| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
23 Oct 2006 : Column 1550W—continued
Best Practice Scheme
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff in (a) each Government Department in Northern Ireland, including the Northern Ireland Office, and (b) the voluntary and community sectors have participated in the Northern Ireland best practice scheme in the last 12 months. [95014]
Mr. Hanson: The following table shows the number of staff in each Northern Ireland Department and the community and voluntary sectors who have booked as delegates for events run as part of the Northern Ireland best practice scheme. A figure is also provided for the number of other public sector employees who booked places. The figures cover the period October 2005 to September 2006.
| Department/organisation | Number of places booked |
Church Schools (Admissions)
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether it is the policy of the Government that the proposed new local authorities in Northern Ireland should have the power to require new church schools to reserve up to a quarter of admissions places for pupils from other denominations or faiths; and if he will make a statement. [95614]
Maria Eagle: The Education and Inspections Bill 2006 does not apply to Northern Ireland which has its own education legislation. There is no provision in NI legislation for faith schools. All grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland are open to members of all faiths and none. The Government have no plans to introduce faith schools in Northern Ireland.
Devolution
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by whom policy on academic selection in Northern Ireland will be decided following the St Andrews talks in Scotland. [96149]
Maria Eagle: While the Government's clear view is that abolishing academic selection would be in the best interests of education and the economy in Northern Ireland, it has accepted that the final decision on this matter should rest with local political parties provided there is an early restoration of the Assembly.
The Government have decided that, provided the Northern Ireland political parties have endorsed the St. Andrews agreement by 10 November, it will amend the Education (NI) Order 2006 to reflect the revised target date of 26 March 2007 for restoration of the Assembly in order to provide for a restored Assembly to vote on the issue of academic selection.
Ferry Services
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will discuss with the ferry operators between Belfast and Birkenhead ways of reducing embarkation and disembarkation times; and if he will make a statement. [95741]
David Cairns: No. This is essentially an operational issue between the shipping services, port users and the port authorities.
My officials have, however, drawn your question to the attention of officials at the port of Belfast.
Fire Service
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fire officers in Northern Ireland have been hospitalised as a result of being assaulted while on duty in the last 12 months. [95522]
Paul Goggins: No firefighters have been hospitalised as a result of assaults while on duty in the last 12 months.
Freedom of Information Act
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what total sum has been received by his Department for the provision of information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in its first year of operation. [48493]
Mr. Hain: The Freedom of Information Act allows for public authorities to determine when the cost of processing a request will exceed the appropriate limit, which for central Government is set at £600 and for the wider public sector £450. In this instance the public authority may decide to either approach the applicant to help them refine their request and where possible to bring it under the appropriate limit. Alternatively, public authorities may charge the applicant the cost of processing the request. There is, however, no obligation for departments to provide information if the cost of processing the request exceeds the appropriate limit. The total sum of monies received by the Northern Ireland Office in the first year of Freedom of Information, for a request that was over the fees limit, was £650.
Public authorities may also charge for disbursements when handling requests where it is deemed appropriate. The Northern Ireland Office has not charged for disbursements. Further information on the FOI fees regime can be found on the DC A web site at http://www.foi.gov.uk/practitioner/feesguidance.htm.
Homelessness
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many households in (a) Upper Bann, (b) Portadown, (c) Lurgan, (d) Banbridge and (e) Northern Ireland have presented to the Housing Executive as homeless in each of the last three years; and how many of them have been accepted as full duty cases in that time. [95602]
Mr. Hanson: The information is not held by constituency and is not therefore available in the form requested. The number of applicants presenting, and accepted, as homeless for the Housing Executive district office areas of Portadown, Banbridge, Lurgan and Northern Ireland as a whole, for the last three financial years, is as follows:
| Presenters | Acceptances | |
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many households in (a) Upper Bann, (b) Portadown, (c) Lurgan, (d) Banbridge and (e) Northern Ireland have been homeless for a minimum of (i) three months, (ii) six months, (iii) nine months and (iv) one year in each of the last three years. [95603]
Mr. Hanson: The information is not held by parliamentary constituency and is not therefore available in the form requested. The most up to date available figures, by Housing Executive district office, is as follows:
| As at 31 March | > 3 months( 1) | > 6 months( 1) | > 9 months( 1) | > 1 year( 1) |
| (1 )All figures are mutually inclusive. | ||||
Hospital Chaplains
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken by each Health and Social Services Trust in Northern Ireland to ensure that the (a) appointment and (b) representation of hospital chaplains complies with equality legislation. [95395]
Paul Goggins: All Health and Social Services Trusts are expected to comply with equality legislation when appointing any member of staff including hospital chaplains.
Trusts are only required to make remunerated appointments where there is a reasonable need for a particular faith group. Honorary appointments can be considered for the other smaller faith groups where a remunerated appointment is not considered necessary.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |