Written Answers to Questions - Northern Ireland Assembly

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Friday 20 July 2012 Written Answers 2012-13 £m 2013-14 £m WA 604 2014-15 £m 2015-16 £m Total Project Cost £m Estimated Completion Date Service Reservoir Enhanced Security Phase 2 0.1 1.8 2.6 0.7 5.2 2015 Water Infrastructure 1.5 5.1 0 0 6.6 Ongoing Sewerage Infrastructure 1.2 2.5 1.1 3.0 12.6 Ongoing Sewerage Non-infrastructure 2.7 6.0 0 1.9 20.7 Ongoing Total Water and Sewerage 6.3 27.4 16.9 6.5 72.6 Totals may not add due to rounding. The information provided above reflects current plans and may be subject to change. The capital budget available to the Department in 2015-16 will be dependent on the outcome of the next Budget process. Transport Included in the table are projects which are relevant to the whole of the network including Lagan Valley, apart from the Belfast Rapid Transit figures which relate to the approximate proportion of the project capital spend which will be attributable to the Lagan Valley constituency. NI Water The investment levels in capital are indicative and will be determined by the Utility Regulator through its next regulatory price control process for water. Roads Service Roads Service has currently no significant capital projects planned for the Lagan Valley constituency over the next four years. The majority of Roads capital budget allocation is in relation to Strategic Roads Improvements and the planned spend will be focused on the A5, A8 and A2 schemes up to 2015-16. While this will not impact directly on the Lagan Valley constituency the improved roads infrastructure will benefit the country as a whole. Of the remaining capital budget allocation resources are not allocated to a specific constituency or geographical area. Capital structural maintenance, for example, is allocated to the four Roads Service Divisions on the basis of need, using a range of weighted indicators tailored to each maintenance activity (i.e. resurfacing, surface dressing, structural drainage). Divisions use these indicators when apportioning across Council areas to ensure, as far as possible, an equitable distribution of funds across the whole of Northern Ireland. Telephone Payment System for Parking in Bangor Mr Agnew asked the Minister for Regional Development whether he has any plans to introduce a telephone payment system for parking in Bangor. (AQW 13369/11-15) Mr Kennedy: I can advise the Member that my Department’s Roads Service intends to introduce electronic parking payment across the whole of Northern Ireland. This service will mean that drivers do not need to have the correct change and they can start and stop their parking using a mobile phone and only pay for the time used. This facility currently exists in Belfast, Londonderry, Lisburn, Newry and
Friday 20 July 2012 Written Answers Omagh, and it is hoped to extend this scheme to other towns across Northern Ireland, including Bangor, over the coming months. Parking Meters Mr Agnew asked the Minister for Regional Development whether there are any plans to modify parking meters to dispense change. (AQW 13371/11-15) Mr Kennedy: My Department’s Roads Service is not aware of the use of Pay and Display machines that offer change in other regions of the UK. In the event that such machines were available, it is likely that their cost would be much greater than those currently used by Roads Service, and that the potential benefits of purchasing such machines would need to be carefully assessed, especially at a time when the Department is striving to identify further efficiencies in the provision of its parking enforcement and car park management services. Blue Badges Mr Allister asked the Minister for Regional Development, in light of the National Audit Office findings that 7300 blue badges are being used despite the registered holder being deceased, what steps are being taken to address this issue. (AQW 13398/11-15) Mr Kennedy: My Department’s Roads Service has advised that the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) was reporting on the outcome of the 2010/11 National Fraud Initiative. This data matching exercise compared details on Blue Badge holders against death records. This exercise assisted in identifying those instances where the identity of a deceased person has been used to illegally obtain or renew a Blue Badge. Investigations carried out on these matches, indicated two such instances, which were reported to the police. The NIAO report also identified the risk that a Blue Badge may be used by someone other than the named badge holder, to avoid parking costs or for easy parking. Enforcement of Blue Badge use is undertaken by a team of dedicated Blue Badge Traffic Attendants. This team devotes the majority of its time to Belfast, however, every main town in Northern Ireland is covered on a rotational basis. Dedicated Blue Badge Traffic Attendants are easily identifiable by their high visibility waistcoats displaying the words “Blue Badge Parking Enforcement”, which serves not only as a deterrent, but also a demonstration to legitimate Blue Badge holders that action is being taken to protect the proper use of Blue Badges. They are supported by the Blue Badge Unit in Enniskillen, which is able to verify badge details for the team on patrol so that they are able to carry out a more detailed level of investigation than the normal Traffic Attendant. Any suspicious activity relating to a Blue Badge is recorded and a Penalty Charge Notice is issued, if necessary, or the matter is referred to the police. I can also advise that two recent surveys on the use of Blue Badges in Belfast in relation to street parking bays revealed no instances of misuse of deceased persons’ Blue Badges. Concessionary Travel Passes Mr Allister asked the Minister for Regional Development for his assessment of the number of concessionary travel passes which are not cancelled following the death of the registered holder; and the cost of any resulting losses. (AQW 13399/11-15) Mr Kennedy: My Department and Translink have been proactive in dealing with the deactivation of passes of deceased pass holders following the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) exercise. It is not a case that SmartPasses were issued to deceased individuals. Rather, there will always be a proportion of travel pass holders who regrettably pass away. The cases identified during the NFI exercise generally arose because their dependants have simply not realised that the passes should be returned for WA 605
Page 1:
Written Answers to Questions Offici
Page 4 and 5:
Assembly Members Agnew, Steven (Nor
Page 6 and 7:
Friday 20 July 2012 Written Answers
Page 8 and 9:
Page 10 and 11:
Page 12 and 13:
Page 14 and 15:
Page 16 and 17:
Page 18 and 19:
Page 20 and 21:
Page 22 and 23:
Page 24 and 25:
Page 26 and 27:
Page 28 and 29:
Page 30 and 31:
Page 32 and 33:
Page 34 and 35:
Page 36 and 37:
Page 38 and 39:
Page 40 and 41:
Page 42 and 43:
Page 44 and 45:
Page 46 and 47:
Page 48 and 49:
Page 50 and 51:
Page 52 and 53:
Page 54 and 55:
Page 56 and 57:
Page 58 and 59:
Page 60 and 61:
Page 62 and 63:
Page 64 and 65:
Page 66 and 67:
Page 68 and 69:
Page 70 and 71:
Page 72 and 73:
Page 74 and 75:
Page 76 and 77:
Page 78 and 79:
Page 80 and 81:
Page 82 and 83:
Page 84 and 85:
Page 86 and 87:
Page 88 and 89:
Page 90 and 91:
Page 92 and 93:
Page 94 and 95:
Page 96 and 97:
Page 98 and 99:
Page 100 and 101:
Page 102 and 103:
Page 104 and 105:
Page 106 and 107:
Page 108 and 109:
Page 110 and 111:
Page 112 and 113:
Page 114 and 115:
Page 116 and 117:
Page 118 and 119:
Page 120 and 121:
Page 122 and 123: Friday 20 July 2012 Written Answers
Page 210: RWA 4
show all

Written Answers to Questions - Northern Ireland Assembly

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?