Written Answers to Questions - Northern Ireland Assembly

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Friday 20 July 2012 Written Answers I have not yet taken a decision as to whether the flat rate maintenance payments for child maintenance will be increased. Benefit Customers Reported to be Sanctioned During the Current Mandate Mr F McCann asked the Minister for Social Development how many benefit customers have been reported to his Department to be sanctioned during the current mandate. (AQW 13524/11-15) Mr McCausland: 8,300 benefit customers were referred to my Department for consideration of applying a sanction from May 2011 to date. Benefit Customers Sanctioned During Last Three years Mr F McCann asked the Minister for Social Development how many benefit customers were reported to his Department to be sanctioned in each of the last three years. (AQW 13525/11-15) Mr McCausland: The information requested is not available as it was not routinely recorded prior to May 2011. I refer the member to written answer given to AQW 13524/11-15 in relation to the most recent year. Benefit Customers Sanctioned in Current Mandate Mr F McCann asked the Minister for Social Development how many benefit customers have been sanctioned by his Department in the current mandate. (AQW 13529/11-15) Mr McCausland: 1325 sanctions were imposed on customers in receipt of benefit from May 2011 to date. Benefit Customers Sanctioned in Last Mandate Mr F McCann asked the Minister for Social Development how many benefit customers were sanctioned by his Department during the last mandate. (AQW 13530/11-15) Mr McCausland: The information requested is not available as it was not routinely recorded prior to May 2011. Payments from Main Contractors to Sub-Contractors Mr Copeland asked the Minister for Social Development to detail (i) how housing associations monitor payments from main contractors to sub-contractors that are working on new build social housing developments; and (ii) the consequences if a main contractor does not pay a sub-contractor. (AQW 13531/11-15) Mr McCausland: Housing Associations monitor contractors’ performance through the use of Constructionline, inspections of contracts by Clerk of Works and by holding monthly site meetings with all key stakeholders including sub-contractors and suppliers. It is not incumbent upon any Association to directly monitor the work or payment of sub contractors as the Association is not a party to these domestic sub-contracts. Part 4 of the Department’s Housing Association Guide, requires Housing Associations to operate a prompt payment policy (current Departmental guidance requires payment to be made within 30 days) to all contractors and subsequently requires all contractors to make prompt payments to their subcontractors. Compliance with this guidance is checked as part of the Department’s Inspection Process. However, there is no legal liability on Housing Associations to enforce the prompt payment provisions in any sub-contract. WA 626
Friday 20 July 2012 Written Answers Station Square Public Realm Scheme in Portrush Mr Allister asked the Minister for Social Development to detail (i) how his Department ensures that all planning consents are in place before it allocates funding for public realm schemes; and (ii) whether the necessary steps were taken in regard to the Station Square Public Realm Scheme in Portrush. (AQW 13534/11-15) Mr McCausland: Any funding awarded by the Department to capital projects is subject to the applicant providing documentary evidence that all statutory approvals necessary have been obtained prior to the commencement of works. In the Portrush scheme the Department issued a contract for funding on 17 May 2011 to Coleraine Borough Council and was provided with a copy of a Certificate for Lawfulness of Proposed Use or Development for the Station Square Scheme on 20 June 2011. This certificate was approved by Planning Service and satisfied the Department’s requirement that statutory planning approval had been obtained for the Public Realm scheme. The Department was also advised that separate planning applications would be required for a canopy and sculptural masts. These were subsequently taken forward by the appointed contractor to obtain the statutory approvals. The Department was content with this process and work commenced on 20 September 2011. Planning permission was subsequently granted for the canopy on 20 December 2011 and for the sculptural masts on 3 January 2012. The Department did not make any financial payments to Coleraine Borough Council until all Planning Permissions were in place. In the past few weeks it has transpired that there may be an issue with the planning status of the lighting columns. Discussions to resolve this issue are ongoing with Coleraine Borough Council and Planning Service. Housing Waiting List, North Down Mr Weir asked the Minister for Social Development how many people in North Down, who are over the age of 55, are on the housing waiting list, broken down by housing type requested. (AQW 13542/11-15) Mr McCausland: The information is not available in the format requested as the Housing Executive does not hold waiting list information for applicants aged 55 years and above. However, figures are available for the Housing Executive’s Bangor District Area regarding housing applications which includes households where a member is aged at least 60 years old and these are detailed in Table 1 below. The Housing Executive collates information with regards to 26 separate household compositions and for reporting purposes groups them into six main household composition categories as detailed in Table 2 below. The Housing Executive determines the housing type required by the applicant on the basis of their housing need, household size and composition. TABLE 1 Elderly Large Adult WA 627 Large Family Single Small Adult Small family Total Applicants not in Housing Stress 262 20 55 497 90 234 1158 Applicants in Housing Stress 380 17 46 423 64 194 1124 Total Applicants on Waiting List 642 37 101 920 154 428 2282
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Written Answers to Questions - Northern Ireland Assembly

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