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6 Dec 2005 : Column 1258W—continued

High Hedges

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce legislation to tackle problem high hedges in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [35316]


 
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Angela E. Smith: The Department of the Environment's recent public consultation to collect information about the number of nuisance high hedges in Northern Ireland supports the need for legislation to address this issue and the Department will take that legislation forward when a place can be secured in the legislative programme.

Fraud and Forgery

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) fraud and (b) forgery offences have been reported to (i) East Belfast District Command Unit and (ii) Castlereagh District Command
 
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Unit in each year since 1998; how many reports led to (A) prosecution and (B) conviction; and what this figure is as a percentage of the total. [31989]

Mr. Woodward: The following tables detail how many fraud and forgery offences have been reported to East Belfast and Castlereagh DCU's in each year since 1988 together with the number of prosecutions and convictions relating to fraud and forgery offences in the period 2000 to 2003 (2000 being the earliest date and 2003 the most current date for which this information is available). As prosecutions and convictions data cannot be linked to offences reported data, it is not possible to provide a meaningful percentage of one in relation to the other.
East Belfast District Command Unit

DeceptionForgery and counterfeitingMaking off without paymentOther fraudsTotal fraud and forgery
1998–9921017912320
1999–2000239321113385
2000–01294421845525
2001–02229252560510
2002–03279151808482
2003–049431375239
2004–0583111526252
Total14281451111292713

Castlereagh District Command Unit

DeceptionForgery and counterfeitingMaking off without paymentOther fraudsTotal fraud and forgery
1998–9989151331238
1999–2000107221891319
2000–0190101721273
2001–02342382941675
2002–03169361823390
2003–0410771311246
2004–05753542134
Total9791311155102275

East Belfast DCU

Fraud
Forgery
ProsecutionsConvictionsProsecutionsConvictions
20006111
20015544
200211966
2003121011
Total35301212

Castlereagh DCU

Fraud
Forgery
ProsecutionsConvictionsProsecutionsConvictions
20008600
20014322
2002932
20037722
Total282476




Note:
Prosecutions and convictions data is based on the police district command unit in which an offender's address falls




Illegal Drinking Dens

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many illegal drinking dens have been closed down in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years; [32229]

(2) how many people have been prosecuted for operating illegal drinking dens in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years. [32230]

Mr. Woodward: The Police Service of Northern Ireland does not hold a central record of the number of illegal drinking dens closed down in Northern Ireland in
 
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each of the last 10 years. To obtain this information would involve a manual trawl of historical records at disproportionate cost.

The closest prosecution information available relates to offences for selling or supplying intoxicating liquor in unlicensed premises or unregistered clubs, or permitting persons on unlicensed premises.

The following table provides the number of persons prosecuted for liquor law offences during the period 1994—2003 (the latter being the most up-to-date data presently available).
Persons prosecuted for specific liquor law offences(31)

Number of prosecutions
199412
19959
199610
19975
19985
19996
20001
20011
20024
20033


(31) Includes prosecutions for offences relating to selling or supplying intoxicating liquor in unlicensed premises or unregistered clubs, or permitting persons on unlicensed premises.


Juvenile Ill Health

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland under the age of 20 years have been found to have (a) high cholesterol levels, (b) high blood pressure, (c) heart conditions and (d) diabetes in each of the last 10 years. [34553]

Mr. Woodward: Information is not available on the number of people in Northern Ireland who have been found to have the aforementioned conditions. However, information is available on the number of admissions to hospital where high blood pressure, heart conditions and diabetes have been diagnosed.

(a) There is no information available on the number of people found to have high cholesterol. It has not been possible to identify patients suffering from high cholesterol who have been admitted to hospital.

(b) The following table provides figures on the number of admissions to hospital with a primary or secondary diagnosis of hypertension (high blood pressure) for each of the last ten years for which figures are available.
Admissions for hypertensive diseases (high blood pressure)(32)

2004–0526,185
2003–0422,209
2002–0319,637
2001–0219,757
2000–0117,012
1999–200012,695
1998–9911,498
1997–9810,542
1996–9710,376
1995–96(33)7,358









 
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(c) The following table provides figures on the number of admissions to hospital with a primary or secondary diagnosis of coronary heart disease for each of the last ten years for which figures are available.
Admissions for ischemic heart diseases(32)

2004–0534,938
2003–0431,656
2002–0330,846
2001–0232,824
2000–0132,639
1999–200027,847
1998–9928,068
1997–9828,319
1996–9729,231
1995–96(33)26,075

(d) The following table provides figures on the number of admissions to hospital with a primary or secondary diagnosis of diabetes for each of the last ten years for which figures are available.
Admissions for diabetes(32)

2004–0519,778
2003–0432,366
2002–0317,446
2001–0218,534
2000–0116,876
1999–200014,956
1998–9912,751
1997–9812,610
1996–9712,183
1995–96(33)10,092


(32) Discharges and deaths are used as an approximation for admissions. It should be noted that any individual could have been admitted to hospital more than once over the course of a year or over a number of years and would therefore be counted more than once in the tables.
(33) Discharges from hospital during 1995–96 have the final diagnosis coded in accordance with the 9th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Injuries and Causes of Death (ICD-9). Discharges from all other years are coded in accordance with ICD-10.


Lakeview Hospital, Derry

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on medical staffing levels at Lakeview hospital, Derry. [33970]

Mr. Woodward: Recruitment of staff is a matter for individual health and social services trusts taking into account factors such as service needs, available resources and in keeping with the need to maintain high quality services. Lakeview hospital has been experiencing difficulties recently recruiting a Consultant Psychiatrist, and the Trust has taken steps to minimise any adverse impact and is making every effort to recruit a replacement.

The numbers in training in the relevant specialty have been increased in recent years to provide candidates for Consultant vacancies as they arise. Trusts need to take all necessary steps to ensure their posts are attractive to potential candidates.
 
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