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North/South Language Body
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the legal status of the financial memorandum entitled The North/South Language Body—Financial Memorandum which was supplied to that body on its creation.[HL2737]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The financial memorandum to which the noble Lord refers is the financial memorandum drawn up by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, and the two finance departments, North and South. In Northern Ireland, the North/South Language Body is required to comply with the financial memorandum by virtue of (i) the agreement of 8 March 1999 made between the British Government and the Irish Government establishing the North/South Implementation Bodies and (ii) the North/South Co-operation (Implementation Bodies) (NI) Order 1999.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 12 May (WA 1), in what form and on what date the Ulster Scots Agency was informed by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs of the change in the provision for the North/South Language Body.[HL2857]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Answer given on 12 May 2003 (WA 1) indicated that on 12 November 2002 the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (DCRGA) advised the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) of DCRGA's 2003 provision for the North/South Language Body and similarly advised the body a few days later. In practice, by agreement between the two departments, that advice was given to the two agencies of the body via telephone calls from DCAL to the Ulster Scots Agency and from DCRGA to the Irish Language Agency. These calls were made on 14 November.
On 17 January 2003, and with the agreement of DCAL, officials in DCRGA advised the two agencies by email of the total indicative provision for each agency for 2003.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 12 May (WA 1-2) concerning the budget of the language Implementation Body, whether Unionist political advisers were consulted about the decision to cut the budget by 16 per cent.[HL2887]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The special advisers in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister were consulted on the budgets for the bodies prior to the British and Irish Governments approving the recommendations for those Budgets under the exchange of notes between the two governments of 19 November 2002.
Northern Ireland: Special Advisers
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the role of political advisers attached to the Northern Ireland First Minister and Deputy First Minister's Office.[HL2827]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Special advisers are employed in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to assist the former First Minister and Deputy First Minister during suspension, working for a smooth return to devolved government and engaging in discussion for that purpose.
Belfast Airports: Rail Links
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans they have to develop further the railway connections to Belfast International Airport and Belfast City Airport.[HL2829]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: In view of the high costs involved and the low level of passenger demand, Northern Ireland Railways have no plans to develop further railway connections to either Belfast International or Belfast City Airports.
Northern Ireland: Disused Rail Tracks
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in Northern Ireland, existing former railway track beds will be preserved for future transport use.[HL2830]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Development plans will identify disused rail track beds, which provide a realistic opportunity for reuse for transportation purposes, or for recreation, leisure or tourism related
use. Protection of these routes is a "material consideration" in the determination of planning applications and appeals.Northern Ireland: Buses
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans they have to encourage and support private sector involvement in bus transportation in Northern Ireland.[HL2854]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Financial support is already available to private operators of scheduled bus services in Northern Ireland in the form of a rebate on fuel excise duty and concessionary fares grants.
In a consultation document issued in September 2003, entitled A New Start for Public Transport in Northern Ireland, the department set out proposals which included the progressive opening up of the public transport market to private sector participation. The next stage in this process has included the department commissioning review of the regulation of bus services with the aim of developing a new regulatory framework within which a publicly owned public transport company would continue to have a lead role in the provision of bus services but within a market that may be opened up progressively to private sector involvement. The study is to be completed in November 2003 and will be subject to further consideration thereafter.
Northern Ireland: Translink Services
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the current average age of Translink's bus fleet in Northern Ireland.[HL2831]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Translink has advised that as at 31 March 2003 the average age of its bus fleet was 13.4 years. It is the Department for Regional Development's policy that Translink should replace buses as they reach their target replacement age of 18 years. Increasing maintenance costs and reliability problems make keeping vehicles over this age in operation uneconomical and unsatisfactory. The allocation of an additional £40 million for bus grants in the Northern Ireland budget, announced in December 2002 will, subject to economic and other appraisal processes, enable Translink to replace older vehicles and reduce its average fleet age.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What steps they are taking to reduce uneconomic competition between Translink's bus service and its rail service.[HL2885]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Translink has, since its inception, endeavoured to provide integrated public transport services where feasible, with the aim of both improving options for the travelling public and also
managing bus and rail services in an operationally efficient and economic way. Under this regime, the emphasis is placed on bus and rail services being complementary to one another. We have no plans to ask Translink to alter this operating regime.Northern Ireland: Speeding Convictions
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many people have been convicted of speeding in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years.[HL2832]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The table sets out the number of speeding convictions from 1996 to 2000. Statistics in respect of 2001 and 2002 are expected to become available towards the end of the year. Figures are for "excess speed", an offence under Article 43 of the Road Traffic Regulations (Northern Ireland) Order 1997.
| Year | Number of Convictions |
| 1996 | 2,350 |
| 1997 | 2,948 |
| 1998 | 2,973 |
| 1999 | 3,728 |
| 2000 | 3,715 |
Portadown and Armagh Rail Link
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans they have to establish a railway link between Portadown and Armagh.[HL2853]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Due to the substantial costs that would be incurred in establishing a railway link between Portadown and Armagh and the expected limited usage of such a link, this project was not included in the regional transportation strategy for Northern Ireland 2002–12, the strategic direction and underlying principles of which were agreed by the Northern Ireland Assembly on 3 July 2002. Accordingly there are no plans to establish a railway link between Portadown and Armagh.
Northern Ireland: Park and Ride Facilities
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans they have to introduce park and ride facilities alongside Northern Ireland Railways locations at Trooperslane, Templepatrick, Corrs Corner, Scarva, Knockmore and Tillysburn.[HL2855]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The provision of park and ride facilities is one of the initiatives included in the Regional Transportation Strategy for Northern Ireland 2002–12, the strategic direction and underlying principles of which were agreed by the Northern Ireland Assembly in July 2002.
As area plans are developed opportunities for park and ride facilities will be protected. The Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan is currently being developed and will likely include proposed park and ride facilities for Trooperslane, Knockmore/Lisburn West and Tillysburn.
Park and ride facilities at or close to Templepatrick will likely be included in the Antrim, Ballymena and Larne Area Plan.
All proposed park and ride facilities will be subject to economic and financial appraisal, and relevant statutory processes.
There are no plans to provide park and ride facilities at Corrs Corner, however, they have been constructed at nearby Mossley West.
There are no plans to provide park and ride facilities at Scarva Station.
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