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23 Nov 2005 : Column 1997W—continued
Inter-Trade Ireland Report
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the report commissioned by Inter-Trade Ireland on the regional development strategy for Northern Ireland and the national spatial strategy for the Republic of Ireland will be published. [29515]
Angela E. Smith: Inter-Trade Ireland plans to publish the report on the development of a potential framework for collaborative action between the Regional Development Strategy for Northern Ireland and the National Spatial Strategy for the Republic of Ireland in March 2006.
Investment Strategy
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to publish the Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland. [29481]
Angela E. Smith: The Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland will be published before the end of the year. The precise date has yet to be decided.
Locum Doctors
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his most recent estimate is of the number of locum doctors working in the NHS in Northern Ireland. [31056]
Mr. Woodward:
There is no comprehensive list of locum hospital doctors employed within the NI HPSS held centrally within the Department. However the Central Services Agency maintains a voluntary register of locum general medical practitioners which is used o
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circulate professional information. As at November 2005, there were 151 active locum general medical practitioners recorded on this register.
Housing
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what change there has been in the number of unfit dwellings in the Province in each of the past five years. [30123]
Mr. Hanson: The information is not available in the format requested. The level of unfitness for all housing tenures was 4.9 per cent. (31,600) in 2001 and 3.8 per cent. (25,600) in 2004.
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many private dwellings in Northern Ireland have been allocated heating and insulation grants in each of the last five years. [30124]
Mr. Hanson: Heating and insulation grants are provided to private dwellings through the Warm Homes Scheme and the number of homes that have benefited from grants is as follows.
Private sector grants for heating and insulation are also available, but the figures requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many dwellings have been built by housing associations in each constituency in Northern Ireland in each year since 2000. [30125]
Mr. Hanson: The number of houses completed for the five year period 2000–01 to 2004–05 is as follows.
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The figures include new build and houses purchased from the open market either in good condition or from rehabilitation, prior to letting. All are additions to social housing stock.
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many families in Northern Ireland were waiting for housing executive dwellings in each of the last five years; and what the trend in numbers on the housing list has been over the last 10 years. [30211]
Mr. Hanson: The information is not available in the format requested. The tables detail the total waiting list for applicants for social housing in Northern Ireland over the last 10 years.
The following tables demonstrate that the demand for social sector accommodation continues to rise steadily.
(14) Prior To November 2000 urgent need was defined as 'urgent housing need' i.e. priority 'A' group cases plus 'B' cases with 30 or more points.
(15) From November 2000 the definition changed from 'urgent housing need' to 'housing stress' i.e. households with 30 or more points.
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many senior citizens units have been built by housing associations in the Antrim borough council area in each of the last five years; [30810]
(2) how many senior citizens units have been built by housing associations in the Newtownabbey borough council area in each of the last five years. [30811]
Mr. Hanson: In the two areas mentioned the priority has been to try to stabilise the situation and balance supply and demand. Less popular accommodation in both areas has been demolished to remove blight. In Antrim the waiting list for small units of accommodation is being catered for through relets. In Newtownabbey there have recently been signs of growing stability to the extent that the development programme that is currently being prepared will make provision for an additional supply of small units over the next five years.
Against this background no units specifically for senior citizens have been built in Antrim over the past five years. In Newtownabbey 31 units were built in 2000–01 and 12 in 2002–03.
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Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many single person dwellings have been built by housing associations in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [30812]
Mr. Hanson: The number of houses completed, specifically for general needs and homeless singles occupation, are as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 51 |
| 2001–02 | 31 |
| 2002–03 | 47 |
| 2003–04 | 43 |
| 2004–05 | 45 |
Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many housing executive grants have been made in each constituency in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months. [30197]
Mr. Hanson: The information is not available in the format requested. However, payments made in each district council area between 1 November 2004 and 31 October 2005 are as follows:
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Dr. McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many houses are planned to be built to meet the needs of social housing over the next 12 months in each Northern Ireland constituency. [30689]
Mr. Hanson: Across Northern Ireland the target is to start 1,500 new social houses in 2005–06.
The Northern Ireland Housing Executive is responsible for assessing housing need and for prioritising the development programme. The following table shows a current gross programme of 1,836 houses. This will be netted down to 1,500 as the year progresses and the remainder will be deferred until the following financial year.
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