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Public Appointments
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many public appointments are within his patronage; what (a) salary and (b) other emoluments are attached to each; and what the comparable figures were in (i) 1976, (ii) 1986 and (iii) 1996. [83169]
Mr. Hain: Details of the public appointments to public bodies sponsored by the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland departments can be found in “Public Bodies”, copies of which are in the Library. “Public Bodies” has been published annually since 1980 and the most recent edition provides figures for 2005. Each edition of “Public Bodies” contains details on the number of public appointments and remuneration details for that particular year. Comparable information for 1976 in respect of the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland departments could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
More detailed information about the chairs and members of Northern Ireland Office public appointments is published each year in the NIO departmental report. Similar information for those sponsored by Northern Ireland's eleven government departments is published in their annual public appointments annual report. Copies of the latest versions of both these reports are available from the Library of the House and can be found on the internet at:
www.nio.gov.uk/nio_departmental_report_2006.pdf and www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/public-appointments .
Rape Crisis Centre
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to ensure the continued operation of the Rape Crisis Centre in Belfast; and if he will make a statement. [86319]
Paul Goggins: Government are committed to funding high quality services which provide the best possible support for victims of rape and sexual violence in Northern Ireland.
The Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety has previously highlighted to the Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre (NI) Ltd concerns regarding the failure of the organisation to comply with the terms and conditions of grant funding. These concerns included the keeping of proper records, sound financial accountability and proper corporate governance arrangements.
The latest financial verification report indicates a continuing failure to address the long standing issues raised and the Department has now advised the organisation that it is mindful to cease funding and invited any comments it wishes to make on this matter within 14 days.
The decision to cease funding for any organisation which provides a service to vulnerable people is never taken lightly. However, in view of the continued failure of this organisation to meet Government accounting requirements, the Department has been left with no other option but to cease funding.
The funding that would have been directed to the Rape Crisis Centre will be allocated to other support services for victims of rape and sexual violence.
Road Maintenance
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many motorists have submitted claim forms for damage done to their vehicles due to pot holes on roads in the last three years; and how many received compensation for damages. [86388]
David Cairns: The number of vehicle damage compensation claims related to potholes received by the Department for Regional Development over the last three years and the number for which vehicle compensation was paid are set out in the following table.
| Pothole claims received | Compensation paid | |
Sexual Health
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department gave to the Belfast Brook Advisory Centre in each year since its opening; and what the rates of sexually transmitted infections were in Northern Ireland in each year over the same period. [85221]
Paul Goggins: Information is only available from 1997. Health and Social Services Boards have provided the following funding to Brook in each year since 1997.
| £ | |
In addition the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has provided one-off funding to the organisation as follows.
| £ | |
The incidence rates of sexually transmitted infections is not available. However, information is available on the total number of episodes (for selected diagnoses of sexually transmitted infection), seen for care at GUM clinics, in Northern Ireland since 1995. This is shown in the following table.
Speed Cameras
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which areas will be targeted by the Police Service of Northern Ireland to test the SPECS3 cameras to apprehend speeding cars; and if he will make a statement. [85052]
Paul Goggins: The cameras are to be trialled on the Kempstones Road between Dundonald and Newtownards. This is for the purposes of scientific testing only.
Stephen Murtagh
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the Stephen Murtagh case. [85057]
Paul Goggins: My hon. Friend the Member for St. Helens, South (Mr. Woodward), met Stephen Murtagh in April and decided that a review of the published papers associated with the circumstances leading to the death of Mr. Murtagh’s wife, Janine, would be appropriate. The Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety is conducting the review and will report to me in the autumn.
Street Lighting
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Department of Regional Development has plans to remove restrictions on the number of street lights in rural areas. [86303]
David Cairns: The Acting Chief Executive of Roads Service (Mr Geoff Allister) has been asked to write to the hon. Lady in response to this question.
Letter from Mr Geoff Allister, dated 19 July 2006:
You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question regarding whether the Department of Regional Development has plans to remove restrictions on the number of street lights in rural areas.
As this issue falls within my responsibility as Acting Chief Executive of Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
The main
criterion for providing street lighting in rural areas is based on the
density of housing although we also take
cognisance of night time injury accident statistics which indicate that
the provision of lighting would contribute to a reduction in such
accidents.
In June 2006, Roads Service Board agreed an extension to the rural lighting criteria to ensure a consistent approach to the lighting of important junctions on the strategic network. This additional criterion will apply when new junctions are provided, and existing junctions that meet the criterion shall be lit retrospectively over a number of years subject to the availability of funds.
However, in the course of its considerations, Roads Service has to seek a balance on the demand for additional lighting against the effects of increased urbanisation of the countryside and the environmental impact on wildlife, flora and the night sky.
Students
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many full-time students resident in the Irish Republic attended (a) further and (b) higher education colleges in Northern Ireland in 2005; at what total cost to the education budget in that year; and what proportion of this cost was paid by the government of the Irish Republic. [84934]
Maria Eagle: The number of full-time students resident in the Irish Republic attending further education colleges in Northern Ireland in the 2004-05 academic year was 1,010. The cost of this to the further education budget in that year was in the region of £3.5 million. No element of the cost of the further education budget was paid by the government of the Irish Republic.
The number of full-time students resident in the Irish Republic attending higher education colleges in Northern Ireland in the 2004-05 academic year was 2,249. The approximate cost of this to the higher education budget in that year was £7.8 million. No element of this cost was paid by the government of the Irish Republic.
Suicide
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provision he has made to assist families affected by suicides within the (a) East Belfast, (b) North Down and (c) Ards/Castlereagh area of Strangford; and if he will make a statement. [85051]
Paul Goggins: The Ulster Community and Hospitals Health and Social Services Trust provides a range of mental health intervention and strategies to support the families of suicide victims, including counselling for bereavement in conjunction with specialised agencies such as CRUSE.
Since February 2004, the Trust has been operating a Crisis Response and Home Treatment Team, which is available 365 days per year to provide an appropriate response to individuals who have attempted self-harm or are suicidal.
In addition
to this service, members of this team asses any patient who presents to
the A&E department of the Ulster Hospital, Dundonald, suffering
from mental health problems. Furthermore, the Trust has recently
trained three staff in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training and
arrangements are
presently being made for suicide awareness sessions in local sports and
community
clubs.
South and East Belfast Trust offer the primary care route of referral for assessment of mental health and will offer bereavement counselling through Community Psychiatric Nursing and Social Work services. They can also offer to support families in a crisis through involvement with their Crisis Response and Home Treatment Team. South and East Belfast Trust also signpost individuals and families to voluntary organisations such as CRUSE who offer straightforward bereavement counselling.
Regionally, a Families Forum is to be established. This forum will nominate representatives to sit on the forthcoming Suicide Strategy Implementation Body and will allow those bereaved by suicide to have a major say in the implementation of the Strategy.
Vaccination
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the most recent take-up rate is of MMR vaccine, broken down by council district in Northern Ireland. [85729]
Paul Goggins: Information on the take-up of MMR vaccine broken down by council district area is not collected centrally. However, the Department collects information from health and social services (HSS) boards on the immunisation status of each board’s resident children with regard to several conditions including MMR.
The latest available information on MMR immunisations by HSS Boards is detailed in the following table, which shows the percentage of children resident in each board’s administrative area that completed a primary course of MMR immunisations at any time before their second birthday, which occurred during the year ending 31 March 2005.
| Board of Residence | MMR (Percentage) |
Valuation and Lands Agency
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 21 June 2006, Official Report, column 1872W, on the Valuation and Lands Agency, when the documentation will be placed in the Library. [85448]
Mr. Hanson: These documents were placed in the Library on 28 June 2006.
Wind Turbines (Hospitals)
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to his answer of 26 June 2006, Official Report, column 216W, on wind turbines (acute hospitals), whether other acute hospitals have expressed an interest in having a wind turbine constructed at their sites in the next 12 months. [85727]
Paul Goggins: Causeway Hospital, Coleraine has expressed an interest in developing a wind turbine installation on the site within the next 12 months.
Prime Minister
G8 Summit
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Prime Minister if he will raise the issue of the Russian Federation’s level of compliance with the Energy Charter Treaty and its transit protocol with President Putin at the forthcoming G8 Summit in St. Petersburg. [85092]
The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to my statement of 18 July 2006, Official Report, columns 151-54.
Honours
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will ensure that (a) individuals who use tax havens and (b) directors whose firms are involved in (i) exploitation of cheap labour at home or overseas, (ii) tax avoidance or price fixing and (iii) health and safety violations are not considered for honours. [83379]
The Prime Minister: Guidance for nominating potential recipients of honours and the criteria for consideration for awards of honours are available on the Cabinet Office website (www.honours.gov.uk) and in the Library of the House.
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