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NORTHERN IRELAND
Outsourcing Contracts
Mr.McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many outsourcing contracts were granted by his Department or agencies in each year since 1990, indicating the nature and value of each contract; and if any additional work was added and of what value to (a) Hoskyns/Cap Gemini Segeti, (b) AT and T Istel, (c) EDS, (d) Sema Group, (e) Datasolve, (f) IT Net, (g) Andersen Consulting (h) Centre File, (i) BIS, (j) Telecom Capita, (k) ICL, (l) Digital Equipment, (m) CFM, (n) Siemens, (o) Nixdorf, (p) CMG and (q) Logica. [36956]
Sir John Wheeler [holding answer 16 October 1995]: The following outsourced contracts have been awarded:
(e) Datasolve--Since 1990 Datasolve has provided a hot-site contingency service for the Water Executive mainframe. As this is the only outsourced contract with this company its value cannot be disclosed for reasons of commercial confidentiality.
(f) IT Net--Two separate contracts for system software and support for the Department of Economic Development.
1994 95: £193,613 main contract
1995 96: £25,560 main contract
No additional work was added to the contracts.
(i) BIS--Two Separate contracts were awarded for consultancy support.
1993 94: £19,500 main contract
1994 95: £5,040 main contract
(k) ICL--a hardware support contract was awarded in respect of the Valuation and Lands Agency computer system, a financial computer system for the Water Executive, road maintenance and traffic accident systems for the Roads Service. As 1994 94 was the only year when more than one contract was in operation the cost of the contracts for other years cannot be disclosed for reasons of commercial confidentiality.
1994 95: £249,2178 main contract
No additional contract work was added to the contracts. (l) Digital--An office automation system for the DOE NI. The cost cannot be disclosed because of commercial confidentiality.
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(m) CFM--Contracts for the provision of a computer bureau and associated services for NICS Departments and the NIO, data capture for agricultural area aid applications, an accounting system for the Department of Agriculture NI, mainframe computer services for DHSS NI, file storage for the NI Child Support Agency, child benefit payments and giro reconciliation for the Social Security Agency contract programmers and a print and dispatch service for the Rate Collection Agency and a mainframe management contract for the Department of Economic Development.
|Main contract|Additional
|£ |£
--------------------------------------------------------
1991-92 |3,520,000 |27,000
1992-93 |6,128,000 |364,000
1993-94 |6,146,859 |578,000
1994-95 |5,706,109 |322,125
1995-96 |5,162,516 |200,000
(q) Logica--A software support contract for the Valuation and Lands Agency and the provision and maintenance of a mainframe for the Department of Economic Development.
|Main contract|Additional
|£ |£
--------------------------------------------------------
1991-92 |162,008 |137,801
1992-93 |246,400 |169,173
1993-94 |279,300 |3,412
1994-95 |233,380 |58,500
1995-96 |229,548 |-
Housing
Mr. McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, following the 25 per cent. rise above estimates in tender costs for house building in Northern Ireland in the current year, what plans he has to provide emergency extra funding for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. [37388]
Mr. Moss: None. However, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive can, along with other important public expenditure programmes, bid for any resources which
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might become available in-year within the Northern Ireland block.National Anthem
Rev. Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the policy of the Northern Ireland Department of Education in respect of whether the national anthem is
sectarian. [37362]
Mr. Ancram: The Government's policy remains that the national anthem should be played on ceremonial occasions. Its use on other occasions is a matter for the relevant authorities in each case.
Rev. Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what grounds the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland issued instructions that the national anthem should not be played when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited Northern Ireland to open the new Lagan bridge in Belfast. [37360]
Sir John Wheeler: No instructions were issued either by the Department of the Environment or my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State.
Statutory Rules, Regulations and Orders
Mr. McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many statutory rules, regulations and orders have been made in total, and by each Northern Ireland Department, over the last five years. [37393]
Sir John Wheeler: The total number of statutory rules, regulations and orders made by my right hon. and learned Friend and Northern Ireland Departments over the last five years is as follows: 1990: 426
1991: 506
1992: 536
1993: 463
1994: 478
1995 to 11 October: 362
The breakdown by Department is as follows:
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|1995 to 11
|1990 |1991 |1992 |1993 |1994 |October
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Department of Agriculture |45 |65 |52 |63 |62 |56
Department of Economic Development |45 |79 |71 |54 |44 |36
Department of Education |22 |28 |24 |25 |20 |13
Department of Environment |183 |224 |244 |210 |208 |166
Department of Finance and Personnel |2 |9 |10 |6 |6 |4
Department of Health and Social Services |131 |106 |154 |121 |117 |91
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland |25 |18 |22 |23 |29 |17
Medicines Act 1968, 1971 made jointly by Great Britain and
Northern Ireland Departments |11 |8 |20 |10 |22 |4
Because a number of statutory rules, regulations and orders are made by more than one Department the figures when broken down by
Department are greater than the overall total.
Business Development Service
Mr. Mans: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the prior options study of the business development service has been completed; and what was the outcome of the study. [37873]
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Sir John Wheeler: On 18 January 1994, I announced that the business development service of the Department of Finance and Personnel would be subject to a prior options study. That study is now complete and I have decided that the business development service of DFP
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should become a next steps agency and that preparations for launch should proceed, with a view to agentisation by 1 April 1996.Health and Social Services
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many administrators or managers with salaries there were in (a) the Department of Health and Social Services, (b) the management executive, (c) the four area boards and (d) the various trusts for the last available year. [37293]
Mr. Moss: The information is as follows:
|Number with|Whole-time
DHSS |pay |equivalent
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DHSS staff employed on
health-related matters, excluding
the Management Executive |158 |153.04
Staff employed in the Management
Executive |334 |328.37
DHSS total |492 |481.41
|Number
Trusts |with pay|WTE
---------------------------------------------------------------
Belfast City Hospital Trust |536 |490.19
Green Park Trust |296 |271.27
South and East Belfast Trust |530 |443.37
UNDAH Trust |419 |355.05
Royal Trust |828 |757.31
Mater Trust |140 |130.17
North and West Belfast Community
Trust |442 |387.74
Down and Lisburn Trust |494 |440.02
North Down and Ards Trust |294 |242.11
Causeway Trust |426 |376.44
Craigavon Area Hospital Group Trust |255 |233.14
Newry and Mourne Trust |287 |250.97
Craigavon and Banbridge Community
Trust |222 |188.69
NI Ambulance Service Trust |39 |37.91
Trust total |5,208 |4,604.38
|Number
Trusts |with pay|WTE
---------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern Health and Social Services
Board
EHSSB Headquarters |226 |218.24
Regional Medical Physics Agency |9 |7.43
Regional Supplies Service |158 |153.08
Blood Transfusion Service |49 |44.28
EHSSB Provider Support |33 |33.00
EHSSB total |475 |456.03
Northern Health and Social Services
Board
NHSSB Headquarters |169 |159.70
Homefirst Community Unit |662 |568.38
United Hospital Group |588 |516.26
NHSSB total |1,419 |1,244.34
Southern Health and Social Services
Board
SHSSB Headquarters |115 |110.50
Armagh and Dungannon UOM |361 |318.53
SHSSB total |476 |429.03
Western Health and Social Services
Board
WHSSB Headquarters |330 |323.09
Altnagelvin Group |199 |173.54
Foyle Community |266 |229.08
Omagh and Fermanagh Group |328 |305.77
Western Board Commissioners |64 |58.35
WHSSB total |1,187 |1,089.83
Board grant total |3,557 |3,219.23
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on self-promotion as distinct from services to patients and clients by (a) the Department of Health and Social Services, (b) the management executive, (c) the four area boards and (d) the various trusts for the last available year. [37294]
Mr. Moss: Neither the Department of Health and Social Services, which includes the management executive, nor any of its agent bodies in the health and personal social services incur expenditure on items which could be termed "self-promotion", as distinct from "public relations". Most HPSS bodies have a public relations function which is concerned with the communication to interested parties of information relating to services, service development, and health and personal social services issues generally.
Chief Constable's Certificates
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the Chief Constable's certificates issued between the commencement of the ceasefire and 30 September 1995 giving the date of the incident and the date of issue. [37225]
Sir John Wheeler: The information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Since PIRA declared its ceasefire on 31 August 1994, a total of 951 certificates have been issued by the Chief Constable under the criminal damage and criminal injuries legislation, of which 122 relate to acts committed since that date. Of the 122, a total of 52 relate to acts committed since the loyalist terrorists declared their ceasefire on 14 October 1994, when the general ceasefire situation took effect. The attached table details the number of certificates issued between 1 September 1994 and end September 1995.
Chief Constable's Certificates issued
September 1994
to 30 September 1995 (Includes claims pre-
and post- ceasefire)
|Injury|Damage|Total
-------------------------------------------
September 1994 |5 |160 |165
October 1994 |3 |189 |192
November 1994 |7 |96 |103
December 1994 |10 |128 |138
January 1995 |0 |80 |80
February 1995 |2 |109 |111
March 1995 |2 |35 |37
April 1995 |5 |44 |49
May 1995 |8 |16 |24
June 1995 |1 |7 |8
July 1995 |2 |17 |19
August 1995 |1 |3 |4
September 1995 |1 |20 |21
Totals |47 |904 |951
Incidents from 1 September 1994 to 30
September 1995.
1 September 199 to 13 October 1994: 66
Damage, four Injury.
14 October 1994 to 30 September 1995: 51
Damage, one Injury.
Valuation and Lands Agency
Mr. Mans: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Valuation and Lands Agency in 1995 96. [37874]
Sir John Wheeler: For 1995 96 the following key performance targets have been set for the agency:
(1) To complete 39,000 rating cases, equivalent to 21,000 work units.
(2) To complete 23,700 client service cases, equivalent to 20,700 work units.
(3) To have met by 31 March 1996 all 1995 96 non-domestic revaluation project milestones as specified in the business plan. (4) To produce an action plan to implement the recommendations of the efficiency scrutiny on Government-owned land and establish a central advisory unit within VLA.
(5) To achieve a productivity for case working valuers of 316 work units.
(6) To achieve at least a 2.5 per cent. efficiency saving on the 1994 95 allocation in real terms.
(7) To reduce the unit cost of casework by 3.5 per cent. in real terms.
(8) To issue 93 per cent. of certificates for rating cases subject to backdating within 12 months of the events giving rise to revisions of the valuation list.
(9) To achieve a standard in rating valuations such that 88 per cent. of those determined on appeal are within (plus) + or (minus)--10 per cent. of the initial assessment.
(10) To complete 84 per cent. of rating appeals within 6 months of receipt.
(11) To complete 93 per cent. of a representative sample of client services casework within agreed time limits.
Full details are sent out in the agency's corporate and business plans, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.
Health and Social Services Estates Agency
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in establishing the Northern Ireland Health and Social Services Estates Agency. [37875]
Mr. Moss: I am pleased to announce that the Northern Ireland Health and Social Services Estates Agency was established as an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Services on 2 October 1995, under simplified next steps procedures.
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The agency is the principal source of expertise available to health and personal social services managers in all aspects of an estate which comprises some 427 sites covering approximately 1200 hectares throughout Northern Ireland. The agency has 127 staff, the majority of whom are within professional estates disciplines. The range of estate services which the agency will provide includes policy and strategic advice to the Department, as well as project sponsor support, planning, project management and design and consultancy services for health and personal social service bodies generally. I have delegated full managerial authority for the agency's day-to-day operation to its chief executive. A ministerial advisory board will enable me to ensure public accountability for the performance of the agency. The policy and resources framework of the agency is set out in its framework document, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.In addition, I have set challenging targets for the agency in its first six months of operation. These are as follows:
Financial management
To manage the agency's resources so as to deliver the business plan within a total budget of £2.156 million;
To deliver efficiency savings of 4 per cent. and to develop a programme of efficiency reviews to ensure that the most efficient and effective use is made of the agency's resources.
To develop a programme for the development and implementation of resource accounting system by 31 March 1996;
To develop service level agreements with client bodies and broad assessments of the prices to be charged for each of these packages of services by 31 March 1996.
Efficiency of services
To continue the continuous market test of the design and consultancy function of the agency ensuring a 3 per cent. increase in achieved surplus of £368,000 over the previous market testing period.
Delivery of services
To have in place a service level agreement with the Health and Personal Social Services Management Executive for the provision of agreed services by 31 March 1996.
To complete by 31 March 1996 a comprehensive survey of client satisfaction with the type and quality of the agency's services. This survey will provide the baseline against which future client satisfaction levels will be measured.
To ensure that the following programme of work is completed: Issue of 70 guidance papers on matters of general safety as well as specific guidance on fire safety in residential care premises. Completion of the design and achievement of "practical completion" in respect of 25 schemes valued at £7.5 million. Completion of business cases for schemes with a value of £48 million.
Completion of planning of two schemes with a value of £74 million.
Police Complaints System
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will carry out a review of the police complaints system; and if he will make a statement. [37876]
Sir John Wheeler: After consultation with the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the Police Authority and the Independent Commission for Police Complaints, the
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Government have concluded that after seven years' operation of the current police complaints system, it is appropriate now to review it. This review constitutes another important part of the major process of review of the policing service in Northern Ireland, and will be co-ordinated with the wider reform of policing structures and with the fundamental review of policing needs which the Secretary of State announced in a speech at Queen's university on 25 August this year. The Government will be appointing an independent reviewer shortly to take forward the review. Copies of the terms of reference have been placed in the Library.The terms of reference make it clear that the Government want a fundamental and wide-ranging review which will include examination of the current system of investigating complaints into the behaviour of individual officers but will also consider how complaints against police policy and standards of service can be dealt with. The review will begin in November with a report being presented to me no later than May 1996. The results of the review, and the Government's proposals for taking them forward, will be made public.
I have no doubt that the reviewer will want to consult widely and I hope that, when comments are invited, all those with an interest will make their views known.
TRANSPORT
Lockerbie
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what actions have been taken concerning departmental action on bomb warnings since the meeting on 14 June 1989 between assistant secretary C. T. Harris and Mr. and Mrs. Martin Cadman, Lockerbie relatives, and Mr. Derek Dempster, a member of the Air Transport Users Committee. [37451]
Mr. Norris [holding answer 16 October 1995]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 6 March 1995, Official Report, column 55.
Aircraft Noise
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what plans he has to improve the criterion for controlling the noise of aircraft landing and taking off at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports; [36705]
(2) if the existing policy of controlling noise of aircraft landing and taking off at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted remains in force. [36701]
Mr. Norris: My right hon. Friend's policy on noise abatement measures at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted has not changed. A consultation paper proposing increased monitoring efficiency and reductions in the noise limits which apply to departing aircraft at these airports, was issued on 3 October. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House. The aircraft noise monitoring advisory committee, which reviewed the departure noise limits, will now study
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the feasibility of noise limits for landing aircraft at these airports.Travel Allowances
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what rates of travel allowance may be claimed by civil servants in his Department when using their own vehicles for official
business. [36371]
Mr. Norris: The present rates of travel allowance that may be claimed by civil servants in the centre of the Department of Transport and in the Highways Agency, Transport Research Laboratory, Coastguard Agency, Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency, Marine Safety Agency and Vehicle Certification Agency are:
|Up to |Over
|4,000 |4,000
Car (standard |miles |miles
rate)engine
capacity
-----------------------------------------------------------
Up to 1000cc |27p |15p
1001cc to 1500cc |35.7p |19p
1501cc to 2000cc |42p |23p
2001cc and above |46p |30p
Public transport r23.8p per mile
Motor cycles |Up to 125cc |Over 125cc
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Up to 4,000 miles
with third party insurance |14.6p |22.1p
with comprehensive insurance |16.2p |25.3p
Over 4,000 miles |6.1p |9p
Pedal cycles 6.2p per mile
The Driving Standards Agency figures are:
Per mile
Standard Rate |Up to 1500cc |1501-2000cc |Over 2000cc
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Up to 5,000 miles |35.7p |42p |46p
Over 5,000 miles |18p |22p |30p
The public transpor23p per mile
rate
Motor Cycles |Up to 125cc |Over 125cc
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Up to 4,000 miles third party
insurance |14.6p |22.1p
Comprehensive insurance |16.2p |25.3p
Over 4,000 miles |6.1p |9p
The pedal cycle allowance 6p per mile
The Vehicle Inspectorate Executive Agency figures are:
|First |Over
|5,000 |5,000
Engine size (cc) |miles |miles
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A Up to 1500 |35.7p |18p
Class B 1500-2000 |42p |22p
Class C Over 2000 |46p |28p
Public Transport Rat23p il Classes
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the total cost of travel expenses by civil servants using their own vehicles for official business in each of the last five years in his Department; and what would have been the saving in the last year if the maximum rate that could be claimed was set at the lowest rate.
Mr. Norris: The Department of Transport, including its agencies, holds no detailed record of this expenditure past the end of each financial year.
During 1994-95 the spend for the Department's Central Transport Group, together with the Highways Agency, Marine Safety Agency, Coastguard Agency, Vehicle Certification Agency, and Transport Research Laboratory was £1.418 million. If claims had been limited to the lowest level-that is, the public transport rate of 23.8p per mile-the spend would have been £944,000. Disaggregated figures for the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency, Driving Standards Agency and Vehicle Inspectorate Executive Agency are not available.
Traffic Measures, Newbury
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what detailed studies he undertook into traffic reductions in Newbury in order to alleviate the problems of congestion from local vehicles; (2) what on the ground measures he has undertaken to assess the environmental impacts of the Newbury bypass during the review period;
(3) what account he has taken of the findings of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution 18th report, with particular reference to recommendations 59 and 96, and possibilities and options for traffic reductions in the review of the A34 Newbury bypass and the subsequent decision to proceed with the road; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Watts: The inspector who held the public inquiry in 1988 agreed with the Department that the bypass would not solve all Newbury's traffic problems, but he did conclude that it would provide sufficient relief to enable local authorities to introduce effective measures to relieve the residual problems.
The recent study commissioned by my right hon. Friend for Peterborough (Dr. Mawhinney) looked at traffic management including the measures covered by RCEP recommendation 96 public transport and minimal improvements to the existing road as an alternative to the proposed bypass. The conclusion was that the benefit of such measures were constrained by the limited number of canal/river crossings and the congested junctions at either side. The bypass will allow the space for a new approach to transport and traffic in the town by removing the heavy through traffic.
The team which carried out the study based its work on existing environmental data collected for the public consultation and the two public inquiries, visiting the site to put this in context. In assessing the information thus collected, the team applied the current environmental assessment procedures set out in the Department of Transport's design manual for roads and bridges.
RCEP recommendation 59 was considered by the recent study, but the measures that this would involve would force more traffic on to local routes unsuited to heavy traffic, much of which would end up travelling longer distances. If the measures covered by RCEP recommendation 96 were implemented on their own, they could worsen the situation. By removing the through traffic, the bypass will allow the space for a new approach to transport and traffic in the town.
M25
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if it is possible to construct the additional lanes proposed for the M25 between junctions 14 and 15 without an expansion of the existing curtilage or boundaries of the M25 at this section;
(2) for what reasons the proposed widening of the M25 between junctions 13 and 15 announced by him on 3 April exceeds the capacity which the British Airports Authority has said would be sufficient to absorb additional traffic generated by the proposed additional terminal 5 at Heathrow;
(3) pursuant to his statement of 3 April, Official Report, columns 1391 93, to what extent his traffic forecast for the M25 in the area and approaches to Heathrow airport agrees with the findings of the reassessment following the publication of the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment report;
(4) how the traffic forecast on which he based his decision to plan the widening of the M25 to 10 and 12 lanes over most sections varied from the forecasts previously used in support of the M25 link road scheme, the abandonment of which he announced on 3 April; [36435] (5) if he will publish the traffic forecast for the M25 that he used when determining his decision to widen the motorway to 10 and 12 lanes over most sections;
(6) to what extent plans for additional motorway lanes proposed between junctions 12 and 16 of the M25 will require a reduction in the widths of the existing lanes or hard shoulder;
(7) what remedies or other arrangements he proposes for those people whose properties were covered by the compulsory purchase orders in connection with the defunct scheme for M25 link roads; (8) what were the findings of the reassessment of M25 traffic growth forecasts that stated he would publish after the receipt of the SACTRA report;
(9) what factors he intends to take into account when deciding whether to conduct a public inquiry into plans for the additional motorway lanes proposed between junctions 12 and 16 of the M25; (10) what assessment he has made of the effect of a refusal to grant planning permission in respect of BAA's application for Heathrow terminal 5 on the need to widen the M25 between junctions 13 and 15;
(11) to what extent the proposal to widen a section of the M25 to 12 and 10 lanes take into account (a) the recommendations of the Royal Commission on environmental pollution and (b) the SACTRA report; [36437]
(12) which sections of the M25 he intends shall not be widened to a standard of eight lanes.
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