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27 Apr 2006 : Column 1242W—continued
Deaf Young People
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Department for Education has spent on educating deaf post-primary children and young people outside Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [65892]
Angela E. Smith: The following table shows the amount spent by each Education and Library Board on educating deaf post-primary children and young people outside Northern Ireland, for the last five years, where available.
n/a = not available.
(1) Belfast Education and Library Board Estimate based on average costs.
(2) Western Education and Library Board includes Transport Costs averaged over five years.
(3) No children funded to attend schools outside Northern Ireland.
Note:
Total costs for 2001–02 and 2002–03 in the North Eastern Education and Library Board are not available as separate records were not kept until 2003.
Free Transport (Senior Citizens)
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has he made of the impact on Northern Ireland of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's announcement on the free national transport scheme for the elderly. [65988]
Mr. Woodward: The provision of concessionary fares on public transport is a devolved matter throughout the United Kingdom. The Chancellor of the Exchequer's announcement referred to arrangements in England. In Northern Ireland the current concessionary fares scheme already allows for free travel for senior citizens throughout Northern Ireland.
Multi-storey Car Parks
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many multi-storey car parks have been constructed in Northern Ireland under the auspices of a Government Department in each of the last 10 years. [65311]
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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 27 April 2006:
You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question regarding how many multi-storey car parks have been constructed in Northern Ireland under the auspices of a Government department in each of the last 10 years. I have been asked to reply.
Roads Service has now constructed any multi-storey car parks in the last 10 years. However a two-storey car park was constructed in 1997–98 in Newry by Translink replacing car park spaces lost through construction of a new bus station.
I can also advise that the Department for Social Development has provided support for two retail developments, which include the provision of multi storey car parking facilities, within the last 10 years. These developments are in Londonderry in the Foyleside Shopping Centre which includes two multi-storey car parks, and in Spencer Road/Duke Street which includes one multi-storey car park.
Planning Area Enforcement Orders
Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the penalty is for non-compliance with an enforcement order issued by a planning area in Northern Ireland. [66139]
Angela E. Smith: Failure to comply with an enforcement notice which has taken effect is an offence. A person found guilty of such an offence shall be liable to a fine which shall be determined by the courts. The maximum penalty for an offence is £30,000 on summary conviction in the magistrates court. If a person is convicted in a Crown court then the fine could be unlimited. In determining the amount of any fine to be imposed on a person, the legislation indicates that the court shall in particular have regard to any financial benefit which has accrued or appears likely to accrue in consequence of the offence.
Postgraduate Studentships
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been awarded postgraduate studentships since October 2005; and at what cost to public funds. [65331]
Angela E. Smith: The Department makes available funding for a number of postgraduate awards for higher degree courses leading to Masters and PhDs at Queen's University Belfast and the University of Ulster and the universities select, by competition, the students to fill these awards. Since the beginning of the academic year in October 2005, the universities have made a total of 218 postgraduate studentships at a cost of £2.095 million.
Public Transport
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by how much (a) weekly, (b) monthly and (c) daily train and bus fares between (i) Lurgan and Belfast, (ii) Lisburn and Belfast, (iii) Antrim and Belfast, (iv) Bangor and Belfast and (v) Londonderry and Belfast have changed in the last 12 months. [65501]
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Mr. Woodward: Translink has advised that the information is not available in the format requested as Ulsterbus issue 10 and 40 journey tickets, rather than weekly and monthly tickets.
There have been two fare increases in the financial year to 31 March 2006. The following table details the percentage increase in NI Railway and Ulsterbus fares.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which were the busiest (a) rail and (b) bus routes between Belfast and other provincial towns in Northern Ireland in the last period for which figures are available. [65502]
Mr. Woodward: Translink has advised me that in the last financial year (1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006) the Belfast to Portadown rail route carried the highest number of passengers, as did the Belfast to Londonderry bus route.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) rail and (b) bus passengers were carried on average each day between (i) Lurgan and Belfast, (ii) Portadown and Belfast, (iii) Lisburn and Belfast, (iv) Antrim and Belfast, (v) Bangor and Belfast and (vi) Londonderry and Belfast in the latest period for which figures are available. [65503]
Mr. Woodward: The daily figures in the following tables were calculated by dividing the total figures for the final accounting period of 2005–06 by 35 (as there were 35 days in that accounting period).
The following table provides the average number of rail journeys each day on the routes requested. All journeys are between the station stated and the four Belfast stations taken as a group (Central, Botanic, City hospital and Great Victoria street) and do not include passengers who boarded at intermediate points.
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The following table provides the average number of bus journeys each day on the routes requested. All journeys are between any stage within the named town (e.g. Bangor, Bangor depot, Bangor station, Bangor town centre etc.) and Belfast (e.g. Belfast Great Victoria street, Belfast Laganside, Belfast city centre etc. taken as a group). Again the figures do not include passengers boarding at intermediate points.
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