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15 Jan 2007 : Column 949W—continued
Police Recruitment
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the (a) Protestant applicants, (b) Roman Catholic applicants and (c) non-determined applicants to the police in Northern Ireland were (i) deemed to be suitably qualified and (ii) subsequently appointed. [100820]
Paul Goggins: I am advised that, as at 17 November 2006, of the 35,819 applications from a Protestant background, 5,459 reached the pool of suitably qualified candidates; of this number 1,202 have been appointed.
For the same period, of the 20,326 applications from the Catholic community, 1,967 reached the pool of suitably qualified candidates, 1,219 of which were duly appointed.
Of the 1,303 applicants for whom community background could not be determined, 71 candidates reached the pool of suitably qualified candidates; of this number 20 applicants were appointed.
This information includes figures up to campaign 10. Appointments for campaign 11 have not yet commenced.
Prescriptions
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2006, Official Report, column 91W, on free prescriptions, what actions were taken against those who claimed to be entitled to free prescriptions without entitlement during 2005-06 but were not successfully prosecuted. [108510]
Paul Goggins: The following actions are taken in cases where persons who claim to be entitled to free prescriptions are subsequently found not to be:
(i) A letter is issued to the person requesting payment of the health charge within 14 days if they accept they were not entitled to a free prescription;
(ii) If payment is not made within 14 days then a further letter is issued requiring payment of the health charge within 28 days to include a penalty charge of five times the health charge up to a maximum of £100;
(iii) Where no response is received within 28 days a further letter is issued requiring payment to include the original health charge plus the penalty and a further surcharge of 50 per cent. of the penalty;
(iv) People who still fail to respond are taken to the Small Claims Court.
During the 2005-06 financial year, from the sample of claims examined by the Counter Fraud Unit, some 3,202 individuals who had claimed to be entitled to free prescriptions were subsequently found not to be so entitled. Restitution was made in all of these cases.
The following payments were made by the individuals concerned:
2,601 paid the relevant statutory prescription charge;
405 paid the relevant statutory prescription charge and a fixed penalty charge;
196 paid the relevant statutory prescription charge, a fixed penalty charge and a surcharge.
During the same period, in addition to the above, 179 cases were referred through the Small Claims Court and the appropriate Court Decree obtained.
As a result of these and other actions, the overall level of prescription exemption fraud in Northern Ireland has fallen from an estimated £14.7 million in 1999-2000 to £7.6 million in 2005-06. Over the same period, the estimated fraud rate has reduced from 8.14 per cent. to 4.63 per cent. While the level of fraud continues to fall it is still a significant loss, which we intend to reduce further. The introduction of a major
IT system, which will provide prescription information (including exemptions claimed by patients) in electronic format, will assist in this task. The new system will enable greater levels of checking and action against those who claim but are not entitled to free prescriptions.
Road Safety
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many road traffic accidents there were in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years; and how many in each year involved drivers from outside the UK. [113809]
Paul Goggins: I have been advised by the PSNI that only figures in respect of injury collisions are recorded. Information regarding the number of such traffic collisions is set out in the following table.
Figures for non injury collisions are not held. Current policy does not require police attendance at non injury or damage only collisions.
The PSNI have also advised they are unable to provide figures for injury collisions involving drivers resident outside the UK but have provided figures for injury collisions involving a driver who is resident outside Northern Ireland.
Special Needs
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Department of Health plans to produce an inventory of services available for adults with special needs in each health trust area in Northern Ireland. [115254]
Paul Goggins: Services are commissioned by the health boards and provided by the trusts to meet the needs of their populations. Health and social services trusts provide a range of services for adults with special needs, including diagnostic and assessment services, family support services, respite services, day care services, befriending schemes, wheelchair services, mental health services, learning disability services and training for staff in collaboration with specialist voluntary organisations.
As the boundaries controlled by each of the trusts will be changing, an inventory of services available for adults with special needs in each health trust area may be undertaken at a later date.
Statutory Designated Sites
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) funding and (b) capacity would be required to ensure 95 per cent. of features on statutory designated sites are in, or approaching, favourable conditions by 2016. [115262]
David Cairns: Environment and Heritage Service seeks to secure appropriate land management regimes that will promote favourable conservation of features in Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) through the use of management agreements with owners or occupiers of designated lands. A budget of £550,000 has been allocated for the current financial year for management agreement payments,
A programme of monitoring that is intended to determine the condition of ASSI features will not be completed until 2008. Consequently, given the lack of comprehensive data, it is not possible to provide the exact information requested.
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the public service agreement target published by the Department of the Environment in 2003 to ensure 95 per cent. of features on statutory designated sites are in, or approaching, favourable conditions by 2013 still stands. [115263]
David Cairns: I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 27 November 2006, Official Report, column 324W.
Valuation and Rating
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the presence of (a) a wind turbine and (b) solar panels on a domestic property will affect the assessment of its capital value by the Valuation and Lands Agency for rates valuation purposes. [114337]
Mr. Hanson: In Northern Ireland the presence of (a) a wind turbine and (b) solar panels has not had any effect on the assessed capital value of domestic properties for rating purposes in the recent revaluation.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many households in Northern Ireland are on the valuation list for domestic rates. [114338]
Mr. Hanson: There is currently a total of 717,767 domestic properties listed in the valuation list which includes 2,165 caravans.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many households in Northern Ireland have a personal financial liability for domestic rates (excluding those on 100 per cent. benefit) under (a) the 2006-07 domestic rates system and (b) the new 2007-08 domestic rates system. [114339]
Mr. Hanson: The Rate Collection Agency (RCA) is currently implementing an IT replacement billing and revenue collection system. Implementation difficulties currently restrict full access to the information necessary to provide the information requested. An estimate (based on the actual figures just prior to going live in October 2006 and the total for 2005-06) is that 589,000 domestic properties have been assessed as liable for the payment of rates during 2006-07. This excludes those properties where the award of housing benefit covers full rate liability. Actual totals will be available at the end of the financial year.
Liability to pay rates for 2007-08 will not be assessed until mid-March 2007. I have asked the Agency’s chief executive to write to you with the detailed information when it becomes available.
Mr. Pickles:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Valuation and Lands Agency’s Automated Valuation Model uses Computer
Mass Assisted Appraisal (a) techniques and (b) technology. [114340]
Mr. Hanson: The Valuation and Lands Agency’s Automated Valuation Model uses Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (a) techniques and (b) technology.
Wind Farms
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 23 November 2006, Official Report, column 205W, on wind farms, which businesses were successful in their applications; and where the planned locations are of the successful applications. [107670]
David Cairns: The wind farm businesses successful in their planning applications and their planned locations are described in the following table.
| Company | Location |
| (1) WFD = Wind Farm Developments Ltd. (formerly Known as B9 Energy Ltd.). (2 )Permission granted on appeal by the Planning Appeals Commission. | |
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