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13 Mar 2006 : Column 2031W—continued

Child Care

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provision for child care is available through Department of Employment and
 
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Learning jobs and benefits offices for women returning to work; and how many women used that service in each of the last five years. [55866]

Angela E. Smith: The Department for Employment and Learning does not directly provide child care through the Jobs and Benefit Offices. Lone parents and partners of certain benefit recipients are eligible for assistance with child care costs when participating in the new deal programmes on a non-employed basis, and when participating in the Training for Work programme and Jobskills. The Department does not collect statistics on the number of women who have received assistance with child care costs, however assistance totalling £2,758,199.00 has been provided in the last five years. In addition, families in Northern Ireland can benefit from the child care element of the children's tax credit. The average assistance provided is £58.33 per family.

Child Care Support

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) university students and (b) nursing students in Northern Ireland were receiving child care support in the latest period for which figures are available. [56693]

Angela E. Smith: In academic year 2004–05: (a) a total of 292 students on higher education courses at higher and further education institutions were in receipt of child care grant; and (b) no child care support is available for nursing students. However help with child care costs via working tax credit is available to students and student nurses, who, aside from their studies, are in full time remunerative employment.

Child Poverty

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children were living in poverty in each (a) ward, (b) constituency and (c) county in Northern Ireland in each of the last 30 years. [55570]

Angela E. Smith: This information has been placed in the Library.

College Amalgamations

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to ensure that (a) Limavady and (b) other small further and higher education colleges in Northern Ireland retain their local identity following the planned college amalgamations. [57743]

Angela E. Smith: Under the Further Education Strategy for Northern Ireland there are no planned closures of college campuses, and FE colleges will continue to be at the heart of the local communities they serve. Colleges will continue to deliver, and build upon, the services they provide to learners and businesses in their local areas, as well as contributing to a more strategic and co-ordinated approach to the provision of skills across Northern Ireland. Every effort is being made to ensure that new governance arrangements will be representative of each of the amalgamated
 
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institutions, so that the strengths and facilities of all colleges and campuses in their areas are used to maximum effect both locally and further afield.

Cruelty to Animals

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were convicted of offences involving cruelty to animals in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [57906]

Mr. Hanson: Table 1 provides figures for the calendar years 1999 to 2003. Data beyond 2003 is currently not available.

The figures include convictions for the offences of 'owner permitting cruelty to animals', 'abandoning animal', 'causing unnecessary suffering to animals', 'permitting cruelty of animals', 'cruelty to animals', 'causing unnecessary suffering to livestock' and 'causing unnecessary suffering to animal in transit'.

Figures are collated on a principal offence basis, thus where more than one offence is heard per court sitting, only the most serious offence (based on that attracting the most severe penalty) is recorded.
Table 1: Convictions in Northern Ireland for cruelty to animals 1999 to 2003

	Number of convictions
1999	33
2000	21
2001	16
2002	9
2003	24

Curriculum and Assessment

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to his letter of 8 February 2006, (COR47/2006) to the hon. Member for North Down, on the revised curriculum and associated assessment arrangements, when he expects to be in a position to provide the further information to which he referred. [58250]

Angela E. Smith: Since the hon. Lady's correspondence, I met recently with Dr. Hugh Morrison from Queens University, and with the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA). CCEA will be providing their advice on Dr. Morrison's papers shortly and I will write to the hon. Lady as soon as possible after consideration of this advice.

Drug-related Crime

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many drug-related crimes were committed in each ward in Northern Ireland in 2004–05. [55548]

Mr. Woodward: The Police Service of Northern Ireland do not record crime figures in the format requested. Incidents of crime are recorded by police district command unit and a monthly update is posted on the police website at www.psni.police.uk A copy of the full PSNI Statistical report for the year 2004–05 is also available on the website.
 
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Equality Commission

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many meetings the Political Affairs Officer of the Equality Commission of Northern Ireland has had with each of the Northern Ireland political parties since being appointed in October 2004. [56412]

Angela E. Smith: I understand that the chief executive of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, Ms Evelyn Collins, has written to the hon. Gentleman in the following terms:

The remit of the post of Political Affairs Officer includes the promotion and co- ordination of all points of engagement between the Equality Commission for NI and the political sector.

The number of meetings held by the Commission with political parties, which have included the Political Affairs Officer, since October 2004 is:

	Number of meetings
DUP	2
SDLP	3
Sinn Fe"in	5
Ulster Unionists	1"

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the extent to which the population in Northern Ireland is aware of the (a) existence, (b) role and (c) remit of the Equality Commission. [56416]

Angela E. Smith: I understand that the chief executive of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, Ms Evelyn Collins, has written to the hon. Gentleman in the following terms:

The last full survey of awareness of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, published in 2002, found that 18 per cent. of people identified the Equality Commission as the body responsible for promotion of equality of opportunity in Northern Ireland.

Following a significant television and newspaper campaign on race and disability rights, that figure increased to 28 per cent. later in that year. A smaller radio campaign to raise awareness of recently introduced legislation on sexual orientation showed that this figure was maintained in 2003–04 at 26 per cent.

A further survey of the general public is currently under way, with results published by June 2006."

Fireworks

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been prosecuted for illegal (a) selling and (b) use of fireworks in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years. [56365]

Mr. Hanson: Table 1 provides prosecution figures for the calendar years 1994 to 2003. Data beyond 2003 is currently not available.

Figures for illegally selling fireworks cover a range of offences including 'selling fireworks to non-licence holder', 'selling fireworks without a licence' and 'selling the banger"'. Figures for illegally using fireworks include prosecutions for the offences of 'using fireworks', 'throwing fireworks' and 'using the banger"'.
 
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Figures are collated on a principal offence basis, thus where more than one offence is heard per court sitting, only the most serious offence (based on that attracting the most severe penalty) is recorded.
Table 1: Prosecutions for illegal selling and use of fireworks 1994–2003

	Illegal selling of fireworks	Illegal use of fireworks
1994	6	12
1995	7	14
1996	10	10
1997	6	9
1998	7	6
1999	4	4
2000	3	4
2001	0	1
2002	4	2
2003	0	0

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