House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 27 Mar 2006 (pt 19)

Driving Offences

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Police Service for Northern Ireland plans to provide a single form under the conditional fixed penalty to establish who was driving at the time of the offence as well as offering the offending driver the option of a fixed penalty or to proceed to court. [59364]

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Mr. Woodward: There are currently two forms sent out under the Conditional Fixed Penalty Policy—the 'Notice of Intention to prosecute', which asks the owner to confirm who was driving the vehicle, and the 'Conditional Offer'. The amalgamation of the two forms was recommended in a recent internal review of the Fixed Penalty Processing Centre. PSNI is currently working on implementing this with the Northern Ireland Court Service.

Economic Inactivity

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the economic inactivity rates were for each parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland in each of the last 20 years. [60917]

Angela E. Smith: The labour force survey can be used to provide economic inactivity rates by Northern Ireland parliamentary constituency area, however, these estimates are available on a consistent basis only from 1995 onwards (see following table).
Working age economic inactivity rates⁽²²⁾by parliamentary constituency area, spring 1995 to spring 2005 Percentage

Parliamentary constituency area 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Belfast, East 25 21 25 33 35 25 21 22 24 28 22

Belfast, North 44 40 36 29 30 32 32 32 33 34 40

Belfast, South 34 25 27 25 31 34 24 23 26 40 28

Belfast, West 44 49 45 42 43 51 46 47 45 46 38

East Antrim 16 24 26 26 19 25 24 20 19 17 17

East Londonderry 31 32 31 25 26 37 32 35 19 33 30

Fermanagh and South Tyrone 33 27 26 29 30 28 28 29 29 27 34

Foyle 33 30 40 35 34 35 37 38 42 38 36

Lagan Valley 24 23 22 25 21 27 20 27 26 22 18

Mid-Ulster 30 37 28 31 27 31 34 30 28 31 32

Newry and Armagh 31 34 30 26 31 32 30 30 33 33 32

North Antrim 33 28 20 28 27 21 23 23 23 30 23

North Down 20 28 19 21 25 22 22 26 21 21 26

South Antrim 19 17 27 21 22 22 18 17 16 27 25

South Down 27 24 23 28 24 29 28 27 22 29 27

Strangford 21 18 20 20 24 34 28 29 24 27 26

Upper Bann 25 29 26 26 29 26 27 31 31 27 27

West Tyrone 40 36 33 35 36 36 42 37 23 32 33

Northern Ireland 29 29 28 28 28 30 29 29 27 30 29

⁽²²⁾The working age economic inactivity rate is equal to the number of people who are neither in employment nor unemployed as a percentage of the total population of working age. Working age is taken as ages 16 to 59 for females and 16 to 64 for males.
Note:
Estimates for parliamentary constituency areas are based on relatively small sample sizes and are therefore subject to a higher degree of sampling variability. They should therefore be treated with caution and, in particular, changes from year-to-year should not be used in isolation from the figures for a run of years.
Source:
Labour Force Survey, spring (March–May) quarters of each year.

Parliamentary constituency area	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Belfast, East	25	21	25	33	35	25	21	22	24	28	22
Belfast, North	44	40	36	29	30	32	32	32	33	34	40
Belfast, South	34	25	27	25	31	34	24	23	26	40	28
Belfast, West	44	49	45	42	43	51	46	47	45	46	38
East Antrim	16	24	26	26	19	25	24	20	19	17	17
East Londonderry	31	32	31	25	26	37	32	35	19	33	30
Fermanagh and South Tyrone	33	27	26	29	30	28	28	29	29	27	34
Foyle	33	30	40	35	34	35	37	38	42	38	36
Lagan Valley	24	23	22	25	21	27	20	27	26	22	18
Mid-Ulster	30	37	28	31	27	31	34	30	28	31	32
Newry and Armagh	31	34	30	26	31	32	30	30	33	33	32
North Antrim	33	28	20	28	27	21	23	23	23	30	23
North Down	20	28	19	21	25	22	22	26	21	21	26
South Antrim	19	17	27	21	22	22	18	17	16	27	25
South Down	27	24	23	28	24	29	28	27	22	29	27
Strangford	21	18	20	20	24	34	28	29	24	27	26
Upper Bann	25	29	26	26	29	26	27	31	31	27	27
West Tyrone	40	36	33	35	36	36	42	37	23	32	33
Northern Ireland	29	29	28	28	28	30	29	29	27	30	29

Education Expenditure

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the increased expenditure on education announced in the Budget Statement on 22 March will be allocated to each education and library board in Northern Ireland. [61751]

Angela E. Smith: The Budget Statement will result in an additional £26 million for Northern Ireland over the next two years. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced on 22 March that the bulk of this will be allocated to the children and young people fund, increasing the value of the fund from of £75 million to more than £100 million over the next two years. The detailed distribution of this increase has not yet been finalised; however, the Secretary of state intends to allocate the majority of this additional spending direct to head teachers.

Energy Efficiency

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the (a) net cost of installation and (b) expected savings from solar panels for the average homeowner in Northern Ireland in 2006. [59821]

Angela E. Smith: The current net cost of a fully installed domestic solar panel system depends on the type of system used but, on average, is approximately £3,000, and could save the householder between £30 and

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£150 per year based on 2006 fuel costs. The recently announced £59 million Environment and Renewable Energy Fund represents a significant investment in renewable energy technologies. The Fund proposes a household programme which will offer grant support towards the cost of solar panel systems.

European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to implement in Northern Ireland those articles of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages which have been ratified by the Government. [60413]

Mr. Hanson: The information requested was provided by the Government to the Council of Europe in its Second Implementation Report of June 2005. A copy of the NI contribution to the report has been placed in the Library of the House.

Fishing Licences

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the change was in the number of fishing licences awarded for use in the Foyle catchment area between 1995 and 2005. [61616]

Angela E. Smith: The changes in the number of fishing licences awarded for use in the Foyle catchment area between 1995 and 2005 are as follows:

Rod Commercial Total

1995 4,753 168 4,921

1996 +1,385 -6 +1,379

1997 +1,352 -11 +1,341

1998 +2,328 -9 +2,319

1999 +1,919 -18 +1,901

2000 +1,467 -19 +1,488

2001 +1,504 -23 +1,481

2002 +2,577 -22 +2,555

2003 +3,765 -17 +3,748

2004 +4,974 -28 +4,946

2005 +6,019 -18 +6,001

Notes:
1.1995 is used as the baseline with the change indicated as a comparison with this figure.
2.Rod licences issued b the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission (since its creation in December 1999) entitle the holder to fish in both the Foyle and Carlingford areas. Before the creation of the FCILC, licences were issued by its predecessor, the Foyle Fisheries Commission, and related to the Foyle area only.

	Rod	Commercial	Total
1995	4,753	168	4,921
1996	+1,385	-6	+1,379
1997	+1,352	-11	+1,341
1998	+2,328	-9	+2,319
1999	+1,919	-18	+1,901
2000	+1,467	-19	+1,488
2001	+1,504	-23	+1,481
2002	+2,577	-22	+2,555
2003	+3,765	-17	+3,748
2004	+4,974	-28	+4,946
2005	+6,019	-18	+6,001

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been convicted of fishing without a valid licence in the Foyle catchment area in the last three years. [61617]

Angela E. Smith: The number of people convicted of fishing without a valid licence in the Foyle catchment area in the last three years are as follows.

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Number of convictions

2003 7

2004 0

2005 3

	Number of convictions
2003	7
2004	0
2005	3

Fly-posting

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many people have been prosecuted in Northern Ireland for illegal fly-posting in the last five years; [59609]

(2) how many people have been prosecuted in Northern Ireland over the last five years for illegal fly-posting. [59878]

Angela E. Smith: None. The Department of the Environment is currently considering the range of measures in the recent Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, which among other things strengthens the legislation for dealing with fly-posting in England and Wales, with a view to making recommendations on how they might be brought forward in the Northern Ireland context.

Harassment

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prosecutions involving harassment have (a) been initiated and (b) been successful in each of the past five years; how many of these have involved members of ethnic minorities; and what the sentence was in each case. [61497]

Mr. Hanson: Table 1 provides the number of prosecutions and subsequent convictions for harassment, while table 2 includes the disposals given to those convicted.

At present, Northern Ireland court proceedings and sentencing data sources do not include background information in relation to the commission of an offence, therefore, it is possible to determine if these cases involved members of ethnic minorities.

The figures cover the calendar years 1999 to 2003. Data beyond 2003 are not yet available. Data are collated on a principal offence rule, thus only the most serious offence for which an offender is prosecuted is recorded in the statistics.
Table 1: Number prosecuted and convicted for harassment 1999–2003

Number prosecuted Number convicted

1999 36 29

2000 23 17

2001 31 20

2002 27 19

2003 31 17

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Table 2: Sentences given to those convicted of harassment 1999–2003

Immediate custody Suspended custody Supervision in the community Fine Conditional discharge Other Total

1999 4 3 5 7 7 3 29

2000 1 3 4 3 3 3 17

2001 1 5 3 5 5 1 20

2002 1 8 2 4 1 3 19

2003 3 5 3 3 3 0 17

	Number prosecuted	Number convicted
1999	36	29
2000	23	17
2001	31	20
2002	27	19
2003	31	17

	Immediate custody	Suspended custody	Supervision in the community	Fine	Conditional discharge	Other	Total
1999	4	3	5	7	7	3	29
2000	1	3	4	3	3	3	17
2001	1	5	3	5	5	1	20
2002	1	8	2	4	1	3	19
2003	3	5	3	3	3	0	17

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