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Castlereagh (Industrial Development)

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment has had with Castlereagh College on training requirements for future industrial development in the Castlereagh area. [189659]

Mr. Gardiner: Neither the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment, nor Invest NI, have had any direct discussions with Castlereagh College. Invest NTs Accelerating Entrepreneurship Strategy (AES) seeks to actively embed entrepreneurship throughout Northern Ireland's education and training systems. Aspects of AES are undertaken in close liaison with the Association of Northern Ireland Colleges, which represents the sixteen Further Education colleges in NI, including Castlereagh.

Through its Business Improvement Services function, Invest NI also provides specific company based training and development programmes linked directly to the needs of local companies. These programmes can be delivered using internal or external trainers as appropriate, with each client company being responsible for the selection of any external providers. Such training is entirely tailored to the needs of the company thus offering a specific focus on the local economic development needs of the area in which it is based.
 
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Churches (Signing)

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Department of Regional Development's review of its policy on signing of churches will be carried out; and if he will make a statement. [189661]

Mr. Spellar: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Lady in response to this Question.

Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbin to Mrs. Iris Robinson, dated 22 September 2004:

You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about the review of direction signing to churches. I have been asked to reply as the issue raised falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service.

I can confirm that the work on the policy review of the signing of churches and other privately operated premises is on-going and it is expected to be complete by the end of November 2004.

Civil Servants (Private Sector Work)

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many divisional planning managers within the Department of the Environment have been granted permission to become private sector planning consultants in the last five years. [189881]

Angela Smith: No current Divisional Planning Manager has been given permission to become a private sector planning consultant.

Civil Service Industrial Action

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff days have been lost as a result of industrial action in each Department, agency and non-departmental public body in Northern Ireland since the start of the current industrial action by civil servants. [188248]

Mr. Pearson: Since the start of the current industrial action by civil servants up to 3 September 2004, 54,737 staff days have been lost in Departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in Northern Ireland. A breakdown of the figures for each Department, agency and non-departmental public body is as follows.

Department	Core/agency/NDPB	Staff hours lost	Staff days lost
Agriculture and Rural Development	Department Core	61,188.9	8,268
	Rivers Agency	1,369	185
	Forest Service	733	99
	Agricultural Research Institute for NI	33	4
Culture, Arts and Leisure	Department Core	962.7	130
	Ordnance Survey NI	1890.87	256
	Public Record Office NI	717.8	97
Education	Department Core	24,048.38	3,250
Employment and Learning	Department Core	43,139	5,830
	Labour Relations Agency	1,876	254
Enterprise, Trade and Investment	Department Core	2,970	401
	Health and Safety Executive NI	104	14
	Invest NI	682	92
	General Consumer Council	111	15
	NI Tourist Board	565.5	76
Finance and Personnel	Department Core	8,296.6	1,121
	Valuation and Lands Agency	1,978.4	267
	Business Development Service	1,505.2	203
	Rate Collection Agency	7,676.2	1,037
	Land Registers of NI	1,650.4	223
Health, Social Services and Public Safety	Department Core	7,610.08	1,028
	Health Estates Agency	1,073.37	145
Environment	Department Core	1,647.1	223
	Driver and Vehicle Licensing NI	8,872	1,199
	Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency	48,067.65	6,496
	Environment and Heritage Service	2,095	283
	Planning Service	23,492	3,175
Regional Development	Department Core	16,505	2,230
Social Development	Department Core	2,117	286
	Social Security Agency	111,257	15,035
	Child Support Agency	18,993	2,567
Northern Ireland Office	Department Core	158.96	21
	Compensation Agency	55.41	7
	Forensic Science Agency	42.11	6
	Youth Justice Agency	1	0.1
	NI Prison Service	764	103
Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister	Department Core	823.25	111
Total	—	405,071.88	54,737

 
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Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the action that he has taken since the beginning of the parliamentary summer recess to bring an end to industrial action by civil servants in Northern Ireland. [188249]

Mr. Pearson: Intensive negotiations took place in July between officials from the Department of Finance and Personnel and trade union representatives. At these meetings officials emphasised that the 3.67 per cent. pay deal for 2003 had now been paid and was final, but that they were willing to explore all reasonable means of resolving the dispute. The trade union also met with the Secretary of State and myself on 23 July to discuss the situation. On 3 August management tabled two offers for 2004 to the trade union a 12-month offer worth 3.49 per cent. and a 16-month offer worth 4.65 per cent. Both offers were quickly rejected and further negotiations took place on 4, 11 and 13 August. As a result of these further negotiations, management restructured the 4.65 per cent. 16-month offer and this was formally put to trade union side on 16 August. The revised offer included an increase in rates of pay of 2 per cent. plus a non-consolidated payment of £150 for all staff.

On 13 September the trade union accepted the 16-month pay offer worth 4.65 per cent. and agreed to suspend the current industrial action. It is hoped that public services can return to normal as a matter of urgency.

Staff in the Northern Ireland Office are subject to separate pay negotiations involving NIPSA in respect of Northern Ireland civil servants and PCS and PDA in respect of home civil servants. All three unions remain in dispute in relation to the 2003 pay award, although only NIPSA has taken industrial action. Formal negotiations in relation to 2004 pay are ongoing.
 
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Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the impact of industrial action by civil servants in Northern Ireland on (a) members of the public and (b) businesses. [188250]

Mr. Pearson: The industrial action by civil servants, which commenced on 11 December 2003, ended on 13 September. Selective strike action taken by some members of the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance, did impact on services to members of the public and business. While contingency plans were in place to minimise disruption, strike action by staff in the Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency resulted in a significant backlog of both vehicle and driver tests. There were also delays in payment of agricultural grants and subsidies, delays in processing planning applications and postponement of Industrial and Fair Employment Tribunal hearings. Precise information on the impact of industrial action on businesses is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Deaths (Drink and Drugs)

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaths there were in Northern Ireland in 2003 from (a) suicide, (b) drowning, (c) house fires, (d) other domestic accidents, (e) road traffic accidents, (f) murder and (g) manslaughter; and what percentage were (i) alcohol and (ii) drug-related in each case. [188531]

Mr. Pearson: The following tables give the total number of deaths/offences in Northern Ireland in 2003 due to suicide and undetermined injury, drowning, domestic accidents (other than fires in a dwelling or drowning), fires in a dwelling, road traffic collisions, murder and manslaughter. Where possible, the percentage of these deaths/offences, which were alcohol and drug-related is provided.
 
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Table 1: Number of registered deaths in Northern Ireland in 2003 from suicide and undetermined injury, drowning and domestic accidents (other than fires in a dwelling or drowning)

2003 1 deaths	Number of deaths	Alcohol related percentage	Drug-related percentage
Suicide and undetermined injury(11)	144	0	16
Suicide	132	0	13
Undetermined injury	12	0	50
Drowning(12)	25	n/a	n/a
Domestic accidents (other than fires in a dwelling or drowning)(12)	70	n/a	n/a

⁽¹⁰⁾ Data for 2003 are provisional and are derived from the civil death registration system.
⁽¹¹⁾ In the UK, in considering suicide events it is conventional to include cases where the cause of death is classified as both "suicide and self-inflicted injury" and "undetermined injury". Figures for the percentage of suicides and undetermined injury that are drug-related may include prescription and/or illegal drugs and includes deaths where a combination of alcohol and prescription/illegal drugs were involved, but not intentional or undetermined alcohol poisoning alone.
⁽¹²⁾ For these causes of death, there is no information collected on a death certificate about whether the death was alcohol or drug related.
Note:
N/a data not available.



Table 2: Number of deaths in Northern Ireland in 2003 from fires in a dwelling

2003 Deaths(13)	Number of deaths	Alcohol related	Drug-related
Fires in a dwelling	11	n/a	n/a

⁽¹³⁾ Data supplied by the Fire Service of Northern Ireland. No information is available on whether the death due to a fire in a dwelling was alcohol or drug related.
Note:
N/a data not available.



Table 3: Number of deaths/offences in Northern Ireland in 2003 from road traffic collisions, murder and manslaughter

2003 Deaths/offences(14)	Number	Alcohol or drug related percentage
Road traffic collision deaths	150	30
Murder offences	35	n/a
Manslaughter offences	6	n/a

⁽¹⁴⁾ Data supplied by the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The breakdown of deaths due to a road traffic collision which are alcohol or drug-related, includes deaths which are alcohol and/or prescription/illegal drug related. No information is available on whether the recorded murder or manslaughter offence was alcohol or drug related.
Note:
N/a data not available.

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