Mr Paisley Jnr asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail the amount of revenue his Department receives from fines for parking offences in Northern Ireland.

(AQW 1419/00)

The Minister for Regional Development (Mr Campbell): As this is a matter for the Department for Regional Development, your question has been forwarded to me for reply.

My Department’s Roads Service does not receive any revenue from fines for parking offences. Fines issued by the courts in respect of such offences, and revenue from fixed penalty tickets that are issued for on-street parking offences, are received by HM Treasury. The Roads Service does, however, receive revenue from excess and alternative charges that may be applied in its off-street car parks. In 1999-2000, the Roads Service received approximately £283,000 from these charges.

(AQW 1490/00)

Mr Campbell: I refer the Member to the assessment provided in my answer of 12 January 2001 (AQW 1025/00) to a similar question.

I have made known my concerns on the issue and understand that representations on the matter have been made direct to the Chancellor by the First and Deputy First Ministers. They have my support.

(AQW 1497/00)

Mr Campbell: My Department’s Roads Service is currently in consultation with the trade union side regarding proposals for a revised structure for the street lighting function which include the relocation of a small number of posts from Downpatrick to Lisburn. As yet, no final decisions have been taken.

If it is decided that the relocation should proceed, a staff assignment exercise will be carried out to enable staff to state their preferences in relation to work type and location. Until that exercise has been completed, it is not possible to detail the precise costs associated with the relocation. However, in broad terms it seems likely that any additional costs arising from the relocation of posts will be offset by savings accruing from increased effectiveness, reduced official travel and consequential productivity gains.

(AQW 1510/00)

Mr Campbell: The demand for traffic calming measures across Northern Ireland is significantly greater than the resources which are available for such schemes. My Department’s Roads Service must, therefore, prioritise schemes, essentially on the basis of their potential to reduce the number of road accidents.

The Roads Service resources for traffic calming measures for 2001-02 have yet to be allocated to Divisions and, at present, I am unable to detail definite plans for the West Belfast constituency. I can, however, advise that the following locations within the constituency will be given highest priority for traffic calming measures:

• Suffolk Road;
• St James Road area; and
• extension of the Lenadoon Road hump scheme in Stewartstown Park, Stewartstown Avenue, Horn Drive and Falcarragh Drive.

I have asked the Roads Service eastern divisional roads manager to write to the Member when the traffic calming programme for 2001-02 is finalised.

(AQW 1514/00)

Mr Campbell: My Department’s draft equality scheme, which was submitted to the Equality Commission on 30 June 2000, included a commitment to carry out an equality impact assessment on the regional transportation strategy.

My officials are factoring in equality considerations as proposals for the draft regional transportation strategy are developed. The latest multi-modal transportation study practice ‘Guidance on the Methodology for Multi-Modal Studies’, DETR 2000) is being applied and requires distribution and equity analyses to be undertaken as an integral part of the study.

The Interim Guidance on Equality Impact Assessment, published by OFMDFM, is being followed and at present my officials are consulting and collecting information which will inform the equality impact assessment.

A consultation paper on the key issues has been distributed and an attitudinal survey, comprising a quantitative survey and focus group discussions, is also under way to determine attitudes to travel, transport problems, potential solutions and sources of funding. Information is also available on the regional transportation strategy web site. A working conference for key stakeholders is planned for late May, at which potential strategies will be considered.

Information from these different strands of the consultation exercise will inform both the equality impact assessment and the preparation of proposals for a draft regional transportation strategy.

(AQO 679/00)

Mr Campbell: As this is a matter for the Department for Regional Development, your question has been passed to me for reply.

The A2 Warrenpoint to Newcastle road forms part of the protected routes network in Northern Ireland on which a policy of access control is exercised.

Where accesses are permitted, the required visibility standards would be in accordance with the Department of the Environment’s Development Control Advice Note 15, ‘Vehicle Access Standards’. These standards, which are dependent on a number of factors, including traffic generated by the proposed development and traffic speed on the priority road, are set out in the attached tables.

In all cases regarding visibility standards, the professional judgement of the Roads Service is the overall deciding factor.

1. In exceptional circumstances a reduction in the visibility standards may be permitted where, in the judgement of the Department, danger to road users is not likely to be caused. Where exceptional circumstances are considered to exist, it is highly unlikely that the Department will permit visibility standards which fall below the figures in the square brackets.

2. In the case of single or paired dwelling accesses a reduction in the visibility standards may be acceptable where, in the judgement of the Department, there is a slightly lower risk of conflict, particularly when traffic on the priority road is light.

3. Reductions in visibility standards will not be permitted simply because the applicant does not control the required visibility area or does not have a reasonable prospect of bringing it under his control.

4. Traffic volumes are in vehicles per day (vpd) and refer to the total combined flow in both directions. Volumes on the priority road include traffic generated by the development.

5. If there is a dispute about the predicted minor road (access) traffic flow, it shall be determined by reference to a recognised database such as TRICS, or failing that by a direct survey of a similar existing development over an acceptable period.

6. The traffic speed to be used is a reasonable estimate of the 85%ile speed on the priority road; for example, by use of following vehicle surveys or, in the case of a dispute, the measured 85%ile speed.

7. Where actual speed falls between the given values the y-distance may be interpolated.

(AQO 729/00)

Mr Campbell: As this is a matter for the Department for Regional Development, your question has been forwarded to me for reply.

Over the past five years my Department’s Roads Service has completed a significant number of measures to improve road safety on the stretch of road between the Belfast Road roundabout in Newry and the border. In addition, speed camera signs are at present being erected along this road. The signs are part of a joint initiative by the police and the Roads Service to promote road safety along a number of routes across the country through greater enforcement of the national speed limits. The Roads Service also plans to provide a pedestrian and cycle crossing facility on the southern side of the Armagh Road roundabout close to Craigmore Road.

For the longer term, the Roads Service is working with the ROI National Roads Authority, the ROI’s Department of Environment and Local Government, and Louth County Council to bring forward the detailed design and statutory procedures for the provision of a four-lane dual carriageway from Cloghogue roundabout (south of Newry) to Ballymascanlon roundabout (north of Dundalk).

(AQO 676/00)

Mr Campbell: As this is a matter for the Department for Regional Development, your question has been forwarded to me for reply.

Traffic calming measures involve the use of a range of self-enforcing engineering measures ^__ eg road humps, chicanes et cetera ^__ that are designed to lower the speed of vehicles and so reduce the frequency and severity of road traffic accidents on urban streets. The M2 motorway is a major traffic route carrying approximately 30,000 vehicles per day (northbound) and, as such, is not the type of road that is suitable for traffic calming measures.

My Department’s Roads Service is aware, however, of the traffic conditions which occur mainly in the evening peak period on this stretch of carriageway. To help address this situation, the Roads Service plans to install a cantilever signal and an overhead gantry as part of an extension to its motorway control system and driver information system. These facilities will enable the Roads Service to provide advance information to road users regarding driving conditions on the carriageway. Consideration will also be given to the provision of new direction signing. It is intended that these measures will assist lane discipline on this section of the motorway network. This work is scheduled to take place during the next financial year.

(AQO 701/00)

Mr Campbell: There were 37,200 road openings in 1999 and 46,455 in 2000. The table below details of the utilities involved.

I should explain that these utilities have a statutory right to open public roads and footways to install and maintain their equipment. For this reason they cannot be required to apply to make an opening, but they are required to notify my Department’s Roads Service of their intention to do so. The Roads Service has, therefore, no control over the number of openings made by utilities, but it does have powers under the Street Works (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 to regulate the process.

The 1995 Order facilitates the co-ordination and control of street works and makes utilities more accountable for their street works. Article 31 of the Order provides that my Department’s Roads Service may issue practical guidance on the materials, workmanships and standards of reinstatements. Accordingly, the Roads Service has issued a code of practice on the reinstatement of openings in Roads which became operational on 1 February 1999.

The code of practice is modelled on a similar GB code of practice. It requires that reinstatements be carried out to nationally agreed standards and be guaranteed for a minimum of two years. The content of the code of practice has been agreed with local utilities.

The estimated number of road openings made in public roads by the various utility companies during the past two years is as follows:

(AQO 694/00)

Mr Campbell: The most recent traffic figures available for this part of the A2 are from a 1994 survey which found a 24-hour traffic flow of 5,600 vehicles. However, there is no breakdown of these figures for the morning peak period.

My Department’s Roads Service has recently installed traffic counter loops on this road in connection with a traffic study in the Bangor area. These will provide the data requested and I will write to the Member in due course.

(AQO 689/00)

Mr Campbell: Some £410,000 of the additional £450,000 is being spent on 14 fully accessible minibuses. These vehicles will be used by rural community transport partnerships. The remaining £40,000 will go towards grants made by the Department to support the revenue costs of these partnerships.

(AQO 730/00)

Mr Campbell: There were 37,200 road openings in 1999 and 46,455 in 2000. The table below details of the utilities involved.

I should explain that these utilities have a statutory right to open public roads and footways to install and maintain their equipment. For this reason they cannot be required to apply to make an opening, but they are required to notify my Department’s Roads Service of their intention to do so. The Roads Service has, therefore, no control over the number of openings made by utilities, but it does have powers under the Street Works (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 to regulate the process.

The 1995 Order facilitates the co-ordination and control of street works and makes utilities more accountable for their street works. Article 31 of the Order provides that my Department’s Roads Service may issue practical guidance on the materials, workmanships and standards of reinstatements. Accordingly, the Roads Service has issued a code of practice on the reinstatement of openings in roads, which became operational on 1 February 1999.

The Code of practice is modelled on a similar GB code of practice. It requires that reinstatements be carried out to nationally agreed standards and be guaranteed for a minimum of two years. The content of the code of practice has been agreed with local utilities.

The estimated number of road openings made in public roads by the various utility companies during the past two years is as follows:

(AQO 665/00)

Mr Campbell: The salting of roads during wintry conditions costs approximately £5 million per annum. The salted network includes all main through routes carrying 1,500 or more vehicles per day. In addition, some other routes that carry more than 1,000 vehicles per day are salted provided there are special circumstances, eg, sharp bends or gradients et cetera. The salted network covers 27% of the entire public road network and carries some 80% of all road traffic. The Roads Service does not employ contractors to carry out salting operations.

The Member may be aware that I have initiated a review, involving the Regional Development Committee, of all the policy considerations pertaining to the salting of roads.

(AQO 688/00)

Mr Campbell: My Department’s Roads Service has not adopted Canning’s Lane as the owner has not given formal written consent for its adoption. Also, I understand that the lane falls below adoption standard and even if such consent were received, the lane would have to be upgraded to adoption standard before it could be adopted into the public road network.

(AQO 696/00)

Mr Campbell: I am advised that the number of planning applications referred to my Department’s Roads Service by the Department of Environment’s Planning Service is currently running at some 15,000 per year. At present, approximately 550 such applications, which were received by Roads Service over three months ago, have not yet been returned with a recommendation.

Over 98% of these outstanding planning applications are the subject of further dialogue with the applicants or their agents, and the Planning Service has been advised accordingly. The applications are generally in respect of proposals for larger developments where, for example, traffic impact assessments or other additional information has been requested.

(AQO 684/00)

Mr Campbell: My Department’s Roads Service is continuing to progress this project through the relevant statutory procedures. In particular:

• the statutory environmental procedures were completed without objection in December 2000;
• the necessary direction order is expected to become operative this month; and
• The Roads Service hopes shortly to initiate the formal land vesting procedures.

Assuming all goes well with the land acquisition procedures, the design and construct contract could be advertised in summer 2001, with the successful contractor undertaking the detailed design in the autumn and starting work on the ground in early 2002. I should emphasise, however, that commencement of the scheme will depend on the availability of funds at that time and in future years.

(AQO 661/00)

Mr Campbell: Four district councils have made representations about the upgrading of the A26 between Ballymena and Coleraine, and I have received two Assembly Questions. Finally, I received a petition from Cllr Frank Campbell requesting a dual carriageway on the route. To the best of my knowledge, these are the only representations I have received about upgrading this route.

(AQO 710/00)

Mr Campbell: In the 2000 spending review my predecessor, Mr Peter Robinson MP MLA, sought sufficient resources to keep open all the existing railway lines in Northern Ireland. However, the additional resources for railways in the Budget approved by the Assembly on 18 December 2000 provided resources only for the consolidation option outlined in the Railways Task Force Report. This option assumed that the line from Antrim to Knockmore would be closed when the line from Antrim to Bleach Green was reopened.

Consequently, Translink had no option but to commence the statutory procedure to close the Antrim to Knockmore line. Under this procedure there is an opportunity for people to object to the closure if they consider they will suffer hardship as a result. Translink is obliged to pass any such valid objections to me for consideration.

I remain committed to maintaining and developing rail services in Northern Ireland and would like the line between Antrim and Knockmore to remain open. However, I must also manage with the resources that have been allocated by the Assembly for railways.

I should point out that if there are objections to the closure on grounds of hardship the line cannot be closed without the approval of the Assembly. If the Assembly is not prepared to approve a closure proposal, I would expect it to provide me with the additional resources necessary to keep the line open.

(AQO 670/00)

Mr Campbell: The Water Service is planning to construct a new water treatment works for the Silent Valley water supply in order to provide an effective barrier against cryptosporidium and to comply with the requirements of the revised EC Drinking Water Directive. Subject to planning approval, the new treatment works will be situated at Drumaroad, between Castlewellan and Ballynahinch.

The procurement competition for the design and construct contract for the new treatment works is already under way. It is expected that, provided no planning difficulties arise, a contract will be awarded during the summer, and that construction will commence towards the end of 2001. It will take three years to build the new works at an estimated cost of £35 million.

Mr Molloy asked the Minister for Social Development to confirm that £125,000 per year has been spent under the domestic energy efficiency scheme in Mid Ulster, and to make a statement.

(AQW 1443/00)

The Minister for Social Development (Mr Morrow): In the three years to 31 December 2000, a total of £412,984 has been spent on the domestic energy efficiency scheme in the Mid Ulster constituency.

The level of expenditure under the current domestic energy efficiency scheme is not a barometer of fuel poverty. The scheme provides basic energy efficiency measures and is not targeted specifically at the fuel poor.

The new scheme, to be introduced later this year, will on the other hand, provide a much more comprehensive range of energy efficiency measures and will target the most vulnerable groups in our society.

(AQW 1444/00)

Mr Morrow: I am introducing a new domestic energy efficiency scheme, which will cover all of Northern Ireland. It 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, the new domestic energy efficiency scheme will start on 1 April 2001, commencing a lead-in period covering scheme marketing, tendering and client registration for the installation of physical measures from 1 July 2001.

Fuel poverty in public housing is not as highly concentrated as in the private housing sector, and responsibility for addressing the issue rests 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.

(AQW 1447/00)

Mr Morrow: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, whose chief executive has advised me that the number of households, which will include families as well as singles, who have been accepted as homeless by the Housing Executive is as follows:

(AQW 1455/00)

Mr Morrow: The information requested is as follows:

* To 31 December 2000

Written-off amounts include debts in respect of rent/rates, district heating, recoverable legal costs and recoverable damages.

(AQW 1457/00)

Mr Morrow: The Child Support Agency is fully committed to the policy of improving security and reducing fraud and loss in all its forms.

I can confirm that a new fraud team was formed in the Northern Ireland Child Support Agency in July 2000. The budget allocation for this team is £45,000 for the current financial year. There are three staff within the team at present, and they are equipped to deal with approximately 1,000 cases annually. To date 100 cases have been successfully resolved.

(AQW 1463/00)

1. Based on the financial year 1 April to 31 March.

Mr Morrow: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, whose chief executive has advised me the information is as follows:

Although the Housing Executive does not have a duty to those who are not statutorily homeless it does provide general advice on housing options, including referral to the voluntary sector and information on qualifying under the house selection scheme.

(AQW 1472/00)

Mr Morrow: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, whose chief executive has advised that the organisation does not maintain a record of the number of properties sold which, when certain criteria are met, are excluded from sale under the house sales scheme.

(AQW 1499/00)

Mr Morrow: I refer to my answer to AQO 596/00 on 29 January 2001, when I arranged for information about the domestic energy efficiency scheme expenditure in all constituencies to be placed in the Assembly Library.

The level of expenditure under the current domestic energy efficiency scheme is not an indicator of fuel poverty. The scheme provides basic energy efficiency measures and is not targeted specifically at the fuel poor.

The new scheme, to be introduced later this year, will on the other hand, provide a much more comprehensive range of energy efficiency measures and will target the most vulnerable in our society.

(AQW 1500/00)

Mr Morrow: Funding for the domestic energy efficiency scheme is not allocated on a constituency basis. The existing scheme is very much demand led. Funding is provided to the scheme manager, who responds to requests from individual clients for the installation of energy efficiency measures in their properties.

In some respects the new scheme will be similar, but greater emphasis will be given to focusing and targeting those in greatest need. This will be achieved through publicising and marketing the scheme and through the development of an effective referral network. In the circumstances, therefore, I cannot predict what the future allocation of funding in East Londonderry will be.

(AQW 1501/00)

Mr Morrow: I refer to my answer to AQO 596/00 on 29 January 2001, when I arranged for information about the domestic energy efficiency scheme expenditure in all constituencies to be placed in the Assembly Library.

The level of expenditure under the current domestic energy efficiency Scheme is not an indicator of fuel poverty. The scheme provides basic energy efficiency measures and is not targeted specifically at the fuel poor.

The new scheme, to be introduced later this year, will on the other hand, provide a much more comprehensive range of energy efficiency measures and will target the most vulnerable in our society.

(AQW 1502/00)

Mr Morrow: A new domestic energy efficiency scheme will be introduced from 1 April 2001. In some respects the new scheme will be similar to the existing domestic energy efficiency scheme, but greater emphasis will be given to focusing and targeting those in greatest need. This will be achieved through publicising and marketing the scheme and through the development of an effective referral network.

Funding for the domestic energy efficiency scheme will be based on need and will not, therefore, be allocated on a constituency basis.

(AQW 1508/00)

Mr Morrow: Personal security is a matter for the individual. However, when property is attacked, each case is considered on its merits, taking account of the particular circumstances, location and risk or frequency of incidents. In exceptional circumstances, the Housing Executive has, following consultation with the RUC, replaced external glazed doors with solid doors, installed lights above entrance doors and replaced window units with laminated/ polycarbonate units.

(AQW 1518/00)

Mr Morrow: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, whose chief executive has advised that not all the information requested is available. It is not possible to segregate applications by property type without incurring disproportionate cost. Neither is a separate record available of the number of applications refused or the reason for refusal. Figures for the number of applications received and the number of cases where the sale has been completed are as follows:

(AQW 1537/00)

Mr Morrow: The information provided relates to years 1995 to 2001 only. Information on projects prior to this date could be made available only at disproportionate cost. The table below shows the total expenditure by Belfast Regeneration Office on community development projects for the period 1995 to 2001 in West Belfast.