Friday 6 July 2001
Written Answers to Questions (Continued)

Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of the Environment, pursuant to AQW 1120/00, to detail which district councils have a strategy to reduce industrial and commercial wastes placed in landfill to 85% of its 1998 level by 2005.

(AQW 3376/00)

The Minister of the Environment (Mr Foster): The target to reduce industrial and commercial wastes placed in landfill sites is contained in the Northern Ireland Waste Management Strategy published by my Department in March 2000.

District Councils are required to prepare Waste Management Plans to show how they propose to meet this target. The Plans are being prepared by three sub-regional groups covering all 26 District Councils. All three groups submitted blueprints of their Plans to my Department on Friday 29 June. My officials will be examining the proposals in these blueprints against the 85% target and the other requirements of the Waste Management Strategy.

Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of the Environment, pursuant to AQW 1120/00, to detail how advanced is the market development programme in stimulating demand for recycled products.

(AQW 3377/00)

Mr Foster: The response to AQW 1120/00 on 18 January 2001 indicated that the independent Advisory Board, being set up at that time, would play a key role in promoting the Market Development Programme.

Since then the new Board has been appointed.

The Board comprises 16 members including a Chairperson and represents the interests of all key stakeholder groups throughout Northern Ireland.

The Board includes members from the waste management industry, District Councils and the Department of the Environment (see attached details of members).

Its inaugural meeting was held on 6 June. The next step is for the Board to establish a Reduction, Recycling and Recovery Group, which will assess opportunities for the marketing of recyclates. This matter will be discussed at the Board’s next meeting in August.

Ms Lewsley asked the Minister of the Environment, given that the expected start date on Glenavy sewage works is March 2002, to make it his policy to introduce a moratorium on planning applications until the sewage issue has been addressed.

(AQW 3386/00)

Mr Foster: I cannot place a moratorium on planning applications in the Glenavy area until the sewage issue has been addressed, as my Department has a statutory duty to process and determine any valid planning application which it receives. However, each planning application is considered on its individual merits. In processing applications in the Glenavy area, my Department consults with the Water Service, the Environment and Heritage Service and the Environmental Health Department of Lisburn Borough Council, with regard to sewage disposal and the discharge of water. Applications are determined after full consideration of these and other consultation responses, plus any other representations received.

Mr Davis asked the Minister of the Environment to explain why, despite significant opposition from residents and local borough councils, Planning Service granted planning approval to construct an incinerator in Glenavy without holding further consultation or a public inquiry; and to make a statement.

(AQW 3422/00)

Mr Foster: My Department granted planning approval for an incinerator, with an energy recovery plant, to dispose of meat, bonemeal and tallow at 29 Ballyvannon Road, Glenavy on 7 June 2001. The approval was subject to a number of conditions designed to protect the environment and mitigate any impact caused by the operation of the plant.

During the course of processing the application opposition to the proposal was articulated in the form of letters and petitions. Antrim, Craigavon and Lisburn Borough Councils made a request for the proposed development to be the subject of a public inquiry.

At an early stage in the processing of the application my Department determined that it should be designated as "major" under Article 31 of the Planning Order (NI) 1991, on the grounds that it would, if permitted, affect the whole of a neighbourhood.

In processing the application, my Department undertook an extensive round of consultation, and took full account of the concerns expressed by the public. This resulted in the submission, by the applicant, of an addendum to the environmental statement, which provided additional information.

My Department decided that it was appropriate to determine the application by way of a notice of opinion to approve. In arriving at this decision, my Department was satisfied that the consultation process already undertaken had provided sufficient basis for the full consideration of all material issues, including relevant policies, without the need for a public inquiry.

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of the Environment whether a new road safety strategy will be published by summer 2001.

(AQW 3423/00)

Mr Foster: On 2 May 2001 I published a new road safety strategy for consultation. A copy of the consultation document was issued to all members and further copies are available in the Assembly Library.

The document invites constructive views and comments on long term casualty reduction targets and the measures and activities required to achieve further significant reductions in deaths and serious injuries on Northern Ireland’s roads.

The closing date for responses is 27 July 2001 following which careful consideration will be given to the views and comments received in consultation with other departments and agencies involved in road safety. Thereafter, I intend to publish a new Strategic Road Safety Plan for Northern Ireland by the end of March 2002.

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of the Environment, in relation to Objective 4 in the Programme for Government (page 123), to detail (a) the current formula for the calculation of the resources element of the General Exchequer grant to district councils (b) what recommendations were made following his review and (c) which councils will benefit having taken account of relative socio-economic disadvantage.

(AQW 3437/00)

Mr Foster: The Department has a commitment, included in the Programme for Government, to review the formula for the calculation of the resources element of the General Exchequer Grant to district councils to take account of relative socio-economic disadvantage. The review is not yet complete.

The current formula for calculation of grant payable to individual district councils is contained in the Local Government &c (NI) Order 1972, Articles 3, 4, 5 and Schedule 1. It is a complex methodology which incorporates valuation, population and expenditure data relating to district councils. Based on these figures, and taking account of the funds available, (£19 million 2001-02), a standard is struck by the Department. Any council whose position lies below that standard qualifies for a share of the grant.

No recommendations have been made to date. Initial consultation with district councils and other interested parties has taken place, as a result of which some adjustment has been made to the proposed formula. A second consultation paper, which will include the outcome of an Equality Impact Assessment, is due to issue shortly.

Since further consultation is required, the impact of the new formula cannot be defined at this stage. An indication of the distribution of the grant will, however, be included in the consultation paper.

Mr M Murphy asked the Minister of the Environment to undertake to establish a public database, as recommended in the Stewart Report, giving the location of all operating cellular base stations and detailing the strength of their emissions.

(AQW 3453/00)

Mr Foster: A number of the recommendations of the Report by the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones, chaired by Sir William Stewart (the Stewart Report) related to reserved matters whereas others, such as planning, related to matters which are the responsibility of the devolved Administrations. Responsibility for Telecommunications is a reserved matter.

In response to the recommendations of the Stewart Report, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has tasked the Radio Communications Agency (an Executive Agency of the Department of Trade and Industry) to develop and maintain a public database giving details on all operating cellular base stations in the UK and their emissions.

The Radiocommunications Agency (RA) has been making steady progress in implementing this recommendation. It is developing an Internet based solution known as "Sitefinder". Sitefinder will employ a map-based facility indicating the location of cellular phone base stations. More information on a particular base station will be available by simply clicking on the position indicator for the base station in question.

The mobile phone companies have been consulted during the development of this resource and have voluntarily agreed to disclose information on their respective base stations. The RA has been formatting the data received from the cellular operators to make it compatible with the database software.

"Sitefinder" is currently undergoing strenuous system and user acceptance testing. It is hoped that "Sitefinder" should be made publicly available via the RA’s website later this summer.

The initial launch may not include Northern Ireland but I am advised that access to the Northern Ireland part of the database will be available later this year.

Mr Beggs asked the Minister of the Environment to explain the variation in costs to statutory bodies of making planning applications.

(AQW 3510/00)

Mr Foster: The level of Planning Fees is prescribed in the Planning (Fees) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 as amended by the Planning Fees (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001.

Under those Regulations the scale of fees does not apply to certain statutory bodies. Instead they pay a flat rate fee, currently £35, designed to cover only the cost of advertising the application.

The bodies to which the scale of fees does not apply are –

• District councils;
• the Northern Ireland Housing Executive;
• Education and Library Boards;
• the Fire Authority for Northern Ireland; and
• the Police Authority for Northern Ireland.

The reason for this is historical. When Planning Fees were introduced in 1981, the scale of fees paralleled that in Great Britain. In GB local authorities were the planning authorities, and they could not charge themselves.

It was decided therefore that the principle of not applying scale fees to local authorities should also apply in NI and also be extended to cover the bodies described above, whose functions would be carried out by the local authority in GB.

It was decided that a concession for the bodies listed was appropriate and would not cause any net loss in revenue, since, if planning fees were imposed for these services, the authorities would seek to recover the additional expenditure through grants from Government funds.

Mr Dalton asked the Minister of the Environment to detail a (a) any fixed criteria used in determining what amounts to ‘Ribbon Development’ within the policy paper "A Planning Strategy for Rural Northern Ireland Policy DES 7" (b) where such criteria can be found and (c) in the event that the Department does not apply fixed criteria, how does it maintain a consistent and uniform approach to the application of this policy.

(AQW 3513/00)

Mr Foster: Ribbon development is defined in policy DES 7 of "A Planning Strategy for Rural Northern Ireland" which was published by my Department in 1993. It is defined as a line of buildings, served by individual accesses, extending along a road, without accompanying development of the land to the rear. A ribbon does not necessarily have a continuous or uniform building line. Buildings sited from the road, staggered or at angles to the road and with gaps between them can represent ribbon development, if they have a common frontage to the road and are visually linked when viewed from the road. This criterion is applied across all planning divisions.

Mr Dalton asked the Minister of the Environment to define the term "common frontage" as used in paragraph 1 line 5 in the policy document "Planning Strategy for Rural Northern Ireland policy DES 7" and (b) where is this definition published.

(AQW 3514/00)

Mr Foster: My Department has never published a precise definition of the term "common frontage". However, the term applies to circumstances where buildings front a road whether in a continuous building line or a broken staggered building line.

Mr Dalton asked the Minister of the Environment to define the term "visually linked" as used paragraph1 line 5 in the policy document "Planning Strategy for Rural Northern Ireland policy DES 7" and (b) where is this definition published.

(AQW 3515/00)

Mr Foster: My Department has never published a precise definition of the term "visually linked". However this refers to situations where a row of buildings, whether in a continuous line or in a broken staggered line, are visible all or in part when viewed from the road.

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of the Environment to detail (a) the number of road fatalities and injuries in 2001 to date (b) how this compares with the same period for each of the last five years and (c) what assessments have been carried out on the impact of advertising on reducing road traffic accidents.

(AQW 3536/00)

Mr Foster: The number of road fatalities for the period from 1 January to 30 June and of road injuries for the period from 1 January to 30 April (the latest available for 2001) for this year and each of the previous five years are as follows:

More detailed information on road casualty statistics is published annually in the RUC Chief Constable’s Annual Report. I understand that copies have been sent to Assembly Members.

It is not possible to measure directly the impact of advertising on reducing road traffic collisions. However research is conducted before and after each campaign to establish to what extent attitudes have changed.

For example research carried out after the launch in 2000 of the anti-speeding campaign ‘Slowdownboys’ showed nearly half of all drivers and over 40% of 17-24 year olds surveyed indicated they had changed their driving behaviour as a direct result of the commercial;

50% of 17-24 year old male drivers (up from 45%) said that speeding is never a risk worth taking; and

32% of 17-24 year old male drivers (up from 23%) claimed that they personally could not exceed the speed limit at all on country roads while driving safely.

Research has shown that since 1995, my Department’s anti-drink drive campaigns have contributed to a decrease in the percentage of drinking-drivers who believe that they can drink one or more units of alcohol without affecting their driving, from 60% to 33%.

Ms Hanna asked the Minister of the Environment to outline the reasons behind the decision by the Planning Service to agree to the demolition of 29 Windsor Park within the Malone Conservation Area.

(AQW 3561/00)

Mr Foster: The decision to give Conservation Area Consent for the demolition of 29 Windsor Park was taken in light of the previous history existing on the site and on the basis of legal opinion from the Departmental Solicitors at that time.

The planning history was that permission already existed for the site prior to designation of the Malone Conservation Area on 3 August 2000.

Planning Permission for the erection of 5 no. apartments and involving the demolition of 29 Windsor Park was granted on 30 May 2000.

A new planning application (ref: Z/2000/2831/F) for the demolition of 29 Windsor Park and replacement with 5 no. apartments was submitted on 30 November 2000 and granted planning permission on 29 May 2001. This application was a revised scheme which was considered to be of better design, and more sympathetic than the project originally approved. An application for Conservation Area Consent to demolish ( ref: Z/2001/0318/DCA) was also granted permission on 29 May 2001. In both cases the Council agreed with the Department’s opinion to approve.

A material consideration was the fact that an extant planning approval existed for the site, and the legal opinion received was that there was nothing preventing the applicant from implementing that approval. The fact that the new scheme was considered to be more in keeping with the Conservation Area was also a contributing factor in determining these applications.

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail what progress has been made on publishing a new Index of Deprivation for Northern Ireland electoral wards.

(AQW 3398/00)

The Minister of Finance and Personnel (Mr Durkan): The final report on the Measures of Deprivation in Northern Ireland will be released on 5 July. Initially the report will be available from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency website (www.nisra.gov.uk). Hard copy reports are expected to be available by the end of July.

Mr Close asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail all current schemes under which grants are paid by his Department and its NDPBs to the voluntary and community sector.

(AQW 3447/00)

Mr Durkan: The Department of Finance and Personnel does not operate any schemes under which grants are paid directly by it to the voluntary and community sector. However, the Department has a responsibility for overseeing implementation of EU Programmes, which fund grants to the voluntary and community sector.

Mr Close asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail all grants of £100,000 or more made by his Department and its NDPBs to voluntary and community bodies in 2000-01.

(AQW 3448/00)

Mr Durkan: The Department of Finance and Personnel did not operate any schemes under which grants were paid directly by it to the voluntary and community sector in 2000-01.

Mr Close asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail the guidance his Department and its NDPBs give to voluntary and community bodies on accessing, using and accounting for grants from public monies.

(AQW 3450/00)

Mr Durkan: The Department of Finance and Personnel does not operate any schemes under which grants are paid directly by it to the voluntary and community sector.

However, the Department assumed responsibility on 12/4/2001 for overseeing disbursement of EU Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation monies under partnership arrangements. Guidance on the disbursement of these funds is provided by the Northern Ireland Partnership Board. Accounting for the use of these funds is subject to audit by the Departmental Internal Audit, the Northern Ireland Audit Office and the European Commission.

Mr Close asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail all grants paid to voluntary and community bodies by his Department and its NDPBs in the 2000-01 financial year.

(AQW 3451/00)

Mr Durkan: The Department of Finance and Personnel does not operate any schemes under which grants are paid directly by it to the voluntary and community sector. No grants were therefore made to voluntary and community bodies in 2000/01.

Ms Lewsley asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail what performance targets have been set for the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency in 2001-02.

(AQW 3594/00)

Mr Durkan: For 2001-2002 the following key performance targets have been set for the Agency.

• 95-100% of surveyed key public service users of the Agency rating the service they received as satisfactory or better, with 55-60% rating it as very satisfactory.
• 95-100% of surveyed users of the Agency outside the public service rating the service they received as satisfactory or better, with 55-60% rating it as very satisfactory.
• To produce no fewer than 68 statistical publications and 21 ad hoc research publications during 2001/02.
• 95-100% of NISRA readers rating key publications as satisfactory or better, with 50-55% rating them as very satisfactory.
• To process 98% of postal and personal applications for General Register Office certificates within 8 and 3 working days respectively.
• To carry out the 2001 Census of Population on 29 April 2001.
• To achieve Census enumeration for 2001/02 within the financial target.
• To achieve a minimum 3% efficiency saving.
• To maintain expenditure within cash limits and approved budgetary plans.

Full details are set out in the Agency’s Corporate and Business Plans, copies of which will be placed in the Assembly library.

Ms Lewsley asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail what performance targets have been set for the Government Purchasing Agency in 2001-02 and what arrangements have been made for publication of this year’s plans.

(AQW 3595/00)

Mr Durkan: As an Executive Agency within the Department of Finance and Personnel, the Government Purchasing Agency provides a professional procurement service to all the Northern Ireland Departments and an increasing number of other public sector bodies.

The following key performance targets were set for the Agency in 2001-2002.

• Maintain expenditure within cash limits.
• Secure sufficient funding from customer Departments to meet the costs of the Agency.
• Increase the total value of contracts awarded by 5% on the 2000-2001 outturn.
• Have 90% of the Agency’s call-off contracts available to customers on an e-commerce platform by March 2002.
• Reduce the unit cost per £ of value of contracts awarded by 3% on the 2000-2001 outturn.
• Achieve purchasing savings equivalent to 3% of the value of contracts awarded.
• Achieve a 92% level of satisfaction amongst customer organisation.
• Achieve a 92% level of satisfaction amongst suppliers.

Background information is given in the Agency’s Corporate and Business Plans, copies of which will be placed in the Assembly Library.

Ms Lewsley asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail what performance targets have been set for Construction Service in 2001-02.

(AQW 3596/00)

Mr Durkan: For 2001-02, the following performance targets have been set for Construction Service.

Quality of Service

• To achieve a 92% compliance in customer assessments of Agency performance against Service Level Agreements.
• To obtain a 95% satisfaction rate in customer assessments of project work.
• To place 85% of orders in response to requests for reactive maintenance work within 7 days and to place 95% within 14 days.
• To place 85% of orders in response to requests for supplies work within 7 days and to place 95% within 14 days.
• To respond to 90% of customer advisory enquiries within 6 weeks and to respond to 97% within 10 weeks.

Efficiency

• To ensure that actual costs as a percentage of agreed target costs on project work do not exceed the agreed percentage.
• To ensure that staff costs as a percentage of construction spend for maintenance work do not exceed the agreed percentage.
• To ensure that staff costs as a percentage of construction spend for supplies work do not exceed the agreed percentage.

Financial Performance

• To maintain expenditure within cash limits and to approved budgetary plans.
• To recover the full cost of Agency Operations from customers with a tolerance of 100%+/-2%.

Ms Lewsley asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail what performance targets have been set for the Valuation and Lands Agency in 2001-02.

(AQW 3598/00)

Mr Durkan: For 2001/2002 the following key targets have been set for the Valuation and Lands Agency.

Revaluation

• To have, by March 2002, achieved all 2001/2002 Non Domestic Revaluation Project milestones.

Rating Revision Casework

• To complete 89% of rating revision casework within 3 months of receipt.

Rating Unit Cost

• To achieve a Rating Unit Cost of £245 which represents no increase in real terms on projected outturn of £239 for 2000/2001.

Rating Valuation Standards

• To achieve a standard in all rating valuations such that 90% of those determined on appeal are within plus or minus 10% of the initial assessment.

Rating Backdated Certificates

• To issue 93% of certificates for continuous revision cases which are subject to retrospective backdating, within 12 months of the revision event.

Rating Appeal Timeliness

• To achieve a turnaround of 13 weeks on average for all rating appeals.

Client Service Level Agreement

• To achieve at least 80% satisfaction rating from respondents to a Client Satisfaction Survey.

Financial Performance

• To maintain expenditure within cash limits and budgetary plans.
• To demonstrate the ability to achieve full cost recovery in respect of Client Services.

Full details are given in the Agency’s Corporate and Business Plan, copies of which have been made available to the Printed Paper Office.

Ms Lewsley asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail what performance targets have been set for the Business Development Service in 2001-02.

(AQW 3617/00)

Mr Durkan: To ensure at least 95% of customers are satisfied with the services they receive.

• To ensure at least 95% of customers are satisfied with the way in which services are provided to them.
• To maintain a level of people development which is consistent with the principles of Investors In People.
• To secure, on a notional basis and within the context of Service Level Agreements (where they apply), 90% recovery of the cost of its operation from its customers.
• To demonstrate an efficiency saving of 3%.

Full details are set out in the Agency’s Strategic and Business Plans, copies of which have been placed in the Assembly Library.

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