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18 Oct 2006 : Column 1270W—continued
I should explain that bus lanes are only one of a number of factors which influence the public’s choice between travelling by bus or by private car. Other factors such as the price of fuel, car
parking costs and availability, the convenience of public transport and the general level of disposable income, all influence commuters choice of travel mode. It is therefore impossible to directly attribute any change in car numbers solely to the availability of bus lanes on Belfast’s main arterial routes.
As bus lanes were part of a package of measures provided to improve bus journey times and reliability, perhaps a more useful measure of their effectiveness is the level of bus patronage over any particular period of time. Overall Citybus/Metro patronage has increased by 20.5% over the 2 year period between 2003/04 and 2005/06. In addition, since the introduction of Metro in February 2005, Translink have recorded a 14% increase in patronage.
While I appreciate we cannot attribute all of this growth in patronage to the introduction of bus lanes, it is, nevertheless, an encouraging trend which we hope to improve upon.
Cancer Services
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many women from targeting social need areas in (a) inner east Belfast and (b) Strangford are not using the offer of screening for (i) breast and (ii) cervical cancers; and what plans there are to increase the numbers using these services. [94119]
Paul Goggins: This information requested is not available.
The Department's Regional Cancer Framework document, which will be published shortly, recommends that commissioners and providers, working with local women and the voluntary sector, should target areas of low uptake for screening.
The Eastern Health and Social Services Board has already put in place a number of initiatives to increase uptake rates for both breast and cervical screening. These include providing advice to voluntary and community groups, attendance at women's health fairs and provision of cervical screening for women with learning disabilities.
CCTV
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police-monitored CCTV cameras are in operation in (a) Larne, (b) Carrickfergus and (c) Newtownabbey. [92900]
Paul Goggins: The number CCTV cameras monitored by police in the areas requested are as follows:
| Number of police monitored cameras | |
| (1 )Newtownabbey DCU has recently taken possession of a mobile CCTV system mounted on a dedicated police landrover. | |
Departmental Information
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent on the Department’s public relations and information services in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [48955]
Mr. Hain: The operating budget in each of the last five years for Northern Ireland Information Service, which is the Communications Directorate for the NIO is as follows:
| £000 | |
These figures include staff salaries and all salary-related costs as well as other expenditure incurred in pursuance of our overall objective of presenting and explaining Government policy in Northern Ireland by appropriately communicating the objectives of the NIO in a positive, timely, impartial and professional manner.
Emergency Services (Attacks)
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidents of attacks on (a) police officers, (b) ambulance staff and (c) fire brigade officers have been reported in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months. [93170]
Paul Goggins: Information provided by the relevant emergency services on the numbers of recorded attacks(1) on staff in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months (1 October 2005 to 30 September 2006) is as follows:
(1)Attack is defined within the fire, ambulance and police services as damage or injury to property and equipment; or damage or injury to personnel. The fire and ambulance services also include crowd hostility in their figures, where no injury or damage has been sustained.
| Emergency service | Number of attacks |
Fireworks
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints the public have made to the Police Service of Northern Ireland about the illegal sale of fireworks to young children, broken down by district command units; and if he will make a statement. [94058]
Paul Goggins: The Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland has informed me that the information requested is not available in the form requested but has produced the following table showing the total number of incidents recorded by district command unit for the period 1 April to 11 October 2006.
| Inappropriate sale/use/possession of fireworks—incidents recorded by district command unit 1 April-11 October 2006 | |
| DCU | Number of incidents |
| (1) Please note that these figures are provisional and may be subject to change. Source: Central Statistics Unit, PSNI | |
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many licence holders there are in Northern Ireland for the sale of fireworks. [94060]
Paul Goggins: There are presently 233 premises registered by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to keep and sell fireworks in Northern Ireland.
Gas Supplies
Albert Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of households in Northern Ireland is without mains gas. [94314]
Maria Eagle: The question has been interpreted to mean the number of households who do not have access to mains gas, rather than the number not actually connected.
In this case, 65 per cent. of households in Northern Ireland do not currently have access to mains gas.
Home Information/Condition Reports
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce (a) home information packs, (b) home condition reports and (c) energy performance certificates in Northern Ireland. [94664]
Mr. Hanson: The future direction as regards the introduction of home information packs, and their content, including home condition reports, will be determined as part of a major project to review current land law and conveyance legislation and practice in Northern Ireland which commenced earlier this year. Energy performance certificates will be introduced on a phased basis between January 2008 and January 2009.
Human Trafficking
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases there have been of human trafficking to Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [92899]
Paul Goggins: United Kingdom immigration service does not collate separate figures for Northern Ireland and so it is not possible to provide figures in response to this specific question.
One individual was arrested by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in 2005 on suspicions of people trafficking but charges were subsequently withdrawn. There is no confirmed evidence of trafficking into Northern Ireland nor has anyone been convicted of people trafficking in Northern Ireland. However law enforcement agencies in Northern Ireland are aware of the potential problems and are maintaining appropriate procedures and checks to ensure that any attempt to engage in human trafficking can be detected and dealt with effectively.
Illegal Drug Sales
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which drug was sold illegally in Northern Ireland in the greatest quantities in the most recent period for which figures are available. [94121]
Paul Goggins: I have been advised by the Police Service of Northern Ireland that it is not possible to say which drug has been sold illegally in the greatest quantities in Northern Ireland. However, the Police Service of Northern Ireland have confirmed that cannabis, and cannabis resin in particular, was the drug most commonly seized in September 2006, having been recovered in 32.7 per cent. of all drug seizures. I am also advised that cannabis herbal was seized in 21.2 per cent. of all cases.
Incendiary Bombings (Compensation Claims)
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the likely cost to the Compensation Agency of meeting claims in respect of recent incendiary bombings in Newry. [91393]
Mr. Hanson: The Compensation Agency’s loss adjusters, appointed to assess the potential costs following these attacks, have provided preliminary estimates totalling £7,000,000 for 11 of the 13 claims received to date. Estimates in the remaining two cases have yet to be received.
Northern Ireland Police Fund
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what correspondence there has been between his Department and (a) the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Police Fund, (b) the acting Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Police Fund and (c) members of the Board of Directors of the Northern Ireland Police Fund relating to the 2003 security breach at the Fund. [94983]
Paul Goggins: A full police investigation has been carried out in relation to alleged breaches of security. The Department has not entered into correspondence with (a) the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Police Fund, (b) the acting Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Police Fund and (c) members of the Board of Directors of the Northern Ireland Police Fund about the alleged security breaches at the Fund.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether copies of the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors of the Northern Ireland Police Fund are forwarded to his Department. [95017]
Paul Goggins: The Department receives copies of the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors of the Northern Ireland Police Fund.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) questions were submitted to his Department by the Northern Ireland Audit Office in relation to the Northern Ireland Police Fund and (b) answers were provided by his Department in response to those questions. [95018]
Paul Goggins: The Department has been in correspondence with the Northern Ireland Audit Office on a range of matters relating to the Northern Ireland Police Fund.
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