(AQW 3389/01)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (Sir Reg Empey): I am aware that a number of businesses in Northern Ireland are having difficulty in obtaining public and employers liability insurance. As a result, I have drawn it to the attention of the Economic Secretary to the Treasury and written directly on behalf of a number of businesses to the Association of British Insurers. This includes one Fermanagh based activity business.

I have also tasked my officials to undertake research to better quantify the scope, nature and scale of the problem as a prelude to developing a strategy to seek to address the causes of high insurance costs – or even its non-availability – and to help stabilise or reduce the rate of increase in premiums.

In the meantime, I would encourage any businesses experiencing difficulty in obtaining insurance to write directly to the Association of British Insurers, 51 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HQ to obtain details of potential sources of cover.

(AQW 3511/01)

(a) Estimates of the number of employee jobs below Northern Ireland level are only available from the biennial Census of Employment and the most up to date figures relate to September 1999. Employee jobs estimates for September 1997 and September 1999 for each Parliamentary Constituency Area in Belfast can be found in Table 1.

(b) Unemployment data at Parliamentary Constituency level are only available from the claimant count. Claimant count unemployment rates in each constituency in Belfast for the last 5 years are given in Table 2.

(c) Invest Northern Ireland, through its local office in Belfast, is undertaking a range of enterprise awareness activities and business development programmes in East Belfast. This will encourage new business start-ups and help existing businesses to grow, thereby creating additional employment. I also welcome the recent announcement by Irish Bonding that it is investing almost £9 million at its Marshalls’ Road plant, which will see employment increase from 90 to 187. I have also been working closely with the Minister for Regional Development, in relation to the land proposals by Harland and Wolff, which will provide the opportunity for further economic regeneration at Queen’s Island.

(AQW 3512/01)

(a) Invest Northern Ireland in consultation with its partner organisations and the business community will continue to assess potential gaps in the market place for small businesses. This would include the provision of workspace for businesses. Discussions are ongoing with a number of organisations in East Belfast concerning future provision.

(AQW 3513/01)

(a) The number of business registrations recorded under the Companies (Northern Ireland) Orders 1986 and 1990 and the Companies Acts (GB) 1985 and 1989 were:

(b) The current Business Birth Rate in Northern Ireland is approximately 30 per 10,000 of the economically active population per annum which compares to the UK average of 40 per 10,000 of the economically active population.

Another way of expressing the current level of entrepreneurship is that 1 in 50 people are currently in the process of starting a business whereas in the UK as a whole it is 1 in 25 and in the USA it is 1 in 10. It is therefore imperative that the N. Ireland rates (including Belfast) are raised in absolute and objective terms. This is one of the main objectives of Invest NI. Specifically Invest NI will promote a more enterprising culture so as to raise the overall level and quality of new business starts.

Only firms wishing to trade as limited companies are required under the legislation to register therefore the figure of 1,849 refers only to limited companies registered over this period.

There are other companies that operate under either sole trader or partnership status. This figure does not therefore give a true reflection of the total number of new business start ups throughout Northern Ireland.

There is still however the need to increase the number of business start ups in Belfast and indeed across the whole of Northern Ireland.

(c) Recognising the weak performance of business birth rates throughout Northern Ireland, Invest NI working with partnership organisations is developing a business birth rate strategy designed specifically to increase entrepreneurship and promote new business starts.

This will be rolled out later this current year.

Invest Northern Ireland is working with Enterprising Belfast, Belfast City Council, Princes Trust and other organisations to actively promote and increase the number of individuals in East Belfast setting up in business.

Invest NI has funded two enterprise development officer posts, one based at East Belfast Enterprise and one at East Belfast Partnership. The development officers have been involved in a number of activities to promote enterprise in the local areas, these include;

• Exhibitions

• Information days

• Leaflet drop to all householders in East Belfast

• Seminars to key influencers

• Ideas workshops

Belfast City Council along with Invest NI are launching a week of enterprise activities beginning 27th May 2002 consisting of enterprise awareness and training. East Belfast will feature prominently in all events.

(AQW 3524/01)

Sir Reg Empey: Invest Northern Ireland currently has 11 client companies operating in the fish processing sector in Kilkeel. These companies employ 506 employees with a combined turnover of £31.1 million, representing 46.4% and 41% of the fish processing sector levels respectively.

Invest NI and preceding agencies have been active in this sector in developing companies and supporting applications for European funding and will continue to work with the fish processors in Kilkeel in implementing the fish sector strategy (2000-2006). This was developed in conjunction with DETI agencies, the Industry and DARD. Equally and more recently the Scampi sector review independently commissioned by LEDU and DARD.

In practice, the implementation of these strategies mean encouraging growth by investing in capability, market development, people development and product innovation. Invest NI also plans to repeat the successful export trade initiative that was carried out in April 2002 at the Brussels International Seafood Exhibition, where three companies of the six represented on the Invest NI group stand were based in Kilkeel. Many of the other Kilkeel based companies visited the exhibition and were assisted by Invest Northern Ireland to exploit this valuable European export marketing opportunity.

Northern Ireland has also recently supported three business expansion proposals from companies in the fish processing sector in Kilkeel and is currently assisting in a significant research project.

With regards to the retention of employment in Young’s Bluecrest, the company has offered employment to the entire workforce, however this is impractical as it involves relocation to Scotland. Equally other Northern Ireland food processing companies, facing the difficulty of labour shortages, have offered alternative employment to part of the workforce. Again this has proven to be impractical. However there is a strong demand for skilled labour in this sector and I understand that other Kilkeel fish processing companies will be able to offer employment to approximately 35 employees of the Young’s Bluecrest workforce.

Currently discussions are ongoing to endeavour to minimise the potential employment losses in Kilkeel.

(AQW 3552/01)

Sir Reg Empey: The cost of industrial derating, in terms of revenue foregone, is around £64 million a year. A consultation exercise on the future of the rating system will take place soon, and this will provide an opportunity for all arguments and issues to be fully aired before any decisions are taken. Opinions vary as to what the effects of changing the current derating arrangements would be; but I will ensure that the interests of the Northern Ireland economy are kept to the fore in reaching a decision.

(AQW 3566/01)

Sir Reg Empey: Currently a range of broadband technologies is available throughout Northern Ireland from a number of telecommunication operators. However this is often at a cost which small to medium sized companies consider to be unaffordable. To encourage SMEs to take up broadband I announced on 15 January a support programme to assist the installation and first year running costs associated with satellite broadband. Satellite broadband services, available from a range of operators, wholly cover Northern Ireland.

(AQW 3193/01)

The Minister of the Environment (Mr Nesbitt): The work undertaken by consultants in the last 2 years on behalf of the Planning Service, in the Carrickfergus Borough Council area, related to planning applications for development in the Carrickfergus and Whitehead Conservation Areas.

The total costs of the projects were £171,344.

(AQW 3193/01)

Mr Nesbitt [supplementary answer]: Unfortunately, the information contained in my previous answer to you in relation to the total costs of the work undertaken by consultants in the Carrickfergus Borough Council area over the period in question was incorrect.

The total costs of the projects were £2,085.50 and not £171,344 as previously stated.

I apologise for any inconvenience.

(AQW 3430/01)

Mr Nesbitt: Material planning matters raised in all letters of objection, including anonymous objections, are taken into account by the Planning Service in the determination process for planning applications.

The status accorded to the material issues raised by objectors is therefore similar. The material issues raised are the most important factor, not the number of objections, either identified or anonymous. However, all interested parties, including objectors, are encouraged to identify themselves in order to ensure that the proper weight is attached to the representations.

(AQW 3445/01)

Mr Nesbitt: I am grateful to the Member for raising an issue in which I have taken a personal interest. I have taken particular note of the success of the recently introduced levy on plastic carrier bags in persuading consumers in the Republic of Ireland to reduce significantly their use of plastic bags.

In the UK as a whole, around ten billion plastic bags are given away each year. That constitutes a significant source of landfill and an equally significant source of litter. Unfortunately, because taxation is an excepted matter, Northern Ireland does not have the necessary legal powers to allow the introduction of a levy here independently of the rest of the UK. I am aware that Michael Meacher at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has given notice that he intends to press for the introduction of a similar levy. I can confirm that it is my intention to support DEFRA in this, and to encourage the Welsh and Scottish Devolved Administrations to do likewise. In particular, I will raise the issue at meetings of the Environment Sector of the British-Irish Council.

In the meantime I have asked my officials to explore any options which might have an equivalent effect to the levy. They are engaging in discussions with the supermarket sector, to look at the possibility of developing a voluntary scheme to encourage consumers to reduce the current profligate use of plastic bags.

As the experience of the Republic of Ireland has shown, people are willing to act with greater environmental responsibility when given appropriate encouragement. I am hopeful that we can build constructively on the heightened public awareness of waste issues brought about by my Department’s recent ‘Wake up to Waste’ campaign.

(AQW 3447/01)

Mr Nesbitt: The Department of the Environment carries out equivalent functions in Northern Ireland to those of Traffic Commissioners in Great Britain. I have no plans at present to propose changes to the legislation in order to establish a Traffic Commissioner for Northern Ireland.

However, when priorities and resources permit I would intend to review the proposals issued for consultation in 1998 by the former Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland on the regulation of the road haulage industry in Northern Ireland. At that time I will consider whether there should be a Traffic Commissioner for Northern Ireland.

(AQW 3479/01)

Mr Nesbitt: The legislative provisions relating to the declaration of Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs) are set out in the Nature Conservation and Amenity Lands (NI) Order 1985 (as amended). Article 24 of that Order requires my Department to consult with the Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside on proposed ASSI declarations, and to make a declaration specifying: (i) the scientific features which make it of special interest, and (ii) potentially damaging activities.

That Article also requires my Department to give notice of this declaration to the relevant district council and to every owner/occupier affected by it. The notice sets out the terms of the declaration and the time within which representations or objections concerning the declaration may be made, which is not less than three months from the date of the notification.

Such representations or objections must be considered by the Department within a further period of three months and the declaration either confirmed, with or without modifications to the boundaries, or rescinded. Notice of the Department’s decision must be issued to the district council and the owners/occupiers.

Deer Park ASSI was declared by my Department’s Environment and Heritage Service on 28 March 2002. EHS has identified 39 owners and occupiers of land within the proposed ASSI and they, together with certain other interested parties, have received notification in accordance with the legislation. All parties have been given until 31 July 2002 to make representations or submit objections.

(AQW 3497/01)

Mr Nesbitt: The Department is currently considering 5 planning applications for development at Millmount, Dundonald.

The principle of development of these lands was established in the Belfast Urban Area Plan 2001 which identified lands at the edge of the Belfast Urban Area (BUA) as a development reserve to meet anticipated housing growth beyond 1993. These lands are referred to as ‘Whitelands’.

17 planning applications for housing development on the Belfast Urban Area whitelands were submitted during the latter half of 1996. These included 4 of the current Millmount applications. These applications were subject to Public Inquiry.

In a press statement issued on 7 September 1998, the then Minister, Lord Dubs, announced that he was minded to grant planning permission to fourteen applications for a total of 3700 houses in line with the recommendations of the PAC following the public inquiry.

This included approval of 1080 houses on the 4 Millmount sites. The Department subsequently wrote to the applicants on 7 September 1998 stating that it was minded to approve, in line with the recommendations of the Planning Appeals Commission. Approval of the applications is subject to Article 40 agreements involving each of the landowners. That Article 40 agreement is currently being finalised with solicitors acting for each of the parties.

An application for lands which were not available at the time of the Inquiry, but which constitute the remainder of the Whiteland in the area, has been submitted and the Department has considered this additional land as part of the overall development.

The site at Millmount has already been considered suitable for housing as part of the Public Inquiry process and the Planning Service has been working with the land owners and developers to ensure that the scheme put before the Inquiry can be implemented.

(AQW 3514/01)

(a) Driver Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland (DVLNI) ( an agency within my department) will provide a small exhibition of vehicle photographs and vehicle and driver documents over the last 50 years, which will tour each local office. DVLNI will also be holding one fundraising event to raise funds for nominated charities.

(b) The NICS has awarded the additional Bank Holiday set for Monday, 3 June to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.

(AQW 3515/01)

Mr Nesbitt: After careful consideration the Department decided not to declare the Shane Park applications as major applications under the provisions of Article 31 of the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991, as the proposals did not meet any of the statutory criteria for such designation as they:

• did not involve a substantial departure from the Development Plan for the area to which they relate. The land is zoned in the Belfast Urban Area Plan 2001 for Industry and Commerce and is presently disused/underused recreation space;

• would not be of significance to the whole or a substantial part of Northern Ireland;

• did not affect the whole of a neighbourhood. The proposals do not depart from the Development Plan and the whole neighbourhood would have been considered at Development Plan stage. Environment and Heritage Service were consulted as one of the statutory bodies and they raised no material issues; and

• did not consist of or include the construction, formation, laying out or alteration of a means of access to a trunk road or of any other development of land within 67 metres of the middle of such a road, or of the nearest part of a special road. It was considered that the road network could accommodate the development albeit with some possible works. The main access to the retail warehousing proposed for the site was onto Boucher Road.

(AQW 3525/01)

Mr Nesbitt: The Department of the Environment is responsible for taxi driver licensing in Northern Ireland. Insulin dependent diabetics are refused taxi licences. This is prescribed in Regulation 14(1)(b)(iv) of the Motor Vehicles (Taxi Drivers’ Licences) Regulations (NI) 1991.

An applicant suffering from diabetes who controls the illness by diet or tablet will usually be granted a taxi drivers licence but all such cases are referred to the Department’s Medical Advisors for an opinion. Any applicant refused a licence has the right of appeal to the courts.

There is no comprehensive legislation in place in Great Britain similar to that operating in Northern Ireland. Local Authorities (LAs) in Great Britain are responsible for taxi licensing and issue licences under the appropriate By-laws. My understanding is that the LAs follow the central guidelines promulgated by the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) whose Medical Commission on Accident Prevention recommended that "Taxi, emergency ambulance and emergency police drivers should be required to meet Group 2 standards". In practice this means that an insulin dependent diabetic in GB would be refused a taxi licence.

In 2001, DTLR launched a research programme into individual assessments for Group 2 vehicles and this is anticipated to take the form of a 3-year multi-centre study. I will consider the recommendations from the review when it is published.

(AQW 3535/01)

Mr Nesbitt: Though I am keeping this issue under review, it is outside the legislative competence of the Northern Ireland Assembly to make provision for vehicle licensing and registration including the display of vehicle registration marks (i.e. number plates). These are ancillary to the collection of Vehicle Excise Duty which is an excepted matter under the Northern Ireland Act 1998. Regulations relating to number plates are made by the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions under the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 which applies to the whole of the United Kingdom.

Current legislation provides for the optional display in Northern Ireland of the Euro-symbol – a circle of 12 stars with the United Kingdom national identification letters below on a blue background – on the left-hand side of the plate. This permits Northern Ireland motorists, who choose to use the Euro-plate, to dispense with the need for a separate national identification sticker when using their vehicles in other EU countries.

"GB" is the appropriate symbol for the United Kingdom when used for the purpose of international travel by car.

(AQW 3544/01)

Mr Nesbitt: Planning Service’s database does not hold this specific information. To obtain the details requested would have involved the manual checking of all the Planning enforcement files since 1991. You will be aware that the cost limit for an Assembly Question is £500.

(AQW 3545/01)

Mr Nesbitt: From the beginning of 2000, sheep were excluded from lands, within the Mourne Wall, belonging to Department of Regional Development’s Water Service, to prevent contamination of the water supply. This area is within the Eastern Mournes Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) and candidate Special Area of Conservation.

My Department’s Environment and Heritage Service undertook an initial assessment of this measure. It concluded that the exclusion of grazing was unlikely to have a serious adverse impact upon the condition of the habitats in the short term, and should allow some areas damaged by a combination of erosion and grazing to recover.

During 2004, as part of my Department’s monitoring programme for designated sites, the condition of the vegetation within the Eastern Mournes ASSI will again be assessed. This will provide scientific evidence of the impact of the removal of sheep from the inner Mournes and provide a pointer towards sustainable grazing levels.

(AQW 3554/01)

Mr Nesbitt: The Department For Environment, Food & Rural affairs have advised that two mobile units have recently commenced operations in GB, located in Northamptonshire and in the south of England at Lewes, whilst two static facilities located in south Wales and London are likely to come on-line at the end of June.

It is expected that a further 5-10 facilities will be in operation throughout GB by the end of the year.

Estimates of the numbers of waste refrigerators arising in Northern Ireland indicate a falling short of that required to make the establishment of a facility here economically viable, although the critical mass could be obtained on an all-island basis.

It is for this reason that I announced in my statement on 29 April to the Assembly on the 6th meeting of the Environment Sector of the North/South Ministerial Council that my officials are working with the councils to investigate the possibility of a contract for the disposal of waste units on an all-island basis. This would have the advantages of economies of scale and would reduce the financial burden on the local authorities. The timescale for the establishment of such a contract would be of the order of 6 to 9 months.

(AQW 3573/01)

Mr Nesbitt: The Planning (Development Plans) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1994 allows 14 weeks for the receipt of representations in relation to Development Plans. This period applies to the submission of representations in response to the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan Issues Paper.

I have no plans to extend the time allowed for making representations, but will continue to work closely with the 6 Councils throughout the Plan preparation process. In addition, the report on the consultation process, which has yet to be completed, will be considered in bringing forward policies and proposals for the Draft Plan.

(AQW 3574/01)

Mr Nesbitt: The publication of the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan (BMAP) Issues Paper on the 7 December 2001 was intended to provide a focus for consultation with community, voluntary and environmental groups, the trade and industry sector, elected representatives and members of the general public. In order to further assist the debate and facilitate response, the Department appointed, through an open tendering process, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, in association with staff from Queens University School of Environment and Planning and the Urban Institute of the University of Ulster, to undertake a comprehensive and wide ranging public and community consultation on the Issues Paper. To ensure widespread community involvement in the consultation process, the Issues Paper was circulated free of charge and, in addition, a pamphlet setting out the consultation arrangements was published. To further inform the public of the consultation process and the issues that needed to be addressed, 10 information meetings were held throughout the plan area. These information meetings aimed to inform the general public of the plan preparation process and explain the format and role of the Issues Paper. All who attended received a free copy of the Issues Paper and were asked to read it prior to attending the main public consultation meetings.

In total, 37 public meetings were held and attendance was monitored. The BMAP team, in conjunction with the appointed consultants, are reviewing attendance with a view to holding additional workshops and focus groups to address parts of the BMAP area which might need additional attention.

To promote equality of opportunity in the consultation process, the consultants have also been asked to hold specific focus groups and workshops for particular groups such as youth, the elderly, ethnic groups, travellers and people with disabilities.

As well as the consultation which has taken place since the Issues Paper was published, members of the BMAP team were involved in extensive discussions and meetings with a wide variety of groups between January 2001 and the date of publication of the Issues Paper on the 7 December 2001.

I believe that the consultation being undertaken in relation to the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan is both wide ranging and comprehensive.

(AQW 3575/01)

Mr Nesbitt: The Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan (BMAP) will be developed within the context of the Regional Development Strategy (RDS) for Northern Ireland which sets out a clear structure for the future development of the Metropolitan Area.

During the preparation of the RDS, options for the development of the Metropolitan Area have already been considered. The Department, therefore, considers that a spatial options paper outlining a range of planning scenarios is not required and its introduction would not add meaningfully to the plan preparation process. Rather it would delay the production of the Plan and hence delay the putting in place of up-to-date Plan coverage for the Metropolitan Area. An up-to-date plan is essential to ensure that there is sufficient development land to sustain the growth of the local economy. The Department therefore has no plans to publish a BMAP Options Paper but will of course continue to consult with the six Councils during the preparation of the Plan.

(AQW 3576/01)

Mr Nesbitt: Since the then Minister of the Environment Mr Sam Foster MLA announced in January 2001 that work had commenced on the preparation of the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan (BMAP) the Department has been promoting public awareness of the Plan preparation process and encouraging everyone to become involved in helping to shape the policies and proposals for the Draft Plan. The January 2001 launch was reported widely by the local regional and national media and the then Minister and BMAP team manager took part in live radio interviews. In addition, Press Notices inviting the public to submit their views were placed during 2 consecutive weeks in 12 local and regional newspapers.

Following the launch of the Plan a pamphlet setting out the background to BMAP and listing some of the issues which needed to be addressed was published and widely circulated. In addition, a dedicated BMAP website was established and this has proved an effective means of communication. In December 2001 alone this website was accessed by more than 3,700 people.

The launch of the BMAP Issues Paper on the 7 December 2001 also received widespread media coverage and was accompanied by media briefings including television and radio interviews. A conference on BMAP entitled "Successful Metropolitan Areas", which was held on the 1 February 2001, was attended by almost 200 people and again received widespread media coverage. The publication of the BMAP Issues Paper provided a focus for public consultation which involved 37 public meetings throughout the plan area. In association with these public meetings a second pamphlet was produced and widely circulated. Press Notices were also placed over a 3 week period inviting the public to both attend the consultation meetings and submit their views. To-date more than 3,000 written submissions have been received.

Members of the BMAP team have also spoken at 3 major conferences, all of which were widely reported in the media.

As I hope the above demonstrates the Department is already promoting, and will continue to promote public awareness of the plan preparation process. I will continue to take every available opportunity to do so.

(AQW 3582/01)

Mr Nesbitt: The report on the consultation process has not yet been completed. When the report is completed by the Consortium of Consultants commissioned to undertake the consultation process.