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Friday 15 February 2002 Disposal of Fridges and Freezers (AQW 1744/01) The Minister of the Environment (Mr Foster): Work is continuing to identify the total cost associated with the introduction of EC Regulation 2037 / 2000. The cost of both storage and disposal is dependent on the number of waste units involved and on the availability and location of approved disposal plants. My officials are working with district council staff on volume and are in touch with the industry and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment about plans to establish disposal plants. I expect matters to become clearer over the coming months In the meantime, I am aware that there are operational and cost implications for councils. No specific additional resources have currently been earmarked for this work in the DOE budgets for this year or next. However, I will do all that I can to secure some financial assistance for councils, bidding to the Department of Finance and Personnel as necessary and taking account of the levels of assistance being made available to councils in GB. Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of the Environment if he has any plans to extend the timescale for public consultation on the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan. (AQW 1745/01) Mr Foster: The Planning (Development Plans) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1994 allows 14 weeks for the receipt of representations in relation to development plans and this position applies to the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan Issues Paper. The Department has arranged 37 public meetings throughout the Plan area during this 14-week period to ensure everyone has the opportunity to express their views and influence the Plan preparation process. The Department has no plans to extend the timescale for public consultation; however, consultation with the six Councils will continue throughout the Plan-making process. Delivery of Local Services Mr Gibson asked the Minister of the Environment to outline plans he has to improve the efficiency of services offered by local district councils; and to make a statement. (AQW 1750/01) Mr Foster: A Local Government (Best Value) Bill has completed Further Consideration Stage in the Northern Ireland Assembly. This Bill makes provision, placing a general duty on district councils to achieve best value in their delivery of local services, in consultation with local people. The general duty will require councils to seek improvements in the way their functions are undertaken, having regard to economy, efficiency and effectiveness. It is anticipated that legislation will become effective from 1 April 2002. Disposal of Fridges and Freezers Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of the Environment to detail (a) when he became aware of EC Regulation 2037/2000, regarding the disposal of fridges and freezers; (b) why no consultation has been carried out with local council authorities; and (c) why funding has not yet been provided to local council authorities to take account of the resulting financial burden. (AQW 1769/01) Mr Foster: (a) The EC decision to include domestic fridges and freezers within EC Regulation 2037/2000 was circulated in the summer of 2001. (b) It is not right to suggest that there has been no consultation with local councils. In the first instance, my officials were in communication with councils by telephone and e-mail. Attempts were made in early December 2001 to arrange meetings with both council representatives and their Technical Advisory Group. However, this did not prove possible until recently when officials attended a meeting with council chief executives and gave a presentation on the background to the EC Regulation and on the current position. This meeting followed the issue of draft guidance on storage of waste refrigeration equipment which was passed to councils for comment on 10 January. A further meeting has taken place with the councils’ Technical Advisory Group on 13 February to provide an opportunity to discuss issues relating to both storage and disposal of waste units and to exchange information on the impact of the Regulation since 1 January. Those councils who had written to the Department about the Regulations have received responses and an update on the position. (c) Limited information on the predicted numbers of waste fridges and freezers and on the likely availability and location of approved disposal plants, makes it impossible at this stage to finalise any robust figures for the cost of storage or disposal. I am, however, aware that there are operational and cost implications for councils. No specific additional resources have currently been earmarked for this work in the DOE budgets for this year or the next. However, I will do all that I can to secure some financial assistance for councils, bidding to DFP as necessary and taking account of the levels of assistance being made available to councils in GB. Noise Act 1996 Dr Birnie asked the Minister of the Environment what assessment he has made in relation to the application of the Noise Act 1996, by local district councils, in dealing with noise nuisance. (AQW 1771/01) Mr Foster: No formal assessment of the operation of the Noise Act 1996 in Northern Ireland has been undertaken and there are no immediate plans to do so. This is a discretionary Act that applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It provides additional powers to district councils to abate neighbour noise nuisance during night-time hours. Before taking effect in any area, the Act must be adopted by the district council. To date only Belfast City Council has adopted the Act. I understand that the majority of district councils consider the level of service required under the Act to be too onerous and costly when compared with their assessment of the benefit which the additional powers provide. There is, of course, existing mandatory legislation which provides control over noise nuisance, including that occurring during night-time hours. A recent assessment in England and Wales highlighted similar problems with the operation of the Act and the options for addressing the matter are presently being assessed. Before I consider what action my Department should be taking, I would wish to await the outcome of the review in England and Wales. In the meantime, my officials are liaising closely with their English and Welsh counterparts about the implications of any proposed changes for Northern Ireland. Telecommunication Mast Mr Berry asked the Minister of the Environment if planning permission was granted for the erection of telecommunication masts on the Annareagh Road, Hamiltonsbawn, Co Armagh. (AQW 1796/01) Mr Foster: My Department granted "prior approval" for the erection of a telecommunications mast on land adjacent to 31 Main Street, Hamiltonsbawn, with access by means of a laneway to Annareagh Road, Hamiltonsbawn, on 28 December 2001. Planning Legislation: Mr Berry asked the Minister of the Environment if he has any plans to introduce (a) legislation for increased control of development by licensed telecommunications code systems operators; and (b) a draft planning policy statement on telecommunications development. (AQW 1797/01) Mr Foster: My Department issued a consultation paper on 10 November 2000, seeking views on possible changes to planning legislation for the control of development by licensed telecommunications code system operators, and on the terms of a draft Planning Policy Statement on telecommunications development. Following a decision of the Executive Committee, my Department is currently preparing legislation, which will require full planning permission for all new telecommunications development. All such development, including new telecommunications masts, will then be subject to the full rigour of the planning process. At the same time my Department is finalising the draft Planning Policy Statement on telecommunications. I anticipate that the revised planning Regulations will be brought forward in late February or March 2002 and these are expected to take effect in April 2002. I will publish the revised Planning Policy Statement on telecommunications at the same time as introducing the new legislation. Planning Service: Consultancy Costs Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of the Environment to detail (a) how much has been spent on consultancy by the Planning Service in this financial year; (b) the breakdown per constituency; and (c) the type of consultancy. (AQW 1824/01) Mr Foster: The Planning Service has spent £660,741 on consultancy in the current financial year up to 31 January 2002. It is not practicable to break this down by constituency. Certain consultancy work has no specific geographic focus, while other work that does have such a focus, crosses constituency boundaries. The types of consultancy to date fall into the following categories:
Taxi Industry Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of the Environment to detail (a) any measures he is taking to prevent the increase of unlicensed taxis; and (b) any sanctions that are implemented against firms that use unlicensed drivers. (AQW 1827/01) Mr Foster: (a) I was able to secure an additional funding in 2000-01 and the current year for increased roadside checks and enforcement activity by my Department’s enforcement staff. As a result, it was possible to double the number of roadside checks of taxis in both years from 900 to 1,800. I have also consulted the taxi industry on proposals to increase the Public Service Vehicle licence fee for taxis to fund additional enforcement activity from 2002-03 onwards. My officials are currently considering the responses to the consultation and I expect to receive advice and recommendations shortly. (b) My Department has no legislative authority to regulate taxi firms. Its statutory powers extend only to taxi drivers and their vehicles. I do recognise, however, that there is concern about the regulation of the taxi industry. I see merit in undertaking a review of the regulatory regime and I will take this forward as soon as resources allow. Wake up to Waste Roadshow Mr Hussey asked the Minister of the Environment to outline (a) if the Wake up to Waste Roadshow will be available in all district council areas and (b) if a redesigned modular version will be available to district councils at no charge. (AQW 1886/01) Mr Foster: The Wake up to Waste Roadshow will be available in the following locations:
The Roadshow has been designed and directed by a local firm of PR consultants. Their advice is that these locations offer the best possible access for the greatest number of people. The choice is based solely on actual visitor figures to these locations. A redesigned modular version of the Roadshow is not currently available. My Department is funding directly only the presentations listed above, on the basis that this represents best value for money. If district councils identify additional needs, it is open to them to use funds from their allocations under the Waste Management Grant Scheme 2001-02 to meet the costs. Additional local publicity, in the form of graphic display material for each council, is currently being considered by my Department. Transfer List Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of the Environment, pursuant to AQW 1523/01, to detail the average length of time full-time employees have been waiting on the transfer list. (AQW 1887/01) Mr Foster: My Department does not maintain details of the average time staff working in DOE have been waiting on the transfer list. My response to AQW 1523/01 stated that the number of full-time employees in the Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency currently seeking a transfer to another Department is 29. The average length of time that these employees have been waiting on the list is three years. Safety Cameras Mr Weir asked the Minister of the Environment to detail (a) the current number of traffic speed cameras; and (b) the number he plans to install. (AQW 1910/01) Mr Foster: Responsibility for operational policy on safety cameras (or speed cameras as they used to be known) including the number and location of these cameras are matters for the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The Police Service of Northern Ireland has advised that it has five mobile safety cameras, which are focused on those roads where there is a high instance of speed-related incidents to maximise potential for road traffic casualty reduction. However, my Department is currently in discussion with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Department for Regional Development’s Roads Service and other Departments and agencies in Northern Ireland, on how best the lessons from the pilot Safety Camera Netting-off Schemes in Great Britain can be applied in Northern Ireland. To assist in the development of the business case for introducing a netting-off scheme in Northern Ireland, we have appointed consultants with experience of the scheme in Great Britain. The pilot schemes in Great Britain were to assess potential new arrangements for using part of the fine income from speed and red light cameras to fund the installation and operation of additional cameras. The results from the pilot schemes have been very encouraging in terms of reducing both vehicle speeds and collision casualties in the pilot areas. Excessive speed remains a major cause of road collisions in Northern Ireland. During the year 2000, 44 of the 171 road traffic collision deaths in Northern Ireland were due to excessive speed. While a detailed analysis for 2001 is not yet available, early indications are that speed was again a major factor in many of the 148 deaths. Approximately one in ten of all collisions, and one in five of collisions involving death or serious injury is due to speeding. Senior Civil Servants’ Posts Mr M Robinson asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail, by Department, the number of senior civil servants’ posts since December 1999. (AQW 1681/01) The Minister of Finance and Personnel (Dr Farren): For convenience the information requested is summarised in the tables below. Senior Civil Service Posts By Department
Senior Civil Service Posts 1998-2002
Mr M Robinson asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail the number of senior civil servants’ posts in the Northern Ireland Civil Service for each of the last five years. (AQW 1682/01) Dr Farren: For convenience the information requested is summarised in the tables below. Senior Civil Service Posts By Department
Senior Civil Service Posts 1998- 2002
Barnett Formula Mr Gibson asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel when he last discussed the future of the Barnett formula with HM Treasury Ministers. (AQW 1723/01) Dr Farren: The Executive have made clear our dissatisfaction with the Barnett formula as the key mechanism for funding the devolved Administration. At present we are examining through the Needs and Effectiveness Evaluations (NEE) the evidence on the need for expenditure on public services comparable to those in England. Greater clarity is needed on that issue before a decision can be taken on the approach to negotiations with the Treasury on Barnett in Spending Review 2002. Local Strategy Partnerships: Ms Morrice asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to give a detailed breakdown of the gender balance in local district partnership boards; and to make a statement. (AQW 1730/01) Dr Farren: A total of 627 members are currently serving on the Local Strategy Partnerships of which 68% are male and 32% are female. Participation on the Local Strategy Partnerships is made on the basis of an equal partnership between two strands:
The table below provides a detailed breakdown of the new Local Strategy Partnerships.
Derating: Orange Halls Mr Weir asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail the representations he has received regarding the derating of Orange Halls. (AQW 1755/01) Dr Farren: In addition to this Question, I have received an Assembly Written Question from the Member for Strangford as well as a letter from the Grand Secretary to the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland about general derating for Orange Halls. I have also received a letter from an individual Belfast Orange Lodge about the rates levied on a particular hall. In addition, from the commencement of the first period of devolution, my predecessor as Minister of Finance and Personnel, answered four Oral Assembly Questions on this topic. He also replied to a total of eight letters, mostly from MLAs and individual Orange Lodges. Deprived Areas: South Down Mr M Murphy asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail the most deprived areas in South Down in relation to figures recently released by NISRA; and to make a statement. (AQW 1756/01) Dr Farren: The 12 most deprived electoral wards in the South Down constituency are given in the table below, ranked according to their multiple deprivation score.
Notes to table: 1. These refer to the set of Local Government District and Electoral Ward boundaries published in 1984 and by which the 1991 Census was reported. 2. These refer to a ranking of the 566 wards in Northern Ireland, using the Multiple Deprivation Measure, where a rank of 1 is given to the most deprived ward. The scores are taken from the research report 'The Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure' published in 2001 by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, and which lists deprivation scores and rankings for all wards in Northern Ireland. Underspend Within the UK NHS Mrs Nelis asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel if any of the £700 million underspend in the NHS in the UK will be channelled to the Health Service in Northern Ireland, to address waiting lists and Health Service pressures. (AQO 821/01) Dr Farren: Underspends within the UK NHS are an issue for the relevant GB Department in the same way that underspends within programmes here are retained in Northern Ireland and reallocated at the discretion of the Executive. The calculation of Barnett consequentials for Northern Ireland is determined by reference to planned spending in England, and thus our entitlement is not influenced by subsequent underspends there. Civil Service Jobs Mr Gibson asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel what progress has been made to decentralise Civil Service jobs to West Tyrone. (AQO 779/01) Dr Farren: Until the conclusion of the strategic review of Civil Service office accommodation, which includes an examination of the scope for decentralisation of Civil Service jobs, it would be wrong to prejudge the outcome or to speculate as to the locations which might be involved in any subsequent dispersal of Civil Service jobs. Physical Punishment in the Home: Consultation Dr Birnie asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to outline the timetable for follow-up to the consultation on ‘Physical Punishment in the Home — Thinking about the Issues, Looking at the Evidence’. (AQO 765/01) Dr Farren: The consultation period ended on 31st January 2002. Officials shall now undertake an analysis of the responses received from the consultation. It is difficult to predict at this early stage how long this process will take, as there has been a substantial response to this consultation, but the work is being given priority within my Department. Peace Dividend Mr McElduff asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel if he has lobbied the Chancellor of the Exchequer to maximise finances accruing from the Peace Dividend. (AQO 822/01) Dr Farren: I have not made any direct approaches to the Treasury on this specific issue, but the Executive are committed to ensuring we receive a fair share of UK public expenditure, based on an objective assessment of our needs. To this end, we are conducting a careful analysis which will take account of all relevant considerations. In due course we will conclude on how and when any issues should best be raised with the Treasury. |
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