House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 18 Oct 2004 (pt 22)

18 Oct 2004 : Column 507W—continued

Crime Statistics

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) burglaries, (b) assaults, (c) armed robberies and (d) car thefts were notified to police in (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) North Belfast in each year since 2001. [189964]

Mr. Pearson: The information requested is set out in the tables.
Table 1: Northern Ireland

Offence type 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04

Burglary 17,143 18,659 16,389

Assault 26,104 28,455 28,982

Armed robberies 1,191 1,375 1,042

Theft/unauthorised taking
of motor vehicles 11,635 8,410 5,369

Comprised of:

Substantive offences 9,005 8,317 5,294

Attempted offences 2,630 93 75

Table 2: North Belfast District Command Unit

Offence type 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04

Burglary 1,025 997 915

Assault 1,814 1,661 1,695

Armed robberies 154 223 133

Theft/unauthorised taking
of motor vehicles 1,248 882 568

Comprised of:

Substantive offences 1,003 559 561

Attempted offences 245 23 7

Offence type	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04
Burglary	17,143	18,659	16,389
Assault	26,104	28,455	28,982
Armed robberies	1,191	1,375	1,042
Theft/unauthorised taking of motor vehicles	11,635	8,410	5,369
Comprised of:
Substantive offences	9,005	8,317	5,294
Attempted offences	2,630	93	75

Offence type	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04
Burglary	1,025	997	915
Assault	1,814	1,661	1,695
Armed robberies	154	223	133
Theft/unauthorised taking of motor vehicles	1,248	882	568
Comprised of:
Substantive offences	1,003	559	561
Attempted offences	245	23	7

Departmental Spending

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total cost has been of refurbishments to the fabric of Northern Ireland office owned buildings since May 1997. [188767]

Mr. Pearson: Some records for the 1997–99 period could be analysed only at disproportionate cost.

Where information is available, the total cost for refurbishments to Northern Ireland Office owned buildings since May 1997 is £92,699.11.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total cost was of printing departmental headed notepaper in (a) 1996–97 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. [188768]

18 Oct 2004 : Column 508W

Mr. Pearson: This is a partial response as the records for 1996–07 are held in a format that could only be utilised at a disproportionate cost to the department.

The latest year for which figures are available is 2003–04 when £5,835.83 was spent by the Northern Ireland Office on printing departmental headed notepaper.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost of running the Northern Ireland Office's canteen facilities was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. [188769]

Mr. Pearson: The Department provides canteen facilities for use by its staff and makes a contribution towards the running cost of such provision in buildings which it shares with other departments. Information is not available for the period 1996–97. The latest year for which an overall figure is available is 2003–04 and the total was £83,155.78.

Director of Public Prosecutions

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many posts have been advertised by the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in each of the last five years; how many were reserved, broken down by grade; how many of the reserved posts fell within the remit of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Commissioners; and how many of the grade equivalent in the Northern Ireland civil service were advertised; and how many of these were reserved. [185362]

Mr. Pearson: In response to the first part of the question relating to the DPP I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 30 June 2004, Official Report, column 319W, (see Table A).

In response to the second part of the question the Northern Ireland civil service has advertised the following posts in grade equivalent to those advertised by the DPP in each of the last five years (see Table B).
Table A

Posts advertised Appointments

1999 SCS 1

2000 SCS 1

2001 SCS 1

SCS 2

Grade A⁽²⁰⁾ 6

Grade B1 8

2002 Grade A 1

Grade A—Not reserved 1

Grade B1 0

Grade A 8

Grade B1 12

2003 Grade B1 9

2004 SCS 1

Grade Bl Competition ongoing

Grade A Competition ongoing

Grade A Competition ongoing

Grade Bl Competition ongoing

Grade Bl Competition ongoing

⁽²⁰⁾ Since giving the answer on 30 June 2004 it has been realised that this post was not advertised but filled by means of an internal promotion board and should not therefore have been included in the original figures given.

18 Oct 2004 : Column 509W

Table B

Grades of posts Equivalent NICS appointments

advertised by DPP Reserved Non-reserved

1999 SCS 2 7

2000 SCS 5 5

2001 SCS 4 12

Grade A 0 1

Grade B1 4 6

2002 Grade A 1 3

Grade B1 7 14

2003 Grade B1 8 26

2004 SCS 5 8

Grade A 12 1

Grade B1 19 0

	Posts advertised	Appointments
1999	SCS	1

2000	SCS	1

2001	SCS	1
	SCS	2
	Grade A⁽²⁰⁾	6
	Grade B1	8

2002	Grade A	1
	Grade A—Not reserved	1
	Grade B1	0
	Grade A	8
	Grade B1	12

2003	Grade B1	9

2004	SCS	1
	Grade Bl	Competition ongoing
	Grade A	Competition ongoing
	Grade A	Competition ongoing
	Grade Bl	Competition ongoing
	Grade Bl	Competition ongoing

	Grades of posts	Equivalent NICS appointments
	advertised by DPP	Reserved	Non-reserved
1999	SCS	2	7

2000	SCS	5	5

2001	SCS	4	12
	Grade A	0	1
	Grade B1	4	6

2002	Grade A	1	3
	Grade B1	7	14

2003	Grade B1	8	26

2004	SCS	5	8
	Grade A	12	1
	Grade B1	19	0

Dyspraxia

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to improve (a) awareness of and (b) training in dyspraxia for health professionals in the Province. [190596]

Angela Smith: The main professions involved in the assessment and treatment of dyspraxia are speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. Therapists working in this area undertake additional specialist training. The provision of such training is a matter for individual trusts based on the identified need within their area.

Family Doctor Practices (Superannuation)

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who funds superannuation payments for staff in local family doctor practices in Northern Ireland. [190598]

Angela Smith: Practices are responsible for paying the employers superannuation contribution in respect of the staff they employ. An element of funding in respect of such costs is included in practice global sums.

Festivals

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was allocated by Northern Ireland Departments to fund festivals in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997; and how much was allocated in each year to groups from (a) a Nationalist background and (b) a Unionist background. [188913]

Angela Smith: The funding allocated by NI Departments and their sponsored bodies to the funding of festivals for each year since 1997 is contained in the table below. The majority of NI Departments do not record or hold information in respect of the community background of recipients of this funding.

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Government funding (£000)

1997–98⁽²¹⁾ 404,168

1998–99 601,601

1999–2000 746,130

2000–01 786,667

2001–02 1,869,202

2002–03 1,123,153

2003–04 1,434,483

Total 6,965,404

⁽²¹⁾ One Department's data are not readily available and would incur disproportionate cost to collate.

	Government funding (£000)
1997–98⁽²¹⁾	404,168
1998–99	601,601
1999–2000	746,130
2000–01	786,667
2001–02	1,869,202
2002–03	1,123,153
2003–04	1,434,483
Total	6,965,404

In addition EU funding was allocated by NI Departments as follows:

European funding (£ million)

1997–98 252,814

1998–99 33,085

1999–2000 181,706

2000–01 13,854

2001–02 1,751

2002–03 291,634

2003–04 380,718

Total 1,155,562

	European funding (£ million)
1997–98	252,814
1998–99	33,085
1999–2000	181,706
2000–01	13,854
2001–02	1,751
2002–03	291,634
2003–04	380,718
Total	1,155,562

General Practitioner Contract/Services

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding has been provided to assist in the implementation of the new general practitioner contract in Northern Ireland. [190595]

Angela Smith: The initial funding secured to fund the new General Medical Services contract was £146 million in 2003–04, £159 million in 2004–05 and £174 million in 2005–06. Subsequently, a further £14 million recurrent funding has been secured to support the implementation of the contract.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received on the implementation of the new general practitioner contract. [190604]

Angela Smith: To date some 13 representations have been received. These have been in the form of parliamentary questions and other correspondence.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on how enhanced services defined in the general practitioner contract will be funded in the Province. [190605]

Angela Smith: Resources for the commissioning of enhanced services by health and social services boards have been provided as part of the overall financial envelope for implementation of the general practitioner contract in Northern Ireland. These resources have already been allocated to the boards.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on plans for general practitioner out-of-hours services from 1 January 2005. [190600]

Angela Smith: From 1 January 2005 statutory responsibility for the provision of general practitioner out-of-hours services will transfer to health and social services boards. At present, the boards are developing

18 Oct 2004 : Column 511W

detailed plans for the future delivery of out-of-hours services to ensure a smooth transition from current arrangements.

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