(AQW 3157/01)

Ms de Brún: The information requested is not available.

Níl fáil ar an eolas a iarradh.

(AQW 3160/01)

Ms de Brún: The information requested is not available.

Níl an t-eolas iarrtha ar fáil.

(AQW 3161/01)

Ms de Brún: Arrangements for the management and control of infection in hospitals have been in place on foot of my Department’s circular, HSS 9/2000. These include enhanced surveillance of hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA bacteraemias and surgical site infection. All acute Trusts and other healthcare facilities, including private nursing homes, have plans in place for the management of both MRSA infections and the colonisation of patients with MRSA. My Department has funded the new Healthcare-Associated Infection Surveillance Centre, based at the Royal Victoria Hospital, and provided additional funding to the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre. Data is currently being collected on MRSA bacteraemias at Trust level, which will allow us to adequately quantify the problem and identify further approaches towards addressing it.

Reducing the related problem of antimicrobial resistance is one of my key priorities. In January 2002 I launched my Department’s Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan, which contains recommendations for action by Health Boards, Trusts, and others, to reduce health care acquired infections. All Trusts have participated in a recent survey of their infection control procedures. In addition we are looking at ways to improve hospital cleanliness and have recently earmarked £300,000 to that end. No specific research into the effect of such infections on patients is currently being funded by my Department.

Is ann do shocruithe do bhainistiú agus do rialú infhabhtú in ospidéil de bhua chiorclán mo Roinne, HSS 9/2000. Áirítear orthu sin faire mhéadaithe ar infhabhtuithe ospidéalfhaighte mar bacteraemias MRSA agus infhabhtú ag láthair máinliachta. Tá pleananna i mbun ag gach Iontaobhas géarliachta agus ag saoráidí chúram sláinte eile, lena n-áirítear tithe altranais príobháideacha, do bhainistiú infhabhtuithe MRSA agus agus coilíniú othar ag MRSA. Mhaoinigh mo Roinnse Lárionad nua Faire Infhabhtuithe Bainteach le Cúram Sláinte, atá bunaithe ag Ospidéal Ríoga Victoria, agus sholáthair sí maoiniú breise don Lárionad Faire ar Ghalair Theagmhálacha. Tá sonraí á dtiomsú faoi láthair ar bacteraemias MRSA ag leibhéal Iontaobhais, a chuirfidh ar ár gcumas cainníochtú dóthanach a dhéanamh ar an bhfadhb agus cur chuigí breise a aithint i dtreo aghaidh a thabhairt air.

Tá laghdú a dhéanamh ar fhadhb bhainteach na frithsheasmhachta antaimhiocróbaí ar cheann de na tosaíochtaí tábhachtacha atá agam. I mí Eanáir 2002 sheol mo Roinnse an Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan, ina bhfuil moltaí do ghníomh ag Boird Sláinte, Iontaobhais agus dreamanna eile chun ionghabhtaithe a fhaightear ó chúram sláinte a laghdú. Bhí na hIontaobhais ar fad rannphairteach i suirbhé le déanaí ar nósanna imeachta rialaithe infhabhtuithe. Chomh maith leis sin táimid ag iniúchadh bealaí le feabhas a chur ar ghlaineacht ospidéal agus tá £300,000 leagtha amach chun na críche sin. Níl aon taighde sainiúil ar éifeacht ionfhabhtuithe den sórt sin ar othair á mhaoiniú faoi láthair ag mo Roinnse.

(AQW 3172/01)

Ms de Brún: Fourteen of the nineteen Health and Social Services Trusts employ Speech and Language Therapists. Two of these Trusts have implemented the new band structures for this group of staff and seven Trusts are at various stages of discussion with staff representatives. The remaining five Trusts have yet to make formal offers to staff but would hope to be in a position to do so in the near future.

Fostaíonn ceithre Iontaobhas Shláinte agus Sheirbhísí Sóisialta déag as naoi gcinn déag Teiripeoirí Urlabhra agus Teanga. Chuir dhá cheann de na hIontaobhais seo na bannastruchtúir nua i bhfeidhm don mheitheal oibre seo agus tá seacht n-Iontaobhas ag céimeanna éagsúla de chaibidlí le hionadaithe na n-oibrithe. Tá na cúig Iontaobhas eile chun tairiscintí foirmiúla a thabhairt go fóill do na hoibrithe ach tá siad ag súil go mbeidh siad réidh leis seo a dhéanamh gan mhoill.

(AQW 3197/01)

Ms de Brún: The MMR vaccine is the safest and best option to protect children against measles, mumps and rubella. There is absolutely no evidence to support the use of separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines and my Department does not recommend them. Neither Autism or learning disabilities are regarded as contraindications to immunisation with the MMR vaccine. Any parent who is concerned about these issues should speak to their GP or Health Visitor.

The single component vaccines currently being used by a few doctors and clinics are unlicensed products and no sound information is available on batch testing results for either purity or potency. Separating out these vaccines leaves children unprotected against serious infections.

Is í an vacsaín MMR an dóigh is sábháilte agus is fearr le páistí a chosaint ar an bhruitíneach, an leicneach agus ar an bhruitíneach dhearg. Níl cruthú ar bith ann le tacú le húsáid vacsaíní ar leith na bruitíní, na leicní agus na bruitíní deirge agus níl mo Roinn a moladh. Ní féidir féachaint ar Uathachas nó ar mhíchumais fhoghlama mar sheachthorthaí de thoradh imdhíonadh leis an vacsaín MMR. Ba chóir do thuismitheoir ar bith atá buartha faoi na ceisteanna seo labhairt lena nGnáthdhochtúir nó lena gCuairteoir Sláinte.

Is táirgí neamhcheadúnaithe iad na vacsaíní comhábhair shingil atá á n-úsáid ag beagán dochtúirí agus clinicí faoi láthair agus níl eolas cruinn ar fáil ar thorthaí tástála baisce ar a n-íonacht nó ar a láidreacht. Fágann scaradh na vacsaíní seo páistí gan chosaint ar ghalruithe tromchúiseacha.

(AQW 3218/01)

Ms de Brún: There is a large range of infections, both bacterial and viral, that a patient in hospital might contract such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections, skin or wound infections, ventilator assisted respiratory infection, MRSA and other bacteraemias. Some of these are a consequence of medical instrumentation while some are secondary to infection from organisms within the individual. In the past winter some patients in hospital acquired viral gastroenteritis, which had been introduced to the hospital by patients and others from the community. However it is often unclear where the infection is sourced. In the case of MRSA, for example, some 30% of people outside hospitals are, usually harmlessly, colonised by it.

Information on the numbers of hospital patients so affected in the last five years is not available and consequently targets would be inappropriate. Enhanced hospital surveillance of MRSA bacteraemias is ongoing and the first annual figures for this infection, by Trust, will be published mid-year by the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre.

Is ann do raon mór infhabhtuithe, idir bhaictéarach agus víreasach, a d’fhéadfadh othar in ospidéal a tholgadh ar nós niúmóine, ionfhabhtuithe na conaire úiríní, ionfhabhtuithe craicinn nó cneá, MRSA agus bacteraemia eile. Tarlaíonn cuid acu sin mar thoradh ar ionstraimiú liachta agus bíonn cuid acu tánaisteach d’ionfhabhtú ó orgánaigh laistigh den duine aonair. Sa gheimhreadh seo caite tholg roinnt othar in ospidéal gaistreintríteas víreasach, a thug othair agus daoine eile ón bpobal isteach san ospidéal. Ní léir, áfach, cén foinse a bhí ag an ionfhabhtú. I gcás MRSA, mar shampla, bíonn 30% de dhaoine lasmuigh d’ospidéil coilínithe aige, ach de ghnáth ní bhíonn aon dochar ann.

Níl fáil ar eolas ar an líon othar ospidéil a raibh tionchar dá leithéid orthu sna cúig bliana seo caite agus dá thoradh sin bheadh spriocanna mí-oiriúnacha. Tá faire mhéadaithe ospidéil ar bacteraemia MRSA ar siúl go leanúnach agus foilseoidh an Lárionad Faire Ghalair Theagmhálacha na chéad figiúirí bliantúla, de réir Iontaobhais, don ionfhabhtú sin faoi lár na bliana.

(AQW 3306/01)

Ms de Brún: I refer the Member to my answer to AQW 3197/01.

Treoraím an Ball do mo fhreagra a thug mé ar AQW 3197/01.

(AQW 2821/01)

The Minister for Regional Development (Mr P Robinson): You will be aware that my Department’s Roads Service is preparing a 10-Year Forward Planning Schedule of major road schemes, which it is expected could be started within the 10-year period of the Department’s Regional Transportation Strategy. A Southern Bypass of Enniskillen is one of many schemes being considered for inclusion in this Schedule. Clearly I will not be able to accommodate all of the schemes that have been suggested, but I hope to publish details of the Schedule later this year. In the meantime I am obviously not in a position to comment on the funding or the timescale for construction of specific schemes which may be included in the schedule.

(AQW 3028/01)

Mr P Robinson: I can only respond in relation to ‘Specialised Buildings’ within my Department, that is to say those buildings and assets that have a specialised purpose (for example Roads Service Depots). The control of the remainder of the ‘General Office Estate’ is the responsibility of the Minister of Finance and Personnel.

My Department has a number of properties that fall within the category of ‘Specialised Buildings’. Of these properties, Water Service has identified 68 sites covering 150 acres, which have been declared surplus to requirements as Water Service continues to rationalize the delivery of its services. These surplus sites are being disposed of in accordance with established procedures.

The Department’s Roads Service has identified nine properties which fall within the category of specialised buildings and which are now classed as surplus to requirements. The properties are not currently being used for Departmental purposes and largely consist of surplus depots.

The details of those properties are as follows: -

• 2 Clonmakate Road, Craigavon (Birches Depot) - Disused Roads Service Depot – Sale Agreed.

• Maddens Road, Drumnacanver, Craigavon - Disused Roads Service Depot – Sale Agreed.

• Loughgall Road, Armagh - Disused Roads Service Depot – For sale on open market.

• 22 Drumcrew Road, Newtownbutler - Surplus Building – Sale agreed.

• 237 Victoria Road, Sollus, Bready, Strabane - Disused Roads Service Depot – With the Valuation and Lands Agency to place on open market.

• 8 Ballymagowan Road, Crossowen, Clougher – Disused Roads Service Depot – Sale Agreed.

• Arvalee Depot, Omagh – Disused Roads Service Depot – to be place on open market in near future.

• 62 Lackaboy Road, Enniskillen - unused building and yard – In the process of being declared surplus.

• 80 Galbally Road, Drumskinney, Dromore, Co Tyrone Disused Roads Service Depot – On open market since January 2002. No sale agreed as yet.

(AQW 3082/01)

Mr P Robinson: My Department carries out consultation in accordance the Department’s approved Equality Scheme which requires the Department to consult with those listed in the Scheme’s consultation list. This is in accordance with Equality Commission Guidelines.

(AQW 3103/01)

Mr P Robinson: As you know, following a request from Carrickfergus Borough Council for the provision of a pedestrian crossing on Woodburn Road, my Department’s Roads Service carried out a pedestrian/ vehicular survey at the location in question. The survey showed that the number of pedestrians crossing the road was too low to warrant the provision of such a facility. Furthermore, officials conducting the survey observed that there was sufficient gaps in the traffic flow to permit pedestrians to cross the road safely using the pedestrian refuge islands that have already been provided.

In the circumstances, there are no plans to provide a controlled pedestrian crossing at this location. Roads Service does, however, propose to upgrade the lighting units on the refuge islands during the current financial year and are currently assessing the carriageway markings and signing in the area to see if further improvements can be made.

(AQW 3104/01)

Mr P Robinson: My Department’s Roads Service has advised me that, following a comprehensive consultation exercise involving local groups, Councillors and other individuals, a scheme to provide traffic calming measures in Hilltown was completed in March 2001. The scheme was aimed at reducing traffic speeds through the village and so reduce the likelihood of road accidents. The measures included the provision of entry gateways (red textured surfacing and signage on yellow backing boards), central hatching, kerb build-outs and pedestrian refuge islands.

Roads Service will continue to monitor the success of this scheme and, if necessary, will implement any further measures that are considered to be appropriate.

(AQW 3175/01)

Mr P Robinson: I am pleased to advise that the Comber Bypass scheme is making good progress. The objection to the vesting order has been withdrawn, thus avoiding a public inquiry and the associated delay. This means that all statutory procedures are now complete.

Further ground testing has been undertaken and the design and tender documents are being adjusted in accordance with the findings.

My Department’s Roads Service has commenced the tender process and a list of tenderers has been compiled. The exact date for each stage of the tender programme have yet to be finalised, but I will be making an announcement in due course.

(AQW 3118/01)

The Minister for Social Development (Mr Dodds): There are no Estate Wardens working for the Housing Executive in the Carrickfergus Borough Council Area. There are no immediate plans to recruit any Estate Wardens for Carrickfergus, although the need for wardens is kept constantly under review.

(AQW 3127/01)

Mr Dodds: The Social Security Agency is working in close partnership with groups who represent pensioners on a range of measures to ensure that all pensioners claim and receive all the help they are entitled to.

The Housing Executive use a number of means to advertise Housing Benefit and to encourage its uptake among elderly people. At the beginning of each tenancy and on an ongoing basis, staff in District Offices provide advice to all tenants, including elderly people, on entitlement to Housing Benefit. Each year an advertising campaign is undertaken in all local papers promoting uptake of Housing Benefit. An advisory leaflet specifically aimed at pensioners has recently been produced and distributed to all the District Offices and will be distributed more widely in due course.

(AQW 3147/01)

Mr Dodds: As part of its strategy for combating Housing Benefit fraud the Housing Executive will continue to develop systems to prevent fraud, and to ensure that if it does occur it will be dealt with appropriately.

In addition to its existing preventative and investigative controls the Housing Executive will introduce the following:

• an extension of its data matching programme to identify instances in which information provided for Housing Benefit purposes differs from that held on other systems;

• improved arrangements for the referral of suspected fraud cases to the Social Security Agency for investigation; and

• a series of exercises aimed at targeting high risk categories of claims.

In addition the Housing Executive in conjunction with the Social Security Agency will ensure that full use is made of the powers available to it under the provisions of the Social Security Fraud Act (Northern Ireland) 2001.

(AQW 3180/01)

Mr Dodds: There was no specific recruitment drive for Administrative Officers in the Social Security Agency in November 2001. The Social Security Agency fills Administrative Officer vacancies on a continuous basis from the list of suitable applicants held by the NICS Recruitment Service. Twenty-nine Administrative Officers were recruited in November 2001.

The Social Security Agency has established mechanisms for the internal promotion of staff from Administrative Assistant to Administrative Officer. These mechanisms involve the holding of promotion boards which result in successful Administrative Assistants being listed in merit order. Individual officers are then posted to vacancies in accordance with the Social Security Agency’s staff placement policy. During November 2001, there were no internal promotions from Administrative Assistant to Administrative Officer.

(AQW 3181/01)

Mr Dodds: Documents relating to Incapacity Benefits are normally retained by the Department for 14 months. However, when documents are required in connection with compensation recoveries or overpayments, they will be kept until the situation is rectified, regardless of time. Each individual Incapacity Benefit file is kept alphabetically and examined as part of the normal checking regime to ensure that documents are not lost or misplaced.

(AQW 3194/01)

Mr Dodds: I take all my decisions in accordance with the Ministerial Pledge of Office and the Code of Conduct, as I undertook to do when taking up Ministerial office.

(AQW 3199/01)

Mr Dodds: The Housing Bill includes provisions which will transfer responsibility for the provision of Traveller sites from District Councils to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. It also includes provisions which will allow the Housing Executive to acquire existing sites from District Councils. Decisions as to which facilities should be incorporated into sites will be made on an individual basis in accordance with need and in line with obligations under the Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1997, and the policies and practices outlined in the New Policy on Traveller Accommodation document.

(AQW 3201/01)

Mr Dodds: The Housing Bill includes provisions which will transfer responsibility for the provision of Traveller sites from District Councils to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. It also includes provisions which will allow the Housing Executive to acquire existing sites from District Councils. The definition of Traveller sites will permit the inclusion of transit or halting sites should the Department agree to the transfer of this specific responsibility to the Housing Executive.

(AQW 3202/01)

Mr Dodds: The Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Housing Associations will exercise their responsibilities as regards allocation of accommodation to Travellers in accordance with all appropriate legislation and policies.

(AQW 3224/01)

Mr Dodds: Good Practice Guidance on Funding from all Northern Ireland Departments was published for consultation within Partners for Change, Government’s Strategy for Support of the Voluntary and Community Sector. A final version of that Guidance which takes account of consultation responses will be published by my Department in the near future. The overall criteria for receipt of funding from this Department towards costs incurred by voluntary and community sector organisations are in line with the draft Good Practice Guidance.

Specific criteria for funding are set individually in relation to the business objectives which that funding is intended to achieve, taking account of various factors, including the scale and scope of the funding itself, the number of voluntary and community sector organisations involved and a range of issues put forward from consultations or discussions, internal and external evaluations or other examples of best practice. Given the broad range of funding programmes operated within this Department and the very considerable number of separate criteria which have been established and agreed to take forward these funding programme, it would be a disproportionately large exercise to compile all of that detailed material into one response.

The process of developing and refining criteria is ongoing and can therefore respond to changes in circumstances during the funding programme including revised Audit Office guidelines or new legal requirements.

(AQW 3230/01)

Mr Dodds: The consultation period for the Housing Bill ended on 30 April 2002. It is proposed that the Bill will be introduced in the Assembly before the summer recess.

(AQW 3238/01)

Mr Dodds: Following consultation on the Housing Bill it is proposed to repeal the provisions contained in Part IV of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (NI) Order 1985 that relate to the provision of travellers sites.

(AQO 1299/01)

Mr Dodds: The Housing Executive sets targets and monitors performance on a number of grants management issues over which it has control. The main results for the end of March 2002, show that against a target of 90%, 87% of all Schedules of Grant Aided Works were issued within twelve weeks of inspection. Additionally, against a target of 100%, 97% of formal approvals were issued within 6 months of completed documentation being received. In respect of payments, against a target of 90%, 86% were issued within 6 weeks of the request for the final inspection to be carried out. Lastly, in 99% of cases, properties were inspected within 20 weeks of a preliminary enquiry being received.

(AQO 1270/01)

Mr Dodds: Northern Ireland is benefiting from one of the most comprehensive programmes in the UK to tackle the scourge of fuel poverty.

My target is to take 20,000 homes, many occupied by elderly people, out of the fuel poverty trap by the end of 2004. The main plank of our attack on this problem is the Warm Homes scheme. This scheme began in July last year and by the end of March 2002, over 4,300 households had benefited from the scheme.

In addition to the Warm Homes Scheme, we have a raft of other measures in place to ensure that new social housing is built to the highest standards of heating and insulation, to provide grants for people to improve their homes and a replacement programme to put more efficient heating into Housing Executive homes. Winter fuel payments of £200 also help the 60’s and over with their heating costs.

To build on the substantial work that is already underway I have commissioned work to start on a Fuel Poverty Strategy for Northern Ireland.

I trust you will agree that these measures are a clear demonstration of my Department’s commitment to do everything possible to remove the blight of fuel poverty in Northern Ireland.

(AQO 1302/01)

Mr Dodds: The Protection Of Private Properties at Interfaces (POPPI) scheme is administered by the Housing Executive, but it is aimed at providing security measures for private properties only. It does not apply to Housing Executive dwellings, which are covered by a separate scheme.

The POPPI scheme is intended provide the same security enhancements necessary for private homeowners as that currently provided for tenants in social housing. The works content will therefore be broadly equivalent to those measures that the Housing Executive undertakes for its own properties.

(AQW 3159/01)

(a) To date the Assembly Commission has issued a total of 45 HM Government Procurement Cards. This figure includes replacement cards for existing users, for example where cardholders have change duties, and cards which have subsequently been cancelled and not re-issued due to holders leaving office.

HM Procurement cards should be distinguished from personal credit cards in that they provide for greater control such as single transaction limits, monthly transaction limits and blocks on specified merchant categories and on cash withdrawals

(b) The spend on each card in the financial year ended 31 March 2002 is detailed in the table below:

(AQW 3208/01)

The Representative of the Assembly Commission (Rev Robert Coulter): To date the current number of staff employed by the NI Assembly Commission is 326. This number includes seconded staff and those who have been directly recruited to the NI Assembly.

Of the 326 staff employed, one has declared a visual impairment, three have declared that they have impaired hearing and in total eight have declared themselves as having a disability as defined under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.