smith: There is a wide range of services for children and adults with congenital limb deficiency both at Musgrave Park Hospital and at other hospitals throughout Northern Ireland.
A small number of orthopaedic surgeons specialise in care for children with limb deficiency, and work collaboratively with plastic surgeons on these issues.
In the Ulster Hospital there is a Congenital Hand Clinic for patients with upper limb deficiency and the Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine from Musgrave Park Hospital attends this clinic quarterly.
The Prosthetic Service at Musgrave Park Hospital includes a multi-disciplinary team who assist with the provision, rehabilitation and maintenance of artificial limbs for both adults and children.
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to establish a specialist clinic for myalgic encephalomyelitis sufferers in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [179732]
Angela Smith: There are no plans at present to establish a specialist clinic for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) sufferers in Northern Ireland.
Clinicians and patients alike often face difficulties as a result of the lack of specific disease markers for ME and a clear understanding of the cause and disease process. The focus on treatment here is centred therefore on close co-operation between patients, carers and the relevant health and social-care professionals, which is essential for ensuring that sufferers obtain the most suitable treatment for their particular needs.
In addition, Belfast City hospital continues to provide a Chronic Fatigue Service, which is delivered by a multi-disciplinary team that adopts a holistic approach to the treatment of patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME.
Planning Permission
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many times the Planning Service has advised applicants who have been granted planning permission but exceeded their authorised dimensions to submit retrospective planning permission applications in the last five years. [180666]
Angela Smith:
Planning Service does not record separate information on retrospective planning applications, as these applications are dealt with in the same way as standard planning applications. As this information is not routinely collected, it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost to the Department.
29 Jun 2004 : Column 269W
Research Capability Fund
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the reasons were for the decision to adopt a different procedure to that in England for the allocation of funds under the Research Capability Fund to Northern Ireland's universities. [180686]
Mr. Gardiner: Decisions in relation to university research funding are entirely a matter for the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL). There are many differences between the research funding model adopted by Northern Ireland and that implemented by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), due to the different needs and circumstances of Northern Ireland. In general, HEFCE does not provide recurrent research funding to university departments rated lower than four in the Research Assessment Exercise. The Research Capability Fund in England was allocated, therefore, to a limited range of departments rated 3a. In Northern Ireland, to help maintain a broad base of research activity across the two universities, all departments rated 3a already receive recurrent funding from the Department for Employment and Learning.
The Research Capability Fund, as introduced by DEL has two distinct strands. One strand, in keeping with the policy aim of maintaining a broad research base, funded some university departments rated 3b. A second strand, in keeping with priority 1 of the Regional Innovation Strategy, "think/create/innovate", is to be used to support, selectively, those areas relevant to the needs of the Northern Ireland economy; there is no comparable strand in England.
Residential Child Care
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the residential child care facilities operating in Northern Ireland; and how many (a) qualified and (b) non-qualified social workers are based at each facility. [180503]
Angela Smith: The number of qualified and non-qualified social workers based at each residential child care facility at 31 March 2004, is as follows.
(32) These children's homes provide specialised services to children and young people with learning disabilities. Therefore, they also employ staff with nursing qualifications.
These figures are not whole time equivalents.
29 Jun 2004 : Column 270W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |