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12 Mar 2007 : Column 38W—continued
Colorectal Cancer: Screening
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects bowel screening to be available in the Province; and if he will make a statement. [119304]
Paul Goggins: My Department is working with the health service to enhance the capacity of the symptomatic service, with the aim of introducing bowel cancer screening in 2009.
Before a full programme can be implemented in Northern Ireland, detailed planning is required in order that the introduction of bowel screening does not adversely impact on services for those patients with symptomatic disease. In addition, infrastructure development and capacity building is required so that the necessary resources, people and skills are in place to ensure a quality service. My Department is currently working with the relevant health professionals to address these issues and thereby enhance the capacity of the symptomatic service.
Demonstrations: Londonderry
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what notification was given by the organisers of the parade that took place in Londonderry on Sunday 28 January 2007 to commemorate the events that took place there in January 1972. [117956]
Paul Goggins: An 11/1 Notification form was submitted to Strand Road PSNI station on 22 November 2006.
Departmental Equipment
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Rayleigh, Official Report, column 1276W, on departmental equipment, whether the computers stolen from his Department held information about the names and addresses of government employees and other Crown servants in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the security implications of the thefts. [119404]
Paul Goggins: Names and addresses were not held on any of the departmental computers that were stolen in the past nine years. While all these losses were regrettable, I am satisfied that the security of individuals or the Department has not been compromised.
Departments: Energy
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what strategy he has put in place for (a) the use of renewable energy and (b) meeting energy targets in his Department's buildings; and if he will make a statement. [125402]
Mr. Hanson: Government Departments in Northern Ireland have been purchasing electricity from renewable sources since 2001. This approach is being continued in the general requirement for Departments to source at least 10 per cent. of their electricity requirements from renewable sources by March 2008.
To encourage the installation of renewable energy technologies by Government Departments, some £6.5 million has been made available in 2006-07 and 2007-08 under the Environment and Renewable Energy Fund which was launched a year ago.
Beyond this period, this work will be carried forward under the Northern Ireland Sustainable Development Strategy which requires the Government estate to be carbon neutral by 2015. From 31 March 2007 all Departments and district councils will be under a statutory duty to act in the way best calculated to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in Northern Ireland.
With regard to targets, Departments (and other public bodies) have been made aware of the objectives contained in the Government White Paper published in 2003 entitled “Our Energy Future—Creating a Low Carbon Economy”, and repeated in the 2006 Climate Change Programme, “Tomorrow's Climate, Today's Challenge”. All Departments are required to monitor their energy use and provide annual returns of energy consumption and cost in respect of all buildings which they occupy.
Educational Psychology
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many whole-time equivalent educational psychologists are employed by each education and library board in the Province. [119152]
Maria Eagle: The education and library boards employ the following numbers of whole-time equivalent educational psychologists:
| Education and library board | Number |
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils are being seen by educational psychologists in each education and library board area. [119154]
Maria Eagle: Within the education and library boards educational psychologists are currently seeing the following numbers of pupils,
| Education and library board | Number |
Electoral Register
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are registered to vote in each Northern Ireland constituency for the forthcoming election to the Assembly; and how many were registered for (a) the last general election and (b) previous Assembly election. [123493]
Mr. Hanson:
The following table gives the breakdown by constituency of how many people are or
were eligible to vote at the 2003 Assembly election, the 2005 parliamentary election and the 2007 Assembly election. The 2007 Assembly election figure is lower than the total possible electorate (i.e. total number registered to vote) because it does not include those who are registered but who are not eligible to vote at this election (such as those who have not turned 18). The 2005 parliamentary figure includes those whose names were ‘carried forward’ from the previous register.
| Eligible electorate | |||
| Constituency | NI Assembly election 2003 | Westminster parliamentary election 2005 | NI Assembly election 2007 |
Health Services
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what role the proposed Community Commissioning Associations (CCAs) will have in the new health structures; how membership of CCAs will be determined; and what consultation has been undertaken on this proposal. [123839]
Paul Goggins: The Review of Public Administration (RPA) provides for local commissioning arrangements to be developed at a level below local commissioning groups.
To give effect to that ministerial commitment my officials have been consulting with relevant stakeholders regarding who best to secure the involvement of clinicians and others in local integrated primary case-based commissioning. Uniquely in Northern Ireland, this will embrace social care as well as health services. The intention is to place
responsibility for the commissioning of safe, effective and responsive services with local physicians and other health and social care professionals. Active engagement with service users and carers will also be a key feature of the new arrangements. The aim is to secure improved services which are more sensitive to the needs of individuals.
Final decisions regarding the way forward have, however, yet to be taken.
Hospitals: Parking
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2007, Official Report, column 1719W, on hospitals: parking, what percentage of revenue raised from parking charges is available to health trusts to spend on frontline services; and what criteria are used when determining how such resources are spent. [126945]
Paul Goggins: Where a health and social services trust charges for car parking at a hospital under an income generation scheme, all of the revenue raised is available for use as decided by the trust to enhance and improve patient care. Such resources are therefore spent alongside that raised through the normal commissioning process and the trust will decide to which medical specialty they should be allocated.
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2007, Official Report, column 1719, on hospitals: parking charges, for what reason the private finance initiative operator at the Royal Group of Hospitals is unable to report income from car parking charges. [126964]
Paul Goggins: The private finance operator of the car park at the Royal Group of hospitals, car park services, bears all the costs of operating the car park and accrues all profits in return. The amount of revenue raised is therefore not included in the financial records of the Royal Group of hospitals HSS trust. The trust has written to the operator requesting information on revenue raised. I will write to the hon. Lady as soon as the information has been received and place a copy in the Library.
Junior Doctors: Working Hours
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to limit the working hours of junior doctors in the Province; and what restrictions there are on the maximum periods of time for which junior doctors can work without a break. [119147]
Paul Goggins: In 1991 my Department introduced a package of measures known as the New Deal designed to reduce junior doctor's hours. In addition, the European Working Time Directive, introduced in 2004, set further limits on hours of work.
My Department has established an advisory group to assist Health and Social Services employers in improving their compliance with the hours of work
and rest requirements for junior doctors. The European Working Time Directive sets out a number of different rules on rest requirements for junior doctors including for example a maximum period of six hours work after which a minimum rest period of 20 minutes should be provided.
Knockbracken Health Care Park: Mental Health Services
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans there are to reduce the number of acute mental health in-patient beds at Knockbracken Health Care Park. [119303]
Paul Goggins: The Eastern Health and Social Services Board is finalising plans to restructure acute mental health beds in the Eastern Board area, which includes Knockbracken Healthcare Park. These plans will be subject to full public consultation.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consultation with (a) patients, (b) carers and (c) health professionals has been conducted into proposals to reduce the number of acute mental health in-patient beds at Knockbracken Health Care Park. [119308]
Paul Goggins: The Eastern Health and Social Services Board conducted an audit of acute psychiatric in-patient care in 2003-04. Users and carers were involved throughout. In addition, the board sponsored users and carers travelling to England to examine alternative services to in-patient care.
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