(AQW 3324/01)

The Minister of Finance and Personnel (Dr Farren): The building standards, including those relating to fire safety, which apply to Government buildings are those which were extant at the time of construction, alteration, extension or change of use. The Building Regulations (NI) 1994 therefore only apply, in the manner prescribed in Regulation A4, Transitional Provisions, to those premises which were constructed, altered, extended or changed in use after the date on which the regulations came into operation. In 1995 a decision was made to bring all Government owned or occupied buildings, that are designated buildings, under the Fire Services Order (NI) 1984, up to modern fire certificate standard. Details of these standards are set out in the relevant Home Office publications on fire precautions in places of work, hotels and boarding houses. Some 264 premises fall into this category, of which 249 have been brought up to the certification standard and arrangements are in hand to bring the remaining premises up to the standard. Occupying Departments are responsible for ensuring that designated buildings and any change of use, occupation, structural alteration or extension of a certificated building are properly identified. This arrangement is complemented by a rolling programme of inspections, at all Government buildings, by officials from both the Department of Finance and Personnel and the Health and Safety Executive, which is the Crown certifying authority.

(AQW 3431/01)

Dr Farren: As the Courier Service and Car Pool, for the purposes of the personnel record, are held as one branch, Centralised Transport, the information is not held in the format requested. I can, however, provide the information for Centralised Transport which I have detailed below.

The total number of staff employed in Centralised Transport during each of the last 5 years is as follows:

(AQW 3432/01)

Dr Farren: After basic first day induction the Courier Service provides further on the job training to new recruits. It is estimated that new recruits would be sufficiently proficient in the work of the Courier Service within two months. However, this is largely dependent on the individual and their detailed knowledge of Belfast and Stormont Estate.

(AQW 3433/01)

Dr Farren: As the Courier Service and Car Pool, for the purposes of the personnel record, are held as one branch, Centralised Transport, the information is not held in the format requested. I can, however, provide the information for Centralised Transport which I have detailed below.

The total number of staff who have left or been transferred from Centralised Transport during each of the last 5 years is as follows:

(AQW 3434/01)

Dr Farren: As the Courier Service and Car Pool, for the purposes of the personnel record, are held as one branch, Centralised Transport, the information is not held in the format requested. I can, however, provide the information for Centralised Transport which I have detailed below.

The following table lists the number of vacancies within the Centralised Transport during each of the last 5 years and this therefore corresponds with the number of vacancies.

(AQW 3435/01)

Dr Farren: As the Courier Service and Car Pool, for the purposes of the personnel record, are held as one branch, Centralised Transport, the information is not held in the format requested. I can, however, provide the information for Centralised Transport.

Vacancies for Messenger/Driver (Support Grade 1) in the Northern Ireland Civil Service are normally filled by redeployment of surplus staff, lateral transfer for career development purposes or by internal promotion. Should the Department of Finance and Personnel be unable to fill vacancies through internal procedures external recruitment is considered.

The Department publicly advertised for Messenger/ Drivers for Centralised Transport in October 2001. However, the advertisement was not specifically for the Courier Service.

(AQW 3436/01)

Dr Farren: Monitoring of NICS staff indicates that at January 2001, 5.4% of those who provided details about their personal circumstances, declared themselves as having a disability as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

This information, and that relating to previous years, is contained in the regular reports of the NICS Equal Opportunities Unit, the most recent of which, the Seventh Report, was published in April 2000 with supplements in November 2000 and June 2001. Copies of the report are available in the Assembly Library and on the internet at http://www.dfpni.gov.uk/.

(AQW 3437/01)

The Executive agreed in February 2000 that the Northern Ireland contribution will, in the first instance come from Departmental baselines.

(AQW 3464/01)

(a) The PEACE II Programme runs from 2000-2004. All monies must be committed by 31 December 2004 but project expenditure can be incurred up to 31 December 2006. The Special EU Programmes Body have set a final closure date of 30 June 2006 to allow 6 months before the final Commission closure date of 31 December 2006. The PEACE II Programme consists of over 50 Measures, the majority of which are now open.

(b) Ards Local Strategy Document has been approved and the launch of their element of the Programme is a matter for the Local Strategy Partnership. The SEUPB have informed me that they have now reached agreement in principle with Ards LSP on the terms of its contract and that a formal Letter of Offer will be issued before 31 May 2002.

(c) The agreement that has been reached in principle with Ards Local Strategy Partnership offers funding as follows:

• £926,000 under Measure 3.1 – Local Economic Initiatives for Developing the Social Economy (NI) (ERDF);

• £852,000 under Measure 3.2 – Locally-based Human Resources Training and Developing Strategies (NI) ESF; and

• £300,000 under Technical Assistance to cover administration costs of the Local Strategy Partnership.

Potential projects from the Ards area can of course apply to any Measure of the Programme.

(AQW 3465/01)

Dr Farren: The most pertinent reform in this regard is the forthcoming Marriage Bill. Whilst maintaining the solemnity of the marriage ceremony, this Bill aims to afford couples a greater freedom of choice in relation to the venue in which they may get married. Evidence from other jurisdictions which have adopted similar reforms has shown an increase in the number of people subsequently choosing to get married. If the Bill is passed, those who do not choose or are unable to undergo a religious ceremony may marry in a location other than a Registry Office, and will have to undertake a less onerous system for notification. The system of notification and registration of those who may officiate at a marriage will be equalised for smaller churches and faith communities. Consultation on the matter has indicated that such changes are welcomed within both religious and secular circles in Northern Ireland.

(AQW 3480/01)

24 staff have been employed in Centralised Transport over the last 5 years. All were previously employed within the NICS and appointed through redeployment of surplus staff, lateral transfer or by internal promotion.

(AQO 1368/01)

Dr Farren: The outcome of the national Spending Review is expected to be announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in July. As regards the local process, I outlined the timetable to which we are working in my Statement to the Assembly on 4 March. Work on the first significant stage of this - the Executive’s Position Report – is ongoing, with publication due in early June.

(AQO 1369/01)

Dr Farren: We will be working with Departments over the coming weeks to identify suitable infrastructure projects for funding from the Reinvestment and Reform Initiative. We are planning to allocate the £125m short term borrowing from Treasury alongside the £70m that is available from our own Executive Programme Infrastructure Fund to address some immediate investment needs in accordance with our Programme for Government priorities.

(AQO 1365/01)

Dr Farren: The Review of Rating Policy will consider the continuing appropriateness of reliefs and exemptions currently available. These are too numerous to mention here in detail but they range from relief for people with disabilities, through public and charitable uses, amateur sport and recreation, community halls to industrial derating. Revenue forgone on these reliefs is equivalent to about 20% of the revenue raised. Furthermore agricultural property is not rated nor valued, though this is not an option being considered.

It will examine the need for additional reliefs and exemptions. This may include consideration of issues such as the single adult discount, relief for pensioners as a group, hardship relief for the Non-Domestic sector, small business relief and relief both for disadvantaged areas and declining town centres.

(AQO 1394/01)

Dr Farren: The Rate Collection Agency is responsible for the collection of rates in Northern Ireland.

Under rating legislation vacant unoccupied properties do not normally attract liability for payment of rates. Rates on vacant unoccupied properties are classed as rates foregone.

Agency records show that in the financial year ended 31 March 2002 the potential rate revenue which could have been raised from:

(a) vacant commercial property throughout Northern Ireland was £35,841,708.15; and

(b) vacant residential property throughout Northern Ireland was £12,296,337.59.

The Rate Collection Agency has a continuous programme of vacancy inspection to ensure that property that becomes occupied is identified and that a rate bill is issued.