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20 Apr 2007 : Column 856W—continued
Northern Ireland Water
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what septic tank emptying service Northern Ireland Water has offered since 1 April 2007; what charges are planned for this service; what revenue is expected in each of the next three financial years; and if he will make a statement; [133315]
(2) what the status is of the septic tank emptying agreements between Northern Ireland Water and households in Northern Ireland; what direct communication the households concerned have received on the alteration of the agreements; and if he will make a statement. [133316]
David Cairns: The Water and Sewerage Services (NI) Order 2006 transferred responsibility for the delivery of water and sewerage services from the Department’s Water Service Agency to a statutory water and sewerage undertaker. A government-owned company, Northern Ireland Water (NIW) has been appointed as the undertaker and the issues raised are operational matters for it. I have asked the Chief Executive of NIW (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to these questions.
Proscribed Organisations
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his assessment is of (a) recruitment, (b) weapons procurement, (c) bomb making capability and (d) other recent activity by dissident Republican paramilitary organisations. [132478]
Mr. Hain: As stated in the fourteenth IMC report, dissident republicans continue their attempts to recruit members and to procure and develop weapons. Dissident republicans have proved they are capable of making munitions and are a real and capable threat, as the recent find of a sophisticated mortar device in Lurgan demonstrates. While they continue to be intent on causing serious harm, I have every confidence in the PSNI’s ability to deal with this threat
Regeneration
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which communities have received funding from the Renewing Communities programme since the establishment of the scheme; and how much each received. [132281]
Mr. Hanson: The Renewing Communities programme was established April 2006 as a wide range of over 60 actions spread across eight Government Departments. It incorporates existing policies and programmes that are central to Government’s efforts in tackling deprivation wherever it exists. These are mainstream programmes involving allocations of funding in excess of £200 million and supporting disadvantaged communities across all of Northern Ireland.
In addition, a smaller number of pilot projects have been developed to target disadvantaged communities and to test new ideas and new ways of working to combat specific aspects of local deprivation. These pilot projects account for an annual budget of approximately £14 million over the two years 2006-08. Careful analysis of these projects will show that many are open to participants and communities from across the traditional divide. While we are barely half way through what is a two year funding initiative, it is too early to report accurately on the actual spend in specific communities. However, it is worth noting that around one third of all the Renewing Communities Actions are specifically targeted on pilot programmes in single identity Protestant communities experiencing some of the worst levels of deprivation.
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps were taken to ensure that (a) the Renewing Communities programme and (b) the projects supported by funding from that scheme honoured the equality provisions as laid out in the Northern Ireland Act 1998; and if he will make a statement. [132282]
Mr. Hanson: In developing the Renewing Communities Action Plan, all Government Departments were asked to identify existing policies and programmes that were relevant to addressing the needs of disadvantaged communities, including those in Protestant areas, in line with recommendations made in the cross-departmental Taskforce Report published in April 2006. This included two emerging programmes in the Children and Young People’s package and the Skills and Science package announced in early 2006. Each of these major policies and programmes, forming the core of Government’s response, have already been subjected to equality screening by the responsible lead Department.
Also included in the Renewing Communities Action Plan are a number of initiatives designed to try new ideas for tackling specific aspects of deprivation and to
test new ways to work with and in disadvantaged communities. After thorough evaluation and assessment, if these projects prove successful, then the appropriate lead Department will take steps to roll out successful programmes across all communities experiencing similar deprivation. At this stage the lead Department will be required to carry out an equality assessment prior to the introduction of any new policy.
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the operation of the Renewing Communities programme since its establishment; and what the future plans for the scheme are. [132283]
Mr. Hanson: The Renewing Communities Plan has been a positive development for Northern Ireland. A cross-departmental Delivery Team, chaired by the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, has been established to review and monitor progress of all of the actions contained in the Renewing Communities Action Plan. The Delivery Team has reported regularly to me on the progress of the programme across all of the actions and of the arrangements to ensure cohesive inter-departmental working where appropriate. Individual lead Departments and their delivery agencies have been tasked with the responsibility for the evaluation of all their relevant actions before the Delivery Team completes an overview assessment of all the programmes of actions.
Following these two levels of assessment, the Delivery Team will determine those particular programmes which are considered to have potential to be rolled out across all disadvantaged communities and mainstreamed as part of each Department’s contribution to tackling deprivation wherever it exists.
Social Rented Housing
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many public authority houses were sold by the housing associations and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive between 1 April 2000 and 31 March 2007. [132099]
Mr. Hanson: Between 1 April 2000 and 31 March 2007 the Northern Ireland Housing Executive sold a total of 29,844 houses to sitting tenants In the same period registered housing associations in Northern Ireland sold 911 houses to sitting tenants.
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total housing stock owned by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the housing associations (a) is and (b) was in April (i) 2000, (ii) 2002, (iii) 2004 and (iv) 2006; and if he will make a statement. [132100]
Mr. Hanson: The total housing stock owned by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive at the dates requested was:
| At 31 March | Total stock |
The total housing stock which is owned by the Northern Ireland registered housing associations is not yet available as the returns for the year ended 31 March 2007 are not due from associations until Friday 29 June 2007.
Stock owned by the Northern Ireland registered housing associations, excluding the Northern Ireland Co-ownership Housing Association stock, at the dates requested was:
| At 31 March | House s /apartments | Supported/sheltered bedspaces | Total |
South Eastern Education and Library Board
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the timetable is for reinstatement of the South Eastern Education and Library Board; and if he will make a statement. [133332]
Maria Eagle: Commissioners were appointed to the South Eastern Education and Library Board only because of the failure of Board members to operate effectively and within the resources allocated by my Department and voted by Parliament. I have always made clear that I would respond positively to any credible approach from Board members that was coupled with a firm assurance that they were prepared to work together constructively, meeting the necessary corporate governance requirements, taking decisions within the resources allocated and taking account of Government policy priorities. To date no such approach has been forthcoming.
Trade and Industry
Business: Ethics
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Corporate Social Responsibility Academy Management Committee last met. [132902]
Margaret Hodge: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his questions, 132544, 132545, 132546 and 132547 answered on 19 April 2007, Official R eport, column 767W.
The CSR Academy did not have a management committee. The Project Director reported to DTI and the Academy Chairman through quarterly reports and met with DTI on a regular basis.
Companies House: Standards
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether Companies House targets issued by his office on 16 April vary from existing targets. [132610]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 19 April 2007]: There are some changes between the targets set for Companies House in 2006-07 and those set in 2007-08. Copies of written statements giving targets for both years are available in the House of Commons Library; and at 30 March 2006, Official Report, column 100WS, and 16 April 2007, Official Report, column 4WS.
Departments: Trade Unions
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many meetings (a) he and (b) his Department’s Ministers held with (i) business representatives, (ii) trade union representatives and (iii) consumer representatives in 2006. [128750]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Ministers regularly meet business, trade union and consumer representatives but information on the number held could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Transport
Airports: Fees and Charges
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential contribution to environmental protection of the proposed measures in the European Commission’s draft Directive on Airport Charges; and if he will make a statement. [131726]
Gillian Merron: The draft directive on airport charges sets common principles to be respected by airport operators when they determine the level of airport charges. It contains no measures concerning environmental protection, but does not prohibit airport operators from setting environmental charges provided that they do so in accordance with the directive. The Department is currently consulting UK stakeholders on the proposals.
Aviation: Exhaust Emissions
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the airport emissions charging principles recommended by the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC/27-4); and if he will make a statement. [131733]
Gillian Merron:
ECAC recommended a harmonised method for classifying aircraft according to their NOx emissions for the potential purpose of emission
charges. The Civil Aviation Act 2006 provides powers for all airports to introduce charges that reflect the pollution generated by each aircraft type, in the way that Heathrow and Gatwick already do. Those charging schemes already follow the recommended method.
British Airways: Standards
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment his Department has made of the recent performance of British Airways; [132008]
(2) what discussions he has had with British Airways on their record of service to travellers in recent months; [132009]
(3) what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) British Airways and (b) BAA plc. has made appropriate preparations to manage risk. [132010]
Gillian Merron: As private companies, British Airways and BAA are responsible in the first instance to their shareholders for their performance. However, on behalf of transport users the Department takes a close interest in the operations of all UK airports and airlines as we do with all transport sectors, and in that context regular engagement is maintained with BA and BAA, including on consumer issues.
Departments: Redundancy
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people in his Department participated in (a) involuntary and (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98; and if he will make a statement. [131547]
Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport came into being on 29 May 2002 and therefore figures before this date are not available.
Since that date, the figures are:
| Involuntary | Voluntary | |
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people in his Department who participated in (a) involuntary and (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98 were paid between (i) £0 to £25,000, (ii) £25,001 to £50,000, (iii) £50,001 to £75,000, (iv) £75,001 to £100,000 and (v) over £100,000; and if he will make a statement. [131552]
Gillian Merron: The Department was formed in May 2002 and the information requested is in the table as follows.
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