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18 Nov 2004 : Column 1766W—continued
Job Creation
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many jobs have been created in (a) North Belfast and (b) Northern Ireland as a result of public investment in each year since 1997. [199259]
Mr. Gardiner: It has not been possible to answer the hon. Member's question in this parliamentary Session.
Killyleagh Wall
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will institute a public inquiry into the construction of a 45-foot gabion wall at Strangford View in Killyleagh; and if he will make a statement. [199227]
Angela Smith:
It has not been possible to the answer the hon. Member's question in this parliamentary Session.
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Life Sentences
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to bring the tariffs for life sentences in Northern Ireland into line with England and Wales. [198032]
Mr. Spellar: Tariff setting in a life sentence case is, of course, a matter for the judge hearing the individual case. Earlier this year, the Government carried out a public consultation on minimum terms in mandatory life sentence cases. The purpose of the consultation was to ascertain views on the possible application to Northern Ireland of equivalent life sentence provisions contained in the Criminal Justice Act 2003. The public consultation has concluded and the responses are currently being considered. I hope to publish the Government's response shortly.
Medical Students
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2004, Official Report, column 337W, on medical schools, how many students commenced medical school at Queen's University this year; and what plans there are to change the entry number in future years. [198835]
Mr. Gardiner: For the 2004–05 academic year, 187 students have been awarded places for admission to the medical school at Queen's University, Belfast.
In recognition of the urgent need to increase the number of doctors in Northern Ireland the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety intend to increase the annual intake of medical students to 250.
Ministerial Responsibilities
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the work of the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Basildon (Angela Smith), with regard to her responsibilities for victims and reconciliation. [196187]
Angela Smith: In my role as Victims' Minister, I aim to put in place a strategy that gives victims and survivors of the troubles recognition, acknowledgement and, where appropriate, the necessary help and practical support to rebuild their lives. To do this, it was important that I heard directly from those who have been adversely affected what their needs are.
Over the past year I have been consulting with victims and survivors and their representative groups and have recently issued to them a summary of the views I gathered. My next step will be to draw up proposals for improvements in the arrangements for the planning, co-ordination and delivery of the services provided to victims to help address the problems they face.
During this consultation process, many views were expressed to me on the matter of dealing with the past. These views, which I have shared with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, will help inform the work he is doing in this area.
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Ministers' Private Offices
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the running costs of Ministers' private offices in his Department have been in each year since 1997. [191376]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Ministers' private offices incurred the following running costs:
| Cost | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 208,545 |
| 1998–99 | 317,405 |
| 1999–2000 | 338,823 |
| 2000–01 | 290,802 |
| 2001–02 | 307,902 |
| 2002–03 | 768,677 |
| 2003–04 | 484,434 |
| 2004–05 | (11)188,857 |
(11) Up to and including September 2004.
Mobile Phones
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many mobile phones were used by (a) Ministers and special advisers and (b) officials in his Department in each year since 1997; how many were (i) lost and (ii) stolen; and what their cost was. [191440]
Mr. Pearson: As the information requested by the hon. Member has to be obtained from the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland administration and the Northern Ireland Office and is not yet fully available, it has not been possible to answer this question in this parliamentary Session.
MOT Certificates
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in each year since 2000 the lack of an MOT certificate has been detected, broken down by district command unit. [199255]
Mr. Pearson: It has not been possible to answer the hon. Lady's question in this parliamentary session.
MOT/Driving Tests
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) MOT tests and (b) driving tests were (i) cancelled and (ii) rescheduled as a result of strike action by civil servants in Northern Ireland; how many of these tests have been cancelled or rescheduled since the resolution of the pay dispute; and what steps he is taking to return these services to their pre-strike levels. [198292]
Angela Smith: The Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency cancelled 67,737 vehicle tests and 9,721 practical driving tests as a result of industrial action from 17 May to 11 August 2004. All of these tests were subsequently rescheduled. No tests have been cancelled or rescheduled by the agency as a direct result of industrial action since the end of the pay dispute.
The agency is working to restore normal services as soon as possible. Steps being taken include: the recruitment of additional staff, operational from 1 November 2004; the introduction from 1 October of a
18 Nov 2004 : Column 1769W
more efficient booking programme; and additional overtime working. Certificates of temporary exemption are being issued for most vehicle test categories where appointments cannot be offered within 21 days. These allow vehicles to be taxed and driven legally on the road until they can be tested.
Mountpottinger Police Station
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions missiles or explosive devices have been thrown (a) at the perimeter fence and (b) into the yard of Mountpottinger police station in each of the past 12 months; and whether the Police Service of Northern Ireland has discovered similarities between these devices and devices discovered in or believed to have been thrown over the interfaces between the Short Strand area and the adjacent streets of Cluan Place, Susan Street, Tower Street, Duke Street and Beechfield School. [193560]
Mr. Pearson: It has only been possible to provide the following information in the time available.
MRI
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to amend the procedures for recording the numbers of those waiting for MRI scans in Northern Ireland. [198633]
Angela Smith: There is currently no regular information collection system in place to ascertain the number of people waiting for MRI scans. My officials are considering a number of avenues to identify the most efficient and effective way of collecting this information.
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