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5 Jun 2006 : Column 418W—continued


Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) men and (b) women have died in Northern Ireland in the past three years as a direct result of domestic violence. [74240]

Mr. Hanson: Deaths as a result of domestic violence in the past three years are given in the following table.

Deaths:
Year (April-March) Male Female

2003-04

2

2

2004-05

1

6

2005-06

3

3

Source: Police Service of Northern Ireland

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what facilities exist for men who present themselves as victims of domestic violence; and how many refuge centres exist in the Province. [74241]

Mr. Hanson: A strategy for addressing domestic violence in Northern Ireland, “Tackling Violence at Home”, was launched in October 2005. The strategy is aimed at providing protection and support to all victims of domestic violence, irrespective of gender or sexual orientation. All victims can seek information and advice through the free-phone Domestic Violence Helpline and male victims are sign-posted to organisations that provide services for men, such as the Men’s Advisory Project, Men-to-Men or the Rainbow Project. Any victim of a domestic assault can seek protection from the police who will investigate, arrest the alleged abuser if power exists and prosecute where there is evidence of a crime. Alternatively a victim can engage a solicitor and apply to a court for a civil order (a non-molestation order and/or an occupation order) to prevent further abuse or exclude the abuser from the family home. There are 12 Women’s Aid Refuges for women and children fleeing domestic violence. There are no refuges in operation specifically for male victims of domestic violence given the small numbers involved but men may seek assistance from the Housing Executive who will offer the full range of homelessness services including supported or unsupported temporary accommodation.

Domiciliary Care Workers

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what rate per mile is paid for travel carried out by domiciliary care workers in each of the Northern Ireland health and social services trusts. [73544]

Paul Goggins: The actual rate of travel for HPSS employees is a matter for the employer to decide and up to date information on the rates in payment is not held centrally. It will take some time to collate this information and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available and place a copy in the Library.

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the terms are of the increased offer of mileage rate to domiciliary care workers in each health and social services trust in Northern Ireland. [74275]

Paul Goggins: Discussions are currently underway with the relevant trade union but at this stage no offer has been made by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the business rate of mileage paid to domiciliary care workers will be when Agenda for Change is fully implemented by the health and social services trusts in Northern Ireland. [74276]

Paul Goggins: The responsibility for the payment of mileage to domiciliary care workers rests with HPSS employers. The level of mileage allowance applicable is determined by the circumstances of the individual and the organisation. Three categories are available:


5 Jun 2006 : Column 419W

5 Jun 2006 : Column 420W
Engine capacity
Up to l000cc 1001 to 1500cc Over 1500cc

Regular user allowance

Lump sum (£)

508

626

760

Up to 9,000 miles

27p

33.5p

40p

Thereafter

16.2p

18.3p

20.5p

Standard rate

Up to 3,500 miles

34p

43p

53p

Thereafter

16.2p

18.3p

20.5p


Public transport mileage rate

Public Transport mileage is payable at 23p per mile where the employer deems that standard or regular user rates do not apply.

Education and Library Boards

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what budget was allocated to each of the Education and Library Boards in Northern Ireland for (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07. [72713]

Maria Eagle: The following tables show the funding (recurrent and capital) allocated to each of the Education and Library Boards by the three funding Departments, Department of Education (DE), Department of Culture Arts and Leisure (DCAL) and Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) in the last two financial years, ie 2005-06 and 2006-07. It should be noted that the 2005-06 figures relate to initial and final end-year allocations while the 2006-07 figures cover only the initial allocations provided at the start of the financial year. Further funding held by my Departments including end year flexibility allocations carried forward from 2005-06 and earmarked for ELBs have still to be allocated.

2005-06 (initial allocation)
£ million
Recurrent Capital Total

BELB

195.0

13.9

208.9

NEELB

256.0

17.5

273.5

SEELB

225.5

20.6

246.1

SELB

267.2

17.5

284.7

WELB

220.3

15.8

236.1

Total

1,164.0

85.3

1,249.3


2005-06 (final allocation)
£ million
Recurrent Capital Total

BELB

220.2

10.0

230.2

NEELB

281.2

16.7

297.9

SEELB

250.5

21.7

272.2

SELB

296.1

16.2

312.3

WELB

299.9

12.7

312.6

Total

1,347.9

77.3

1,425.2


2006-07 (initial allocation)
£ million
Recurrent Capital Total

BELB

(1)191.8

10.6

202.4

NEELB

265.8

11.9

277.7

SEELB

(1)226.4

11.7

238.1

SELB

277.8

13.6

291.4

WELB

228.8

16.2

245.0

Total

1,190.6

64.0

1,254.6

(1) In 2006-07, the amounts allocated by the Department of Education to BELB and SEELB were net of part-repayments of deficit by both Boards amounting to £3 million and £4.5 million respectively.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of how much has been spent over the last 10 years on job evaluations within education and library boards in the Province. [74651]

Maria Eagle: A total of £125 million has been allocated for the job evaluation exercise by the Department of Education and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure since 1995-96 for school-based staff, former-manual staff, classroom assistants and library staff. This figure includes the estimated cost for annual uplift of salaries until 2007-08. However, it does not include the costs for the job evaluations of former non-manual headquarters and out-centre staff that the education and library boards have had to absorb within their annual running costs. That information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding was provided to the education and library boards in Northern Ireland in the last year for which figures are available; and whether this funding is ring fenced. [71342]

Maria Eagle: A total of £1,425.2 million (made up of £77.3 million capital and £1,347.9 million resource allocations) was provided to the education and library boards in Northern Ireland in 2005-06, the last year for which full year information is available. These allocations were made by the three funding departments:

The funding provided by each Department is ring fenced for use only on the functions that the boards provide for or on behalf of that Department. In all cases, capital funding cannot be transferred to resource budgets. In the case of the Department of Education, funding provided via Local Management of Schools for school budgets is also ring fenced for individual schools and funding for youth is ring fenced for youth service activities.


5 Jun 2006 : Column 421W

The allocations from each Department also include separate, smaller earmarked allocations to boards for specific activities and initiatives.

Fallen Stock

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fallen livestock have been recorded in the Strangford constituency over the past three years. [74729]

David Cairns: The information is not available in the format suggested. Data is available in relation to collections recorded for the National Fallen Stock Scheme in Northern Ireland from 22 November 2004, when the scheme was introduced, to 25 May 2006 (see table 1 following). Figures are not available for other legal means of disposal including independent collection through approved hunt kennels. The National Fallen Stock Scheme does not collect fallen bovines over 24 months old, for which the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development provides a free collection service for the purposes of BSE testing (refer to table 2).

Table 1: National fallen stock scheme collections in Northern Ireland recorded from 22 November 2004 to 25 May 2006
Category Number of collections

Bovines 0 to 24 months

47,705

Container for bovine

4

Bovine per 10 litre volume

10

Sheep and lambs

26,090

Container for lambs

164

Sheep/lambs per 10 kg weight

1,649

Sheep/lambs per 10 litre volume

295

Goats and kids

76

Container for goats

8

Goats per 10 kg weight

533

Pigs and piglets

5,823

Container for piglets

507

Pigs/piglets per 10 kg weight

72,359

Pigs/piglets per 10 litre volume

1,576

Poultry per 10 kg weight

375,323

Container for poultry

6,476

Poultry per 10 litre volume

8,220

Deer

2

Horses and foals

73

Donkeys

2

Ponies and foals

23

Mixed animals per 10 kg weight (bovine/sheep/goats/pigs)

7,708


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