Vol. 575 No. 4
60 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the date by which he expects all action plans under the benchmarking agreements will be agreed and published; and the date by which the performance verification groups must approve progress regarding those plans so that the proposed 50% payment due on 1 January 2004 can be made. [25860/03]
The action plan for local authorities was approved by the local government performance verification group, or LGPVG, in July 2003 and published on my Department's website in August.
Paragraph 26.4 of Sustaining Progress requires each sectoral performance verification group to make an assessment of progress at the latest one month before each of the payment dates specified in the agreement. Accordingly, the LGPVG is required to provide its assessment regarding the benchmarking and general round payments due on 1 January 2004 no later than 1 December 2003.
