HL Deb 26 May 2004 vol 661 cc53-4WS
Baroness Amos

My right honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has made the following ministerial Statement.

Rivers Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland. It acts on behalf of the Department as the statutory drainage and flood defence authority for Northern Ireland.

I have set the following key targets for the agency for the 2004–05 business year:

Urban Flood Defences: To construct or refurbish 612 metres of urban flood defences.
Drainage Infrastructure: To accommodate increased storm run-off from 91 hectares of development land. To replace/refurbish 653 metres of dangerous culverts.
Maintenance Watercourses: To complete identified maintenance works on 1,235 of the 1,585 designated open watercourses included in the notice of annual maintenance as part of a six-year scheduled maintenance programme.
Replies to written inquiries: To issue substantive replies to 80 per cent of written enquiries within 15 working days of receipt.
Schedule 6 applications: To respond to 98 per cent of Schedule 6 applications within three months.