§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if, further to his answers to the hon. Member for Londonderry, East regarding Housing Executive contracts on 23 March,Official Report, column 169, and 29 April, Official Report, columns 304–6, he will indicate the reasons why the sums due to the contractors for contract A were not paid on a monthly basis as per normal contract conditions and why payment of £72,886 was not paid for 17 months after the end of the contract period; if he will show for that contract how much of the sums due at the end of each month were paid, and how much not paid or as much of such information as is available to him; and if he will show for that contract the contract price, the total sums actually paid to complete the contract, including sums awarded at arbitration, the date of final payment and the date of practical completion.
§ Mr. Needham[holding answer 21 June 1988]: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive but I have been advised by the chief executive that payments were generally made in accordance with the tems of contract. In most cases payments were made monthly and in all but two cases payments were made within 14 days of amounts due being agreed with the contractor. No sums due were deliberately withheld and no amount of £72,886 was withheld for 17 months after the end of the contract period. Payments were made to the contractor during this period as the final account was progressively agreed. The other details requested are:
1. Contract price: £147,636.96.
724W2. Total sums paid to complete the contract, including sums awarded at arbitration: £261,35900.
3. Date of final payment: 30 May 1986.
4. Date of practical completion: 22 January 1982.
§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, further to his answers to the hon. Member for Londonderry, East of 29 April,Official Report, columns 305–6, if he will indicate the costs to the Housing Executive for in-house work and for work carried out externally, in respect of the four arbitrations referred to, and in respect of (a) clerks of works, (b) legal fees, (c) technical costs and (d) staff costs.
§ Mr. Needham[holding answer 21 June 1988]: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, but I have been advised by the chief executive that the cost of work carried out by in-house staff in respect of the four arbitrations cannot be identified.
The following external costs were incurred:
Contract (a) (b) (c) (d) £ £ £ £ Legal Fees 6,835.60 4,611.03 3,189.50 5,546.12 Technical Costs 4,856.40 Nil 2,018.49 3,449.93