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27 Jun 2006 : Column 354W—continued
Margaret Beckett:
The UK representative on the Joint Committee to Transfer Security Responsibility
represents the views of the Government in working with the Iraqis and coalition partners to oversee the process of transferring lead responsibility for security in each Iraqi province from coalition forces to the Iraqi authorities.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria were developed to guide the transfer of security responsibility in Iraq as agreed by the Joint Committee to Transfer Security Responsibility. [78822]
Margaret Beckett: The criteria set out by the Joint Committee to Transfer Security Responsibility are based on four categories:
Assessment of the threat level—including the terrorist/insurgent threat, the cross-border threat and the threat to infrastructure.
Assessment of Iraqi Security Forces’ ability to take on the security task—including an assessment of their capacity to maintain the security situation, their ability to conduct counter-insurgency operations and their ability to co-ordinate the security of strategic infrastructure.
Assessment of the capacity of provincial bodies to govern effectively—including an assessment of the capability of the Governor to oversee security operations, Provincial Security Committee to co-ordinate and monitor operations, the intelligence structure to support the police, and the legal operation of detention systems.
Assessment of the posture and support available from coalition forces—including their ability to reinforce the Iraqi armed forces if required and assist in co-ordinating civil construction activities.
Israel
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 4 May 2006, Official Report, column 1806W, on Israel, if she will make strong representations to the Israeli Government concerning its failure to provide a reply in relation to the treatment of the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton within the two weeks stipulated. [77624]
Margaret Beckett: My Department has been in regular contact with the Israeli embassy on this issue. I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 13 June 2006.
Mr. Kent Taylor
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if she will approach the Qatari authorities formally about Mr. Kent Taylor, who has been unable to leave Qatar since 2001; [79551]
(2) when she last raised the case of Mr. Kent Taylor with the Qatari authorities; and if she will make a statement. [79552]
Dr. Howells: We have concerns about the length of time it is taking to resolve this case. Although my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no plans to approach the Qatari authorities about this issue, our ambassador in Doha has raised these concerns with the Qatari authorities, most recently with the Qatari Foreign Minister on 19 June.
Northern Ireland
A5
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Roads Service has spent on improving the A5 between Derry and Aughnacloy in each of the last five years; how much is planned to be spent in each of the next three years; and what joint plans the Roads Service and the Department for Transport in the Republic of Ireland have to upgrade the A5/N2 Derry to Dublin road. [79977]
David Cairns: The acting chief executive of Roads Service (Mr. Geoff Allister) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
Letter from Mr. Geoff Allister, dated 27 June 2006:
You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about how much the Roads Service has spent on improving the A5 between Derry and Aughnacloy in each of the last five years; how much is planned to be spent in each of the next three years; and what joint plans the Roads Service and the Department for Transport in the Republic of Ireland have to upgrade the A5/N2 Derry to Dublin road.
I have been asked to reply as these issues fall within my responsibility as Acting Chief Executive of Roads Service.
The table below details Roads Service’s expenditure on improving the A5 between Derry and Aughnacloy for the five-year period 2001/02 to 2005/06. I should advise that these figures include capital works and the cost of resurfacing works on this particular route.
| Financial year | Amount (£000) |
With regard to planned expenditure on this route over the next 3 years, I can advise that it is expected that work will commence on the A5 between Ballygawley and Tullyvar (north of Aughnacloy) and Stage 3 of Strabane Bypass. We would also hope to spend over £4m on the A5 on a mix of overtaking lanes and resurfacing schemes. At this stage it is not possible to predict future spend on a year by year basis, as this will depend on the availability of funding during any given year. In addition, the Tullyvar scheme is being improved and upgraded under the Roads Service’s Public Private Partnership 2 Project and being delivered using a Design Build Finance and Operate contract.
You also asked about any joint plans Roads Service and the Department for Transport in the Republic of Ireland have to upgrade the A5/N2 Derry to Dublin road. I should first of all advise that Roads Service has good working relations with both the National Roads Authority (NRA) and the Department for Transport in the Republic of Ireland, through the Cross Border Roads Steering Group meetings that are co-chaired by both Chief Executives. Through meetings of this group, information on the programmes of development of the cross border routes in both jurisdictions is shared and compatible strategies for improvement are agreed.
Roads Service’s and the NRA’s plans for major works at present include proposals to upgrade the existing single carriageway sections of the A5/N2 route between Derry and Ardee, through the construction of widened carriageway to “2 + 1” layouts and thus provide guaranteed overtaking opportunities and improve safety on the route. The relatively low traffic flows on the route do not merit the levels of investment needed to upgrade the route to dual carriageway standard when considered in the context of the need to also upgrade other key routes within the current budget levels.
Caravans
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new caravan parks have been opened in Northern Ireland in the last three year period, broken down by local authority area; and what estimate he has made of the contribution to local economies from caravaners. [78497]
David Cairns: Table A shows the number of caravan parks by council area that have been granted planning approval in the last three years. Unfortunately, the Planning Service is unable to provide information on the number of caravan parks opened in Northern Ireland as details are not held on the number of approvals that have subsequently been implemented.
| Table A: Number of caravan parks granted planning approval between 1 April 2003 and 31 March 2006 | |
| District council area | Number |
In 2005 an estimated £3.6 million was generated from out-of-state visitors (i.e. visitors from overseas and ROI but excluding domestic) to Northern Ireland choosing to stay in the caravan and camping sector. In 2004 domestic holidaymakers spent £11.3 million during holidays staying in static caravans, and £1.3 million during holidays in touring caravans (these data are currently unavailable for 2005). Annual breakdowns are provided in Tables B and C as follows.
| Table B: Estimated spend for out-of-state visitors staying in caravans/camping | |
| Spend (£ million) | |
| Table C: Estimated spend for domestic holidaymakers staying in towed and static caravans | ||
| Spend (£ million) | ||
| Towed caravans | Static caravans (owned and not owned) | |
| n/a = not available. | ||
Criminal Injuries Compensation
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total amount paid to victims of crime in Northern Ireland by way of criminal injuries compensation was in each of the last five years. [79999]
Mr. Hain: The Compensation Agency has operational responsibility for the administration of two statutory criminal injury compensation schemes: The Criminal Injuries (Compensation) (Northern Ireland) Order 1988 (the 1988 order scheme) and the Criminal Injuries Compensation (Northern Ireland) Order 2002 (the tariff scheme).
The following table shows the overall total amount of criminal injuries compensation paid in the last five years broken down by scheme.
| £ | |||
| 1988 Order | 2002 Order (Tariff) | Total | |
Dental Services
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his Department's preferred ratio is of dentists per head of population in Northern Ireland; and what the ratio was in the last period for which figures are available. [80106]
Paul Goggins: There is no target ratio for dentists per head of population. The aim is to ensure an adequate level of dental provision both in terms of availability and accessibility. In Northern Ireland at November 2004 there were 43 general dental practitioners per 100,000 population. This compares to 37 general dental practitioners per 100,000 population in England, Scotland and Wales. Population figures for 2005 are not yet available.
I am satisfied with the current level of dental provision both in terms of availability and accessibility. Nevertheless, I fully recognise that the General Dental Service, through which the vast majority of our primary dental care is delivered, is in need of reorganisation in order to continue to provide a quality service to patients, address the oral health needs of the population and provide a rewarding career for dental professionals.
In order to achieve this, a new 10-year primary dental care strategy will be published shortly.
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) laptops and (b) mobile phones have been bought by each Department under his authority in each of the last eight years; and what the cost was of each category of equipment in each year. [78743]
Mr. Hanson: Due to the detailed nature of the question the answer is laid out in tabular form. Note that some Departments do not have complete records of laptops purchased over the period in question. A similar situation affects the records of mobile phones purchased, and for some Departments the cost of mobile handsets was subsumed in the cost of service contracts.
| OFMDFM | ||||
| Financial year | Number of laptops purchased | Cost (£) | Number of mobile phones purchased | Cost (£) |
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