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Schools (Asbestos)

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many secondary schools in each education and library board area in Northern Ireland have been identified as having classrooms and other public areas containing asbestos; and what steps he is taking to ensure it is removed. [204664]

Mr. Gardiner: The following table shows the number of secondary schools in each board area where asbestos in classrooms and other public areas has been identified to date. The programme of surveys has yet to be completed in the Belfast and the North-Eastern education and library boards. board
 
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Secondary Schools

Board	Number of schools where asbestos has been identified	Number of schools that still have to be surveyed
BELB	25	12
WELB	49	0
NEELB	16	16
SEELB	35	0
SELB	13	0

The Department of Education made £4.5 million available in 2003–04 to enable boards to carry out surveys of all schools and prepare for the introduction of the new asbestos regulations. In addition, £3.8 million has been allocated in the 2004–05 financial year towards removal, decontamination work or repair/remedial work, where this is necessary. It is only necessary to remove the asbestos if it in poor condition or at risk of being disturbed, otherwise the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) advice is to leave it in place and manage the risk.

Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004; [201424]

(2) if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004. [201449]

Mr. Paul Murphy: None.
 
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Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether departmental special advisers have attended meetings with external (a) bodies and (b) individuals, in their official capacity and without Ministers, since May 1997. [203455]

Mr. Paul Murphy: Special advisers hold meetings with a wide range of external representatives in their official capacity. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the "Code of Conduct for Special Advisers".

Travel Costs

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total travel costs to his Department have been for (a) Ministers, (b) Special Advisers and (c) what the travel costs for officials in all NI Departments and their Agencies including the NIO each year since 1997. [203778]

Mr. Paul Murphy: The travel costs for the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), including its Agencies but not its NDPBs, analysed by Ministers and Special Advisers is only available from 2000–01. The costs are as follows.

	2003–04	2002–03	2001–02	2000–01
(a) Ministers	1,245,512	1,051,504	847,426	842,177
(b) Special Advisers	37,101	22,656	27,762	1,822
Total travel cost	1,282,613	1,074,160	875,188	843,999

For travel costs for officials in all NI Departments and their Agencies, including the NIO, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 8 September 2004, Official Report, column 1322W.

The travel costs for Special Advisers during 2000–01 were low as there were none in post for a large part of this fiscal year.

The increase in Minister's travel costs from 2001–02 to 2002–03 result from an increase in the number of NIO Ministers due to the suspension of the devolved administration and the re-introduction of Direct Rule.

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