House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 12 Sept 2005 (pt 66)

12 Sept 2005 : Column 2480W—continued

Electricity Prices

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with energy providers about electricity prices in Northern Ireland. [13892]

Angela E. Smith: Neither my right. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland nor I have had recent discussions with energy providers about electricity prices in Northern Ireland. However, I plan to meet with representatives of two of the providers in the near future.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to reduce electricity prices in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [13893]

Angela E. Smith: The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment is continuing to work towards securing EU State aid approval of a proposed Government intervention of some £30 million a year aimed at reducing electricity prices. The proposed intervention would remove some of the excess costs inherited from privatisation.

As an interim measure, £8.8 million of the available funding has been allocated to assist with energy efficiency measures which will have the effect of an average 1.5 per cent. reduction in electricity tariffs for all customers in the 2005–06 tariff year.

Epilepsy-related Deaths

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have died from epilepsy-related deaths in each of the last five years. [14528]

Angela E. Smith: The following table gives the number of deaths in Northern Ireland per year between 2000 and 2004 where the underlying cause of death was recorded as epilepsy ¹ .

12 Sept 2005 : Column 2481W

Number of deaths registered in Northern Ireland due to epilepsy, 2000 to 2004

Deaths due to epilepsy1

2000 23

2001 22

2002 22

2003 22

2004⁽¹¹²⁾ 31

⁽¹¹¹⁾International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision code G40 for years 2001–04 and Ninth Revision code 345 for year 2000.
⁽¹¹²⁾Data for 2004 is provisional

	Deaths due to epilepsy1
2000	23
2001	22
2002	22
2003	22
2004⁽¹¹²⁾	31

Fabrication Jobs

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fabrication jobs there are in Northern Ireland; and what the figures are for each of the last four years. [14515]

Angela E. Smith: Estimates of the number of employee jobs in the Manufacture of Fabricated Metal Products, Except Machinery and Equipment in Northern Ireland at March in each year 2002 to 2005 are detailed in the following table.
Table 1: Employee jobs⁽¹¹³⁾in the manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment

As at March Number

2002 6,420

2003 6,340

2004⁽¹¹⁴⁾ 6,740

2005⁽¹¹⁵⁾ 6,920

⁽¹¹³⁾Figures are rounded to the nearest 10
⁽¹¹⁴⁾Revised
⁽¹¹⁵⁾Provisional
Note:
Figures are not seasonally adjusted
Source:
Quarterly Employment Survey, DETI

As at March	Number
2002	6,420
2003	6,340
2004⁽¹¹⁴⁾	6,740
2005⁽¹¹⁵⁾	6,920

Free School Transport

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many children are eligible for free school transport within each of the education boards. [15308]

Angela E. Smith: The following numbers of pupils were eligible, per board, for assisted school transport in school year 2004–05:

Number

BELB 3,990

NEELB 22,084

SEELB 19,611

SELB 26,456

WELB 25,650

	Number
BELB	3,990
NEELB	22,084
SEELB	19,611
SELB	26,456
WELB	25,650

Global Point Industrial Centre

Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans there are to commence work on Global Point Industrial Centre, Newtownabbey. [15190]

12 Sept 2005 : Column 2482W

Angela E. Smith: Invest NI and its predecessor IDB have been developing site infrastructure at Global Point in phases over the past number of years. Further development on the site is not expected until the public inquiry into the Belfast metropolitan plan is completed.

Housing Indicator Figures

Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to announce the latest housing indicator figures for each Northern Ireland local authority. [15315]

Mr. Woodward: Following consideration of the responses to the consultation on the housing growth indicators, I have decided to hold a public examination of the proposals. The public examination will be held in the autumn, with a final announcement at the end of the year.

Illegal Trading

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the estimated illicit market share for (a) cigarettes, (b) spirits, (c) diesel and (d) petrol has been in each of the last five years. [13936]

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.

Estimates of the illicit market share for cigarettes and spirits are not made separately for Northern Ireland. Figures for the UK were published by HM Customs and Excise in Measuring Indirect Tax Fraud" in December 2004, together with a description of the methodology used to derive them. These covered the years 2000–01 to 2003–04 for cigarettes and 1999–2000 to 2002–03 for spirits. This publication is available in the House of Commons Library.

Because of difficulties in measuring cross-border shopping across the Intra-Ireland border, it is not possible to produce estimates of the illicit market for Northern Ireland in diesel and petrol. However, estimates of the share of these markets in Northern Ireland that are not UK-duty paid for the years 2000 to 2003 were also published in Measuring Indirect Tax Fraud"

Jobcentres (Assaults)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Job Centre staff in Northern Ireland have been the victims of assault in each of the last 10 years. [13906]

Angela E. Smith: The recorded incidents are set out in the following tables.

12 Sept 2005 : Column 2483W

Reported incidents of violence or verbal abuse in jobcentres

Violence to staff Verbal abuse Incidents involving customers

Commit an actual physical
assault on staff, contractor or customer; regardless of
whether or not injury occurred Verbal abuse, shouting, swearing, name calling, insults threats-with
or without a weapon,
abusive phone calls, written abuse Fighting between themselves or damage to property

1995–2001 0 0 0

2002 0 2 2

2003 0 3 0

2004 0 0 0

2005 0 2 0

Total 0 7 2

Reported incidents of violence or verbal abuse in jobs and benefits offices⁽¹¹⁶⁾

Violence to staff Verbal abuse Incidents involving customers

Commit an actual physical
assault on staff, contractor or
customer; regardless of
whether or not injury occurred Verbal abuse, shouting, swearing, name calling, insults threats-with
or without a weapon,
abusive phone calls, written abuse Fighting between themselves or damage to property

1995–2001 0 0 0

2002 0 0 0

2003 0 3 2

2004 1 7 0

2005 0 3 1

Total 1 13 3

⁽¹¹⁶⁾Jobs and Benefits Offices were introduced in 2002.

	Violence to staff	Verbal abuse	Incidents involving customers
	Commit an actual physical assault on staff, contractor or customer; regardless of whether or not injury occurred	Verbal abuse, shouting, swearing, name calling, insults threats-with or without a weapon, abusive phone calls, written abuse	Fighting between themselves or damage to property
1995–2001	0	0	0
2002	0	2	2
2003	0	3	0
2004	0	0	0
2005	0	2	0
Total	0	7	2

	Violence to staff	Verbal abuse	Incidents involving customers
	Commit an actual physical assault on staff, contractor or customer; regardless of whether or not injury occurred	Verbal abuse, shouting, swearing, name calling, insults threats-with or without a weapon, abusive phone calls, written abuse	Fighting between themselves or damage to property
1995–2001	0	0	0
2002	0	0	0
2003	0	3	2
2004	1	7	0
2005	0	3	1
Total	1	13	3

Labour Force Survey

Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of people in the South Antrim constituency are classified as (a) professionals and (b) skilled workers. [15319]

Angela E. Smith: Latest figures from the spring 2005 labour force survey show that 13 per cent. ¹ of those in employment in the South Antrim constituency area are classified as being in professional occupations and 16 per cent. ¹ are classified into skilled trade occupations.

12 Sept 2005 : Column 2484W

¹ These estimates are based on small sample sizes and are therefore subject to a higher than usual degree of sampling variability. They should therefore be treated with caution.

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