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28 Oct 2004 : Column 1345W—continued
Crime Statistics
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what convictions there have been over the last six months for serious crime involving members of the (a) UDA, (b) UVF, (c) LVF, (d) PIRA, (e) RIRA and (f) CIRA. [191842]
Mr. Pearson:
During the first six months of 2004, a total of 51 persons have been proceeded against for scheduled offences in Northern Ireland. Of these, 37 were convicted on some or all counts. Information on specific attribution of defendants in scheduled cases is not recorded.
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Diabetes
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the members of the Diabetes Service Framework Implementation Team indicating their positions; how many times the Team has met since its formation; and what progress has been made in the implementation of a diabetes framework as a result. [193344]
Angela Smith: The Regional Diabetes Steering Group which the Department established to oversee the work of the local implementation teams set up by each of the Health and Social Services Boards and to manage the overall implementation of the recommendations made by the CREST Taskforce has met on three occasions. Each of the four Health and Social Services Boards have now produced local development plans detailing how the additional resources of lm allocated by the Department in 2004–05 for the development of services for people with diabetes will be deployed and identifying local priorities for development. The Steering Group has considered the development plans produced by the local implementation teams and will continue to work with them to ensure that, as additional resources are secured, developments are taken forward on a prioritised basis.
The membership of the Regional Steering Group is as follows:
Director of Primary Care (DHSS&PS)
Two Senior Medical Officers (DHSS&PS)
A Consultant in Public Health Medicine from each of the four HSS Boards
A representative from Diabetes UK (NI)
District Policing Partnerships
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects Northern Ireland district policing partnerships to have their budgets confirmed for the current financial year ; and if he will make a statement. [192549]
Mr. Pearson: I am advised by the Northern Ireland Policing Board that following detailed discussions with District Policing Partnerships, letters of offer seeking confirmation of DPP budgets, will have been issued to all relevant Councils by the end of this week. Verbal agreement has already been reached in 19 cases.
Educational Under-achievement
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to tackle educational disadvantage in (a) north Belfast and (b) greater Shankill. [192372]
Mr. Gardiner:
Under the Department's School Improvement Programme, which is concerned with tackling low achievement, some £3.1 million has been made available in the last two years to support schools serving north Belfast and greater Shankill. Also, the Intensive Support Programme for Interface Schools is making available a total of some £2.3 million over the three financial years from 2004–05. The new Education
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Action Zones will also complement existing programmes in such areas. In addition, a revised bid is being prepared to obtain funding from the Integrated Development Fund to tackle educational underachievement in the west Belfast and greater Shankill areas.
The Department for Employment and Learning also supports a number of initiatives aimed at tackling educational disadvantage in the North Belfast and greater Shankill including:
the Springvale Community Outreach Initiative, which aims to improve educational standards, promote social, cultural and economic regeneration in these areas;
the Essential Skills for Living Strategy, which provides adults in all areas of Northern Ireland with the opportunity to improve their literacy and numeracy skills, to enable them to function and progress in society;
Special Project Funding, which allows the universities to develop partnerships with schools with traditionally low levels of participation in HE. This work includes the 'Step-Up' programme, which may be expanded to include north and west Belfast.
Additionally, the Belfast Institute, east Antrim Institute and the Workers' Educational Association, as the main statutory and non statutory education and training providers for north Belfast and greater Shankill, offer a wide range of provision aimed at tackling educational disadvantage, including Essential Skills provision.
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what financial support he is giving to support parents in Northern Ireland to access educational opportunities for (a) themselves and (b) their children. [192374]
Mr. Gardiner: The Government make available to parents and students a wide support package which is designed to help provide assistance to those whose access to education may be inhibited by financial constraints. The support in the main consists of allowances, bursaries, loans and grants. These are supplemented, in particular circumstances, by support for free school meals, home to school transport and provision of clothing allowance.
Evacuated Dwellings
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many properties purchased under the scheme to purchase evacuated dwellings are on the market; how many properties have been on the market for (a) less than six months, (b) between six and 12 months, (c) between 12 and 18 months and (d) over 18 months; and what the total market value of these properties is. [193553]
Mr. Spellar:
There are a total of 62 houses bought under the Scheme to Purchase Evacuated Dwellings on the open market and these are valued at £6,638,250. Of that total the breakdown requested is as follows:
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| Period | Number | Value (£) |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 6 months | 19 | 2,498,750 |
| 6 to 12 months | 12 | 1,502,000 |
| 12 to 18 months | 10 | 1,446,500 |
| More than 18 months | 21 | 1,191,000 |
Farm Payments
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many in each category of farm payments due to be paid by 30 June remain outstanding; and what the value is of outstanding payments. [193917]
Mr. Pearson: The number and potential value, if paid in full, of farm subsidy claims currently outstanding is as follows:
| Applications unpaid | Value (£ million) | |
|---|---|---|
| Beef Special Premium | 2,740 | l |
| Slaughter Premium | 1,178 | 0.6 |
| Suckler Cow Premium | 301 | 0.3 |
| Extensification Payment | 1,447 | 2.8 |
These applications relate to unresolved cases where there is a query or penalty to be applied. It is not expected, therefore, that all claims will be paid in full.
Fireworks
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to combat antisocial behaviour associated with the use of fireworks in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [191828]
Mr. Pearson: The law in relation to the possession, sale and use of fireworks in Northern Ireland is clear. Appropriate action is taken by the police against anyone breaking the law and I am aware of at least one arrest recently where a young person was found to be in illegal possession of fireworks in a public place. I will continue to keep the law in relation to the use of fireworks under review.
Funding (Small Businesses)
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many small businesses received start-up funding in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997; and how many of these businesses were still operating as of 1 September. [193556]
Mr. Gardiner: During the period 1997–98 to 2003–04, 1,097 businesses were offered start-up assistance through schemes directly provided by Invest NI, and prior to April 2002, by the Local Enterprise Development Unit (LEDU). Of these businesses, 788 (72 per cent.) were still trading at September 2004.
In addition to these, 10,216 new businesses have been provided with assistance through the Northern Ireland Start a Business Programme. Prior to 2003, this was referred to as the Business Start Programme. Monitoring information available from September 2001 indicates that 84 per cent. of those businesses were still operating at September 2004.
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