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5 Apr 2005 : Column 1415W—continued

Full-time Reserve

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assistance is being provided to former members of the full-time reserve for re-training and re-employment. [206118]

Mr. Pearson: Retired officers of the RUC/PSNI Reserve have full access to the services of the Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust. The trust is publicly funded and was established to assist officers (regular or reserve) in achieving a successful transition on leaving the police service. The services provided by the trust include personal and careers advice and guidance, psychological and physical therapies and services, education, training and employment support. Grant funding is also provided in support of appropriate training courses. Further details of trust services may be found on their website at www.prrt.org.

Grammar Schools

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the latest figures for enrolment at grammar schools in the Province are; and what they were in 2002–03. [213092]

Mr. Gardiner: I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to the hon. Lady, the Member for Strangford, on 25 January 2005, Official Report, column 304W.

Health Care Administration

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to announce plans for the restructuring of health care administration in the Province. [223671]

Angela Smith: The final consultation paper from the Review of Public Administration, which was launched on Tuesday 22 March 2005, included a chapter setting out firm proposals for new Health and Personal Social Services management structures. Decisions on these
 
5 Apr 2005 : Column 1416W
 
proposals will not be taken until the RPA consultation process is complete. The consultation period will end on the 30 September 2005.

Hepatitis C

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals in the Province (a) have received and (b) are receiving Pegylated Interferon therapy to treat Hepatitis C. [212191]

Angela Smith: At 31 January 2005, there were 30 patients who have received Pegylated Interferon injections as part of a combination therapy for treating Hepatitis C. Of these, 24 are still currently receiving treatment at the Liver Clinic within the Royal Victoria Hospital.

Human Rights Commission

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what procedures will be followed in replacing the outgoing chief executive of the Human Rights Commission; and if he will make a statement. [221949]

Mr. Spellar: The chief executive of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has not indicated an intention to leave the post.

Infection Control

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans there are to develop a strategy for infection control and prevention in the Province. [223676]

Angela Smith: The Department is currently developing a strategy for the prevention and control of health care associated infections (HCAI). A report is expected to issue for consultation in June 2005.

Legionnaire's

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made with identifying the source of the recent outbreak of Legionnaire's disease in the North Down area; and if he will make a statement. [224224]

Mr. Gardiner: The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland is satisfied that it has identified the source of the recent outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in the North Down area as being a cooling tower in a local manufacturing unit. Appropriate remedial action has been taken.

Lough Erne (Fish Stocks)

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what different species of fish the Department of Agriculture releases into Lough Erne; and what the average annual cost of stocking waterways in Fermanagh has been over the last five years. [223946]

Angela Smith: The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is responsible for inland fisheries matters. The Department of Agriculture does not have responsibility for this matter.
 
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The Department stocks indigenous Lough Erne Brown Trout purchased from the Erne and Melvin Enhancement Company Hatchery directly into Lough Erne. Indigenous Lough Erne Brown Trout fry also from the Erne and Melvin Hatchery and Salmon ova, fry, pre-smolts and juvenile elvers from the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) Hatchery at Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal are stocked into the Lough Erne tributaries to help sustain and enhance fish stocks in Lough Erne and its tributaries.

There is no cost to the Department for the stocking from the ESB Hatchery at Ballyshannon as this is a compensatory measure for the impact of the hydroelectric dam located on the River Erne on migratory fish returning to the Erne system. The Department also stocks a number of Public Angling Estate 'nut and take' fisheries in Co. Fermanagh with Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout equating to a notional value in excess of £20,000 per annum.

The Brown Trout and fry purchased from the Erne and Melvin Hatchery, which commenced in 2002, equates to £41,650 per annum.

Methotrexate

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what precautions are taken in Northern Ireland against potential complications for patients on methotrexate. [223665]

Angela Smith: Methotrexate therapy is monitored routinely to minimise complications. In addition, shared care protocols are in place which support the management of patients treated with methotrexate across the primary and secondary care interface.

MRSA

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total cost to the Health Service in Northern Ireland has been of MRSA infections in each of the last 10 years. [224159]

Angela Smith: The information requested is not available.

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaths in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years have been attributed to MRSA; and what guidelines are used in recording the numbers of deaths in which MRSA has been a factor. [224160]

Mr. Pearson: The numbers of deaths where Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was mentioned on the death certificate in Northern Ireland, for the registration years 1999–2003, are given in the table as follows.
Number of deaths in Northern Ireland with MRSA mentioned on the death certificate by registration year 1999–2003

Registration year	Death certificate mentioned MRSA
1999	13
2000	14
2001	16
2002	25
2003	30
Total (1999–2003)	98

 
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The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is used to classify cause of death and the current version of ICD does not have a specific code for MRSA. The statistics reported in the table have been obtained by identifying all deaths with ICD codes likely to be linked with MRSA, and checking the relevant death certificates for mention of MRSA.

NHS Direct

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in relation to the extension of NHS Direct to Northern Ireland. [214381]

Angela Smith: In Northern Ireland each of the four Health and Social Services Boards currently operate their own daytime telephone advice line. Out-of-hours providers for which each Board is responsible deliver access to advice and services outside normal office hours. The Department is working with the four Boards to consider further development of these services on a regional basis.

NHS Recruitment

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many overseas personnel were recruited to the NHS in Northern Ireland (a) directly by the health service and (b) through recruitment agencies in each of the last three years; and what the recruitment costs were in each case. [222930]

Angela Smith: Information on the recruitment of overseas personnel to the health and personal social services is not held centrally. Health and social services trusts have supplied the following details of the number of overseas personnel recruited either directly by the trust or through recruitment agencies in each of the last three years.

	Recruited directly by trust	Recruited through agency	Recruitment method not known
2002	265	218	76
2003	352	253	78
2004	359	93	76
Total	976	564	230

Information on the costs involved in recruitment are not available.

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