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Hospital Beds
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) intensive care and (b) high dependency beds there were in Northern Ireland hospitals in each of the last three years. [15335]
Mr. Woodward: Intensive care and high dependency unit beds form part of the service supplied in the acute sector of care.
The number of intensive care unit beds (ICU) and high dependency unit beds (HDU) in each hospital in each of the last three years is displayed in the following table.
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In addition to those beds included in the previous table, there are a number of critical care beds held for a specific purpose. These are detailed in the following table:
The Royal Victoria hospital is funded for eight ICU and six HDU cardiac surgery beds. The figures in the previous table reflect the numbers and types of beds available at a particular point in time. The numbers and types of beds may vary as nurses are used interchangeably depending on the needs of the patients who are in the unit at the time.
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average daily cost of (a) an intensive care and (b) a high dependency bed in Northern Ireland was in the latest period for which figures are available. [15370]
Mr. Woodward: The latest available costs are for the financial year 2003–04 and show that a bed in an intensive care unit cost £1,670 per day on average and a bed in a high dependency unit cost £610 per day on average.
Invest NI
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals are employed by Invest NI. [11767]
Angela E. Smith: Invest NI currently employs 661 staff (30 June 2005), of whom 54 are part-time. This represents a full-time equivalent staffing of 640.
Invest NI also engages a varying number of contracted staff in its overseas offices and also to deliver specific programmes in Northern Ireland. These currently number 37 in total and are funded separately.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what staff costs have been occurred by Invest NI in each year since it was established. [11768]
Angela E. Smith: Staff costs incurred by Invest NI are as follows:
(81)These figures do not include the costs of locally engaged staff in overseas offices. (In 2004–05 these costs amounted to £423,000).
Landfill
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much each district council in Northern Ireland has budgeted to spend on landfill for 2005–06; and what the expenditure was in (a) 1985–86 and (b) 1995–96. [14503]
Angela E. Smith: The information requested is not held centrally and because of the period of time covered and the number of separate bodies involved, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Learndirect
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the future of the learndirect network in Northern Ireland. [15090]
Angela E. Smith: Funding for Ufi/learndirect in its present form in Northern Ireland will cease on 31 March 2006.
My officials are currently working on a new, broader e-learning strategy, which will be issued for consultation in October 2005. The learndirect centre network will be given the opportunity to identify how they can assist with the delivery of this strategy through a re-alignment of their services.
Library Book Borrowing
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many books were borrowed from each publicly funded library in Northern Ireland in 2004–05. [15267]
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Mr. Hanson: The information requested has been placed in the Library. Figures are included for the nine libraries which recently closed in the North Eastern Education and Library Board. This data exclude books issued from mobile libraries.
Lifeguards
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what requirements he is introducing on those council areas that do not provide emergency life savers along their beaches. [14509]
Angela E. Smith: The employment of life-savers and life guards is a matter for individual district councils to determine. There are no plans to direct councils to provide this service.
Loan Sharks
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to assist those who are victims of loan sharks, with particular reference to those whose cases have passed through the courts. [15184]
Angela E. Smith: The Consumer Credit Bill reflects a Government commitment to tackle loan sharks". The Bill modernises the consumer credit market and makes it much easier for consumers to challenge unfair loan agreements. It will provide a new right to challenge unfair relationships arising out of the terms of loan agreements and the way in which the lender acts. Borrowers will also have the right to take disputes with their lenders to an Ombudsman Service without going through a lengthy and expensive court battle.
Management Consultants
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the total expenditure saved in each of the last three years as a result of implementing recommendations by management consultancies within his Department. [13632]
Angela E. Smith: No central estimate has been made of the total expenditure saved as a result of implementing recommendations by management consultants within the NI Departments over the last three years. However, Departments are required to complete a Post Project Evaluation which, in line with Treasury requirements, must include a benefits realisation assessment. These requirements apply to all policies/projects and policies, including those involving Management Consultants, and are the responsibility of individual Departments.
Mobile Phones/Laptops
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) mobile telephones and (b) laptops have been issued to (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) officials in Northern Ireland Government Departments in each of the last eight years; what costs were incurred; and how many have been (A)lost and (B) stolen during that period. [10972]
Angela E. Smith:
The information requested by the hon. Lady is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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