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Friday 26 January 2001 Occupational Therapists Mr Hussey asked the Minister for Social Development to detail the number of house holders presently awaiting visits by occupational therapists in relation to adaptations in; (a) Strabane District Council area and; (b) Omagh District Council area. (AQW 1163/00) The Minister for Social Development (Mr Morrow): The occupational therapy service is the responsibility of the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive will make referrals to the service as a result of applications for adaptations from Housing Executive tenants and through private sector grant applicants who require work. The chief executive of the Housing Executive advises me that at 31 December 2000 the number of householders awaiting visits by occupational therapists as a result of a direct approach to the executive in relation to adaptations was as follows:
* This figure only represents Housing Executive tenants who have made their initial request for an adaptation through their local Executive Office. Some tenants make their initial approach directly to the occupational therapy service, of which the Housing Executive has no record. House Adaptations Mr Hussey asked the Minister for Social Development to detail the current average waiting time being experienced by house holders awaiting adaptations in Strabane and Omagh district council areas from the time of initial application and if he will make a statement. (AQW 1164/00) Mr Morrow: This information is not available in the form requested. When the Northern Ireland Housing Executive receives an application for an adaptation either from its tenants or through private sector grant applicants it refers the matter to the occupational therapy service of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for assessment. The chief executive of the Housing Executive has advised that it measure the waiting time for adaptations for its tenants from the date of receipt of the occupational therapist’s recommendation until the work commences. The average waiting times, therefore, for the public sector tenant in the 30 months to the end of September 2000 in Omagh and Strabane district council areas was 31 weeks. In the case of the private sector the average waiting time is 12 weeks in Strabane district council area and nine weeks in Omagh district council areas. The time is measured from receipt of the occupational therapist’s recommendation to the issue of a schedule of works for tendering. The Housing Executive is concerned about the length of time people are having to wait for adaptations. The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and Housing Executive officials undertook a joint and fundamental review in autumn 2000. The preliminary report was approved by the Housing Executive’s board in December 2000 and is due to be presented to the Northern Ireland housing council this month. Work will start on the implementation of a number of recommendations at the same time as the report is circulated for consultation and prior to the publication of a final report, which is planned for March 2001. Glenfield Housing Estate Mr Hilditch asked the Minister for Social Development to outline the latest position in relation to the phased scheme to be implemented at Glenfield Holding Estate in Carrickfergus. (AQW 1193/00) Mr Morrow: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. However, the chief executive advised me that the Housing Executive’s board approved the overall strategy for the Glenfield estate in November 2000. Design drawings for the first phase of the strategy will be submitted to the board within the next three months. If the proposals are approved, the tendering process will begin with work estimated to start in the spring of 2002. Compensation for Housing Executive Tenants Mr Hilditch asked the Minister for Social Development what steps he is taking to compensate Housing Executive tenants who have been living in temporary accommodation for over twelve months due to delays in the Northlands/Drummoy/Ederney/Salia renovation scheme in Carrickfergus. (AQW 1196/00) Mr Morrow: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. However, I am advised by its chief executive that tenants who have been living in temporary accommodation during renovation work for longer than the anticipated decanting period, will be assessed for exceptional payments upon returning to their homes following satisfactory completion of the improvements. Windmill Estate Mr Hilditch asked the Minister for Social Development to explain the delay in the planned scheme to refurbish Windmill Estate in Carrickfergus and if he is aware of any other delays to planned schemes in the Carrickfergus Borough Council area. (AQW 1242/00) Mr Morrow: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. However, I am advised by its chief executive that tenders received for the refurbishment work in Windmill Estate, Carrickfergus, were high in relation to the scheme estimate. This caused a delay in the scheme, as negotiations took place with the contractor in regard to cost savings. There were also delays to schemes in Victoria (Phase 1) and Woodburn (Phase 4) estates. Houses For Decant Purposes Mr Hilditch asked the Minister for Social Development to detail the number of Housing Executive properties currently held or used for decant purposes in the Carrickfergus Borough Council area. (AQW 1245/00) Mr Morrow: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. However, the chief executive advises that there are 68 housing executive properties being used for decant purposes in the Carrickfergus Borough Council area. Housing Executive Rent Arrears Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister for Social Development to detail; (a) the total amount of rent arrears owed to the Housing Executive; (b) how the total amount arose; (c) which areas have the highest proportion of tenants in arrears, and; (d) what steps he is taking to address this situation. (AQW 1258/00) Mr Morrow: (a) The rent arrears owing to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for the last two years is as follows: 1998-99 £13·3 million 1999-00 £14·6 million (b) Rent arrears have arisen as a result of the following: (1) An accumulated historical debt comprising tenants who refuse to pay their rent. This was being managed annually on a downward trend. (2) More recently a reduction in housing benefit uptake as a result of formerly unemployed tenants finding work has meant an increase in the amount of cash to be collected from tenants who previously had nothing to pay. Many of those tenants are in low-income employment, which makes debt recovery very difficult. (3) There has been a significant increase in the identification of overpayments since 1996 and in particular over the last year due to the Executive’s success in detecting fraud. More recently, the Executive has implemented a series of data matching exercises — checking income information with other agencies — resulting in the identification of tenants who, as a result of non-disclosure of information, were overpaid benefit. Given that the amount overpaid in individual cases can be high the recovery period is long. (4) It is Housing Executive accounting practice to debit rent accounts with housing benefit overpayments, which are deemed to be recoverable from tenants. (5) The voluntary and compulsory methods at the Housing Executive’s disposal are in some instances very slow in recovering arrears. (c) The areas having the highest proportion of tenants in arrears at 31 March 2000 were:
(d) I have agreed with the Housing Executive that debt recovery should be one of its most important priorities. Therefore a target of ensuring that total arrears at 31 March 2001 do not increase beyond the figure at 31 March 2000 is included as a key performance indicator in the Housing Executive’s current business plan. Unfortunately, due largely to the Housing Executive’s success in detecting housing benefit fraud, arrears this year are increasing. In response to the increase in arrears, the Housing Executive carried out a review of its policies, procedures, working practices and monitoring arrangements. The proposals have received board approval and are in the process of being implemented. The main changes are as follows; more rigorous monitoring and reporting, including greater publicity for court action taken against debtors; implementation of additional debt prevention techniques, in particular, the provision of money advice services — debt counselling — for tenants; introduction of "nil charge weeks" policy at some point in the future to help tenants with household budgeting at the two to three specific times of the year when they encounter a significant increase in normal expenditure, eg, Christmas. Under this policy the annual rent/rates charges would be collected over a shorter number of weeks. Finally, there is the initiation of recovery of possession action against all tenants with serious arrears who refuse to pay their rent. The Housing Executive’s arrears recovery performance compares well with that of large landlords in GB, and on the latest information available they are ranked 110 on the rent debtor’s league table — No 1 being the worst. Benefit Forms Mr Paisley Jnr asked the Minister for Social Development to outline the steps he is taking to simplify benefit forms. (AQW 1283/00) Mr Morrow: Benefit forms are constantly reviewed by the Social Security Agency and work is currently underway to simplify a number of claim forms. Customers with difficulty can also contact their local Social Security Office for help with completing forms. Alternatively arrangements can be made to call at their home. The welfare reforms and modernisation programme will, over the next few years, see a much simpler and more streamlined application process introduced for all benefits. It will provide customers with a range of choices on how to claim, including the facility to take claims by telephone. Child Support Agency: Complaints Mr Paisley Jnr asked the Minister for Social Development to detail the average waiting time in Northern Ireland between a complaint being referred to the independent case examiner for the Child Support Agency and the beginning of the investigation into that complaint. (AQW 1285/00) Mr Morrow: The average waiting time in Northern Ireland between a complaint being referred to the independent case examiner for the Child Support Agency and the beginning of the investigation into that complaint for the year 2000-01 is currently 16 weeks. As soon as the agency is aware of a potential independent case examiner case it commences its own investigation. The customer is contacted and every effort is made to resolve the issues of concern as early as possible. Of the eight cases referred to the independent case examiner during 1999-2000; one was rejected by the independent case examiner’s office; one complaint was withdrawn by the client; and six were accepted for investigation following the initial review. Means Testing for Pensioners Mr Gibson asked the Minister for Social Development to detail how many more pensioners will be means tested in the next financial year under measures announced in the pre-budget statement. (AQW 1290/00) Mr Morrow: The Social Security Agency is unable to estimate how many more pensioners will be entitled to the minimum income guarantee as a result of the new rules that come into effect from April 2001. However, the Agency will continue to actively encourage uptake of the minimum income guarantee through a range of measures to ensure that all pensioners claim and receive all the help they are entitled to. Reduce Fuel Poverty Mr Gibson asked the Minister for Social Development to outline the steps he is taking to reduce fuel poverty. (AQW 1291/00) Mr Morrow: I am introducing a new domestic energy efficiency scheme (DEES), which will provide a comprehensive package of insulation measures for vulnerable private sector householders in receipt of an income or disability based benefit. The new programme will also include, for over 60s private householders on income-based benefits, improvements in both insulation and heating standards. Following the appointment of a scheme manager, new DEES will start on 1 April 2001, commencing a lead in period covering scheme marketing, tendering and client registration, for the installation of physical measures on 1 July 2001. In addition, my Department, in partnership with a number of organisations, has been operating fuel poverty pilot schemes in parts of Belfast, Londonderry, Armagh and Dungannon where there is severe social and economic deprivation. Whilst reducing fuel poverty in these areas, the schemes have enabled the Department to test matters for the introduction of the proposed new statutory DEES scheme. Fuel poverty in public housing is not as highly concentrated as the private housing sector therefore responsibility for addressing the issue will rest with the social landlord. My Department will be liaising with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and housing associations to ensure that mechanisms are in place to address fuel poverty in the public sector. Social Security: Fraud Mr Gibson asked the Minister for Social Development to detail how much fraud cost the social security system during the last financial year for which figures are available. (AQW 1292/00) Mr Morrow: The Social Security Agency has been measuring levels of benefit fraud across all benefits since 1998. Findings to date show that fraud costs about £73 million, or 3%, of benefit expenditure annually, excluding pensions. Fraud is minimal in pensions benefits where it is not possible to provide a statistically valid figure. Administration Costs Mr Gibson asked the Minister for Social Development to detail the percentage of the social fund spent on administrative costs. (AQW 1293/00) Mr Morrow: No part of the social fund budget is allocated towards administrative costs. The costs are met from the Social Security Agency’s running costs budget and have no impact on the social fund budget, which is used entirely to make payments to customers. Child Support Agency: Complaints Mr Paisley Jnr asked the Minister for Social Development to detail for the financial years 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 2000-01 to date; (i) the number of complaints referred to the independent case examiner for the Child Support Agency from Northern Ireland; (ii) the number of complaints where an initial review was completed, and; (iii) the number of complaints where a substantive investigation took place following the initial review. (AQW 1301/00) Mr Morrow: The office of the independent case examiner (ICE) opened in April 1997, therefore the earliest information available is for the year 1997-98.
Carers Mr Gibson asked the Minister for Social Development to outline which group of carers for the elderly will benefit from the recently announced changes in benefits for carers. (AQW 1304/00) Mr Morrow: Carers aged 65 and older who meet the normal entitlement conditions will be able to get invalid care allowance. Carers whose rate of basic retirement pension is less than the rate of invalid care allowance will benefit, as will carers receiving the pensioner minimum income guarantee, who will receive the carer premium. Those carers who work on a part-time basis and whose income does not exceed the current earnings limit of £50 per week will also benefit as this limit will increase to the level of the lower earnings limit, which is currently £67 per week. Carers earning between £50 and £67 who would not be entitled to invalid care allowance under the current rules will also be able to claim. Benefit Fraud Mr Gibson asked the Minister for Social Development to detail what recent steps he has taken to counter benefit fraud. (AQW 1307/00) Mr Morrow: The Social Security Agency has a comprehensive fraud strategy, which contains an extensive programme of initiatives designed to secure the gateway to benefits and to detect and eliminate fraud already in the system. The strategy includes: tightening up evidence requirements to ensure that only valid claims are accepted; more regular reviews of existing cases to ensure that circumstances have not changed; use of data matching techniques; working with the Inland Revenue and Housing Executive for co-operation and sharing of information to improve joint-effectiveness; and an improved training package for all fraud staff. The Agency has earmarked over £40 million to be invested in this programme over the next three years. In the last two years for which figures are available more than £72 million was saved. Disability Living Allowance Mr Paisley Jnr asked the Minister for Social Development to detail the number of people in Northern Ireland who are in receipt of disability living allowance as a life award, broken down by rate. (AQW 1321/00) Mr Morrow: The latest available figures show that 97,843 people living in Northern Ireland are in receipt of disability living allowance for an indefinite period — formerly called a life award. The attached table gives a breakdown of the awards by rate. Table of Disability Living Allowance indefinite period awards by rate, at November 2000
Urban Regeneration Mr Maskey asked the Minister for Social Development to detail the progress he has made in developing the new strategy for urban regeneration. (AQO 619/00) Mr Morrow: My officials have been working for some months on a revised strategy for urban regeneration policies and actions, the main plank of which will be a new integrated programme which addresses the most deprived areas in Northern Ireland along the lines embraced by New TSN. An over-arching urban regeneration strategy document is currently being finalised for discussion with other Government Departments whose future co-operation and involvement is vital to the success of the proposed new arrangements. My Department will also be consulting more widely on the new strategy in the coming months. That will involve Assembly structures, other elected representatives, and key partners and stakeholders in the public, private and community/voluntary sectors.
Recruiting Full Time Staff Mr McGrady asked the Assembly Commission to detail the policies and procedures it has adopted in recruiting full-time staff and to make a statement. (AQO 588/00) The Representative of the Assembly Commission (Dr O’Hagan): As you were not able to be present for questions, the Assembly Commission has agreed that I should provide a written response to your question. In February 1999, the New Northern Ireland Assembly endorsed the Shadow Commission’s principles governing the employment of staff. These were: i. the promotion of the commitment to equality of opportunity and fair treatment in all of the Commission’s recruitment practices; ii. the commitment to public advertisement for all vacancies; and iii. the establishment of a discrete cadre of Assembly staff, which is not just an off-shoot of the Northern Ireland Civil Service but which reflects the wider Northern Ireland community. As part of its human resource strategy, the Assembly Commission has adopted the recruitment principle of selection on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. This principle is applied to all Assembly recruitment competitions and adherence to this principle maintains the integrity of the Assembly and cultivates an environment in which applicants for Assembly posts will have confidence in knowing that they will be treated equally and fairly. The recruitment principle is the foundation upon which the Commission’s recruitment procedures are based and it ensures that:
The following will serve to illustrate the robust and defensible nature of the Commission’s comprehensive range of recruitment policies and procedures, which enjoy the confidence of the Assembly and the wider community: i. All vacancies in the Assembly are subject to public advertisement in the local Northern Ireland daily newspapers and, when appropriate by advertisements in the UK and Republic of Ireland national papers. Advertising coverage for each post is determined by the Assembly Commission. ii. All job advertisements include the Assembly Commission’s equal opportunities statement, which pronounces the Commission’s commitment to fairness, equity and selection on merit and welcomes all eligible candidates. iii. All job criteria are decided and clearly defined by the selection panel — and the Commission for selected posts — before the job is advertised. The criteria are justifiable against the requirements of the job. Additional criteria cannot be introduced thereafter. iv. Application forms are designed to seek only information relevant to the assessment of candidates against the criteria specified for the job. v. All members of selection panels — including members of the Assembly Commission — have received interviewing skills and equal opportunities training. vi. Selection panels comprise male and female representatives and are composed of people from more than one community background. vii. Panel members assess each candidate only against the specified criteria and only on the basis of performance at interview and such information on the candidate presented to the panel as part of the selection process. viii. Pre-employment checks into health and criminal records are conducted in respect of all candidates being considered for appointment. The first advertisements for Assembly posts appeared in January 2000. To date, 13 recruitment competitions have been run on behalf of the Assembly Commission for posts such as Researchers, Transcribers, Assembly Clerks and the Clerk to the Assembly. Over 5000 application forms have been issued in response to the advertisements; 1500 application forms have been processed; and nearly 60 appointments have been made. For information, a statistical breakdown of applicants and appointees by gender and community background is provided in the attached tables. I hope that you find the information informative. NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY RECRUITMENT STATISTICS AS Applications Received Jan – Dec 2000:
Appointments Made:
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