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Budget (Northern Ireland) Order 2007

It would be better if I wrote to the noble Lord on the process. The legislation on dormant bank accounts is intended to be UK-wide. If I can throw any further light on the issue of dormant versus closed accounts, I will do that as well. The noble Lord, Lord Shutt, talked about water revenues. The revenues generated from water reform will benefit Northern Ireland departments and budgets immediately. As the years progress, the revenues collected will increase, reflecting the phased introduction. That will mean that more resources will become available to allocate to front-line public services. As the noble Lord, Lord Shutt, made clear, policing is not devolved. As we move closer to a date for the future transfer of criminal justice responsibilities to the devolved Administration, the Government will need to discuss arrangements for the transfer of additional resources from the Northern Ireland Budget to the devolved Administration to cover the costs of those new responsibilities. With respect to the question on the Barnett formula, we will discuss future funding arrangements for criminal justice spending in Northern Ireland with the devolved Administration ahead of any transfer of responsibility. Those arrangements will operate within the framework of the Treasury’s statement of funding policy for the devolved Administrations. I hope that the noble Lord, Lord Shutt, is not going to ask me what that statement involves. The noble Lord, Lord Trimble, asked about the need to increase the effectiveness of the planning system. In the time that I covered Northern Ireland issues, there was a widespread concern about the planning process and the time taken to process planning applications in Northern Ireland. I absolutely recognise that concern. The reasons for the delays are twofold: first, a sustained high level in the number of planning applications received in the past three years; and, secondly, increasing public interest in planning issues. We have to find a way of managing that more effectively. For the past three years, the Planning Service has been engaged in a comprehensive reform and modernisation programme which is looking at all aspects of the system. Additional resources have been allocated to the public information interface to help to improve processing, but this will take a little time to kick in so that people begin to feel that there is a difference. I am delighted that the noble Lord, Lord Trimble, talked about canals and waterways. It would not have been a discussion of the Northern Ireland Budget if we did not have some discussion of canals and waterways. Northern Ireland government officials are working closely with Republic of Ireland officials in endeavouring to take forward the project of the proposed reopening of the Ulster Canal, ensuring compliance with accountability and value for money requirements. A number of studies and appraisals have been carried out examining the costs and potential benefits of reopening the Ulster Canal. The Irish Government have declared their support for a sectional approach being adopted, focused initially on restoring navigation on the 12-kilometre south-western reach at an estimated cost of £24 million. This proposal is being actively explored with the Republic of Ireland. The noble Lord, Lord Maginnis, asked about the disposal of assets. His memory on these issues goes back much further than mine. I recognise the case that he makes for using released resources to fund a new police college. That decision does not rest with me, but I shall, of course, pass on his comment. Previously we have said that proceeds from the disposal of assets that are the responsibility of the devolved Administration will be available for reinvestment in public services in Northern Ireland. However, military assets, which the noble Lord mentioned, are in the separate ownership of the Ministry of Defence and do not automatically fall within that arrangement. Autism is an issue dear to the heart of the noble Lord, Lord Maginnis. More than 2,000 children in schools in Northern Ireland are identified as having an autism spectrum disorder. All education and library boards provide specialised support to schools with pupils with autism and provision is matched to individual needs. Since the report of the task group on autism was published in 2002, the Department of Education has committed £7.4 million to meet the needs of children with autism. The Department of Education, in conjunction with the Education and Training Inspectorate, is preparing a strategy for autism based on an action plan produced by the five autism groups, a range of work by the inspectorate and research into preschool children with an ASD, the results of which will be published shortly. The Department of Education and the Department of Education and Science in Dublin are jointly developing a centre of excellence for autism in Middletown, County Armagh. It is planned to start introducing services from mid-2007, beginning with training and advisory services. I hope that that meets some of the concerns of the noble Lord, Lord Maginnis.