§ Mr. HumeTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress to date of the Strategic Investment Body (SIB) in improving the profile and performance of the capital expenditure programme across the Northern Ireland Civil Service; and what assessment he has made of whether the departments are working effectively with the SIB on(a) an individual and (b) a collaborative basis. [133009]
§ Mr. PearsonSince its inception in April 2003, the SIB has made considerable progress in improving the profile and performance of Northern Ireland's capital expenditure programme. By April 2004, SIB expects to have two to three times the value of PPP projects out to market than had been signed in the previous eleven years in Northern Ireland. An early priority project, a new Invest NI Headquarters, is expected to be signed by June 2004, following a fast procurement period at the956W properties were vacant in each of the last five years in each local government area. [139708]
§ Mr. SpellarThe following table details the number of vacant Northern Ireland Housing Executive properties by District Council Area over the five-year period 1998–99 to 2002–03.
Statistics for housing association vacant properties are not held in the form requested. However, the total number of vacant housing association properties over the same five-year period was:
31 March 1999: 917
31 March 2000: 1,157
31 March 2001: 1,002
31 March 2002: 1,076
31 March 2003: 1,208
top end of HM Treasury performance averages. With the assistance of SIB, the Department of Finance and Personnel has created a new and strong incentive scheme designed to encourage departments to be more active in managing their asset bases. In its first six months of operation, therefore, the SIB has already developed effective working relationships with a number of departments and I am sure that its impact will continue to grow as we work to improve Northern Ireland's infrastructure.