---

7 Apr 2005 : Column 1680W—continued

RUC Reserve

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of the Part-Time RUC Reserve resigned as a result of intimidation or other terrorist activity during the Troubles. [216842]

Mr. Pearson: Information held on the PSNI Human Resources system indicates that nine members of the Part-Time Reserve left the service giving the reason as Threatened". However, this figure cannot be regarded as definitive as specific reasons for leaving are not always provided.

Sinn Fein/IRA

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much of the fine imposed by the
 
7 Apr 2005 : Column 1681W
 
Government on Sinn Fein/IRA in April 2004 has been paid since the first report of the Independent Monitoring Commission. [208991]

Mr. Paul Murphy: Following the first report by the Independent Monitoring Commission, I directed that Sinn Fein should not receive the financial assistance payable to Northern Ireland political parties for 12months from 29 April. No such payments have been made to Sinn Fein, In the light of the IMC's report on the Northern bank robbery, I have directed that Sinn Fein will not receive financial assistance for a further 12months, from 29 April 2005.

Source of Leak

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress has been made in identifying the source of the leak within the Police Service Northern Ireland or the Police Ombudsman's office to the Press Association in December 2004 in relation to the case communicated to him on 31 January. [225041]

Mr. Paul Murphy: It has not been possible to answer the hon. Lady's question before Prorogation.

Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints were made by departmental civil servants regarding the conduct of special advisers between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004. [203473]

Mr. Paul Murphy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the former Minister for the Cabinet Office on 8 December 2004, Official Report, column 578W.

Teachers

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost of teachers progressing to point 2 of the Upper Pay Spine has been over the past three years. [223751]

Mr. Gardiner: Eligible teachers have been able to progress to UPS 2 with effect from 1 September 2003 following agreement between the teacher unions and employers to a Performance Review and Staff Development Scheme (PRSD) and implementation plan in November 2004. All applications received for UPS 2 progression have now been paid but there remains a possibility that a relatively small number of teachers have still to make an application. It is therefore not possible to provide a final total cost of teachers progressing to point 2 of the Upper Pay Scale but it is expected to be in the region of £21 million to £22 million.

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students graduated in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years with teaching qualifications. [224156]

Mr. Gardiner: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 4 April 2005, Official Report, column 1307W.
 
7 Apr 2005 : Column 1682W
 

Textile Industry

Mr. Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what support the Government is making available to assist the (a) Saville Row textile company and (b) Northern Ireland textile industry; and what discussions have taken place regarding these matters. [210921]

Mr. Gardiner: The right hon. Gentleman will receive a response to this question as soon as possible. However, I apologise that it has not been possible to provide this information before Prorogation. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

Unallocated Spending

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his latest estimate is of unallocated departmental spending in (a) 2005–06, (b) 2006–07, and (c) 2007–08; and if he will make a statement. [213254]

Mr. Paul Murphy: The Northern Ireland Office's estimate of unallocated departmental spending (Departmental Unallocated Provision [DUP]) in each of the years 2005–06 to 2007–08 is as follows:

	Unallocated departmental spending (£000)
2005–06	41,502
2006–07	0
2007–08	0

As a result of the outcome of the Spending Review 2004, the Department has decided, in agreement with HM Treasury, to hold no unallocated provision in the years 2006–07 and 2007–08 in order to maximise funding available to its directorates, agencies and NDPBs.

Waste Disposal

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what alternatives to landfill for waste disposal are available in Northern Ireland. [224869]

Angela Smith: In the Northern Ireland Waste Management Strategy, the waste management hierarchy gives top priority to prevention and second priority to recovery—with a preference for re-use and material recovery insofar as they are the best environmental options. Disposal of waste is very much a last option.

Landfill is the only disposal option currently available in Northern Ireland. However, the recent Best Practicable Environmental Option" exercise to identify waste management solutions for Northern Ireland highlighted the need for thermal treatment by 2013. In addition, a range of other physical treatment options to recover and reuse material have been identified as an alternative to disposal.

District councils continue to work towards increased recycling, and the Department of the Environment supports them in their roll-out of separate kerbside collections of recyclable and compostable material, thereby reducing the quantity of waste going for disposal.
 
7 Apr 2005 : Column 1683W
 

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much waste was disposed of to landfill in Northern Ireland in the latest period for which figures are available. [224873]

Angela Smith: In 2002, 251,600 tonnes (40 per cent. of the total) of commercial and industrial waste were sent to landfill. A survey of commercial and industrial waste arisings in 2004 is planned for this year.

In 2004, 871,000 tonnes (83 per cent. of the total) of municipal waste were sent to landfill. The total amount of municipal waste sent to landfill in 2004 has decreased by 3.4 per cent. from 2003.

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of whether Northern Ireland will reach its recycling targets under the Landfill Directive. [224880]

Angela Smith: The Landfill Directive sets targets for the reduction in the landfilling of Biodegradable Municipal Waste and performance against these targets is assessed through an annual performance report submitted to the Department of the Environment by each of the three regional Waste Management Groups.

Good progress is being made and this has been reinforced by the Landfill Allowance Scheme (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2004 which will set yearly landfill limits for each district council to ensure that Northern Ireland meets these targets.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Attendance Allowance

Mr. Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether people resident in residential care homes are eligible to claim attendance allowance. [224813]

Maria Eagle: Local authorities are responsible for providing financial help with the costs of staying in a care home, including the cost of personal care. Attendance allowance is not payable to residents who receive any local authority help with their care home costs, but it can be paid to those who meet all their care home costs themselves, or receive only free nursing care.

Benefit Payment Methods

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on payment mechanisms for state benefits. [224354]

Mr. Pond: Direct payment into an account is now the normal way that we pay benefits and pensions, over 96 per cent. of customer accounts are now paid this way.

Direct payment increases choice, reduces fraud and assures a safe, convenient, more modern and efficient way of paying benefits. It increases financial inclusion, and allows people to make savings on many of their bills by paying by direct debit. It also reduces waste in social security administrative costs and protects vulnerable customers.
 
7 Apr 2005 : Column 1684W
 

The small number of customers that cannot be paid this way will be paid by cheque, which can be cashed at the post office or paid into an account.

---