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16 Jun 2006 : Column 1513W—continued
Staff Surveys
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 23 May 2006, Official Report, column 1605W, on staff surveys, why the total number of staff surveys carried out by the Department of the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister increased from three in 2003-04, to (a) 18 in 2004-05 and (b) 14 in 2005-06. [77103]
Mr. Hanson: Business units in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister have made increasing use of staff surveys as an efficient means of assessing the business needs of the internal users of their services. The majority of the surveys have been conducted electronically and were aimed at obtaining feedback and suggestions on how services could be improved.
Terrorist Prisoners
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in which wing in Maghaberry prison the person convicted in 2005 of the manslaughter of James McGinley is serving his sentence; what his likely release date is; and which terrorist organisation has most members in the same wing. [75503]
Paul Goggins: Bartholomew Fisher, the person convicted in 2005 of the manslaughter of James McGinley is located in separated accommodation in Roe House. His earliest date of release is 19 August 2006. Those held in this accommodation in Roe House are perceived to be affiliated to a range of republican organisations.
Tourism
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans the Northern Ireland Tourist Board has to target potential tourists from the Republic of Ireland during summer 2006. [76365]
Maria Eagle: The Northern Ireland Tourist Board office in Dublin includes a Tourist Information Centre (TIC) and also a Marketing Team. The purpose of the Dublin office is to promote tourism in Northern Ireland to Republic of Ireland (RoI) residents, International tourists holidaying in Ireland, Travel Trade, Business Tourism and RoI Media.
Currently the NITB advertising budget for the Republic of Ireland for 2006-07 is £469,000.
Promotion to potential tourists from RoI during 2006 is already well under way through a series of marketing activities which include:
(a) Tourist Information Centre services—Reservations, Information and Short-Break Brochure promotion;
(b) Travel Trade Assistance, Support and Familiarisation Trips to Northern Ireland;
(c) Consumer Show promotion at various shows throughout Republic of Ireland;
(d) PR which results in press coverage in RoI print media, radio and TV.
The prime vehicle for promotion to RoI visitors during 2006 is via campaigns surrounding the Short Breaks Euro Brochure. This year’s Short Breaks brochure is being complemented by a number of tactical marketing campaigns which include promotions via the national RoI press, radio advertising, web promotions, and direct mail etc.
Unemployment
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were unemployed in each of the last three years in Northern Ireland. [77349]
Maria Eagle: Estimates of unemployment are produced from the Northern Ireland Labour Force Survey and the latest figures relate to the period February-April 2006. Figures for this period and for the same period in the previous two years can be found in the following table.
| Number of people unemployed in Northern Ireland, 2004-06 | |
| Reference period | Number unemployed |
| Source: NI Labour Force Survey | |
Unpaid Penalties
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total was of unpaid court (a) costs, (b) compensation orders and (c) fines imposed by (i) magistrates courts and (ii) the Crown court in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and what percentage in each category have subsequently been quashed. [76406]
Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
Detailed accounting records are retained by the NI Court Service for three years only. Information for the last three financial years is set out as follows. Penal sums imposed in one year may be paid in the next following year. Consequently the amount outstanding for each year will include sums which may be paid and sums which may be quashed in subsequent years. Sums cleared otherwise than by payment include those remitted or reduced on appeal, where the defendant served a period of imprisonment in default of payment, or where the police return a warrant to the court unexecuted.
International Development
Departmental Pensions
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for how many pensions the Department is responsible in relation to people (a) above and (b) below retirement age; and how many of these people previously accrued pension rights at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. [74843]
Mr. Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) is responsible for pension costs for staff leaving on early departure grounds (excluding ill health retirement). DFID is responsible for meeting the full costs of compensation, including the early payment of pensions until age 60.
When staff retire on age grounds their pension costs are met centrally from the outset. We are not therefore responsible for the pensions of any former staff above the retirement age.
We are currently responsible for the pension costs of 67 former members of staff below the pension age, of these three were inherited from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Disability Access
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether any building in his Department falls short of disability access regulations. [73001]
Mr. Thomas: Detailed access audits were carried out in 2004; this included suitable and sufficient assessments of the facilities in place and those which needed to be considered to allow all persons to enter, circulate and work safely at DFID premises. This audit was carried out with a wide range of potential users in mind, including persons with mobility and sensory impairments.
The audit addressed the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995, and identified a number of reasonable adjustments to our buildings which have since been implemented. These adjustments have included:
improved disabled wheelchair access,
provision of tactile and visual warning signage, and
availability of portable induction loops.
Where reasonable adjustments are not possible for structural reasons, a disability management plan has been introduced to address the audit recommendations.
Indonesia
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on delivering aid to Indonesia following the earthquake. [77333]
Mr. Thomas:
DFID has been in close contact with EU counterparts since the earthquake in Yogyakarta and Central Java on May 27. DFID officials have
participated in frequent co-ordination meetings in Jakarta and Yogyakarta on emergency relief, and are now in regular contact with the European Commission and other member states about longer- term reconstruction needs and the case for financial contributions. The preliminary damage and loss assessment, a joint report by the Government of Indonesia and international partners, was presented to donors on June 14. It provides a basis for longer-term reconstruction and recovery assistance, and ways to deliver this are now being considered. No firm decisions have yet been taken by EU member states on financial contributions to the recovery effort, except by the Netherlands which has announced a contribution of €10 million.
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