You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page
20 Oct 2004 : Column 809W—continued

Equal Opportunities Commission

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many claims brought to the Equal Opportunities Commission have been settled by the accused employer paying a token sum to the plaintiff in the last two years; [192113]

(2) how many cases brought by the Equal Opportunities Commission have been overturned by the courts in the last two years; and what the resulting cost to public funding was in each case. [192112]

Mr. Spellar: Under the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland took over responsibility for the functions previously exercised by the Equal Opportunities Commission. I have asked the Chief Executive of the Equality Commission to write to the hon. Gentleman. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

Hazardous Waste

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the landfill sites in Northern Ireland; and which of them are able to accept hazardous waste. [191953]

Angela Smith: There are currently 47 licensed landfill sites, in Northern Ireland, authorised to accept waste for disposal. A list of these sites follows. There are currently no landfill sites or 'permitted' facilities in Northern Ireland authorised to accept special (hazardous) waste.

Current Licensed Landfill Sites in Northern Ireland:


 
20 Oct 2004 : Column 810W
 

Housing (Blackstaff Ward)

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what housing needs assessments have been conducted in the Blackstaff ward of south Belfast. [192439]

Mr. Spellar: An area appraisal of 1,000 homes was undertaken in 1994–95 and in 1999–2000 a condition survey of 1,300 properties was carried out. In 2002 consultants produced a wide-ranging report for future regeneration of the area and the options are currently being developed and costed with a view to consulting the community in January 2005. A further Urban Renewal Area assessment of 1,377 properties was carried out in 2002.

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the extent to which lead piping is being used in (a) private and (b) Housing Executive housing in the Blackstaff ward. [192440]

Mr. Spellar: A survey has been carried out in the Blackstaff ward to assess the extent to which lead piping is still being used. The results of the survey will be available very shortly and I will write to the hon. Member with the information.
 
20 Oct 2004 : Column 811W
 

Lead piping is no longer used in any new work. In addition, the executive replaces all such piping during work to its own stock and there is a requirement to replace it in private sector grant aided work.

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Housing Executive sold any of its empty houses in the Blackstaff ward to private purchases. [192441]

Mr. Spellar: The most recent figures readily available show that over the last seven years the Housing Executive has sold 70 properties on the open market in this ward to private purchasers.

Housing Executive

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what comparative data he has collated on the findings of inspections of the quality of contractors' work in each of the Housing Executive areas in Belfast. [192442]

Mr. Spellar: The Housing Executive is progressively implementing Egan contract arrangements, which provide for performance assessment and where necessary action to be taken to ensure the quality of the work. Comparative data on the quality of contractor's work is not collated by the Housing Executive.

Irish Language

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will encourage local government departments to terminate their Irish language policies. [191276]

Angela Smith: The Government has no plans to change its policy in the manner requested.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what costs have arisen from adopting an Irish language policy in each of the Government departments since April 1998. [190594]

Angela Smith: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave on 13 October 2004, Official Report column 312W.

Magilligan-Greencastle Ferry

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on how the Magilligan-Greencastle ferry service has been funded since its introduction. [190599]

Mr. Spellar: Since being introduced funding for the ferry service has been provided jointly by Limavady borough council and Donegal county council.

NIBEP

Mr. Mallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action has been taken to ensure that (a) pupils' work placements in Northern Ireland and (b) the network of local Business Education Partnerships do not suffer as a result of the closure of Northern Ireland Business Education Partnerships (NIBEP); and what steps have been taken to ensure that the knowledge and information system developed by NIBEP as a basis for planning in this area are not lost. [190658]


 
20 Oct 2004 : Column 812W
 

Mr. Gardiner: As an interim measure and to minimise inconvenience where Charter Work Experience (NIBEP's work placement programme) is the mechanism used to make arrangements for placements, my Department has approved arrangements made by NIBEP with Business in the Community for Charter's staff to continue to work up to the end of May 2005. This will facilitate placements which are currently in the pipeline.

The local Business Education Partnerships had in recent months set up a Network which NIBEP was supporting. The Departments consider the Network to be of value and have indicated to it that while they could not support it by providing staff, they would be prepared to consider a proposal for modest funding as an interim measure.

At the time of, or shortly before, NIBEP's closure arrangements are to be made to uplift all of NIBEP's relevant information sources to the Department of Education, including NIBEP's Programme Management database.

Next Section Index Home Page