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Sewage Treatment Facilities (Sion Mills)

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many households are served by sewage treatment facilities at Sion Mills, Co. Tyrone; and what additional capacity there is in these facilities to serve future housing developments within the Sion Mills area. [183220]

Mr. Spellar: The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
 
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Letter from Mrs. Katharine Bryan to Mr. David Burnside:

You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a parliamentary question (No. 2316) about the number of households served by sewage treatment facilities in Sion Mills and the additional capacity to serve future housing developments within the Sion Mills area. The Chief Executive of Water Service was asked to respond as the issue falls within her operational responsibility, and I am replying on her behalf as she is currently on annual leave.

The existing Sion Mills Wastewater Treatment Works serves approximately 1,100 domestic households in Sion Mills. It also serves some non-residential development. It is recognized that the existing Treatment Works does not have the capacity to deal with any significant additional loading.

However, as part of the major investment programme aimed at improving waste water infrastructure across Northern Ireland, Water Service is planning to upgrade the Sion Mills Wastewater Treatment Works at an estimated cost of £1 million. The scheme is programmed to commence on site in April 2005 and to be completed in March 2006, subject to completion of all the statutory processes including obtaining Crown Development planning approval. The new Works will be designed to cater for future development in the Sion Mills area up to the year 2030.

Stormont

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action has been taken against the person or persons responsible for the lapse in security surrounding the breach of security at Stormont; and what security responsibilities those people still carry out. [182613]

Mr. Pearson: I assume the hon. Lady is referring to the case of William Mackessy. His case is still sub judice and I cannot comment further. I can however say, as the Government have said before, that we have taken the alleged intelligence-gathering operation at Stormont very seriously. An audit of security procedures in the NIO has been carried out by the Security Service and action regarding the recommendations is under way.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the financial cost of the breach of security at Stormont has been to date; what the anticipated cost is; and how many people have been displaced as a result. [182614]

Mr. Pearson: The cost to date of the security breach, as a result of which the personal details of 1,426 prison staff were found to be in possession of the Provisional IRA, is approximately £17 million. This is comprised of the cost of the Assisted Home Removal Scheme and the cost of security measures for those staff who decided to remain in their homes. These figures do not include the cost of the SPED Scheme operated by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

The anticipated cost is likely to be approximately £30 million. Some officers have still to find new permanent accommodation, not all the security work has been completed and a number of claims by staff for reparation for the stress suffered as a result of the security breach are being considered.

454 staff moved home under the Assisted Home Removals Scheme.
 
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Titanic Quarter

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what consultation he intends to hold, and with what organisations, in the development of the area known as the Titanic Quarter, [182605]

(2) what plans he has to put planning restrictions in place in the area known as the Titanic Quarter whilst development plans are being considered. [182607]

Angela Smith: There are already in place a range of planning restrictions over development the Titanic Quarter. These are contained in a variety of documents including, including the Regional Development Strategy 2025, the Belfast Harbour Local Plan 1990–2005, the Belfast Urban Area Plan 2001, and relevant Planning Policy Statements. In addition protection has given to a number of historic buildings and sites, as Listed Buildings and Scheduled Monuments.

A specific framework for the future development of Titanic Quarter is likely to be brought forward in the Draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan 2015 (BMAP) which is due to be published in the autumn of 2004.

In the run-up to its publication, all Northern Ireland Government Departments will have been consulted. Additionally, upon publication of the Plan, all interested organisations and individuals will be afforded the opportunity to make comment on any proposals contained therein in accordance with the provisions of the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991.

Urban Regeneration/Community Development Grants

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give details of the weaknesses identified in the Auditor General's Report, NIA 41/03, HC 673 on the financial and monitoring control of urban regeneration and community development grants to voluntary and community bodies. [183062]

Mr. Spellar: The Comptroller and Auditor General's report of 2002–03 identified the following weaknesses in the financial and monitoring control arrangements within the Urban Regeneration and Community Development Group:

failure by the Department to ensure that proper tendering procedures were followed by groups, including obtaining quotations as appropriate;

overpayment of grant by the Department due to clerical error, for example, where staff had failed to identify ineligible expenditure claimed by one group and incorrectly calculated grant due in another instance;

failure of Department to ensure actual receipts supporting grant claims accurately matched the letter of offer analysis of expenditure;

failure by the Department to ensure groups had physically received goods before paying grant;

failure by the Department to ensure project progress and final evaluation reports outlining the outputs achieved against targets were received in accordance with letters of offer before paying final grant instalments; and

instances were noted where the Department had failed to rigorously check that grant had been applied by groups as intended by letters of offer. For example, in one case grant was paid towards salary costs in respect of a post which has not yet been filled.

 
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To remedy the weaknesses the Department for Social Development has put in place the following:

(i) the establishment of Business Support Units (BSU) in four of the URCDG Directorates to promote Best Practice and undertake monitoring and verification of funded projects. Best Practice is further shared throughout the Group by way of a URCDG BSU Forum;

(ii) the introduction of enhanced monitoring in the North West Development Office by way of project visits;

(iii) the development of a new Contract for Funding (CFF) (formerly Letter of Offer) and training of staff on the revised CFF.

(iv) a greater focus on monitoring of expenditure and project evaluation

Full details of the Auditor General's findings are contained in his Report which was laid

Victim Support

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made by Victim Support Northern Ireland in implementing the recommendations contained in the external review conducted by PA consultants in May 2003. [183388]

Mr. Spellar: Victim Support Northern Ireland (VSNI) is core funded by Government to provide support, practical help and information to victims of crime in Northern Ireland. In accordance with the conditions of grant, an external review of VSNI was completed by PA Consulting in May 2003.

In June 2003, VSNI agreed an implementation plan for the recommendations. Government has closely monitored the progress made on these recommendations through progress reports and quarterly bilateral meetings with VSNI.

On 14 June 2004 my officials met with the Chair and Senior Management Team of VSNI to discuss in detail the progress made on the recommendations and a revised implementation plan with timescales was prepared.

A number of recommendations have been completed and it is anticipated that over half of the 83 recommendations made should be completed by the end of 2004.

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