| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Northern Ireland: Liscurry Brae, Artigarvan
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
When the work on the footpath at Liscurry Brae in Artigarvan, County Tyrone, will be completed. [HL1878]
Baroness Amos: The Chief Executive of 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
You recently asked Her Majesty's Government when the work on the footpath at Liscurry Brae in Artigarvan, County Tyrone, will be completed [HL1878]. I have been asked to reply as the issue raised falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service.
The scheme at Liscurry Brae in Artigarvan commenced in November 2004 and involves the provision of 280 metres of new footway and the resurfacing of the adjacent carriageway. Currently both the footway and the carriageway are at base course level. We also intend to extend the carriageway resurfacing work further into the village as far as Moorlough Road and this scheme is to commence after the Easter holidays.
6 Apr 2005 : Column WA111
In order to minimise the disruption to the road user we decided that the surface course on both schemes should be laid under a single road closure. It is expected that this work will be completed within the next eight weeks.
In relation to the footpath to which you specifically refer, the surface course over the majority of the footpath can be laid in advance of the road closure and this work will be carried out within the next two weeks.
I hope this information is helpful.
Northern Ireland: Centre for Excellence for the Education of Children with Autism
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
How the initial development costs of £125,000 for the Middletown Autism Centre are made up. [HL1880]
Baroness Amos: The estimated initial development costs of £125,000 referred to in May 2004 were made up of project management and administration costs as well as the DE share of costs for legal services, building surveys carried out in 2002 and subsequent building consultancy fees. The actual equivalent of this figure is £127,800 and is broken down as follows:
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it is normal practice for the Northern Ireland Department of Education to enter into an interim funding agreement when purchasing a property; and, if so, what payments or funding have been made since 1 January 1990. [HL1881]
Baroness Amos: An interim funding agreement on the Middletown project in County Armagh for the development of a centre of excellence for children and young people with autism was concluded between the Department of Education and the Institute of Saint Louis on the 25 June 2004. This agreement covered the period from April 2002 to June 2004 and amounted to £150,632.75. The department has not entered into any other such agreements.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in the case of the purchase of a convent and chapel at Middletown in County Armagh by the Northern Ireland Department of Education, funding was paid to the vendor under an interim funding agreement; if so, to whom the funding was made; for what purpose; and when. [HL1882]
Baroness Amos: The Department of Education did not enter into an interim funding agreement in relation to the purchase of a convent and chapel at Middletown, County Armagh. An interim funding
6 Apr 2005 : Column WA112
agreement was concluded in respect of the remaining property on the Middletown site. this interim funding agreement clearly defines the premises as the whole Middletown site; excluding the reserved area that contains the convent and chapel.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will place in the Library of the House the funding agreement between the Northern Ireland Department of Education and the holding company which owns the Centre for Autistic Children in Middletown. [HL1883]
Baroness Amos: A copy of the funding agreement between the Department of Education and the Middletown Centre for Autism (Holdings) Limited will be placed in the Library shortly.
Northern Ireland: Anti-social Behaviour Orders
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will commission research into the use and outcomes of anti-social behaviour orders in Northern Ireland. [HL1904]
Baroness Amos: We are currently considering how best to evaluate the use of anti-social behaviour orders in Northern Ireland.
Good Friday Agreement: Early Release Prisoners
Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many criminals released under the Good Friday agreement in Northern Ireland have since been convicted of further offences. [HL1950]
Baroness Amos: Details are held only in relation to those early release prisoners who come to the attention of the police while they are still under licence. At 24 March 2005, 28 of the individuals granted early release under the terms of the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998 had been convicted of further offences while on licence.
Northern Ireland: Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005
Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many persons associated with terrorist organisations based in Northern Ireland are now subject to constraints under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005. [HL1951]
Baroness Amos: No orders have been made against persons associated with terrorist organisations based in Northern Ireland under Sections 2 or 4 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005. This is an exceptional piece of legislation aimed at exceptional
6 Apr 2005 : Column WA113
circumstances and I would not expect these provisions to be used routinely. Our aim is that if individuals are suspected of involvement in terrorist acts the police will seek to gather the evidence necessary to secure a conviction in court.
Ulster-Scots Agency
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
On what basis in 2001 the Ulster-Scots Agency Chief Executive selected an area boards audit team to carry out an examination of the agency's financial arrangements; how much the examination cost; and what were the conclusions of the audit team. [HL1964]
Baroness Amos: I have been advised by the Ulster-Scots Agency that in 2000 it commissioned an internal audit examination to be undertaken by the Southern Health and Social Services Board. Regrettably the agency officials can find no record of the basis on which this decision was made. The audit cost was £2,566.20. Following completion of the audit, this statement of assurance was provided: "Whilst systems and control procedures have yet to be fully established, the Chief Executive has a direct supervision over almost all aspects of the agency. There are key controls in place over the processing of payments".
House of Lords: Composition
Lord Norton of Louth asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the factual basis for the statement made by the Leader of the House of Commons on 17 March (Official Report, House of Commons, col. 409) that the House of Lords has a "big 'C' and small 'c' Conservative majority"; and [HL1981]
What is the factual basis for the statement made by the Leader of the House of Commons on 10 March (Official Report, House of Commons, col. 1689) that there is a "Conservative-controlled House of Lords". [HL1982]
Baroness Amos: I understand that, in making those statements, the Leader of the House of Commons had in mind that since the election of the present Government in 1997 there has been a significant increase in the number of government defeats in this House.
The average number of government defeats per Session in this Parliament is 69.
The average number of government defeats per Session under the previous government between 1992 and 1997 was 12.
| Next Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |