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Friday 1 February 2002 Valuation and Lands Agency Mr Weir asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel if the Valuation and Lands Agency is paid by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive at a flat rate per valuation or on a commission based on their final valuation. (AQW 1408/01) The Minister of Finance and Personnel (Dr Farren): The Valuation and Lands Agency works on a full cost recovery basis. For the majority of its work the Agency calculates an individual charge for each case. The charge is calculated on the time taken, the grade of the staff involved and any expenses incurred. The Agency carries out a limited amount of valuation work, for the NIHE, on a flat rate fee basis. That work is in connection with the NIHE House Sales Scheme and was obtained by the Agency as a result of a competitive tendering process that required the bids to be made on a flat rate basis. In no circumstances are the charges based on the final valuation. Valuation and Lands Agency Mr Weir asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel how many properties were valued by the Valuation and Lands Agency in each of the last three years. (AQW 1409/01) Dr Farren: The Valuation and Lands Agency is responsible for carrying out all rating valuations in Northern Ireland. It also carries out valuation and other related tasks for the Inland Revenue, Government Departments and public bodies. Collectively these are known as Client Services cases. The latter case work includes making valuations, but in many instances also includes giving advice on property matters, making estimates, carrying out economic appraisals, purchasing or leasing property and making assessments in connection with various forms of grant. In addition single cases may require valuations of several properties. The statistics maintained by the Agency do not clearly distinguish between cases that involve only the provision of a valuation, those that involve other related tasks and those that involve multiple valuations. I regret, therefore, that I am unable to answer the question as framed. I have provided the following information on the numbers of cases that were processed by the agency, for the last 3 years.
Valuation and Lands Agency Mr Weir asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel how many properties were valued by the Valuation and Lands Agency on a site only basis in each of the last three years. (AQW 1410/01) Dr Farren: I regret that I am unable to provide the information requested. The statistics recorded by the Agency are based on the numbers of cases completed and their relative complexity. The sub divisions recorded do not distinguish between valuations made on a site only basis and those that also involve buildings or other structures. Valuation and Lands Agency Mr Weir asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel whether it is the policy of the Valuation and Lands Agency to value properties on the basis of future potential. (AQW 1411/01) Dr Farren: The Valuation and Lands Agency is obliged to carry out all its valuations in accordance with the relevant statutory provisions and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors guidelines. The majority of the valuations the Agency makes for its clients are assessments of open market value for compensation purposes or for purchases or disposals of public sector property in the open market. In these circumstances the potential of the properties involved is fully reflected in the valuations. There are, however, some narrow exceptions to this general approach, particularly in the field of compulsory purchase compensation, where potential must be ignored if it arises as a direct result of the public sector scheme for which the property is being purchased. Peace II: Mr Shannon asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to outline the action NIVT (Northern Ireland Voluntary Trust) is taking to ensure grants under the European Peace II Programme for terrorist victims is distributed fairly in each constituency area, specifically the Strangford constituency. (AQW 1451/01) Dr Farren: As an Intermediary Funding Body for the PEACE II Programme, the Northern Ireland Voluntary Trust (NIVT) will be responsible for ensuring that "the measures for which it is responsible are implemented in accordance with the requirements of the PEACE II Operational Programme". Allocations under the Programme will be made in accordance with the selection criteria for the relevant priority and measure and not made on the basis of geographical location. Under the PEACE II Programme all areas, groups and sectors will be afforded equal access to PEACE II funding. A number of agreed Horizontal Principles will govern the way in which PEACE II will be implemented and these Principles address equality of opportunity and balanced interventions. Cervical Cancer Statistics Mr M Robinson asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail, by Health Board area, the number of deaths from cervical cancer recorded in each year since 1995. (AQW 1498/01) Dr Farren: The information requested on deaths resulting from cervical cancer (malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri), by Health Board area, is presented in the table below.
Physical Punishment in the Home Dr Birnie asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel, in respect of the consultation document issued by the Office of Law Reform ‘Physical Punishment in the home - thinking about the issues, looking at the evidence’, to advise if the research of Doctors Robert Larzelere and Diana Baumrind was considered in preparing this document. (AQW 1513/01) Dr Farren: The results of Diana Baumrind’s research was considered by officials in preparing the consultation paper, "Physical Punishment in the home – thinking about the issues, looking at the evidence". Two articles by Dr Robert Larzelere have been referred to officials by a consultee, and will be fully considered when policy is being formulated. Departmental Expenditure Limits: Ms McWilliams asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail the easements identified by each Department in the June, September and December monitoring rounds in the current financial year. (AQW 1519/01) Dr Farren: The information requested, based on the easements declared within Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) for each Department, is set out in the table below. In addition, details of departmental easements will be made available to Members in the course of each future Monitoring Round.
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