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Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average waiting time (a) in Northern Ireland and (b) in respect of each health and social services board was between (i) a child and (ii) an adult being referred to (A) a speech therapist and (B) an occupational therapist and the date of that person's appointment in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [12382]
Mr. Woodward: Information on average waiting times for speech and language therapy and occupational therapy is not collected centrally. Information is, however, available on the time from referral to first appointment with a community speech and language therapist and from referral to commencement of assessment by a community occupational therapist, according to time band. The figures are available for adults and children together in respect of speech and language therapy and for adults only in respect of occupational therapy. The information is shown in the following tables for the position during the quarter ending 31 December 2004, the latest date for which such information is available.
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will provide further funding to establish projects in Northern Ireland for young people suffering as a result of substance misuse. [11348]
Mr. Woodward: There are no plans to provide further funding to establish projects for young people.
There are already a number of projects funded through the Northern Ireland Drug and Alcohol Campaign, which provide services for young people who may be directly or indirectly affected by substance misuse. These projects provide a range of services including education and prevention; diversionary activities and counselling and mentoring services.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the future of otorhinolarynology services at Tyrone county hospital. [11769]
Mr. Woodward: The otorhinolarynology service provided by Sperrin Lakeland Trust includes ENT services and is currently based at Tyrone county hospital (TCH). In-patient and day case services are delivered from TCH with out-patient services delivered from both the Erne and Tyrone county hospitals. The service also provides cover to Cavan/Monaghan hospitals.
The vast majority of otorhinolarynology procedures are performed on a day case basis and the future model for these services envisages that TCH will continue to provide both out-patient and day case services. These services will operate as part of a larger, area-wide network for the provision of otorhinolarynology services with in-patient services provided at the most appropriate acute hospital within the network. Such a network will greatly enhance the potential to recruit staff to local services and will ensure that patients are seen by the right person in the right place as quickly as possible.
18 Jul 2005 : Column 1393W
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children were placed for adoption in each year since 1983, broken down by age; how many of these children were placed for adoption while in local authority care; and how many were placed without parental consent. [10974]
Maria Eagle: The following table shows the number of looked after children placed for adoption since 1994, the earliest year for which information is available. Information is not collected centrally on the number of looked after children that were placed for adoption without parental consent.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of GDP was spent on children's services in England in the last period for which figures are available. [11795]
Beverley Hughes: Expenditure on children's services in England in 200304 was £5.4 billion, which equates to 0.48 per cent. of GDP.
This figure does not include expenditure on education services, local government formula spending on youth services or children's services funded by other Government Departments.
Further information, including forecast expenditure for future years and expenditure on education services, can be found in the Department for Education and Skills departmental report for 2005, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
18 Jul 2005 : Column 1394W
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what evidence her Department has collated on the cost-effectiveness of academies. [7979]
Jacqui Smith: We recently published PricewaterhouseCoopers' Second Annual Report from the Evaluation of the Academies Programme, which demonstrated that academies are overwhelmingly popular with parents and pupils, and that they have made a significant difference to the teaching and learning culture from their predecessors. Cost effectiveness is one of the indicators we expect that PwC will analyse as the five year study progresses, but it is important to note that academies are funded at the same level as other schools. Their recurrent funding is calculated on the same basis as other local schools and their capital costs are calculated using the same benchmarks as for other new schools.
Mr. Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding from the private sector has been brought into the state education system as a result of the establishment of city academies. [12538]
Jacqui Smith: Sponsors provide 10 per cent., up to a cap of £2 million, towards the capital costs for each academy, with the Government providing the balance and funding all recurrent costs. For the 17 academies currently open, and the 10 opening this September, the current expected total of private sponsors' contributions amounts to an additional investment in state education of £44 million. That figure rises to £69 million when including sponsors' contributions for the eight other academy projects opening in 2006 and 2007 which already have funding agreements in place.
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