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Honours

Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many officials currently in the Department received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour. [5113]

Mr. Hain: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 22 June 2005, Official Report, column 1059W.

House Fire Fatalities

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have died in house fires in Northern Ireland (a) in each month so far in 2005 and (b) in the last three years for which figures are available. [7161]

 
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Mr. Woodward: Information provided by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service shows that in 2005 to date there have been three deaths in accidental dwellings fires in January and 1 in May. In the calendar years 2002, 2003 and 2004, total accidental dwelling fire fatalities were 12, 9 and 10, respectively.

Nitrates Directive (Slurry)

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what financial assistance his Department will provide to farmers in Northern Ireland to build new slurry tanks following implementation of the EU Nitrates Directive. [7138]

Angela E. Smith: To assist farmers to comply with the Action Programme to implement the EU Nitrates Directive the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is providing capital grant support through the Farm Nutrient Management Scheme. Funding of £45 million is available to assist with investment in new and improved slurry and manure storage facilities.

Olympic Games

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the benefits to Northern Ireland so far of the 2012 Olympic bid. [7097]

Mr. Hanson: In the event of London 2012 winning the Olympic bid, it is expected that Northern Ireland could benefit through volunteering, hosting of pre-games training camps, increase in tourism, increased awareness of the benefits of participating in sport, economic and business procurement opportunities. It is also anticipated that competitors from Northern Ireland will compete in the games, which will bring added value in support to local elite athletes.

In Northern Ireland, a regional co-ordinating group has been established to raise awareness of the bid and to consider how to maximise benefits arising from a successful bid throughout the Province.

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the benefits to Northern Ireland of the London bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games. [7631]

Mr. Hanson: There is regular liaison with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in support of the London bid and the benefits for Northern Ireland. A regional co-ordinating group has been established in Northern Ireland to raise awareness of the bid and to consider how to maximise benefits arising from a successful bid.

Northern Ireland could anticipate benefits through volunteering, hosting of pre-games preparation camps, increase in tourism, increased awareness of the benefits of participating in sport, economic and business procurement opportunities.

Out of School Provision

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether funding for the expansion of
 
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out-of-school provision in Northern Ireland was included in the recent announcement by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills. [7052]

Angela E. Smith: No, the announcement related to England.

My Department is, however, pursuing a number of developments, such as Education Action Zones, and provision within the Belfast Board area that will be supported through the Integrated Development Fund. These envisage schools as the learning hubs of their communities, supporting and encouraging provision throughout the extended school day; breakfast clubs, homework clubs, sports and a range of other activities are already offered in many schools before and after school hours.

Under the Peace II Programme extension 2004–06 out of school childcare provision and other activities can continue to be supported under Measure 1.5, Positive Action for Women.

Pensioners

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pensioners there are in the Strangford constituency. [6680]

Mr. Hanson: In answering this question I have assumed the word pensioners" relates to those people who are in receipt of retirement pension.

The number of people as of March 2005 in receipt of Retirement Pension in the Strangford constituency was 16,268.

Pharmaceutical Counterfeiting

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff are engaged within the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in combating the counterfeiting of pharmaceutical products; and what plans he has to increase these numbers. [7147]

Mr. Woodward: There are currently four full-time members of staff which form the Pharmaceutical Inspectorate within the Pharmaceutical Branch, engaged in inspection and enforcement across the whole range of medicines (human and veterinary) and related pharmaceutical legislation, including action against those engaged in dealings in counterfeit products. One of these officers is exclusively dedicated to investigative work.

There will shortly be a meeting between the Department and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on the future operational arrangements following the introduction of new Veterinary Medicines Regulations which are due to come into force on 30 October 2005. The implications of this for staffing levels will be considered following the results of those discussions.

School Transport

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the criteria used to determine children's eligibility for free school transport. [7670]

 
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Angela E. Smith: Free transport provision is available to pupils who have been unable to gain a place in suitable schools within specific distances of their home i.e. two miles for primary and three miles for secondary age pupils. While there are no plans to change this criterion the Department of Education is currently undertaking a review of the current arrangements.

Sinn Fein (Remuneration)

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been paid in (a) salaries and (b) office allowances to Sinn Fein Assembly members since 29 April 2004; and if he will make a statement. [6151]

Mr. Hain: The total amount paid to Sinn Fein Assembly Members in respect of salaries from 29 April 2004 to 31 May 2005 was £823,239. For the same period, Sinn Fein Assembly members received Office Allowance Costs of £1,211,141.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the first direction given under section 51B(2) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 against Sinn Fein removing its entitlement to payments under the Financial Assistance for Political Parties Scheme for the 12 months from 29 April 2004. [6152]

Mr. Hain: The first Direction removed Sinn Fein's entitlement to financial assistance for 12 months from 29 April 2004. The assistance Sinn Fein might otherwise have received is approximately £120,000.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reasons he declined to exercise his powers under section 47 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 to make a determination in relation to the salaries of Sinn Fein Assembly members following the 1st Report of the Independent Monitoring Commission in April 2004. [6153]

Mr. Hain: The Direction made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Torfaen in April 2004 concerned party funding. In his statement to the House of Commons on 20 April 2004 he said that having considered the Independent Monitoring Commission's Report, he was persuaded that it would be right to remove for a period the entitlement to the block financial assistance paid to Assembly parties.

He said that the powers he had taken to enable him to make a Direction in the absence of a sitting Assembly would also permit him to act to reduce Members' salaries if he saw fit to do so in the light of a future IMC report. My right hon. Friend had therefore concluded that action against party funding was the appropriate response to the report.

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