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16 Jun 2004 : Column 961W—continued
UK Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary
Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employees of the Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary are members of a trade union. [178318R]
Mr. Timms: As far as I am aware, no members of the UKAEA Constabulary are members of a trade union. About 80 per cent. belong to the UKAEA Police Federation.
About 55 per cent. of the civilian staff of the UKAEA Constabulary are members of a trade union.
Post Office Reinvention Programme
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what mechanisms she adopts to monitor the compliance by Post Office Ltd. with its agreement with her that 95 per cent. of the urban population will be within one mile of a post office at the completion of the Urban Reinvention Programme when it is implementing stages of that programme in urban areas; [177698]
(2) what action she intends to take to ensure that 95 per cent. of people in Birmingham will be within one mile of a post office at the completion of the Post Office Urban Reinvention Programme. [177699]
Mr. Timms:
Compliance with the commitment that at least 95 per cent. of the urban population nationally will still live within one mile of a post office at the end of the urban reinvention programme is an operational responsibility of Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to respond direct to the hon. Member.
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Regional Funding (Greater London)
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list projects within the Greater London area which have attracted European Union regional funding in each of the last three years. [178681]
Jacqui Smith: Thousands of London projects have benefited and will benefit from European funding from the Objective 2, Objective 3, URBAN, EQUAL and INTERREG European Programmes. Between 2000 and 2006, London will receive over £650 million from these European Structural Funds and Community Initiatives, matched by similar sums from the public and private sectors.
A list of these projects has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Scrap Aluminium
Mr. Page: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of scrap aluminium was exported in (a) 2003 and (b) 2000. [174975]
Jacqui Smith: Exports of aluminium waste and scrap increased from 141.2 thousand tonnes in 2000 to 297.4 thousand tonnes in 2003 1 . The requested percentages cannot be calculated as there are no official figures for the quantity of aluminium waste and scrap collected (including "new" scrap).
1 Source:Overseas Trade Statistics, HM Customs and Excise.
Kenya
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value of trade between the UK and Kenya was in the last year for which figures are available. [178680]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: According to information published by HM Customs and Excise, in 2003 UK imports of goods from Kenya were worth £217 million. UK exports to Kenya were worth £172 million. Information on trade in services, with Kenya, is not available.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Child Psychiatrists
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many consultant child psychiatrists are undergoing training in Northern Ireland; and when each is expected to complete training. [179047]
Mr. Gardiner:
There are currently eight specialist trainees in child and adolescent psychiatry. Of these three are expected to complete their training in 2004, two in 2005 and three in 2006.
16 Jun 2004 : Column 963W
Cross-Border Bodies
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which cross-border bodies funded in whole or in part by a Northern Ireland Department publish the minutes of their meetings on their websites. [176890]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Loughs Agency, an agency of the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission publishes minutes of meetings on its website (www.loughs-agency.org). To date it has published the minutes of five Board meetings.
Cultural Venues
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when building work will commence on the Arts Venue for the Cathedral Quarter; what the anticipated completion date is; what the estimate cost of the project is; and what additional funding has been identified as necessary to ensure the viability of the project. [178553]
Angela Smith: A business case is currently being considered for a new purpose-built cultural and educational facility in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter. No decision has yet been taken on whether the proposal should proceed. The capital costs of the project are currently estimated at between £23 million and £27 million. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has made an in-principle commitment of £4 million of National Lottery funds towards these costs. Current projections suggest that additional revenue funding of over £1 million would be required in the initial three-year period before the facility becomes fully operational and meets its income potential.
Driving Instructors
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the views expressed in response to the Approved Driving Instructors Review consultation paper. [178395]
Angela Smith: Preliminary analysis of the responses indicates that there is widespread opposition from the Approved Driving Instructors industry to the proposal that registered driving instructors should undergo a driving theory test, including a hazard perception test, as part of routine supervisory arrangements.
The Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency is currently considering the responses in detail and in due course will make a recommendation to me, taking into account all relevant issues including the views of the industry.
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many times (a) he and (b) other Government officials have met representatives of the Northern Ireland Approved Driving Instructors Association regarding the proposals contained in the Approved Driving Instructors Review consultation paper. [178396]
Angela Smith: The information requested is as follows:
(a) Ministers have not met with the Northern Ireland Approved Driving Instructors Association (NIADIA) regarding the proposals contained in the consultation paper.
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(b) Officials from the Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency attended a meeting of the association on 16 February 2004 at which the proposals were discussed. The agency also held meetings in Cookstown, Newry, Londonderry, Belfast and Omagh in late March. These meetings were attended by approximately 300 driving instructors, many of whom were members of NIADIA or other associations. The proposals within the paper were discussed at all of these meetings. In addition, a scheduled biannual meeting between the agency and NIADIA took place on 4 May 2004.
Electoral Register (Fermanagh)
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in the Fermanagh South Tyrone constituency have been excluded from the electoral register on grounds of insufficient mental capacity in each of the last three years. [162169]
Mr. Spellar: This issue is an operational matter and is, therefore, the responsibility of the Chief Electoral Officer. He will be writing to the hon. Gentleman in due course.
A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
Health Services
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on decisions to withdraw treatment from hospital patients. [179087]
Mr. Gardiner: The decision to commence or end treatment is made by clinical staff on an individual basis, taking account of the patient's clinical condition and the relative merits and potential side effects of any particular treatment. Informed consent is an important element, as are a patient's personal wishes regarding treatment and resuscitation.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to ensure that all patients requiring MRI scans are receiving them promptly. [179115]
Mr. Gardiner: MRI provision in Northern Ireland is being enhanced to reduce waiting times for patients. There are currently seven MRI scanners available across the Province and three more are planned for later this year at Antrim, Craigavon, and Belfast City hospitals. A number of measures have also been taken to reduce waiting times for MRI scans including the introduction of evening scanning sessions at the Royal Group of Hospitals, use of mobile scanners, and use of private facilities.
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