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Lord Rogan asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The number of permanent staff in the Northern Ireland Civil Service increased between 19992000 and 200001.
Lord Rogan asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Overtime is an important means of responding to in-year pressures and there are no immediate plans to seek a reduction. It is only worked on an exceptional basis to meet pressing business need and its use is closely monitored and controlled in the context of the contribution it makes to service provision and the achievement of business objectives.
Lord Rogan asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: In the Northern Ireland Civil Service a total of £29,456,890 was spent on overtime in 19992000 compared with £31,958,194 in 200001. This equates to an increase of £2,501,304.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) has already mainstreamed cultural tourism as a key development and marketing priority and will continue to do so in coming years. The board, in conjunction with Tourism Ireland Ltd (TIL), is keen to exploit opportunities that are unique to Northern Ireland and to develop a visitor experience that is based on the region's cultural and natural attributes. The NITB recognises the Ulster Scots (known as Scots-Irish in the USA) heritage as an integral element of future tourism growth to Northern Ireland from several key markets including North America.
TIL recognises the potential of Ulster Scots/Scots Irish segment to tourism in the island of Ireland. To that end, the company has commissioned research specifically on this segment by organising for the inclusion of a number of questions in the Menlo Study of Travel Behaviour, currently being undertaken in the US market, with preliminary results expected in August 2003. This study, in conjunction with a brand tracking study, which is also in the field, will assist TIL in identifying regions with best potential for this particular segment.
TIL has also liaised with the Ulster-Scots Agency in Belfast and has requested copies of their publications for distribution to market staff and tour operators to allow key players to become more familiar with this crucial segment.
TIL is currently in discussions with its advertising agency to design a segment-specific campaign to target specific groups through targeted publications and websites, with particular emphasis on the Ulster Scots/Scots Irish.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: DCAL does not directly grant aid to tourism. However, it provides part funding for events and projects which can benefit tourism in the area.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure has minutes of the Ulster-Scots Agency board meetings of 2 November 2001 and 25 January 2002. It does not have minutes of a board meeting on 5 November 2001.
Officials from the department had advised the then Acting Chief Executive of the Ulster-Scots Agency on 25 October 2001 that there was no mechanism for a carry over of provision from one financial year to the next.
In light of the 25 January 2002 minutes officials, on 11 February 2002, again pointed out to the Acting Chief Executive that there was no mechanism for carry over and that the department had not agreed to a carry over.
All the communications with officials of the Ulster-Scots Agency referred to above were made orally.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The information requested is provided in the table below, which relates to hospitals currently providing acute services.
Hospital | Policy | Details |
Altnagelvin | No smoking | |
Antrim Area | No smoking | |
Belfast City | No smoking | Smoking areas provided for selected groups only, e.g. mental health patients. |
Causeway | No smoking | |
Craigavon Area | No smoking | Designated smoking areas providedunder review. |
Daisy Hill | No smoking | |
Downe | No smoking | |
Erne | No smoking | Designated smoking areas provided. |
Green Park | No smoking | |
Lagan Valley | No smoking | |
Mater Infirmorum | No smoking | |
Mid-Ulster | No smoking | |
Royal Group | No smoking | Smoking rooms provided. |
Tyrone County | No smoking | Designated smoking areas provided. |
Ulster | No smoking |
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: There has been one such review: a team from the Security Service completed an audit of security practices within the Northern Ireland Office. The report has been received and action regarding the recommendations is under way.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Northern Ireland Housing Executive has responsibility for 39 properties in three estates in Artigarvan village. Twenty eight of these have had their heating systems upgraded and will be included in an external cyclical maintenance scheme planned for November 2003. The remaining 11 houses have already been modernised.
Fifteen empty properties have been demolished and the area will be graded and grassed. The future use of the resulting open space will be discussed with the community.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Department of Education has replied to Mrs Burke in a letter dated 30 June 2003.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Statutory Instruments are published on the HMSO website as soon as they are published in printed form. The decision whether to publish draft instruments is a matter for the department concerned and draft instruments are not always published in advance of debate in Parliament. The Government accept that it is desirable for instruments to be available to the public, as well as to Members of both Houses, before they are debated in Parliament and are considering how this might best be achieved.
Baroness Masham of Ilton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: No resources have been spent promoting the use of the morning after pill in Northern Ireland in the last year.
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