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27 Feb 2006 : Column 367W—continued
Fugitives
Lorely Burt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many members of the
27 Feb 2006 : Column 368W
(a) police force and (b) armed forces would be included within the categories designating fugitives from justice in the Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill; [34781]
(2) how many individuals would qualify as fugitives from justice under the Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill. [34782]
Mr. Hain: I apologise to the hon. Member for Solihull for the delay in answering these parliamentary questions; this was due to an administrative error.
The Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill was withdrawn on 11 January 2006.
Gaelic/Ulster Scots
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much public money has been made available to support (a) the Gaelic language and (b) Ulster Scots in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years. [53147]
Mr. Hanson: The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DGAL) jointly funds the Ulster-Scots Agency and Foras na Gaeilge, the Irish Language Agency. The Ulster-Scots Agency has a statutory remit to promote Ulster-Scots language and culture. Foras na Gaeilge has a statutory remit to promote the Irish language.
The budgets allocated to the Ulster-Scots Agency and Foras na Gaeilge by DCAL since 2000 are detailed in the following table.
These figures are based on the calendar year.
The funding for the Irish Language Broadcasting fund and Ulster-Scots Academy for 2005–06 year to 15 February 2006 is detailed in the following table.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Irish Language Broadcast Fund | 12,518,680 |
| Ulster Scots Academy | 86,648 |
Funding is also available from departmental mainstream programmes for projects, which may have an Irish or Ulster-Scots language or culture dimension, which cannot be separated from the primary funding objectives.
General de Chastelain
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many days since 1 August 2005 General de Chastelain has spent in Northern Ireland. [53150]
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Mr. Woodward: General John de Chastelain spends approximately one week per month in Northern Ireland.
General Practitioners
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many GPs are practising in Northern Ireland; and how many were found guilty of inappropriate behaviour towards their patients in each of the last five years. [52725]
Mr. Woodward: The information is as follows.
(a) The number of GPs practising in Northern Ireland for each of the last five years is given in the following table.
| Date | Headcount |
|---|---|
| February 2006 | 1,091 |
| October 2005 | 1,084 |
| October 2004 | 1,078 |
| November 2003 | 1,076 |
| October 2002 | 1,076 |
Source:
Central Service Agency
(b) The General Medical Council (GMC), through the fitness to practice panels, investigates reports of inappropriate behaviour. They have identified one General Practitioner in Northern Ireland who was investigated and found guilty of inappropriate behaviour towards their patients in the last five years. The GP in question was erased from the GMC register in 2005. However, the registered address that doctors must maintain with the GMC is not necessarily their place of practice so, although it is unlikely that there have been other cases, the possibility exists.
Hospitals (Infection Control)
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to assess the level of use of hand gels by (a) members of hospital staff and (b) visitors to hospitals in Northern Ireland for the purposes of infection control. [53192]
Mr. Woodward: The Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety has no plans to collect or collate data on the level of use of hand gels in particular hospitals. Individual hospital Trusts are obliged under the Department's controls assurance standards to ensure there is a managed environment, which minimises the risk of infection, to patients, staff and visitors and that there is a hand hygiene policy in place which reflects good practice principles. The Department's proposed action plan for the prevention and control of healthcare associated infections to be launched next month is expected to address the question of a regional hand hygiene campaign.
Housing
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to free up under-occupied housing executive and housing association homes in Northern Ireland. [53062]
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Mr. Hanson: In order to maximise the opportunities for reducing under-occupation the Common Selection Scheme (CSS) facilitates those tenants who are under-occupying to voluntarily apply for a transfer. Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) or Housing Association tenants choosing to move are awarded ten points for each bedroom in their existing property in excess of the tenant's needs, up to a maximum of 30 points.
Additionally, the CSS allows NIHE or Housing Association tenants to be offered a transfer if the resulting vacancy can facilitate the best use of stock through the housing of an applicant (or other tenant) in greater need for that particular size of accommodation.
The need for action to address under occupation is most likely to be considered in circumstances where it is necessary to relieve housing stress and to be most effective in areas of low demand. Where social landlords feel that action is possible they will need to balance arrange of issues such as the availability of stock to match the needs of those tenants who do wish to move, polices aimed at helping people live in the community (Care in the Community and Lifetime homes), the effects on letability and the creation of sustainable communities.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the total of unpaid Northern Ireland Housing Executive rents in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years. [53190]
Mr. Hanson: The following table details Northern Ireland Housing Executive's unpaid rents in the last 10 years from 1995 and 2005:
| Year ending 31 March: | Total debt (£ million) |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 13.715 |
| 1996 | 12.985 |
| 1997 | 12.793 |
| 1998 | 12.491 |
| 1999 | 13.364 |
| 2000 | 14.596 |
| 2001 | 17.358 |
| 2002 | 19.027 |
| 2003 | 18.888 |
| 2004 | (98)19.081 |
| 2005 | 17.751 |
(98) The rent/rate arrears debt up to March 2004 includes housing benefit overpayments recoverable from tenants.
In-patient Procedures (Costs)
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average cost of an elective in-patient hospital procedure was in each health trust in the Province in 2004–05. [49406]
Mr. Woodward
[pursuant to the reply, 7 February 2006, Official Report, c. 1152W]: I am now able to provide the information requested.
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The average cost of an elective in-patient hospital procedure in each trust in the Province in 2004–05 was as follows:
Source:
Trust HRG Returns
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