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19 Apr 2007 : Column 759W—continued

As announced in the 2007 Budget Statement, a new £800 million Environmental Transformation Fund will finance overseas development projects that deliver both
19 Apr 2007 : Column 760W
poverty reduction and environmental benefits in developing countries, and help developing countries respond to climate change. This fund will support climate change adaptation, provide access to clean energy and help tackle unsustainable deforestation.

DFID is funding international networks such as the Global Village Energy Partnership (GVEP) and the EU energy initiative (EUEI) to promote access to affordable energy services, drawing on the full menu of technology options, including renewable energy.

DFID has supported the creation of a new €220 million EU energy facility, which will start funding projects this year. This fund aims to improve access to energy, especially in Africa, and encouraged viable renewable energy proposals.

DFID is also increasing research funding for the energy sector to reflect the growing interest in clean energy for development. This year DFID launched a new five year, £3.75 million energy research programme on renewable energy and is currently scoping areas for further work.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his estimate is of the number of people who have returned to live in the South of Sudan following the end of conflict there. [132505]

Hilary Benn: The UN estimates that since the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) in January 2005, around 1 million people have returned to their homes in the South. UNHCR predicts a further 100,000 refugees will return home in 2007, in addition to 500,000 internally displaced people. The majority of the refugees will come from Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya.

DFID has channelled all its funding for the returns process through the UN-administered common humanitarian fund (CHF). Of the £68 million allocated so far by the CHF in 2007 (of which the DFID contribution makes up 60 per cent.), £6.6 million was given to support the returns process.

Northern Ireland

Accident and Emergency Departments

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures the Government plan to provide to improve the security of staff in casualty departments in Northern Ireland hospitals, with particular reference to the Downe hospital, Downpatrick. [132097]

Paul Goggins: My Department is fully committed to improving health and safety protection for all health and social care staff and has taken extensive measures to minimise risk in the workplace.

Following consultation with staff in the Downe hospital the trust introduced additional security measures from March 2007. These include security patrols within accident and emergency unit from 9 pm
19 Apr 2007 : Column 761W
until midnight on Monday to Thursday and every week-end from 12 midnight to 3 am. Security staff patrols operate within both the Downshire and Downe hospital sites.

Arts: Finance

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding he plans to
19 Apr 2007 : Column 762W
provide for the arts in the Province in 2007-08; and how much funding was provided in each of the last five years. [130700]

Maria Eagle: Total funding provided for the arts in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years along with planned expenditure for 2007-08 is shown in the following table:

£
2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08( 1)

Dept of Culture, Arts & Leisure (Revenue)

8,696,672.08

11,647,937

11,883,088.23

11,518,346.80

11,140,200.10

12,200,000

Dept of Culture, Arts & Leisure (Capital)

1,450,000

0

749,590

1,534,629.53

1,061,697.55

7,700,000

Dept for Social Development

417,400

2,188,000

924,800

968,600

(2)1,863,400

785,200

Dept for Social Development (Peace II)(3)

0

0

0

0

52,400

52,200

Dept of Education

250,000

250,000

350,000

350,000

350,000

325,000

Dept of Enterprise, Trade & Investment

124,465.05

53,484.76

60,045.63

52,341.73

14,015.54

0

Office of the First Minister & Deputy First Minister

0

0

0

0

18,639.00

250,000

Dept of Agriculture and Rural Development

0

15,099.14

97,788.22

36,757.56

47,937.89

0

Total

10,938,537.13

14,154,520.90

14,065,312.08

14,460,675.62

14,548,290.08

21,312,400

(1) Planned expenditure.
(2) Provisional.
(3) These figures relate to the calendar years 2006 and 2007. The Department for Social Development has also provided funding under Peace II for various other arts-based projects amounting to £565,600 for the period 2002 to date. This amount is not included in the table.

Bus Services: Carrickfergus

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average daily passenger numbers were for each bus route to and from Carrickfergus in each month over the last three years. [131983]

David Cairns: Data are not readily available by individual bus routes from Translink. The following tables set out the daily average passenger numbers based on monthly patronage figures for those travelling to (alighting) and from (boarding) Carrickfergus in each of the last two years. Figures have not been provided in respect of 2004-05 as I am informed by Translink that data held for that year are incomplete.

2005-06
Boarding Alighting Monthly total Daily average

April

11,810

12,390

24,200

807

May

11,564

12,527

24,091

777

June

12,564

13,589

26,153

872

July

12,299

12,798

25,097

810

August

13,703

14,412

28,115

907

September

12,529

14,301

26,830

894

October

10,809

12,213

23,022

743

November

9,482

10,877

20,359

679

December

10,231

11,336

21,567

696

January

8,965

10,468

19,433

627

February

8,990

10,459

19,449

695

March

9,412

11,105

20,517

662

Total

132,358

146,475

278,833

764


2006-07
Boarding Alighting Monthly total Daily average

April

8,838

9,885

18,723

624

May

9,560

10,028

19,588

632

June

9,977

10,595

20,572

686

July

9,127

9,560

18,687

603

August

10,563

10,508

21,071

680

September

9,480

10,226

19,706

657

October

9,817

10,115

19,932

643

November

9,819

9,936

19,755

658

December

9,392

9,262

18,654

602

January

8,561

9,075

17,636

569

February

8,035

8,706

16,741

598

March

7,322

7,918

15,240

492

Total

110,491

115,814

226,305

620


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