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30 Oct 2006 : Column 202W—continued
| Non industrial staff (temporary) | |||||
| Staff in post as at April: | |||||
| Admin | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
| Industrial staff | |||||
| Staff in post as at April: | |||||
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | |
School Bullying
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2006, Official Report, column 1375W, on school bullying, to what system of written referrals the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Northern Ireland Office referred in the answer of 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 1988W, on school bullying. [97259]
Maria Eagle: As with any educational matter, individuals may write to the Department if they feel that a school has not adequately dealt with their complaint about a bullying incident. These letters or emails are recorded as individual cases. The information referred to in answer of 21 July 2005 was about these cases. There were three cases in the school year 2005-06.
Service Improvement Programme
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recommendations by the service improvement programme within the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety have been (a) made and (b) implemented. [96971]
Paul Goggins: The service improvement programme within the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety was established in 2003 to engage multi-professional teams from all sectors of health and personal social service in service redesign work to improve the quality and accessibility of services for patients and clients.
Between 2003 and 2006, three programmes helped almost 100 clinical teams across Northern Ireland to apply analytical techniques that resulted in an improved service and reduced waiting times for patients and clients.
The support and facilitation provided by the service improvement programme has been pivotal in encouraging and motivating teams to test new ideas and use a structured process to plan, test, measure and implement changes to their services.
A range of publications, called “Tried Tested Shared”, outlining the work of these teams is available and a website with learning material, full project descriptions and useful links is accessible through the HPSS intranet as a resource to staff.
St. John's Home (Downpatrick)
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the bed occupancy was of St. Johns Home, Downpatrick in its various incarnations over the past five years. [97226]
Paul Goggins: The bed occupancy rate of St. John's House, Downpatrick over the last five years is presented in the following table:
| Bed occupancy (percentage) | |
| Note: These figures exclude permanent residents in hospital. | |
Tourism (Fishing)
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have accessed the DCAL angling website; and what estimate is made of the number of additional tourists who have visited Northern Ireland as a result of visiting the website and the additional money spent in Northern Ireland by (i) tourists and (ii) local anglers as a result of visiting the site. [97127]
Maria Eagle: There have been 30,775 hits on the DCAL angling website since it was launched in August 2005 with 21,203 (68.9 per cent.) hits from outside the United Kingdom.
It is not possible to estimate the number of additional anglers who have visited Northern Ireland as a result of visiting the website or the amount of additional money spent in Northern Ireland by tourists or local anglers.
Water Charges/Service
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received on pegging the Northern Ireland water charge to the English and Welsh average; and when pegging will be removed. [97224]
David Cairns: During the consultation on the Draft Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order which ended on 24 August 2006 both the Consumer Council and the Democratic Unionist Party made reference to the need to ensure that average water charges should be no higher than the average in England and Wales.
From 1 April 2010 domestic tariffs will be set by the Economic Regulator following its 2009 Periodic Price Review. The Government consider it would be inappropriate to pre-empt the outcome of this review.
Mr. McGrady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent each year by the Water Service on performance-related pay (PRP) awards since 2001; what proportion, on average, PRP represented of total salary for those in receipt of
it in 2005-06; and what estimate he has made of the cost of PRP in each year up to 2010. [97222]
David Cairns: The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Decisions on remuneration arrangements for the staff of the new Company, Northern Ireland Water Limited, in the period from 2007-08 to 2009-10 will not be taken until later this year.
Water/Sewerage Company
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how financial surpluses arising from the planned Government-owned company to deliver water and sewerage services in Northern Ireland will be distributed; where the channels and beneficiaries of such surpluses will be defined; and if he will make a statement. [97114]
David Cairns: Final decisions in relation to the financial arrangements pertaining to the new company have not yet been taken. Surpluses will be retained by the company in the first instance. As the company is wholly owned by Government, such surpluses will benefit the taxpayer and/or the customer.
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what efficiency targets on (a) operating costs and (b) capital costs the planned Government-owned water and sewerage company in Northern Ireland will be required to meet. [97115]
David Cairns: The Department has set preliminary efficiency targets for the purposes of preparing a Strategic Business Plan for Northern Ireland Water Limited covering the period from 2007-08 to 2009-10. However the actual efficiency targets that will be required to be met have not yet been agreed. These will be finalised as part of the Strategic Business Plan for the new company which will be subject to the approval of the Department for Regional Development later this year.
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures are in place to prevent financial disbenefits falling on customers should the planned Government-owned water and sewerage company not meet efficiency targets. [97116]
David Cairns:
Water and sewerage tariffs will initially be set by the Department for Regional Development (DRD) for the period from 2007-08 to 2009-10. Shaun Woodward, the then Minister with responsibility for regional development announced in a written ministerial statement on 8 December 2005, which can be viewed in full by accessing http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/vo051208/wmsindx/51208-x.htm, that for the period to 2009-10 average household bills would be in line with England and Wales average household bills. Thereafter it will be the responsibility of the Economic Regulator to set tariffs in common with practice in Great Britain. Beyond 2010 therefore, the Regulator will set price limits based on demanding efficiency assumptions. The Company will be incentivised to keep
its running costs and the costs of maintaining assets to a minimum and to use cost-effective solutions to achieve outputs.
The company will be required to pay a dividend to DRD as its shareholder to reflect the cost of the taxpayer's investment in it. If a failure to meet an efficiency target reduces the company's ability to pay the dividend to DRD (either in whole or in part), the amount not paid must be covered in the first instance from DRD's budget and not by customers.
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how the resources arising from any asset disposal by the planned Government-owned water and sewerage company in Northern Ireland will be allocated; and under what authority this will be accomplished. [97223]
David Cairns: The Department is currently developing a draft licence under which the company will operate. The terms of the licence will determine how any proceeds from the disposal of land will be allocated. The draft licence will be issued for public consultation later this year. The licence will not, however, deal with the disposal of other assets such as vehicles and plant and it will be for the company to decide how such proceeds should be allocated.
Education and Skills
A-levels
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils studied for an A-level in (a) physics, (b) biology, (c) chemistry and (d) mathematics in the East Riding of Yorkshire in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [94720]
Jim Knight: Information on the numbers studying A-levels is not available centrally. The available information relates to those entered for examinations. The number of A-level entries by 16 to 18-year-olds in East Riding of Yorkshire for each requested subject is given in the following table.
| Subject | ||||
| Biological sciences | Chemistry | Physics | Mathematics | |
| (1) Provisional Notes: 1. Figures for 2006 are provisional and may be subject to change. 2. Numbers entered for mathematics includes entries in further mathematics. | ||||
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many hours on average A-level school pupils spend sitting examinations over their school career. [95679]
Jim Knight: The Department does not hold information on the number of hours A level pupils spend sitting examinations over their school career.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils in England who enrolled for an A level qualification in the 2003-04 academic year did not achieve an A level qualification in 2005-06. [97143]
Jim Knight [holding answer 26 October 2006]: The Department does not hold the information required to answer the question.
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