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17 Oct 2005 : Column 741W—continued

Crosshill Quarry

Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what legislation was in place to control hazardous waste at Crosshill Quarry, Crumlin in the period from 25 November 2003 to 19 December 2003; and if he will make a statement. [15179]

Angela E. Smith: The Special Waste Regulations (NI) 1998 were in place during the period from 25 November 2003 to the 19 December 2003 to control Special Waste movements to and from Crosshill Quarry. During this period however, no hazardous waste was introduced to the quarry. The Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 and relevant statutory provisions made under that Order are in place to protect persons at work within the quarry site.

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals have been treated with electroconvulsive therapy in the Province in each of the last 10 years. [17132]


 
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Mr. Woodward: The total number of patients who received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in each financial year 1994–95 to 2004–05 is provided in the following table.
Total number of patients who have received electroconvulsive therapy

Number of patients who received ECT
1994–951,039
1995–961,081
1996–97936
1997–98876
1998–99808
1999–2000717
2000–01629
2001–02659
2002–03662
2003–04624
2004–05472




Note:
Data are collected on a quarterly basis and include both new patients and patients who received ECT previously. Therefore patients may be included in the table more than once over the year if they received ECT in a previous quarter.



Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures are used in Northern Ireland hospitals to establish consent from a patient for electroconvulsive therapy. [17559]

Mr. Woodward: A standard consent form is used to obtain consent from patients. When a patient is unable to give consent, a second opinion is necessary from an independent doctor appointed by the Mental Health Commission before the procedure can proceed.

Fire Authority

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new members have been appointed to the Fire Authority since May. [17539]

Mr. Woodward: None.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the Fire Authority to be reconstituted. [17540]

Mr. Woodward: Under the proposed Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Board would replace the Fire Authority for Northern Ireland as the governing body for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.

A 12-week public consultation on the wording and effect of the Draft Order closed on 14 October 2005. Once the responses have been considered and the Draft Order has been finalised it will be laid at Westminster. It is anticipated that the order will be made at Privy Council around March 2006 and the provisions to establish the new board will be commenced as soon as practicable thereafter.

Firearm Certificates

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) firearm certificates were held, (b) new applications for firearm certificates
 
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were granted and (c) firearm certificates were extinguished in each of the last five years in Northern Ireland. [18092]

Mr. Woodward: Statistics held by the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Firearms Licensing Branch are as follows:
Total firearm certificates heldNew grantsExtinguished
1999–200081,7832,948n/a
2000–0180,8092,632n/a
2001–0280,1132,523n/a
2002–0379,2232,682n/a
2003–0478,0662,742n/a
2004–05n/an/an/a




n/a=not available



Statistics are not available for 2004–05.

Foster Care

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much a foster family in Belfast received for each child fostered in each of the last five years. [18099]

Mr. Woodward: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 258W.

General Practitioners

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many full-time general practitioners are employed in the Province; and how many there were (a) five and (b) 10 years ago. [17550]

Mr. Woodward: Information requested is provided in the table.
Number of general practitioners (unrestricted principals) employed in NHS: currently, five years ago and 10 years ago

HeadcountWTE(27)
19951,003949
20001,053983
20051,084(28)n/a


(27)Whole time equivalent
(28)Not available


The increase in the number of full-time general practitioners for 1995–2000 is 34. The WTE figure for 2005 is not available.

Health Service Administrators

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many administrators were employed within the health service in Northern Ireland in the last year for which figures are available. [18022]

Mr. Woodward: Information requested is provided in the table.
Number of administrators employed within the Northern Ireland HPSS as at 30 September 2005

Administration and clerical grades
Headcount13,237
Whole-time equivalent11,572.97









 
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Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many administrators were employed within the health service in the Province in June 1997. [18186]

Mr. Woodward: The information requested is not available for June 1997. However, information as at 30 September 1997 is provided in the following table.
Number of administrators employed within the Northern Ireland HPSS as at 30 September 1997

HeadcountWhole time equivalent
Administration and clerical grades9,5368,457.65

Health Service Costs

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the cost to the health service in the Province in the last 12 months of the failure by patients to return equipment loaned to them. [17130]

Mr. Woodward: The information requested is not available centrally.

Hospital Managers

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many managers within the Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust are (a) Protestant and (b) Roman Catholic. [17541]

Mr. Woodward: Information requested is provided in the following table.
Number of managers within the Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust who are (a) Protestant and (b) Roman Catholic as at January 2005

ReligionHeadcount
(a) Protestant156
(b) Roman Catholic45
Other/not known15
Total216

Hospital Treatments

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total number of hospital treatments was in Northern Ireland in 2001. [18025]

Mr. Woodward: Information is not available on the total number of hospital treatments undertaken in 2001. Information is available on the number of inpatient and day case procedures undertaken in acute hospitals in Northern Ireland in 2001.

In 2001 there were 523,957 procedures undertaken in acute hospitals in Northern Ireland.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hospital treatments there were in Northern Ireland during the last 12 months. [18037]


 
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Mr. Woodward: Information is not available on the total number of hospital treatments undertaken during the last 12 months. Information is available on the number of inpatient and day case procedures undertaken in acute hospitals in Northern Ireland in 2004–05.

In 2004–05 there were 589,321 procedures undertaken in acute hospitals in Northern Ireland.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total number of hospital treatments in the Province was in 1999. [18188]

Mr. Woodward: Information is not available on the total number of hospital treatments undertaken in 1999. Information is available on the number of inpatient and day case procedures undertaken in acute hospitals in Northern Ireland in 1999.

In 1999 there were 487,155 procedures undertaken in acute hospitals in Northern Ireland.


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