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2 Mar 2004 : Column 855W—continued
Assets Recovery Agency
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures are in place to monitor the operation of the Assets Recovery Agency in Northern Ireland. [156604]
Jane Kennedy: The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 requires the Director of the Agency to prepare an annual plan setting out how she intends to exercise her functions during the financial year. The plan includes a statement of the objectives and any performance targets and sets out in particular how the Director intends to exercise her functions in Northern Ireland. It is referred to the Secretary of State for approval.
The Director must, as soon as possible after the end of each financial year, prepare a report on how she has exercised her functions during the financial year.
I receive regular progress reports from the Agency's Director and the Assistant Director.
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the budget of the Assets Recovery Agency has been in each year since its creation. [156630]
Jane Kennedy: The Assets Recovery Agency became operational on 24 February 2003. Budget and resource allocation is a matter for the Home Office. The Agency's initial budget for the United Kingdom for 2003–04 is £13 million.
Car Thefts
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many car thefts there were in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [156379]
Jane Kennedy: The information is set out in the following table.
| Number of thefts/ unauthorised taking of motor vehicles | |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 7,983 |
| 1999–2000 | 8,038 |
| 2000–01 | 8,563 |
| 2001–02 | 9,005 |
| 2002–03 | 8,317 |
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Ceasefire Breaches
David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how he defines a breach of a ceasefire; and whether any breaches of ceasefires have been made by the (a) Provisional IRA, (b) UDA and (c) UVF since 1 January. [156669]
Jane Kennedy: The Secretary of State, in making a judgment on the status of a paramilitary ceasefire, takes account of all relevant considerations, and in particular those set out in Section 3(9) of the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998. The Government do not comment on specific intelligence matters. I call upon all paramilitary groupings to stop all forms of violent activity.
Civil Service Numbers
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants in Northern Ireland have resigned from the Civil Service as a result of the ongoing pay dispute; what recent steps he has taken to resolve the dispute; and if he will make a statement. [156977]
Mr. Pearson: As far as I am aware no civil servants in Northern Ireland have resigned from the Civil Service as a result of the current pay dispute. Extensive negotiations over several months did not result in an agreed pay deal for the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration this year. Management Side presented an offer worth 3.67 per cent. on 5 November. As this could not be agreed, and Trade Union Side declined to negotiate within the 3.67 per cent. envelope, we took the decision to proceed to pay the award and communicated this to staff and Trade Union Side on 27 November. I have made clear to Trade Union Side that the 3.67 per cent. deal is the maximum that can be paid. We are however open to exploring other reasonable means of resolving the dispute. The latest meeting of the Central Whitley Council between Trade Union and Management Sides took place on Thursday, 19 February, and we have agreed to hold further negotiations as a matter of urgency.
Members of the NI Civil Service working in the Northern Ireland Office are subject to separate pay negotiations involving three Unions: NIPSA, PCS and the PDA. A formal offer of 3 per cent. was made to the Unions but was rejected. NIO intend to proceed to pay the award at the end of March.
Community Care (Delayed Discharges Etc) Act
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Act 2003 in addressing delayed discharges from hospitals; and what plans he has to introduce similar provisions in Northern Ireland. [157653]
Angela Smith: I refer the hon. Lady to my answer on 3 November 2003, Official Report, column 394W. The Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Act 2003, which became fully operational on 5 January 2004, places duties upon the NHS and councils relating to communication between authorities and introduces financial incentives to promptly assess and transfer patients. It is therefore premature to make an assessment
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of the effectiveness of these new arrangements. I am not planning to introduce similar provisions in Northern Ireland for the reasons I have previously set out.
Drug Use
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the work of Life Education Centres in prevention of drug use through education in Northern Ireland; and if he will make further funding available to enable the expansion of this work throughout Northern Ireland. [147381]
Jane Kennedy: An evaluation report based on a 3-school sample was received in April 2002.
Funding has been pledged which will allow the work of the first Life Education Centre to continue and funding has been secured to operate a second Centre until March 2004. Consideration is currently being given to continue this funding to March 2006. There are, however, no plans to extend the present provision of Life Education Centres in Northern Ireland.
Health Services
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many MRI scans were performed in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [156322]
Angela Smith: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Homelessness
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many homeless people there are
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in Northern Ireland; and what the figures were for each of the past 10 years. [151207]
Mr. Spellar: At 31 December 2003, 5,133 households accepted by the Housing Executive as being statutorily homeless were on its waiting list to be permanently re-housed.
Over the last 10 financial years the numbers who presented to the Housing Executive as being homeless and those accepted by it as statutorily homeless are as follows:
| Number presented | Number accepted | |
|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 16,426 | 8,580 |
| 2001–02 | 14,164 | 7,374 |
| 2000–01 | 12,694 | 6,457 |
| 1999–2000 | 10,997 | 5,192 |
| 1998–99 | 11,552 | 4,997 |
| 1997–98 | 12,672 | 4,956 |
| 1996–97 | 11,092 | 4,708 |
| 1995–96 | 10,768 | 4,319 |
| 1994–95 | 10,068 | 4,014 |
| 1993–94 | 9,731 | 3,971 |
Housing Executive Properties
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Housing Executive properties there were in each Northern Ireland housing district in each year since 2000; what steps he is taking to increase the number; and if he will make a statement. [157666]
Mr. Spellar: The following table sets out the number of Housing Executive properties in each of its district office areas at the end of each financial year since 2000.
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Independent research commissioned by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and carried out by the University of Ulster/University of Cambridge estimates a need for between 1,400 and 1,500 new homes per annum. The responsibility for providing all new social housing in Northern Ireland now lies with Registered Housing Associations.
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