Finance and Personnel

Mr Derek Hussey asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel whether his review of rating policy will consider (a) rating agricultural land and (b) water rates for domestic properties.

The Minister of Finance and Personnel (Mr Durkan): I can confirm that the review will be comprehensive and in that context both areas will be among the many issues to be considered.

Mr Oliver Gibson asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail what recent discussions he has had with Treasury Ministers about the operation of the Barnett formula.

Mr Durkan: While I personally have not met Treasury Ministers recently, my officials have had a series of meetings with their counterparts in Treasury and have registered my concerns about the appropriateness of the Barnett Formula in its current format and particularly under the new Resource Accounting and Budgeting regime.

The Executive will, particulary in context of the next Spending Review, continue to seek changes in relation to the Barnett Formula and press for funding allocations which fully reflect the higher levels of need in Northern Ireland.

Ms Patricia Lewsley asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail what arrangements have been made to review the procedures for safeguarding the security and confidentiality of information to be collected in the 2001 Census and to make a statement.

Mr Durkan: The White Paper on the 2001 Census, published in March 1999, gave assurances that the well-established traditions of maintaining the confidentiality of information collected in the census would be upheld for the 2001 Census, and that the Census Offices would undertake reviews of the confidentiality and security arrangements for the 2001 Census and would publish the outcome of such reviews before the Census.

Independent reviews of the physical security arrangements for processing the 2001 Census information and the measures to protect the statistical confidentiality of the data were undertaken last year. The outcome of the reviews and the recommendations of the Review Teams, including a joint statement from the Registrars General for Northern Ireland, England and Wales and Scotland, are being published today by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, the Office for National Statistics and the General Register Office for Scotland.

Copies of the Report have been deposited in the Assembly Library. It can be accessed from the Northern Ireland Census web site(www.nicensus2001.gov.uk)and copies will shortly be available on request from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.

Mr Oliver Gibson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what assessment she has made of the differential in Health expenditure per head of population in Northern Ireland compared to that in Wales and Scotland.

The Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Ms de Brún): [holding answer 13 March 2001]: The Chancellor’s Public Expenditure Statistical analysis, customarily published in conjunction with his Budget, contains a series of figures on "Identifiable total managed expenditure per head" in each of the administrations. The 2001 edition of the Analysis is to be published very shortly. The relevant table in the 2000 Analysis shows 1998-99 HPSS expenditure per head as follows:

I will write to the Member with the information on 1999-2000 when it becomes available.

Istigh in Anailís Staitistiúil an tSeansailéara ar Chaiteachas Poiblí, foilsithe mar is gnáth in éineacht lena Cháinaisnéis, tá sraith figiúirí ar "chaiteachas iomlán inaitheanta caite de réir an duine" i ngach Roinn Rialtais. Tá eagrán 2001 den Anailís le foilsiú ar ball beag. Léiríonn an tábla cuí seo a leanas in Anailís 2000 caiteachas SSSP 1998-99 de réir an duine:

Scríobhfaidh mé chuig an Bhall leis an eolas ar 1999-2000 nuair a chuirfear ar fáil é.

Mrs Iris Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (a) the number of community care packages allocated in each of the last three years and (b) how many of these were allocated to pensioners in each Board area.

Ms de Brún: [holding answer 13 March 2001]: The number of new community care packages delivered in each of the calendar years 1998, 1999 and 2000 is shown according to Board area in the tables below. Such information is not available for pensioners; however, the number of new care packages delivered to persons in the Elderly Care Programme of Care is also shown in the tables below. Care packages already in existence are not included in the figures shown in the tables.

(a) 1998

(b) 1999

(c) 2000

Léirítear méid na mbeart nua cúraim phobail tugtha sna blianta 1998, 1999 agus 2000 de réir ceantair Bhoird sna táblaí thíos. Níl a leithéid d'eolas ar fáil ar phinsinéirí; ach léirítear méid na mbeart nua cúraim tugtha do dhaoine sa Chlár Cúraim (CC) do Chúram Seandaoine sna táblaí thíos fosta. Ní chuirtear bearta cúraim atá ann cheana féin leis na figiúirí a léirítear sna táblaí.

(a) 1998

(b) 1999

(c) 2000

Mr Alan McFarland asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail what steps have been taken since 1998 to improve co-operation between her Department and health organisations in the Republic of Ireland in (a) Accident and Emergency services (b) planning for major emergencies (c) high-tech equipment usage (d) cancer research and (e) health promotion.

Ms de Brún: Under the Good Friday Agreement, co-operation on health matters was identified as an area suitable for consideration under the aegis of the North South Ministerial Council. Two meetings of the NSMC have taken place in sectoral format on food safety and health matters and I have reported progress to the Assembly in my statements of 12 June 2000 and 11 September 2000 respectively. A sectoral meeting on Health and Food Safety scheduled for 3 November was cancelled as a result of a breach by the First Minister of his statutory duty under Section 52, NI Act 1998 to make the necessary Ministerial nominations for the meeting. This action by the First Minister, which has since been ruled unlawful by the High Court, continues to hamper further progress. However, a bi-lateral meeting at Ministerial level took place on the 3 November when Ministers endorsed the following:-

• with regard to accident and emergency services, CAWT to make further proposals for developing local collaborative projects.
• the Regional Hospital Services Group to initiate work immediately on scoping the development of collaborative arrangements covering renal transplantation and radiotherapy services.
• the establishment of Working Groups on ambulance services and emergency planning.
• the establishment of a joint High Technology Assessment Group to draw up protocols for the assessment/evaluation of emerging new technology.
• the launch of a joint campaign on Folic Acid.

Faoi Chomhaontú Aoine an Chéasta, aithníodh comhoibriú ar chúrsaí sláinte mar réimse fóirsteanach le machnamh faoi choimirce na Comhairle Aireachta Thuaidh Theas. Bhi dhá chruinniú i bhfoirm earnála ag an CATT ar shábháilteacht bhia agus ar chúrsaí sláinte agus chuir mé dul chun cinn in iúl don Tionól i mo ráitis ar an 12ú Meitheamh 2000 agus ar an 11ú Meán Fómhair 2000 faoi seach. Cuireadh cruinniú earnála ar Shláinte agus ar Shábháilteacht Bhia a socraíodh don 3ú Samhain ar ceal mar gheall ar shárú an Chéad Aire ar a dhualgas reachtúil de réir Míre 52 d'Acht TÉ 1998 le hAirí cuí a ainmniú don chruinniú. Cuireann an gníomh seo a rinne an Chéad Aire, agus ar tugadh breith air mar mhídhleathach, bac go fóill ar dhul chun cinn breise. Bhí cruinniú déthaobhach ag leibhéal Aireachta ar an 3ú Samhain áfach, áit ar chomhaontaigh Airí na moltaí seo a leanas:-

• Maidir le seirbhísí timpistí agus éigeandálaí, tá an TCOC le tuilleadh moltaí a mholadh chun scéimeanna áitiúla comhoibrithe a fhorbairt.
• Go gcuirfidh an Grúpa Sheirbhísí Otharlainne Réigiúnacha tús láithreach le tabhairt ligin d’fhorbairt socruithe comhoibrithe ag cumhdach aistrithe duánaigh agus seirbhísí raiditeiripe.
• Bunú Grúpaí Oibre ar sheirbhísí otharcharr agus ar phleanáil éigeandálaí.
• Bunú Comh-Ghrúpa ar Mheasúnú Ardteicneolaíochtaí le prótacail do mheasúnú/mheas teicneolaíochtaí nua a dhréachtú.
• Seoladh comhfheachtais ar Aigéad Fóilic.

Mr Alan McFarland asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, pursuant to AQW 1828/00, to detail what arrangements exist for the provision of health care between each of the four Health Boards and health authorities in the Republic of Ireland.

Ms de Brún: Under European Community law urgent health care treatment is available for visitors between North and South. Cross border workers who register with a GP in either jurisdiction are also eligible to avail of the full range of medical services. In addition to this, the relevant Health Boards, North and South, already collaborate on the provision of health care under the auspices of CAWT (Co-operation and Working Together Initiative). They are also involved in the work being taken forward under the Good Friday Agreement to improve coordination and cooperation in accident and emergency services, planning for major emergencies, the provision of high-tech equipment, cancer research and health promotion.

De réir dlíthe An Aontais Eorpaigh, tá cóireáil chúraim shláinte phráinneach ar fáil do chuairteoirí sa Tuaisceart agus sa Deisceart araon. Tá oibrithe trasteorann a chláraíonn le gnáthdhochtúir i gceachtar den dá limistéar i dteideal an réimse iomlán seirbhísí leighis a fháil fosta. Ina theannta sin, comhoibríonn na Boird Shláinte chuí, Thuaidh agus Theas cheana féin ar sholáthar cúraim shláinte faoi choimirce an TCOC (Tionscnamh Comhoibrithe agus Obair le Chéile). Tá siad páirteach san obair atá á déanamh de réir Chomhaontú Aoine an Chéasta fosta le comhordú agus comhoibriú a fheabhsú i seirbhísí timpistí agus éigeandálaí, i bpleanáil d’éigeandálaí tábhachtacha, i soláthar trealaimh ardteicneolaíochta, i dtaighde ailse agus i gcur chun cinn sláinte.

Mrs Iris Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the rate of morbidity and how this compares with Great Britain.

Ms de Brún: Information is not available in the form requested.

Níl eolas ar fáil san fhoirm a iarradh.

Mrs Iris Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (a) the number of patients receiving infertility treatment, by Board area, in each of the last two years (b) the number of counsellors employed to counsel these patients (c) the advice she has issued to general practitioners on infertility in the last two years (d) the number on the waiting list for such treatment and (e) the time for initial and subsequent consultations.

Ms de Brún: (a) The number of patients receiving sub-fertility treatment, by Board area, in each of the last two years is set out in the table below.

Eastern Board		Northern Board		Southern Board		Western Board
1998/99	1999/00	1998/99	1999/00	1998/99	1999/00	1998/99	1999/00
476	497	236	255	212	208	158	151

(b) There is one independent counsellor at Church of Ireland House, Donegal Street, Belfast.

Bord an Oirthir		Bord an Tuaiscirt		Bord an Deiscirt		Bord an Iarthair
1998/99	1999/00	1998/99	1999/00	1998/99	1999/00	1998/99	1999/00
476	497	236	255	212	208	158	151

(b) Tá lia neamhspleách amháin ag Teach Eaglais na hÉireann, Sráid Dhún na nGall, Béal Feirste.