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20 Jun 2006 : Column 1774W—continued
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total cost was of running the Child Support Agency in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [78751]
Mr. Hanson: The total running costs over the last five years are as follows:
| Costs (£ million) | |
The expenditure covers normal operating costs and costs attributed to the child support reforms. The breakdown for the last five years is as follows:
| £ million | ||
| Operating costs | Child support reforms | |
Please note the Annual Report and Accounts of the Northern Ireland Child Support Agency for the financial year 2005-06 are still subject to review by Audit.
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much maintenance was paid through the Child Support Agency in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [78752]
Mr. Hanson: In each of the last five years, the amount of maintenance paid through the Child Support Agency in Northern Ireland was as follows:
| Amount (£) | |
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff worked for the Child Support Agency in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years. [78753]
Mr. Hanson: The number of staff (measured as whole-time equivalent) who have worked for the Child Support Agency in Northern Ireland on Northern Ireland business in each of the last five years is as follows:
| Number of staff | |
Information prior to the financial year 2001-02 has been archived and is therefore not readily available.
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints were registered with the Child Support Agency in Northern Ireland in each year since 1998. [78773]
Mr. Hanson: The number of complaints registered with the Child Support Agency in Northern Ireland in each year since 1998 is as follows:
| Number | |
In the financial year 1998-99 the Northern Ireland Customer Services section devolved responsibility for customer complaints to individual teams. Problems in the uniformity of recording complaints resulted in the data not presenting a true reflection of the numbers received.
Departmental Hospitality
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will keep a separate total for the annual amount spent on alcohol for hospitality purposes in each Department in Northern Ireland, including his Office. [77313]
Mr. Hanson: There are no plans to separately record expenditure on alcohol at this time. However, all Departments separately monitor spend on hospitality generally in accordance with principles set out by HM Treasury and in line with the practicality of financial coding.
Departmental Staff
David Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what incentives are available to encourage members of staff in (a) each Northern Ireland Department and (b) the Northern Ireland
Office to use public transport for travelling to and from work. [75083]
David Cairns: Government policy is to encourage the use of sustainable travel and Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Office may offer advances of salary to assist staff with the purchase of season tickets.
Translink, through its Corporate Commuter Initiative, encourages both public and private sector employees to use public transport to and from their workplace. Under this initiative, Translink has worked with the Department for Social Development, the Department for Employment and Learning and the Department for Culture Arts and Leisure providing assistance to staff such as personalised transport plans.
The Travelwise Scheme operated by Roads Service, provides advice to all Northern Ireland Government Departments on workplace travel plans and encourages sustainable travel, including the greater use of public transport.
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.
Substantive answer from Paul Goggins to Mr. Gregory Campbell:
Regular user allowance is paid to employees who are designated by their employer as an essential car user (but it is uneconomic or not possible to offer a leased car) and where in the course of their employment they are required to travel either:
1. An average of more than 3,500 miles a year; or
2. An average of at least 1,250 miles a year and uses their car on average three days a week or spend 50 per cent. of their time on travel; or
3. An average of at least 1,000 miles a year and use their car on average four days a week.
| Engine capacity | Up to 1000cc | 1001cc to 1500cc | Over 1500cc |
Standard rate is paid to employees who use their own vehicle for official business but do not satisfy the criterion for a regular user.
| Engine capacity | Up to 1000cc | 1001cc to 1500cc | Over 1500cc |
Public transport mileage rate is payable at 23p per mile where the employer deems that standard or regular user rates do not apply.
European Evidence Warrant
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the European Evidence Warrant on cross border crime; and if he will make a statement. [78710]
Mr. Hain: I welcome agreement on the European Evidence Warrant which will improve and speed up the process of obtaining evidence from other member states for use in criminal proceedings.
Investigators and prosecutors require an effective system that delivers the evidence they require within a reasonable time. This is essential to combat terrorism and other serious, organised crime which involves an international element.
Historical Inquiry Team
Lady Hermon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of the Historical Inquiry Team’s (HIT) budget has been set aside to investigate the murder of Robert and Thomas Dobson in Moy on 16 May 1976; and if he will make a
statement on the HIT’s investigation into this case. [78270]
Paul Goggins: The Government have committed a total of £34 million, over six years, to the Unresolved Deaths project. Of this amount, the Historical Inquiry Team (HIT) has been allocated £24.2 million to review unresolved deaths relating to the security situation in Northern Ireland from 1968 to April 1998, and assist in bringing resolution for the families of victims affected by these deaths.
The HIT have confirmed that the deaths of Robert and Thomas Dobson will come within their remit. Of the funding provided to the HIT, there is no set amount allocated for each case. Spend on individual cases will not be known until the review of such cases is taken forward, as this depends on what work is required to be done and if any new evidential opportunities exist.
Hospital Treatment
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many heart bypass operations were carried out in NHS hospitals in Northern Ireland in each year since 1995. [78760]
Paul Goggins: The number of heart bypass operations performed in hospitals in Northern Ireland in each year since 1994-95 is detailed in the following table.
| Heart bypass operations in Northern Ireland | |
| Number | |
| Source: Hospital In-patients System. | |
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