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21 Mar 2006 : Column 206W—continued
Festivals
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much public money has been made available to support the (a) West Belfast Festival and (b) Belfast Saint Patrick's Day Parade and festival in each year since its inception. [53148]
Mr. Hanson:
Details of the public monies made available to support the (a) West Belfast Festival and (b) Belfast Saint Patrick's Day Parade and festival are given in the following table.
21 Mar 2006 : Column 207W
This information may not be complete for the following reasons:
(a) Departments have no records of financial assistance awarded to the West Belfast Festival prior to the 1994–95 financial year.
(b) Departments have no records of financial assistance awarded to the St. Patrick's Day Parade and festival prior to the 1999–2000 financial year.
(c) The Northern Ireland Tourist Board has no records of financial assistance awarded to events prior to 1998–99.
Home Information Packs
Mr. Pickles:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Government intend
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to introduce home information packs in Northern Ireland. [59179]
Mr. Hanson: The future direction as regards the introduction of home information packs will be determined as part of a major project to review current land law and conveyance legislation and practice in Northern Ireland which is due to commence in April 2006.
Housing
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2006, Official Report, column 370W, on housing, what the total unpaid Housing Executive rent was in each district in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years; and what steps are being taken to recover outstanding amounts. [58280]
Mr. Hanson: The total of unpaid Housing Executive rent in each district in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years from 1996 to 2005 is detailed in the following table.
The Housing Executive inform me that the steps taken to recover outstanding amounts include a range of debt counselling/prevention procedures including arrangements through the Citizen's Advice Bureau. £11.5 million of debt is being recovered through voluntary and statutory means (including attachment to earnings and recovery from state benefits). On average NIHE recover possession of 150 properties through court action on grounds of rent arrears each year.
(5)The figures quoted are at the end of the financial year i.e. 31 March and include debt
from previous years.
(6)This figure was previously quoted as 17,751 which included an amount of unrecoverable debt which has since been written off.
Note:
The figures quoted in the totals, which are correct, do not match the total of each of the columns due to these amounts being rounded to three figures.
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Mobile Telephone Masts
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new applications for mobile telephone masts are in the planning system in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) each council area in Northern Ireland. [59473]
Angela E. Smith: There are a total of 46 current telecommunication applications in the planning system in Northern Ireland.
Details of the number of current telecommunication applications in each council area are provided in the following table.
Please note that these figures refer to applications to construct or add to existing telecommunication masts.
Non-departmental Public Bodies (Political Allegiance)
Mr. Gregory Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the last 50 people
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appointed to non-departmental public bodies in Northern Ireland for whom a party political allegiance was ascertained were allied to each party. [57975]
Angela E. Smith: Those appointed to the boards of non-departmental public bodies are not required to declare their political allegiance. However, they are asked to declare any significant political activity they may have undertaken in the five years prior to the date of their application. Information on the declared political activity of applicants and appointees to bodies sponsored by Northern Ireland's 11 government departments can be found in the Public Appointments Annual Report, and similar details in respect of NIO sponsored bodies is included in the NIO Departmental Report. Copies of the latest versions of both these reports are available from the Library of the House and can be found on the internet at www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/public-appointments and www.nio.gov.uk/departmental_report_2005.pdf respectively.
As at 10 March 2006, the political affiliation of the last 51 1 individuals put forward for appointment to non-departmental public bodies in Northern Ireland as elected representatives is as follows:
1 As several elected representatives were appointed on the same date, it is not possible to list the exact last 50 appointments.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Alliance | 4 |
| DUP | 14 |
| SDLP | 12 |
| Sinn Fein | 8 |
| UUP | 11 |
| Others | 2 |
| Total | 51 |
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