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8 Mar 2006 : Column 1589W—continued
Northern Ireland Railways
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions new train sets operated by Northern Ireland Railways broke down while in service during 2005. [56415]
Mr. Woodward: The number of occasions new train sets operated by Northern Ireland Railways broke down while in service during 2005 was 74.
Patient Costs
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make the costs involved in using a continuous positive airway pressure machine at home refundable to the patient. [56350]
Mr. Woodward: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines are used by people suffering from sleep apnoea to ensure they continue to breathe while asleep. The machines are supplied and maintained free of charge in patients' homes. The running costs involved in using a CPAP machine at home are negligible and not refundable. This is consistent with current practice on the use of a range of devices requiring electricity that are supplied by hospitals for domestic use. There are no plans to change this.
Primary Schools
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures are being considered at rural based primary schools in Northern Ireland for the safe passage of children to and from schools. [56163]
Angela E. Smith:
The Government are committed to making the journey to school safer for children. There are various measures specifically designed to ensure the safe passage of children at rural based primary schools. These include the provision of school crossing patrols where particular traffic hazards have been identified; the promotion of a Safer Routes to School initiative, to encourage walking, cycling, greater use of public transport and car sharing for the journey to and from
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school; the use of road signage to warn drivers of the potential of encountering children in the road ahead, going to and from school; and the provision of a comprehensive road safety education programme across all schools in Northern Ireland each year, to promote the teaching of road safety teaching and training by teachers on a regular structured basis. All of these measures are focused to meet the particular needs of schools, including those in rural areas.
Tourism
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps the Northern Ireland Tourist Board is taking to promote the North Coast resorts of (a) Portstewart, (b) Portrush, (c) Portballintrae, (d) Castlerock and (e) Benone. [55312]
Angela E. Smith: Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) is committed to working with strategic partners and tourism providers to develop an internationally competitive and sustainable tourism product on the North Coast. The development and promotion of the tourism potential on the North Coast will take place in the context of the Tourism Strategic framework for Action 2004–07 and the Causeway Coast and Glens Tourism Masterplan.
Currently the NITB is implementing recommendations from within the prioritised actions of the Masterplan. A key recommendation is the implementation of the Causeway Coastal Route which has been identified as a primary promotional message/key motivator to attract visitors to Northern Ireland and specifically to retain them along the North Coast and wider region.
This touring route will direct visitors to the towns of Portstewart and Portrush while also offering them the opportunity to visit Portballintrae, Castlerock and Benone.
The Causeway Coastal Route has been included in all marketing initiatives for 2006.
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what budget bids the Northern Ireland Tourism Board made to support regional tourism organisations; and if he will make a statement on the withdrawal of EU funding for regional tourism organisations. [55864]
Angela E. Smith: Regional Tourism Organisations are the predecessors of the proposed new Regional Tourism Partnerships (RTF), and are currently funded by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board under the European Union's Peace II Programme. As this funding will not be available after 1 April 2006, NITB submitted a budget bid for an additional £1.5 million per annum (in addition to its approved budget) for a two year period to support RTPs. NITB's bid was unsuccessful however they have reprioritised core activity and ring-fenced £500,000 per annum in 2006–07 and 2007–08 for regional tourism delivery. This funding will be channelled through the RTPs.
United Hospitals (Patient Complaints)
Sammy Wilson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff in the United
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Hospitals area have been (a) suspended, (b) dismissed and (c) given formal warnings as a result of complaints from patients in each of the last three years. [56666]
Mr. Woodward: In 2005 two members of staff were dismissed from United Hospitals HSS Trust and two others were given formal warnings following complaints made by patients. There were no suspensions, dismissals or warnings in 2004 and 2003 as a result of patient complaints.
Waiting Lists/Times
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average waiting times at accident and emergency departments were in each of the acute hospitals in Northern Ireland during 2005. [55787]
Mr. Woodward: The information requested is not available centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the change in average waiting times experienced at the Accident and Emergency department in Causeway hospital has been between January 2005 and January 2006. [56144]
Mr. Woodward: The average waiting time at the Accident and Emergency department in Causeway hospital every month from January 2005 to January 2006 is shown in the following table.
The waiting time is measured from the time a patient arrives in the Accident and Emergency department to the time the patient is seen by a clinician.
Source:
Causeway Health and Social Services Trust
HOME DEPARTMENT
Antisocial Behaviour
Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many officers there were in each local authority dealing with antisocial behaviour in each year since 1997; [55803]
(2) what the budget was for tackling antisocial behaviour in each local authority in England in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005; [55806]
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(3) in what ways local authorities are able to supplement the work his Department is doing to tackle antisocial behaviour; [55807]
(4) what support his Department has given to local authorities to tackle antisocial behaviour; and if he will make a statement. [55808]
Hazel Blears: All of the 351 crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRP) in England and 22 community safety partnerships (CSP) in Wales have responded positively to our seed funding for antisocial behaviour co-ordinators in each CDRP area. Many areas have now gone further and are using funding from a range of sources to establish and support antisocial behaviour teams. Findings from the antisocial behaviour unit's second national survey of CDRPs in 2005 indicated that 60 per cent. of those CDRPs who responded had more staff than a year ago. Tackling antisocial behaviour is a cross-departmental issue and many Government Departments contribute to this agenda.
A wide range of funding streams across Government have a positive impact on tackling antisocial behaviour. For example, Neighbourhood Renewal programmes which focus on the most deprived areas and give practitioners and local communities a real opportunity to turn their neighbourhoods around; the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) through their work on schools and parenting contribute to preventing problems escalating and ensuring families get the support they need.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and their work in tackling litter and fly-tipping which can often blight neighbourhoods where antisocial behaviour and crime can take hold; and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) who provide the opportunity to divert young people from the destructive and damaging involvement in antisocial behaviour. The Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) also contributes to ensure a swift and effective criminal justice system for dealing with the perpetrators of antisocial behaviour activity.
In relation to specific Home Office funding to tackle antisocial behaviour in the last two financial years we have allocated £25,000 to every CDRP in both England and Wales to fund an antisocial behaviour co-ordinator. This amounts to £9.4 million per annum, the funding for 2005–06 is now part of the Safer, Stronger Communities Fund (SSCF) and this arrangement will continue for the next two years (2006–07 and 2007–08). In order to deal with antisocial behaviour problems effectively, housing providers, local authorities, the police, the courts and the Crown Prosecution Service, and other relevant agencies need to play a full role.
Local authorities drive many aspects of our work including tackling graffiti, removing abandoned vehicles, dealing with noise nuisance and many antisocial behaviour housing issues. In order to help local agencies tackle antisocial behaviour, we have provided guidance and support to help them to target resources and use appropriate tools and powers to protect the public and ensure that antisocial behaviour is tackled, not tolerated.
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The Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 has been fundamental to our work and has changed the culture of public services and protected our communities. However, while attitudes are shifting, the public's concern is not yet adequately reflected in the priorities of all our services. The Respect Programme will now take this further so that local services are organised so that they respond swiftly and effectively to the problems that communities face today. People need to see and feel that a difference can be made.
Mr. Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the average time taken was to obtain an antisocial behaviour order in the last period for which figures are available; [55836]
(2) what the average cost was of an antisocial behaviour order in the last period for which figures are available; [55837]
(3) what percentage of the total number of antisocial behaviour orders granted in Swindon have been issued to (a) men, (b) women, (c) people aged under 21 years and (d) people aged under 18 years. [55835]
Hazel Blears: The information requested is not available centrally. A 2004 Home Office study into the cost of obtaining an ASBO reports that costs have significantly reduced. An earlier review of costs published in 2002 (known as the Campbell report) indicated that the cost of obtaining an ASBO averaged £4,000 to £5,000. The later study showed that the costs of obtaining an ASBO had fallen to an average of £2,500. Costs have fallen as a result of more efficiency as practitioners become more familiar with ASBOs, and the introduction of orders on conviction, which removes the need for separate hearing. The study found that, overall, police and local authorities using ASBOs find them cost-effective. The cost to communities and to society generally of not taking action against persistent antisocial behaviour is much higher. Information on the length of time taken to obtain an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) is not collected centrally.
Immediate respite from antisocial behaviour can be obtained by the use of interim and without notice orders. Orders on conviction and county court orders can avoid the need for a separate court hearing, and can therefore speed up the process. Four ASBOs have issued in the Swindon borough council area: three to males under the age of 18 years, and one to a female aged over 21 years.
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