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28 Feb 2007 : Column 1404W—continued
Many trusts stated that where a mixed sex ward was in operation, within such a ward, patients were cared for in single sex bays. Bays would only be mixed sex in exceptional circumstances such as Intensive Care Unit/High Dependency Unit beds or to allow a patient to be admitted to a ward rather than wait on a trolley in accident and emergency. In such cases, patients would then be moved to a suitable bed, in either a single sex bed or single sex bay, as soon as practically possible.
Mentally Ill: Young People
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the reasons are for the number of adolescent in-patients in adult mental health wards within the Western Health and Social Services Board; and for what reasons numbers have persisted. [123609]
Paul Goggins: On occasions adolescents requiring in-patient treatment have, as the least worst option, been placed in adult mental health facilities, subject to appropriate safeguards specified by the Department. At present the number of inpatient beds are insufficient to meet demand but a new 18-bed unit is due for completion in 2009 and other action has been taken to strengthen the community support teams.
Prison Service: Retirement
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average age of retirement for prison officers in Northern Ireland was in each of the past six years. [123504]
Paul Goggins: Records are available for the last five years only. The average age of retirement for prison officers during this period was:
| Average age of retirement | |
Prisons
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) prisoner on prisoner, (b) prison officer on prisoner and (c) prisoner on prison officer assaults were recorded in each Northern Ireland prison in each of the last five years. [120440]
Paul Goggins: The information is listed in the following table.
| Financial year | Assault of prisoner on prisoner | Assault of prison officer on prisoner | Assault of prisoner on prisoner officer | Total |
The criteria for recording an assault changed in 2004. Assaults are now classified in two categories; serious assaults and assaults. For the last three years assaults have only been collated for key performance indicators if they are classified as serious, to bring NIPS into line with the GB Prison Services.
The definition used by NIPS of a serious assault is,
“When the victim has sustained an injury resulting in his/her death, or his/her detention in an outside hospital as an inpatient, or any of the following injuries, crushing, severe cuts or lacerations, severe bruising, burns or scalds, or severe general shock requiring medical treatment”
Public Transport
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the change in bus and train passenger numbers in Northern Ireland was between January 2006 and January 2007. [123802]
David Cairns: The final figures for January 2007 are not yet available. The following data give the change in bus and train passenger numbers between the 12 months ended December 2005 and the 12 months ended December 2006.
| Thousand | ||
| December 2005 | December 2006 | |
| Source: Translink | ||
Overall, public transport passenger trips have increased by 1.36 million. The rise in Metro bus and NI Railways services has more than offset the slight decline in Ulsterbus.
Recycling
Lady Hermon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of household recycling schemes in
Northern Ireland; and what recent discussions he has had with local councils on this issue. [123512]
David Cairns: The most recent statistics (September 2006) provided by local councils indicate that 27.3 per cent. of household waste in Northern Ireland is recycled. This compares well with the target set out in the Northern Ireland Waste Management Strategy published in March 2000 of 25 per cent. recycled by 2005-06 and demonstrates the success of work undertaken to provide recycling facilities, schemes and awareness raising activities.
The Government are committed to driving forward the actions and targets contained in the Strategy and are working in partnership with local councils to deliver them through the recently established Strategic Waste Board which I chair, and also through the Northern Ireland Landfill Allowances Scheme Implementation Steering Group that monitors performance and encourages best practice in recycling.
Self-mutilation: Young People
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in offering assistance to those young people in Northern Ireland thought to be at risk of self harm in the last 12 months. [123801]
Paul Goggins: The Suicide Prevention Strategy, “Protect Life: A Shared Vision”, was published on 30 October 2006, and its primary aim is to reduce the levels of suicide and self-harm in Northern Ireland. Recurrent funding of £1.9 million has been secured for the implementation of the Strategy in financial year 2006-07, and a total of £3 million has been identified for 2007-08 onwards.
A number of initiatives have been introduced to provide additional support for those people most at risk. These include a mentoring pilot scheme in the Western Health and Social Service board area, and a 24/7 telephone helpline pilot in North and West Belfast. The pilot schemes have a particular focus on people who repeat self-harm and young people in crisis, and they provide for additional targeted peer mentoring and counselling services for those in need.
A significant proportion of the Strategy’s funding has been allocated as part of a community package, which aims to support local communities with the development of initiatives that will help achieve a reduction in the levels of suicide and self-harm.
In relation to protecting the general population from the dangers of self-harm, a new public awareness campaign encouraging people to talk about their mental health is due to launch shortly, and additional GP depression awareness training is also currently being rolled out.
Sinn Fein
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals in Northern Ireland have been issued with firearms certificates for the purposes of carrying personal protection weapons to protect elected members of Sinn Fein. [110565]
Paul Goggins: There are no individuals who have been issued with firearm certificates for the purpose of carrying personal protection weapons to protect members of Sinn Fein. The chief constable will not permit anyone to have a personal protection weapon to protect someone else.
Speed Camera Operations
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) speed camera operations were carried out in each PSNI District Command Area Unit in each of the past 18 months. [115766]
Paul Goggins: There were 4,490 safety camera deployments carried out from July 2005 to December 2006. An analysis by District Command is as follows:
| DCU | Total |
Trade and Industry
Biodiversity: Manpower
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many senior staff in each pay grade working on biodiversity research have left (a) Monks Wood and (b) Winfrith Centre of Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) research stations to take up employment at (i) other CEH research stations, (ii) non-government agencies and (iii) government agencies working on biodiversity since the announcement of the closure of the research stations; and if he will make a statement. [122484]
Malcolm Wicks: One member of staff in NERC Band 5 contributing to the biodiversity research programme at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) Monks Wood research station has moved to academia since the announcement of the closure of Monks Wood. No members of staff at Winfrith, who currently work on biodiversity, have moved to other research bodies working on biodiversity since the announcement.
Construction: Standards
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department has made an assessment of the (a) feasibility and (b) merits of maintaining British building codes after European codes have been integrated into Building Regulations in 2008. [121893]
Angela E. Smith: I have been asked to reply.
Although it may be feasible, in the short-term, to maintain British Standards, it would be entirely unnecessary given that European standards fully meet our regulatory needs.
Since we ensure the European standards meet our regulatory needs there is no merit in continuing to maintain withdrawn national standards. After a period of co-existence when both national and European standards can be used, the former will be withdrawn and no longer maintained by BSI. It is important to note that Companies who fail to adopt the structural Eurocodes will inevitably be prejudiced from bidding for European work and unable to tender for projects here in the UK which fall under the Public Contracts Regulations 2006.
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