Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
29 Nov 2006 : Column 709Wcontinued
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Department uses an internal traffic light or colour-coded system in relation to written parliamentary questions; and whether his Department grades or classifies written parliamentary questions according to their (a) political sensitivity or (b) potential for embarrassment. [104118]
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give consideration to Ballykelly army base's topography and proximity to Eglinton Airport in determining a suitable location for the proposed Police Training College in Northern Ireland. [104150]
Paul Goggins: The Government's overriding priority is to make sure that we have a new, high quality police college. Ministers have been exploring all avenues, including the Ballykelly army base, to ensure that the project provides value for money. The Cookstown site, which was identified following an extensive exercise, remains the preferred site for the new college.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Valuation and Lands Agency expects to commence work on the next domestic rates revaluation in Northern Ireland. [104116]
Mr. Hanson: Any future revaluation is entirely a devolved matter and the timing of any such revaluation will be something for the restored Northern Ireland Assembly to decide.
When the date is set for the next domestic rates revaluation the Valuation and Lands Agency will need to start its work about 2Â1/2 years prior to the effective date of the revaluation. Currently the next revaluation is scheduled for 2012.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many, and what proportion of, households will experience seeing (a) an increase by one per cent. or more, (b) a decrease by one per cent. or more and (c) no change, before the application of transitional relief, as a result of the rates revaluation in (i) Northern Ireland as a whole and (ii) each district area. [104120]
Mr. Hanson: The following table sets out the number and proportion experiencing an increase of 1 per cent. or more, a decrease of 1 per cent or more and no change, for each council area and for Northern Ireland as a whole.
Council area | Increase by 1 per cent. or more (Number) | Increase by 1 per cent. or more (%.) | Decrease by 1 per cent. or more (Number) | Decrease by 1 per cent. or more (%) | No change (Number) | No change (%) |
Note: Some of the percentages may no total 100 per cent. due to rounding |
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many neighbourhood geo-codes there are in Northern Ireland for the purposes of the domestic rates revaluation. [104130]
Mr. Hanson: There are 915 neighbourhoods recorded in Northern Ireland by the Valuation and Lands Agency for the purposes of the domestic rates revaluation.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Northern Ireland domestic rates revaluation is planned to be revenue-neutral once transitional relief is phased out. [104138]
Mr. Hanson: The level of resource raised post 2008 will be contingent on the rate set by central and local government. The domestic rates revaluation is revenue neutral in 2007-08. The current reforms will change the distribution of the tax base.
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans there are to promote the water-based tourist potential of the River Bann at Coleraine. [104020]
Maria Eagle: Waterways Ireland through the implementation of its Marketing and Promotion Strategy actively promotes the Lower Bann navigation and the facilities at or adjacent to it. The strategy, now in its third year of implementation, combines both destination and product-marketing aspects and is delivered through an integrated set of tactics in order that the marketing needs of the different target groups can be satisfied.
Waterways Ireland also runs a Sponsorship Programme whereby it sponsors local water based events of which three were held on the Lower Bann in 2006.
The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) has identified Activity Tourism which includes angling and water sports as one of five winning themes in its Strategic Framework for Action. A new activity brochure will be produced in early spring representing a range of outdoor activities throughout Northern Ireland, plus a new website:
www.outdooractivitiesni.com
Currently the Lower Bann features on www.discovernnorthernireland.com NITBs consumer website with links to other websites, in particular the Bann System website www.bannsystem.com which provides detailed information on fishing on the river.
Next Section | Index | Home Page |