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Roads: Londonderry to Dublin
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have to upgrade the part of the road from Londonderry to Dublin which passes through the United Kingdom; what is the nature of the proposed upgrade; how the upgrade will be funded; and when the improvements will take place.[HL7960]
Lord Rooker: The chief executive of Roads Service has written to the noble Lord in response to this question. The text of the letter is as follows.
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The Londonderry to Dublin corridor comprises the A5-N2-N32-M1. The section of the route in Northern Ireland forms the western key corridor from Londonderry through Strabane and Omagh to Aughnacloy on the A5. This is one of five key transport corridors identified in the regional transportation strategy for Northern Ireland (RTS). The regional strategic transport network transport plan (RSTNTP), a daughter document of the RTS, contains proposals costing some £1,000 million to develop the strategic road network up to the end of 2015. Schemes on the western corridor included in the current strategic road improvement (SRI) programme include:
The investment strategy for Northern Ireland, which was developed by the Strategic Investment Board for Northern Ireland (ISNI) and announced in December 2005, envisages a further investment of £400 million on major works schemes on the strategic road network. Roads Service is currently considering the responses to the consultation document for an expanded SRI programme that would be expected to commence in the latter part of the 2005-15 RSTN plan period.
The consultation document proposes a significant road improvement scheme on the western key transport corridor between Londonderry and Victoria Bridge, south of Strabane. The scheme would provide 30 kilometres of new route (ie, off line), to 2+1 standard, and would include bypasses of New Buildings, Magheramason, Strabane and Sion Mills at an estimated cost of £130 million, at 2005 prices.
I should add that all schemes listed above will be subject to detailed economic appraisal, clearance of the relevant statutory procedures, and the availability of funds through the normal budgetary processes.
Roads: Speeding
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many successful prosecutions there have been in Northern Ireland for speeding on a public road in each of the last five years.[HL7886]
Lord Rooker: The following table provides the number of convictions for speeding on a public road covering the calendar years 2000 to 2004, the latter being the most up-to-date available at present.
It should be noted that data are collated on the principal offence rule, thus only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
Sexual Orientation Regulations
Lord Elton asked Her Majesty's Government:
What response they received to the consultation on the sexual orientation regulations initiated by the Women and Equality Unit in March; whether they have taken account of the concerns expressed by the Society of Christian Lawyers; and when they propose to lay the draft regulations.[HL7924]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): I refer the House to the Oral Answer given on 19 October by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
St Andrews Agreement
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the St Andrews agreement is binding in international law; and whether it has the same status as the 1998 Belfast agreement.[HL8078]
Lord Rooker: The document published by the British and Irish Governments on 13 October 2006 entitled The St Andrews Agreement records the understandings and commitments reached by the two Governments on the matters discussed in St Andrews on 11 to 13 October, to which they are fully committed and which they intend to take forward actively with the political parties in Northern Ireland. The St Andrews agreement focuses on achieving full and effective operation of the political institutions established by the 1998 Belfast agreement.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they gave an undertaking to the Government of the Republic of Ireland at St Andrews on 13 October that legislation would be introduced in the United Kingdom Parliament with a view to enactment by 21 November 2006 to give force to the agreement reached at St Andrews; whether they consulted Parliament before giving any such undertaking; and what effect the failure of Parliament to pass such legislation by the above date would have on the St Andrews agreement.[HL8079]
Lord Rooker: The St Andrews agreement contained a commitment that, if the Northern Ireland political parties endorsed the agreement by 10 November, the Government would bring forward legislation to Parliament to give effect to the agreement. That is a matter for the Government; Parliament's role is to consider the legislation once introduced.
If the legislation is not in force before the 25 November 2006 deadline in the Northern Ireland Act 2006, Schedule 3 to that Act would come into immediate effect.
Tax Credits
Baroness Hollis of Heigham asked Her Majesty's Government:
What number and proportion of lone parents work below the lower earnings limit but, because they are in receipt of tax credits, qualify for the national insurance stamp.[HL8126]
Lord McKenzie of Luton: This information is not available.
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Baroness Hollis of Heigham asked Her Majesty's Government:
What number and proportion of lone parents qualify for tax credits through holding more than one 16-hours per week part-time job.[HL8127]
Lord McKenzie of Luton: A lone parent does not need to be in work to qualify for tax credits as they will be eligible for child tax credit.
For working tax credit, only the total number of hours worked is required for tax credit purposes. Details of number of hours worked for each job a claimant has is not required.
Taxation: Inheritance Tax
Lord Monson asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they intend to restore the real value of the exemption from inheritance tax (originally capital transfer tax) for transfers to non-domiciled spouses introduced in the Finance Act 1975, bearing in mind that it has not been raised in line with inflation since 1982.[HL8094]
Lord McKenzie of Luton: Changes to tax policy are a matter for the Chancellor in the Budget.
Taxation: Marginal Withdrawal Rates
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the highest marginal combined tax and benefit withdrawal rate for people in work which will not adversely affect work incentives.[HL7931]
Lord McKenzie of Luton: High marginal deduction rates from tax and benefit withdrawal do not affect an individual's decision to work although they can influence decisions to increase their earnings. Changes in marginal deduction rates cause people in different circumstances to respond in different ways. It is therefore difficult to draw general conclusions about behaviour, but there is no evidence to suggest that there is a particular rate above which people's incentives to work are affected.
However, the Government have aimed to ensure that the number of people facing very high rates is minimised. Since 1997 the number of families facing rates of over 70 per cent has fallen by half a million.
Terrorism: Control Orders
Baroness Cox asked Her Majesty's Government:
What (a) income support, and (b) benefits individuals subject to control orders may receive; and what legislation currently regulates this.[HL7787]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): There is no direct link between entitlement to DWP-administered benefits and control orders; as such, there is no specific legislation regulating this.
In order to receive income support or any other benefit, a claimant must meet the specific criteria for that benefit. A person subject to a control order who is entitled to benefit will receive the rate of benefit appropriate to their age and circumstances.
Information is not available on the number of individuals subject to control orders who are in receipt of benefits.
Baroness Williams of Crosby asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many control orders were issued in the first two quarters of 2006 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005; and, of these, how many were orders derogating from the European Court of Human Rights; and [HL7896]
How many control orders were issued in the last two quarters of 2005 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005; and, of these, how many were orders derogating from the European Court of Human Rights.[HL7897]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): Reports on the exercise of the Secretary of State's control order powers during 2005 and 2006 can be found in the Written Ministerial Statements made on: 16 June 2005 (Official Report, col. 23WS), 10 October 2005 (Official Report, col. 9WS), 12 December 2005 (Official Report, col. 131WS), 13 March 2006 (Official Report, col. 88WS), 12 June 2006 (Official Report, col. 48WS) and 11 September 2006 (Official Report, col. 121WS).
To date, the Government have not sought a derogation from Article 5 of the ECHR; therefore no derogating orders have been made.
Traffic Calming: East Belfast
Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have made an assessment of the need for traffic calming measures for the Ballyhackamore area of East Belfast.[HL8130]
Lord Rooker: The chief executive of the Roads Service (Dr Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the noble Lord in response to this question.
Letter from Dr Malcolm McKibbin to Lord Laird dated November 2006.
You recently asked Her Majesty's Government a Parliamentary Question about whether an assessment had been made of the need for traffic-calming measures for the Ballyhackamore area of east Belfast. As this issue falls within my responsibility as Roads Service chief executive, I have been asked to reply.
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