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13 Jan 2005 : Column 651W—continued
Single Farm Payments
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the effect of proposals for single farm payments on future land use. [207866]
Alun Michael: The Department has published an assessment of the economic impact in England of the single payment scheme. In addition, the Environment Agency has published projections of land use to 2015.
Sustainable Energy
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Department for Transport on promoting sustainable energy sources. [207851]
Mr. Morley: The Department has had a number of discussions recently with the Department for Transport, both at Ministerial and official level, about promoting sustainable energy sources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, discussions are taking place about the feasibility of a renewable transport fuel obligation.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Hyponatraemia-related Deaths
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which individuals have been appointed to the Hyponatraemia-related Deaths Inquiry Team; who appointed each one; what the employment is of each; and what the immediate past posts of each member were. [205964]
Angela Smith: I appointed John O'Hara QC as Chairman of the Inquiry into Hyponatraemia-related Deaths. The subsequent appointment of staff and their particular roles are matters for Mr. O'Hara.
As is normal practice, to assist him with the administration of the inquiry, the Department offered a number of civil servants to undertake administrative and clerical duties. Previously the secretary and deputy secretary to the inquiry were employed respectively as the manager of the office of the permanent secretary and the departmental private secretary to the Minister. Of the remainder, one came from the occupational health service; one from the Northern Ireland Assembly; one from the departmental typing pool; and one has returned from a career break. It is understood that Mr. O'Hara is also engaging a barrister, a solicitor and some professional experts in the fields of paediatrics, paediatric anaesthetics, nursing and healthcare management.
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Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the explanation of the Chief Medical Officer of Northern Ireland to the parents of Lucy Crawford regarding their daughter's death. [205958]
Angela Smith: It would be inappropriate for me to comment on any matter relating to the death of Lucy Crawford. John O'Hara QC, as Chairman of the Inquiry into Hyponatraemia-related deaths, has been tasked to examine and report on all matters he considers relevant to the death of Lucy Crawford and also of Raychel Ferguson and Adam Strain.
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent by his Department on (a) indoor bought plants, (b) indoor hired plants, (c) outdoor bought plants and (d) outdoor hired plants in each year since 1997. [205595]
Mr. Pearson: There was no expenditure by the Northern Ireland Office on the purchase or hire of plants prior to 2001.
In 2001 the Department assumed responsibility for the maintenance of the grounds at Hillsborough Castle.
The total amount spent by the Northern Ireland Office on the purchase and hire of indoor and outdoor plants for each calendar since 2001 is detailed.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 6,246.23 |
| 2002 | 13,704.00 |
| 2003 | 4,376.62 |
It was not possible to extract from our records which plants were intended for indoor use and which for outdoor. Nor was it possible to separate expenditure between buying or hiring plants.
This answer relates only to the Northern Ireland Office and does not include information in respect of the eleven departments of the Northern Ireland Administration.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997. [206558]
Mr. Pearson: The total amount the Northern Ireland Office has spent on first class travel in each year since 1997 is listed in the table.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 6,404.00 |
| 1989–99 | 11,423.50 |
| 1999–2000 | 29,978.40 |
| 2000–01 | 16,115.10 |
| 2001–02 | 16,879.20 |
| 2002–03 | 0.00 |
| 2003–04 | 60,614.40 |
This answer relates to the Northern Ireland Office and does not include information in respect of the eleven departments of the Northern Ireland Administration.
13 Jan 2005 : Column 653W
Disabled Children
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on inspection of services for disabled children in the community. [205955]
Angela Smith: The inspection of services for disabled children in hospital has been completed and the overview report is due to be published in early March 2005. This will be followed by a dissemination period to allow time for Boards and Trusts to implement the recommendations of the report.
The inspection of services for disabled children in the community has been deferred.
Forestry
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made towards a forestry strategy for Northern Ireland. [208323]
Mr. Pearson: In December 2004 the Forest Service published a consultation paper "Options for Forestry". This paper contains proposals formulated as a result of an earlier round of consultation, a full economic appraisal and several public surveys. The consultation period closes on 31 March this year.
Primary Schools
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the reasons for differences in figures for post-primary school enrolments between those issued in a recent statistical press release from the Department for Education in Northern Ireland and those predicted by the Post Primary Review Working Party Report; if he will publish the figures for post-primary school enrolments issued from these sources for each year from 2002–03 to 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [207735]
Mr. Gardiner: The number of children entering post primary education in Northern Ireland continues to fall in line with the falling numbers in primary schools. Neither the base line nor the projected figures for post primary enrolment used in the Costello report included those pupils enrolled in special education units attached to mainstream schools. When these pupils are factored in, the difference between projected and actual school population figures amounts to 0.6 per cent. or 966 pupils for the current school year.
This difference is due to an increase in the number of young people staying on in the sixth form, where 26,321 were enrolled in 2004–05 against the 25,332 projected. As such, this may indicate the success of Government policies such as the education maintenance allowance to encourage young people to stay in school beyond the compulsory school age.
The numbers of pupils enrolled in post-primary schools in the period 2002–03 to 2004–05 (actual and projected) are as follows:
13 Jan 2005 : Column 654W
This decline in post-primary numbers is expected to continue as the declining primary school population transfers into post-primary schools:
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to require provision for a (a) school library room, (b) computer room and (c) special needs room to be included in the Primary School Building Handbook. [207974]
Mr. Gardiner: The Department hopes to publish revisions to the Handbooks for Nursery and Primary Schools in 2005 and consideration of provision for school libraries, computer and special needs rooms will be taken into account as part of the review process.
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