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19 Apr 2007 : Column 762W—continued


Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the (a) target and (b) actual waiting times for (i) surgery, (ii) first outpatient appointment and (iii) a diagnostic test at Northern Ireland hospitals were at the end of March (A) 2007 and (B) 2006. [132285]


19 Apr 2007 : Column 763W

Paul Goggins: Ministers set a target that, by 31 March 2006, no patient should be waiting more than 12 months for in-patient or day case treatment. No targets were set at that stage regarding waiting times for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant or a diagnostic test.

Targets were also set that, by 31 March 2007, no patient should be waiting more than six months for either a first out-patient appointment with a consultant or for in-patient or day case treatment. There were no targets set for diagnostic waiting times at 31 March 2007.

I have set new targets that, by the end of March 2008, no patient will wait more than 13 weeks for a first out-patient appointment, no more than 13 weeks for any diagnostic test, and no more than 21 weeks for surgery.

The number of patients waiting, and the length of time they were waiting in months, for (i) in-patient or day case treatment and (ii) a first out-patient appointment with a consultant, at 31 March 2006, is contained in the following table.

Timebands (months) In - patients Out- patients

0-2

24,233

72,355

3-5

10,635

35,763

6-8

4,717

22,609

9-11

1,848

14,833

12-14

2

8,736

15-17

l

6,518

18-20

2

5,576

21-23

4

3,616

24+

6

12,044

Total

41,448

182,050

Source:
Departmental returns CH1 and CH3

Official statistics relating to the number of patients waiting at 31 March 2007, for either a first out-patient appointment with a consultant or for in-patient or day case treatment, will not be published until June. On the basis of provisional information available to the Department at the beginning of April, with the exception of a very small number of breaches reflecting local administrative errors, no patients were waiting more than six months for in-patient or day case treatment, or for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant.

Official figures for the number of patients waiting for a diagnostic test in Northern Ireland are not available for either March 2006 or March 2007.

Portadown School

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he plans to publish the economic appraisal of the proposed capital building project at Portadown Integrated Primary School; and what the reasons are for the time taken to conclude this study and make it available. [132048]

Maria Eagle: The Department of Education is aware of the accommodation deficiencies at Portadown Integrated Primary School and an initial feasibility study was produced for the school which is a stage
19 Apr 2007 : Column 764W
prior to the production of the economic appraisal. Following the Bain review new capital projects should in future be considered in the context of a more co-ordinated and consistent area-based planning approach and this will need to be reflected in the appraisal. The Department will be in contact with the school as the work develops though I cannot confirm at present when the appraisal will be completed.

Sewers

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will list the maintenance work carried out at Millisle Sewage Pumping in each of the past three years; and what the (a) nature and (b) duration was of the maintenance carried out on each occasion; [133021]

(2) what assessment has been carried out by his Department of the health and safety implications of raw sewage leaks from Millisle's sewerage system; [133059]

(3) on what occasions since January the screens at Millisle Sewage Pumping Station were checked; and what the outcome was of the review of the adequacy of the current screen checking arrangements; [133060]

(4) if he will bring forward the project to upgrade Millisle Sewage Pumping Station scheduled to start in 2011; [133071]

(5) when he expects the Drainage Area Studies for the North Down and Ards area to be completed; and what funding has been allocated to ensure the prompt implementation of its recommendations. [133072]

David Cairns: The Water and Sewerage Services (NI) Order 2006 transferred responsibility for the delivery of water and sewerage services from the Department's Water Service Agency to a statutory water and sewerage undertaker. A Government-owned company, Northern Ireland Water (NIW) has been appointed as the undertaker and the issues raised are operational matters for it. I have asked the chief executive of NIW (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) to write to the hon. Lady in response to these questions.

South Eastern Education and Library Board: Public Appointments

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what significant decisions have been made by the four commissioners appointed to the South Eastern Education and Library Board since their appointment in 2006. [132213]

Maria Eagle: The commissioners have taken many significant decisions since their appointment in July 2006 including decisions related to financial allocations and budgets, school development proposals, youth centre provision, leasing proposals and transfer of land, and procurement contracts. All decisions that have been taken are minuted and published in the normal way in accordance with Standing Orders and details of the relevant minutes are available on the South Eastern Education and Library Board website: http:/www.seelb.org.uk


19 Apr 2007 : Column 765W

Theatres: Finance

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much public funding was granted to theatres in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; whether there are proposals to increase funding for such theatres in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement. [130541]

Maria Eagle: Public funding granted to theatres in Northern Ireland in the last five years is shown in the following table. Decisions on revenue funding to theatres for 2007-08 have already been made by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the total amount awarded is the same as the 2006-07 figure. The level of funding available to theatres in future years will depend on the outcome of the 2007 comprehensive spending review.

£
2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07

Arts Council Treasury Funding

1,214,100

1,271,100

1,312,000

1,461,600

1,313,879

Arts Council Lottery

178,500

271,180

133,350

28,127

192,497

Arts Council Capital Grant

104,925

2,251,716

51,161

2,585,575

174,750

Dept Culture, Arts and Leisure Capital

1,450,000

0

0

1,484,630

1,015,370

Total

2,947,525

3,793,996

1,496,511

5,559,932

2,696,496


Scotland

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures are in place to limit the amount of money spent on alcohol for hospitality purposes by his Department. [132195]

David Cairns: Scotland Office expenditure on hospitality, like all other departmental expenditure, is conducted in accordance with the principles of “Government Accounting” and the Treasury handbook on “Regularity and Propriety”.

Departments: Pressure Groups

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the meetings between Ministers from his Department and outside interest groups which took place between 1 January and 31 March. [132439]

David Cairns: Ministers and civil servants meet a large number of people and groups in the course of their official duties.

Trade and Industry

Bankruptcy

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses went bankrupt in each month of the last 10 years in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) each region and (c) each London borough. [132173]


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Jim Fitzpatrick: Business (self-employed, or trader) bankruptcies are only readily available on a quarterly basis and for England and Wales (EandW). These statistics are provided in the following table. The provision of corresponding monthly data would incur disproportionate cost. A breakdown of Scottish sequestrations and Northern Ireland bankruptcies by trading status of the individual is not available. For EandW, the provision of any sub-national level business bankruptcy figures would incur disproportionate cost.

Table1: Total self-employed bankruptcies in England and Wales by calendar quarter, 1997 to 2006
Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 Annual total

1997

2,850

3,097

2,804

2,518

11,269

1998

2,637

2521

2,672

2590

10,420

1999

2,996

2721

2,614

2392

10,723

2000

2,571

2519

2,518

2344

9,952

2001

2,666

2609

2,414

2150

9,839

2002

2,261

2235

2,244

2114

8,854

2003

2,468

2267

2,296

2108

9,139

2004

2,437

2455

2,300

2372

9,564

2005

2,446

2835

2,850

2708

10,839

2006

3,150

2898

2,990

-

(2)9,038 to Sept

(1) Not yet available: statistics on self-employed bankruptcies are only available one quarter in arrears.
(2) To September.

To complement the personal insolvency (bankruptcy) statistics, provided in table 1, table 2 records figures for company liquidations:

Table 2: Total company liquidations by quarter in England and Wales, 1997 to 2006
Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 Yearly total

1997

3,017

3,183

3,195

3,214

12,609

1998

3,123

3,291

3,373

3,416

13,203

1999

3,741

3,653

3,428

3,458

14,280

2000

3,522

3,431

3,775

3,589

14,317

2001

3,831

3,744

3,699

3,698

14,972

2002

3,992

4,117

3,899

4,298

16,306

2003

3,672

3,795

3,380

3,337

14,184

2004

3,140

3,130

2,959

2,963

12,192

2005

2,940

3,375

3,380

3,198

12,893

2006

3,452

3,252

3,239

3,194

13,137


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