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Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many low birth weighte babies there were in each region in the most recent year in which figures are available expressed as (a) a percentage of allbirths and (b) the number ranked in descending order. [21186]
Mr. Woodward: The number of low birth weight babies that were born within each Health Board for 200405 is shown in the following table.
Health Board | (a) Percentage of all births | (b) Number of low birth weight babies |
---|---|---|
Eastern | 6.68 | 543 |
Northern | 5.96 | 342 |
Southern | 6.04 | 291 |
Western | 5.37 | 203 |
Northern Ireland | 6.14 | 1,379 |
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were diagnosed with lupus in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years. [22327]
Mr. Woodward: Information on the number of individuals diagnosed with lupus in Northern Ireland is not available. Information is available on the number of sufferers admitted to hospital.
The following table shows the number of admissions 1 to hospital in Northern Ireland, in each of the last five years, where the patients' primary diagnosis was lupus erythematosus or systematic lupus erythematosus.
Lupus erythematosus | Systematic lupus erythematosus | Total Admissions(22) with a primary diagnosis of lupus | |
---|---|---|---|
200001 | 19 | 197 | 216 |
200102 | 30 | 174 | 204 |
200203 | 12 | 249 | 261 |
200304 | 23 | 221 | 244 |
200405 | 25 | 214 | 239 |
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to alleviate congestion on the M2 out of Sandyknowles. [21361]
Mr. Woodward: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
Letter from Dr. Malcolm Mckibbin to Dr. William McCrea dated 27 October 2005:
You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a parliamentary question about what steps he is taking to alleviate congestion on the M2 out of Sandyknowes". I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service.
Roads Service plans to widen the Belfast-bound carriageway of the M2 motorway to create an additional lane between the Sandyknowes and Greencastle junctions. This will make it easier for traffic to join the M2 from the Sandyknowes junction, particularly during the morning peak traffic, and also provide greater capacity on the Belfast-bound section of the M2 towards Greencastle. Construction of these improvements on the M2 is expected to start during 2008.
The £30 million M2 Widening Scheme is one of three schemes forming part of the £100 million Roads Service Design, Build, Finance and Operate Package 1, along with the Ml/Westlink Project and the Antrim Hospital slip roads.
I can also advise that the Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan proposes modifications to the Sandyknowes roundabout to minimise conflicts between different traffic movements and afford greater priority to the strategic M2 and A8 movements. Roads Service is currently investigating various design options.
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate has been made of the cost to the NHS of the failure to return equipment loaned to patients in the last two years. [21358]
Mr. Woodward: The information requested is not available.
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his most recent assessment is of whether the Provisional IRA carried out the Northern Bank robbery. [21830]
Mr. Woodward: The Chief Constable has publicly stated that in his professional opinion, and based on the intelligence to hand, responsibility for the Northern Bank robbery must be attributed to the Provisional IRA. That is still his view.
The Government fully accepts the Chief Constable's judgment which was further endorsed by the Independent Monitoring Commission in its report of 10 February 2005.
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what orthodontic treatment is available on the NHS to the people of Northern Ireland; and what the charges are for each type of treatment. [21363]
Mr. Woodward: Health service orthodontic treatment is available to everyone here on the basis of clinical need. Most treatment is given following a referral from a general dental practitioner to a specialist orthodontist or a practitioner with orthodontic experience. The fees for each type of treatment are as follows:
Repairs to orthodontic appliances
Any other orthodontic treatment
Such fee as the Dental Committee of the Central Services Agency may determine
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will publish the draft retail planning policy document; and what assessment he has made of the effects of the delay in its publication. [21639]
Angela E. Smith: The Minister of State for Northern Ireland with responsibility for planning (Lord Rooker) issued a press release on 18 August announcing that he would be monitoring developments of a major retail development application at Sprucefield in deciding the timing and content of draft PPS 5.
There is on going assessment of the impact of the delay in publishing draft PPS 5.
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