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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 23 April 1999
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Freemasons (CPS)
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to his answer of 22 March 1999, Official Report, column 2, on membership of the freemasons within the CPS, what was the total number of lawyers invited to declare their masonic status; and if he will break down the total between (a) masons, (b) non-masons, (c) those who refused to indicate their status and (d) those from whom no reply was received. [81794]
The Attorney-General: Disclosure forms were sent in September last year to 2,097 lawyers. Nine declared that they are freemasons (although two of these declared themselves to be lapsed members); 1,096 declared that they are not freemasons; 133 declined to make a declaration; and 859 did not return the form.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Independent Commissioner for the Holding Centres
Mr. Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when she intends to publish Sir Louis Blom-Cooper's Sixth Annual Report as Independent Commissioner for the Holding Centres. [82305]
Marjorie Mowlam: I have today arranged for copies of Sir Louis Blom-Cooper's Annual Report for 1998 to be placed in the Library.
I welcome the Report and am glad to note that, again, the Commissioners have found nothing untoward in the care and treatment of detainees held in the custody of uniformed officers of the RUC.
The Government and the Chief Constable of the RUC look forward to the day when the Holding Centres are no longer needed; I keep the position under regular review, in conjunction with the Chief Constable.
Meantime, I have reappointed Sir Louis and Dr. Bill Norris as Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner respectively. The reappointments will run from 1 April 1999 nominally until 30 September 2000, subject to review.
I am grateful to Sir Louis and Bill Norris for their work. I shall study their recommendations carefully and respond as soon as possible.
Mr. Beggs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what priority will be given to children with disability in the allocation of pre-school places. [81417]
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Mr. McFall:
Under new admissions arrangements which are being introduced from September 1999 as part of our Pre-School Education Expansion Programme, my Department has encouraged schools to continue the traditional practice of allocating nursery places for children with special needs, including disability, in each session within their approved pre-school enrolment number. In addition, children with Statements of Special Educational Needs can be admitted to nursery schools and classes over and above the school's pre-school enrolment number, based on the advice of Education and Library Boards.
Mr. John D. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children has a gastroenterology service to care for patients with liver disease. [81497]
Mr. McFall:
The Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children does not presently provide a gastroenterology service but the position is under review. However, a visiting outpatient (outreach) service is available at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children by a team based at Birmingham Children's Hospital. Gastroenterology clinics are held monthly and liver clinics held quarterly.
Mr. John D. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of biliary atresia have been identified in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [81496]
Mr. McFall:
The number of deaths and discharges from hospitals in Northern Ireland where the primary diagnosis was congenital biliary atresia during the last five years are given in Table 1.
| Year | Number of deaths and discharges |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 2 |
| 1996-97 | 8 |
| 1995-96 | 18 |
| 1994-95 | 19 |
| 1993-94 | 10 |
Source:
Hospital Inpatients System
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Kasai operations have been carried out by the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children on babies suffering from biliary atresia each year for each of the last five years; how many such procedures have been successful; and how many children on whom the procedure has been used are alive with their own livers. [81495]
Mr. McFall:
One kasai operation was performed in each of the years 1994, 1995 and 1996 with three operations carried out in 1997 and two in 1998. All eight children who have had kasai operations are alive. Two of these children have subsequently had liver transplants and a third is on the transplant waiting list. Six of the eight children are currently alive with their own livers.
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Kosovar Albanians
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money the Government have made available to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for emergency relief to the Kosovar Albanians. [81903]
Clare Short: Between April 1998 and March 1999, the Government allocated £1.5 million to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for emergency relief in Kosovo and the region. In recent weeks, we have focused on providing practical assistance to UNHCR to strengthen its in-country capacity and facilitate the movement of relief supplies into the region. Since 30 March, we have provided UNHCR with 22 airlifts to Skopje and Tirana for relief goods and personnel, and a convoy of five trucks and drivers has arrived in Tirana to support their relief operations in Albania. At UNHCR's request, we have sent specialist personnel and equipment to Tirana airport to help handle the relief flights, and we are providing a similar package for Skopje. We have also offered to provide public information and security specialists to support UNHCR's operations in the region.
Refugee Fund Supplies (Macedonia)
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the food supplied to the Albanian refugees in Macedonia is purchased within Macedonia; and what plans she has to enable the proportion to be increased. [81924]
Clare Short: Our policy is to support the procurement of local goods and services where this is possible, cost effective, and when it would not harm the local economy or reduce access of the local host population to essential supplies. Detailed information about food purchases by international agencies in Macedonia is not currently available.
SCOTLAND
Fishing
Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is his estimate of the value of each salmon taken by an angler visiting Scotland to the Scottish economy in each of the last 10 years; [81220]
- (2) what is his estimate of the value of salmon angling to the economy of Scotland in each of the last 10 years; and of this how much in each year represents spending by visitors from outside Scotland. [81221]
Mr. Macdonald:
Information on the amount spent by visiting anglers is not held centrally. However, a survey published in 1991 by Portsmouth Polytechnic's Centre for Marine Resource Economics estimated that the net economic value of rod fisheries in Scotland lay within the range of £198 million to £300 million, with a best estimate of £225 million. The "Scottish Salmon Strategy Task Force" report, published in 1997, uprated these
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figures to produce an estimate for 1995 values of a range from £270 million to £430 million, with a best estimate of £350 million.
From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mr. William Ross:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the number of (a) salmon and grilse and (b) sea trout eaten per seal in Scottish waters in each of the last 10 years. [81218]
Mr. Macdonald:
Recent studies in the rivers Dee and Don suggest that common seals may eat several hundred salmonids per annum. However, extrapolation from these observations to calculate consumption per seal over the last 10 years is difficult as consumption rates and composition are likely to have changed.
Studies on the impact of seals on salmonid stocks are ongoing in the rivers Tay and Conon.
From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mr. William Ross:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the minimum number of (a) grey seals and (b) common seals required to maintain a viable population in Scottish waters. [81216]
Mr. Macdonald:
The minimum number required to maintain a viable population will vary according to a range of factors. Advice in 1998 from the Natural Environment Council's Special Committee on seals indicated that there is evidence that the rate of increase in pup production in some grey seal colonies has been slowing down, although it is too early to predict equilibrium sizes. Common seal populations have recovered from the viral outbreak in the 80s which reduced numbers dramatically, but are nevertheless more dependent upon changes in local prey abundance than grey seals.
From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
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