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18 Apr 2006 : Column 470W—continued
Civil Service (Travel Expenses)
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to his Answer of 16 March 2006, Official Report, column 2490W, on Civil Service travel expenses, what the travel policy is for members of staff in the (a) Northern Ireland Civil Service and (b) Northern Ireland Office. [62512]
Angela E. Smith: The current policy on official travel by Northern Ireland Civil Servants is set out in Chapter 3 of the Travel and Subsistence Part of the NICS Staff Handbook. This policy is currently under review. The NICS policy applies to Northern Ireland Civil Servants employed in the Northern Ireland Office. Home Civil Servants employed in the Northern Ireland Office are subject to the policy in the Home Civil Service Handbook.
An electronic copy of the NICS, Travel and Subsistence Part of the Handbook can be found at http://www.nics.gov.uk/pay/handbook/content/travel/index.html.
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A printed copy of the Travel and Subsistence Part of the NICS Staff Handbook is also available from the Library of the House. A copy of the NIO HCS Staff Handbook is available on request.
Classroom Assistants
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many classroom assistants were employed to help children with special educational needs in each education and library board in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [63383]
Angela E. Smith: This information is not available from the education and library boards within the time scale. I will place the information in the Library as soon as possible.
Community Sentences (Reoffending)
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of (a) adult males and (b) adult females in Northern Ireland have reoffended while serving a community sentence in each of the last five years. [62522]
Mr. Hanson: The information is not available in the form requested.
The following table provides statistics for calendar year 2001 for the number and percentage of reconvictions within two years for offenders given a community-based disposal. Reconviction data is not yet available in respect of those convicted after 2001. Further explanation is provided in the footnotes.
Notes:
1. Figures are sourced to the Northern Ireland Office and are based on a principal offence/main disposal rule. Thus only where a community-based disposal is the main disposal related to the principal offence tried at a court sitting, will that individual be counted in the table. The base dataset also only reflects the first conviction for an individual in that year, thus the total number of community-based disposals handed out at court in that year may not be represented.
2. A valid two-year reconviction rate is defined as a conviction, for any offence, within two years from the date of the original (or baseline) disposal in 2001 (i.e. reconvictions between 2001 and 2003). Data beyond 2003 is currently not available.
3. An adult is defined as being 17 years or older.
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Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of (a) men and (b) women who had been serving community sentences in the last year for which figures are available had breached those sentences and had (i) been permitted to continue to serve those sentences and (ii) had those sentences revoked; and, of those whose sentence was revoked, what percentage were re-sentenced to (A) a non-custodial sentence and (B) a custodial sentence. [62530]
Mr. Hanson: The Probation Board for Northern Ireland has advised that information is available centrally from June 2005 onwards regarding the outcome of breaches of community sentences. In the six-month period June to December 2005, 98 breaches initiated by PBNI were dealt with by the courts. Of these, 92 (94 per cent.) were regarding male offenders, the remaining 6 (8 per cent.) were female offenders. On four occasions males were permitted to continue to serve their sentence. In 51 of the 92 occasions (55 per cent.) concerning male offenders resulted in the order being revoked, and 50 per cent. of breaches concerning females resulted in the order being revoked. No information is held centrally concerning further sentencing.
Commuter Car Journeys
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many commuter car journeys are estimated to be undertaken in and out of Belfast on a daily basis; and what percentage is estimated to be driver-only occupancy. [62842]
Mr. Woodward: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbin, dated 6 April 2006:
You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question regarding how many commuter car journeys are estimated in and out of Belfast on a daily basis and what percentage is estimated to be driver-only occupancy.
I have been asked to reply as the issues raised fall within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service.
I should explain that while Roads Service holds information on traffic flows at a number of census points strategically located throughout the road network, it does not generally hold estimates of the total number of vehicles coming into and out of Belfast. However, work carried out in 1999 as part of the preparation of the Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan estimated the daily number of cars travelling into and out of Belfast across an outer cordon, defined by the A55 outer ring road at 297,000 cars. Similarly, the number of cars travelling into and out of Belfast's central core on a daily basis, defined as the area bounded by Westlink in the West of the City and the River Lagan in the South and East, was estimated at 149,000.
A survey carried out in November 2005 to establish the mode of transport used by people travelling into Belfast's inner cordon during the morning peak hour showed that 68 per cent. of all cars were driver-only occupancy.
Compensation Claims
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was claimed in compensation for injuries caused to pedestrians in Northern Ireland from the Department of Regional Development in each year between 1995 and 2005. [62822]
Mr. Woodward: It is not known how much was claimed in compensation for injuries caused to pedestrians in Northern Ireland because that information is not provided by claimants. Also, the IT records of the Department for Regional Development do not distinguish pedestrians from other claimants, eg car passengers. It is believed however, that the vast majority of claimants claiming against the Department for personal injury are pedestrians. It is only possible to answer the question in terms of total compensation paid and, therefore, the following table sets out the total compensation paid by the Department for Regional Development in respect of public liability personal injury claims by members of the public in each financial year since 1995–96.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 2004–05 | 1,760,490 |
| 2003–04 | 2,142,323 |
| 2002–03 | 2,504,607 |
| 2001–02 | 2,326,203 |
| 2000–01 | 1,822,419 |
| 1999–2000 | 2,674,217 |
| 1989–99 | 1.856,823 |
| 1997–98 | 2,147,192 |
| 1996–97 | 1,436,091 |
| 1995–96 | 1,451,575 |
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was claimed in compensation by patients due to maladministration by the NHS in Northern Ireland in each year between 1995 and 2005. [62823]
Mr. Woodward: The information is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
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