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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 15 May 1992
LORD CHANCELLOR
Court Interpreters
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary to the Lord Chancellor's Department what cost implications the steering group of the major agencies of the legal system has identified in respect of the establishment of courses and training for court interpreters ; and what the cost would be of implementing a system of
qualifications.
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Mr. John M. Taylor : A steering group of the main agencies of the legal system has been convened by the Nuffield Foundation to promote the use of trained interpreters by the police, the courts and other legal services. The steering group has met four times since January 1991. It will start to address questions of cost at its next meeting on 21 May and will primarily be concerned with the cost to the legal system of using qualified interpreters and the setting up of training courses.
Legal Aid
Sir Thomas Arnold : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary to the Lord Chancellor's Department what was the legal aid (a) budget and (b) outturn in each year from 1979 to 1991 ; what was the percentage increase in each year after allowing for inflation ; and what number of people received legal aid in each year.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The information required is detailed in the table :
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#TCW92051500a
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Dalai Lama
Mr. Riddick : To ask the Prime Minister if he will invite the Dalai Lama to visit the United Kingdom.
The Prime Minister : I have no plans to do so but the Dalai Lama is welcome to visit the United Kingdom at any time. I met him during his last visit in December last year.
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HOME DEPARTMENT
Electoral Registration
Dr. John Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library the public opinion survey carried out by his Department, entitled "Post Campaign Research for Electoral Registration Advertising".
Mr. Peter Lloyd : A copy of a report into the effectiveness of the 1991 advertising campaign on electoral registration entitled "Home Office Electoral Registration Campaign : Campaign Monitor Summary Report" was placed in the Library in January this year.
Dogs
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he was first requested to confirm the byelaw approved by South Hams district council, based on the Home Office model, excluding all dogs from certain beaches along the coastline of south Devon during the summer months ; and if he will make it his policy to approve it immediately.
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Mr. Charles Wardle : On 19 July 1991, South Hams district council applied to the Home Office for confirmation of byelaws to regulate dogs on various beaches. A number of objections to the byelaws had been sent to the Home Office and the council was asked to comment on these in August and December 1991.After considering the objections, and the council's observations, my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary confirmed the byelaws on 11 May 1992 and the consent of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, which is also required for seashore byelaws, was granted on 12 May.
The byelaws, which were returned to the council by the Department of Transport on 12 May, will come into force on 19 May 1992.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Hotels
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish details of the rateable valuation of each hotel in each parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Mates : The information is not available in the format requested. I have, however, written to the hon. Gentleman and placed a copy of my response in the Library.
Ethnic Minorities
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 respectively and overall in his Department are members of ethnic minorities.
Mr. Mates : At 31 March 1992, the Northern Ireland Office had 103 London-based staff, all of whom had been invited to take part in an ethnic monitoring survey. Of those who responded, 14 per cent. described themselves as belonging to an ethnic minority. None of these were in grades 1 to 7. The Northern Ireland civil service is not required to monitor the ethnic origin of its staff and the information is not therefore available.
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Northern Ireland Departments last conducted a survey of the ethnic origin of their employees ; when they next plan to do so ; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Mates : In June 1988, the home civil service completed a four- year programme of ethnic origin surveys covering all staff then in post. The Northern Ireland Office has continued to monitor staff who join the home civil service group in the Department and to update its records. The Northern Ireland Office is an equal opportunity employer and this is emphasised in all recruiting campaigns and advertising. The Northern Ireland civil service is not required to monitor the ethnic origin of staff, nor has it current plans to do so.
Coastal Protection
Mr. Clifford Forsythe : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has any plans to tighten the laws preventing the exploitation of the natural assets and wildlife of the seashore by private extraction companies.
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Mr. Atkins : There are no plans at present to amend the current legislation.
Handicapped Children
Mr. Maginnis : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many specialist teachers of visually impaired children, who are not attending special schools, are employed on a part-time basis in each of the education and library board areas ; and what is their full-time equivalence ;
(2) how many specialist teachers of hearing impaired children, who are not attending special schools, are employed on a part-time basis in each of the education and library board areas ; and what is their full-time equivalence ;
(3) how many specialist teachers of visually impaired children, who are not attending special schools, are employed on a full-time basis in each of the education and library board areas ;
(4) how many specialist teachers of hearing impaired children, who are not attending special schools, are employed on a full-time basis in each of the education and library board areas ;
(5) how many specialist teachers of (a) visually impaired and (b) hearing impaired children, who are not attending special schools, are employed directly by the Department of Education for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hanley : No specialist teachers of visually impaired children are employed on a full-time or part-time basis in any of the education and library board areas. A support service for all such children is provided by Jordanstown special school.
A number of full-time and part-time specialist teachers of hearing impaired children are employed in special units attached to mainstream schools as follows :
Board |Full-time |Part-time |Full-time
|equivalency
--------------------------------------------------------------
Belfast |7 |2 |0.8
Western |6 |1 |0.6
North Eastern |5 |- |-
South Eastern |7 |2 |1.0
Southern |5 |- |-
In addition, the education and library boards operate a peripatetic teaching service and four teachers in each board currently offer support to pupils with hearing problems and their teachers in special mainstream schools.
The Department of Education itself does not employ any teachers.
Mr. Maginnis : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how often, on average (a) a visually impaired and (b) a hearing impaired child, who is not attending a special school, will be visited by a specialist teacher each year ; and what is the average duration of each visit.
Mr. Hanley : This information is not held centrally.
Mr. Maginnis : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children, not attending a special school, are registered as (a) visually impaired and (b) hearing impaired in each of the education and library board areas.
Mr. Hanley : The latest available information relates to the 1990-91 school year, and is as follows :
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