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1 Nov 2005 : Column 1013W—continued
Economic Vision
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made towards the goal of publishing a strategy to support the delivery of the Economic Vision for Northern Ireland. [22330]
Angela E. Smith: Delivering the Economic Vision will require concerted action from both the public and private sectors. For its part Government will produce a regional economic strategy which will set out the policy framework for delivering the Economic Vision. These strategies, requested by Treasury, are being produced for the regions across the UK.
The Northern Ireland strategy is currently being drafted by DFP in collaboration with the other Government departments. The intention is to circulate a draft for wider consideration before the end of this year.
Education and Library Boards
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many education and library boards in Northern Ireland have not had their accounts signed off in each of the last five years. [21232]
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Angela E. Smith: The number of year end accounts for the last five years for the education and library boards in Northern Ireland which have not yet been certified is as follows:
| Year end accounts not yet certified | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 0 |
| 2001–02 | 1 |
| 2002–03 | 2 |
| 2003–04 | 4 |
| 2004–05 | 5 |
Electronic Human Resources
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the procurement process used in relation to the Northern Ireland Civil Service electronic human resources contract. [21887]
Angela E. Smith: The procurement process is currently ongoing and is being conducted strictly in accordance with the Negotiated Procedure of the Public Services Contracts Regulations 1993 (As Amended).
Empty Homes
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many empty homes there are in (a) public sector housing and (b) private sector housing in the Strangford constituency. [22829]
Mr. Hanson: There are 302 empty housing executive homes in the Strangford area. The information is not held in the format requested for private sector properties. However, it is estimated that there are around 1,680 vacant properties in the Ards and Down council areas which mainly cover the Strangford constituency.
Energy Efficiency (Pensioner Homes)
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the quality of publicly funded installation of central heating and insulation in pensioners' homes in Northern Ireland. [22748]
Mr. Hanson: Eaga Partnership inspects all central heating installations provided in pensioners' homes under the Warm Homes Scheme and inspects 5 per cent. of the insulations. In addition, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, as quality assurance auditors for the scheme, carries out monthly audits on both heating and insulation installations.
This system of inspection ensures that work is completed to a high standard.
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how he has monitored customer satisfaction with publicly funded work carried out to install central heating and insulation in pensioners' homes in Northern Ireland. [22749]
Mr. Hanson:
Customer satisfaction of work carried out under the Warm Homes Scheme is monitored by Eaga Partnership, scheme managers, who complete 20 customer satisfaction questionnaires each month and
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proactively deal with any issues that may arise. In addition, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) carries out an annual customer satisfaction survey.
The level of customer satisfaction remains very high at around 93 per cent.
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints he has received against (a) Eaga Partnership Ltd. and (b) its subcontractors in respect of publicly funded programmes to install central heating and insulation in pensioners' homes. [22750]
Mr. Hanson: Since the Warm Homes Scheme commenced in 2001 the Department for Social Development has received (a) eight complaints about Eaga Partnership Ltd. and (b) eleven complaints about subcontractors in respect of the programmes to install central heating and insulation in pensioners' homes.
Fisheries
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many licences have been applied for by Northern Ireland fisheries boards to cull piscivorous birds in each of the last five years; how many applications for such licences were approved; and how many birds were shot under each licence, broken down by species. [22800]
Angela E. Smith: There are no fisheries boards in Northern Ireland. However, applications for 15 licences were received from organisations that could be classified as fisheries boards. All of these licences were granted. A total of 215 Cormorants were shot under these licences; no other species of bird was shot.
The breakdown of licences is as follows.
| Number applied for | Number granted | Number shot | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1 | 1 | 29 |
| 2001 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 2002 | 1 | 1 | 30 |
| 2003 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 | 1 | 1 | 30 |
| 2005 (To date) | 1 | 1 | 30 |
| Number applied for | Number granted | Number shot | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2 | 2 | (49)20 |
| 2001 | 2 | 2 | (49)20 |
| 2002 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 2003 | 2 | 2 | (49)20 |
| 2004 | 2 | 2 | (49)20 |
| 2005 (To date) | (50)— | (50)— | (50)— |
(49) 10 under each licence.
(50) None.
Fujitsu
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information the Fujitsu Services Ltd. consortium bidding for the Northern Ireland Civil Service Electronic Human Resources Contract has provided to his Department regarding its experience of human resources outsourcing work. [22780]
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Angela E. Smith: The Fujitsu Services Limited Consortium has provided information on its experience of human resources outsourcing both in its response to the Invitation to Negotiate and in its Best and Final Offer submission.
The procurement process is still ongoing and as such commercially sensitive information cannot be released at this stage.
Gap Year Funding
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether it is his policy to seek the creation of a gap year travel fund initiative for school leavers in Northern Ireland. [22765]
Angela E. Smith: There are no plans to introduce such a measure.
General Practitioners
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many general practitioners per head of population there are in the Province broken down by constituencies; and if he will make a statement. [22646]
Mr. Woodward: Information requested is provided in the following table.
(51) Figures are derived from the Medlist Database maintained by the Central Services Agency, which holds data on the headcount number of individual general practitioners in Northern Ireland. The figures refer to unrestricted principals at 3 October 2005.
(52) The source of the population figures is Demography and Methodology Branch of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. The figures refer to the mid-year estimate of population at June 2004.
(53) Figures are based on the location of each general practice in Northern Ireland.
Source:
Central Services Agency
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