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15 Nov 2005 : Column 1193W—continued

Demographics

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the change in numbers of residents aged 85 years and over living in Northern Ireland has been since 1995. [27395]

Angela E. Smith: The following table gives the official estimate of the population of Northern Ireland of residents aged 85 years and over, at 30 June 1995 and 30 June 2004.
Northern Ireland mid-year population residents aged 85 years and over, 1995 and 2004

Number
199521,700
200424,000
Difference2,300

ELB Redundancies

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what procedures are in place to ensure that all education and library boards are following the accountancy practices laid down for treatment of expenditure on redundancies. [25547]

Angela E. Smith: Education and library boards must prepare accounts in accordance with the accounts direction given by the Department of Education, with the approval of the Department of Finance and Personnel, in accordance with article 12 of the Education and Libraries (NI) Order 2003. Expenditure on redundancies is calculated by education and library boards in accordance with statutory requirements, contractual obligations, Northern Ireland Local Government Officer Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC) estimates of entitlements and costs, and the agreed five board scheme for premature retirement on the grounds of redundancy. Each education and library board's annual accounts are subject to audit by the Northern Ireland Audit Office to determine if they provide a true and fair view of the reported financial position including the expenditure recorded.

Energy Reduction

Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans for energy reduction have been put in place in each Northern Ireland Department since 2003. [25785]

Angela E. Smith: Northern Ireland Departments have adopted the targets for improvements in energy performance contained in the 2003 Government White Paper Our energy future—creating a low carbon economy". Departments are accommodated in buildings provided and managed by the Department of Finance and Personnel, which conducts a continuous programme of improvements of building energy performance in pursuit of the targets.

Since 2003, within the office estate planned actions have included conducting surveys to identify and implement cost-effective energy conservation measures;
 
15 Nov 2005 : Column 1194W
 
converting suitable buildings from oil or electric heating to natural gas; and purchasing green electricity, where this represents value for money. Similar actions have been taken in the specialised buildings within the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Department of Social Development and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development,

Official vehicle fleets are now generally diesel fuelled, and the official car pool has purchased two petrol/electric hybrid cars. Local plans are also in place covering car travel.

Food Poisoning

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many food poisoning outbreaks have occurred in each health trust area in each of the past five years; and how many of these have been identified as having originated in (a) the Republic of Ireland and (b) elsewhere outside Northern Ireland. [28204]

Mr. Woodward: The number of food poisoning outbreaks that have occurred in each health trust area is not available. However, the number of food poisoning outbreaks that have occurred in each health board area and whether they originated from within Northern Ireland or abroad is available. These figures, as reported to the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre Northern Ireland, (CDSCN1), are detailed in the following table for each of the last five years for which data are available.
Outbreak originating in:
TotalNI(a) Republic of Ireland(b) Abroad
EHSSB3300
NHSSB3300
SHSSB0000
WHSSB1100
EHSSB4400
NHSSB3201
SHSSB0000
WHSSB0000
EHSSB0000
NHSSB220o
SHSSB0000
WHSSB0000
EHSSB2200
NHSSB2200
SHSSB0000
WHSSB1100
NI Outbreak1001
EHSSB6000
NHSSB0000
SHSSB0000
WHSSB0000
NI Outbreak2002




Notes:
1. There were no food-borne outbreaks reported as originating in ROI.
2. Figures for NI Outbreak are presented separately as they cannot be attributed to any particular health board area.




Home Adaptations

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average length of time taken to carry out home adaptations by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive following a recommendation by an occupational therapist was in each year since 2003. [27713]


 
15 Nov 2005 : Column 1195W
 

Mr. Hanson: The Housing Executive measures the time taken from receipt of a recommendation from an occupational therapist (OT) to the commencement of works against agreed standards and a classification of cases according to their urgency/priority. Each adaptation is tailored to the specific needs of the individual person concerned. The length of time taken by a contractor to then complete a job is variable and can range from a few days to a few months for extensions.

From the receipt of an OT recommendation to work starting, in the public sector, the figures are as follows:
Percentage

2003–042004–052005–06(24)
Lifts
Within 12 weeks669189
Within 22 weeks939797
Extensions
Started within 30 weeks202336
Started within 46 weeks535664
Started within 60 weeks707179


(24) To end September 2005.



Percentage

April to September 2005
Showers
Within 10 weeks72(25)
Within 40 weeks77(26)


(25) Urgent cases.
(26) Non-urgent cases.
Note:
Figures only available from 2004.




Private sector

The average length of time taken to carry out home adaptations in the private sector with Northern Ireland Housing Executive Grant aid following an occupational therapist's recommendation is as follows:
Weeks
2003–04116
2004–05121
2005–06117

Much of the period indicated above is outside the Housing Executive's direct control. For example:

Housing

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average amount of outstanding debt owed by (a) tenants and (b) past tenants of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive was at the end of 2004, broken down by constituency. [27018]


 
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Mr. Hanson: The information is not available in the form requested. The following table details past and current tenant arrears by NIHE district office at the end of the financial year 2004–05.
Rent/rates arrears at end 2004–05

£
Current tenantsPast tenantsTotal
Belfast 1485,544107,938593,482
Belfast 2649,625205,479855,104
Belfast 3401,54774,104475,651
Belfast 4747,688245,187992,875
Belfast 5745,808280,7701,026,578
Belfast 6412,668178,762591,429
Belfast 7739,693186,245925,938
Belfast area4,182,5731,278,4855,461,058
Bangor631,552101,367732,919
N'ards556,235164,924721,159
Castlereagh625,561241 ,624867,185
Lisburn670,231285,165955,396
Lisburn 3320,57887,838408,416
D'patrick355,090118,311473,401
S east area3,159,248999,2294,158,477
Banbridge270,92682,594353,520
Newry324,15390,802414,955
Armagh169,27262,270231,543
Lurgan/B'low290,77570,472361,246
P'down248,77886,684335,461
Dungannon249,41762,335311,753
Fermanagh228;02933,948261,977
South area1,781,350489,1052,270,455
B'mena241,39762,678304,075
Antrim292,10642,037334,143
N'abbey 1325,31940,325365,644
N'abbey 2237,667116,012353,679
Carrick229,26356,984286,247
Larne148,41199,911248,322
B'castle66,53619,62686,161
B'money129,99128,503158,494
Coleraine324,696142,514467,210
N east area1,995,385608,5892,603,973
W'loo place223,70428,755252,459
Waterside535,554232,563768,116
Coll terr415,55697,301512,857
Limavady275,69166,669342,360
M'felt235,84848,842284,689
Strabane465,58899,149564,738
Omagh276,21858,374334,592
Cookstown182,66314,720197,383
West area2,610,823646,3733,257,195
NI Total13,729,3794,021,78017,751,158


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