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21 Dec 2004 : Column WA135
Written Answers
Tuesday, 21 December 2004.
North/South Implementation Bodies
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What additional benefits have accrued to cross-border co-operation as a result of the setting up of the cross-border bodies outlined in the Belfast agreement. [HL257]
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): The benefits accrued from the activities of the North/South Implementation Bodies are detailed in the annual reports of the North/South Ministerial Council and published annual reports in respect of each North/South Implementation Body. Copies of these documents are available in the Library.
Northern Ireland Events Company
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many events in each of the last two years the Northern Ireland Events Company has supported; how many of these events were attended by the appropriate Minister; and how many were attended officially by staff of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. [HL263]
Baroness Amos: The Northern Ireland Events Company supported 34 events in 2002–03 and 66 events in 2003–04. Six of these events were attended by the Minister responsible for the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and two were attended by departmental officials.
Northern Ireland Departments: Underspend
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 1 December (WA 5) concerning Northern Ireland departmental budgets, how much of the underspend in each department has been carried over to the year 2004–05. [HL305]
Baroness Amos: In accordance with the approved end-year flexibility mechanism, the full amount of underspend in each Northern Ireland department in 2003–04 has been carried forward, thus ensuring no loss of resources to Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland: Department of Education
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 1 December (WA 5) concerning Northern Ireland departmental budgets, why the Department of Education underspent by £51.9 million in 2003–04; and [HL306]
In view of the underspend of £51.9 million by the Northern Ireland Department of Education in 2003–04, what support the department is providing to education boards in financial difficulties. [HL325]
Baroness Amos: The provisional 2003–04 underspend comprises £26.1 million capital funding, which relates to the school building and capital works programme and could not be vired into resource budget, even if it were not already fully committed. The balance is £25.8 million resource funding and relates primarily to surpluses that schools have carried over in their budgets to the following year under LMS. These funds remain fully committed to projects in education and are not available for other purposes. There is therefore no question of these funds being held back from education and library boards.
My department is meeting regularly with those boards in financial difficulties to provide them with advice and support in addressing their financial problems.
Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman: Case of Constable Trevor Purcell
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass asked Her Majesty's Government:
What were the total costs involved in the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman's prosecution of Constable Trevor Purcell for alleged dangerous driving during a riot, including those incurred by the Ombudsman's Office, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Office of the Northern Ireland Director of Public Prosecutions and the court's costs; and what was the outcome of this case. [HL317]
Baroness Amos: The relevant offices have advised the following information in relation to this case.
The Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Court Service of Northern Ireland advise that they do not operate a case costing system. The Police Service of Northern Ireland advises that it incurred no direct costs in relation to the ombudsman's investigation of Constable Purcell. Independent counsel fees incurred by the DPP, and the Police Ombudsman's investigation costs amounted to £5,673. The case was dismissed at Belfast magistrates' court.
Ulster-Scots Agency
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure provided the year 2000 accounts of the Ulster-Scots Agency to any other organisation before laying the accounts before Parliament; if so, which organisation; and why. [HL327]
Baroness Amos: The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure received the certificated 2000 accounts of the North/South Language Body from the two Comptrollers and Auditors General on 18 November
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2004. They have not been passed to any other organisation by the department in advance of their being laid before Parliament.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there are any restraints on the promotion of the Ulster-Scots language by the Ulster-Scots Agency through expenditure in the United States. [HL328]
Baroness Amos: All expenditure by the Ulster-Scots Agency, wherever incurred, must be for the purpose of promotion of greater awareness and use of Ullans and of Ulster-Scots cultural issues, both within Northern Ireland and throughout the island.
Northern Ireland: Orangefield High School
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to ensure that there is a full and fair investigation by the Belfast Education and Library Board into allegations of racial victimisation, harassment, abuse and physical assault perpetuated upon Paul Kalla, a teacher at Orangefield High School. [HL406]
Baroness Amos: The Department of Education has been in regular contact with the Belfast Education and Library Board and is content that it is carrying out a full investigation into this matter.
Northern Ireland Civil Service: Sick Leave
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the level of sick leave taken by civil servants in Northern Ireland is satisfactory; and, if not, what steps they are taking to reduce the level of sick leave. [HL407]
Baroness Amos: Ministers consider that the level of sick leave taken by civil servants in Northern Ireland is not satisfactory; I intend publishing the latest report on sickness absence in the 11 departments of the Northern Ireland Administration early in the new year. A comprehensive range of measures are already in place to tackle this problem and work to strengthen these is ongoing.
Northern Ireland Housing Executive: Intimidation Grants
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What financial support they will provide to Northern Ireland Housing Executive tenants who have been intimidated out of their homes; and how much they have been paid in such support for each of the last three years. [HL457]
Baroness Amos: An intimidation grant of £692 is payable in respect of a tenant who moves across and within the social and private rented sectors.
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The information in respect of Housing Executive tenants is not readily available; however the total amount of grant paid is as follows:
| Year | Amount £ |
| 2001–02 | 39,142 |
| 2002–03 | 42,116 |
| 2003–04 | 105,509 |
| April 2004–September 2004 | 55,310 |
| Total | 242,077 |
Sudan: Darfur
Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the percentage of vulnerable persons accessible to non-governmental agencies and aid workers in Darfur, Sudan, has declined in the past four weeks; what number of people are now estimated to have been affected by the conflict in Darfur; and what are the estimated numbers of fatalities and displaced people.[HL351]Baroness Amos: Insecurity in Darfur continues to hinder access for delivery of humanitarian assistance. In the last four weeks the recent attacks such as those on Tawilah town on 22 November in north Darfur, and the killing on a road north of Nyala on 12 December of two Save the Children (UK) staff in south Darfur, have prompted withdrawals of some international staff from certain areas. This impacts severely on numbers of people in need who can be reached. In the month of November, the World Food Programme delivered food to 1.3 million people in Darfur, which was an increase on the 1.16 million people reached in October.
It is very difficult to establish a figure of the number of fatalities in Darfur. The UK supports the World Health Organisation to monitor the health and nutritional status of the affected population in Darfur, including morbidity and mortality surveys. The most recent survey was carried out in September. It suggested that between 6,000 and 10,000 people are dying each month in Darfur. This assessment will be updated shortly. The UK deplores on-going attacks by both rebels and Arab militia, such as the recent attack on Adwa on 1 December resulting in 150 killed. To date the UN estimates that there are 1.6 million internally displaced in Darfur, with a further 200,000 displaced as refugees in Chad.
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