Previous Section Index Home Page

16 May 2006 : Column 875W—continued

Farm Animals

Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) pigs, (b) beef cattle, (c) hens, (d) sheep, (e) dairy cattle and (f) calves there were on Northern Ireland farms in March in each of the last four years. [71215]

David Cairns: Accurate information is not known for March. The results of a statistical survey of Northern Ireland agriculture conducted annually in June provide the best available estimate.


16 May 2006 : Column 876W
Number
Livestock type 2002 2003 2004 2005

Pigs

387,714

433,689

424,058

405,093

Beef cattle

422,667

433,544

427,695

428,997

Broilers (Thousand)

11,273

12,811

15,007

12,526

Other hens (Thousand)

5,139

5,274

5,061

4,622

Sheep

2,324,161

2,241,112

2,225,407

2,145,084

Dairy cattle

297,935

290,145

288,296

290,530

Calves

472,359

471,471

466,718

457,067

Notes: 1. Pigs are defined as breeding and fattening pigs. 2. Beef cattle are defined as cattle over one year old, intended for slaughter. 3. Sheep are defined as breeding and fattening sheep. 4. Dairy cattle are defined as dairy cows and heifers in milk and dairy cows in calf but not in milk. 5. Calves are defined as cattle under one year old.

Farm Subsidies Appeal Panel

Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many times the Independent Farm Subsidies Appeal Panel set up by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) has met in the past 12 months; how many decisions have been returned (a) partially and (b) completely in favour of the farmer; how many times the panel's decision has been overturned by DARD; and what the cost of the panel to DARD has been over the last 12 months. [71151]

Maria Eagle: For ease of reference the figures requested have been presented in the following table.

Number

Number of times panel has met in the last 12 months

(1)89

Recommendations returned by panel

(2)153

Partially upheld by panel

13

Upheld in full by panel

60

Times panel recommendation overturned by DARD

0

(1) Includes 10 occasions where the panel reconvened. Panel to reconvene to complete review of two cases. (2) Includes 16 cases still under policy consideration.

It should be noted, the Farm Subsidies Appeal Panel do not make decisions. Their remit is to review subsidy-related decisions against the relevant European and UK legislation and to consider whether the Department's decision is consistent with these rules. The panel is asked to reach a conclusion and make a recommendation to the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development. The Department does not reject the recommendations made by the Independent Panel. The final decision as to whether the panel's recommendation is rejected or accepted rests with the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development.

The Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development did not accept 29 recommendations made by the panel (of these seven were accepted in part).


16 May 2006 : Column 877W

During the past 12 months, the Independent Panel's cost to the Department was £257,465. This includes panel fees, travel and subsistence and administrative support/secretariat costs.

Fire Rescue Order

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what financial arrangements have been put in place to enable the Northern Ireland Fire Authority to implement outstanding elements of the Fire Rescue Order (2006). [70494]

Paul Goggins: The provisions in the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 will not have any significant bearing on the associated costs of the Fire and Rescue Service. Government already provides resources through the Revenue Support Grant, taking into account a whole range of fire service functions, including responding to road traffic accidents and community safety. Promoting fire safety, for example, is already funded as a key activity of the service and there will be scope for redeployment of resources through a more strategic and risk-based approach.

Some additional funding has already been provided for the New Dimension major emergencies/catastrophic incidents programme and a bid for further funding is currently under consideration.

Any further funding requests from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, whether arising from the new legislation or otherwise, will be subject to standard businesses case and subsequent scrutiny procedures and, where appropriate, prioritisation of bids against available resources.

Housing Benefit

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the change in the number of households claiming housing benefit has been in each of the last 10 years. [70426]

Mr. Hanson: The number of households claiming housing benefit (HB) over the last 10 years is not available. The table provides the change in theaverage number of claimants claiming HB in the last10 financial years.

Average numbers claiming housing benefit Change +/-

1995-96

139,600

1996-97

140,700

+ 1,100

1997-98

137,900

- 2,800

1998-99

136,300

- 1,600

1999-2000

131,900

- 4,400

2000-01

127,200

- 4,700

2001-02

125,000

- 2,200

2002-03

125,602

+ 602

2003-04

126,033

+ 431

2004-05

128,406

+ 2,373

2005-06

129,110

+ 704


16 May 2006 : Column 878W

Kidney Transplants

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many kidney transplants were carried out under NHS procedures in Northern Ireland in 2005. [70427]

Paul Goggins: There were 30 kidney transplants carried out in Northern Ireland under NHS procedures in 2005.

Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Organisations

Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how much funding was awarded by the Government to lesbian, gay and bisexual organisations in Northern Ireland in 2004-05; and what percentage of funding awarded to all section 75 groups this represented; [59991]

(2) how much financial support has been allocated for lesbian, gay and bisexual organisations for 2006-07. [59994]

Paul Goggins: £643,413 was awarded to lesbian, gay and bisexual organisations in 2004-05. This is approximately 0.9 per cent. of the amount paid by Government to all organizations in the voluntary and community sector.

£531,600 is so far estimated for allocation to support lesbian, gay and bisexual organisations in 2006-07.

Library Fines

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fines were imposed for the non-return of borrowed books by each library in Northern Ireland in 2005. [70448]

Maria Eagle: The following numbers of fines were imposed for the non-return of borrowed stock items (mainly books, but also other items such as DVDs or music) in each Northern Ireland library branch in the financial year 2005-06:


16 May 2006 : Column 879W
BELB
Number

Andersonstown

1,095

Ardoyne

798

Ballygomartin

34

Ballyhackamore

2,362

Ballymacarrett

420

Belfast Central

9,753

Chichester

2,580

Falls Road

1,311

Finaghy

1,974

Holywood Arches

1,942

Ligoniel

442

Lisburn Road

2,907

Oldpark

165

Ormeau

4,331

Sandy Row

269

Shankill

851

Skegoneill

905

Suffolk

1,687

Whiterock

874

Whitewell

109

Woodstock

1,969

Other

175


NEELB
Number

Antrim

1,295

Ahoghill

89

Ballee

27

Ballycastle

1,309

Ballyclare

2,001

Ballymena Central

6,027

Ballymena Local Studies

0

Ballymoney

2,203

Bellaghy

73

Broughshane

636

Bushmills

128

Carnlough

488

Carrickfergus

3,039

Castlerock

75

Cloughfern

694

Cloughmills

69

Coleraine

3,039

Crumlin

926

Cullybackey

103

Cushendall

814

Draperstown

743

Garvagh

470

Glengormley

3,287

Greenisland

674

Greystone

1,091

Kells and Connor

441

Kilrea

512

Larne

2,865

Maghera

1,531

Magherafelt

2,575

Monkstown

155

Portglenone

877

Portrush

1,072

Portstewart

1,212

Randalstown

1,194

Rathcoole

938

Templepatrick

91

Whitehead

1,089

Other

1,424



Next Section Index Home Page