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Official Report (Hansard) Official Report (Hansard) Monday 11 October 2010 Volume 56, No 3 Session 2010-2011 Contents Ministerial Statement Northern Ireland Housing Executive ...............................................................................................85 Executive Committee Business Unsolicited Services (Trade and Business Directories) Bill: Consideration Stage ...................................98 Terrorist Asset-Freezing etc. Bill [HL]: Legislative Consent Motion .....................................................99 Committee Business Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill: Extension of Committee Stage ...................................103 Standing Committee Membership ................................................................................................104 Private Members’ Business Public Sector Recruitment ...........................................................................................................104 Oral Answers to Questions Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister .....................................................................113 Employment and Learning ...........................................................................................................119 Private Members’ Business Public Sector Recruitment (continued) ..........................................................................................125 Disappeared Victims ..................................................................................................................133 Suggested amendments or corrections will be considered by the Editor. They should be sent to: The Editor of Debates, Room 248, Parliament Buildings, Belfast BT4 3XX. Tel: 028 9052 1135 · e-mail: [email protected] to arrive not later than two weeks after publication of this report. Assembly Members Adams, Gerry (West Belfast) McCallister, John (South Down) Anderson, Ms Martina (Foyle) McCann, Fra (West Belfast) Anderson, Sydney (Upper Bann) McCann, Ms Jennifer (West Belfast) Armstrong, Billy (Mid Ulster) McCarthy, Kieran (Strangford) Attwood, Alex (West Belfast) McCartney, Raymond (Foyle) Bannside, The Lord (North Antrim) McCausland, Nelson (North Belfast) Beggs, Roy (East Antrim) McClarty, David (East Londonderry) Bell, Jonathan (Strangford) McCrea, Basil (Lagan Valley) Boylan, Cathal (Newry and Armagh) McCrea, Ian (Mid Ulster) Bradley, Dominic (Newry and Armagh) McDevitt, Conall (South Belfast) Bradley, Mrs Mary (Foyle) McDonnell, Dr Alasdair (South Belfast) Bradley, P J (South Down) Brady, Mickey (Newry and Armagh) McElduff, Barry (West Tyrone) Bresland, Allan (West Tyrone) McFarland, Alan (North Down) Browne, The Lord (East Belfast) McGill, Mrs Claire (West Tyrone) Buchanan, Thomas (West Tyrone) McGimpsey, Michael (South Belfast) Burns, Thomas (South Antrim) McGlone, Patsy (Mid Ulster) Butler, Paul (Lagan Valley) McGuinness, Martin (Mid Ulster) Campbell, Gregory (East Londonderry) McHugh, Gerry (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Clarke, Trevor (South Antrim) McIlveen, Miss Michelle (Strangford) Clarke, Willie (South Down) McKay, Daithí (North Antrim) Cobain, Fred (North Belfast) McLaughlin, Mitchel (South Antrim) Coulter, Rev Dr Robert (North Antrim) McNarry, David (Strangford) Craig, Jonathan (Lagan Valley) McQuillan, Adrian (East Londonderry) Cree, Leslie (North Down) Maginness, Alban (North Belfast) Dallat, John (East Londonderry) Maskey, Alex (South Belfast) Deeny, Dr Kieran (West Tyrone) Maskey, Paul (West Belfast) Doherty, Pat (West Tyrone) Molloy, Francie (Mid Ulster) Durkan, Mark (Foyle) Morrow, The Lord (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Easton, Alex (North Down) Elliott, Tom (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Moutray, Stephen (Upper Bann) Empey, Sir Reg (East Belfast) Murphy, Conor (Newry and Armagh) Farry, Dr Stephen (North Down) Neeson, Sean (East Antrim) Ford, David (South Antrim) Newton, Robin (East Belfast) Foster, Mrs Arlene (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Ní Chuilín, Ms Carál (North Belfast) Frew, Paul (North Antrim) O’Dowd, John (Upper Bann) Gallagher, Tommy (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) O’Loan, Declan (North Antrim) Gardiner, Samuel (Upper Bann) O’Neill, Mrs Michelle (Mid Ulster) Gibson, Simpson (Strangford) Poots, Edwin (Lagan Valley) Gildernew, Ms Michelle (Fermanagh and Purvis, Ms Dawn (East Belfast) South Tyrone) Ramsey, Pat (Foyle) Girvan, Paul (South Antrim) Ramsey, Ms Sue (West Belfast) Givan, Paul (Lagan Valley) Ritchie, Ms Margaret (South Down) Hamilton, Simon (Strangford) Robinson, George (East Londonderry) Hay, William (Speaker) Robinson, Ken (East Antrim) Hilditch, David (East Antrim) Robinson, Peter (East Belfast) Humphrey, William (North Belfast) Ross, Alastair (East Antrim) Irwin, William (Newry and Armagh) Kelly, Mrs Dolores (Upper Bann) Ruane, Ms Caitríona (South Down) Kelly, Gerry (North Belfast) Savage, George (Upper Bann) Kennedy, Danny (Newry and Armagh) Spratt, Jimmy (South Belfast) Kinahan, Danny (South Antrim) Storey, Mervyn (North Antrim) Leonard, Billy (East Londonderry) Weir, Peter (North Down) Lo, Ms Anna (South Belfast) Wells, Jim (South Down) Lunn, Trevor (Lagan Valley) Wilson, Brian (North Down) Lyttle, Chris (East Belfast) Wilson, Sammy (East Antrim) Northern Ireland Assembly Monday 11 October 2010 The Assembly met at 12.00 noon (Mr Speaker in the Chair). Members observed two minutes’ silence. Ministerial Statement raising standards in the private and owner- occupied sectors. Northern Ireland Housing Executive The facts speak loud. About 250,000 slum Mr Speaker: I have received notice from the dwellings had been demolished in Britain in Minister for Social Development that he wishes the 20 years to 1939. The figure in Northern to make a statement to the Assembly. Ireland was zero. Housing conditions in Northern Ireland, which, in 1900, were broadly similar to The Minister for Social Development those in Britain, had slipped significantly behind (Mr Attwood): Mr Speaker, I thank your office by 1939. Improvements took place after the for the accommodation that you have shown to Second World War, and about 180,000 new me and my Department in making available this houses were completed by 1970. However, opportunity to make a statement to the House. standards remained lower than in Britain. I also acknowledge that my statement was sent a little late, due to a combination of the inability The newly formed Housing Executive faced up of staff to decipher my handwriting, which is as to that legacy and its 1974 house condition poor as that of many doctors, and problems with survey painted a stark picture. Almost 90,000 sending the email to all the relevant offices in dwellings — 20% — were legally unfit for the Building. human habitation, a rate some three times that recorded in England. More than one third of the Forty years ago, the social housing sector in stock was in need of significant repair, and the Northern Ireland was beset with difficulties. problem was especially intense in the private Not only was housing stock substantially rented sector. Around 26% of dwellings lacked deficient physically, housing had become a at least one of the five basic amenities, and central issue in the deeply divided politics of 22% lacked four or more such amenities. As the time. There were justifiable concerns about Members know full well, some 600,000 people the condition of much of the stock and the in total — 40% of the population — lived in substandard, slum conditions that many tenants dwellings that were unfit, in disrepair, or lacked had to endure. There were also grave concerns certain basic amenities. about the fairness of housing allocation and decision-making as to where new housing Belfast had a disproportionate share of that would be located. Housing was administered legacy. In the inner west sector of the city, for by a multiplicity of localised authorities, which example, more than half the stock was unfit, were sometimes subject to localised political one third had no wash-hand basin, and a similar influence. proportion had no internal toilet. That set a major challenge for the Housing Executive, Housing reform became a central feature of the but history has shown that it was fit for the civil rights debate that raged in the late 1960s challenge. and early 1970s, and, in 1971, the British Government introduced a major change. A new Housing conditions in Northern Ireland have comprehensive housing authority, the Northern been transformed in the comparatively short Ireland Housing Executive, was established to space of four decades. The latest housing take over the duties of 65 housing authorities. condition survey shows levels of unfitness The new executive would assume responsibility of around 2·5% — by far the best in Britain not only for the social housing sector but for and Northern Ireland — with a tiny margin of 85 Monday 11 October 2010 Ministerial Statement: Northern Ireland Housing Executive unfitness in the public sector. Over the past 40 and will include stakeholder consultation. Phase years, the Housing Executive has evolved into three will develop a robust implementation plan an organisation with two roles; one as a social for an agreed preferred option. housing landlord, and another with housing- related functions, such as the administration As Minister, I want to make a number of matters of housing benefit and the Supporting People very clear. First, I am strongly convinced that the programme. state should provide social and affordable housing and that it should substantially provide the Forty years into its life, the Housing Executive funds for social and affordable
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