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Avian Influenza
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent steps he has taken to protect Northern Ireland from an outbreak of avian influenza. [18981]
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Angela E. Smith: The threat posed by the spread of avian influenza is being kept under review and action taken to put in place the necessary protective measures.
The high pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 strain virus has been confirmed in both Turkey and Romania and all imports of poultry, poultry meat and products into the EU from Turkey and Romania have ceased. The EU agreed on 14 October that measures should be taken to reduce the risk of avian influenza being transmitted from wild birds to poultry and to ensure their early detection systems are effective. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) is considering with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) what further action may be necessary to implement these requirements.
DARD has put in place a range of precautionary measures to address the risk of avian influenza entering Northern Ireland and to stop it spreading. Advice regarding biosecurity has recently been re-issued to the poultry industry and is available on the DARD website. An avian influenza survey is being carried out this autumn for the third year in succession on certain types of poultry, and wild bird surveillance is also being
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undertaken, with the support of the Environment and Heritage Service and other non-Government organisations.
There is close co-operation between relevant Departments to ensure a joined-up approach to the threat of avian influenza including in respect of the implications for public health. Officials are also working closely with their counterparts from the Department of Agriculture and Food in the Republic of Ireland in relation to avian influenza, which is of mutual interest in the context of the island of Ireland.
DARD has a contingency plan in place, which has been approved by the EU, to ensure that any outbreak of avian influenza is dealt with quickly and effectively. This plan is continually being reviewed and updated, and has been tested on two occasions in recent weeks.
Cancers
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the age standardised mortality rates for all cancers for men and women in each health board in Northern Ireland were in each of the last 10 years. [18243]
Mr. Woodward: The information requested is shown in the following table.
(60)Includes non-melanoma skin cancer.
This information has been provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry and is the most up to date currently available.
Cardiomyopathy
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaths in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years cardiomyopathy was (a) the cause and (b) a contributory factor. [18045]
Angela E. Smith: The following table gives the number of deaths registered in Northern Ireland for each year between 1995 and 2004, where cardiomyopathy 1 was recorded as either (a) the primary cause of death or (b) a contributory factor but not the primary cause of death.
1 International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision code 142 for years 2001–04 and Ninth Revision code 425 for years 1995–2000.
(61)Data for 2004 is provisional
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Care Homes
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many care home places there were in Northern Ireland in 1996. [18030]
Mr. Woodward: At 31 March 1996, there were 16,698 care home places in Northern Ireland. This information includes places in residential and nursing homes, and places in children's homes as well as those for adults.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many care home places there are in the Province. [18183]
Mr. Woodward: At 31 March 2004 (the latest date for which information is available), there were 15,330 care home places in Northern Ireland. This information includes places in residential and nursing homes, and places in children's homes as well as those for adults.
Child Deaths
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children died in accidents away from home, other than road deaths, in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by the age groups (a) zero to seven, (b) eight to 13 and (c) 14 to 18 years. [18146]
Angela E. Smith: The following table gives the number of deaths registered in Northern Ireland, for each year from 2000 to 2004, due to non-transport related accidents 1 outside the home by age-groups (a) zero to seven, (b) eight to 13 and (c) 14 to 18 years respectively.
1 International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes W00-X59 for years 2001–04 and Ninth Revision codes E850-E869, E880-E928, and E929.2-E929.9 for year 2000.
(62)Data for 2004 are provisional
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children died in accidents in the home, other than fire, in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by the age groups (a) zero to seven, (b) eight to 13 and (c) 14 to 18 years. [18147]
Angela E. Smith: The following table gives the number of deaths registered in Northern Ireland, for each year between 2000 and 2004, due to domestic non-fire related accidents 1 broken down by the age groups (a) zero to seven, (b) eight to 13 and (c) 14 to 18 years respectively.
1 International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes W00-W99 and X10-X59 for years 2001–04 and Ninth Revision codes E850-E869, E880-E888, E900-E928, and E929.2-E929.9 (excluding E929.4) for year 2000.
(63)Data for 2004 are provisional.
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