| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
11 Jan 2006 : Column 637W—continued
Ministerial Car Fleet
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the cost of (a) ministerial cars and (b) drivers in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years. [39650]
Mr. Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office cannot provide the information requested by the hon. Gentleman as we cannot identify separate costs for Ministers' cars and drivers.
All Ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code" and Travel by Ministers", copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
In respect of Ministerial cars provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA); my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office (Jim Murphy) has asked Roy Burke, Chief Executive of the GCDA, to write to the hon. Member with details of the costs of Ministerial vehicles provided to Departments in 2004–05. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Library.
For information for the financial years 2000–01 to 2003–04 I refer the hon. Member to the letters from the Chief Executive of the GCDA to the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow) dated 10 January 2005 and to the then hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Howard Flight) dated 13 September 2003. Copies of these letters are available in the Library.
Public Bodies/Agencies
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff are employed by non-departmental public bodies and agencies for which he has responsibility. [36006]
Angela E. Smith: As at 31 March 2005 there were 84,353 staff employed by non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Northern Ireland departments and the Northern Ireland Office and 19,402.5 staff employed in Executive Agencies attached to Northern Ireland departments and the Northern Ireland Office.
Public Order
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been (a) arrested, (b) charged and (c) convicted following public order disturbances in North Belfast since 1 January. [7092]
11 Jan 2006 : Column 638W
Mr. Woodward: PSNI advise that during the period 1 January to 31 December 2005, there were 93 persons charged with riotous behaviour, riotous assembly and disorderly behaviour in North Belfast DCU.
1. Statistics refer to those brought against a person after the original period of detention (including extensions). Any subsequent changes, additions, deletions to the original charges are not included.
Short Measures
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many publicans in Northern Ireland were fined for selling short measures in each of the last 10 years. [38587]
Angela E. Smith: In the last 10 years, three publicans in Northern Ireland were fined for short measure offences: one in 1996 and two in 2005.
Sickness Absence
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of absence from work in the Province in the last five years; [24908]
(2) what estimate he made of the cost to public funds of absence from work in the Province due to work-related illness in the last five years. [24924]
Angela E. Smith: The information requested is not available. However the hon. Lady may wish to refer to the workplace health strategy for Northern Ireland, Working for Health', published by the Health and Safety Executive in 2003. This estimated Northern Ireland's whole economy bill for work-related ill health at some £330 million per year. A copy of this document will be placed in the Library.
Waiting Lists (Neurology)
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the (a) length of the waiting list is and (b) average waiting times are to (i) see a neurologist and (ii) receive beta interferon in each of the four health and social services board areas. [40637]
Mr. Woodward: Waiting list information is collected by time band. It is therefore not possible to calculate the arithmetic mean (average) length of time waiting. It is however possible to identify the median or mid point waiting time band.
(i) The number of patients waiting for a first outpatient appointment with a neurology consultant at 30 September 2005 and the median waiting time in each health and social services board is shown in the following table.
11 Jan 2006 : Column 639W
Note:
Patients currently suspended from waiting list are excluded from these figures. The NI total of 5,068 patients includes 11 patients whose board of residence was not specified (including private patients and those resident outside of Northern Ireland). The most recent information available from the Department is at 30 September 2005.
Source:
Departmental Information Return CH3 Parts 1 and 2
(ii) The number of patients waiting for beta interferon treatment at 30 November 2005 and the median waiting time in each health and social services board is shown in the following table.
Note:
Nine patients currently suspended from the waiting list are excluded from these figures.
Source:
Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust
TREASURY
EU Agriculture Budget
Michael Gove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the EU budget will be spent on agriculture, including rural development, over the period 2007 to 2013; and what proportion of the EU budget was spent on agriculture, including rural development, in each year since 2000. [40949]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The EU budget agreed by the European Council on 17 December for the period 2007–2013 will be €863 billion (in 2004 prices) on a commitments basis. Forty three percent. of this total is allocated to agriculture, including rural development (Heading 2). The comparable figures for the period 2000–2006 are:
| Proportion of spending on agriculture (Heading 1) | |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 44 |
| 2001 | 46 |
| 2002 | 47 |
| 2003 | 47 |
| 2004 | 43 |
| 2005 | 43 |
| 2006 | 43 |
11 Jan 2006 : Column 640W
EU Finances
Michael Gove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated value will be (a) in euros and (b) as a proportion of gross national income of each member state's (i) gross contribution to the EU including overseas aid spending, (ii) contribution to the UK abatement, (iii) receipts of EU spending and (iv) net contribution to the EU budget over the period 2007 to 2013. [40950]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for Altrinchham and Sale West on 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 290W.
Regional GDP
Mr. Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government are taking to decrease disparities in regional gross domestic product and gross value added per capita; and which Minister is in charge of those steps. [39623]
Mr. Des Browne: The Government are committed to a public service agreement (PSA) target to: make sustainable improvements in the economic performance of all English regions by 2008, and over the long-term reduce the persistent gap in growth rates between the regions." The Deputy Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry are jointly responsible for this target. The Government are working with the devolved administrations to promote economic growth, full employment and prosperity for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |