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8 Nov 2005 : Column 421W—continued
Marriage Licences
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many marriage licences were issued by each local government councils in each of the last five years. [24144]
Angela E. Smith: Prior to 1 January 2004, all civil marriages were carried out either by registrar's certificate or registrar's licence but separate statistics are not available for each form of authority. Table 1 gives the total number of civil marriages by local government district between 2000 and 2003.
New marriage legislation introduced from 1 January 2004 provided for universal civil preliminaries with a schedule issued by the registrar constituting the authority for all marriages, religious or civil, to take place. Table 2 gives the number of marriages carried out by schedule and the number of civil marriages by schedule by local government district in 2004. In addition, table 2 gives the number of civil marriages that took place in 2004, under the previous legislation.
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Mental Health
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the prevalence of mental ill health in the Province. [24863]
Mr. Woodward: There has been no survey of the prevalence of mental ill health in Northern Ireland however; a survey carried out in 2000 by the Office for National Statistics in Great Britain indicate that one in six people will suffer from a mental illness at any one time.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on mental health services in the Province in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [24894]
Mr. Woodward: Expenditure on mental health services for the last five financial years is listed in the following table.
| Mental health expenditure (£ million | |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 124.033 |
| 2000–01 | 133.206 |
| 2001–02 | 139.345 |
| 2002–03 | 150,773 |
| 2003–04 | 161.141 |
| Total | 708.498 |
The Review of Mental Health and Learning Disability includes a specific expert working committee whose responsibility is to cost the recommendations emerging from the Review. This will inform future funding decisions in the development of mental health services.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on mental health promotion in the Province in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [24895]
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Mr. Woodward: Mental health promotion is included as part of the work of a wide range of health and social services professionals and it is not possible to distinguish amounts spent on it by them. However since the publication of the draft Strategy for Promoting Mental and Emotional Health in Northern Ireland my Department has allocated the following specific amounts towards promoting mental health.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 50,000 |
| 2002–03 | 200,000 |
| 2003–04 | 300,000 |
| 2004–05 | 350,000 |
| 2005–06 | 600,000 |
The Mental Health Promotion Strategy and Action Plan contains 30 actions to promote mental health and prevent suicide. The Strategy is being overseen by a Multi-sectoral Implementation group.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the priorities agreed at the World Health Organisation European Ministerial Conference on Mental Health in January. [24896]
Mr. Woodward:
The priorities stated in the Mental Health Declaration for Europe are fundamental to a modern mental health service and are principles fully
8 Nov 2005 : Column 424W
espoused by the current Review of Mental Health and Learning Disability, which will inform the reform and modernisation of mental health services here.
MOT Vehicle Tests
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria are used in Northern Ireland for MOT vehicle tests; and whether there is a requirement for speedometers to include kilometres per hour as well as miles per hour. [24849]
Angela E. Smith: The criteria used in Northern Ireland for MOT vehicle tests are contained in the Motor Vehicle Testing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 which specify the class of vehicles subject to testing and the related test items. Schedule 2 of these regulations cites the speedometer as a testable item for Class IV vehicles (motor cars). Regulation 40 of the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 provides for a motor vehicle to be fitted with a speedometer which indicates speed both in miles per hour and kilometres per hour, either simultaneously or, if required, separately.
Multiple Sclerosis
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding has been allocated by each health board in the Province for disease modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis in each of the last five years. [24891]
Mr. Woodward: The health and social services boards have advised that expenditure on disease modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis in each of the last five years was as shown in the following table:
Nurses
Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the reasons for nurses leaving the NHS in Northern Ireland; and if he will take steps to increase the number of nurses trained each year. [25522]
Mr. Woodward: During the year ended 31 March 2005 a total of 893 nursing and midwifery staff left the Northern Ireland Health and Personal Social Services (HPSS). This figure will include retirements and those who have left the NI HPSS to join the NHS in England, Scotland and Wales. Information on the actual destination of leavers is not collected.
The annual intake of student nurses has increased from 480 in 1999 to the current level of 750. This level is kept under review through the Department's ongoing workforce planning process.
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