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15 Dec 2005 : Column 2240W—continued
Free School Meals
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children (a) are entitled to and (b) receive free school meals in each education board in Northern Ireland. [37606]
Angela E. Smith: At October 2004, the number of schoolchildren entitled to, and in receipt of, free school meals in each Education and Library Board area was as follows:
Note:
1.Figures relate to year one to year seven pupils in primary schools and pupils at post-primary schools. Figures for pupils at special schools entitled to free school meals are not collected.
The Department continues, through the Education and Library Boards, to take steps to encourage eligible pupils to take up their entitlement.
15 Dec 2005 : Column 2241W
Pensioner Households
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his latest estimate is of the number of pensioner households in Northern Ireland. [37609]
Mr. Hanson: There were 188,058 pensioner households based on the latest estimate in the 2001 census.
Playing Fields
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many schools in Northern Ireland have sold playing fields in each of the last 15years, broken down by constituency. [36553]
Angela E. Smith: Only two playing fields have been sold in the last 15 years, both belonged to the Belfast Education and Library Board:
Power Cuts
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many power cuts resulting from adverse weather conditions there were in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years. [36548]
Angela E. Smith: The number of power failures on Northern Ireland Electricity's network resulting from adverse weather conditions in each of the last 10 years is shown in the following table.
| Number of power failures | |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 976 |
| 1996 | 485 |
| 1997 | 771 |
| 1998 | 4,671 |
| 1999 | 933 |
| 2000 | 874 |
| 2001 | 1,590 |
| 2002 | 1,180 |
| 2003 | 1,087 |
| 2004 | 853 |
Restorative Justice Schemes
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why he did not consult the Northern Ireland Policing Board on the draft guidelines on community-based restorative justice schemes. [35854]
Mr. Hanson: The draft guidelines for community-based restorative justice schemes have been formulated by a working group comprising criminal justice agencies including the PSNI. I have now made the draft guidelines for community-based restorative justice schemes available publicly, and welcome the representations of the Policing Board as key stakeholders.
Roads Maintenance
Mr. Gregory Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent by the
15 Dec 2005 : Column 2242W
Department for Regional Development Roads Service on roads maintenance in (a) Limavady and (b) Coleraine borough council area in the 2004–05 financial year. [37883]
Mr. Woodward: The chief executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbin, dated 15 December 2005:
You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question regarding how much was spent by the Department for Regional Development Roads Service on roads maintenance in (a) Limavady and (b) Coleraine Borough Council areas in the 2004–05 financial year. I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service.
I can confirm that the roads maintenance expenditure in the Limavady Borough Council area during the 2004–05 financial year amounted to £3,156,000. In the Coleraine Borough Council area, the roads maintenance expenditure amounted to £3,960,000 for the same period.
Sales (Under-age Children)
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been (a) prosecuted for and (b) convicted of selling tobacco to underage children in each of the last five years. [36337]
Mr. Hanson: The enforcement of the Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 is the responsibility of district councils. Statistical information on prosecutions by district councils and other third parties is not held centrally. Information should however become available with the rollout of the next phase of the Causeway case management system, anticipated in early 2007.
Schools (Abuse Claims)
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints of (a) physical abuse and (b) sexual abuse against (i) teachers and (ii)priests were received by schools in the maintained sector in each year for which figures are available. [36313]
Angela E. Smith: The Department of Education does not collect this information from schools. However schools are required to keep a Record of Child Abuse Complaints and this must be made available to the Education and Training Inspectorate during an inspection.
Where a complaint is made about a member of staff and is pursued either as a formal referral to the investigating agencies or under the school's disciplinary procedures, a short summary must be entered by the Principal on a Record of Child Abuse Complaints. The summary must include:
The school's Record of Child Abuse Complaints must be made available to the Board of Governors at least annually.
Secondary Teachers
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many secondary school teachers in Northern Ireland (a) teach the subject they undertook a degree in and (b) teach a subject different from their degree qualification, broken down by subject. [36311]
Angela E. Smith: As the Department of Education is not the employer of teachers, the information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, following the establishment of the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland information can be collated by the Council which will include teacher qualifications and posts held. It is expected that a detailed analysis of every teacher registered with the Council will be available by the end of 2006.
Sex Offenders
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what precautions are in place to ensure that someone who has been convicted of a sex offence in the Irish Republic and travels to Northern Ireland is immediately placed on the Sex Offenders' Register in (a) the Province and (b) Great Britain. [36494]
Mr. Hanson: The Sexual Offences Act 2004 provides the police with a power to apply for an order from the court which makes a convicted sex offender from another jurisdiction who travels to the United Kingdom subject to the notification requirements of the Act. This means that while convicted sex offenders are not automatically added to the sex offender register (as it is commonly referred to), they cannot escape the notification requirements of the Act should they come to reside in Northern Ireland or Great Britain.
As part of the work programme for the intergovernmental agreement on criminal justice cooperation agreed with the Republic of Ireland in the summer, a registered sex offenders' advisory group is being established to look at information exchange on sex offenders in both jurisdictions. This will further strengthen the exchange of information between the Police Service of Northern Ireland and An Garda Siochana.
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