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19 Jun 2006 : Column 1652W—continued
Public Bodies (Funding)
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was allocated to the (a) Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, (b) Northern Ireland Equality Commission, (c) Northern Ireland Parades Commission and (d) Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland in each year since the inception of each. [34556]
Mr. Hanson: For the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, this financial information can be found in the Cabinet Office annual publications “Public Bodies 1999 to 2005”, all of which can be accessed online at: www.civilservice.gov.uk/other/agencies/public_bodies/index.asp “Public Bodies 2006” is in preparation and will be published later this year.
Since its inception, similar information for the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland has appeared in its annual reports, copies of which are held in the Library. From 2005, it has also been published in Cabinet Office’s “Public Bodies”.
Information for all four bodies for 2004-07 are as follows:
| £ | |||
| Government funding | |||
| Public body/NDPB | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 |
Renewable Energy
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much of the energy consumed by each Northern Ireland Department came from renewable sources in the last 12 months. [77046]
Mr. Hanson: In the year ending 31 March 2005 (the last complete year for which data is available) the amount of electricity coming from renewable sources consumed by Northern Ireland Departments was as follows:
| Department | Percentage |
The table does not include the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister or the Department for Employment and Learning as these Departments are accommodated in buildings shared with other Departments.
Road Safety
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to increase the seatbelt-wearing rate in Northern Ireland over the next five years. [77379]
David Cairns: The Department of the Environment already develops seatbelt campaigns, supported by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, to ensure that all vehicle occupants are aware of the need to wear seat belts. The Department's Road Safety Education Officers provide teaching resources, training and support and liaise with teachers in all schools in Northern Ireland to ensure that children are encouraged to wear seatbelts.
Measures planned to increase the seatbelt wearing rate in Northern Ireland are:
New primary road traffic legislation on which the Department has consulted will be introduced in due course. This includes making the failure to wear seatbelts an endorsable offence.
Consultations have taken place on Directive 2003/20/EC, including proposals to require seatbelt wearing on buses and coaches where they are fitted and the use of child restraints in cars and goods vehicles. The Department plans to make an announcement on the way forward over the next few weeks.
A new publicity campaign highlighting the dangers of not wearing seatbelts is planned for September.
Special Scientific Interest Areas
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements are in place for visits by Environment and Heritage Service officials to ensure that areas of special scientific interest in private ownership are not being compromised. [78174]
David Cairns: The Department of the Environment has a statutory responsibility to ensure that areas of special scientific interest (ASSIs) are afforded protection from damage and that they are managed in a manner that will secure their scientific interest. Accordingly, in normal circumstances, EHS conducts one integrity monitoring visit annually and one condition monitoring visit every six years. If a breach of legislation is suspected, entry onto the land will be required immediately.
Restorative Justice
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress of plans for the introduction of community-based restorative justice schemes. [76298]
Mr. Hanson: I refer the hon. Member to my statement on community-based restorative justice made on 25 May 2006, Official Report, column 98WS.
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, for what reason the number of staff surveys conducted in Northern Ireland Departments increased between 2003-04 and 2005-06. [77219]
Mr. Hanson: The following table details the increase in staff surveys undertaken by the 11 core NICS Departments and the Northern Ireland Office between the financial years 2003-04 and 2005-06.
There is no single reason for the increase in staff survey numbers. There is no set number of surveys that Departments are required to carry out in any given year. The increase in surveys reflects the growing focus on measuring internal service provision, staff communication, workplace health and working toward best practice in people management.
| Department | Increase in surveys between 2003-04 and 2005-06 |
| (1) Overall reduction of one. (2) No surveys undertaken. | |
Stormont
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has (a) to restore, (b) to catalogue and (c) to make information available about the historic artefacts associated with the Stormont Estate not on public view. [74741]
Mr. Hanson: The artefacts are the responsibility of the NI Assembly. None are in need of restoration. A catalogue of the artefacts is available from the Office of the Keeper.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the (a) safety and (b) quality of the storage of the historic artefacts associated with the Stormont Estate; and what assessment he has made of the need for specialist conservation of such material. [74742]
Mr. Hanson: The majority of artefacts belonging to the Assembly are safely stored in the artefact's store in Parliament Buildings. The remaining artefacts are safely stored in DFP stores in Belfast. Specialist conservation is not required for any of these artefacts.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans there are to return the historic artefacts associated with the Stormont Estate to Parliament Buildings. [74743]
Mr. Hanson: The majority of the historic artefacts are already stored in Parliament Buildings. There are currently no plans to return remaining artefacts to Parliament Buildings.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland where the historic artefacts associated with the Stormont Estate are stored; and whether they can be loaned to museums. [74744]
Mr. Hanson: The majority of items are kept in the artefact's store, Parliament Buildings and the remaining items are stored at DFP stores in Belfast. Any request from a museum to borrow an artefact would be given due consideration.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a catalogue for visitors of artefacts kept on the Stormont Estate. [74811]
Mr. Hanson: There are currently no plans to publish a catalogue of artefacts kept on the Stormont Estate however a catalogue of Parliament Buildings artefacts is available from the Office of the Keeper.
Theft
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many convictions there were in Northern Ireland in connection with theft from retail outlets in (a) 1995 and (b) 2005. [76366]
Mr. Hanson: The number of convictions for shoplifting is included in the table. Data for 2003 are the most up-to-date available at present. It should be noted that data are collated on the principal offence rule, thus only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
| Convictions for shoplifting offences | |
| Number | |
Winter Fuel Payments
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pensioners received winter fuel payments in (a) East, (b) South, (c) West and (d) North Belfast in each of the last two years for which figures are available. [78754]
Mr. Hanson: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| Number of winter fuel payments | ||
| Parliamentary constituency | 2003-04 | 2004-05 |
Constitutional Affairs
County Court Judgments
Mr. Todd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2006, Official Report, column 732W, on county court judgment records, what advice was (a) sought and (b) received on the commercial implications of the existing provision of services in relation to the register of judgments orders and fines of the county court. [77941]
Ms Harman: No such advice has been sought or received. However, independent advice was sought and received in 2004 on the Department’s procurement options, the associated risks, the timing of any competition and what it must do to prepare for one.
Departmental Annual Report
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what research her Department (a) has undertaken and (b) plans to undertake into the reasons for the slippage against Target 5, Measure 1 set out on page 134 of the departmental annual report (Cm 6820); and if she will make a statement. [77529]
Bridget Prentice: This particular component of the shared target with the Home Office measures the time taken to remove detained, non-suspensive claimants whose applications have been certified as clearly unfounded and whose appeal rights against the refusal to grant asylum can only be brought from outside the United Kingdom once removal has taken place.
The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) of the Home Office has confirmed that a dedicated resource is in place to analyse the quality and timeliness of the non-suspensive appeal (NSA) process and to address issues and difficulties that arise within the process.
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