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7 Feb 2006 : Column 1154W—continued

Over-80s

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people over the age of 80 years there are in Northern Ireland; and how many he estimates there will be in 2016. [49153]

Angela E. Smith: At mid-year 2004, the official estimate of the Northern Ireland resident population aged 80 years and over was 58,000 people. At mid-year 2016, the Northern Ireland resident population aged 80 years and over is projected to be 78,400 people.

Paediatric Cardiology

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to increase paediatric cardiology provision in the Province. [49398]

Mr. Woodward: I am committed to ensuring that safe, sustainable paediatric cardiology services continue to be available to patients in Northern Ireland.

The paediatric cardiology service is currently provided at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children (RBHSC) by a team of three consultant cardiologists and support staff. There are currently no plans to increase paediatric cardiology provision in Northern Ireland.

Pathways to Work

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what assessment he has made of the Pathways to Work pilot programmes in Northern Ireland; and when the pilots are expected to finish; [48460]

(2) what criteria were used to decide where the Pathways to Work pilot programmes would be sited in Northern Ireland. [48461]

 
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Angela E. Smith: Pathways to Work pilots began in Northern Ireland on 3 October 2005; it is, therefore, too early to undertake an assessment of their operation or effectiveness. In Northern Ireland the pilots are currently planned to run until March 2008. Interim evaluations will be carried out after 18 months of operation and full evaluations at a later stage. Indications from the Pilots in Great Britain, which began in 2003, suggest that Pathways is enjoying considerable success in stemming the on-flow to long term benefit dependency.

The following criteria were considered when selecting areas for inclusion in the Pathways to Work pilots

the existence of a joint work-focused service delivered through Jobs and Benefits Office in the pilot areas with sufficient available accommodation;

the need to match GB pilot coverage of annual on-flow to incapacity benefit (IB);

the need for wide coverage for evaluation purposes;

the need to target some IB hot-spots" (i.e. where IB claims are high compared to ISA claims);

the need to avoid initiative overload" in some areas; and

the capacity of partner organisations, mainly SSA and DHSSPS, to deliver new services in the selected areas within the required timescale.

It is planned to extend Pathways in Great Britain and Northern Ireland to cover 30 per cent. of annual fresh claims by October 2006. An announcement will shortly be made about the additional pilot areas in Northern Ireland.

Radiotherapy

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the health trusts in the Province with mobile radiotherapy equipment. [49402]

Mr. Woodward: The Cancer Centre at Belvoir Park Hospital in Belfast provides all radiotherapy services in Northern Ireland. Radiotherapy treatment is provided by linear accelerators which are not mobile. There are no health trusts in Northern Ireland with mobile radiotherapy equipment.

Rates

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the Government's plans are for a phasing out of industrial de-rating in Northern Ireland; and what the average estimated increase is in non-domestic rates for an industrial business as a result. [49268]

Angela E. Smith: The phasing out of industrial derating, which was fully consulted on as part of the overall Review of Rating Policy, came into operation on 1 April 2005 when businesses entitled to industrial derating became liable for rates at 15 per cent. of their full rate assessment.

The percentage amount of the full rate liability payable in 2006–07 will be 25 per cent., in 2007–08 35 per cent., in 2008–09 50 per cent., 75 per cent. in 2009–10 and in 2010–11 with full rates becoming payable from 1 April 2011.
 
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As with all new policies the Government will review the phasing out of industrial derating. In this case a reasonable period of time is considered to be two years from the date of implementation.

The average rate bill for properties entitled to industrial derating in 2005–06 is estimated at £2,290. Over the period of phasing out it is projected to be £3,990 in 2006–07, £5,840 in 2007–08, £8,710 in 2008–09, £13,660 in 2009–10, £14,270 in 2010–11 and £19, 890 in 2011–12.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the (a) value significant codes and (b) property attribute types the computer assisted mass appraisal system being used in the Northern Ireland rates revaluation has the capacity to store and evaluate. [49270]

Angela E. Smith: A full list of data fields relating to value significant codes and property attributes which are stored and evaluated by the Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal System being used in Northern Ireland will be placed in the Library.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate the Government have made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of households whose rates bills will (i) increase, (ii) decrease and (iii) remain the same under the planned rates revaluation and shift to discrete capital values. [49345]

Angela E. Smith: This cannot be determined until the Valuation and Lands Agency completes the revaluation process in the spring of 2006. A study published by the University of Ulster in 2003, using sales information, suggested that the proportion whose bills would decrease following the move to discrete capital based rating would be 61 per cent., while 39 per cent. would face an increased bill. The Department's own analysis supports these estimates and indicates that the proportion of properties which will experience a decrease in bill of more than 5 per cent. is 52 per cent., the proportion that will face an increase in bill of more than 5 per cent. is 35 per cent. and the proportion with no change in bill (that is, between + /- 5 per cent.) is 13 per cent.

This assumes overall revenues remain static. Furthermore the estimates do not allow for households which may qualify for housing benefit nor does it take into account the moderating impact of a three year transition scheme and any interim arrangements that may be considered for the treatment of district rates.

School Property (Community Use)

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to encourage the use of school property in Northern Ireland for community activities outside school hours. [49397]

Angela E. Smith: The Children and Young People's Funding Package, which will come on stream in April, includes funding for extended schools. A key element of extended schools is the concept of after-school provision and the wider use of school premises by the local community.
 
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Schools (Suspensions/Expulsions)

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils have been expelled or suspended from schools in Northern Ireland for incidents relating to drugs in each of the last 10 years. [48885]

Angela E. Smith: The Department does not hold information on the reasons for suspension and expulsion for each of the last 10 years.

From the 2002–03 school year, statistics on the reasons for suspensions have been gathered annually from each education and library board and relate to the number of individual suspensions not to the number of pupils suspended. In 2002–03, data on substance abuse was combined with alcohol abuse, however in 2003–04 substance abuse was identified separately as shown in the table.
Suspensions

	Substance or alcohol abuse	Substance abuse
2002–03	426	—
2003–04	—	272

Suspension statistics in relation to 2004–05 have still to be fully analysed and I will write to the hon. Gentleman providing the details when they become available in March.

Reasons for expulsion were first collected in 2003–04. In 2003–04 data on substance abuse was combined with alcohol abuse, however in 2004–05 substance abuse was identified separately as shown in the following table.
Expulsions

	Substance or alcohol abuse	Substance abuse
2003–04	14	—
2004–05	—	10

Each year, data on suspensions and expulsions requested from the boards has become more comprehensive and, from the 2002–03 school year, the Department has been publishing this information on its website, www.deni.gov.uk

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