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Regional Development Strategy

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how the Planning Appeals Commission has been guided by the Regional Development Strategy when considering planning appeals; how often the PAC has referred to the strategy in its decision making; and if he will make a statement. [193747]

Mr. Paul Murphy: As the Planning Appeals Commission is a tribunal Non-Departmantal Public Body, I have asked the Chief Commissioner to write to the hon. Lady directly in connection with the information requested.

School Crossing Patrol Officers

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many school crossing patrol officers there were in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years; what steps he is taking to increase the number of officers; and if he will make a statement. [193383]

Mr. Gardiner: The number of school crossing patrol officers is as follows.

	BELB	NEELB	SEELB	SELB	WELB	Total
2000–01	126	152	167	236	198	879
2001–02	123	161	161	230	196	871
2002–03	121	173	161	234	198	887
2003–04	131	187	161	231	198	908
2004–05	135	180	159	220	198	892

Education and library boards have experienced difficulty in recruiting crossing patrol officers. This is despite strenuous recruiting measures such as advertising in the press, poster campaigns in schools, libraries etc., recruitment seminars and radio advertising. Consideration was given to combining crossing patrol duties with those of school caretakers, classroom assistants etc. but it was concluded that this was impractical. As caretakers, in particular, are busy with a wide range of duties school principals are generally reluctant to release them for other duties.

Boards are currently seeking advice from the Local Authority Road Safety Officers Association (LARSOA) regarding the recruitment of crossing patrol personnel. LARSOA frequently advises local education authorities in England on procedures and recruitment arrangements for crossing patrol officers. This association may be able to advise boards on options for reducing the number of outstanding crossing patrol vacancies in Northern Ireland.

School Selection

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what factors underlie the Government's policy not to allow parents a ballot before ending academic selection at grammar schools in Northern Ireland. [193920]

Mr. Gardiner: Legislation in England to enable a ballot of parents in relation to proposals to end academic selection at individual schools does not apply in Northern Ireland. Following detailed review, Government have decided to end academic selection in Northern Ireland. Grammar schools will remain and will continue to offer an academic style of education for those pupils whose parents consider it to best meet the
 
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educational needs of their child. School managing authorities will consult with parents when new arrangements are being developed at local level.

Security Vetting (Stormont)

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people with criminal records have been granted security passes to Parliament Building at Stormont since the establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly. [192558]

Mr. Paul Murphy: Since the establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly, security passes for Parliament Buildings have been issued to a wide group including Members, their partners and staff, Party support staff, press, VIPs, contractors and Assembly Secretariat staff. Criminal record checks are confined to Assembly staff and contractors. However, the results of those individual checks are not centrally collated.

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what changes have been made to the security vetting procedures at Stormont since the last suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly; and whether security measures in Northern Ireland have been brought into line with the new security arrangements at the Palace of Westminster. [192559]

Mr. Paul Murphy: Security vetting procedures at Stormont remain unchanged since the Northern Ireland Assembly last met in October 2002.

Security arrangements at Parliament buildings are kept under constant review. Following recent incidents in the House of Commons chamber, Assembly officials have been liaising with colleagues at Westminster and the other devolved institutions regarding appropriate security measures and a number of additional provisions are under consideration.

Smoking (Public Places)

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment has been made of the merits of introducing legislation to ban smoking in public places in Northern Ireland. [194079]

Angela Smith: The Tobacco Action Plan, published in June 2003, addresses a range of tobacco control measures, including protecting the public from tobacco smoke. Northern Ireland has contributed to the wider UK debate on smoking in public places through the plan, which included a commitment to assess public attitudes towards smoking prohibitions/restrictions.

A recent survey commissioned by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety found that support for smoke-free provision in specific settings ranged from 82 per cent. in hospitals and 53 per cent. in cafes and restaurants, to 34 per cent. in pubs and bars.

The Government are currently assessing the views of a wide range of interests on this subject and will publish their conclusions in a forthcoming White Paper on Public Health.
 
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Soccer Facilities

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the finance to improve soccer facilities will be released. [192446]

Angela Smith: The Sports Council has to date released £2.406 million, under its Interim Safe Sports Grounds Scheme, to help improve Soccer facilities in Northern Ireland. It has also provided £1.243 million over the last three years to assist the Irish Football Association (IFA) with the promotion of youth soccer in Northern Ireland. Further Government moneys to help improve soccer facilities and promotion will be released when I am satisfied that all the necessary accountability and value for money safeguards are in place to protect public finances.

Speed Cameras

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) mobile and (b) fixed speed cameras in reducing speeding on Northern Ireland's roads. [191831]

Mr. Pearson: The Safety Camera Scheme, which includes fixed site and mobile safety cameras, came into operation on 1 July 2003. At the end of the first year, deaths and serious injuries had fallen by 27 per cent. at locations where safety cameras were used.

Surgery

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of Northern Ireland patients who have been advised that they will have NHS-funded surgery in the private sector this year, but have not as yet received treatment. [193692]

Angela Smith: 2650 patients have been offered the opportunity to have surgery privately funded through the HPSS this financial year. Of those who have accepted the offer, 676 have not received treatment to date but are due to have surgery by 31 March 2005.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many long-waiters from the Province have had surgery privately funded through the NHS since 1 January; and how many more are expected to receive surgery before the end of the year. [193699]

Angela Smith: Since January 2004, the HPSS has funded 1,344 long waiters in Northern Ireland to have their surgery carried out by private sector providers. In addition, a further 1,147 patients are expected to receive surgery before 31 March 2005.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much public funding has been spent on providing surgery for patients from Northern Ireland within the private sector. [193700]

Angela Smith: £6.9 million of public funding was spent on providing surgery for patients from Northern Ireland within the private sector during 2003–04. From April-September 2004, £2.6 million has been spent.
 
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