§ Baroness Amos: My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Ministerial Statement.
§ Earlier today I placed in the Libraries copies of the annual report on the implementation of the regional development strategy for Northern Ireland 2025 (RDS) covering the period 2002–03.
§ Annual reporting on the implementation of the RDS involves assessment of progress being made against a number of critical threshold indicators and each of the strategic planning guidelines (SPGs) contained within the strategy. Measuring the relevant outcomes assesses progress against each of the SPGs. To measure these outcomes data are collected from government departments.
§ The monitoring section of the annual report covering the period 2002–03 deals with measured outcomes against each of the SPGs for that period. It is my intention however to publish a further report in November 2004 that will bring reporting up-to-date since September 2001. The November report (thereafter published biennially) will comment on measured outcomes up to March 2004, and will deal in more detail with any key trends which have emerged over the three-year period since September 2001. This will be important in the context of the work that the department has commenced on the 2005–06 focussed assessment of the RDS.
§ Earlier in the year I committed to a review of the regional housing allocations. A three-month consultation exercise commenced in May 2004. The work is in two stages. First, it will involve an assessment of household formation. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency on behalf of the department is taking this work forward. This may result in a revised regional housing figure. Consideration will also have to be given to factors such as vacancy, second homes and housing stock loss.
§ The second stage will include an assessment of the appropriate level of housing allocation for district councils. This will take account of local factors that impact on housing need and any changed circumstances 41WS since the original figures were prepared. Given the complexity and sensitivity of projecting housing need, consideration will be given to how these figures are used. The outcome from the housing review process will be fed into the focused assessment. It is possible that this review of housing allocation figures will point to the need for a specific adjustment of the RDS rather than action by third parties. The focused assessment process will provide the opportunity for necessary publicity and consultation.
§ The focused assessment will require consideration of all strategic guidance within the RDS using up-to-date data in the context of current government policy. However, the focused assessment is not a full review. Any adjustments will be considered in the context of the guiding principles and the strategic direction that is set out in the spatial development strategy. The focused assessment process will also include open and participative engagement with stakeholders and consultation as appropriate.
§ The success of the RDS will be determined by the extent to which its policies and actions are implemented. Implementation is, however, a very complex process involving a wide variety of public and private organisations, businesses, voluntary and community organisations and individuals. Many of the policies can be implemented only through individual departments and their strategies. Chapter 13 of the RDS sets out the elements of the delivery mechanism.
§ However the department has been heavily engaged in developing the participative approach to implementation by engaging a wide range of stakeholders in the public and private sectors and in the community. During the year 2003–04 the department has facilitated a series of sub-regional seminars for the north-west, the south-east, the rural west and the north-west. Reports of proceedings in these events will be published as a record of the action agenda proposed for each sub-region. The department is now engaged with representatives of the organisations attending the seminars to agree a suitable structure for continuing engagement in tracking RDS progress and local strategic priorities.