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13 Jan 2005 : Column 654W—continued
Provisional IRA (Army Council)
David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether members of the Army Council of the Provisional IRA have immunity from investigation by the (a) Police Service of Northern Ireland and (b) Assets Recovery Agency. [205452]
Psychiatric Wards (Young People)
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) admissions and (b) bed days resulting from admissions of young people under the age of 18 years who were admitted to adult psychiatry wards there have been in the Province in each of the last five years. [206179]
Angela Smith: The number of (a) admissions and (b) bed days resulting from those admissions of young people under the age of 18 years who were admitted to adult psychiatric wards in the Province in each of the last five years is detailed in the following table.
| (a) Admissions | (b) Number of bed days | |
|---|---|---|
| 2003–04 | 173 | 5,062 |
| 2002–03 | 194 | 5,401 |
| 2001–02 | 183 | 6,346 |
| 2000–01 | 198 | 6,551 |
| 1999–2000 | 196 | 7,522 |
Notes:
1. Figures relate to financial years except for one trust who provided figures for calendar years and for 2004 to 30 November.
2. If a patient was admitted in one year and their episode carried into the next year the number of bed days are attributed to the year in which the admission took place and the admission is only counted once in the year it occurred.
3. If a patient is admitted when aged less than 18 years and the patient turns 18 years of age during their episode, bed days after the patient turns 18 years of age are included in total length of stay.
4. Where possible the number of bed days was calculated excluding days on leave, but one trust was unable to exclude days on leave from its figures.
5. Figures include patients admitted to psychiatric wards in Muckamore Abbey hospital, which normally caters for learning-disabled patients.
Source:
HSS trusts
13 Jan 2005 : Column 655W
Radon Gas
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the health dangers in the Province from radon gas. [205965]
Angela Smith: The Environment and Heritage Service published a report in May 1999 showing the levels of radon gas in private dwellings throughout Northern Ireland. The report, based on some 16,000 measurements in private dwellings, includes maps showing the percentage of houses likely to exceed the action level throughout Northern Ireland.
At high concentrations, radon leads to an increased risk of lung cancer and it is estimated that radon could account for about 60 of the 800 or so lung cancer deaths per year in Northern Ireland. The average level of radon in private dwellings in Northern Ireland is similar to the rest of the UK although there are areas in the west and south-east of the Province where radon risk is elevated and it is estimated that 4,000 homes in Northern Ireland are likely to exceed the action level.
The Environment and Heritage Service has already offered free tests to all householders living in the high-risk areas. The radon risk map and radon leaflets can be accessed on the Environment and Heritage Service's website, www.ehsni.gov.uk.
Rural Development Council
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what (a) criteria and (b) procedures are used by the Rural Development Council to assess an application for grant; [204333]
(2) what grants have been received from the Rural Development Council in each Northern Ireland constituency since it's formation; and for what projects; [204334]
(3) how many applications for grants were received by the Rural Development Council in each of the last three years; [204335]
13 Jan 2005 : Column 656W
(4) what the average length of time taken by the Rural Development Council to respond to a grant application was in the last 12 months; [204336]
(5) what projects have been supported by the Rural Development Council aimed at (a) supporting farmers or farm families and (b) promoting alternative skills training in East Antrim in (i) Newtownabbey, (ii) Carrickfergus and (iii) Larne borough council areas in each of the last three years; and how much grant was awarded in each case. [204337]
Mr. Pearson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Rural Development Council to write to the hon. Gentleman on these matters.
Letter from Martin McDonald to Ald. Roy Beggs, dated 20 December 2004:
The Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (DARD) has forwarded the Rural Development Council a number of Parliamentary Questions, which you have recently tabled. I wish to respond to each of the questions as follows:
Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what (a) criteria and (b) procedures are used by the Rural Development Council to assess an application for grant.
As you are aware the RDC operates an open and competitive application process, where applications are assessed against a scoring framework considering the applicant, area and project.
Upon receipt, the application is scored against eligibility criteria. Where an application has been deemed eligible it will be assessed against a scoring framework to identify those projects most appropriate for receipt of funding. (A full copy of the procedure and criteria are enclosed for your information).
Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what grants have been received from the Rural Development Council in each Northern Ireland constituency since the formation of the RDC; and for what projects. 204334
Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many applications for grants were received by the Rural Development Council in each of the last three years. 204335
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 3 |
| 2002 | 379 |
| 2003 | 82 |
| 2004 | 186 |
Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the average length of time taken by the Rural Development Council to respond to a grant application was in the last 12 months. 204336
| Date | |
|---|---|
| Receipt of Applications | 31 March 2004 |
| Assessment Panel | 23 September 2004 |
| Letters to Applicants | 5 October 2004 |
| Date | |
|---|---|
| Receipt of Applications | 31 March 2004 |
| Assessment Panel | 17 November 2004 |
| Letters to Applicants | 24 November 2004 |
The average time taken to get through the assessment process was around 8 months in 2004. During this period 71 applications were received with 20 approved and 51 refused. £6,810,630.00 funds were bid for against an available budget of £1,980,000. The assessment procedures applied by RDC (attached to this response) are designed to facilitate a rigorous scrutiny of applications from community and voluntary sector applicants.
The process may or may not involve external economic appraisal by independent consultants as well as initial eligibility testing, needs assessment, options appraisal, budget challenge and advice from key local informants. For many applicants there is also a need to identify matching funds before a decision can be given. Some applications do of course reach a conclusion more quickly than others but given the competitive nature of the process all applications are considered at the same time at a meeting of the RDC assessment Panel.
Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what projects have been supported by the Rural Development Council aimed at supporting farmers or farm families and promoting alternative skills training in East Antrim in (a) Newtownabbey, (b) Carrickfergus and (c) Lame borough council areas in each of the last three years; and how much grant was awarded in each case. 204337
The RDC has not funded any projects in the East Antrim, Newtownabbey or Carrickfergus areas aimed at supporting farmers or farm families and promoting alternative skills training.
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