| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
20 July 2006 : Column 705W—continued
Language Support
Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many inspections of language support services were carried out by the Department of Education Inspectorate in Northern Ireland in each of the last four academic years; and what the findings were of each such inspection. [86565]
Maria Eagle: The inspections that have been carried out by the Education and Training Inspectorate during the last four years have focused on the quality of language support for learners in schools and colleges of further education, rather than on such bodies as may have a remit to support schools and colleges.
ETI has published a report “The Provision for English for Speakers of Other Languages and Modern Languages in Further Education” (April-June 2005). This is available at www.deni.gov.uk under Education and Training Inspectorate, surveys. The quality of learning and teaching and the standards and outcomes achieved by the learners in schools, in relation to the provision for English as an additional language, have also been inspected recently. This report will be available from the Department's website, referred to above, early in the 2006-07 academic year.
Local Government Finance
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether pensioners on an occupational pension will be eligible for a rates reduction under the new domestic rates system from 2007. [85733]
Mr. Hanson: Pensioners on an occupational pension will be eligible, along with others on low incomes, to apply for rate relief under the new scheme to be introduced in April 2007. In addition, if they are experiencing an increase in their rate bill by more than 33 per cent. as a result of the move to a capital value based system, they will automatically receive transitional relief for three years.
Newly Qualified Nurses
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many nursing graduates in Northern Ireland found posts within (a) three months, (b) six months and (c) 12 months in the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [86308]
Paul Goggins: The information requested is not held either in the Department or the relevant higher education institutions (HEIs) in Northern Ireland.
HEIs conduct a ‘Graduate Destination Survey’, which offers a snap shot of graduate activity, commencing six months after graduation. Completion of the survey questionnaire is voluntary, so not all graduates respond.
The following tables set out the information available for both HEIs in Northern Ireland for the last three years. Academic year 2005-06 is not yet available.
| Table 1: Queens University Belfast, (QUB) Graduation Destination Survey | ||
| Academic year | Completed questionnaires | Employed (percentage) |
| Source: QUB Destination Survey | ||
| Table 2: University of Ulster Graduation Destination Survey | ||
| Academic year | Completed questionnaires | Employed (percentage) |
| Source: UU Destination Survey | ||
Orthodontists
Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many orthodontists are registered for the provision of NHS treatment in each health board area in Northern Ireland. [86555]
Paul Goggins: The information requested is detailed in the following table:
| Orthodontists registered for the provision of NHS treatment by health board area as at December 2005 | |
| Health board | Number |
| Note: An orthodontist is identified as having over 30 per cent. of orthodontic treatment items and over 20 treatments in a six-month period. Source: Central Services Agency. | |
Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average waiting list time for orthodontist treatment is in each of the health board areas in Northern Ireland. [86556]
Paul Goggins: The information is not available as requested.
Orthodontic treatment is provided in both hospital and primary care but waiting list information is only available for hospitals.
Waiting list information is collected by time band. It is therefore not possible to calculate the arithmetic mean (average) length of time waiting. It is however possible to identify the median or mid-point waiting time band.
The latest available waiting list statistics show the position for initial out-patient appointment for orthodontics treatment at 31 March 2006.
| Health board area as at 31 March 2006 | |
| Health board | Waiting time( 1) (Month) |
| (1) Median waiting time band for initial out-patient orthodontic appointment at 31 March 2006. Source: Departmental Return CH3. | |
Pensioners
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pensioners in Northern Ireland (a) receive homecare and (b) reside in care homes. [87288]
Paul Goggins:
Information is not collected centrally on the number of pensioners receiving homecare. However, the number of persons aged 65 and over
receiving home help services in Northern Ireland was 21,617 at 31 March 2005, the latest date for which figures are available.
Information on the number of pensioners residing in care homes is also not collected centrally. However, information is available for 2001 from the Northern Ireland Census of Population on the number of people resident in communal establishments, including residential homes and nursing homes. The number of persons aged 65 and over resident in these homes is shown in the following table.
| Place of residence | Number of persons aged 65 and over |
Poverty
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in (a) rural and (b) non-rural areas in Northern Ireland are estimated to be living (i) on the poverty line and (ii) below the poverty line; and if he will make a statement. [86317]
Mr. Hanson: Defining poverty as households whose income is 60 per cent. or less of the GB median household income, the households below average income Northern Ireland report indicates that there were 114,000 people living in relative poverty in rural and 218,100 in urban areas after housing costs in the period 2004-05. It is not possible to give figures separately for those at or below this relative poverty line.
Property Tax Reform
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 4 May 2006, Official Report, column 1822W, on property tax reform, when the paper will be placed in the Library. [85445]
Mr. Hanson: I can confirm that a copy of the paper was placed in the Library on 19 July 2006.
Saville Inquiry
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his latest estimate is of the cost to public funds of the Saville Inquiry; and if he will make a statement. [83905]
Mr. Hanson: On the figures available at the end of May 2006 the total cash spend of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry was £172 million. Out of this the Northern Ireland Office has spent £137.5 million and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence reports that his Department has spent £31.5 million.
Sustainable Buildings
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many builders have been prosecuted for non-compliance with environmental building regulations in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [80952]
Mr. Hanson: Northern Ireland Civil Service Departments do not hold this information. Enforcement of building regulations is the responsibility of district councils. Having written to district councils, I can confirm that there have been six prosecutions for non-compliance with the environmental building regulations in the last five years.
Valuation and Lands Agency (Data Protection)
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment (a) the Government and (b) the Valuation and Lands Agency has made of whether the Valuation and Lands Agency’s domestic rates revaluation computer database holds sensitive personal data as defined by the Data Protection Act 1998. [86823]
Mr. Hanson:
Information managers, at departmental and agency level, are responsible (at the appropriate
level) for the proper implementation of Government policies concerning Data Protection and Freedom of Information principles.
The Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) assesses its obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998 on an ongoing basis. DFP, as required by the Data Protection Legislation, completes an annual notification to the Information Commissioners Office. Notification is the process by which DFP as a data controller informs the Information Commissioner of certain details about the processing of personal data. Those details are used by the Commissioner to make an entry describing the processing in a register, which is available to the public for inspection.
Business areas within the DFP contribute to this process by undertaking a review of the notification at least annually when it is due for renewal or when a new process or system is proposed which may change the way personal data are handled.
The Valuation and Lands Agency assesses whether its domestic rates revaluation computer database holds sensitive personal data, as defined by the Data Protection Act 1998, at least annually when the Department of Finance and Personnel reviews its Data Protection Notification. The Agency applies the eight Data Protection principles outlined in the Data Protection Act 1988. Assessment of data held is also undertaken when changes are made in process or systems within the agency.
| Index | Home Page |