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Victim Memorials

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his policy on the public funding of memorials to victims of the Troubles. [190662]

Angela Smith: Government policy has been to prioritise funding for services and support for victims rather than for memorials. The subject of memorials is an emotive one. There are mixed views in the community regarding physical memorials; including deep feelings about sharing such memorials with other members of the community.

However, we recognise that Northern Ireland has to find a way of dealing with the past which acknowledges the pain, grief and anger that people feel. There are very different views about how we do this and those differences have to be taken into account. My right hon. Friend The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is taking private soundings with a view to broadening the consultation later.

The hon. Member may be aware that a Government funded Committee under the Chairmanship of Mr. David Campbell is currently consulting on provision of a National Memorial in the UK to all members of the armed forces who served and lost their lives during the Northern Ireland Troubles. The Committee is expected to report in Spring 2005.
 
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MRSA

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what outbreaks of MRSA there have been in Northern Ireland's hospitals in each of the past five years; how many patients were affected in each case; and what steps he is taking to reduce outbreaks. [191823]

Angela Smith: An MRSA outbreak is defined as the occurrence of more cases by time and place than would normally be expected. There have been no MRSA outbreaks reported to the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (CDSC) in the last five years. CDSC has just reported on its website the figures by trust for patient episodes of MRSA bacteraemias for a third year, April 2003-March 2004. The number of such episodes rose from 218 to 307, an increase of 41 per cent. In the first year of such reporting the number was 228.

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has been undertaking a range of activities to reduce the incidence of MRSA and other healthcare-acquired infections which is a matter of great concern. It has most recently announced the development of an infection control strategy the key aim of which is the prevention and control of the spread of infection in hospitals and other healthcare settings.

NHS Dentistry

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many NHS dentists there were in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years; what the percentage change was in each year; and if he will make a statement. [191830]

Angela Smith: The information requested is as follows.
Number of NHS general dental practitioners registered in Northern Ireland each year since 2000

	Headcount	Percentage increase on previous year
1 April 2004	720	3.4
1 April 2003	696	1.0
1 April 2002	689	2.4
l April 2001	673	1.8
1 April 2000	661	4.6

Northern Ireland enjoys the most favourable patient to dentist ratio of all the home countries.

Country	Number of people per dentist
England	2,673
Wales	2,860
Scotland	2,385
Northern Ireland	2,225

DHSSPS published a dental work force review in November 2002 and there is ongoing work in relation to work force planning for the dental sector on an annual basis.

Nurses

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many nurses left the NHS in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997. [191975]

 
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Angela Smith: The information requested is as follows:
Nursing and midwifery staff⁽⁴⁶⁾ leavers from the health and personal social services in Northern Ireland: 1997–98—2002–03

	Full-time	Part-time		Total
	Headcount	Headcount	WTE	Headcount	WTE
1997–98	821	646	357.38	1467	1178.38
1998–99	699	589	350.52	1288	1049.52
1999–2000	818	541	338.76	1359	1156.76
2000–01	590	488	304.86	1078	894.86
2001–02	662	461	289.01	1123	951.01
2002–03	599	493	315.04	1092	914.04

⁽⁴⁶⁾ Figures include both qualified and unqualified Nursing and Midwifery Staff.
Source:
HRMS

Pupil Exclusions

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils in each Education and Library Board area in Northern Ireland have been permanently excluded in each of the past five years. [191972]

Mr. Gardiner: The number of pupils in each education and library board area in Northern Ireland who have been permanently excluded in each of the past five years is as follows:

	BELB	WELB	NEELB	SEELB	SELB	Total
1998–99	6	18	29	6	14	73
1999–2000	19	25	20	3	16	83
2000–01	5	19	29	11	16	80
2001–02	7	16	18	12	23	76
2002–03	18	12	17	16	7	70

Renewable Energy

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to promote renewable energy in Northern Ireland. [191949]

Mr. Gardiner: The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment continues to promote the strategic development of the renewable energy industry in NI in the balanced interests of the economy, consumers and the environment. The Department's Strategic Energy Framework, published in June this year, includes a target that 12 per cent. of all electricity consumed will come from renewable sources by 2012.

The introduction of a NI Renewables Obligation (NIRO), effective from April 2005, will provide the necessary investor confidence to secure new generating capacity sufficient to meet the 12 per cent. target. The supply and utilisation of renewable energy is already developing well.

Action Renewables, the joint venture established by DETI and Viridian plc, is successfully continuing its renewable energy community outreach and awareness raising activities. To date over £1 million has been committed to this important area.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's assessment of the economic potential of biomass for energy generation in NI is nearing
 
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completion and will result in the development of a bio-energy strategy for NI. Important combined heat and power projects using wood waste and landfill gas are due to complete next year.

DETI and its Republic of Ireland counterparts have recently committed around 7 million of European funding to facilitate the rapid deployment of renewable energy/energy efficiency technologies throughout the Interreg region.

Royal Victoria Maternity Hospital

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many women from (a) Africa and (b) Asia presented at the Royal Victoria Maternity Hospital for emergency obstetric care in the two years to 30 September. [192114]

Angela Smith: This information is not collected centrally.

School Playing Fields

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to extend the new rules governing the sale of school playing fields in England to Northern Ireland. [191285]

Mr. Gardiner: Administrative arrangements in Northern Ireland are different from those in GB in that the Department of Education controls the disposal of school playing fields and therefore the current arrangements are considered to be adequate i.e.:

1. Under the provisions of Article 106 of the Education and Libraries (NI) Order 1986 the approval of the Department of Education is required to the disposal of any land (including school playing fields) which is declared surplus to requirements by an Education and Libraries Board.

2. In the voluntary schools sector, where schools and playing fields are owned by the Trustees of the school, the Department has to issue a deed of surrender before any playing fields vested for educational purposes can be sold.

3. The Sports Council for NI would be consulted on any planning proposals involving the discontinued use of school playing fields.

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