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6 Mar 2006 : Column 1128W—continued
Spending Review (Efficiency Targets)
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what total efficiency savings were achieved by his Department in 2004–05; and whether these count towards the agreed efficiency target for his Department set out in the 2004 Spending Review. [52868]
Mr. Hain:
The Northern Ireland Office delivered some £8.6 million of efficiency savings in 2004–05. As these savings persist into subsequent years they have been included in the overall savings that the Department is forecasting in the 2004 Spending Review.
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Statementing
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many statemented children there are in each (a) ward, (b) county and (c) constituency in Northern Ireland; and what percentage of all children this represents in each county. [55571]
Angela E. Smith: Information on statemented pupils at primary, special and nursery schools in Northern Ireland is not available at ward level. Analysis based on the location of schools is not available in respect of counties, but is provided in the following table for Education and Library Board areas and constituencies. The distribution of statemented pupils is affected by the location of special schools and special units attached to mainstream schools.
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Note:
Figures relate to children in nursery, primary, post primary and special schools.
(c) The percentage of 16-year-olds resident in each constituency who left school in 2003–04 without any qualifications is as follows:
Suicides
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the suicide rate per 10,000 population was in each (a) constituency and (b) county in Northern Ireland in each of the last 30 years. [55559]
Angela E. Smith: Tables have been placed in the Library which contain information about the death rate per 10,000 population for deaths registered in Northern Ireland, due to 'suicide and self-inflicted injury' 1 and 'undetermined injury whether accidentally or purposefully inflicted' 2 by parliamentary constituency, in each year between 1991 and 2004 and by local government district in each year between 1981 and 2004.
Population estimates are only available by parliamentary constituency from 1991. Population estimates are not available by county, so local government district information has been provided instead. Suicide and undetermined deaths data by local government district is only available from 1981 onwards.
1 International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes X60-X84, Y87.0 for years 2001–04 and Ninth Revision codes E950-E959 for years 1981–2000.
2 International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes Y10-Y34, Y87.2 for years 2001–04 and Ninth Revision codes E980-E989 for years 1981–2000.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Animal Procedures
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many procedures involving the extraction of foetal calf serum from cows were carried out in 2004. [55387]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 2 March 2006]: There were no procedures carried out under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 involving the extraction of foetal calf serum from cows in 2004.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is his policy to license the extraction of foetal calf serum from cows under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. [55388]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 2 March 2006]: The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 makes provision for the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes, and does not contain any specific prohibition of the use of animals to harvest foetal calf serum. Any application under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 for a licence involving the extraction of foetal calf serum from cows would be considered and judged on its merits in the usual way.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list (a) the four animals identified as being found dead in the immediate peri- and post-surgical period in procedures allocated a moderate severity limit, (b) the 10 animals found dead in procedures allocated a moderately severity limit said to have had significant clinical findings and to be receiving appropriate symptomatic, supportive and specific treatment to control or minimise any resulting suffering and (c) the three animals found dead in procedures allocated a moderately severity limit said to have died unexpectedly in the Department's Response to Twelve Questions Raised by Dan Lyons, Uncaged Campaigns, About Imutran Xenotransplantation Research Licensed Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act, published in August 2004; and what evidence supported the Department's view on the cause of death in respect of (c) . [55454]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 2 March 2006]: Seventeen animals died between observation periods in procedures of moderate severity out of over 500 non-human primates used in the Imutran studies between July 1994 and March 2000. Four of these animals died in the immediate post-surgical period before the effects of anaesthesia and sedation had worn off and are not thought to have experienced any suffering.
Their reference numbers were: T405, V570, W265 and Y231M. Ten of the animals had welfare problems that had been diagnosed and were receiving appropriate symptomatic, supportive and specific treatment. Their reference numbers were: A168, A471, W264, W762, W741, W774, X535, X538, X540, and Y252F.
Three of the animals had been in previously good health and died at five, seven, and 22 days post-surgery. Their reference numbers were: W14, W747, Y247M. Although the causes of death of these last three animals were not determined with absolute certainty, the
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evidence suggests that their deaths resulted from a combination of the immuno-suppression regimens and organ rejection, rather than surgical complications.
The evidence available at the time also suggested that death occurred quickly with little suffering being experienced by the individual animals. These judgments were drawn during the Home Office Chief Inspector's review of compliance with the licence authorities granted to Imutran staff for their xenotransplantation research following examination of all of the available documentary evidence, including clinical records, surgeon's notes and post mortem reports. None of the 17 deaths raised issues of non-compliance with the relevant licence authorities.
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