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10 Mar 2005 : Column 1998W—continued
Domestic Violence
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) male and (b) female victims of domestic violence in Northern Ireland have been recorded in each year since 1997. [220633]
Mr. Pearson: The figures requested are set out in the following table.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland currently record statistics in respect of the number of domestic violence incidents attended and the number of incidents where offences have been disclosed.
The Police Service introduced Domestic Violence Officers in September 1997 and it is after this point that consistent and reliable data became available. The recording systems were developed between 1997 and 2000 and it is after this time that further reliable information became available in respect of victim gender.
Previously the Police Service recorded all domestic violence incidents manually with only crimes being electronically recorded. This has recently changed and all incidents, crimes and non-crimes are now recorded on the Integrated Crime Information System.
n/a = not available
Inward Investment (Strangford)
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much inward investment there has been in Strangford during the last four years; how many new businesses have opened in this period; and what plans Invest Northern Ireland have to promote further investment in the area. [220752]
Mr. Gardiner: During the four year period 2000–01 to 2003–04 there were four offers of assistance to inward investment projects within Strangford parliamentary constituency area. The total amount offered to these was £1.3 million, contributing towards a total planned investment of £5.5 million. This assistance is generally drawn down over a number of years.
In addition, there were 350 offers of assistance made to new start-up businesses within the constituency. The value of assistance offered to these start-ups was just over £1 million, contributing towards an estimated total planned investment of £6.7 million.
Since being established in April 2002, Invest NI has been actively working with over 25 client companies in the constituency, providing them with access to a full range of support programmes, a number of projects in these companies are currently at differing stages of development. Invest NI owns 10.6 acres of land in the constituency which is available for industrial development use and its local office network also continues to actively promote enterprise and business start-up in the area through partnerships with local business development bodies and the district councils.
Mobile Phones
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost of staff mobile phone bills was in each year since 1997. [214894]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The cost of staff mobile phone bills to the Northern Ireland Office (excluding its agencies and NDPBs) since 1997 were as follows:
| Cost of staff mobile phone bills | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 74,791 |
| 1998–99 | 102,673 |
| 1999–2000 | 100,245 |
| 2000–01 | 100,087 |
| 2001–02 | 90,538 |
| 2002–03 | 113,697 |
| 2003–04 | 129,203 |
Provisional IRA
David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the amount of money earned by the Provisional IRA in advising (a) FARC terrorists in Colombia and (b) ETA terrorists in Spain on their activities. [219673]
10 Mar 2005 : Column 1999W
Mr. Pearson: Information about the links between the Provisional IRA and (a) FARC and (b) ETA is only available from intelligence sources and it would be inappropriate for the Government to comment.
Sea Trout Fishing
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment and Heritage Service has made of the viability of (a) a free-for-all approach to sea trout fishing and (b) the introduction of a permit system for sea trout fishing for Strangford Lough; and if he will make a statement. [202946]
Angela Smith: The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is responsible for inland fisheries matters, including sea trout in Northern Ireland. The other Departments referred to in the question have no responsibility for such matters.
There has been no assessment of the viability of a free-for-all approach to sea trout fishing in Strangford Lough. Any person fishing in the Lough for sea trout requires an angling licence issued by the Fisheries Conservancy Board. The licence is required to ensure the regulation of fishing and preservation of good order among those fishing. An assessment of the viability of a permit system has been carried out, which indicates that:
2. There is no legislative provision to allow the issue of permits for sea trout angling in Strangford Lough.
3. The Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 would need to be amended to allow the introduction of a permit system.
4. Persons currently fishing for sea trout in the Lough could challenge the introduction of a permit system under the European Convention on Human Rights with regard to their right to the peaceful enjoyment of possessions and the deprivation of those possessions.
5. A precedent would be created which could impact on the public right to fish in other sea areas around the coast of Northern Ireland.
The Department has no plans to amend the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 to introduce a permit system in Strangford Lough. There are ongoing discussions regarding the sea trout permit issue and the development of Strangford Lough as a sea trout fishery.
Student Support
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent change there has been in the provision of financial support through the education and library boards to students undertaking postgraduate diplomas at universities in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [218311]
Mr. Gardiner:
The Department for Employment and Learning has announced that funding for discretionary awards for postgraduate diplomas will be discontinued from the 2005–06 academic year. At the same time, however, stipends for students on higher level postgraduate courses, masters and PhDs have increased from £9,000 pa in 2003–04 to £12,000 proposed for 2005–06, in line with the recommendations of the Government's Science, Engineering and Technology Strategy, Investing in Innovation".
10 Mar 2005 : Column 2000W
Alzheimer's Disease
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will meet local representatives of the Alzheimer's Society to discuss the implications of the recent National Institute for Clinical Excellence recommendation that certain Alzheimer's drugs be withdrawn from the NHS. [220461]
Angela Smith: National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance only applies to England and Wales. At present there is a consultation process under way on use of medicines for Alzheimer's disease in the NHS. In such circumstances, it would be better to defer a meeting with local representatives of the Alzheimer's Society.
Bereavement Care
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding was made available by his Department to Cruse Bereavement Care in each of the past five years for which figures are available; and what plans he has to increase the funding. [219767]
Angela Smith: Departmental funding to Cruse Bereavement Care in each of the last five years was:
| Amount (£) | |
|---|---|
| 2004–05 | 45,924 |
| 2003–04 | 44,804 |
| 2002–03 | 43,076 |
| 2001–02 | 42,025 |
| 2000–01 | 41,000 |
There are no plans to increase the funding allocation to Cruse Bereavement Care other than a possible uplift to reflect cost of living.
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