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11 July 2006 : Column 1774W—continued
MRSA
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many MRSA-related deaths have there been in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years (a) in total and (b) in each hospital. [83964]
Mr. Hanson: Causes of death are classified by International Classification of Diseases (ICD), the current version of which does not have a specific code for MRSA. However statistics on deaths where MRSA was a contributing factor can be obtained by identifying deaths registered with specific conditions likely to be linked with MRSA and then checking whether MRSA was recorded on the death certificate.
The following table gives the number of deaths registered in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years, 2001-05, where MRSA was mentioned on the death certificate. The figures relate to all deaths where MRSA was mentioned on the death certificate, regardless of whether it was the primary cause of death or not. Figures are classified by place of death, which need not be the place of infection.
| MRSA-related deaths by place of death, 2001-05 | |||||
| Place of death | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005( 2) |
| (1 )Other place of death includes deaths in Nursing Homes or in the home. (2) Provisional data. | |||||
Pollution
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) private citizens and (b) businesses in Northern Ireland have been prosecuted for causing pollution from (i) septic tanks and (ii) heating oil tanks in each of the last three years; and what the total amount paid out in each category was in each year. [83966]
David Cairns: In the last three years, no private citizens have been prosecuted by Environment and Heritage Service for causing pollution from heating oil tanks, as the severity and environmental impact of these incidents have not warranted prosecution.
In the last three years, one private citizen has been prosecuted by Environment and Heritage Service for causing pollution from a septic tank. The incident occurred in 2003, and the owner of the septic tank was fined £2,000 and court costs of £16 were awarded against the offender.
The following figures outline the number of prosecutions taken in respect of oil pollution incidents caused by industry since 2003:
| Year in which incident occurred | Number of cases | Costs awarded (£) | Fines imposed (£) | Cases still pending |
Private Members' Bills
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to his answer of 28 October 2005, Official Report, column 657W, on Private Members’ Bills, whether the information was collected at any time; and if he will make a statement. [33882]
Mr. Hain: This information has never been collected.
Sinn Fein
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how much has been granted to Sinn Fein from public funds in each of the last 10 years; [11672]
(2) how much Sinn Fein has received in the last year from public funds; [77374]
Mr. Hanson: I am sorry for the lateness of this reply, which was due to an administrative error.
The amount paid in £ to Sinn Fein in respect of members’ salaries and allowances, and party allowances, by the Westminster Parliament and NI Assembly is as follows:
| Westminster | NI Assembly | |
| (1 )Westminster Parliament figures are not disaggregated prior to 2001. Notes: The information for the last financial year 2005-06 is not yet available. | ||
Substitute Teachers
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements his Department has in place to undertake background criminal conviction checks on substitute teachers. [83215]
Maria Eagle: It is the responsibility of each employing authority to ensure that criminal record checks are carried out on prospective employees in line with guidance provided by my Department on the recruitment of people to work with children and young people in educational settings.
The Northern Ireland Substitute Teacher Register (NISTR) was made available to all schools from March 2004. All teachers on the register have an initial pre-employment criminal record check carried out and a vetting check carried out every two years thereafter. With effect from 1 September 2006, only substitute teachers who are on the NISTR should be employed to work in schools.
Valuation and Lands Agency
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Valuation and Lands Agency has spent on its automated valuation model and associated computer database and training. [82994]
Mr. Hanson: The VLA used CAMA (Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal) techniques and proprietary spatial modelling software to assess capital values of domestic properties in Northern Ireland for rating purposes.
The automated CAMA and modelling software operate on data contained within the Agency’s core business database system.
The Valuation and Lands Agency has spent a total of £1.40 million in respect of the automated valuation model and associated computer database and training.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Valuation and Lands Agency use of geocode data in its automated valuation model includes data on proximity to geographic features or facilities. [83010]
Mr. Hanson: Geocode data do not contain data on proximity to geographic features or facilities.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Valuation and Lands Agency (a) automated valuation model and (b) Spatialest software uses variography techniques. [83013]
Mr. Hanson: Variography techniques were not used by VLA in the construction of valuation models. While the Spatialest software is capable of applying variography techniques the VLA modellers did not use the facility.
Waste Disposal
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been prosecuted for the illegal (a) transport, (b) deposit and (c) storage of waste in each of the last three years; and what total amount was paid in fines in each year. [83965]
David Cairns: Prosecutions for illegal waste offences are taken under the Waste and Contaminated Land (NI) Order 1997.
It is not possible to provide a breakdown in the format you have requested. Prosecutions for unregistered waste transport are associated with the more serious offences of illegal storage and deposit of waste, for which several offences may apply in each case.
The following overall successful prosecutions for waste offences have been taken by EHS:
2004: 24 prosecutions, generating total fines of £18,800;
2005: 58 cases, generating total fines of £104,050; and
2006 (to end June): 47 cases, generating total fines of £85,050 and a prison sentence of nine months—the first sentence handed down by the courts in Northern Ireland for waste offences.
Water Service
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are employed by Water Service in (a) administrative, (b) technical and (c) professional grades; and how many people were employed in each category in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) 1999-2000. [85648]
David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has written to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
Letter from Mrs. Katharine Bryan, dated 10 July 2006:
You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about how many people are employed by Water Service in (a) administrative, (b) technical and (c) professional grades; and how many people were employed in each category in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) 1999-2000 (75587). I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Water Service.
The details requested are set out in the table below. Water Service does not differentiate between Professional and Technical grades.
| Grade | 1996-97 | 1999-2000 | 1 July 2006 |
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