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16 Oct 2006 : Column 1007W—continued


A20 to Newtownards A20 to Portaferry Average daily traffic flow

2005(1)

6,290

5,910

12,200

2001

4,890

4,660

9,550

1996

3,010

2,970

5,980

1987(2)

3,480

3,410

6,890

(1) 2005 is the latest year for which records are available.
(2) Records for 1986 (20 years ago) are not available. The first year for which records are available is 1987.


16 Oct 2006 : Column 1008W

Ballycastle-Campbeltown Ferry Service

Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans his Department has for the reinstatement of the ferry service between Ballycastle and Campbeltown. [90576]

Maria Eagle: Reflecting on the present comprehensive spending review process and the public expenditure priorities ahead, the overall assessment is that no financial support can be offered to the reinstatement of the ferry service between Ballycastle and Campbeltown.

Bus Services

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many times in the last 12 months a bus substitution service has operated on the Coleraine to Portrush rail route. [93290]

David Cairns: In the past 12 months, up to the end of September 2006, a bus substitution service was used on the Coleraine to Portrush rail route on 298 occasions, which is equivalent to some 2 per cent. of the total number of services scheduled.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) weekday and (b) weekend Ulsterbus services from Portaferry to Newtownards via Kircubbin are provided under the latest 2006 timetable; and how many were provided in each of the last five years. [93297]

David Cairns: Translink has advised me that the number of such journeys is as set out in the following table.

Portaferry to Newtownards via Kircubbin
Number of services
Timetable Weekdays Saturdays Sundays

Current (from October 2006)

10

6

4

From March 2006

10

6

3

From February 2005

11

8

3

From May 2001

12

6

5


Concessionary Fares

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce concessionary fares on public transport for carers of disabled people in Northern Ireland. [93989]

David Cairns: The Department has no plans, at present, to extend the Northern Ireland Concessionary Fares Scheme to provide concessionary fares for the carers of people with disabilities. On 26 June 2006 the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland launched a review of the Scheme. This review will consider the feasibility and desirability of extending the provision of concessionary travel to additional categories, such as carers.


16 Oct 2006 : Column 1009W

Criminal Justice Board

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who the members are of the Criminal Justice Board in Northern Ireland; how many times it has met in each year since its formation; and whether its minutes are published. [44889]

Mr. Hanson: The Criminal Justice Board is made up of the heads or senior representatives of the seven main statutory criminal justice agencies in Northern Ireland and is chaired by the Director of Criminal Justice in the Northern Ireland Office.

Board Members are:

The Board was formed in May 1998, the frequency of meetings since then is set out in the following table:

Number of meetings

1998

3

1999

4

2000

5

2001

5

2002

3

2003

4

2004

7

2005

10


Following a review of the board's operation and structure, meetings now take place on a two monthly cycle, with the facility to arrange special meetings at the request of the board.

The minutes from the board meetings are not published.

Departmental Expenditure

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 19 July 2006, Official Report, column 470W, on departmental expenditure, what steps have been taken to reduce the amount of money spent on advertising; and what review mechanism has been put in place to assess the effectiveness of these steps. [91731]

Mr. Hanson: Work is under way to implement the new policies and practices set out in the advertising review report published in April 2006:


16 Oct 2006 : Column 1010W

The preparatory work is being governed by a cross-departmental Programme Board which meets regularly to monitor progress. Regular reports on effectiveness will be made to me.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent by (a) his Office, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies in respect of hotel and other similar privately-provided accommodation (i) in the UK and (ii) abroad for (A) Ministers, (B) staff and (C) other persons in each year since 2001-02. [91891]

Mr. Hain: We cannot provide the information in the format requested by the hon. Member as to do so would incur disproportionate cost.

All travel is conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Ministerial Code, Travel by Ministers and the Civil Service Management Code.

Information relating to overseas travel by Ministers is published on an annual basis. Information for the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 2006 is available in the Library of the House. Information for the financial year 2006-07 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the current financial year.

Fireworks

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fireworks licences were issued in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [93174]

Paul Goggins: The figures requested are as follows:

Number of firework licences issued in each of the last five years
Category 2 licences Category 3 licences Total issued

2002

(1)999

131

1,130

2003

1,258

105

1,363

2004

888

143

1,031

2005

906

156

1,062

2006(2)

130

74

204

(1) From May 2002.
(2 )From January to 16 October 2006.
Note:
Prior to the introduction of the Explosives (Fireworks) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002, Category 2 fireworks did not require a licence.

16 Oct 2006 : Column 1011W

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been injured in Northern Ireland as a result of careless or poor handling of fireworks in each district command unit area in each of the last five years. [94061]

Paul Goggins: Information on the number of people injured as a result of careless or poor handling of fireworks in each district command area in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years is not available. However, Information on the number of people injured as a result of fireworks over the Halloween period, in Northern Ireland, for the years 2001 to 2005 is available and is detailed in the following table.

Location of A and E department or minor injuries unit 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Belfast City

7

1

0

2

1

Downe

0

2

0

0

9

Valley

2

0

0

2

5

Mater

15

7

3

4

7

Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children

9

6

0

5

2

Royal Victoria Hospital

3

4

6

1

12

Ards

3

0

1

2

2

Bangor

2

1

0

1

0

Ulster

9

1

3

2

4

Coleraine

7

0

0

0

0

Antrim

5

0

0

2

2

Mid Ulster

4

1

3

3

3

Whiteabbey

10

1

3

3

5

South Tyrone

0

0

0

0

3

Daisy Hill

20

6

3

13

11

Altnagelvin

2

0

2

2

3

Sperrin Lakeland

0

0

0

0

0

Craigavon Area Hospital

14

1

8

4

10

Tyrone County

3

2

3

0

4

Armagh Community

4

1

3

1

0

Erne

17

3

6

5

1

Causeway

0

1

1

3

2

Northern Ireland total

136

38

45

55

86

Source:
Annual Departmental Return, FWK1.

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