§ Mr. DoddsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many contractors had money withheld by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in each year since 1997 because of poor or sub-standard work. [123807]
§ Mr. SpellarBecause of the considerable number of contracts let annually by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the information for each year dating back to 1997 could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However, all contractors have money withheld, pending the making good of defects. In any given year, this amounts to an average of £1.2 million.
The Housing Executive is currently withholding some £1.3 million, pending the satisfactory completion of 221 contracts. The gross value of these contracts is around £89 million. The Housing Executive is also currently involved in six legal disputes, to a gross value of some £480,000, with contractors who have disputed, among other things, that their work is substandard.