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Security in Retirement
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the proposals in Security in Retirement whether earnings-related accruals in the state second pension (SSP) scheme up to 2030 will be paid to those receiving SSP for the first time after 2030; and how the earnings-related accruals to SSP will taper away after the restoration of the earnings link to the basic pension. [75246]
James Purnell: Earnings-related accruals of state second pension would be tapered away by around 2030 by freezing the national insurance upper earnings limit, for the purpose of state second pension accruals, in cash terms from the point at which earnings uprating of the basic state pension as proposed in the White Paper is introduced. Earnings-related accruals built up under the state earnings-related pension scheme and/or the state second pension prior to 2030 would be fully protected and would continue to be revalued in line with earnings from that date. The combination of our proposals to ‘flat-rate’ accruals of the state second pension and earnings uprate the basic state pension would ensure that the state pension outcomes for people reaching state pension age after 2030 would not be reduced. The following table shows examples of the state pension outcomes for individuals under the proposed reforms.
| £ | |||
| Low earner (c £12,000a year) | Median earner (c £23,000a year) | High earner (c £33,000a year) | |
| Notes: 1.
Figures have been expressed in 2005-06 earnings terms and reflect the
value of pension entitlement in 2050 or 2053 relative to
expected changes in the level of average earnings over
time. 2. We have assumed that standard rate class 1 national
insurance contributions have been paid or treated as paid over a
working/caring life of around 40 years, from age 25 to state pension
age. | |||
Senior Citizens Forums
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Department provides funding for senior citizens’ forums. [73399]
James Purnell: The Department does not directly fund senior citizens’ forums.
Senior citizens’ forums are responsible for securing their own funding and are financed mainly through membership fees, grants (usually from local government or organisations such as Age Concern) and lottery funding.
However, we do indirectly provide support to the development of senior citizens’ forums through our partnership in, and financing of, Better Government for Older People (BGOP).
We have no plans to offer a government grant to Shrewsbury senior citizens’ forum.
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will meet the leaders of Shrewsbury Senior Citizens Forum to discuss their priorities for senior citizens. [74334]
James Purnell: I will be happy to consider a meeting if the hon. Member will write detailing the areas of DWP policy the forum members wish to discuss.
Northern Ireland
AIDS
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were receiving treatment for AIDS in the Province in each of the last three years, broken down by health board area. [82103]
Paul Goggins: The number of diagnosed HIV infected individuals resident in Northern Ireland, whose most advanced clinical stage ever was AIDS (including those who died of AIDS) seen for care in the survey year, broken down by health board area, are detailed in the following table.
| Calendar year | |||
| Board | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
| Note: Individuals are aged 15 years of age and over. Source: Survey of Prevalent HIV Infection Diagnosed conducted by Centre for Infections, Health Protection Agency, London. | |||
Assembly
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the next plenary session of the Assembly to take place in Northern Ireland. [82628]
Mr. Hain: The next plenary session of the Assembly will take place at 10.30 am on Friday 7 July.
Bullying
Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Department has any strategies specifically tailored to combat bullying of children with special needs; and if he will make a statement. [79786]
Maria Eagle: The Department of Education makes clear that all forms of bullying are unacceptable and actively promotes the development of anti-bullying initiatives through its Anti-Bullying Programme.
Information about the scale and nature of bullying in Northern Ireland schools is contained in a research report published in October 2002. A research briefing summary is available on the Department’s website at www.deni.gov.uk/rb8_2002.pdf.
The Department has recently commissioned updated research into bullying, in all its forms, and the results are expected to be ready for publication by mid 2007.
Children and Young People's Funding
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria were used to ensure that funding from the Children and Young People’s funding package would reduce under-achievement and improve life chances of children and young people by enhancing their educational development and fostering their health, well-being and social inclusion. [81785]
Maria Eagle: The criteria for the inclusion of activities under the Children and Young People Funding Package are as follows:
Provision of high quality structured learning and related activities, support and services, offered from 8 am to 6 pm in schools, youth settings, pre-school centres, child care settings, Sure Start and Children’s Centres;
Development of innovative approaches to delivery that build capacity and ensure that children and young people who are disadvantaged or marginalised, including those in rural areas, can benefit fully from early years education and after-school activities, supported by appropriate health related services;
Strengthening child protection arrangements and fostering inter-agency co-operation and collaboration;
Improving education provision and support for Looked after Children and vulnerable young people;
Developing and implementing an integrated framework for service delivery, that delivers high quality, cost effective and flexible provision that meets the needs of children and young people and their families.
Putting in place, from the outset, monitoring and inspection arrangements to assure Departments that the provision is making a positive difference to children and their families.
To ensure maximum impact from the available funding, the programme is being taken forward on a phased basis, targeted initially on children and young people who are disadvantaged, marginalised or have the most limited access to current services.
Departmental Contracts
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what contracts above the European Union threshold have been awarded by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies since 2000. [80967]
Mr. Hanson: Contracts awarded above the European Union threshold since 2001 by Northern Ireland Departments, their agencies and non-departmental public bodies will be placed in the Library.
Details relating to the year 2000 cannot be provided, as this information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
Dietary Supplements (Schools)
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether education and library boards in Northern Ireland are using omega 3 and fish oil supplements in school meals; and whether boards have plans to use such supplements. [81855]
Maria Eagle: The education and library boards regularly provide certain foods in school meals that contain naturally occurring omega 3 and fish oils,and therefore do not currently provide these as supplements.
The Department of Education is currently considering responses to its consultation on new nutritional standards for school meals and other food in schools. One of the new food based standards will ensure that oily fish is available at least once every three weeks.
International Monitoring Commission
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish an audit ofthe implementation of recommendations from the International Monitoring Commission to Government and Government bodies. [80968]
Paul Goggins: Decisions by the Government in relation to implementation of recommendations of the Independent Monitoring Commission are a matter of public record. There is no intention to publish a comprehensive audit at this stage.
Judicial Review
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what occasions an (a) individual and (b) organisation has applied for a judicial review of decisions of his Department in each year since 1997; and what the outcome was of each case where proceedings have been completed. [80488]
Mr. Hain: The information requested is notheld centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Knockavoe School and Resource Centre
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the new Speech and Language Unit and Behavioural Unit at Knockavoe School and Resource Centre in Strabane was completed; what the total capital expenditure on the unit was; when this unit will be commissioned to operate; what the reason was for the delay in the commissioning of the unit; for what reason the unit did not have sufficient recurrent expenditure to open upon completion; and if he will make a statement. [81815]
Maria Eagle: The new Knockavoe School and Resource Centre, Strabane, including Speech and Language Unit and Behavioural Units, was completed in June 2005 at a total capital cost of £3.68 million.
The school is to accommodate pupils with both severe learning difficulties (SLD) and with moderate learning difficulties (MLD). In planning for the establishment of the Speech and Language and Behavioural Units, the Western Education and Library Board always envisaged that it would be a phased three-year project in order to allow time to establish what staffing complement would be required for the pupils and to establish the extent of provision required within the two units.
Additional recurrent funding of £170,000 was allocated to Knockavoe School in 2005-06 to develop staff resources and equipment, with a further £174,000 provided in 2006-07 for additional staffing costs. The final phase is planned for 2007-08 with the opening of the Speech and Language and Emotional/Behavioural Disorder Units. Funding of £490,000 has been earmarked for 2007-08 to facilitate this and includes for teaching and classroom assistant staff and equipping of both units.
Lindsay School
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the future of the Lindsay School at the Forster Green Hospital in Belfast. [81812]
Maria Eagle: The South Eastern Education and Library Board has commented that the board’s education committee at a meeting on 13 June 2006, agreed to commence consultation on the possible closure of the Lindsay School. Such a closure will not take place until an alternative appropriate model of educational provision is in place.
Any proposal to close the school will require the board to publish a development proposal, which initiates a two-month public consultation period during which comments, including objections, may be submitted to the Department of Education. The Department will give full consideration to all representations made during this two-month period, before making a decision on any such proposal.
Local Government
Lady
Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for
Northern Ireland whether the Public Record Office of
Northern Ireland has been tasked with developing a generic policy for
the retention of local government documentation.
[81784]
Maria
Eagle: Records of all public authorities, including local
government, in Northern Ireland are subject to the provisions of public
records legislation. It is the responsibility of public authorities to
draw up retention/disposal policies to ensure that records of
historical or other research importance are identified and, ultimately,
transferred to the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) for
permanent preservation. Under the Lord Chancellor’s Code of
Practice on the Management of Records by Public Authorities, issued
under Section 46 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, it is the
responsibility of local government authorities to develop policies for
the
creation, keeping, management and destruction of their records. This can
include the development of a generic policy for the retention of local
government documentation. PRONI would advise local government in the
development of the policies and quality assure
them.
Lung Cancer
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many lung cancer specialists are working in Northern Ireland; and what steps are being taken to increase the number of specialists. [80955]
Paul Goggins: Information on the number of lung cancer specialists is set out as follows:
| Lung cancer specialists working within the NI HPSS by board area as at June 2006 | ||||||||
| Medical staff | Nursing staff | Other staff | Total | |||||
| Headcount | WTE | Headcount | WTE | Headcount | WTE | Headcount | WTE | |
| Notes: 1. This information was obtained directly from the NI HPSS trusts. 2. WTE = whole-time equivalent. 3. Medical staff include consultant physicians, thoracic surgeons, cardiothoracic surgeons, radiologists and oncologists, and specialist registrars. 4. Nursing staff include grade F, G and H clinical specialists. 5. Other staff include physiotherapists, speech therapists, occupational therapist and other palliative care staff. 6. Altnagelvin reported that the lung cancer specialists do not work exclusively in lung cancer but are all active members of the lung cancer multidisciplinary team. 7. Belfast City Hospital stated that all respiratory physicians within Belfast City Hospital Trust investigate lung cancer, and that lung cancer is just one of the specialties within the consultant oncologists’ job, therefore it is difficult to provide the exact time spent working on lung cancer. 8. Newry and Mourne HSS Trust stated that they have one respiratory physician who spends 5 per cent. of his time on early diagnosis of patients with lung cancer, before referring them to cancer specialists in Craigavon Area Hospital or Belfast. 9. Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust stated that the medical staff detailed in their reply deal with the surgical element of the lung cancer specialism only. 10. United Hospitals Group HSS Trust stated that the two physicians employed there treat lung cancer patients as part of their work, but are not solely employed as lung cancer specialists. They were unable to determine how much of their time was spent specifically on lung cancer patients. 11. Western board area figures exclude Sperrin Lakeland Trust who were unable to provide an answer to this PQ within the specified time. Source: NI HPSS Trusts | ||||||||
While local staffing arrangements are the responsibility of relevant trusts the Department has a role in ensuring that sufficient suitably qualified staff are available to meet the needs of the health and personal social services and provide modern cancer services. For example in medicine, numbers in training in the relevant specialty areas will accommodate an increase in specialist numbers in future years.
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