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13 Dec 2004 : Column 929W—continued
Social Housing
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new social housing units have been built in the Lagan Valley constituency in each year since 1997. [204015]
Mr. Spellar: Details of numbers of social housing units started in the Lagan Valley constituency in each year since 1997 are as follows:
| Number of units | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 170 |
| 1998–99 | 137 |
| 1999–2000 | 229 |
| 2000–01 | 73 |
| 2001–02 | 9 |
| 2002–03 | 113 |
| 2003–04 | 114 |
Special Advisers
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in his Department between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 and when each appeal was lodged; [201377]
(2) whether he has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for special advisers in his Department since its implementation. [201294]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Ruth Kelly) on 8 December 2004, Official Report, column 578W.
13 Dec 2004 : Column 930W
Truth and Reconciliation Processes
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with which groups he has discussed possible truth and reconciliation processes in the Province. [202030]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Following my statement to Parliament earlier this year, setting out my priorities and objectives for taking forward this work, my initial focus has been on taking private soundings. My deliberations have benefited from comments from a range of parties, both directly and in correspondence, and have also taken account of the wide range of views expressed in the course of Angela Smith's recent consultation with victims and their families in the context of developing the next phase of victims' strategies.
The Government are clear that any process for dealing with the past in Northern Ireland must be one that all sections of the community can feel comfortable with and be involved in. While my consultation has, to date, been at an individual and private level, I recognise the need for this to become a much wider exercise which takes account of the needs and concerns of all people across Northern Ireland, and I hope to announce how this process will be extended in the new year.
Ulster Defence Association
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make it his policy that (a) the Government and (b) organisations supported by the Government will direct no settlement or compensatory payment to the UDA, their members or associates. [203047]
Mr. Spellar: The UDA is a proscribed organisation and receives no Government payments. UDA membership or association does not of course prohibit individuals from receiving Government payments, compensatory or otherwise, to which they may be entitled for other reasons.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
John Mann: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many of those applying for antisocial behaviour orders in the past 12 months were registered social landlords. [204166]
Keith Hill: The number of antisocial behaviour orders, as notified to the Home Office, where the main complainant was a registered social landlord is as follows:
Data for the 3rd quarter of 2004 will be published in January 2005.
Avon Fire Brigades Union
Nick Harvey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the resolution submitted to his Department by the Avon Fire Brigades Union with reference to the future provision of fire and rescue control centres in the region. [199825]
13 Dec 2004 : Column 931W
Mr. Raynsford: I have refused the request for a public inquiry. In a letter sent on 29 November 2004 to the chair of the South West Regional Management Board, I explained that there was no sound reason for initiating a public inquiry at this stage in the project. Any such inquiry would inevitably delay the whole national programme which will improve the capability and resilience of fire control operations.
The Regional Control Centre project is itself a result of an independent review of fire and rescue control rooms by Mott MacDonald, which concluded in 2000 that current arrangements were costly and inefficient.
When the Government consulted widely on the report in December last year there was broad support for the regional control centre approach. Earlier this year all Chairs of Regional Management Boards formally offered their commitment to making the project a success, including the Chair of the SW RMB.
It is important to emphasise that this is a national project, designed to modernise and improve the quality of controls all over the country and to achieve national resilience by enabling control centres in all the regions to back each other up in the event of an emergency.
The Government could not support any package of proposals that would lead to a worse Fire and Rescue Service.
The modernisation of the Service and the establishment of regional fire control centres is not about cuts—it is about creating a better, more efficient Fire and Rescue Service that saves more lives.
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total cost to his Department was for accountancy services in each of the last two years. [202450]
Phil Hope: The total cost to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for accountancy services for the last two years was as follows:
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 3,317,568 |
| 2003–04 | 3,133,224 |
These services are provided in-house.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his estimate is of the cost of (a) ministerial cars and drivers and (b) taxis for his Department in each of the last two years. [202452]
Phil Hope: The information is as follows:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 13 November 2003, Official Report, columns 397–98W by my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley, South (Mr. Alexander). A letter was deposited in the Library in relation to this response which gave the cost of ministerial cars for 2002–03.
13 Dec 2004 : Column 932W
My hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, West (Ruth Kelly) asked Nick Matheson, Chief Executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency to write to the hon. Member with details of the cost of ministerial vehicles provided to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 2003–04.
The cost of taxis used by Ministers and officials of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and its agencies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his estimate is of the cost of building refurbishment carried out by his Department in each of the last two years. [202455]
Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 1 September 2004, Official Report, column 745W.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost of refurbishing each ministerial private office was in the last two years. [202456]
Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not undertaken any refurbishment projects in its ministerial private offices in the last two years.
EU Directives
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the European Union directives and regulations relating to his Department that have been implemented in each of the last two years, specifying the (a) title and purpose of each, (b) cost to public funds of each and (c) cost to businesses of each. [202465]
Phil Hope: The information is as follows:
(a) During the last two years the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has implemented one Directive: 2001/42/EC on the assessment of the environmental effects of certain plans and programmes (the "Strategic Environmental Assessment" or SEA Directive).
(b) The Regulatory Impact Assessment for this Directive includes estimates of the overall cost of compliance and copies are available in the library of the House and available on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website.
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