| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
18 Nov 2004 : Column 1769W—continued
MRSA
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will assess the merits of instituting a MRSA helpline in the Province. [198096]
Angela Smith:
It is not considered that there is a particular need for an MRSA helpline. There are in the province some 30 Trust Infection Control Nurses and five Health Board Consultants in Communicable Disease Control who are available to advise patients and their relatives and concerned individuals in the community on the matter. The Department has published and distributed an information leaflet for patients, and guidelines for residential and nursing home staff for management of residents with MRSA.
18 Nov 2004 : Column 1770W
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what advice his Department provides to nasal carriers of MRSA regarding participation in activities which involve contact with other members of the community. [198097]
Angela Smith: The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety makes available an MRSA Patient Information Leaflet, which was recently reprinted. It is suitable for anyone with MRSA colonisation or infection, whether nasal or otherwise and those who come into contact with them. It advises on basic hygiene precautions, including hand washing. No barrier to activities involving contact with others is suggested although where people are providing personal care to a patient with MRSA it is also suggested that it would be prudent to wear gloves and aprons.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the proportion of the Province's population who are nasal carriers of MRSA; and what assessment has been made of the potential spread of MRSA from those who are nasal carriers. [198138]
Angela Smith: Routine surveillance of the nasal carriage of MRSA is not undertaken in the Northern Ireland health service so it is not possible to provide figures on the proportion of the population in hospital or the community who may be carriers of MRSA.
O'Hara Inquiry
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) whether families involved in the inquiry into child deaths headed by John O'Hara QC will be entitled to legal aid for representation; [199025]
(2) if his Department will provide contacts for the families involved in the O'Hara child deaths inquiry similar to the family liaison officers appointed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland as part of their ongoing investigation. [199026]
Angela Smith: Officials are currently finalising the detailed arrangements for the conduct of the Inquiry with Mr. John O'Hara QC, and I hope to make an announcement shortly. These arrangements will take account of Cabinet Office guidance on inquiries and a copy of the Terms of Reference will be placed in the House Library.
Omagh Bomb
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has made to the Government of the Irish Republic about the request by families of the Omagh bomb victims for the Garda Siochana to release DNA samples. [190663]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
I cannot comment on matters relating to ongoing investigations. However, I have asked the PSNI to write to the right hon. Gentleman if there is any information they can provide in relation to this matter.
18 Nov 2004 : Column 1771W
Orange Parade
David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the title and purpose was of the parade organised by the No. 6 District Loyal Orange Lodge in East Belfast on or about 1 July. [189489]
Mr. Pearson: As set out on the 11/1 form, the name of the organising body was "Ballymacarrett District LOL No 6" and the notified purpose of the parade was "Annual Somme Anniversary Parade".
David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the estimated number was of (a) participants and (b) spectators at the parade organised by the No. 6 District Loyal Orange Lodge in East Belfast on 1 July; and what the estimated benefit to the local economy from this parade was. [189490]
Mr. Pearson: Thirty-four bands accompanied by approximately 3,000 members of the Orange Order participated in the parade and there were approximately 15,000 spectators. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment is unable to comment on the estimated benefit to the local economy.
David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what requirements the organisers of the parade organised by the No.6 District Loyal Orange Lodge in East Belfast on 1 July are required to meet. [189491]
Mr. Pearson: Both the organiser and those participating in the parade must comply with the requirements of the law. In respect of this parade, the applicable law is the Public Processions (NI) Act 1998 and in particular the requirements of the Code of Conduct, an instrument of that Act, together with the terms of the determination which the Parades Commission issued in respect of this parade.
David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what requirements the organisers of a protest or counter-demonstration to the annual parade by the No. 6 District Loyal Orange Lodge in East Belfast on 1 July were required to meet; and what steps are taken to ensure that video recordings taken by protestors are not used for illegal purposes. [189492]
Mr. Pearson:
Those organising a protest to a parade must comply with Section 7 of the Public Processions (NI) Act 1998. No police action is taken in respect of video recordings taken by protestors. It is not an offence to take video recordings.
18 Nov 2004 : Column 1772W
David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many calls were made to the (a) police, (b) fire brigade and (c) ambulance services from the Short Strand area of East Belfast (i) in the seven days before, (ii) in the seven days after and (iii) during this year's parade by the No. 6 District LOL in East Belfast on 1 July. [189493]
Mr. Pearson: There are approximately 13,000 calls to the police per month. To compile the information requested would require personnel listening to tapes of some 6,000 calls for the period in question to filter out those specifically from the Short Strand area. To provide the information which you request would incur a disproportionate cost.
Paramilitaries
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) punishment beatings and (b) exclusions there have been in each year since the signing of the Belfast Agreement. [199129]
Mr. Pearson: Information on paramilitary assaults and shootings is detailed in the following table. No official figures on the number of people exiled from Northern Ireland as a result of paramilitary intimidation are available as not all incidents are reported.
2004 statistics are provisional and may be subject to minor amendment.
Parking Tickets
Mr. Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many parking tickets have been issued in each district command unit area in Northern Ireland in each year since 2000. [197115]
Mr. Pearson: The information is set out in the table.
18 Nov 2004 : Column 1773W
It is not possible to provide information for the 2000 as the District Command Unit structure was not established until 2001. Figures for Belfast South DCU are higher as it covers the main retail areas of Belfast City Centre.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |