Friday 18 May 2001
Written Answers to Questions (Continued)

Table 2 Gross Domestic Product at current basic prices by region (£ per head)

p Provisional

Table 2a Gross Domestic Product at current basic prices (£ per head)

p Provisional * United Kingdom less extra-regio (an element of the 
national accounts which cannot be attributed to a specific region)

Table 3 Gross Domestic Product at current basic prices by region (per head: indices)UK less extra-regio=100

p Provisional

^p Provisional

Mr Ford asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail (a) what consultation has taken place between his Department and the community and voluntary sector regarding the operation of the Children’s Fund (b) what advice was offered by the sector and (c) how much of this advice has been accepted by his Department.

(AQW 2848/00)

(a) The policy of establishing Executive Programme Funds, including the Children’s Fund, was included in the draft Programme for Government, which was subject to widespread consultation. During that process responses were received from 120 organisations including many of the main children’s organisations in Northern Ireland. In addition to the formal consultation, I met with a delegation from the Children’s Fund Lobby Group to hear their views on the concept of the Children’s Fund and I understand that Mr Haughey and Mr Nesbitt had a similar meeting to discuss its operation. DFP and EPU officials have also met more recently with the Lobby Group. The detailed arrangements for the distribution and management of the funds to the voluntary and community sector are currently being developed and there will be full consultation with the voluntary and community sector about these.

(b) The sector has put forward broad proposals in relation to the Children’s Fund, including their views on the principles which should underline the operation of the Fund, who the Fund should target and the criteria for selection.

(c) The representations that have been made by children’s and other non-governmental organisations have been taken into account in finalising the detailed criteria and management arrangements for the first tranche of allocations from the Children’s Fund. They are also being used to inform the preparation of the more detailed arrangements for the remaining tranches. There will be full consultation on these arrangements once they are available.

Mr Close asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to confirm when he last made representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding Aggregate Tax; and to make a statement.

(AQW 2854/00)

Mr Durkan: The First Minister and Deputy First Minister raised the issue of the aggregate levy on behalf of the Executive at a meeting with the Chancellor on 24 January. They subsequently provided a detailed exposition of the case for a Northern Ireland exemption from the tax in early March. Discussions with Treasury are continuing at official level with a view to seeking an appropriate derogation.

Ms Ramsey asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel, following the announcement, on 2 May 2001, by the Secretary of State for Health of £100 million boost for maternity units in England, whether he has had any discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to obtain additional money for maternity services.

(AQW 2969/00)

Mr Durkan: The £100 million provision for maternity units, recently announced by the Secretary of State for Health is an allocation out of the resources already provided for by the Chancellor in the 2000 Spending Review. There will be no additional money coming to Northern Ireland Block via the application of the Barnett formula as a consequence of this announcement and I have no plans to raise the matters with the Chancellor. Within the resources available to us we are committed in the Programme for Government to meeting the needs of all mothers giving birth and to ensuring the safety of mothers and babies.

Ms Ramsey asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the value of contracts awarded to private hire taxi companies by Trust Board area for each of the last four financial years for which figures are available.

(AQW 2673/00)

The Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Ms de Brún): [holding answer 9 May 2001]: Regional Supplies Service of the Central Services Agency arrange contracts for private hire taxi companies for Trusts in the Eastern Board, Western Board and Northern Board areas and one Trust in the Southern Board area i.e. the Armagh and Dungannon Trust. The other trusts in the Southern Board Area arrange their own contracts. The details available are set out in the tables below:

Socraíonn Seirbhís Soláthar Reigiúnda den LárGhníomhaireacht Seirbhísí conarthaí do chomhlachtaí príobháideacha d’Iontaobhais i mBord an Oirthir, Bord an Iarthair agus Bord an Tuaiscirt agus d’Iontaobhas amháin i mBord an Deiscirt .i. Iontaobhas SSS Ard Mhacha & Dhún Geanainn. Socraíonn na hiontaobhais eile i gCeantar Bord an Deiscirt a gconarthaí féin. Tá na sonraí atá ar fáil leagtha amach sna táblaí thíos:

Meastar gurbh fhiú luach iomlán an chonartha ag Iontaobhas Ard Mhacha & Dhún Geanainn £70,000 an bhliain i 1996. Meastar gur fiú an tairiscint atá ar tí a tharlú £100,000.

Níl conradh le haghaidh fruilchonradh príobháideach comhlachtaí tacsaí ag Iontaobhas Grúpa Otharlann Ceantair Craigavon.

Bhí conradh ag Iontaobhas Phobal Craigavon & Dhroichead na Banna le comhlachtaí tacsaí le fruilchonradh príobháideach. Níl luach ar leith leis an chonradh agus bhí sé ar bhonn riachtanais agus bhí sé le 6 comhlacht. Tá deireadh i ndiaidh teacht ar an chonradh agus tá sé réidh le hathnuachan.

Bronntar conradh Iontaobhas an Iúir & Mhúirn bunaithe ar chostas an mhíle.

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (a) the number of haemophiliacs who were wrongly diagnosed as having hepatitis C in the last 10 years and (b) what hepatology services and counselling were made available to them.

(AQW 2695/00)

Ms de Brún: [holding answer 9 May 2001]: As a result of an internal audit of the Hepatitis C Virus laboratory test at the Royal Group of Hospitals in Autumn 1999, an intermittent problem on the performance of the test was discovered. Following the audit, re-tests were carried out and 11 patients, all with haemophilia, who had earlier tested negative, were found to have been wrongly diagnosed.

Haemophilia patients with a liver disorder may avail of the services of the Consultant Hepatologist at the request of the Haematologist. All patients with haemophilia are counselled intensely at the time of their diagnosis (for haemophilia) and are made aware that counselling services continue to be available as required. On this occasion the eleven patients were each sent a letter asking them to attend the clinic. Nine were seen by the Consultant Haematologist at subsequent clinics and two did not attend, even following a further letter. None of these patients needed to have their treatment regimes altered following the revised diagnosis.

Mar thoradh ar iniúchadh inmheánach an scrúdaithe saotharlainne Víreas Heipitítis C ag Grúpa Ríoga na nOtharlann i bhFómhair 2001, fionnadh fadhb uaineach le déanamh an scrúdaithe. I ndiaidh an iniúchta, athrinneadh scrúduithe agus fuarthas amach gur fáthmheasadh 11 othar, agus iad uile le haemaifilia, go mícheart, ar dhiúltach toradh an scrúdaithe a rinneadh orthu níba luaithe.

Is féidir le hothair haemaifilia le neamhord ae seirbhísí an Heipiteolaí Chomhairligh a úsáid ar iarratas an Haemaiteolaí. Tugtar comhairle go dian do gach uile othar le haemaifilia ag am a bhfáthmheasa (do haemaifilia) agus cuirtear in iúl dóibh go leanfar ar aghaidh seirbhísí comhairle a chur ar fáil de réir mar atá siad de dhíth. An t-am seo, seoladh litir chuig na 11 othar ag iarraidh orthu freastal ar an chlinic. Chuaigh naonúr chuig an Haemaiteolaí Comhairleach ag clinicí ina dhiaidh sin agus níor fhreastail beirt, fiú i ndiaidh litreach eile. Ní raibh gá do na hothair seo a réimeanna cóireála a athrú i ndiaidh an fháthmheasa athscrúdaithe.

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (a) the number of people who were wrongly diagnosed as having hepatitis C in the last five years (b) the level of information and advice offered to them and (c) what steps she is taking to prevent any recurrence.

(AQW 2714/00)

Ms de Brún: [holding answer 9 May 2001]:

(a) As explained in the answer to AQW 2695/00, a total of 11 people, all patients with haemophilia, were incorrectly diagnosed as not having Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection in the Autumn of 1999.

(b) Following re-testing which showed that they were positive, each was sent a letter and nine of them were seen at subsequent clinics by the Consultant Haematologist.

(c) Since the test problem was identified at the Royal Group of Hospitals, HCV specimens for testing have been sent to laboratories in Edinburgh and Birmingham. The proposed re-introduction of the HCV test to Belfast will be accompanied by the use of an automated extraction protocol to address the earlier problem.

(a) Mar a míníodh sa fhreagra ar AQW 2695/00, fáthmheasadh 11 duine, ar othar le haemaifilia iad, go mícheart gan Ionfhabhtú Víreas Heipitítis C (VHC) a bheith orthu i bhFómhair 1999.

(b) I ndiaidh an athscrúdaithe a thaispeáin go raibh siad dearfach, seoladh litir chuig gach duine agus chuaigh naonúr díobh chuig an Haemaiteolaí Comhairleach ag clinicí ina dhaidh sin.

(c) Ó aithníodh an fhadhb leis an scrúdú ag Grúpa Ríoga na nOtharlann, seoladh eiseamail VHC chuig saotharlanna i nDún Éideann agus i mBeirmingham le dul faoi scrúdú. Mar aon le hatabhairt isteach an scrúdaithe VHC go Béal Feirste molta, beidh úsáid phrótacail uathoibrithe tarraingthe le dul i gceann na faidhbe níba luaithe.

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