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Ulster-Scots Language
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress is being made in assisting the further development of the Ulster-Scots language. [49982]
Mr. Ingram: In 1997-98 the Ulster-Scots movement received Government funding amounting to some £108,000. The Government also propose to commission independent academic research which will help to determine whether Ulster-Scots should be treated as a language for the purposes of the Council of Europe Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
Churches (Attacks)
Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) Catholic and (b) Protestant churches have been attacked in each month since January 1996. [50195]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 14 July 1998]: The table shows the number of attacks on churches during the period in question. The records do not distinguish between Protestant and Catholic (or other) churches.
| Month | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| February | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| March | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| April | 2 | 13 | 0 |
| May | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| June | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| July | 24 | 10 | (11)11 |
| August | 6 | 3 | -- |
| September | 2 | 3 | -- |
| October | 1 | 1 | -- |
| November | 7 | 2 | -- |
| December | 5 | 1 | -- |
| Totals | 52 | 41 | 23 |
(11) to 3 July
Asbestos
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidance her Department issues to those constructing buildings for which it is responsible on the use of materials containing asbestos. [52311]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
Those constructing buildings for which my Department is responsible are required to comply with the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations (NI) 1995 which cover the use of hazardous materials such as those containing asbestos. These
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regulations in turn require compliance with other statutory regulations, approved codes of practice and Health and Safety Executive guidance notes relating specifically to, and giving guidance on, the use of materials containing asbestos.
Mr. Lansley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what cumulative net increase in compliance costs has been estimated in compliance cost assessments published by his Department since 1 May 1997. [52970]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 28 July 1998]: The net cumulative increase in compliance costs as estimated in compliance cost assessments published by Northern Ireland Departments during the period 1 May 1997 to 30 June 1998 is as follows:
| Range | |
|---|---|
| Non-recurring | 19.6-13.4 |
| Recurring (annually) | 2.3-1.2 |
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the compliance cost assessments published by her Department since 1 May 1997. [52971]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 28 July 1998]: Between 1 May 1997 and 30 June 1998 compliance cost assessments were published in respect of the following Northern Ireland measures laid before Parliament at Westminster.
- Horse Racing (Charges on Bookmakers) Order (Northern Ireland) 1997
- Industrial Pollution Control (Northern Ireland) Order 1997
- Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997
- Company Accounts (Disclosure of Directors Emoluments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997
- Activity Centres (Young Persons Safety) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998
- Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1998
- Gaming (Variation of Monetary Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 1998
- Horse Racing (Charges on Bookmakers) Order (Northern Ireland) 1998.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list those compliance cost assessments since 1 May 1997 in which there is a net reduction in compliance costs resulting from a legislative proposal. [52972]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 28 July 1998]: There is presently no requirement on Departments to carry out compliance cost assessments where legislative proposals are expected to be cost neutral or result in a saving to business.
Ambulance Service
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for North-East Cambridgeshire (Mr. Moss) of 21 July 1998,
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Official Report, column 439, at what (a) age and (b) mileage level the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service considers ambulances become out of standard and requiring replacement. [52788]
Mr. Paul Murphy
[holding answer 28 July 1998]: DHSS Guidelines for the replacement of accident and emergency ambulances stipulate that vehicles should be replaced after they have reached 7 years of age or whenever they have covered 140,000 miles, whichever is the sooner. For patient care service vehicles this is 5 years or 70,000 miles.
Mr. McNulty:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Northern Ireland Child Support Agency's 1997-98 Annual report and Accounts will be published. [53935]
Mr. Worthington:
The Northern Ireland Child Support Agency will publish its 1997-98 Annual Report and Accounts today. Copies will be placed in the Library.
It is pleasing to note that the Agency has met all Ministerial and Milestone targets for the second year running. Given the strong emphasis which the Agency has placed on improving the quality of service, it is particularly gratifying to see that the bulk of new maintenance applications (94%) are now being cleared within 26 weeks. The report also records continuing progress on all major fronts over the past three years.
During the year the Agency collected £7.6 million in maintenance, a 43% increase on 1996-97 and is striving to improve the collection rate further through additional measures, such as the recruitment of staff to work alternative working patterns including evenings and Saturdays.
Closer working with the Social Security Agency to improve working practices, contribution to the Lone Parent Initiative and the successful transfer of all pre-Maintenance Assessment work to the Area Offices is yet a further demonstration of the Agency's commitment to make its services more efficient and accessible to its clients.
The Agency has delivered an effective performance during 1997-98 within the allocated resources. With the substantial progress made to date the Northern Ireland CSA is well placed to contribute effectively to the Active Modern Service Programme.
Mr. Savidge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Valuation and Lands Agency in 1998-99. [53936]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
For 1998-99 the following key performance targets have been set for the Agency:
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Full details are set out in the Agency's Corporate and Business Plans, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.
Shona McIsaac:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps she has taken to fill the post of Independent Assessor of Military Complaints Procedures. [53937]
Marjorie Mowlam:
I have today re-appointed Mr. Jim McDonald as Independent Assessor of Military Complaints Procedures in Northern Ireland. Mr. McDonald's appointment will continue, while an Army presence is required in Northern Ireland to act in support of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, until 24 August 2000.
1. To complete rating and client service cases--equivalent to 48,600 casework units.
2. To achieve a productivity for caseworking valuers of 355 work units.
3. To reduce the unit cost of casework by 2 per cent. in real terms.
4. To achieve a standard in domestic rating valuations such that 90 per cent. of those determined on appeal are within plus or minus 10 per cent. of the initial assessment.
5. To achieve a standard in non-domestic rating valuations such that 80 per cent. of those determined on appeal are within plus or minus 10 per cent. of the initial assessment.
6. To complete 93 per cent. of domestic rating appeals within 6 months of receipt.
7. To complete 82 per cent. of non-domestic rating appeals within 6 months of receipt.
8. To complete 93 per cent. of a representative sample of client services casework within agreed time limits.
9. To issue 90 per cent. of certificates for Continuous Revision Cases subject to retrospective backdating within 12 months of the event giving rise to the revision of the Valuation List.
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