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NORTHERN IRELAND

Breast Cancer

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research his Department has conducted into disparities between the incidence of breast cancer in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. [182018]

Angela Smith: The Northern Ireland rates for breast cancer are the lowest of all the countries in the UK. The following table gives the average numbers of women per year diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK between 1998–2000. The table also shows the rate for the average annual number of women, per 100,000 females of the population, diagnosed with the disease. These rates are averaged over the period 1998–2000 so that random variation/fluctuations, which may occur year-on-year, are removed.
 
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Directly age-standardised 1 registration rates of newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer by UK country, 1998–2000 2

	Average number diagnosed per year	Rate per 100,000 females
United Kingdom	40,299	113.9
England	33,661	114.0
Wales	2,078	110.9
Scotland	3,615	116.6
Northern Ireland	945	107.0

⁽¹⁸⁾ Using the European Standard Population.
⁽¹⁹⁾ Three year averages.
Source:
Figures taken from "Registrations of cancer diagnosed in 2000, England", an Office for National Statistics publication (Series MB1 number 31).

Civil Servants (Industrial Action)

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the impact of the current civil service industrial action on the competitiveness of Northern Ireland's haulage industry. [180801]

Angela Smith: The certificates of temporary exemption that are being issued for goods vehicles exempt owners and operators from the requirement to have their vehicles tested for a three month period from the date of issue. They enable vehicles to be taxed and to operate legally on the road, and should prevent any material damage to the competitiveness of Northern Ireland's haulage industry.

Comber High School/Bangor Academy

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 24 June 2004, Official Report, columns 1561–62W, on Comber High School/Bangor Academy, if he will place in the Library a copy of the findings of the screening exercise carried out by the South Eastern Education and Library Board. [181876]

Mr. Gardiner: A copy has been placed in the Library.

Cory Report

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the three inquiries will be announced consequent on the Cory Report. [181143]

Mr. Paul Murphy: On 1 April I announced public inquiries into the deaths of Robert Hamill, Rosemary Nelson and Billy Wright. Work is continuing to enable the inquiries to be established as soon as possible. I will be making a statement early in July that will set out the progress that has been made.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the commencement of the public inquiries into the deaths of (a) Robert Hamill, (b) Rosemary Nelson and (c) Billy Wright. [180707]

Mr. Paul Murphy: Work is continuing to enable the inquiries to be established as soon as possible. I will be making a statement early in July that will set out the progress that has been made.
 
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Cricket

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps his Department is taking to encourage the playing of cricket at schools. [181533]

Mr. Gardiner: The Physical Education Programme of Study, while not specifying which particular sport activities should be followed, sets out a range of skills which schools should aim to develop in pupils. Schools themselves decide which games they will provide.

The Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment is currently carrying out a review of the curriculum, and PE is being considered as part of this review.

The Sports Council for Northern Ireland works closely with the NI Cricket Association and also provides funding to complement the work undertaken to promote cricket at school level.

Custody and Bail Cases (Processing Times)

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of (a) custody and (b) bail cases in Northern Ireland were processed in the time limits in the last period for which figures are available. [181180]

Mr. Pearson: The Policing Plan has set the performance targets as follows:

To process 85 per cent. of custody cases within 90 days; and

To process 85 per cent. of bail cases within 110 days.

For the period from 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004, 55.7 per cent. of custody cases were processed within 90 days, and 64.6 per cent. of bail cases within 110 days.

The most recent figures available are for April 2004. These show that 68.4 per cent. of custody cases and 67.7 per cent. of bail cases were processed within the timescales outlined above.

Delayed Hospital Discharges

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients currently have their discharge from hospital delayed, broken down by health trust area; what the average weekly cost of their stay in hospital is; and what the average estimated cost of a community care package for each is. [181936]

Angela Smith: The information requested is as follows.
Number of delayed discharges, by trust of residence at 31 March 2004

Board of residence/community trust of residence	Number of delayed discharges	Percentage of total delayed
Down Lisburn HSS Trust	36	8
North and West Belfast HSS Trust	34	8
South and East Belfast HSS Trust	83	19
Ulster Community and Hospitals HSS Trust	41	9
Causeway HSS Trust	31	7
Homefirst HSS Trust	111	26
Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust	42	10
Craigavon and Banbridge HSS Trust	21	5
Newry and Mourne HSS Trust	13	3
Foyle HSS Trust	15	3
Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust	7	2
Total	434	100

 
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It is estimated that the average cost of delayed discharges remaining in hospital is £1,233 per person per week. It is estimated that a community care package, which includes a week of care in a nursing home, would cost £420 per person per week.

Note:

Delayed discharge 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.

Endoscopes

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will make a statement on the implementation by local health trusts of manufacturers' guidelines and recommendations regarding the use and cleaning of endoscopes; [181529]

(2) on what dates audits were performed by local health trusts into the safe and effective use of flexible endoscopes (a) between April and June and (b) prior to this period; [181530]

(3) what independent quality control and improvement measures are in place in hospitals in the Province regarding use of flexible endoscopic equipment; and when they were introduced. [181531]

Angela Smith: The information requested in these questions is not held centrally. The issues raised will, however, be examined as part of the forthcoming independent review of arrangements for endoscope disinfection in Northern Ireland. The review will be chaired by Dame Deirdre Hine and is expected to report in the autumn.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the (a) manufacturer and (b) model are of each endoscope used by each hospital in Northern Ireland. [181621]

 
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Angela Smith: The Department has the relevant information in respect of flexible endoscopes only. In view of the extent of the information, it has been placed in the Library of the House.

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