Friday 25 January 2002
Written Answers to Questions (Continued)

Lord Kilclooney asked the Minister of Education to detail (a) the date of the last inspection carried out at O’Neill Memorial Primary School, Crossnacreevy; (b) the date of the last parents’ meeting; and (c) if the possible closure of the school was recorded on the agenda for the last parents’ meeting.

(AQW 1289/01)

The Minister of Education (Mr M McGuinness): The South-Eastern Education and Library Board has confirmed:

(a) The date of the last inspection was May 1996;

(c) The South-Eastern Education and Library Board’s area strategic development plan, which indicates that there will be a review of primary provision, was an item on the agenda for the meeting on 28 November 2001.

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of Education to provide the current waiting times for appointments with education psychologists in each education and library board.

(AQW 1304/01)

Mr M McGuinness: The position on referrals for statutory assessment of special educational needs at Stage 4 of the code of practice in each education and library board area is as follows: -

Average waiting times at Stage 3 of the code of practice are not available.

Lord Kilclooney asked the Minister of Education to detail (a) if the chairman of the board of governors of O’Neill Memorial Primary School has received any requests, since 1 December 2001, for an Extraordinary General Meeting of Parents with the Governors; (b) the decision reached; and (c) the reason for this decision.

(AQW 1306/01)

Mr M McGuinness: The South-Eastern Education and Library Board have confirmed:

(a) The chairperson of the board of governors received a letter posted on 14 December 2001 from a group of concerned parents requesting an emergency meeting of the board of governors; and

(b) and ( c) The chairperson responded on 15 December 2001 indicating that because of the Christmas holidays it would not be possible to hold a meeting until the new year. The parents were asked to write to the secretary to the board of governors suggesting suitable dates for a meeting.

Lord Kilclooney asked the Minister of Education to list (a) the parent governors of O’Neill Memorial Primary School, Crossnacreevy, at the beginning of the academic year September 2001; and (b) the number of children each parent governor has enrolled at the school.

(AQW 1307/01)

Mr M McGuinness: The South-Eastern Education and Library Board have confirmed:

(a) The parent governors at September 2001 were Mrs Valerie Atcheson and Mr Desmond Butler; and

(b) These individuals did not have children at the school in September 2001, but did so at the time of their election as parent governors.

Lord Kilclooney asked the Minister of Education to detail (a) those parent governors of O’Neill Primary School, Crossnacreevy, at January 2002, and were they appointed at a parents’ meeting; (b) the date of the parents’ meeting; (c) if all the parents were invited to this meeting; and (d) the number of children each of these parent governors have enrolled at the school.

(AQW 1308/01)

Mr M McGuinness: The South-Eastern Education and Library Board have confirmed:

(a) At January 2002 there were 2 vacancies for parent governors at the school due to the withdrawal of the parent governors elected to serve for the period 2001-2005. The school is in the process of arranging a new election;

(b) The governors who have withdrawn were elected at the meeting held on 29 October 2001;

(c ) All parent were invited to this meeting; and

(d) As parent elections are currently pending details are not known.

Mr K Robinson asked the Minister of Education to outline (a) the number of student teachers currently training that will have mathematics as their main subject area; and (b) if he is considering increasing these numbers to meet any potential shortfall.

(AQW 1332/01)

Mr M McGuinness: There are currently 105 student teachers training with mathematics as their main subject. My Department adjusts the overall allocation of teacher training places annually to ensure a reasonable match between the numbers being trained and projected teacher vacancies based on a statistical model. Each higher education institution is then responsible for distributing its total allocation of places across its own course provision.

Mr K Robinson asked the Minister of Education what assessment he has made in relation to the number of suitable mathematics teachers available currently for posts advertised for secondary level schools; and to make a statement.

(AQW 1334/01)

Mr M McGuinness: My Department does not collect information from the employing authorities about the number of applications to fill teaching vacancies in schools; and the employing authorities have not reported to my Department that they are experiencing serious problems in recruiting mathematics teachers to secondary schools.

Mr M Robinson asked the Minister of Education to detail the number of classroom assistants currently employed in primary schools in each education and library board area.

(AQW 1352/01)

Mr M McGuinness: I have been advised by the education and library boards that the numbers are as follows:

Mr Weir asked the Minister of Education to list the schools awaiting high priority maintenance work in the constituency of North Down; and the proposed dates for the commencement of this work.

(AQW 1385/01)

Mr M McGuinness: Responsibility for maintenance of controlled and maintained schools in the constituency rests with the South-Eastern Education and Library Board. I understand from the board that it plans to commence high priority maintenance work at the schools listed below over the next two years. The Department has no information on planned maintenance work at other schools in the constituency.

Mr M Robinson asked the Minister of Education to detail, by education authority, the average class size in secondary schools in each year since 1994.

(AQW 1449/01)

Mr M McGuinness: The information requested is not held by the Department, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Mr M Robinson asked the Minister of Education what qualifications or experience classroom assistants require before entering the classroom environment.

(AQW 1456/01)

Mr M McGuinness: I have been advised that while there are a number of qualifications that offer qualified status to classroom assistants, the minimum qualification offering recognised status by the education and library boards to classroom assistants in all schools is a NVQ Level II in Early Years Care and Education.

Ms McWilliams asked the Minister for Employment and Learning if she will consider providing Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) with the facility to collect data on the religious background of their Northern Ireland applicants.

(AQW 1323/01)

The Minister for Employment and Learning (Ms Hanna): This matter has been discussed with UCAS. As an admissions organisation for institutions across the United Kingdom they are unwilling to treat applicants from Northern Ireland in a different way from those of the other jurisdictions.

Ms McWilliams asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what plans she has to promote community relations programmes in teacher education and further and higher education.

(AQW 1325/01)

Ms Hanna: The promotion of community relations programmes in teacher education is the responsibility of the Department of Education.

A working group set up by my Department is to produce recommendations on the promotion of community relations within the FE curriculum. It is also expected to produce a good practice guide for colleges.

The NI universities are autonomous bodies with a statutory obligation, under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, to promote equality of opportunity and good community relations. My Department has set aside additional funding of £155,000 in 2001-02 to assist the universities in meeting these statutory obligations.

Mr Kennedy asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to detail (a) the number of complaints, post devolution, that have reached tribunal stage and have been referred to the Labour Relations Agency in respect of cases taken against directors of further education colleges on the grounds of bullying, abusive behaviour and discriminatory employment practices; and (b) what measures she intends to put in place to address such matters.

(AQW 1327/01)

Ms Hanna: Governing bodies, and employees do not, as a matter of course, advise the Department of cases that have been referred to tribunals or the Labour Relations Agency. The Department has however been made aware of two cases, since 1999, where complaints have been made against directors of colleges and which have been referred to the Labour Relations Agency. Staffing and employee relations matters are issues for the governing body of colleges of further and higher education. There exists already internal and external procedures, including employment law, for dealing with such matters.

Mrs Nelis asked the Minister for Employment and Learning when does the Training and Employment agency intend to lay its accounts before the Assembly for the year 1999-2000; and to make a statement.

(AQW 1412/01)

Ms Hanna: The Training and Employment Agency’s final set of accounts for 1999-2000 were passed in draft form to the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) in September 2000. The NIAO questioned the technical accounting policy used in those accounts in relation to the timing of the recognition of income from European Union claims. After extended discussions, an alternative approach has been accepted. I hope that the necessary information will be available within about a month to enable the accounts to be redrafted and passed to NIAO. They will then be laid as soon as NIAO have completed its report.

Dr Birnie asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to detail the percentage of employees at the Halifax Call Centre (Gasworks site) who reside in each Belfast post code area.

(AQW 1281/01)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (Sir Reg Empey): The information requested is gathered on new investment projects in order to assess the extent to which actual jobs created have had an impact in New TSN areas. The information is gathered on a voluntary basis from companies promoting these projects on the understanding that it will not be used to identify individual companies unless the companies are content to release the data, currently DETI does not have the information requested. It is the intention of the Department that figures relating to job creation in New TSN areas will be published after the financial year end.

Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to detail, by constituency, the number of applications received for petroleum licenses in each of the last three years.

(AQW 1380/01)

Sir Reg Empey: The details are as follows:

Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to set up a cross-departmental committee to harness the tourism potential of the inland fishing and forest walks within the Carrickfergus Borough Council area.

(AQW 1391/01)

Sir Reg Empey: In 1999 the Northern Ireland Tourist Board established national product marketing groups for the Northern Ireland angling and walking products. Each group is comprised of representatives from regional tourism organisations, local authorities, government agencies and advisory bodies, Sustrans and the Countryside Access and Activities Network (CAAN). A partnership approach is adopted by the product marketing groups to develop and fulfil an annual marketing activities plan and highlight areas for further product development.

Carrickfergus Borough Council is already represented on each group through the Causeway coast and glens regional tourism organisation. In the circumstances, I do not feel a further cross-departmental committee to harness the tourism potential of the inland fishing and forest walks within the Carrickfergus Borough Council area would be appropriate.

Mr Shannon asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what assurances he received from Bombardier with reference to the retention of design staff in Belfast.

(AQW 1400/01)

Sir Reg Empey: I have had frequent meetings and discussions with Bombardier, including my recent visit to Bombardier Headquarters in Montreal. I have received assurances from Bombardier that it is committed to retaining a strong design, engineering and manufacturing capability in Belfast, which will enable it to respond effectively to future business opportunities.

Mr Weir asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to detail the number of redundancies in the Bangor job centre area in the last year.

(AQW 1510/01)

Sir Reg Empey: Over the year to 18 January 2002, there were 4,848 redundancies in Northern Ireland confirmed to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment. Of these, 19 were in the Bangor job centre area.

Mr M Robinson asked the Minister of the Environment what percentage of planning applications made since 1996 were approved in each of the following sectors (a) large scale retail development; (b) new housing development; and (c) hotel complexes.

(AQW 1248/01)

The Minister of the Environment (Mr Foster): The details are set out below:

Percentage of applications approved

• Large scale retail developments 59%
• Housing development 67%
• Hotel complexes 70%

The figure for new housing development excludes applications for single houses.

The figure for hotel complexes includes applications received for restaurants and public houses.

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of the Environment, pursuant to AQW 866/01 and AQW 867/01, to detail (a) how water and electricity supplies are to be provided to the properties in the development and (b) any precedent that would support an unorthodox method, should one be adopted, of providing water and electricity in this case.

(AQW 1257/01)

Mr Foster: It is a matter for statutory service providers to determine how they provide their services. However, my Department has written to the agents acting for the developer in this case, imposing a number of conditions under the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. These have been imposed to protect the badgers near this site, and include a condition that no services are to be placed underground within the "no development" zone.

Mr McMenamin asked the Minister of the Environment to impose a moratorium on all planning applications for telecommunication masts until such time as all health concerns have been fully assessed.

(AQW 1261/01)

Mr Foster: It would not be practical, or indeed lawful, for me to impose a moratorium on planning applications for telecommunication masts, as my Department has a statutory duty to process and determine any valid planning application which it receives. Accordingly once all material planning information relating to an application for a telecommunications mast has been received and fully considered, including consultation replies together with any other representations received, my Department is under a legal obligation to determine that application.

The member may also be aware that Article 33 of the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 provides an applicant, in all but major cases designated under Article 31 of that Order, with the right to appeal to the Planning Appeals Commission on the grounds that his or her application has not been determined by my Department within laid down timescales.

Any objections relating to health issues or other public concerns raised in representations on planning proposals are fully considered by Planning Service in processing applications. Where appropriate advice on health matters is sought from the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. As regards proposals for telecommunications masts, the most recent advice available from the DHSSPS has advised that, where emissions from the mast are within the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) public exposure guidelines, they would not raise any further questions with regard to health. It is in the context of this current advice from DHSSPS that Planning Service considers health concerns raised about such development.

Mr McMenamin asked the Minister of the Environment to make it his policy that any future planning applications for telecommunication masts will only be granted where they are at least 1,000 metres from private/public dwellings.

(AQW 1262/01)

Mr Foster: My Department issued a consultation paper on 10 November 2000, seeking views on possible changes to planning legislation for the control of development by licensed telecommunications code system operators, and on the terms of a draft planning policy statement on telecommunications development.

Following a decision of the Executive Committee, I intend to shortly bring forward legislation, which will require full planning permission for all new telecommunications development. All new mast development will then be subject to the full rigour of the planning process. At the same time my Department is revising the draft planning policy statement on telecommunications development taking advice, on health issues, from the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. As part of that revision, my Department is considering the issues raised by the Member. I will, of course, advise the Member of the outcome of that process.

Mr McMenamin asked the Minister of the Environment what plans he has to ensure that emissions from telecommunication masts do not exceed the legal limits.

(AQW 1263/01)

Mr Foster: My Department has no responsibility for monitoring or control of emissions from telecommunications base stations. Responsibility for the regulation of telecommunications in the United Kingdom rests with the Department of Trade and Industry. Operators of public telecommunications systems require a licence issued by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry under the Telecommunications Act 1984.

The Stewart Report on mobile phones and health in May 2000 recommended the adoption, as a precautionary approach, of the International Commission on Non- Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) public exposure guidelines in lieu of the guidelines of the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB).

The Report also recommended that an independent random audit of telecommunications base stations should be carried out to give the public confidence that emissions to which the public are exposed do not exceed the ICNIRP guidelines. Surveys are currently being undertaken by the Radiocommunications Agency (RA), an Agency of the DTI. The initial focus of the audit is schools with base stations on their premises. 100 surveys have been completed up to December 2001, including 6 school sites in Northern Ireland, with all measurements so far showing emissions to be hundreds of times below the ICNIRP public exposure guidelines. The full results are published on the RA website at (www.radio.gov.uk).

Mr M Robinson asked the Minister of the Environment what assessment has been made in relation to the effect of green belts on the development opportunities of local district councils such as the creation of new community and leisure facilities.

(AQW 1291/01)

Mr Foster: My Department has not carried out any specific assessment of the effects of green belts on the development opportunities of local councils. Specific applications would be assessed against prevailing planning policies contained in the planning strategy for rural NI and planning policy statements and against the content of the relevant area plan. However, the development plan preparation process offers councils the opportunity to make representations covering the extent of green belt which may be relevant to any development matters causing concern.

Mr Bradley asked the Minister of the Environment, pursuant to AQO 2/01, what progress has been made in relation to the removal of the telecommunications mast at School Road, Crogary, Newry.

(AQW 1315/01)

Mr Foster: I have little to add to my answer to AQO2/01 when I explained that Crown Castle, agents for One 2 One, had intended to replace the mast with two smaller roadside masts. This is still their position.

Crown Castle wrote to me on 19 December 2001 advising that they were consulting widely on the sites identified. In addition to writing to the local council with details of their proposals, they advised that they had sent mail shots to all those parties believed to have an interest in this matter. They further advised that they were at the initial stages of consultation and were not yet in a position to submit planning applications. In responding to that letter, my private secretary stated that I was anxious to ensure that this matter is satisfactorily resolved with the minimum of further delay, and added that I trusted they would be in a position to submit the relevant applications as soon as possible.

No applications have been received to date, but we will continue to press Crown Castle for a satisfactory resolution of this matter.

Mr McClarty asked the Minister of the Environment to detail the measures he uses to ensure that the number of multiple occupancy dwellings do not exceed the number of private occupancy dwellings within new housing developments in Portstewart and Portrush.

(AQW 1342/01)

Mr Foster: Under the provisions of the Planning (Use Classes) Order (NI) 1989, a dwelling house may be occupied by not more than six residents living together on a communal basis, as a single household, without the requirement to seek planning permission for a change of use from a dwelling previously occupied by a single person, or by people living together as a family.

Similarly a new dwelling can be designed to accommodate up to six residents living together on a communal basis as a single household without a requirement for the developer to specifically distinguish it as a proposed house in multiple occupation. The Regulations do not provide my Department with any powers to specify how the dwelling might subsequently be occupied, at the time an original planning application is determined.

As a consequence, there are no measures available to ensure that dwellings in multiple occupation to not exceed the number of privately occupied dwellings.

Mr McClarty asked the Minister of the Environment if he has any plans to limit bulk buying of houses for student occupation in areas of new residential development.

(AQW 1343/01)

Mr Foster: I have no powers to limit the bulk buying of housing for student accommodation. However, any proposals to provide accommodation for multiple occupancy are bound by the provisions of the Planning (Use Classes) Order (NI) 1991, which states that a dwelling house may be occupied by not more than six residents living together on a communal basis, as a single household, without the requirement to seek planning permission for a change of use from a dwelling previously occupied by a single person, or by people living together as a family.

Mr McClarty asked the Minister of the Environment to detail (a) the number of new houses built in Portstewart in the last five years; and (b) the number of these houses currently owner-occupied.

(AQW 1344/01)

Mr Foster: Records held on housing completions in Portstewart are available for the last four years 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01. These show that there were 421 housing completions during that period.

My Department does not hold information on houses which are owner occupied.

Mr McClarty asked the Minister of the Environment to detail the number of houses built in Portstewart without initial planning permission, in each of the last five years.

(AQW 1345/01)

Mr Foster: My Department does not keep a record of this information.

Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of the Environment to detail the number of planning permissions granted retrospectively in 2001.

(AQW 1361/01)

Mr Foster: The information requested is not readily available, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost to my Department.

Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of the Environment to detail (a) the monitoring process for emissions at Premier Power Ltd, Ballylumford, Islandmagee; and (b) if any regulations have been breached in each of the last three years.

(AQW 1362/01)

Mr Foster: Ballylumford Power Station which operates on natural gas, with heavy fuel oil as a standby fuel, is authorised under the Industrial Pollution Control (NI) Order 1997.

The authorisation requires the company continuously to monitor emissions to the atmosphere of sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide and smoke and manually to test the emissions from each boiler, on an annual basis, using an accredited testing laboratory.

The company is also required to monitor its discharges to Larne Lough for key parameters, such as temperature, pH, total residual oxidant, oil/grease and ferrous sulphate, on a four-hourly, daily or monthly basis depending on the parameter.

The Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) regularly inspects the plant and arranges for check monitoring of the emissions to air and water.

Copies of the authorisation and monitoring reports are placed on public registers, which are located in Larne Borough Council offices and in the EHS Office in Calvert House, Belfast.

Over the last three years, the company has complied with all of the authorised limits, except for three breaches of the particulate-to-air limit and a few periods of dark smoke emission. The first particulate breach was recorded in March 2000 and the other two occurred during October 2001. The intermittent episodes of dark smoke emission occurred during 1 to 4 January 2002 when there was an interruption of the gas supply to the station and the company was required to switch over to heavy fuel oil. When the plant was returned to gas firing, the problem disappeared. The particulate exceedences were very minor and did not result in any off-site complaint nor any reported adverse impact on the environment.

On each occasion, EHS was informed by the company of the reasons for the release and the steps taken to alleviate the problem.

Mr McClarty asked the Minister of the Environment what action he intends to take to sustain and enhance local communities that are experiencing a high density of multiple student occupancy, in particular, towns neighbouring the University of Ulster, Coleraine.

(AQW 1365/01)

Mr Foster: There are no provisions within planning law to enable my Department to control who occupies particular properties and there is no basis in planning law or policies for distinguishing between students and other sections of the community. Providing that the use to which the property is put meets with legal requirements and the provisions of current planning policy, there are no actions that my Department can take.

I understand the Member’s concern about the impact of student accommodation on a community, and on the character of specific areas around the north coast, and within the catchment area of the University. However, there are limitations on the ability of the land use planning system to regulate the growth of houses in multiple occupation, that do not exceed the threshold specified in the Planning (Use Classes) Order (NI) 1989. Where houses in multiple occupancy require planning permission my Department seeks to ensure the protection of residential amenity in its consideration of planning applications.

Mr McClarty asked the Minister of the Environment what assessment he has made in the relationship between areas with multiple student occupancy and current house prices.

(AQW 1366/01)

Mr Foster: I have made no assessment of this matter. However, the area plan preparation process, particularly with the new "Issues Paper" approach, will allow planning issues related to multiple occupancy of properties to be raised and discussed.

Mr McClarty asked the Minister of the Environment if there is an optimum percentage of dwellings of multiple occupancy that can be accommodated by an existing community.

(AQW 1367/01)

Mr Foster: My Department is not aware of any such figure. While many houses in multiple occupation fall outside the scope of existing planning regulations contained within the Planning (Use Classes) Order (NI) 1989, and do not require planning consent, where they do, my Department’s prime consideration in processing planning applications is the potential impact on the amenities of an area. In reaching a planning decision, my Department’s aim is to ensure the protection of residential amenity and the provision of a suitable standard of accommodation.

Mr Gibson asked the Minister of the Environment what financial assistance is available to local councils to help them achieve their waste recycling targets.

(AQW 1376/01)

Mr Foster: My Department’s remaining budget for waste management in the current financial year is £2.5 million.

I have recently approved a waste management grant scheme which will disburse £2 million of this budget to Councils in the current financial year. A copy of the scheme was sent to all councils on 14 January 2002.

The scheme provides funding for activities, including recycling, which will help councils meet the objectives and targets in the NI waste management strategy and in councils’ developing waste management plans. The amount to be allocated for recycling is a matter for the Councils themselves, in line with their draft waste management plans and the terms of the scheme. The allocation in my Department’s budget for 2002-03 is £7.4 million. No decisions have yet been taken on how much of this will be available to councils. This will depend on progress in finalising their waste management plans. Again the amount available to support recycling within any allocation will be a matter for the Councils themselves.

The remaining £0.5 million of this year’s budget is being used by my Department for further waste data surveys, on public awareness and education on waste issues and on extending the GB Waste to Resources action programme to Northern Ireland.

Mr Ford asked the Minister of the Environment to make a statement on the forthcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development and on Northern Ireland participation in the Cabinet Committee dealing with the Summit.

(AQW 1388/01)

Mr Foster: The World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 (WSSD) will mark the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio.

The Whitehall Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is leading the UK preparations for the Summit.

The agenda for WSSD has not yet been formally agreed, but is evolving through the international preparatory process. UK priorities for the summit are eradicating poverty by making globalisation work for sustainable development, freshwater and oceans, access to clean energy, sustainable development initiatives for Africa, resource productivity/efficiency worldwide (including the use of scientific and technological knowledge) and capacity building as a cross cutting issue.

Northern Ireland is undertaking a number of activities in the run-up to WSSD, including a conference in September 2001, a Green Living Fair and the ‘Our World Project’, which I launched, in partnership with the Worldwide Fund for Nature, in September 2001. This project involves schools in Northern Ireland competing for a grant of £15,000 to help make their school more sustainable. In addition, an Earth Champion, selected from the winning school, will play an active role at the Summit.

The new Cabinet Committee on WSSD [MISC 18], chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, is co-ordinating the UK’s strategy for the Summit. The Environment Ministers from the three devolved Administrations, have been invited to attend meetings of the Committee. There have been two meetings to date. Unfortunately, because of Executive and Assembly Business, which must take priority for me, I have been unable to attend either. I have therefore written to the Deputy Prime Minister to assure him of my support for the process and I will attend future meetings where possible. Moreover, my Department is represented at meetings of officials supporting the MISC 18 process.

Mr Maskey asked the Minister of the Environment if the Belfast Regeneration office has any plans to sell land, which it considers surplus to use, in the Upper Dunmurry Lane adjoining the Colin Glen Trust for a horticultural college and garden centre.

(AQW 1407/01)

Mr Foster: I can confirm that my Department regards these lands as surplus to its requirements. The Department of Social Development’s Belfast Regeneration Office is taking forward the disposal process on behalf of my Department.

As part of this process, and in line with Government procedures, details of the lands have been circulated to other Government Departments, and expressions of interest have been invited. If a compelling case can be made, the lands may be transferred to the appropriate Department. If not, they will be placed on the open market.

While there have been expressions of interest none of these have involved a proposal to develop a horticultural college and garden centre.

Mr M Robinson asked the Minister of the Environment what facilities exist for the recycling of plastics.

(AQW 1414/01)

Mr Foster: There are 15 Northern Ireland companies which recycle or reprocess plastic film and/or dense plastic waste. They are listed in a comprehensive guide to recycling and reprocessing facilities entitled ‘Recycling Directory of Ireland’. The Directory identifies alternative paths for plastics waste, which minimise the loss of valuable material to landfill and reduce costs to companies. It is available free of charge to industry, business and local authorities both in hard copy and via a web-site (www.irelandrecycling.ie).

Mr M Robinson asked the Minister of the Environment what percentage of packaging is currently recycled.

(AQW 1421/01)

Mr Foster: The most up-to-date figures available for the percentage of waste packaging being recycled are for the calendar year 2000 and refer to the UK, as a whole. These indicate that 36% of packaging waste was recycled.

Since the packaging recovery scheme was designed to operate in a seamless way across the UK, it is not possible to separate data individually applicable to England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Department is commissioning further studies of commercial and industrial waste. These will, among other things, help to clarify what progress is being made in promoting the recycling of packaging waste.

Mr Shannon asked the Minister of the Environment to outline (a) any meetings which have taken place with local district councils to agree a strategy for the disposal of fridges and freezers; and (b) the timetable for agreeing and implementing this strategy.

(AQW 1422/01)

(a) To date no meetings have taken place with local councils to agree a strategy for the disposal of fridges and freezers as this is dependent on guidance on recovery standards and the subsequent establishment of facilities.

(b) The short-term strategy is to store waste units until an approved disposal route can be found. Guidance on storage issued to councils last week for consideration. My officials are making arrangements to meet with council representatives to discuss the guidance and other issues relating to storage.

Draft guidance on standards for the recovery of ozone depleting substances from insulating foam has been circulated. It should become clearer over the next three months how the waste management industry intends to respond to these and the needs of councils in terms of the siting of approved disposal plant. It would be appropriate at that stage to commence the formulation of a strategy for disposal of the waste units when decisions could be taken based on more accurate transport and disposal cost information.

Mr Wells asked the Minister of the Environment when he expects to complete his programme of designation of areas of special scientific interest.

(AQW 1438/01)

Mr Foster: I am not yet able to say when the programme will be completed. My Department’s Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) is at present reviewing the network of Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs). EHS hopes to complete this review in the next financial year. In this review, the current and proposed extent of the ASSI network (as well as the subsequent management and monitoring requirements) is being assessed. It is not yet possible to predict the final number of ASSIs nor to estimate when the designations will be completed. The final number is likely to be more than twice the present total of 190 but the average size of the additional sites will be much less than that of the existing ones.

There has been steady progress in the declaration of ASSIs, despite the additional requirement to identify and designate sites under European Directives and other international obligations. The 190 current ASSIs cover about 6% of our land area. There remains a significant number of additional sites which are known to merit designation.

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of the Environment what action has been taken or is planned in the future to eradicate vandalism against local government properties.

(AQW 1454/01)

Mr Foster: No direct action has been taken by the Department of the Environment to eradicate vandalism of local government properties. This is a matter for district councils, some of which have installed CCTV systems in their areas to address local problems such as vandalism.

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of the Environment to detail, by district council area, the financial cost of the vandalism of local government buildings over the past five years.

(AQW 1455/01)

Mr Foster: The financial cost of the vandalism of local government buildings is not recorded centrally. Expenditure over the past five years could only be determined at disproportionate cost.

Mr Weir asked the Minister of the Environment to detail, in each of the last 3 years within North Down, the number of (a) buildings which have been given the designation "listed"; and (b) "listed" buildings which have been demolished.

(AQW 1492/01)

Mr Foster: Within North Down, no buildings have been given the designation "listed", nor has any "listed" Building been demolished, within the last three years.

Mr B Bell asked the Minister of the Environment if it is his intention to enter into a bilateral concordat with any GB Departments in order to maintain good working relations.

(AQW 1569/01)

Mr Foster: I can confirm that my Department has agreed a bilateral concordat with the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR). I believe this will provide a sufficient basis for the continued good working relationship, which already exists between the two Departments, copies of the concordat have been placed in the Assembly Library.

My officials are also involved in discussions with officials from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) with a view to agreeing a similar concordat with that GB Department.

Mr Leslie asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel, pursuant to AQW 86/01, to detail (a) the number of applications that are currently outstanding; and (b) the number of applications that have been outstanding for more than one year.

(AQW 1272/01)

The Minister of Finance and Personnel (Dr Farren): The registry has approximately 26,912 applications for registration awaiting processing. Approximately 17,951 of these applications are overdue in terms of internal target times, which the registry uses to monitor the progress of work (See Note 1 below). Some 7,431 applications are one year old. There are 2,880 applications which have exceeded target times by one year.

The reference to entries has been assumed to relate to applications for registration.

Dr Birnie asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel, pursuant to AQW 926/01, how he will meet the needs of groups who did not apply for gap funding but who are now facing funding difficulties as the applications for Peace II are taking longer than expected.

(AQW 1283/01)

Dr Farren: The Special EU Programmes Body as managing authority for Peace II is working very closely with all implementing bodies across the programme to ensure that all possible steps are being taken to ensure full implementation of the Programme as soon as possible and complete all stages without delay. A full application programme is currently operational and calls for projects have already been made across the majority of the Peace II Programme. Every effort is being made to ensure that Peace II funds are available and flowing to projects on the ground as soon as possible. All applications under the new Peace II Programme will be open to any project/ group whether in receipt of gap funding or not and all projects in receipt of gap Funding will be required to make a full application under the programme.

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