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23 Nov 2005 : Column 1994W—continued
Health Staff
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to provide a safe working environment for (a) hospital nurses and doctors and (b) ambulance staff in Northern Ireland. [30152]
Mr. Woodward: The Department is currently developing a Controls Assurance Standard for Security Management for the HPSS, which seeks to ensure there is a secure environment that protects all service users, staff and visitors.
(a) This reinforces a range of existing measures already designed to reduce the potential risk of violence against all HPSS staff which as a result of a review, recommended:
Regularly train staff and ensure that training is being tailored for the different staff disciplines.
HPSS employers welcomed the recommendations. Some Trusts have also installed emergency panic buttons in A&E units, toughened transparent screens at interview hatches, and CCTV.
(b) In addition The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) is committed to improving health and safety protection for its staff and has implemented a range of measures including:
provision of mobile phones directly linked to Ambulance Control and short-range radios to improve communications at incident scenes;
NIAS is currently reviewing its health and safety policy to improve its performance in such areas as accountability, consultation, hazard identification, and incident reporting and risk management.
All HPSS organisations are committed to providing a safe and secure environment for staff.
Higher Education
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage change there has been in the pay of those involved in teaching in higher education in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years. [29265]
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Angela E. Smith: Pay in the higher education institutions is determined by negotiating mechanisms between the employers and the unions. Government are not involved in this process and do not hold the information sought.
Home Accidents
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what programmes have been developed by Government Departments in Northern Ireland to reduce injuries and deaths by raising public awareness of home accident prevention, with particular reference to the elderly. [28369]
Mr. Woodward: The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety launched a five-year Home Accident Prevention Strategy and Action Plan for Northern Ireland in January 2005. The strategy aims to reduce the number of accidental deaths and injuries in the home and targets those most at risk including the socially disadvantaged, children and the elderly. A multi-agency implementation group is currently taking forward work on the 14 separate action points in the plan. One of the action points centres on the development of a public information campaign to raise awareness of home accident prevention with a target date of September 2006. The Department provided funding of £30,000 this financial year to the Health Promotion Agency to take forward preliminary work on development of a suitable information campaign. A home safety public awareness campaign is expected to be in place by the summer of next year.
In addition the Department has allocated funding of £180,000 this year to the four health and social services boards to take forward work on local initiatives and programmes to reduce injuries and deaths by raising awareness and implementing home accident prevention interventions with particular focus on those most at risk.
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action Government Departments in Northern Ireland have taken to reduce the rate of (a) serious injuries and (b) death from accidents among (i) children and (ii) the elderly. [28370]
Mr. Woodward: The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety launched a five year Home Accident Prevention Strategy and Action Plan for Northern Ireland in January 2005 which aims to reduce the number of accidental deaths and injuries in the home and targets those most at risk including the socially disadvantaged, children and the elderly. The strategy gives particular emphasis to preventing falls (the most common type of accident to children and older people), fires and injuries to children especially on farms. A multi-agency implementation group is currently taking forward work on the 14 separate action points in the plan.
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money his Department made available to (a) local councils, (b) Health and Social Services trusts, (c) the Housing Executive Northern Ireland and (d) the Fire Service of Northern Ireland for home accident prevention in (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2004–05. [28382]
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Mr. Woodward: No specific funding has been allocated to local councils, HSS Trusts or the Fire Service of Northern Ireland for home accident prevention. The Department of Social Development allocated £767,960 in 2003–04 and £1,124,860 in 2004–05 to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for home accident prevention initiatives. This funding was used for the provision of handrails, grabrails, and the installation of smoke alarms in homes. In addition, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety provided funding of £83,996 in 2003–04 and £97,918 in 2004–05 to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents towards home accident prevention work in Northern Ireland.
Hospital Staff (Attacks)
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been both charged and sentenced in each of the last three years for attacks on hospital staff in (a) accident and emergency departments and (b) other areas of hospital sites in cases where all proceedings are complete. [30283]
Mr. Woodward: There were 5,449 violent incidents against staff employed in the HPSS between 1 April 2004 and 31 March 2005. Seven people were prosecuted as a result of these incidents and four prosecution cases are pending. This is the earliest date that this information is available.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will list serious personal attacks in the last three years on members of hospital staff at accident and emergency hospitals which led to a prison term for the assailant; if he will indicate the nature of the attack in each case; and if he will make a statement; [30284]
(2) what the total costs have been in the last three years of repairs and replacement of equipment at each accident and emergency hospital in Northern Ireland due to attacks by members of the public; [30285]
(3) what the level of spending on security personnel has been at each accident and emergency department at hospitals in the Province in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [30307]
Mr. Woodward: The information requested is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Invest Northern Ireland
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the operation of the Invest Northern Ireland venture scheme for small and medium enterprises, with particular reference to the level of income sought from private sector investors. [16849]
Angela E. Smith:
In November 2004, EU state aid approval was granted for the then named 'Northern Ireland venture scheme for small and medium sized enterprises'. This clearance was in response to an identified need in the market for venture capital funds in the £250,000 to £1.5 million deal size range.
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Following an EU wide tender, Invest Northern Ireland has since participated in a £22.5 million deal size venture capital fund managed by Crescent Capital Ltd. Of this total, private investors have agreed to contribute £9 million and the European Investment Fund £6 million.
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