| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Child Protection
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people resident in Northern Ireland are on the Register of Sex Offenders; and in how many of those cases the police do not know the offender's current residential address. [67658]
Mr. Hanson: On 28 April 2006, 644 people in Northern Ireland were subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and in 17 of these cases the police do not have a current residential address. This represents a compliance rate of over 97 per cent.
In line with the Police Service of Northern Ireland's zero tolerance policy on breaches of the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act, all offenders who do not comply are pursued and reported to the Public Prosecution Service with a view to prosecution.
Single Parents
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many single parents in each constituency in Northern Ireland are claiming state benefits; and how much was paid to them in the last period for which figures are available. [69651]
Mr. Hanson: The following table shows the number of lone parents of working age claiming at least one key benefit by parliamentary constituency. The information is taken at May 2005.
| Parliamentary constituency | Number of lone parents | Total weekly benefit paid (£) |
| Notes: 1. Key benefits are jobseeker's allowance, incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance, disability living allowance and income support. Pension credit for males aged 60 to 64. 2. Partner and dependent details were not available for all benefits. |
In addition to the benefits mentioned above, single parents can also receive tax credits and child benefit. Although not social security benefits, they offer financial support to in-work families or families with children. Figures at a parliamentary constituency level are not available but as of April 2006 34,500 in-work single parents in Northern Ireland were receiving tax credit.
A breakdown of lone parents receiving child benefit is unavailable.
Student Finances
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether changes are proposed in the eligibility criteria for (a) student funding support and (b) student loans for graduate students wishing to undertake a further degree course; and if he will make a statement. [69685]
Maria Eagle: Government's student finance priority is to help undergraduate students, particularly the less well off, to achieve a primary degree.
Consequently, graduate students undertaking a further degree course are not eligible for fee support and maintenance grants and there are no proposed changes to these eligibility criteria.
In the case of student loans for maintenance, from academic year 2006-07 under revised previous study rules, these will be available only to graduate students who do not have an honours degree, except for certain designated courses, for example medicine, dentistry and social work, and on a basis that takes account of time spent on previous study.
Travellers' Camps
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to tackle unauthorised travellers' camps on commercial and private lands. [69665]
Mr. Hanson: The Unauthorised Encampments (Northern Ireland) Order 2005, which was made at Privy Council on 19 July 2005, gives the police greater powers to deal with unauthorised encampments. However the order cannot be fully effective until sufficient sites for Travellers are available. Responsibility for providing such sites falls to the Housing Executive and I am pressing it to ensure the necessary sites are available as soon as possible. I anticipate that five sites will be operational by the summer by which time I will review the situation with a view to enabling the necessary provisions. I believe this represents a fair and balanced approach.
Wind Turbines
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received from health trusts in Northern Ireland wishing to provide electricity generated by wind turbines on their sites. [69192]
Paul Goggins: Government are fully committed to sustainable development in Northern Ireland as demonstrated by the Sustainable Development Strategy for Northern Ireland launched on 9 May by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The strategy places a statutory duty on all Northern Ireland Government Departments and district councils to act in a matter which contributes to sustainable development.
In addition, health and social services trusts are already required to consider options for sustainable energy including wind turbine generation, as part of the business case process, for new capital developments. Currently, wind turbine electricity generation is being considered for the Downe and South West hospital developments.
The United Hospitals Health and Social Services Trust has installed and is successfully operating a wind turbine electricity generator on the Antrim hospital site.
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much Antrim hospital has saved in electricity costs as a result of the wind turbine in operation at the site. [69193]
Paul Goggins: The Antrim hospital of the United Hospitals health and social services trust has reduced its payments to the supply authority by a total of £62,437.26, excluding VAT, for the period February 2005 to April 2006 inclusive, as a result of the investment in the wind turbine.
Health
Abortion/Assisted Suicide
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when her Department's policy on (a) abortion and (b) assisted suicide was devised; which organisations and individuals were consulted; and if she will make a statement. [66862]
Caroline Flint: Parliament has decided that abortions may lawfully be carried out in the circumstances specified in the Abortion Act 1967, as amended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.
The Department most recently set out its policy on sexual health, including abortion, in the “National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV” in 2001, and associated documents, which are available from the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk. In addition, recommended quality standards for the provision of abortion services are included in “Recommended Standards for Sexual Health Services”, published in March 2005. The strategy was subject to a public consultation exercise.
Assisting a person in committing suicide is unlawful under the Suicide Act 1961 and is subject to a penalty of up to 14 years imprisonment. The Government have no plans to change this legislation. Any proposals to change the law would be dealt with as a matter of conscience.
Animal-based Insulin
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to Question 53473, on animal-based insulin, tabled by the hon. Member for St. Albans for answer on 27 February. [60859]
Andy Burnham: A reply was given on 23 March.
BCG Vaccinations
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2006, Official Report, columns 1069-70W, on BCG vaccinations, by what criteria the annual allocation to primary care trusts in relation to the funding of the Bacille Calmette Guerin vaccination against tuberculosis is made; what allocation was given to Wandsworth primary care trust in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07; and if she will make a statement. [68106]
Andy Burnham: The funding for Bacille Camette Guerin (BCG) vaccination is included in the unified primary care trust (PCT) revenue allocations that cover the full range of services commissioned by PCTs. It is for PCTs to decide how their allocations can be used in the most effective way.
Binge Drinking
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions she has had with the Portman group on appropriate actions to reduce the incidence of binge drinking; and if she will make a statement. [67326]
Caroline Flint: The Government are working with alcohol producers at a national level to increase corporate social responsibility, which includes the promotion of sensible drinking and actions to reduce the incidence of binge drinking.
The industry launched its social responsibility standards in November 2005 and the Government have been working with the Portman Group and other industry stakeholders on the implementation of these standards.
In addition, the Government have been working with the Portman Group and other stakeholders to establish a national producers' fund, as set out in the alcohol harm reduction strategy. This is a fund from the alcohol industry to pay for new schemes to tackle alcohol related harm including the incidence of binge drinking.
Branded Drug Supplies
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact on patient care and treatment of the adequacy of the supply of branded drugs in England. [67169]
Andy Burnham: No overall assessment has been made. However, the Department works closely with the pharmaceutical industry to resolve medicine supply problems, to help ensure that patients continue to receive the medicines they need.
Care Homes
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many (a) nursing and (b) residential homes there were in (i) England and (ii) Beverley and Holderness in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement; [66522]
(2) how many long-term beds there were in (a) residential and (b) nursing homes in (i) England and
(ii) Beverley and Holderness in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [66526]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Table one shows the number of care homes and places in England and the area of East Riding, as at 31 March for the years 1997 to 2001. Data for Beverley and Holderness constituency are not available.
| Table 1: Number of care homes and places in England and the East Riding area at 31 March 1997 to 2001 | ||||||
| England | East Riding area | |||||
| Residential | Nursing | Total | Residential( 1,4) | Nursing( 2,3) | Total | |
| (1) Residential data is for Kingston upon Hull and East Riding unitary authorities. (2) Nursing data is for East Riding and Hull health authority. (3) Nursing data includes places in general nursing homes, mental nursing homes and private hospitals and clinics. (4) Data on the number of residential care homes excludes dual registered homes as they are included under nursing homes. Note: Data over 1,000 is rounded to nearest 100. Data under 1,000 is rounded to nearest 10. |
Information for 2002 is not available. The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) produces data on the number of care homes and places registered as at 31 March each year, beginning with 2003. There are some definitional differences between these data and those for years up to 2001.
I understand from the chair of CSCI that the number of nursing and residential homes and registered places in England for 2003 onwards is as shown in table two.
The CSCI does not collect information on care homes by constituency. The number of nursing and residential homes and registered places in the East Riding of Yorkshire Local Authority, which includes Beverley and Holderness constituency, for 2003 onwards is shown in table three.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |