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Planning Applications
Mr. Forsythe: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if the European Union Directive on landfill of waste will be taken into account when current planning applications are being decided; [85922]
- (2) what arrangements are in place to take account of the views of objectors and their public representatives when deciding on contentious planning applications; [85919]
(3) from what date the European Union Directive on landfill of waste will be applied to planning applications in Northern Ireland. [85921]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
The emerging draft European Directive on landfill of waste is, and will continue to be, a material consideration in the assessment of planning applications. The weight to be given to the draft Directive will be influenced by its status at any given time. Greater weight will, of course, be attached when the Directive has been adopted. As regards taking account of the views of
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objectors and their public representatives when deciding contentious planning applications, all representations received, whether in favour of or against a proposal, are considered fully before a decision on an application is reached. If necessary, a public inquiry can be called.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which of her Special Advisers travelled to Washington and New York on 15 March; and if she will list the meetings which her Special Advisers held with members and officials of the United States Government during this visit, the dates and locations of each meeting, and the names of the US ministers and officials at each meeting. [86288]
Marjorie Mowlam:
I met Mr. S. Berger and Mr. J. Steinberg, the National and Deputy National Security Advisers at the National Security Council in Washington in March 1999. I also participated in other meetings including with Senators, Congressmen and the press. Mr. Warner accompanied me to these meetings.
The New York leg of the visit was cancelled because of developments in Northern Ireland.
Mr. William Ross:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the number of incidents of assault, attacks on houses and other property and intimidation reported to the RUC in the Fountain Estate/Wapping Lane area of Londonderry for the period from 1 April to the latest available date. [87037]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 15 June 1999]: Records indicate that there were eight incidents of assault in the Fountain Estate/Wapping Lane area of Londonderry from 1 April to 10 June 1999. No reports have been received by police of any incidence of attack on houses or other property nor of intimidation in that area during the period.
Ms Corston:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she has reached a view on the priorities for the promoting social inclusion element of the new targeting social need initiative; and how these will be taken forward. [87560]
Mr. McFall:
Following extensive consultation with a range of voluntary sector and other interests the Secretary of State has decided that the first four strands of work to be tackled under the Promoting Social Inclusion will be:
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Mr. Jim Murphy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for Driver and Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland in 1999-2000. [87562]
Marjorie Mowlam:
For 1999-2000 the following key performance targets have been set for the Agency:
Mr. Jim Murphy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in 1999-2000. [87563]
Marjorie Mowlam:
For 1999-2000, the following performance targets have been set out for PRONI:
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action to alleviate the needs of Travellers
a strategic approach to the needs of minority ethnic groups
the problems of teenage parenthood
strategies for making services more accessible to minority groups and others at risk of social exclusion--focusing firstly on how information can be presented and distributed in ways appropriate to their needs.
Working Groups will now be set up to examine each of these areas and to recommend effective ways of tackling social exclusion.
Output:
1. To dispatch 96 per cent. of registration books for new vehicles in 16 working days from receipt.
2. To dispatch 96 per cent. of refunds of vehicle excise duty in 10 working days from receipt.
3. To dispatch 96 per cent. of vehicle excise licences in five working days from receipt of postal application.
4. To dispatch 96 per cent. of duplicate vehicle registration books in six working days from receipt of applications.
5. To dispatch 92 per cent. of all driving licences in nine working days from receipt of applications.
6. To dispatch substantive replies to 97 per cent. of written inquiries for information from the drivers and vehicles registers in three working days from receipt.
Efficiency:
7. To limit maximum waiting time at Local Vehicle Licensing Offices so that 96 per cent. of customers are attended to within 22 minutes during peak periods (the first eight and the last two working days of each month) and within 10 minutes at other periods.
8. To meet an overall efficiency gain of 2.5 per cent.
Financial:
9. To reduce the unit cost per vehicle excise enforcement case by 0.5 per cent. in real terms compared to 1998-99.
Quality:
10. To limit the error rate (errors on any item sent out by the Agency) to a maximum of 0.5 per cent. of total Agency output.
Financial Performance
To meet the challenge of managing the Agency's workload by:
a) implementing the results of staff grading review so as to achieve a 3 per cent. efficiency gain while coping with a 4 per cent. increase in on-site public use of PRONI.
b) Ensuring that expenditure is within the financial limits approved by the Department.
Output
To appraise at least 4,500 linear metres of records, including the reappraisal of records so as to eliminate low-grade material.
To list and index at least 550 linear metres of records, including ensuring that 100 per cent. of all new "open" material is processed within one year of receipt.
Quality of Service
To maintain the extra 4 hours opening per week beyond the standard 37½ hours.
With the help of the computerised document request system, to improve the speed of on-site production to the public by reducing waiting time from 34 minutes to 30 minutes or less in 90 per cent. of cases.
To process customer queries within 10 working days of receipt in 90 per cent. of cases and within 14 working days in 96 per cent. of cases, thus maintaining PRONI's Citizen Charter commitment.
To ensure by 31 December 1999 the smooth completing of the annual release for 2000--c.2,000 records--as well as the on-going release of identified blocks of records at earlier than 30 years.
As part of a 10-year storage improvement programme, to survey the conditions in which 10 per cent. of 33,360 metres of records are stored, and, in a related exercise, to take remedial action on upgrading, c.1,800 linear-metres of records as presently stored on mobile shelving or in plan cases in Balmoral Avenue so as to bring them up to defined standards of archival protection.
To complete remedial conservation treatment (assessed overall as of medium technical difficulty) of at least 3,000 archive units, mainly from Grade 1 archives.
To provide standards of service which ensure that the number of unsatisfied customers does not exceed 2 per cent. as reflected in signed customers satisfaction questionnaires.
Efficiency
To reduce by 3 per cent. (from £198 to 192), PRONI's composite Unit Cost in the areas of selecting and accessioning, records listing, records storage, document production, reader services, correspondence, outreach, public photocopying conservation and security microfilming.
Industrial Research and Technology Unit
Mr. Bennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Industrial Research and Technology Unit for the financial year 1999-2000. [87564]
Mr. Ingram: The Industrial Research and Technology Unit is an Agency within the Department of Economic Development. Its prime strategic target is to raise the level of industrial R & D in Northern Ireland and in addressing this target the Agency also aims to operate efficiently and effectively and provide a quality service. Against this background the following key targets have been set for the Agency:
To achieve new user participation in the COMPLETE Programme of 20 per cent.
To increase the average industry contribution to projects funded under the COMPLETE Programme by 1 per cent.
To achieve an increase in R & D projects under the START Programme of 20 per cent.
To achieve full cost recovery for Scientific Services.
To maintain UKAS Accreditation for Scientific Services.
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