(AQW 2259/00)

(AQW 2260/00)

(b) There has been enhanced surveillance for TB here since 1991/2. In March 1997, the Department issued guidelines on TB control and prevention to HSS Boards and Trusts here. In June 2000, guidelines on drug-resistant TB were issued. The Schools BCG Immunisation Programme, which was suspended in September 1999 due to a severe shortage of vaccine here and in England, Scotland and Wales, will restart in the very near future.

(a) Mionléirítear an t-eolas seo sa tábla thíos.

Table 2. Numbers waiting for first outpatient appointment in the Trauma & Orthopaedics specialty

(b) At 30 September 2000 (the latest date for which information is available) there were 35 orthopaedic consultants employed in local hospitals. The number of orthopaedic consultants who are also surgeons is not held centrally.

Léirítear líon na ndaoine ag fanacht ar ligean isteach mar othair chónaitheacha sa speisialtacht Tráma agus Ortaipéide i dTábla 1 thíos. Léirítear líon na ndaoine ag fanacht ar an chéad choinne eisothair sa speisialtacht Tráma agus Ortaipéide i dTábla 2 thíos.

Tábla 1. Líon na ndaoine ag fanacht ar chóireáil mar othair chónaitheacha sa speisialtacht Tráma agus Ortaipéide

Tábla 2. Líon na ndaoine ag fanacht ar a gcéad choinne eisothair sa speisialtacht Tráma agus Ortaipéide.

(b) Faoi 30 Meán Fómhair 2000 (an dáta deireanach a bhfuil eolas ar fáil dó) bhí 35 dhochtúirí comhairleacha ortaipéideacha fostaithe in ospidéil áitiúla. Níl líon na ndochtúirí comhairleacha ortaipéideacha ar máinlianna iad ar fáil go lárnach

Mr David Hilditch asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the number of patients, from the parliamentary constituency of East Antrim, who could not be admitted to Antrim Area Hospital for emergency treatment and were subsequently taken to either Mid Ulster Hospital, Magherfelt or Coleraine Hospital during the last twelve months.

Ms de Brún: Between 1 March 2000 and 28 February 2001, 3 patients from the Larne, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey Borough Councils were transferred from Antrim Area Hospital A&E Department to either Mid-Ulster or Coleraine hospitals.

Idir 1 Márta 2000 agus 28 Feabhra 2001, aistríodh 3 othar ó Bhuirgchomhairlí Latharna, Charraig Fhearghusa agus Bhaile Nua na Mainistreach ó Roinn Taisme agus Éigeandála Ospidéal Cheantar Aontroma chuig ospidéal Lár Uladh nó ospidéal Chúil Raithin.

Mr Billy Armstrong asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety if she intends to initiate a screening programme for prostate cancer in men over 40 years and to make a statement.

Ms de Brún: The National Screening Committee which advises Health Ministers does not currently recommend prostate cancer screening based on the prostrate specific antigen (PSA) test. However the matter is being kept under review and will be revisited when any new research evidence becomes available. With the current test, false positives are a major problem. Prostate surgery can cause unnecessary harm, including impotence and incontinence, to healthy men.

Ní mholann an Coiste Náisiúnta Scagtha a chomhairlíonn Airí Sláinte faoi láthair go ndéantar scagadh ailse den fhaireog phrostátach bunaithe ar an teist do shainaintigin na faireoige prostátaí (SFP). Bíodh sin mar atá, tá an t-ábhar seo á choinneáil faoi athbhreithniú agus fillfear air nuair atá aon fhianaise thaighde úr ar fáil. Leis an teist atá ann faoi láthair, is fadhb ollmhór iad na bréagthorthaí deimhneacha. Is féidir leis an mháinliacht phrostátach a lán dochair a dhéanamh gan ghá d’fhir shláintiúla, éagumas agus neamhchoinneálacht san áireamh.

Mr Danny Kennedy asked the Minister of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment to detail the gender and religious composition of (a) students enrolled at Newry and Kilkeel Institute for Further and Higher Education for the years 1998/1999, 1999/2000 and 2000/2001 (b) teaching staff employed at Newry and Kilkeel Institute for Further and Higher Education for the years 1998/1999, 1999/2000 and 2000/2001.

The Minister of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment (Dr Farren): I attach a table detailing the number of enrolments by gender at Newry and Kilkeel Institute for Further and Higher Education. This Department does not release the religious composition of individual colleges. Information on teaching staff employed at the college is not collected in the format requested.

Data for 2000/2001 are not currently available.

Mr P J Bradley asked the Minister of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment whether he intends to review the guidelines which prevent children who have a statement of special educational need from accessing special facilities if they transfer to a Higher and Further Education College.

Dr Farren: My Department does not have a policy that prevents students with special needs from accessing facilities in further and higher education. Indeed, significant action has already been taken by my Department to improve the rights of and access by students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Proposals are also going forward in respect of new legislation that will provide comprehensive and enforceable rights to further and higher education for disabled people on the same basis as the rest of the UK.

Mr David Hilditch asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail the number of occasions on which private contractors have been engaged to assist Roads Service in the parlimentary constituency of East Antrim during severe weather conditions since November 2000.

The Minister for Regional Development (Mr Campbell): Since November 2000, my Department’s Roads Service has engaged private contractors to assist during periods of severe weather conditions in the constituency of East Antrim on the following occasions:-

• in late December 2000, 2 contractors were employed for 3 days and, in late February 2001, 3 contractors were employed for 3 days in the Larne area; and
• in late February/early March 2001, 3 contractors were employed for 7 days in the Boroughs of Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus.

As regards the latter, approximately half of the work undertaken by the contractors was in the East Antrim constituency.

Mr David Hilditch asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail the latest figures regarding daily traffic flow on the A2 Shore Road between Silverstream and Ravenhill.

Mr Campbell: The latest available figures for the A2 are from the Roads Services automatic counting site near the Trooperslane junction, which is just to the north-east of the section referred to. This indicates average weekday traffic flows of 27,500 vehicles per day (total for both directions).

Mr P J Bradley asked the Minister for Regional Development to amend the daily traffic criteria for the gritting of rural roads to one that reflects the volume of traffic in any one hour in a twenty-four period.

Mr Campbell: As I indicated in the Assembly on Monday 15 January 2001, I have initiated a review of my Department’s current policy on the salting of roads. The review will examine the criteria for determining which roads should be included in the salting schedule.

I hope that the review will be concluded to enable me to report to the Assembly’s Regional Development Committee by June 2001.

Mr Oliver Gibson asked the Minister for Social Development to detail the number of appeals which are upheld by the Independent Appeal Tribunal in respect of Disability Living Allowance in each of the last two years.

The Minister for Social Development (Mr Morrow): In the year from 1 January 1999 to 31 December 1999, 980 components of Disability Living Allowance were allowed on appeal and during the period 1 January 2000 through to 31 December 2000, a total of 998 components were allowed at tribunal.

Mr Oliver Gibson asked the Minister for Social Development to detail the progress he has made in tackling benefit fraud and to make a statement.

Mr Morrow: I welcome this opportunity to reiterate my commitment to combating benefit fraud. The Social Security Agency has a comprehensive anti-fraud and security strategy based on prevention, detection and sanctions.

In the current year to date:

- some 56,000 Interventions have been carried out resulting in a change to benefit entitlement totalling £1.67m;

- nearly 10,500 cases of suspected fraud have been investigated with a success rate of 46% amounting to a monetary value of some £1.27m;

- sanctions have been applied to some 559 cases, of which 518 were prosecutions and 41 Administration penalties; and

- £3.32m debt has been recovered.

Mr Oliver Gibson asked the Minister for Social Development to detail the total amount of winter fuel allowance paid in this financial year to date.

Mr Morrow: To date in this financial year Winter Fuel Payments totalling just over £43m have been paid to people in Northern Ireland.

Mr Oliver Gibson asked the Minister for Social Development to detail his plans to increase financial support for families on low incomes with the emphasis of reducing child poverty.

Mr Morrow: My Department will continue to contribute to the aim of eradicating child poverty in 20 years and halving it in 10.

There will be further reform of the tax and benefit system through the introduction of a new Integrated Child Credit building on the foundation of universal Child Benefit.

Under the New Deal for Lone Parents, work-focused interviews will be introduced and there will be additional help with childcare and training costs.

As part of the reform of the Child Support System, a child maintenance premium will enable lone parents on Income Support to keep up to £10 a week of their child maintenance.

From April 2001, entitlement to the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance will be extended to 3 and 4 year olds with severe disabilities.

Mr Oliver Gibson asked the Minister for Social Development to detail the number of (a) pensioners in receipt of the minimum income guarantee and (b) eligible pensioners who have not applied.

Mr Morrow: Nearly 74,000 Pensioners receive the Minimum Income Guarantee. The Department does not hold figures for the number of eligible pensioners who have not applied for the Minimum Income Guarantee but continues to actively encourage uptake to ensure that all pensioners claim and receive all the help they are entitled to.

Mr Oliver Gibson asked the Minister for Social Development to give his assessment on the administration of the housing benefit system.

Mr Morrow: The Housing Executive’s performance is assessed by comparing its performance against targets and objectives agreed with the Department. Where possible, comparisons are also made with local authorities administering housing benefit in Great Britain.

The latest available figures, for the 6 month period ended September 2000, indicate that the Executive should meet all of its targets for the current year. In particular, for the six-month period ended September 2000 the Executive determined 94.5% of housing benefit claims within the statutory timescale of 14 days. This compared with an overall figure of 80.5% in English authorities. Of the larger authorities only Leeds, with a figure of 96%, bettered the Executive’s performance. During the period the Executive achieved an assessment accuracy rate of 95.3 %.

During 1999 / 2000 the Executive’s costs for administering housing benefit were compared with a sample of local authorities in Great Britain. This exercise concluded that the Executive’s costs per claim were some 31% lower than the average.

Mr Oliver Gibson asked the Minister for Social Development to detail what plans he has to reform the administration of housing benefit.

Mr Morrow: With effect from 2 July 2001 the arrangements for decision making on Housing Benefit claims will be brought into line with those applying in all other social security benefits. These arrangements will include a right of appeal to an appeal tribunal administered by the Appeals Service, with a further right of appeal, on a point of law, to the Social Security Commissioners, and from there to the higher courts. These procedures will replace the current Housing Benefit Review Board system.

There are no other current plans to reform the administration of Housing Benefit.

Mr Oliver Gibson asked the Minister for Social Development to detail the number of complaints he has received regarding the operation of the Child Support Agency in the last twelve months and to make a statement.

Mr Morrow: The Northern Ireland Child Support Agency has received a total of 291 complaints during the last twelve months. I set the Agency a target to reduce the number of complaints, as a percentage of live caseload, and I am pleased to say it has exceeded my expectations.

Complaints are defined as any expressed dissatisfaction where a client feels aggrieved, unreasonably or unfairly treated and they now stand at 0.04% of the caseload. The Agency will continue to endeavour to improve its standard of service.

Mr Jim Shannon asked the Minister for Social Development to detail, by parliamentary constituency, the amount of rent arrears owed to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Mr Morrow: The information is not available in the form requested, however, I would refer you to the reply to a similar question raised by Mrs Iris Robinson on this subject (AQW 1258/00 answered on 23 January 2001, Hansard Vol 8 No 5 page WA180).

Mr John Fee asked the Minister for Social Development to outline what initiatives he will put in place to stimulate the regeneration of Armagh City.

Mr Morrow: It is still too early to detail plans to regenerate any of our urban centres. Officials from my Department have been working with representatives from other Departments to draw up proposals which will need to be considered by relevant Ministers. I can say that in addition to any specific proposals my Department will provide guidelines for the reinvigoration of town centres. These guidelines will of course recognise the need to allow local people flexibility to adopt policies which best meet their needs. I also intend that the Department will continue on with its use of existing regeneration tools such as Environmental Improvement Schemes and Comprehensive Development Schemes where these are necessary and finance is available.

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