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25 Oct 2004 : Column 1067W—continued
Eating Disorders
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made with the implementation of the recommendations of the review and consultation exercise on eating disorders published in March 2003. [193378]
Angela Smith: The Regional Eating Disorders Working Group was established in June 2003 to take forward the recommendations of the Eating Disorders Consultation document. This work is being progressed through a number of subgroups. Achievements to date include the creation of specialist teams in each Health and Social Services Board and the development of a communication strategy aimed at providing information, advice, treatment or support for those suffering from eating disorders, their families and carers. This strategy was informed by research which also assisted in the development of an agreed regional service model. Additional training has been commissioned from the University of Ulster. The first module commenced in April 2004 and an E-learning module will be available from September 2005.
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what dates the Regional Eating Disorders Working Group has met since its formation in June 2003. [193379]
Angela Smith: The Regional Eating Disorders Working Group has met on the following dates:
27 June 2003
14 October 2003
14 January 2004
23 March 2004
4 June 2004
15 September 2004.
Education Boards (IT Equipment)
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the policy is of each Northern Ireland Education Board regarding members of staff using Board IT equipment for personal use during office hours. [190657]
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Mr. Gardiner: Individual Education and Library Boards operate under the Northern Ireland Education and Library Boards' Policy Document on Internet and E-mail usage, which has been agreed with the Trade Union Side of the Joint Negotiating Council for NI Education and Library Boards.
The policy permits restricted personal use of the internet and e-mail facilities. Staff may use the facilities in their own time, providing that such use does not compromise the security of official data, result in increased costs or delays or have any negative impact on the Board's network or on the effective discharge of official business.
Educational Underachievement
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will set up a task force to examine and report on underachievement in education in inner city areas in Northern Ireland. [192373]
Mr. Gardiner: There are no plans at present to set up a task force to examine and report on underachievement in education in inner city areas here. Programmes such as the School Improvement Programme and the Education Action Zone initiative aim to target underachievement, especially in urban areas.
Electricity Consumers (Aid Package)
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to introduce an aid package for electricity consumers in Northern Ireland; who the main beneficiaries of the package will be; whether the European Union has approved a package for electricity consumers in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [192544]
Mr. Gardiner: The 2003 budget included a proposal for a Government intervention of some £30 million a year aimed at bringing about an average decrease in electricity prices across the business sector of at least 10 per cent. below the levels they would otherwise have been, commencing 2004–05.
The European Commission was informally consulted on the proposal and raised a number of concerns about its compliance with state aid guidelines.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment is exploring with legal advisers, the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation and the Department of Trade and Industry alternative options for securing
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the required EU support of the proposed intervention, with a view to its introduction at the earliest opportunity.
In the meantime, the £30 million budget proposal remains available pending the identification of an acceptable way forward.
Employment Discrimination
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total cost was of (a) awards against Northern Ireland Departments decided by tribunals and (b) settlements outside tribunals in respect of claims of employment discrimination in the past five years. [190505]
Mr. Pearson: During the five years (1 April 1999 to 31 March 2004), no awards were made by tribunals against Northern Ireland Departments (excluding Agencies and NDPBs) in relation to claims of employment discrimination. Over that same period, the total cost of settlements made by the Departments outside tribunals was £72,832.
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what central mechanisms apply within Northern Ireland Departments in relation to evaluating the cost to public funds of defending or settling claims of employment discrimination. [190506]
Mr. Pearson: There is no central evaluation mechanism in place. Decisions on whether to defend or settle claims of employment discrimination are taken by the Northern Ireland Department or agency concerned, on a case-by-case basis, in the context of professional advice from legal advisers, and the likely settlement costs against the cost of contesting a claim.
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases alleging employment discrimination were brought by individuals against each of the Northern Ireland departments in the past three years; how many of these were challenged at tribunals; and how many of these were settled out of court. [190507]
Mr. Pearson: During the past three years (1 April 2001 to 31 March 2004), 73 cases alleging employment discrimination were brought by individuals against Northern Ireland departments. Of those cases, 10 were challenged at tribunals and 18 were settled out of court. A breakdown by Department is as follows.
Table showing the number of tribunal cases brought by individuals against NI departments (excluding agencies/NDPBs) during 1/4/01 to 31/3/04), the number challenged at tribunals and the number settled out of court.
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Fixed Penalty Notices
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the estimated additional cost is of processing a fixed penalty notice through the courts as compared with the cost of accepting payment of fixed penalty fines without court proceedings. [192532]
Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.
Current systems do not apportion unit costs to these processes. However, a calculation has been undertaken based on staff and judicial salaries. No overheads such as accommodation and IT have been included in this calculation.
The cost of processing a paid fixed penalty is £1.61, while the cost of processing an unpaid fixed penalty through the courts is £19.28.
The additional cost of a fixed penalty being processed through the courts is therefore around £17.68.
Invalid Care Allowance
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are in receipt of invalid care allowance in Northern Ireland. [193440]
Mr. Spellar: Carers Allowance replaced Invalid Care Allowance in April 2003. At 26 August 2004 there were 43,031 people in receipt of Carers Allowance.
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