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Hospitals (Complaints)

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints have been made about the quality of care and treatment in hospitals in Northern Ireland in the last five years, broken down by hospital. [14522]

 
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Mr. Woodward: Information on the number of complaints made about the quality of care and treatment is not available by hospital. However, information is available by Trust and is detailed in the table. The Trusts are categorised according to whether they are Hospital Trusts, Community Trusts, Mixed (Hospital and Community) Trusts, or other" Trusts.
Number of complaints received by each Health and Social Services trustrecorded against Treatment and Care (quality)" category, by type of Trust and year

Health and Social Services Trust	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05(6)
Belfast City Hospital	30	48	32	61	41
Green Park	18	14	4	5	16
Mater Infirmorum	22	27	37	27	27
Royal Group of Hospitals	114	109	105	89	132
United Hospitals	77	53	79	72	96
Craigavon Area Group	84	71	55	41	66
Altnagelvin Group	51	65	42	37	47
Total Hospital Trusts	396	387	354	332	425
North and West Belfast	6	11	17	11	19
South and East Belfast	31	28	35	43	49
Homefirst	22	24	42	104	37
Craigavon and Banbridge	4	2	3	4	22
Foyle	7	5	11	13	15
Total Community Trusts	70	70	108	175	142
Down Lisburn	66	45	56	52	53
Ulster Community and Hospitals	100	71	59	54	54
Causeway	44	66	73	59	62
Armagh and Dungannon	22	22	9	18	14
Newry and Mourne	22	33	23	27	27
Sperrin Lakeland	25	20	18	19	19
Total Mixed Trusts	279	257	238	229	229
Northern Ireland Ambulance Service	31	34	24	23	22
Total Other Trusts	31	34	24	23	22
Total Northern Ireland	776	748	724	759	818

⁽⁶⁾Figures for 2004–05 are provisional and may be subject to change.
Source:
CHS

Housing Executive

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the funding to the Housing Executive for Northern Ireland has been in each of the last 10 years, broken down by region. [13963]

Mr. Hanson: The Department for Social Development funded the Northern Ireland Housing Executive the following amounts of Housing Deficit Grant in each of the last 10 years:

	£ million
1995–96	167.713
1996–97	184.790
1997–98	193.019
1998–99	210.531
1999–2000	200.352
2000–01	195.567
2001–02	202.088
2002–03	226.111
2003–04	226.142
2004–05	219.446

The information is not available by region.

Human Rights Commission

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria were applied in the selection of members of the Human Rights Commission in Northern Ireland. [7089]

Mr. Hanson: At both stages of the process (sift and interview), the Commissioner applicants were assessed against four criteria. The Chief Commissioner applicants were assessed against six, including the four used for the Commissioner.

The criteria applying for both Chief Commissioner and Commissioner posts were: corporate focus; responsibility and accountability; judgment and strategic thinking; and specialist expertise.

The two additional criteria for Chief Commissioner applicants were leadership; and management in a challenging environment.

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the (a) community, (b) religious and (c) political background is of the new appointees to the Human Rights Commission in Northern Ireland. [7090]

Mr. Hanson: In accordance with the guidelines of the Office of the Commissioner for Pubic Appointments (OCPA), applicants for the position of chief
 
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commissioner and commissioner were asked to declare political activity undertaken in the last five years, as defined in eight categories.

The press release of 16 June which announced the new chief commissioner and commissioners to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, set out this activity as follows:

Professor Monica Me Williams—founder member of the NI Women's Coalition and was an MLA 1998–2003. Professor McWilliams indicated that she would step down from her involvement with the NI Women's Coalition.

Professor Colin Harvey—Member of the Policy Committee of the SDLP from 2001–02, and has canvassed for the party in recent years.

Jonathan Bell—Independent, then Democratic Unionist Party, Councillor on Craigavon Borough Council until May 2005. Since May 2005 Ards Borough Councillor, Democratic Unionist Party.

Ann Hope—Canvassed on behalf of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition at elections.

Eamonn O'Neill—currently SDLP Councillor, Down Council (leader of SDLP group). Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly 1998–2003—Chaired the Assembly's Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee.

Geraldine Rice—Alliance Party of Northern Ireland Councillor on Castlereagh Borough Council since 1989. Elected Deputy Mayor May 2005.

The equal opportunities monitoring form completed by all candidates asked candidates to declare their background as being of the Protestant community"; of the Roman Catholic community" or neither a Protestant or Roman Catholic community background".

The community background of the seven commissioners and one chief commissioner as indicated in their forms is as follows:

Protestant—three

Roman Catholic—three

Neither Protestant or Roman Catholic community background—two

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people appointed to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission have declared their membership of (a) the Communist party, (b) the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, (c) the Social Democratic and Labour party, (d) the Ulster Unionist party, (e) the Democratic Unionist party, (f) the Alliance party and (g) Sinn Fein. [7834]

Mr. Hanson: The political activity monitoring forms returned with the application forms did not request political party membership details, but asked about any political activity, defined in certain categories that the applicants had undertaken in the last five years. This is a requirement set by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) guidance.

The parties in relation to which the appointed candidates declared political activity in the last five years were recorded as:

	Number
(a) Communist party	0
(b) Northern Ireland Women's Coalition	2
(c) Social Democratic and Labour party	1
(d) Ulster Unionist party	1
(e) Democratic Unionist party	1
(f) Alliance party	1
(g) Sinn Fein	0

 
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One individual declared activity within the last five years for two parties, the Ulster Unionist party and the Democratic Unionist party. This is reflected in the statistics.

Lifeguards

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which local government councils employ lifeguards along the coastline in their borough or district; and how many lifeguards are employed in each. [14510]

Angela E. Smith: This information is not held centrally.

Mental Health Consultants

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average length of time was for a person referred to a mental health consultant to be seen by that consultant in Northern Ireland in the last year for which figures are available. [9482]

Mr. Woodward: Information about average waiting times is not collected centrally.

I refer the hon. Member to the March 2005 edition of the Quarterly Waiting List Statistics Release which can be found in the House Library or http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/publications/2005/info-Release-Mar05.pdf

Tables 7a and 7b in this publication provide a breakdown of outpatients waiting for a first appointment by specialty and timeband and Table 8 provides this information by Programme of Care and timeband.

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