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23 Nov 2006 : Column 198Wcontinued
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reasons money owed by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) to its staff is being withheld; what amount of money is owed by NIAS to its staff; how many NIAS staff are affected; and when the money is expected to be paid. [100950]
Paul Goggins:
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) is not withholding any money owed to staff. In line with Departmental guidance the Service is
currently progressing a 2.5 per cent. uplift in staff salaries, backdated to 1 April 2006, which will be paid in December 2006 salaries. This is to compensate staff still on Whitley pay scales who have not yet been assigned to Agenda for Change (AfC) pay scales.
The implementation date for the introduction of the AfC pay scales was 1 October 2004, The matching and assimilation of ambulance service posts and pay scales under AfC is not yet complete and therefore the basic salaries of staff have yet to be determined. All Health and Social Services Trusts throughout Northern Ireland have been tasked with completing the job matching process by March 2007. When the new salary scales are agreed any arrears due will be backdated to 1 October 2004.
In recognition that staff had entitlement to new terms and conditions of employment under AfC from 1 October 2004, NIAS has been making stage payments for unsociable hours. The next stage payment, due in January 2007, will be for unsociable hours worked from 1 April to 31 December and will apply to some 700 staff.
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what advice the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) provided to the Department of Regional Development on planning policy in rural areas. [102703]
David Cairns: The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) has provided advice to the Department of Regional Development (DRD) on a range of planning policy issues in rural areas, including on Planning Policy Statements and planning issues contained within the Regional Development Strategy, and in offering guidance on rural proofing as and when requests arose from DRD.
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he plans to end positive discrimination in police recruitment in Northern Ireland. [101383]
Paul Goggins: The temporary 50:50 recruitment measures are being applied in order to provide a more representative police service in Northern Ireland. The goal is to achieve a 30 per cent. Catholic composition by 2010-11. Annexe B of the St Andrews Agreement makes it clear that the 50:50 arrangement will lapse when the target for Catholic officers has been achieved.
Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the planned timetable is for the completion of the upgrading and replacement of the Stranmillis Road foul and storm drainage system. [101852]
David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has written to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
Letter from Mrs. Katharine Bryan, dated 23 November 2006:
You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a parliamentary question about what the planned timetable is for the completion of the upgrading and replacement of the Stranmillis Road foul and storm drainage system (101852). I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Water Service.
At a meeting with Water Service officials in December 2004, you were advised that a major upgrading of the public sewer at Stranmillis Road was included in the capital investment programme to begin during the 2005-06 financial year. Subsequent investigations carried out by Water Service indicated that the proposed work could result in serious flooding occurring at the junction of the Stranmillis Road and Malone Road and, as a result, commencement was deferred. Water Service informed you, and local residents, of the position in April 2006 and gave an undertaking that, pending the outcome of further investigations, the existing system would be inspected on a regular basis and any blockages would be removed as quickly as possible.
The latest investigations have concluded that the overall solution to the drainage problems involves the upgrading and replacement of the sewers over a much wider area. This will require a major programme of work and incur significant expenditure. As the commencement of the work will depend on a number of factors, including the availability of funding, I cannot, at this stage, provide a firm timetable. I will, however, ensure that you are kept informed of developments.
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much public funding is scheduled to be spent on upgrading the Ballymena-Coleraine-Londonderry rail line in the 2006-07 financial year. [101368]
David Cairns: Translink has advised that it expects to spend £635,000 in the 2006-07 financial year on the Ballymena-Coleraine-Londonderry rail line. This is to maintain services at present levels rather than to upgrade services.
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what surplus (a) properties and (b) land are owned by Water Service in Northern Ireland; what the value of each is; and when a decision will be made on the future of each. [101339]
David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
Letter from Mrs Katharine Bryan, dated 21 November 2006:
You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland about what surplus (a) properties and (b) land is owned by Water Service in Northern Ireland; what the valuation is in each case; and when a decision will be made on future sakes of each (101339). I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility.
Water Service disposes of land declared surplus to requirements based on guidance for public sector bodies published by the Valuation and Lands Agency. Water Service records of surplus assets do not differentiate between properties
and land, and the information could only be provided in the format requested at disproportionate cost. The attached schedule sets out combined details of all Water Service property and land
which are potentially surplus. The decision on future sales of land is taken on an individual basis as the land comes to the end of the disposal process.
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