Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many registered voters applied for proxy votes in each local government district in Northern Ireland elections on 2 May; and what percentage of the (1) total electorate, and (2) votes cast, that represents in each of those districts.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
The information below has been provided by the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland. The table shows how many proxy votes were applied for in each local government district for the local elections in Northern Ireland on 2 May and what this represents as a percentage of (a) the total electorate and (b) the votes polled in each of those districts.
Local Council | Total Proxy | Eligible Electorate* | % Eligible Electorate | Total Votes Polled* | % Votes Polled |
Antrim and Newtownabbey | 205 | 98,899 | 0.21% | 48,526 | 0.42% |
Ards and North Down | 150 | 116,536 | 0.13% | 50,866 | 0.29% |
Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon | 414 | 147,977 | 0.28% | 79,309 | 0.52% |
Belfast | 1533 | 224,628 | 0.68% | 114,664 | 1.34% |
Causeway Coast and Glens | 575 | 98,930 | 0.58% | 51,212 | 1.12% |
Derry and Strabane | 1174 | 107,975 | 1.09% | 61,798 | 1.90% |
Fermanagh and Omagh | 1601 | 84,313 | 1.90% | 52,620 | 3.04% |
Lisburn and Castlereagh | 127 | 102,151 | 0.12% | 50,747 | 0.25% |
Mid and East Antrim | 227 | 98,410 | 0.23% | 47,383 | 0.48% |
Mid Ulster | 1090 | 100,238 | 1.09% | 60,180 | 1.81% |
Newry Mourne and Down | 986 | 125,496 | 0.79% | 70,428 | 1.40% |
Totals | 8082 | 1,305,553 | - | 687,733 | - |
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the proposal by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 19 March (HL Deb, col 1408) that the Department of the Economy Northern Ireland would establish a unit under independent chairmanship, to examine the case of every individual who has received funds from the Renewable Heat Incentive initiative and believes they have experienced hardship, whether that proposal has been implemented; if so, who has been appointed as chairman; what appointment criteria were applied to any such appointment; and whether the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland discussed this appointment with the Permanent Secretary of the Department of the Economy Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
The Department for the Economy has undertaken to set up an RHI Hardship Unit. They repeated this commitment during their evidence session to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on 8th May. Given the complexities and skill-sets required, the Department is currently considering an independent panel rather than just an independent chair. As this is a devolved matter it will be for the Department for the Economy to set the necessary criteria, and ensure that the Hardship Unit is made up of suitably qualified and independent members. The Department plans for the panel to have its first sitting by the end of the summer.
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 3 April (HL14966 and HL14967), whether they will answer the questions originally put instead of referring to a website.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
As health is a devolved matter, the appropriate body to respond to questions on the detail of medical practices, and the owner of health statistics in Northern Ireland, is the NI Department of Health. The UK Government does not hold or have access to the additional statistics asked for (beyond those already provided), as this policy area is devolved.
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 3 April (HL14966 and HL14967), how many patients per General Practice in Northern Ireland there (1) are currently, and (2) were in 2010.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
Health is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. Richard Pengelly, Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health, has asked that such detailed questions be sent to the department. I therefore request that the Noble Lord contact Mr Pengelly directly. His email is:
richard.pengelly@health-ni.gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 3 April (HL14966 and HL14967), how many General Practices there (1) are currently, and (2) were in 2010, in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
Health is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. Richard Pengelly, Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health, has asked that such detailed questions be sent to the department. I therefore request that the Noble Lord contact Mr Pengelly directly. His email is:
richard.pengelly@health-ni.gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 3 April (HL14966 and HL14967), how many (1) full-time GPs, and (2) part-time locum GPs (a) are currently employed, and (b) were employed in 2010, by the Northern Ireland Health Service.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
Health is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. Richard Pengelly, Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health, has asked that such detailed questions be sent to the department. I therefore request that the Noble Lord contact Mr Pengelly directly. His email is:
richard.pengelly@health-ni.gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what information and guidance the Department of Health, Northern Ireland, has issued to individual patients belonging to General Practices in Northern Ireland that have given notice of impending closure.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
Health is the responsibility of the Department of Health in Northern Ireland and figures relating to GP closures and mergers are available on the website of the Health and Social Care Board. Although there have been a small number of closures, the average number of patients per practice has increased and the number of GPs has increased. Some practices have merged in order to provide a broader range of services.
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which NHS General Practices in Northern Ireland have ceased to function as such in each of the last three years; how many patients belonged to those Practices; which NHS General Practices in Northern Ireland have currently given notice that they intend to cease to function; and how many patients will be affected in each of those Practices.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
Health is the responsibility of the Department of Health in Northern Ireland and figures relating to GP closures and mergers are available on the website of the Health and Social Care Board. Although there have been a small number of closures, the average number of patients per practice has increased and the number of GPs has increased. Some practices have merged in order to provide a broader range of services.
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 19 March (HL Deb, col 1408), what progress they have made in appointing an independent chairman to examine the case of every individual who received funds from the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme and experienced hardship as a result of that scheme.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
The Department for the Economy (DfE) delivers the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme in Northern Ireland. The £1.3bn figure was the DfE estimate assuming a scenario of the original 2012 tariffs remaining unchanged. It is of course now no longer relevant as these tariffs no longer apply.
On the combining of Rates and RHI into one Bill; Parliamentary Counsel advised last year that this was an appropriate pairing for these measures. Given the current pressures on Parliamentary time, and the limit on available legislative slots, we adopted exactly the same approach this year.
I welcome the commitment made by the Department for the Economy to appoint an independent chair to examine the cases of individuals who received funds from the RHI initiative and believe they have experienced hardship. The appointment of the Chair is a matter for that Department, but we will continue to work closely with DfE on this important matter.
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why they combined the collection of regional rates in Northern Ireland and the administration of the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme under the Northern Ireland (Regional Rates and Energy) Act 2019; and whether the Northern Ireland Office or the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland was responsible for that decision.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
The Department for the Economy (DfE) delivers the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme in Northern Ireland. The £1.3bn figure was the DfE estimate assuming a scenario of the original 2012 tariffs remaining unchanged. It is of course now no longer relevant as these tariffs no longer apply.
On the combining of Rates and RHI into one Bill; Parliamentary Counsel advised last year that this was an appropriate pairing for these measures. Given the current pressures on Parliamentary time, and the limit on available legislative slots, we adopted exactly the same approach this year.
I welcome the commitment made by the Department for the Economy to appoint an independent chair to examine the cases of individuals who received funds from the RHI initiative and believe they have experienced hardship. The appointment of the Chair is a matter for that Department, but we will continue to work closely with DfE on this important matter.