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25 Oct 2004 : Column 1070W—continued
Invest NI
Mr. Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps Invest Northern Ireland are taking to encourage the new owners of the old TK-ECC premises in Dundonald to attract employment opportunities to the area. [191284]
Mr. Gardiner: As the factory and its associated site are privately owned, Invest NI has no direct role in encouraging its use to be maximised.
However, Invest NI continues to be prepared, if requested, to work with the owners and their agents to market the property in line with the existing employment/industrial use for which it is currently zoned.
Nursery Places (North Belfast)
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to fund full-time nursery places for children in (a) North Belfast and (b) Greater Shankill. [192375]
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Mr. Gardiner: With the exception of pre-school places at Hazelwood Integrated Primary School, which were created under the Pre-School Education Expansion Programme, all nursery places in North Belfast and the Greater Shankill area are full-time.
Although full-time provision is often preferred by parents who have work commitments, extensive research, in both Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, shows that there is no additional educational benefit of attending full-time over part-time.
The Pre-School Education Expansion Programme in Northern Ireland provides funding only for part-time provision. I have no plans to fund full-time nursery places at Hazelwood Integrated Primary School.
Pensions
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of (a) female and (b) male pensioners in Northern Ireland are in receipt of the full basic state pension. [193748]
Mr. Spellar: There are 95.9 per cent. of female pensioners and 98.3 per cent. of male pensioners currently in receipt of the full basic state pension (state retirement pension).
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of (a) female and (b) male pensioners in Northern Ireland are in receipt of pension credit. [193751]
Mr. Spellar: There are 30.5 per cent. of female pensioners and 35.1 per cent. of male pensioners currently in receipt of Pension Credit.
Priority Spending Budget
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what comparative bids were submitted by individual departmental Ministers for consideration in the negotiations which preceded the Northern Ireland draft Priority Spending Budget; what reductions were made by the Treasury against these bids; and whether any Priority Spending Budget, agreed and implemented by direct rule Ministers, will be binding on a newly appointed Northern Ireland Executive. [192547]
Mr. Pearson:
In accordance with the Statement of Funding Policy between Treasury and the Devolved Administrations, the total sum available for the funding of public services in Northern Ireland is largely determined by the application of the population based Barnett formula to comparable Whitehall programmes. Within the Barnett-determined resource total the amounts allocated to individual spending programmes are at the discretion of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with no Treasury involvement. Priorities and spending plans determined by the Secretary of State will not be binding on a restored Devolved Administration, and it will be open to that Administration to review and revise those plans within the framework of the Statement of Funding Policy.
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Psychiatric Beds
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the level of occupancy of child and adolescent psychiatry in-patient beds in the Province. [192867]
Angela Smith: Child and adolescent psychiatry in-patient beds in the Province are operating at full occupancy at present.
Psychiatry Services
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what long-term work force planning has taken place for child and adolescent psychiatry services in the Province; [192877]
(2) if he will make a statement on (a) recruitment and (b) retention of qualified staff in child and adolescent psychiatry services in the Province. [192878]
Angela Smith: The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety carry out an annual review of the consultant work force in each of the hospital-based specialties and the number in training are adjusted to meet the assessed need, subject to available resources. Work force plans for consultant child and adolescent psychiatrists indicate a need for sustained investment in training. As a result resources have been invested year on year in specialist training in this area, there are currently nine specialist trainees compared with four in 1999.
In addition in October 2002 the Department initiated a wide-ranging independent review of the law, policy and service provision affecting people with a mental health problem or a learning disability. Among other things, this review is examining child and adolescent mental health services. It is likely that many of the recommendations from this review will have work force implications. The review is expected to complete towards the end of 2005.
Regional Cancer Centre
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on staff recruitment for the new regional cancer centre. [192907]
Angela Smith: Belfast City Hospital Trust developed a work force plan for the new regional cancer centre as part of the Outline Business Case for the centre. The development of the work force plan, which is kept under review, involved full consultation and agreement with the clinical professional heads of each service and was shared with commissioners in each Health and Social Services Board.
Funding for the additional staff has been confirmed on a phased basis. In view of the lead-in time to train health professionals, funding has been secured to enable staff to be appointed and trained in time for the planned opening of the new cancer centre in 2006.
Regional Development Strategy
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Regional Development Strategy. [193746]
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Mr. Spellar: The Regional Development Strategy sets out a spatial development framework for Northern Ireland up to 2025. The vision is to create an outward-looking, dynamic and liveable region and to sustain a high quality of life for all.
The Annual Report and Monitoring Report for 2003–04 on the progress in implementing the RDS are currently being prepared and will be published in November. Annual Reports and Monitoring Reports have been published for the periods 2001–02 and 2002–03. Copies are available in the House of Commons Library.
School Nurses
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many school nurses per head of population of school age there are in the Province. [192873]
Angela Smith: In Northern Ireland, there is approximately one school nurse per 2,900 children and young people of school age.
Theft and Fraud
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his estimate is of the cost of theft and fraud to (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1997. [191413]
Mr. Pearson: The cost of theft and fraud is estimated as follows:
| £ | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Departments | Agencies | NDPBs | |
| 1997–98 | 18,364 | 104,495 | 53,055 |
| 1998–99 | 90,028 | 121,363 | 7,813 |
| 1999–2000 | 20,938 | 38,388 | 127,691 |
| 2000–01 | 79,311 | 83,708 | 154,975 |
| 2001–02 | 353,606 | 49,079 | 48,961 |
| 2002–03 | 107,985 | 40,469 | 328,387 |
| 2003–04 | 129,681 | 89,383 | 304,581 |
Water Charges
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of Northern Ireland's rate charge is made up of a charge for water use. [192543]
Mr. Pearson: The regional rate is an un-hypothecated tax, which means that no portion of it is a direct charge, or specifically earmarked, for any one particular service. Instead, the revenue raised is simply one component (around 6 per cent.) of the total amount available to the Secretary of State for allocation to public services provided at a regional level.
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether there will be further consultation on the Government's proposed household water charges in Northern Ireland. [192989]
Mr. Spellar:
An Integrated Impact Assessment on the proposals for Water Reform, including the basis for domestic water and sewerage charges, will be published shortly for public consultation. This will provide an opportunity for the public to comment on the impact of
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the policy proposals. The Government will take account of the responses to the consultation before producing draft primary legislation.
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of the proposed increase in the regional rate will be allocated to water charges. [192556]
Mr. Pearson: The regional rate is an un-hypothecated tax. Therefore, no portion of any proposed increases will be allocated to any one particular service.
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the core costs for a new water services body for Northern Ireland in each of the next five years. [192557]
Mr. Spellar: The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has been asked to write to the hon. Member in response to this question.
Letter from Mrs. Katharine Bryan to Lady Hermon, dated 21 October 2004:
You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about the estimate he had made of the annual core costs, in each of the next five years, for a new water services body for Northern Ireland. I have been asked to reply as Chief Executive of Water Service.
On 10 August 2004, the Minister of State, John Spellar, MP announced that Water Service was to become a Government Owned Company on, or as soon as practicable after, 1 April 2006. The costs outlined below reflect the figures for the three years to 2007–08 in the Draft Priorities and Budget announced on 10 October 2004. These are draft figures and as such could be subject to change. The Draft Budget process only covers the years 2005–06 to 2007–08 and figures are not available post 2007–08.
| £ million | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | Capital | Total | |
| 2005–06 | 119.8 | 269.4 | 389.2 |
| 2006–07 | 121.3 | 224.5 | 345.8 |
| 2007–08 | 117.7 | 218.1 | 335.8 |
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