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27 Feb 2006 : Column 395W—continued
Speed Detection Devices
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what guidance governs the use of hand held speed detection devices on the roads in Northern Ireland by the Police Service of Northern Ireland. [52972]
(2) what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the accuracy of readings by hand held speeding detection devices when used on a slope. [52973]
Mr. Woodward: As these inquiries are of an operational nature, the hon. Gentleman should pursue them directly with the Chief Constable.
Springvale Community Outreach Initiative
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was allocated to the Springvale Community Outreach Initiative over the past three years; and what the sources of the funding were. [51813]
Angela E. Smith:
The initiative was funded through Executive Programme Funds from September 2003 to March 2005, and since then by the Department for
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Employment and Learning. Total funding for the initiative since September 2003 amounts to £5.58 million.
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was allocated for salaries within the Springvale Community Outreach Initiative in each year since its formation. [51814]
Angela E. Smith: Salary costs were £152,140.53 in 2003–04 and £207,506.89 in 2004–05. The salary costs for 2005–06 are not yet available.
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding has been allocated to each (a) community group, (b) project and (c) programme by the Springvale community outreach initiative in each year since its formation. [51816]
Angela E. Smith: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Staff Dismissals
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the dismissals in the Department of Social Development over the last five years have been of (a) Protestant, (b) Catholic and (c) non-determined employees; and what assessment he has made of the reasons for the level of dismissals in the Department. [53070]
Mr. Hanson: It is not possible to give the community background of the 10 staff who have been dismissed by the Department for Social Development over the last five years as it is the policy of the Northern Ireland Civil Service to withhold statistical data where there are less than 10 Protestants or 10 Roman Catholics. This is to ensure that the religious background of any individual cannot be inferred from the data, and is in line with the policy of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
The 10 dismissals were mainly due to the application of the Managing Attendance procedures operated within the Department.
Student Drop-outs
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students in further education in Northern Ireland failed to complete their course in each of the last 10 years. [53188]
Angela E. Smith:
Data pertaining for all students at NI Further Education Colleges who failed to complete their course are only available since the 2003–04 academic
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year. However, a 10 year run (between 1995–96 and 2004–05) of final year enrolment (approximately 75 per cent. of total enrolments) non-completion figures on assessed courses is detailed as follows:
Source:
PELS
Teachers
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many teachers in Northern Ireland have reported a violent incident against them carried out by (a) a pupil and (b) a parent or guardian in each of the last 10 years, broken down by education board. [52996]
Angela E. Smith: The Department of Education does not collect all the requested information. In relation to pupils, statistics on the reasons for suspensions have been gathered annually, since the 2002–03 school year, from each education and library board. The following table details the number of suspensions for physical attacks on staff for the 2002–03 and 2003–04 school years:
| 2002–03 | 2003–04 | |
|---|---|---|
| BELB | 75 | 73 |
| WELB | 99 | 72 |
| NEELB | 91 | 49 |
| SEELB | 64 | 79 |
| SELB | 36 | 47 |
| Total | 365 | 320 |
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It should be noted that these figures relate to the number of individual suspensions not to the number of pupils suspended.
These figures are also available on the Department's website http://www.deni.gov.uk/index/21-pupils_parents- pg/pupils_parents-suspensions_and_expulsions_pg.htm. Statistics are not yet available for the 2004–05 school year.
Telecommunications Masts
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many planning applications for mobile telephone masts in Northern Ireland have been granted in each of the last 10 years; and how many mobile telephone masts there are in each council area in Northern Ireland. [53051]
Angela E. Smith: Details of the number of planning applications approved since 2000, in each council area, to construct or add to existing telecommunication masts is set out in the table. The planning service is unable to provide the information on the number of telephone masts there are in each council area in Northern Ireland as information is not held on the number of approvals that have subsequently been implemented.
It is only possible to provide accurate data for the last five years as all the information for previous years is not held electronically and could be extracted only at a disproportionate cost.
It should be noted that figures up to 2002 also include applications made under the prior approval process. In June 2002 permitted development rights were removed by statute except in the case of an emergency and applications for telecommunications equipment became subject to the full planning process.
(110) So far.
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Unemployment Statistics
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many unemployed people there are in each Northern Ireland Westminster constituency. [52985]
Angela E. Smith: Unemployment levels from the claimant count in each of the Northern Ireland parliamentary constituencies at January 2006 are provided in the following table.
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