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10 Nov 2005 : Column 761W—continued

Special Schools

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many special schools have (a) opened and (b) closed in the Province since 1997. [25787]

Angela E. Smith: One new special school opened in June 2005 and 15 units attached to mainstream schools have also been established over the period since 1997.
 
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Three school amalgamations (involving 7 special schools) have also been announced. There have been two special school closures since 1997. The following tables contain detail of this information.
Special school closures

Education and
Library Board area

School

Date of closure
BelfastJaffe Centre31 August 2001
SouthernFallowfield Special31 August 2002

New schools

Education and
Library Board area

Schools

Date of opening
WesternStrabane—multi-functional: moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties, speech and languageJune 2005

Special school amalgamations

Education and
Library Board area

Schools

Date of amalgamation
WesternHeatherbank and Cranny1 September 2003
WesternLimegrove and GlasveyWhen new school is completed—estimated 2008
North-EasternBeechgrove, Dunfane and LoughanRecently published proposal—objection period ends on 8 December 2005

Special units

Education and
Library Board area

Schools

Type of unit

Date opened
SouthernSt. Patrick's HS, KeadyUnit for pupils with moderate learning difficulties1 September 1998
BelfastTaughmonagh PSSpeech and Language Unit1 September 1999
South-EasternClandeboye PS, BangorUnit for pupils with moderate learning difficulties1 September 1999
BelfastBelvoir Park PSSpeech and Language Unit1 September 1999
North-EasternBallymoney Model PSPartial Hearing Unit closed, Speech and Language Unit opened1 September 2001
SouthernSt. Patrick's PS, KeadySpeech and Language Unit1 September 2001
SouthernSt. Patrick's PS, DungannonSpeech and Language Unit1 September 2002
South-EasternClough PSSpeech and Language Unit1 September 2002
South-EasternSt. Mary's PS, KircubbinUnit for pupils with moderate learning difficulties1 September 2002
WesternGibson PSI Can Pre-school Unit1 September 2003
North-EasternMoyle PSTransfer of MLD Unit from former Antiville PS1 September 2005
SouthernChristian Bros. PS, ArmaghUnit for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder1 September 2005
SouthernSt. Mary's PS, BanbridgeUnit for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder1 September 2005
SouthernPrimate Dixon, CoalislandUnit for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder1 September 2005
SouthernSt. Joseph's Convent PS, NewryConversion to a unit for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder plus new unit for pupils with moderate learning difficulties1 September 2005

Spiked Drinks

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he collects on the prevalence of spiking drinks in the Province. [24923]

Mr. Hanson: A range of statutory and voluntary sector organisations work together to raise awareness of the dangers of drink spiking. This has included beer mat and poster campaigns in pubs and clubs funded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Health Promotion Agency.

It is difficult to estimate the prevalence of drink spiking in Northern Ireland. Spiking drinks can take many forms and includes the addition of alcohol, prescription drugs and illegal drugs (eg Ecstasy) as well as the so called date rape drugs such as Rohypnol. Victims may not realise their drink was spiked, and even when a more serious offence has occurred the victim may not be aware until some time after the incident. In some cases the victim may not tell anyone what has happened to them.
 
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Drink spiking may constitute an offence under the Offences Against The Persons Act 1861 (Section 22, administering poison to endanger life; and Section 23, administering poison to aggrieve). In 2004–05 a total of six cases were recorded under these Sections of the Act. However it is not possible to easily differentiate between cases of drink spiking and other poisonings. Drink spiking is difficult to prove and is often connected with more serious offences such as sexual assaults. Consequently in many cases the more serious offence will be recorded rather than those offences under Sections 22 and 23 of the Act.

Substitute Teachers

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the spending by each education and library board in the Province on substitute teachers in each of the last five years. [25771]

Angela E. Smith: The amount spent by each of the education and library boards and grant maintained integrated schools on substitute teachers in the last five years is in the following table.
£

Board area2000–012001–022002–032003–042004–05
BELB6,824,6627,182,8638,053,7598,242,9007,594,513
NEELB8,247,4658,891,2049,851,45210,064,9149,328,754
SEELB7,160,5097,910,6458,583,0799,106,4928,393,759
SELB7,922,6538,719,9009,110,1439,617,5849,650,490
WELB6,335,9356,864,3527,704,9198,164,7008,114,576
GMI1,255,7461,392,5741,457,0371,481,6611,629,538
Total37,746,97040,961,53844,760,38946,678,25144,711,630

Women Sector (Funding)

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what changes he plans to make to the funding arrangements for the Northern Ireland women'sector. [26685]

Mr. Hanson: The Government has provided initial financial support and established a cross Departmental Review Group to consider longer term support to women's organisations delivering services following the end of previous funding streams in the first financial year.

Following consideration of the report of the review group I extended the short term programme and with ministerial colleagues have set in motion potential
 
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longer term support for these organisations. This means that we have been able to provide an additional £1,850,000 in the current financial year to protect these key organisations.

With regard to the future women's centres will have to demonstrate and provide supporting evidence of need for these services and will have to compete with others that may want to deliver the same services, however given the capacity of the centres I am confident that they will continue to serve those in most need for many years to come.

Warm Homes Scheme

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many households received funding from the Warm Homes Scheme in the last 12 months in each district council area in the Province. [24890]

Mr. Hanson: Under the Warm Homes Scheme, eligible applicants are provided with insulation measures. The Warm Homes Plus scheme provides heating and insulation measures for all eligible pensioners.

The information is as follows:
District councilNumber of households in receipt of insulation measures(77)Number of households in receipt of heating measures(77)
Antrim160100
Ards23985
Armagh320166
Ballyrnena23693
Ballymoney8553
Banbridge22479
Belfast1,285553
Carrickfergus8955
Castlereagh238105
Coleraine155106
Cookstown308140
Craigavon467217
Derry628232
Down259139
Dungannon and South Tyrone
370
232
Fermanagh240186
Larne10050
Limavady17574
Lisburn342146
Magherafelt14086
Moyle7746
Newry and Mourne643286
Newtownabbey359201
North Down363131
Omagh316120
Strabane18390


(77)These columns include those households which received both heating and insulation measures.