HC Deb 22 February 1988 vol 128 cc85-7W
Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the current estimates and projections of the population of working age(a) men aged 16 to 64 years and (b) women aged 16 to 59 years, by standard region including Greater London for 1979, 1983, 1986, 1987 and 1988.

Mr. Lee

The figures requested are in the following table.

child benefit, (c) widows' benefit, (d) supplementary benefit, (e) unemployment benefit, (f) sickness benefit and (g) retirement pensions in each year from 1979 to 1986 under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971.

Mr. Needham

The information requested is shown in the table.

Mr. Needham

In respect of permanent and temporary legal sites for travellers, district councils receive grants of 100 per cent. towards the reasonable capital costs from the Department of the Environment.

There are four permanent legal sites and two temporary legal sites as follows:

Permanent sites Families Services
1. Newry: Albert Basin 20 Contract is approaching conpletion to provide full facilities to Design Guide standards.
2. Coalisland 16 Full site Design Guide standards together with an adjacent serviced transit site with communal facilities.
3. Omagh: Ballinamullan 4 Full facilities to Design Guide standards.
4. Omagh: Tattykeel 9 Prefabricated toilets, running water and electricity supply to individual surfaced pitches.
Temporary sites
1. Londonderry: Letterkenny Road 6 Communal toilet and ablution block, hard-standing, water supply. Plans are in hand for a permanent site for 10 families and this is expected to be completed in 1988.
2. Londonderry: Labre Park Limited communal facilities but site no longer occupied.

Mr. Jim Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consideration he was given to the work being undertaken by the Northern Ireland Council for Travelling People; and what plans he has on their future level of funding.

Mr. Needham

The Northern Ireland Council for Travelling People is a voluntary body which receives financial aid from the Department of Health and Social Services. It is currently negotiating with that Department on future levels of grant.

The council was represented on the 1984 Department of Environment working party of travelling people. The working party produced recommendations which are the basis of current Department of the Environment policies for travelling people. The council has three representatives on the advisory committee on travellers which advises me on the implementation of traveller policy and takes an active role in promoting that policy.