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Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many licences for taking wild
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peregrine falcons have been issued in each year since 1984; [22359](2) how many quarry licences for falconry were issued in each year since 1984; and what quarry species were involved. [22360]
Sir Paul Beresford: Details of licences issued under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 are contained in the reports by the United Kingdom to the European Community on derogations under article 9 of the directive on the conservation of wild birds, 79/409/EEC. Copies of the derogation report are held in the Library. Figures are not yet available for 1994.
Wild Birds' Eggs
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in what circumstances it is possible to confiscate wild birds' eggs which have been illegally collected after the Protection of Birds Act 1954 came into force; how many cases have occurred of eggs collected after 1954 but before 1981 being confiscated in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [22345]
Sir Paul Beresford: Under the Protection of Birds Act 1954, section 1(c), it was an offence to take or keep wild bird eggs except in specified circumstances. The present
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law regarding the possession of wild bird eggs is set out in section 1(2) and (3) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Section 12(1)(b) of the 1954 Act enabled the police to:"seize and detain for the purposes of proceedings under this Act any wild bird, whether alive or dead, or any egg or nest of a wild bird, or any weapon or other article capable of being used to kill or take wild birds, which may be in that person's possession." Section 19(1)(d) of the 1981 Act contains similar provisions for offences committed under that Act.
No records of court confiscations are kept centrally.
Migratory Geese
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the killing of migratory geese. [22346]
Sir Paul Beresford: All wild birds, including migratory species, in the UK are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 which enacts our statutory obligations under the EC birds directive. Those migratory geese--greylag, pink-footed and white-fronted--which are included on schedule 2 to the Act can be hunted outside the close season. Licences may be given for killing geese and other birds for the purposes specified in section 16 of the Act.
Opencast Mining
Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, by name, the planning applications for opencast mining in the United Kingdom which have been refused by the local planning authorities and which have gone to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate in the last 10 years; how many have been successful and approved by the Planning Inspectorate; how many have been rejected by the Planning Inspectorate followed by the reversal of the decision by him; and how many have been successful and approved by the Planning Inspectorate but rejected by him. [22609]
Sir Paul Beresford: The provision of information on planning appeals is the responsibility of the Planning Inspectorate. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. Chris Shepley, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from C. J. Shepley to Mr. Gerry Steinberg, dated 5 May 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your Question about planning applications for opencast mining which have, on appeal, been decided by the Planning Inspectorate or the Secretary of State in the last 10 years.
Information on planning appeals decided before January 1988 is not available. Since then, 80 appeals involving opencast coal extraction have been determined--49 by Inspectors and 31 by the Secretary of State after exercising his power to recover jurisdiction of the appeals. 47 appeals were allowed (30 by Inspectors and 17 by the Secretary of State), and 33 were dismissed (19 by Inspectors and 14 by the Secretary of State). Details of these appeals are given in the enclosed tables.
Decisions taken by Inspectors are final, and the Secretary of State has no powers to overrule them. In respect of the appeals decided by the Secretary of State, his decision was not in accord with an Inspector's recommendation on only one occasion--that for the former Stagshaw Colliery, Corbridge, Northumberland
(R2900/A/91/190575) which was dismissed on 18 February 1993. As the tables are too long to be printed in the Official Report, arrangements will be made for a copy to be deposited in the Library.
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European Regional Development Funding
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the projects within the Greater London area that have received European regional development funding in each of the last three years. [22405]
Sir Paul Beresford: My Department's records are as follows:
Name of project |Borough |Amount paid
|£
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1992-93
Kings Cross Technology Project |Camden |23,000.00
Central Hackney Computer Project |Hackney |275,425.00
North London Technopark |Haringey |150,577.20
Financial Services Sector Training |Islington |21,282.50
Interactive Multi-Media Workshop |Islington |67,500.00
Mobile Employment and Training Advice Project |Islington |1,644.50
WELLSTEC Training Centre |Islington |64,441.00
Angell Town Enterprise Centre and Workshop Units |Lambeth |456,220.00
Atlantic Road, Brixton |Lambeth |135,734.50
Milton Court Childcare Centre |Lewisham |57,000.00
Pepys Community Enterprise Units |Lewisham |152,443.50
CADCAM (computer aided design/computer aided manufacturing) Centre |Southwark |421,142.50
Bethnal Green Training Centre |Tower Hamlets |242,000.00
St. Marys Ward West |Tower Hamlets |247,500.00
Total grant paid in 1992-193 from European
Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for projects
within Greater London |2,315,910.70
1993-94
Miller's House Housemill |Newham |15,533.50
1994-95
KONVER (a Community Initiative assisting regions
heavily dependent on the defence sector) |Greenwich |76,717.00
Birds of Prey
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many licences were granted for the taking of birds of prey from the wild; and how many birds of prey were taken under such licences, by species, in each year since 1982; [22361]
(2) how many falconry licences were issued in each year since 1982, broken down by the categories and numbers of prey species involved; and if figures are collected by the Department in respect of the numbers of prey taken. [22362]
Sir Paul Beresford: Details of licences issued under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 are contained in the reports by the United Kingdom to the European Community on derogations under article 9 of the directive on the conservation of wild birds, 79/409/EEC. Copies of the derogation report are held in the Library. Figures are not available for 1982, 1983 or 1994.
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Accounting Officers
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment how many times in the last 10 years, and on what dates, his departmental accounting officer has issue a minute in that role; and what was the issue in each case. [22566]
Sir Paul Beresford: Where a Minister overrules an accounting officer's advice on an issue of propriety or regularity or one of value for money the accounting officer should request a written instruction from the Minister to take the action in question. I am not aware that any such instruction has been issued to the accounting officer of my Department during the period in question. All such instructions are reported to the Comptroller and Auditor General who, after making whatever investigations he considers appropriate, will report his findings to the Public Accounts Committee.
Opencasting, Tinsley
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he or any of his Ministers gave approval to the agreement between Sheffield development corporation and Budge which split responsibility for the provision of the infrastructure for an airport at Tinsley, Sheffield, and the opencasting of the Tinsley site; [22705]
(2) if he will undertake a public inquiry into the agreement between Sheffield development corporation and Budge, in relation to the profit accruing to RJB Mining from opencasting at Tinsley, Sheffield, and the liquidation of A. F. Budge and the effect on the infrastructure for an airport; [22711]
(3) what involvement and knowledge he and his Department had about the agreement reached between Sheffield development corporation and Budge which divided responsibility for providing the infrastructure for an airport at Tinsley, Sheffield, and the authority for operating the site. [22713]
Sir Paul Beresford: There was never a joint agreement covering coal extraction and the construction of an airport at Tinsley. Coal extraction was subject to an agreement between A. F. Budge (Mining) Ltd. and British Coal Opencast and operated from 1989.
In 1990, Ministers in my Department gave approval to the sale of land by Sheffield development corporation to A. F. Budge (Mining) Ltd. for the construction of an airport under a development agreement with the corporation.
Ministers were not involved in the later transfer of this agreement from A. F. Budge (Mining) Ltd. to Sheffield Airport Ltd. a subsidiary of the A. F. Budge parent group. Sheffield development corporation informed my Department of the proposed transfer but no further approval was necessary from my Department as the parent company guarantee was to remain in place.
We have no plans for a public inquiry.
Housing Association Tenants
Mr. Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many tenants of housing associations in the west midlands have brought their homes for each
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year since 1979 under (a) right-to-buy legislation, (b) shared ownership schemes or (c) voluntary sales by housing associations. [22760]Mr. Robert B. Jones: The table below shows the numbers of tenants of housing associations in the west midlands who have bought their homes since 1989 90 under right-to-buy legislation and voluntary sales by housing associations; and the numbers of people purchasing properties under shared ownership schemes. Figures before 1989 90 are not available.
U
|Right to buy |Shared ownership|Voluntary sales
|schemes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979-80-1988-89 |n/a |n/a |n/a
1989-90 |5 |- |2
1990-91 |35 |- |5
1991-92 |229 |9 |23
1992-93 |133 |2 |38
1993-94 |132 |7 |29
1994-95 |143 |4 |41
Mr. Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many housing association tenants have taken up the tenants incentive scheme, or the previous home ownership for tenants of charitable housing associations scheme in the west midlands for each year since 1979. [22761]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The table shows the number of housing association tenants in the west midlands who have taken up the home ownership for tenants of charitable housing associations scheme and the tenants incentive scheme since 1984 85, when the home ownership scheme began.
|Home ownership for
|tenants of |Tenants incentive
|charitable
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1984-85 |8 |-
1985-86 |64 |-
1986-87 |33 |-
1987-88 |45 |-
1988-89 |20 |-
1989-90 |156 |-
1990-91 |- |143
1991-92 |- |276
1992-93 |- |540
1993-94 |- |853
1994-95 |- |679
Conflicts of Interest
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 1 May, column 24, if he will make a statement on the possible conflicts of interest involving special advisers, listing the names of the individuals, the nature of the conflicts concerned and how the matters were resolved. [22904]
Sir Paul Beresford: In accordance with their appointment letters, special advisers have reported any possible conflicts of interest emerging during their periods of service to senior officials or Ministers, and have followed the advice they received about the action required to avoid actual conflicts emerging.
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Right-to-buy Scheme
Lady Olga Maitland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information is available on the right-to-buy scheme in London. [23316]
Sir Paul Beresford: The right-to-buy performance of London authorities has been monitored by my Department for a number of years. Annual monitoring is carried out of each authority's performance at the end of September, with poor performers submitting additional reports on a monthly basis. Data from the latest survey are given in the table.
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I am pleased to report that data for September 1994 show that the number of tenants whose applications are being unduly delayed continues to decline. Across London as a whole delays beyond statutory deadlines have fallen by over 40 per cent., from 403 to 238. This compares with over 15,000 delayed cases in March 1989 when the Government's "tenants sanctions" procedures came into effect. Only Hackney was monitored on a monthly basis in 1994. I am glad to say that Hackney's performance has continued to improve and I have recommended that monthly monitoring can now cease. To September 1994, over 185,000 dwellings have been sold under the right to buy schemes in London.Column 423
RTB2 and S.125 delays monitoring September 1994
September 1994
|RTB2 |S125 |Total |September 1993 |Change from |RTB sales in
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
City |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |24
Barking |0 |2 |2 |10 |-8 |424
Barnet |1 |7 |8 |8 |0 |<1>241
Bexley |0 |0 |0 |2 |-2 |<><><1 2>355
Brent |2 |2 |4 |1 |3 |<1>218
Bromley |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Camden |4 |14 |18 |3 |15 |<1>361
Croydon |0 |0 |0 |3 |-3 |224
Ealing |7 |5 |12 |4 |8 |<1>332
Enfield |1 |5 |6 |8 |-2 |185
Greenwich |2 |1 |3 |17 |-14 |415
Hackney |5 |0 |5 |51 |-46 |<1>300
Hammersmith |3 |4 |7 |0 |7 |<1>97
Haringey |1 |15 |16 |18 |-2 |<1>307<>
Harrow |3 |1 |4 |3 |1 |144
Havering |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |<1>196
Hillingdon |0 |3 |3 |16 |-13 |<3>594
Hounslow |2 |6 |8 |40 |-32 |<1>219
Islington |12 |31 |43 |118 |-75 |<1>308
Kensington |n/a |0 |0 |6 |-6 |<1>153
Kingston |0 |4 |4 |0 |4 |89
Lambeth |5 |4 |9 |8 |1 |249
Lewisham |15 |7 |22 |19 |3 |400
Merton |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |127<>
Newham |5 |10 |15 |12 |3 |<3>340<>
Redbridge |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |<2>207
Richmond |4 |5 |9 |6 |3 |144
Southwark |8 |12 |20 |22 |-2 |<4>582
Sutton |0 |6 |6 |12 |-6 |105
Tower Hamlets |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |<5>508
Waltham Forest |0 |13 |13 |15 |-2 |120
Wandsworth |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |<1>389
Westminster |0 |1 |1 |1 |0 |<1>295
|-------- |-------- |-------- |-------- |-------- |--------
Total |80 |158 |238 |403 |-165 |8,652
London average |2 |5 |7 |12 |-5 |262
Notes:
<1> Incomplete date for 1993-94-available quarters data is grossed.
<2> Borough does not operate RTB but a similar scheme.
<3> No data for 1993-94 last available figures (1990-91) given.
<4> No data for 1993-94 last available figures (1991-92) given.
<5> No data for 1993-94 last available figures (1992-93) given.
Objective 1 Programme
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much objective 1 money for Merseyside the Government are holding in (a) the Consolidated Fund, and (b) in other accounts; to what extent such money is yet allocated for projects, and if he will make a statement. [23162]
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Sir Paul Beresford: The Merseyside objective 1 programme was approved in July 1994 and since then the European Commission has transferred £55.283 million to Government. These resources are held not in the Consolidated Fund but in accounts operated by Departments until they are claimed by, and paid to, project sponsors.
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To date, £23.704 million has been authorised for payment to project sponsors. The balance continues to be used in funding the £65.498 million of schemes already approved in the first round of project submissions. The speed at which the funds will be paid to project sponsors is overwhelmingly dependent on the speed at which they deliver their schemes.Radioactive Waste
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is ready to announce the conclusion of the review of radioactive waste management policy. [23587]
Mr. Gummer: In May last year, I announced that my Department would be heading a review of radioactive waste management policy to be conducted in parallel with, but separately from, the nuclear review. Reappraisal of the policy was necessary in view of the developments that had taken place in the 10 years since the Department published its strategy for the long- term management of radioactive waste. Our primary aim in conducting the review has been to ensure that radioactive waste, irrespective of whether it is produced by public sector or private sector operations, is managed in such a way as to ensure that people and the environment are not exposed to unacceptable risks either now or in the future.
The review's preliminary conclusions were published in a consultation paper last August. All the responses received have been carefully considered and the final conclusions of the review will be published in a White Paper this summer. In advance of that, I am ready to announce the conclusions that have been reached on two issues--the timing of UK Nirex Ltd.'s proposed repository for intermediate-level waste, ILW, and the Government's policy in respect of decommissioning nuclear plant. These matters are relevant to the conclusions of the nuclear review, which my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade is announcing today. There are also proposals in the nuclear review White Paper about the future structure of Nirex.
The Government continue to favour a policy of deep disposal rather than indefinite storage for ILW and consider it appropriate that Nirex should continue with its programme to identify a suitable site. The question had been raised of whether a delay of 50 years in construction of the repository might have advantages. However, the review concluded that the balance of argument was against any such delay. The Government therefore believe that the repository should be constructed as soon as reasonably practicable once a suitable site has been found, although the precise timetable will depend on the granting of planning consent and compliance with regulatory requirements, including the establishment of a sound safety case. We are aware of the concern expressed by environmental groups and others and that the options available to future generations should not be foreclosed by irreversible action taken now. However, given the length of time needed to develop the repository and the period over which it will remain operational, action now to pursue deep disposal leaves options open until at least the latter half of the next century.
A planning inquiry is due to be held later this year into Nirex's application to construct a rock characterisation facility RCF, at Longlands farm near Sellafield to test
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further the geology and hydrogeology of the site. I have already outlined the matters about which I particularly wish to be informed to help me reach my decision on this case. These do not include the merits of national policy on the deep disposal of ILW. It has been established through the courts that while, of course, Government policy can be a material consideration that may be taken into account at a local planning inquiry, it may not be disputed and made a central area of debate. Policy on deep disposal of ILW has, in any case, already been the subject of wide consultation in the course of the review.On the decommissioning of nuclear plant, the Government's view is that this should be undertaken as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so, taking account of all relevant factors. The Government will in future ask all nuclear operators to draw up strategies for decommissioning their redundant plant. These will need to include justification of the timetables proposed and a demonstration of the adequacy of the financial provision being made to implement the strategies. As with all other operations on nuclear sites, decommissioning will be undertaken in accordance with conditions attached to the nuclear site licence by the nuclear installations inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive in order to ensure the safety of the site, workers and the public. Disposal of wastes arising during decommissioning will be subject to regulation under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 by the environment agencies which will replace Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution and, in Scotland, Her Majesty's industrial pollution inspectorate.
The current decommissioning strategy for Magnox and AGR power stations involves three stages--defuelling immediately on shutdown, dismantling buildings external to the reactor shield five to 10 years later, and demolition of the reactor itself 100 years after shutdown. Given that regulatory approval for decommissioning is required on a case-by-case basis, the Government believe--as we said in the preliminary conclusions of the review--that it would be unwise at present for the operators of nuclear power stations to take steps which would foreclose technically or economically the option of completing the decommissioning process on an earlier timescale should that be required, and that they should recognise, when provisioning, the potential uncertainties regarding the timing of the second and third stages. Nevertheless, the Government confirm the preliminary conclusion of the review that there are a number of potentially feasible and acceptable decommissioning strategies for nuclear power stations available to the operator, including the safestore strategy proposed by Nuclear Electric and Scottish Nuclear. To ensure that operators' decommissioning strategies remain soundly based as circumstances change, they will be reviewed quinquennially by HSE, which will consult the environment agencies.
The Government recognise that, in addition to nuclear power stations, a variety of other nuclear facilities are in the process of being decommissioned, or are to be decommissioned in the future. As with power stations, decisions on decommissioning these facilities should be taken on a case-by-case basis and the same general principles apply in respect of timing. Proposals for dealing with such facilities will need to be included in the operators' decommissioning strategies.
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Overtime
David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for each agency and the central Department for which he is responsible (a) the total hours of overtime worked for which payment has
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been made, (b) the total amount paid in overtime and (c) the total time in days and its monetary equivalent lost through sickness in each of the last three years. [19679]Sir John Wheeler: The information requested is listed. However, the monetary value of days lost through sickness cannot be provided, as there are too many variables involved and it would be difficult to rely on the accuracy of any such calculation.
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1992-93
|Total hours of |Total amount paid|Days lost through
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Department
Education |12,513 |119,238 |7,899
Economic Development |42,351 |376,740 |n/a
Health and Social Services |54,822 |620,099 |n/a
Finance and Personnel |77,900 |814,130 |n/a
Northern Ireland Office |1,564,319 |15,126,206 |99,933
Environment<1> |n/ad |2,323,104 |n/ad
Agriculture
non-industrial |127,609 |1,626,541 |n/a
industrial |148,173 |905,598 |16,715
Agency
Training and Employment Agency |20,391 |181,758 |n/a
Rate Collection Agency |n/a |126,871 |n/ad
Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland |n/a |18,111 |n/ad
Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency |n/a |257,227 |n/ad
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency |n/a |75,975 |n/ad
Social Security Agency |457,481 |4,868,448 |122,769
Child Support Agency |n/es |n/es |n/es
Valuation and Lands Agency |n/es |n/es |n/es
Notes:
1. Compensation Agency included in the Northern Ireland Office figures.
<1> Excludes Industrial Staff for whom information is not readily available and could only be provided at
disproportionate cost.
n/a = Not available.
n/ad = Not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
n/es = Not established.
1993-94
|Total hours of |Total amount paid|Days lost through
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Department
Education |14,492 |146,650 |8,794
Economic Development |38,879 |338,530 |12,664
Health and Social Services |37,953 |453,858 |14,605
Finance and Personnel |68,191 |679,487 |15,999
Northern Ireland Office |1,624,865 |15,931,760 |106,213
Environment<1> |n/ad |2,171,950 |62,084
Agriculture
non-industrial |105,868 |1,347,460 |38,496
industrial |130,931 |835,767 |19,751
Agency
Training and Employment Agency |18,045 |157,357 |22,219
Rate Collection Agency |n/ad |146,339 |4,371
Ordnance Survey of NI |n/ad |10,450 |2,679
Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency |n/ad |287,938 |2,572
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency |n/ad |29,619 |4,003
Social Security Agency |414,039 |4,397,492 |110,786
Child Support Agency (NI) |20,453 |214,298 |2,513
Belfast Child Support Agency Centre (CSAC)<3> |61,813 |684,619 |6,197
Valuation and Lands Agency |1,384 |16,123 |n/ad
Notes:
1. Compensation Agency included in the Northern Ireland Office figures.
<1> Excludes Industrial Staff for whom information is not readily available and could only be provided at
disproportionate cost.
<2> Costs for Belfast Child Support Agency Centre are wholly re-imbursed by CSAC (GB).
n/ad = Not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
1994-95
|Total hours of |Total amount paid|Days lost through
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Department
Education |12,409 |117,052 |9,060
Economic Development |40,649 |357,019 |12,711
Health and Social Services |36,485 |461,455 |12,501
Finance and Personnel |80,419 |800,372 |12,442
Northern Ireland Office |1,601,193 |16,868,091 |n/a
Environment<1> |n/ad |2,324,292 |57,035
Agriculture
non-industrial |105,833 |1,374,491 |37,421
industrial |125,115 |801,189 |14,471
Agency
Training and Employment Agency |14,656 |128,947 |21,705
Rate Collection Agency |n/ad |107,437 |4,646
Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland |n/ad |9,541 |2,928
Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency |n/ad |401,024 |2,895
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency |n/ad |67,730 |4,258
Social Security Agency |409,197 |4,475,962 |125,313
Child Support Agency (NI) |29,262 |293,664 |3,700
Belfast Child Support<2> Agency Centre (CSAC) |82,284 |939,126 |10,894
Valuation and Lands Agency |1,642 |16,570 |3,002
Notes:
Compensation Agency included in the Northern Ireland Office figures.
<1> Excludes Industrial Staff for whom information is not readily available and could only be provided at
disproportionate cost.
<2> Costs for Belfast CSAC are wholly re-imbursed by CSAC (GB).
n/a = Not available.
n/ad = Not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Social Need
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list the plans in each Government Department for targeting social need, and if he will make a statement. [22109]
Mr. Ancram: Targeting social need is one of the Government's expenditure priorities in Northern Ireland and is an integral part of departmental policies and programmes. Departments seek to ensure that resources in all relevant programmes are targeted on areas of greatest need. The following specific measures have a particular TSN impact: the Department of Education skews financial resources to board areas and individual schools with highest social need. Current initiatives include measures to raise standards in under-achieving schools and projects under the "Making Belfast Work" programme and the Londonderry initiative.
The Department of the Environment takes account of targeting social need in resource planning for each functional area. Budget areas with the most direct impact on social need objectives are "Making Belfast Work", the Londonderry development office, the regional development office, housing and public transport.
The Department of Health and Social Services made targeting health and social need one of the priority themes in its regional strategy for health and personal services 1992 97. The strategy addresses inequalities in health status and social well-being in the Northern Ireland population.
The Department of Economic Development in 1994 commissioned a review of how the objectives of TSN relate to those of the Department. Following the review's recommendations for improvements to the existing mechanisms for monitoring progress in the targeting of resources, guidelines on the application of TSN are being
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drawn up. In addition, each agency is preparing a three-year action plan which will establish its current baseline, set out its proposals for action, and consider any need to adapt existing programmes or create new ones.The Department of Finance and Personnel seeks to ensure that mainstream expenditure focuses resources on the most disadvantaged areas and people. TSN aims are consonant with the strategic objectives of the Northern Ireland single programming document 1994 1999 and are reinforced by many of its sub-programmes. Two specific targeting social need measures within the physical and social environment sub-programme aim to enhance employment opportunities in the most disadvantaged areas and to encourage the acquisition of educational and vocational qualifications.
The Department of Agriculture administers the rural development programme, which is targeted on areas of disadvantage.
The Northern Ireland Office applies TSN principles in funding crime prevention initiatives and the Probation Board's community development initiatives.
Unemployment (Catholic Males)
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans and strategies he will implement in order to reduce Catholic male unemployment in Northern Ireland. [22110]
Mr. Ancram: The Government are strengthening the Northern Ireland economy and reducing unemployment through increasingly successful efforts to attract inward investment, develop tourism, encourage exports and encourage higher innovation in Northern Ireland companies. Through the targeting social need initiative, the Government seek enhanced economic activity in disadvantaged areas.
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In addition, the Training and Employment Agency has recently introduced in areas of greatest unemployment the new jobskills programme and pilot community work programmes are now in operation. Along with the existing action for community employment scheme, these provide high-quality training and additional work prospects for all those who are long-term unemployed.Punishment Beatings
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many punishment beatings have come to the attention of the Royal Ulster Constabulary since the ceasefire; which organisations are thought to have carried them out; and how many arrests have been made of instigators of punishment beatings in the current year. [23041]
Sir John Wheeler: Between 1 September 1994 and 30 April 1995, a total of 92 so-called punishment beatings took place, of which 35 were attributed to Loyalist and 57 to Republican groups; 80 of these have taken place since 13 October 1994.
Figures for the number of arrests which have been made of instigators of punishment beatings in the current year are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Birds of Prey
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his estimate of the number and species of birds of prey poisoned in each year since 1987. [22366]
Mr. Moss: There is no information available to enable an estimate to be made of the number of birds of prey poisoned in each year since 1987. The number scientifically examined and found to have been poisoned is as follows:
Year |Number of birds |Species
|poisoned
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1987 |0 |-
1988 |0 |-
1989 |2 |2 Buzzards
1990 |0 |-
1991 |1 |Red Kite
1992 |0 |-
1993 |1 |Peregrine Falcon
1994 |2 |2 Buzzards
Housing Benefit
Mr. Mallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he will take to ensure that the upper limit of housing benefit entitlement may be waived in circumstances where it is more cost-effective for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to pay higher benefit than to pay the costs of temporary accommodation for homeless or A1 families or individuals. [22354]
Mr. Moss: There is no upper limit on housing benefit entitlement. The amount of housing benefit may be restricted where the Northern Ireland Housing Executive considers the dwelling is larger than is reasonably required by the householder and his family, or where the rent is considered unreasonably high compared with that for suitable alternative accommodation.
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Bed-and-breakfast Accommodation
Mr. Mallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give details of the current cost of bed-and-breakfast accommodation to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for a family of two parents and seven children at 237 Kilkeel road, Annalong; and if he will give the equivalent full entitlement to a housing benefit for a similar family in four-bedroomed accommodation. [22355]
Mr. Moss: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and I have asked the chairman to write with the details requested.
Mr. Mallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals or families are currently in bed-and-breakfast or similar accommodation at the expense of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, in each region, pending rehousing from the homeless, or A1 housing waiting lists. [22356]
Mr. Moss: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive; The chief executive has advised me that at 1 May 1995 the numbers with homeless or A1 status in temporary accommodation are as follows:
|Bed/breakfast
--------------------------------------------------------
Belfast |67 |60
North East |25 |10
South East |34 |33
South |7 |Nil
West |92 |30
|-------- |--------
Total |225 |133
Mr. Mallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total cost of bed-and-breakfast or similar accommodation to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in each region in each of the past three quarters, for the placement in temporary accommodation of homeless or A1 category families or individuals. [22357]
Mr. Moss: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive but the chief executive has advised me that the information requested is not readily available for the last three quarters. However, for the year 1994 95, the total costs of temporary accommodation for households accepted as homeless and awarded `A1' waiting list priority, households where investigations are not yet completed and households where an appeal against a homelessness decision is pending, are as follows:
8
|Bed/breakfast
|£ |£
--------------------------------------------------------
Belfast |487,002.95 |380,393
North East |192,242.04 |53,870
South East |278,827.73 |147,398
South |102,572.56 |19,762
West |825,262.69 |97,392
|-------- |--------
Total |1,885,907.97 |698,815
Mr. Mallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the average weekly cost to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in each region for housing homeless or A1 category families or individuals in temporary accommodation for (a) a single individual with
Column 433
no dependants, (b) a couple with no dependants, (c) a couple with two children and (d) a couple with four children; and if he will give equivalent entitlements to full housing benefit for suitable accommodation. [22358]Mr. Moss: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, but the chief executive has advised me that the information is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Accounting Officers
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many times in the last 10 years, and on which dates, his departmental accounting officer has issued a minute in that role; and what was the issue in each case. [22563]
Sir John Wheeler: Where a Minister overrules an accounting officer's advice on an issue or propriety or regularity or one of value for money the accounting officer should request a written instruction from the Minister to take the action in question. No such instructions have been issued in the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments in the last 10 years.
Education Authorities
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the education authorities in Northern Ireland together with the total number of pupils for which each education authority was responsible in the year ended 31 March. [23317]
Mr Ancram: The education authorities in Northern Ireland are the five education and library boards which are responsible for the management of the controlled sector. The number of pupils for which each board was responsible in 1994 95 is as follows:
Area board |Pupils ------------------------------------ Belfast |22,680 Western |18,843 North-Eastern |45,165 South-Eastern |40,107 Southern |27,994
Telephones
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations his Department has made to the Department of Trade and Industry concerning the need for legislation to prevent the cloning of mobile telephones. [23476]
Medium Secure Units
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by regional health authority and by district health authority the current number of beds in medium secure units run by health authorities; what were the figures for each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement. [23507]
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