AQW 48060/11-15

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 01/07/2015
Answered On Date: 15/07/2015
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Regional Development what legislation his Department plans to bring forward by the end of the current Assembly mandate.

Answer:

It is my intention to introduce the following items of Primary legislation before the end of the current mandate - March 2016:

Water Bill

This Bill would extend my Department’s powers to pay subsidy to Northern Ireland Water on behalf of customers in the absence of domestic water charges; to improve governance arrangements for NI Water; to introduce new powers in relation to the standard of construction of sewerage infrastructure; to restrict surface water connections to the public sewer network; and to cease the requirement on Northern Ireland Water to install meters at domestic properties connecting to the public water supply for the first time.

Amendment to the Land Acquisition and Compensation (Northern Ireland) Order 1973

This Bill would amend the Land Acquisition and Compensation (Northern Ireland) Order 1973 by introducing a legislative change permitting a mechanism for top-up payments relating to compulsory purchase compensation in order to ensure that the system of assessing compensation payments in respect of compulsory acquisition in Northern Ireland is fairer and similar to England and Wales.