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7 Nov 2005 : Column 211W—continued
Cultural Events (Funding)
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding his Department has provided for (a) Ulster Scots and (b) Irish cultural (i) groups, (ii) events and (iii) projects in each of the last three years in Northern Ireland. [22761]
Mr. Hanson: The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) jointly funds the Ulster-Scots Agency and Foras na Gaeilge, the Irish Language Agency. The Ulster-Scots Agency has a statutory remit to promote Ulster-Scots language and culture. Foras na Gaeilge has a statutory remit to promote the Irish language.
The amounts allocated to the Ulster-Scots Agency and Foras na Gaeilge by DCAL in 2002, 2003 and 2004, which were given to cultural groups, events and projects in Northern Ireland are detailed in the table.
| Foras na Gaeilge (Irish Language Agency) (£) | Tha Boord o Ulster-Scotch (Ulster-Scots Agency) (£) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2002(75) | 2,862,644 | 509,208 |
| 2003(75) | 2,514,262 | 734,769 |
| 2004(75) | 2,039,322 | 962,934 |
Funding is also available from departmental mainstream programmes for projects which may have an Irish or Ulster-Scots language or culture dimension, which cannot be separated from the primary funding objectives.
Departmental Finance/Genetic Testing
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding has been allocated to the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety Research and Development Fund in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement on access to genetic testing for individuals in the Province. [24882]
Mr. Woodward:
The amount of funding allocated to the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety Research and Development Fund in each of the last five financial years was as follows:
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| Allocation | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 8,765 |
| 2001–02 | 8,621 |
| 2002–03 | 8,640 |
| 2003–04 | 10,582 |
| 2004–05 | 11,247 |
The HPSS Research and Development Office have no dealings nor have funded genetic testing for individuals in the Province in the last five years.
Departmental Funding
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding he expects to be allocated to the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety Research and Development Fund in (a) 2006–07 and (b) 2007–08. [24907]
Mr. Woodward: No decision has as yet been made with regard to the future funding of Research and Development within the HPSS for 2006–07 and 2007–08. A formal consultation process is currently under way in relation to the recently published Draft Priorities and Budget for Northern Ireland. Final decisions on spending allocations will be made following the end of this consultation period, which closes on 5 December 2005.
Departmental Skills Development Plan
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which individual is responsible for developing and implementing his Department's Skills Development Plan. [23839]
Mr. Hanson: The Director of Resources is the individual responsible for developing and implementing the Department's Skills Development Plan.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's skills development plan. [23865]
Mr. Hanson: I have arranged for a copy of the Northern Ireland office skills development plan to be placed in the Library.
Disability Services
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding has been allocated to learning disability services in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [25212]
Mr. Woodward: Expenditure on learning disability services in each of the last ten years is as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1995–96 | 58 |
| 1996–97 | 77 |
| 1997–98 | 83 |
| 1998–99 | 89 |
| 1999–2000 | 94 |
| 2000–01 | 100 |
| 2001–02 | 115 |
| 2002–03 | 136 |
| 2003–04 | 152 |
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Information for 2004–05 is not yet available.
Doctors' Training
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average expenditure on the training of (a) a general practitioner registrar and (b) a doctor in the year after completing their general practitioner registrar year was in the Province in 2004–05. [24868]
Mr. Woodward: The average expenditure on the training of a general practitioner registrar in the year 2004–05 was £77,866 and average expenditure for a doctor in the year after completing their general practitioner registrar year was £911.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many doctors have completed general practitioner training in the Province in each of the last five years. [24869]
Mr. Woodward: The total number of doctors who have completed general practice training in the Province in each of the last five years is as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 47 |
| 2004 | 46 |
| 2003 | 41 |
| 2002 | 36 |
| 2001 | 34 |
Domestic Violence
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many domestic violence incidents (a) were reported in each constituency and (b) led to prosecution through the court system in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [22628]
Mr. Hanson: The PSNI are the sole source of reliable information about domestic violence as they capture recorded crimes with a domestic motivation. The information is therefore only available across PSNI District Command Units and is set out in the table for the year 2004–05.
It is believed however that these figures do not reflect the true level of domestic violence in Northern Ireland. In the Northern Ireland Crime Survey 2003–04, 19 per cent. of female respondents claimed they had been the victims of domestic violence at some time in their lives, while 11 per cent. of male respondents made a similar claim.
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In relation to (b) figures relating to domestic violence incidents that led to prosecution through the court system are not available. Domestic violence is not a category against which crime is recorded and therefore it is not possible to directly attribute offences to the cases outlined above.
Education Action Zones
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will publish the education action zone proposals of each education and library board in Northern Ireland; [23662]
(2) what funding has been allocated to each education action zone in Northern Ireland; [23663]
(3) what progress education and library boards have made in seeking and securing inter-agency support for education action zones. [23664]
(4) what the start date is for education action zones in each education and library board area in Northern Ireland. [23667]
Angela E. Smith:
The purpose of education action zones (EAZs) was to help schools in specific designated areas become a community resource providing facilities, services and support both in and beyond education. Some £2 million per annum was allocated for EAZs but to date only modest funding has been provided to Education and Library Boards to assist them in developing proposals. Inter-agency support was a requirement for EAZ funding and was included in all of the proposals received. No start dates had yet been determined for EAZs. As the hon. Member will have seen from the draft Budget 2005, we are now proposing to extend these benefits to schools right across Northern Ireland, targeted initially at schools in disadvantaged
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areas, through the new investment in extended schools, as part of the Children's and Young People's package. We propose to roll education action zones, into this wider initiative. The Budget proposals are, however, still at draft stage, and views on them are welcome.
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