This publication contains the written answers to questions tabled by Members. The content of the responses is as received at the time from the relevant Minister or representative of the Assembly Commission and has not been subject to the official reporting process or changed in any way.

Friday 10 October 2008

Written Answers to Questions

Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister
Agriculture and Rural Development
Culture, Arts and Leisure
Education
Employment and Learning
Enterprise, Trade and Investment
Environment
Finance and Personnel
Health, Social Services and Public Safety
Regional Development
Social Development
Assembly Commission

OFFICE OF THE FIRST MINISTER AND DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER

Strategic Investment Board

Mr McGlone asked the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister whether the Strategic Investment Board has considered specialist advice from the Department of the Environment in relation to the causes of climate change as part of its assessment of infrastructure needs and design; and if so, to detail (i) the nature of that advice; and (ii) whether the Minister of the Environment's analysis of the causes of climate change has impacted on the Strategic Investment Board's decision-making.

(AQW 680/09)

The First Minister and deputy First Minister (Mr P Robinson and Mr M McGuinness): Specialist advice from the Department of the Environment on the causes of climate change has not been considered by the Strategic Investment Board in assessing infrastructure needs and design.

Neighbourhood Renewal Posts

Ms Ní Chuilín asked the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister what Neighbourhood Renewal posts and services it will fund from March 2009.

(AQW 713/09)

The First Minister and deputy First Minister: OFMDFM as a Department has a role to play across a number of activities which form part of the overall Neighbourhood Renewal network but does not directly fund Neighbourhood Renewal posts and services.

Former Military Sites

Mr Craig asked the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister to outline what plans the Department has in relation to securing the transfer of former military sites from the Government.

(AQW 965/09)

The First Minister and deputy First Minister: Along with the Minister of Finance and Personnel we have corresponded with and held meetings with the UK Government in order to progress the gifting of former military sites. Our officials also maintain regular contact with the Ministry of Defence in relation to these matters.

We will continue to press the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for a favourable response and will ensure the Assembly is informed of progress on this issue.

Civic Forum

Mr McCausland asked the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister to detail the attendance record of each member at meetings of the Civic Forum.

(AQW 1089/09)

The First Minister and deputy First Minister: The attendance record of members at plenary meetings of the Civic Forum is detailed in the attached schedule. The Civic Forum met in plenary format twelve times between 9 October 2000 and the suspension of devolution in October 2002 with its last plenary meeting on 28 August 2002.

Surname	Known As	No of Meetings Attended
Bicker	Elizabeth	11
Bowser	Avery	9
Bryan	Frank	12
Buchanan (i)	Pauline	0
Bustard (ii)	Susan	4
Carvill	Lynn	9
Chapman	Jeannette	9
Cooper	Kevin	12
Cradden	Keith	12
Daly	Kevin	8
Donaldson	Peter	11
Dougherty	Brian	8
Elliott	Doug	9
Farrell	Duane	10
Frazer (iii)	Hugh	3
Gallagher	Eileen	11
Gibson	Clare	8
Gibson	Chris	12
Gilmour	Daphne	10
Glenn	George	7
Gregg (iv)	Margaret	5
Haughey	Sharon	11
Jay	Richard	10
Johnston	Bryan	9
Keenan	Eamonn	8
Lucy	Gordon	11
MacBride	Patricia	5
MacNiallais	Donncha	9
Mahony	Patrick	10
McBride	Alan	8
McClean	P.J	12
McClurg	Betty	8
McConaghie	David	10
McCormack (v)	Inez	0
McCulla	Alan	3
McDowell	Emma	11
McGlone	Roisin	8
McKeever	Jim	11
McKinney	Carmel	4
McLaughlin	Kevin	8
McMichael	Gary	6
McNamee (vi)	Aidan	6
McNulty	Eithne	10
Monteith	Richard	2
Muller	Janet	7
O'Reilly	Mick	2
O'Reilly	Brian	8
Orr	James	10
Porter	David	9
Savage (vii)	Gwen	5
Shillington	Colin	12
Stelfox	Dawson	10
Symington	Brian	11
Warde Hunter	Louise	9
Watson	Avril	8
Weldon	Annabel	8
Whatmough (viii)	Jo	5
White	David	8
Williams	Ryan	7
Woods	Gordon	11
Yu	Patrick	1

Pauline Buchanan resigned November 2000
Susan Bustard resigned December 2001
Hugh Frazer resigned June 2001
Margaret Gregg appointed August 2001
Inez McCormack resigned November2001
Aidan McNamee resigned May 2002
Gwen Savage resigned 2002
Jo Whatmough resigned November 2001

AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Animal Cruelty

Mr McKay asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what consideration she has given to increasing the penalties that can be imposed for animal cruelty, in light of recent high profile cases.

(AQW 648/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (Ms M Gildernew): Since Questions 648/09 and 649/09 refer to the same subject matter, this response deals with both questions together.

The Department consulted on proposals for new animal welfare legislation in late 2006, including on whether penalties for cruelty offences should be significantly increased.

Following an initial consideration of responses to the 2006 consultation, I have been meeting a number of stakeholders in order to hear at first hand their concerns on existing animal welfare legislation. The level of penalties available to the Courts has been discussed during these meetings, and has also been the subject of a number of recent letters to me and my officials. The issue of penalties will therefore form a significant part of my deliberations on what new animal welfare legislation may be needed.

I have asked my officials to finalise a report that will summarise the responses to the 2006 consultation, and in doing so to reflect on emerging legislative developments in the South and on the outcome of my stakeholder meetings. While I have not specifically assessed the legislative position in Germany, I have asked my officials to take cognisance of legislation in other jurisdictions in order to inform my policy review.

It is my intention to ensure that the penalties available for animal cruelty are a sufficient deterrent and will therefore provide adequate protection for animals. However, until I complete my review I do not wish to pre-empt the outcome of my deliberations.

Animal Cruelty

Mr McKay asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development for her assessment of animal welfare legislation in Germany, where a 3 year prison sentence can be imposed for the killing of a vertebrate as a result of cruelty; and what consideration she has given to the introduction of similar legislation.

(AQW 649/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: Since Questions 648/09 and 649/09 refer to the same subject matter, this response deals with both questions together.

The Department consulted on proposals for new animal welfare legislation in late 2006, including on whether penalties for cruelty offences should be significantly increased.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Mr Elliott asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development how much compensation was paid out to farmers whose cattle tested positive for bovine tuberculosis, in each of the last 5 years.

(AQW 685/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: Compensation paid to farmers with respect to bovine tuberculosis was as follows:-

2003/04 - £15,408,521

2004/05 - £12,586,405

2005/06 - £9,225,891

2006/07 - £7,887,123

2007/08 - £8,547,534

Bio-Security

Mr Elliott asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what guidance her Department has issued to farmers and landowners about bio-security.

(AQW 686/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: My Department believes that the prevention of disease spread in the North is essential to promote a competitive industry, protect public health and safeguard the interests of all.

In 2004 the Department issued a booklet entitled "Biosecurity Code for NI farms", which also included guidance for official visitors and recreational users of farms. This booklet was issued to all livestock keepers and is also available on the DARD website. Copies are also available on request.

In June 2006, as a result of the increased threat of avian influenza, the Department issued biosecurity advice to all registered bird keepers. This is available on the DARD website as well as additional biosecurity guidance for people organising bird shows.

With the increased threat of foot and mouth disease following a reported case in England in August 2007, leaflets on biosecurity were printed for distribution by DARD staff.

In May 2008 all cattle herd owners were sent letters and leaflets with details on measures they could take to protect their herds from brucellosis infection. The leaflets were also sent to Divisional Veterinary Offices to be made available at their counters and to Newry & Mourne District Council, who had made a request for information.

A series of farmers meetings on brucellosis were held in the spring of 2008 at which biosecurity issues were discussed and verbal advice given. Biosecurity has also been on the agenda for the farmers’ liaison groups on brucellosis, which my Department is leading.

The DARD booklet ‘TB In Your Herd’ is available from Divisional Veterinary Offices as well as on the DARD website. The booklet covers various aspects of a TB breakdown including detailed biosecurity advice to reduce the risk of infection in cattle. In the event of a tuberculosis breakdown, herd owners are issued with this booklet.

In the event of any disease outbreak, the keeper is visited and issued with detailed animal and public health advice, which outlines advisory and legislative biosecurity practices, to prevent spread of the disease.

Biosecurity includes the prudent sourcing of stock and associated on-farm quarantine. I, and my Department, have repeatedly stressed this message in relation to bluetongue by regular press releases.

Flood Risk Management Plan

Mr McGlone asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development for an update on the progress of a flood risk management plan for (i) Northern Ireland; and (ii) Belfast; and to detail the climate change science this plan is based upon.

(AQW 689/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: A number of flood risk management plans covering all of the North will be prepared in accordance with the European Union Directive on the assess and management of flood risks, known as the Floods Directive. These plans will be the culmination of a process of assessment, mapping and the setting of management objectives for areas identified at potential significant risk of flooding. The Directive requires completion and publication of flood risk management plans by 22 December 2015.

Work on the assessment of the areas at potential significant risk is already underway. In addition, a flood management study for Belfast which will form part of a catchment based flood risk management plan is about to commence.

The Floods Directive requires climate change to be taken into account which in the North will be based on the latest available research, information and guidance from numerous sources including the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP), the Scottish NI Forum for Environmental Research (SNIFFER), the Community Climate change Consortium for Ireland (C4I), and the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC).

Production of Eggs

Mr Wells asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what proportion of eggs produced originate from (i) battery cages; (ii) barn production systems; and (iii) free range.

(AQW 702/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: The most recent figures held by my Department, from November 2007, would indicate that 81% of eggs produced in the North are from Battery / Intensive systems of production, 18% are from Free Range and 1% are produced in Barn systems.

Price of Beef

Mr Ross asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what action she is taking to decrease the beef price differential between Northern Ireland and other parts of the United Kingdom.

(AQW 734/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: I appreciate the concern of local beef farmers caused by the price differential. The price of beef, both here and in Britain, is a commercial matter and therefore entirely outside my control. However I do believe that I have a role to encourage and facilitate dialogue to increase understanding about the issues. I have therefore met with representatives of the Norths meat exporters and with many of the major retailers to express these concerns and to emphasise the importance of everyone in the supply chain sharing in the profits.

I should point out that EU State Aid Rules place severe constraints on the use of Government funds for promotional activities, therefore DARD cannot provide direct funding for marketing or advertising of beef in the North.

The Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) is responsible for the promotion of red meat in the domestic and export markets. Promotional activities aimed at the domestic market include; a press and television campaign highlighting the importance of red meat as part of a balanced diet; provision of advertising posters for butchers’ shops and promoting Farm Quality Assured beef.

In relation to the export market, the LMC is heavily involved in major international red meat trade shows, such as ANUGA in Germany and SIAL in France.

Clay Lakes

Mr Shannon asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development who currently owns the existing lake sluices at the Shrigley end of the Clay Lakes, Killyleagh.

(AQW 756/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: DARD Rivers Agency is in the process of establishing ownership of the existing sluice gates at the Shrigley end of the Clay Lakes. Work is ongoing with a view to the Agency taking over legal responsibility for control of the sluice gates at the Shrigley end of Clay Lakes from the current private landowners Dunbia.

Environmentally Sensitive Areas Scheme

Mr Bresland asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what role the Environmentally Sensitive Areas scheme will have within the new Countryside Management scheme.

(AQW 768/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) Scheme commenced in 1988 and continues to provide funding for farmers for positive environmental work across 5 areas in the North (Mournes and Slieve Croob, Antrim Coast, Glens and Rathlin, West Fermanagh and Erne Lakeland, Sperrins and Slieve Gullion).

The Scheme closed for applications at the end of 2006. Farmers with a current ESA Scheme agreement will continue to receive funding according to the terms and conditions of their agreement.

The land within the ESA represents some of the most important habitat areas in the region. In recognition of this, the ESA, together with designated sites such as Natura 2000 and Areas of Special Scientific Interest, will be given high priority in the new Countryside Management Scheme.

River Bann Bank Erosion

Mr P J Bradley asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what plans she has to finance the reinstatement of agricultural lands in the Hilltown area that were washed into the River Bann as a result of the floods on 16 and 17 August 2008.

(AQW 780/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: Bank erosion has taken place to the River Bann at various locations. Remedial measures on bank erosion are normally undertaken by Rivers Agency where the erosion presents a threat to flood defences, roads or built property and structures and works are cost beneficial. However, effective works to arrest erosion on designated watercourses are very expensive and can seldom be justified in relation to the benefits gained. Unfortunately bank protection works by Rivers Agency in this area cannot be justified as it would not be cost beneficial. I am very aware of the crop losses suffered by farmers and am currently considering funding options available to me, subject to affordability and business case considerations.

Rural Development Programme

Mr Bresland asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what is the proposed timetable for issuing letters of offer to each of the 7 local action groups bidding to deliver part of the Rural Development Programme.

(AQW 782/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: The letter of offer or contract must issue to the legal entity responsible for the corporate governance of the programme. In this case this will be the Joint Committee. I would hope that we will soon be able to approve the completeness of the strategies and enter into these contracts for the initial allocations of funding. My officials have reported that all areas are working towards the opening of calls and putting in place the required structures to implement the programme as soon as these allocations have been made. To support this work and the work of the Local Action Groups we are looking at the possibility of extending animation contracts to allow the lead councils to set up their administration units so that on approval of initial allocations areas can move quickly to issuing letters of offer.

Assistance for Farmers

Mr Simpson asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what provision has been made for farmers who suffered financial loss as a result of the flooding that occurred in August 2008; and how many applications for assistance have been successful.

(AQW 833/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: There is currently no compensation available or reimbursement scheme for crop or other losses and therefore no applications have been made or been successful.

However, following the severe flooding on 15/16 August I tasked my officials with conducting an assessment of the damage, concentrating on potato and cereal crops in the worst affected river catchment areas of, Moyola, Lagan, Upper Bann, Blackwater, Maine and Sixmilewater. That assessment is now almost complete and an estimate of the cost is in the order of £600,000. I am currently considering funding options available to me, subject to affordability and business case considerations.

MEP Meetings

Mr Ross asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail (i) the meetings she has had with the 3 MEPs over the past 12 months; and (ii) the purpose of these meetings.

(AQW 849/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: Details of meetings with MEPs since September 2007.

Date	MEP meetings	Purpose of meetings
28/02/2008	Tele call with Jim Nicholson MEP and Bairbre de Brún MEP	To update MEPs on my proposals for Bluetongue Import Controls
01/04/2008	Meeting with Jim Nicholson MEPMeeting with Bairbre de Brún MEP	To brief the MEPs on the outcome of the Commissioner Borg meeting on the 01/04/08
02/06/2008	Meeting with Jim Nicholson MEP	Meeting to discuss: Funding for the NI Equine Industry DARD position on Bio Fuels Rising feed prices Animal diseases Rural Development Scheme 2007 - 2013.
23/09/2008	Meeting with Bairbre de Brún MEP	Update given on position with Europe re FNMS, Sheep tagging and CAP Health Check.

I have been pro-active in seeking meetings with all our local MEP’s.

Production of Milk Powder

Mr Savage asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development for her assessment of the standards of quality assurance in relation to the production of milk powder.

(AQW 857/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: My Department is not responsible for monitoring the standards of quality assurance in relation to the production of milk powder. Food hygiene and food standards inspections of milk powder plants are undertaken by Local Authority, Environmental Health Officers who report to the Food Standards Agency NI (The central competent authority for food hygiene and safety)

Independent Panel

Mr Bresland asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail (i) the role; (ii) the membership; and (iii) the appointment process, in relation to the Independent Panel.

(AQW 910/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: (i) The role of the External Panel is to consider representations in relation to DARD’s decision on the awarding or withholding of financial support, taking account of the constraints imposed by the relevant EU and national legislation. After considering a case the Panel members make a written recommendation to me.

(ii) Panels are selected from a pool of 22 people. The Single Farm Payment Stage 2 Panel comprises 2 members, one of whom has a legal background. Panel members are required to declare, prior to considering a case, any conflict of interest, for example if they have a personal interest in a case under consideration or if the applicant is known to them eg a relative, friend or associate. In such a situation the Panel Member is excluded from involvement in that particular case.

(iii) Panel members are appointed by publicly advertised competition. Applications are subject to shortlisting and interviews are subsequently held for those who are shortlisted. Panel members are appointed initially for a three-year period with the possibility of renewal thereafter for a further three year period.

New Entrants Scheme

Mr T Clarke asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to provide (i) the number of applications received for the new entrants scheme; (ii) the breakdown of applications by parliamentary constituency; (iii) what plans she has to hold discussions with the European Commission on possible future funding schemes to encourage young people to enter the agriculture industry.

(AQW 1019/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: There have been 431 applications received for the New Entrants Scheme.
My Department does not record applications received for the New Entrants Scheme by Parliamentary Constituency.
The European Commission, under Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005, has already made provision for granting support to young farmers both in terms of the initial establishment and the structural adjustment of their holdings after the initial set up. This Regulation governs the period up to 2013. You will be aware that my Department’s New Entrants Scheme is currently suspended to new applications as we have reached the stage where the number of applications to the Scheme could fully commit the budget. At this time it is looking unlikely that we will re-open the Scheme. An in-depth assessment of the Scheme has commenced in order to reach an assessment of its impact and cost effectiveness. I will make a decision on the way ahead for the North after I review that evaluation.

In-Vessel Composting

Mr W Clarke asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development if she will carry out research into the composting of agri-green waste and poultry waste, being carried out at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute Environment and Renewable Energy Centre, through the process of in vessel composting.

(AQW 1056/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: The aerobic process of in-vessel composting is not undertaken at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) Hillsborough site.

However, AFBI has recently installed a mesophilic anaerobic slurry digester at its Hillsborough site. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a treatment that composts waste material in the absence of oxygen, producing a biogas that can be used to generate electricity and heat.

The research programme for this digester that is being agreed with and funded by my Department is based around cattle slurry, which constitutes 88% of farm slurry feedstock available within the North. Additionally, the draft research programme includes studying the feasibility of enhancing digester performance by co-digesting cattle slurry with other farm organic materials, e.g. silage, farmyard manure, pig slurry and poultry manure.

It is, however, important to note that planning approval for the AD plant at Hillsborough specifically restricts the AD to use of materials produced on site. As no poultry litter is currently produced on the Hillsborough site, specific approval from planning authorities would be required prior to the commencement of research using poultry waste.

In relation to composting of agri-green waste, AFBI has carried out an extensive programme of Research & Development (R&D) into mushroom composting at its Loughgall and Newforge Lane sites over many years. AFBI Loughgall is equipped with 4 fully computer controlled forced aeration enclosed composting units. AFBI Newforge Lane has the latest analytical technology that allows investigation of decomposition during the composting process. Adjustment of the composting research programme to include non mushroom related materials is being considered by AFBI and the Department.

Fishing Council

Mr W Clarke asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to outline the likely areas of co-operation with the Republic of Ireland in the December meeting of the Fishing Council; and what discussions she has held on this matter with her counterpart in the Republic of Ireland.

(AQW 1060/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: I had the opportunity to meet with Brendan Smith TD last month and I raised fisheries matters with him at that time. We agreed that the Fisheries Council in December would be a difficult negotiation and that issues surrounding the scientific advice on prawns, the outcome of the review of Cod Recovery and the prospects of further TAC cuts and the Commission’s proposals for discard reduction have the potential to impact severely on fishing opportunities for our fleets. I will be having a further meeting with Fisheries Minister, Tony Killeen TD about these issues and others in more detail prior to the December Council.

Rural Development Programme

Mrs McGill asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what plans she has to publicise the new rural development programme.

(AQO 447/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: The Rural Development Programme offers tremendous opportunities for rural communities across the North. I want to ensure that people know what is available and how both funding and support can be accessed.

Officials within my Department’s Rural Development Division, Press Office and OFMDFM’s Government Advertising Unit have been working closely to develop and deliver an integrated communications campaign in support of the Programme. The campaign will raise awareness of the Programme and its benefits, provide details of how and when to apply for funding and encourage applications. It will involve a consistent campaign identity across all advertising and design work, to include a campaign website and a variety of publicity materials including an information pack that can be requested via a bespoke enquiry RDP phone-line. I expect the main advertising element of the campaign to launch early in the New Year.

In the preceding months additional promotional activities will be undertaken at both local and regional levels. District Councils through Local Action Groups will be responsible for ensuring maximum publicity for funding available under Axis 3 of the Programme. In addition, I have recently announced the appointment of a dedicated Rural Network which will also play an important role in publicising the Programme at local level.

Over the lifetime of the Programme my Department will invest over £500m in rural communities. The Rural Development Programme provides a wide range of opportunities for all and will make a significant contribution to the future sustainability of farmers and rural dwellers generally.

EU Fisheries Council

Mr Armstrong asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what preparations have been made for the December EU Fisheries Council.

(AQO 434/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: Following the publication of the scientific advice on Irish Sea stocks I met with the key Commission officials in July to discuss the implications of this advice. Fisheries Administrations have agreed a programme of meetings in the lead-up to the December Council to discuss and develop negotiating priorities. These arrangements include meetings with key stakeholders. I had the opportunity to meet with the representatives of local fishermen on 22 September to discuss my priorities for these negotiations and to hear their views. I intend to meet with them again prior to my attendance at Council in December. I have also had the opportunity to discuss those priorities with my Southern counterpart, Brendan Smith TD when I met with him on 19 September. A further meeting will be held with the Fisheries Minister, Tony Killeen TD prior to Council. I will be briefing the ARD Committee on my approach to this years Council when I meet them tomorrow.

Code of Good Agricultural Practice

Mr Cree asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what steps she has taken to promote the Code of Good Agricultural Practice.

(AQO 441/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: A fully revised Code of Good Agricultural Practice for the Prevention of Pollution of Water, Air and Soil was published at the beginning of September. The latest Code outlines environmental legislative requirements for farmers. It also provides practical advice on management practices designed to reduce any negative impact from agricultural activities on the environment.

My Department hosted an event to launch the revised Code on 3 September. Following this I began a programme of promotion to raise awareness of the Code amongst members of the farming public, industry representatives and non-government organisations. A press release was issued encouraging all farmers to follow the guidelines within the Code. Subsequently, four press articles and two radio interviews on BBC Radio Ulster’s ‘Farm Gate’, have further promoted the Code, including information of how to obtain a copy. The DARD E-newsletter has also carried information about the Code, and copies are available on the RuralNI and DARD websites.

I anticipate that this programme of promotion will continue on an ongoing basis. My Department will release press articles, containing advice from the Code, to coincide with seasonal activities such as silage cutting and slurry spreading to maximize their impact on protecting the environment. DARD will also promote the Code at the Winter Fair in December.

Locally Produced Mushrooms

Mr McClarty asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what steps she has taken to encourage local food retailers to sell locally produced mushrooms.

(AQO 437/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: I have met with the senior management from 5 of the large retailers operating in the North over the past 15 months. During these meetings we have discussed their relationship with producers of all farm products including mushrooms. I have encouraged them to increase the amount of produce that is sourced from the North for both their stores here and further afield. They have expressed to me their desire to source product in the North and to support local communities. They have also stated their willingness to identify new products and to source more produce from here.

In addition, I have recently written to all of the retailers operating in the North to express my concerns about producers having to absorb a disproportionate share of rising costs. I highlighted the pressure that producers are under due to increased production costs, particularly with respect to feedstuffs, fertiliser and fuel, and the need for sustainable farm gate prices.

Neighbourhood Renewal Posts

Ms Ní Chuilín asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to provide details of the neighbourhood renewal posts and services that her Department will fund from March 2009.

(AQO 462/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: Neighbourhood Renewal is a Department for Social Development funded programme, operating in urban areas. The Department of Agriculture and rural Development has no direct involvement in the Programme, and would have no remit to fund posts and services in connection with it.

Assistance for Farmers

Mr Craig asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what assistance her Department has made available to farmers given the losses they have suffered due to the recent heavy rain and flooding.

(AQO 432/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: There is currently no compensation available or reimbursement for crop or other losses. However, following the severe flooding on 15/16 August I tasked my officials with conducting an assessment of the damage, concentrating on potato and cereal crops in the worst affected river catchment areas, Moyola, Lagan, Upper Bann, Blackwater, Maine and Sixmilewater.

That assessment is now almost complete and an initial estimate of the cost is in the order of £600,000. I am currently considering funding options available to me, subject to affordability and business case considerations.

Executive's Brussels Office

Mr Neeson asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what contact she has had with the Executive's Brussels Office in the last month.

(AQO 448/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: Europe is central to the future of the local agricultural, fishing and agri-food industries and I firmly believe that local interests need to be represented. Since I came into office the development of a more direct relationship with Europe has been an important objective of mine. I am working to widen our influence in Brussels and have personally lobbied the European Commission on key local matters.

The Executive’s Brussels office is an important resource that I have used on my many visits to Brussels. The officials in Brussels are working continually to improve our relationship with the EU institutions. My Department has posted a member of staff to the office who is dedicated to agri-food, veterinary, fisheries and rural development issues. Daily contact is made between DARD staff based in the North and the DARD staff member in Brussels. Over the past month, the contacts have included exchanges of information on such issues as the process of the negotiations for the CAP Health Check, state aid regulations in relation to flooding damage, content and outcome of fisheries, veterinary and agriculture meetings, arrangements for September’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council, facilitation of an LFA meeting for officials and the setting up of a telephone discussion between myself and Commissioner Fisher Boel.

I assure the House that I will continue to press Brussels for the best deal I can get for local farmers and fishermen.

Foyle and Carlingford Loughs Agency

Mr P Ramsey asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail the estimated annual cost of operating the catamaran owned by the Foyle and Carlingford Loughs Agency.

(AQO 464/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: Based on the economic appraisal carried out on the procurement of the monitoring vessel, estimated running costs will be in the region of £113,500. The Loughs Agency has not sought any increase in its budgets to cover these running costs.

Local Fishing Boats

Mr Shannon asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what discussions she has had with fishing organisations to ensure that local fishing boats are not prevented from fishing for clams.

(AQO 452/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: My Department has had a number of discussions with local fishermen about fishing opportunities for scallops (clams). Following proposals made by the NI Scallop Association the Department will shortly bring forward legislation which will introduce conservation measures that industry has requested which will contribute to a more sustainable fishery offering better fishing prospects for local fishermen.

Dangerous Dogs Legislation

Mr P Maskey asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to provide an update on the review of dangerous dogs legislation.

(AQO 460/09)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: Since I announced my Review of dangerous dogs and dog fighting legislation, I have met a number of key stakeholders including the PSNI and local Councils. I have also held discussions with a number of animal welfare representatives, including the Kennel Club and the Companion Animal Welfare Committee. Additionally, I have raised issues of mutual concern with my Ministerial counterpart in the South. I have found the discussions to date very constructive and informative and many of the views expressed will be reflected in my findings. Before completing the Review, I also plan to meet the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

My review is therefore ongoing. Once it is complete I will consider a number of policy options, including any requirement for new legislation.

In the meantime, as enforcement of the legislation is crucial to my Review, and as many of the issues raised to date have been about public safety, a Working Group made up of my officials, PSNI and local Councils, continues to meet to consider enforcement issues. The Working Group is drawing up a Memorandum of Understanding which will provide a mechanism for better co-operation in the enforcement of current legislation. Having met the Working Group in September, I am delighted to say that the Memorandum of Understanding is expected to be finalised soon.

CULTURE, ARTS AND LEISURE

Expenditure on Leisure Facilities

Ms Ní Chuilín asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to detail the expenditure on leisure facilities and provision per person, broken down by parliamentary constituency; and how these calculations are made.

(AQW 542/09)

The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure (Mr G Campbell): Details pertaining to the expenditure on leisure facilities and provision per person, broken down by parliamentary constituency are set out below.

The Member should note that although spend may be allocated to a parliamentary constituency; the catchment area of a particular leisure facility may be beyond the constituency’s boundaries, for example the investment in the refurbishment of the Ulster Museum, based in Belfast South, represents investment for Northern Ireland as a whole.

Total expenditure by DCAL and its relevant arms length bodies in 2007/08 on leisure facilities amounted to £97, 060, 273.

ARTS & MUSUEMS*

PARLIAMENTARY CONSTIUENCY	POPULATION PER CONSTITUENCY(2007 MID YEAR ESTIMATE)	CAPITAL SPEND (£)2007/08	REVENUE SPEND (£)2007/08	TOTAL SPEND (£) 2007/08	SPEND PER CAPITA (£) 2007/08
Antrim East	87, 054	0	15, 750	15, 750	0.18
Antrim North	108, 559	0	14, 281	14, 281	0.13
Antrim South	106, 087	0	0	0	0
Belfast East	78, 249	0	1, 150, 000	1, 150, 000	14.70
Belfast North	82, 455	3, 300	78, 250	81, 550	0.99
Belfast South	91, 722	20, 406, 000	4, 694, 047	25, 100, 047	273.65
Belfast West	84, 473	7, 000	388, 486	395, 486	4.68
Fermanagh & South Tyrone	100, 024	0	17, 212	17, 212	0.17
Foyle	108, 535	3, 190, 940	904, 724	4, 095, 664	37.74
Lagan Valley	108, 758	0	25, 417	25, 417	0.23
Londonderry East	91, 243	10, 001	78, 922	88, 923	0.97
Mid Ulster	94, 101	0	30, 000	30, 000	0.32
Newry & Armagh	108, 511	161, 000	1, 283, 000	1, 444, 000	13.31
North Down	88, 934	824, 000	8, 917, 000	9, 741, 000	109.53
South Down	114, 724	0	7, 661	7, 661	0.07
Strangford	101, 841	0	0	0	0
Tyrone West	90, 938	412, 000	1, 489, 500	1, 901, 500	20.91
Upper Bann	112, 850	0	40, 788	40, 788	0.36

*Figures were calculated using the 2007 mid-year estimated population in the parliamentary constituencies.

DCAL is unable to breakdown, by parliamentary constituency; spend on sports, libraries, inland waterways and inland fisheries facilities. Details pertaining to breakdown spend per capita for the whole of Northern Ireland are however set out below.

DIVISION	SPEND (£) 2007/08	SPEND PER CAPITA (£) 2007/08*
Libraries	35, 191, 000	20
Sport (inclusive of Lottery)	13, 595, 868	7.73
Inland waterways Inland Fisheries	4, 124, 126	2.34

* Figures were calculated using the 2007 mid-year estimated population in the whole of Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland population June 2007 mid-year estimate: 1, 759 148).

Fixed Bag Nets

Mr McKay asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure what action he is taking to protect and safeguard people who have the right to fish using fixed bag nets on the North coast.

(AQW 784/09)

The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: The Department of Culture (DCAL), Arts and leisure has a statutory responsibility to conserve and protect wild salmon stocks and research has shown that Atlantic salmon populations are under threat. DCAL also has to comply with EU legislation under the Habitats Directive and other European legislation to conserve and protect this endangered species. The Department has offered the remaining commercial salmon net licence holders on the North Coast compensation for a voluntary cessation of fishing. This has not been accepted and the Department is now consulting with the netsmen on a way forward.

I am aware of the cultural and social factors associated with the commercial salmon industry. I will consider all relevant information before making a final decision regarding the fixed bag nets on the North Coast.

After School Sports Activities

Mr Easton asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure what grants are available from his Department to assist with transport costs for after school sports activities.

(AQW 983/09)

The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: Sport Northern Ireland (SNI) is responsible for the development of sport, including the distribution of funding. One possible source of funding would be the Awards for All programme, under which grants may be available to assist with transport costs for after schools sports activities. Awards for All is a joint Lottery distributor programme supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Sport Northern Ireland and the Big Lottery Fund.

Irish Language Groups

Mr I McCrea asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to detail (i) the Irish language groups that have been funded by his Department; and (ii) the amount of funding provided to Irish language groups in the Mid-Ulster constituency over the last 3 years.

(AQW 994/09)

The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: The only Irish language group funded directly by my Department is Foras na Gaeilge, the Irish language agency, which along with the Ulster-Scots Agency comprises the North/South Language Body.

Foras na Gaeilge provides funding for community based Irish language groups and has identified the following payments to groups in the Mid-Ulster constituency between 2006 and 2008.

Year Details Award

2008	Coiste Forbartha (Maghera) Cairde Uí Néill (Coalisland) & Pobal Speirín (Cookstown)	£66,974 £2,792
2007	Naíscoil Charn Tochair (Maghera)	£2,100
2006		NIL

EDUCATION

After School Sports Events

Mr Easton asked the Minister of Education what grants are available through her Department for after school sports events.

(AQW 340/09)

The Minister of Education (Ms C Ruane):

Tá ráite ag an Roinn Cultúir, Ealaíon agus Fóillíochta go mbíonn Sport NI (SNI) freagrach as spórt a fhorbairt i dtuaisceart na hÉireann lena n-áirítear maoiniú a dháileadh.

The Department of Culture Arts and Leisure have commented that Sport NI (SNI) is responsible for the development of sport in the north of Ireland including the distribution of funding. SNI currently runs two programmes from which funding may be available for after school sports events. These are an Awards for All Programme and a Sport in Our Community Programme. Details of these programmes are available from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.

The Department of Education provides funding of some £10m under the Extended Schools programme, targeted on children and young people who are disadvantaged, marginalised or have the most limited access to current services. Funding can be spent on diverse activities including after schools sports activities. In the first year of the programme, 2006/07, the Education and Library Boards Extended Schools Annual Reports indicated that 66% (322 out of 486) of schools offered additional sporting activities funded by the Extended Schools Programme.

The Boards Extended School Annual Reports for 2007/08 should be available late autumn.

Children and young people can benefit greatly from developing their physical literacy skills and participating in sporting activities. My curriculum sports programme provides additional opportunities to do so for our youngest primary school children, and I welcome the opportunities available to pupils in after school settings.

Educational Facilities

Mr Ross asked the Minister of Education what plans she has to improve educational facilities in the East Antrim constituency.

(AQW 735/09)

The Minister of Education: Tá scéimeanna um mionoibreacha á bpleanáil chun áiseanna a fheabhsú ag na scoileanna seo a leanas sa toghcheantar:

Schemes of minor works are in planning to improve facilities at the following schools in the constituency:

SCHOOL	SCHEME
Acorn Integrated Primary School,Carrickfergus	CCTV and Fire alarm system
Corran Integrated Primary School, Larne	Refurbishment of toilets
St James’Primary School, Newtownabbey	Upgrade of bell system and refurbishment of toilets
St Comgall’s High School , Larne	Replacement fire doors
Larne Grammar School	Air conditioning
Belfast High School	Comfort cooling system in ICT room and replacement hot water cylinder
St MacNissi’s College, Garron Tower	Toilet refurbishment, fire risk assessment work and CCTV

There are a number of proposed schemes for major works for schools in the area which have been identified by the relevant education authority and are the subject of consideration within the department.

Free School Meals

Mr Newton asked the Minister of Education how many pupils were in receipt of free school meals in each (i) primary; and (ii) post-primary school, in the East Belfast constituency, for each of the last 5 years.

(AQW 821/09)

The Minister of Education: Tá an t-eolas a iarradh mionsonraithe sa tábla thíos.

The information requested is detailed in the table below.

Pupils entitled to free school meals in primary schools in the East Belfast constituency – 2003/04 – 2007/08

School name	2003/ 04	2004/ 05	2005/ 06	2006/ 07	2007/ 08
Belmont Primary School	7	7	5	6	8
Euston Street Primary School	96	108	114	131	115
Strand Primary School	59	44	37	65	45
Mersey Street Primary School	68	71	60	N.A.	N.A.
Strandtown Primary School	59	61	47	71	69
Elmgrove Primary School	191	205	184	167	177
Avoniel Primary School	133	105	105	111	112
Beechfield Primary School	71	73	70	84	73
Orangefield Primary School	38	42	43	39	30
Sydenham Infants Primary School	39	35	34	43	36
Greenwood Primary School	7	10	11	8	7
Knocknagoney Primary School	67	64	48	52	57
Dundela Infants School	46	41	49	45	37
St Joseph's Primary School	*	*	*	*	*
St Matthew's Primary School	208	190	199	176	163
Bloomfield Collegiate	0	0	0	0	*
Cabin Hill School	0	0	*	0	*
Strathearn School	0	0	0	0	0
Gilnahirk Primary School	21	24	30	28	37
Cregagh Primary School	47	42	42	54	61
Lisnasharragh Primary School	50	48	45	51	44
Knockbreda Primary School	16	19	19	11	17
Braniel Primary School	35	31	31	35	36
Tullycarnet Primary School	91	80	75	51	45
Lead Hill Primary School	5	6	5	5	5
St Bernard's Primary School	0	*	*	*	8
Loughview Integrated Primary School	28	26	16	20	12

Pupils entitled to free school meals in post primary schools in the East Belfast constituency – 2003/04 – 2007/08

School name	2003/ 04	2004/ 05	2005/ 06	2006/ 07	2007/ 08
Ashfield Girls' High School	144	149	132	132	122
Ashfield Boys' High School	175	161	154	145	129
Orangefield High School	158	142	124	122	122
Grosvenor Gs	41	34	42	46	36
Bloomfield Collegiate	13	14	17	19	15
Campbell College	5	5	6	6	7
Strathearn School	17	19	20	15	12
Lisnasharragh High School	120	111	107	93	36
Knockbreda High School	180	184	166	151	162
Our Lady And St Patrick's College	28	23	23	16	18

Source: Annual school census

"*" denotes fewer than 5 pupils.

Note:

Primary includes nursery, reception and year 1 – 7 classes.
Free school meal entitlement for nursery class pupils measured as those children who have a parent in receipt of Income Support or Job Seeker’s Allowance or who are recorded as entitled to free school meals.

Post-Primary Schools

Mr D Bradley asked the Minister of Education to detail by grade how many pupils transferred to each post-primary school in the (a) Newry and Mourne District Council; and (b) Armagh City and District Council areas.

(AQW 878/09)

The Minister of Education: Tá curtha in iúl ag Bord Oideachais agus Leabharlainne an Deiscirt don Roinn gur mar seo a leanas líon na ndaltaí de réir na ngrád a fuair siad, a d’aistrigh chuig gach iarbhunscoil i limistéir (a) Chomhairle Cheantar an Iúir agus Mhúrn; agus (b) Chomhairle Chathair agus Cheantar Ard Mhacha.

The Southern Education and Library Board have advised that the number of pupils by grade that transferred to each post-primary school in the (a) Newry and Mourne District Council; and (b) Armagh City and District Council areas is as detailed in the tables below.

Newry and Mourn District Council Area

	Pupils Admitted 2008/09
Post Primary School	GradeA	Grade B1	Grade B2	Grade C1	Grade C2	GradeD

Kilkeel High School	0	0	2	2	3	3
Newry High School	1	0	6	1	5	7
Newtownhamilton High School	1	0	0	1	2	8
St Columban's College	0	0	0	6	4	8
St Joseph's Boys' High, Newry	0	0	5	8	6	23
St Joseph's High, Crossmaglen	9	2	7	9	10	25
St Mark's High, Warrenpoint	1	3	5	13	16	56
St Mary's High School, Newry	0	1	4	3	7	32
St Paul's High School, Bessbrook	23	15	15	28	17	53
Christian Bros Abbey Grammar	108	17	3	1	0	0
Our Lady's Grammar School	79	31	8	1	1	0
Sacred Heart Grammar School	113	2	4	2	0	0
St Colman's College	88	16	10	1	0	2
St Louis' Grammar School	45	14	14	4	2	1

(b) Armagh City and District Council Area

	Pupils Admitted 2008/09
Post Primary School	GradeA	Grade B1	Grade B2	Grade C1	Grade C2	GradeD

City of Armagh High School	0	0	0	0	3	7
Markethill High School	2	0	0	3	3	9
Tandragee Junior High	0	0	0	0	1	1
Armagh Integrated College	0	0	0	0	1	0
St Brigid's High School, Armagh	0	0	0	0	0	6
St Catherine's College	14	4	6	7	4	19
St Patrick's High School, Keady	3	5	2	1	1	8
Royal School, Armagh	46	15	15	14	2	2
St Patrick's Grammar, Armagh	32	10	17	18	16	13

Post-Primary Schools

Mr D Bradley asked the Minister of Education how many pupils transferred to each post-primary school without sitting the transfer test, in the (i) Newry and Mourne District Council; and (ii) Armagh City and District Council areas.

(AQW 880/09)

The Minister of Education: Tá curtha in iúl ag Bord Oideachais agus Leabharlainne an Deiscirt don Roinn gur mar seo a leanas líon na ndaltaí a d’aistrigh chuig gach iarbhunscoil i limistéir (a) Chomhairle Ceantair an Iúir agus Mhúrn; agus (b) Chomhairle Chathair agus Cheantar Ard Mhacha gan an scrúdú aistrithe a dhéanamh.

The Southern Education and Library Board have advised the Department that the number of pupils that transferred to each post-primary school without sitting the transfer test, in the (i) Newry and Mourne District Council; and (ii) Armagh City and District Council areas is as detailed in the tables below.

(i) Newry and Mourn District Council Area

Post Primary School	Pupils Admitted that opted out of the transfer test 2008/09
Kilkeel High School	117
Newry High School	58
Newtownhamilton High School	23
St Columban's College	26
St Joseph's Boys' High, Newry	24
St Joseph's High, Crossmaglen	56
St Mark's High, Warrenpoint	56
St Mary's High School, Newry	31
St Paul's High School, Bessbrook	74
Christian Bros Abbey Grammar	0
Our Lady's Grammar School	0
Sacred Heart Grammar School	0
St Colman's College	8*
St Louis' Grammar School	0

(ii) Armagh City and District Council Area

Post Primary School	Pupils Admitted that opted out of the transfer test 2008/09
City of Armagh High School	29
Markethill High School	83
Tandragee Junior High	75
Armagh Integrated College	7
St Brigid's High School, Armagh	28
St Catherine's College	120
St Patrick's High School, Keady	141
Royal School, Armagh	0
St Patrick's Grammar, Armagh	4*

* The Southern Education and Library Board have advised the Department that these pupils were admitted under the special provisions which exist for:

(a) Children whose parents/guardians wish them to transfer to a Grammar School from a school outside the North of Ireland;

(b) Children who have received more than half their education outside the North of Ireland;

(c) Children entered for the transfer tests, who because of unforeseen and serious medical problems, which are supported by medical evidence, were unable to participate in the transfer tests.

Post-Primary Transfer

Mr Durkan asked the Minister of Education when she will circulate a Policy Memorandum to Ministers on the future post-primary transfer arrangements from next year.

(AQW 906/09)

The Minister of Education: Déanfaidh mé cinnte go dtabharfar Meabhrán Beartais ar mo thograí le haghaidh leasú na socruithe um aistriú iarbhunscoile d’Airí roimh an chéad chruinniú eile de chuid Choiste an Fheidhmeannais.

I will arrange for the circulation to Ministers of a Policy Memorandum on my proposals for the reform of post-primary transfer arrangements in advance of the next meeting of the Executive Committee.

Post-Primary Schools

Mr Easton asked the Minister of Education what post-primary schools in the North Down constituency cater for special needs children.

(AQW 933/09)

The Minister of Education: Since the introduction of the Special Educational Needs and Disability (NI) Order (SENDO) in September 2005, all mainstream schools have the potential to cater for most pupils with SEN. Special schools continue to play a vital role in supporting pupils with significant and complex needs, in accordance with parental wishes and the professional advice given.

Is iad na hiarbhunscoileanna seo a leanas i dtoghcheantar Dhún Thuaidh a dhéanann freastal ar pháistí a bhfuil riachtanais speisialta oideachais acu:-

The following post-primary schools in the North Down constituency currently cater for children with special educational needs:-

School	SEN stage 1 - 5 pupils
Donaghadee High School	129
Bangor Academy	174
St Columbanus' College	96
Priory College	98
Glenlola Collegiate	13
Bangor Grammar school	29
Sullivan Upper School	26
Clifton Special School	56
Lakewood Special School	11

Source: School Census 2007/08

Note:

1. Figures for Special schools relate to children of post-primary school age.

Educational Facilities

Mr Weir asked the Minister of Education what plans she has to improve educational facilities in the North Down constituency.

(AQW 934/09)

The Minister of Education: Tá scéimeanna faofa móroibreacha agus mionoibreacha ann chun áiseanna a fheabhsú ag na scoileanna seo a leanas:

There are approved schemes of major and minor works to improve facilities at the following schools:

School	Current position
Major Capital Works Schemes:
Bangor Grammar School	In planning
Holywood/Redburn Primary School	In planning
Priory College	In planning
St Columbanus’ College	In planning
Towerview PS	Project underway
Minor Capital Works Schemes:
St Patrick’s Primary School, Holywood - Replacement Windows	In planning
Bangor Grammar School -
Essential Home Economics accommodation	In planning

Post-Primary Schools

Mr Weir asked the Minister of Education what proportion of pupils left post-primary education with no qualifications in each of the last 5 years; and how do these figures compare with those for (i) England; (ii) Scotland; and (iii) Wales.

(AQW 940/09)

The Minister of Education: Féach an tábla thíos. Ba chóir bheith faichilleach faoi aon chomparáidí mar go mbíonn modheolaíochtaí éagsúla ann sna réigiúin.

Please see the table below. Any comparisons should be viewed with caution as methodologies differ between Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales.

Percentage of school leavers achieving no formal qualifications 2001/02 to 2006/07 in England, Scotland, north of Ireland and Wales.

	North of Ireland	England	Scotland	Wales
2006/07	3.0	2.7	4.1	2.0
2005/06	3.2	3.3	4.0	2.6
2004/05	3.5	3.6⁽²⁾	4.3	2.7
2003/04	4.9	5.3	4.0	2.8
2002/03	N/A⁽¹⁾	5.2	4.7	2.8
2001/02	5.2	5.4	4.6	3.0

1. Due to technical problems in schools no North of Ireland data for the 2002/03 academic year are available.

2. Results from 2004/05 onwards incorporate GCSEs, GNVQs and a wide range of other qualifications approved pre-16. Prior to 2005 results are based on GCSEs and GNVQs only.

Slemish College

Mr McKay asked the Minister of Education to provide an update on her consideration of replacing temporary buildings at Slemish College with a permanent building.

(AQW 1004/09)

The Minister of Education: Ní dhearna Slemish College teagmháil oifigiúil leis an Roinn maidir le foirgneamh buan a thógáil in áit na bhfoirgneamh sealadach.

Slemish College has not formally approached the Department about replacing temporary buildings with a permanent building. The College is currently engaging with the Department with regard to repairs to the roof and metal substructure of some temporary classrooms and the provision of a sports hall.

Unauthorised Absence

Mr Storey asked the Minister of Education (i) how many incidences of unauthorised absence were recorded in each Education and Library Board area in each of the last 4 years; and (ii) what advice was provided by her Department to schools for dealing with persistent cases.

(AQW 1025/09)

The Minister of Education: The Department does not currently hold the information sought.

Since September 2006, a new standardised system of recording absences has been used in schools, following an update of the attendance module of the Classroom 2000 (C2K) system. This enables schools to record pupils’ absences, the reasons for the absence and whether the absence is authorised or unauthorised.

The Department had planned to collect this new data with the annual school census in October 2007. However additional software is required to facilitate the transfer of detailed, yet anonymised, attendance data to the Department for analysis. This software has been commissioned and the intention is to collect data for the 2006/07 and 2007/08 school years during the census in October 2008.

A separate exercise took place earlier this year to collect detailed attendance data from all post-primary schools and this data was published on the Department’s website (www.deni.gov.uk/index/32-statisticsandresearch_pg/32-statistics_and_research_statistics_on_education_pg/32_statistics_and_research_-_statistics_on_education-pupil_attendance.htm).

This information and the data from both primary and post-primary schools that will be collected this month will be used to inform the setting of targets on pupil attendance. Once targets have been developed, the Department will issue guidance to schools on how best to promote regular attendance and on approaches to early and effective intervention.

Faigheann an Roinn eolas ó na boird oideachais agus leabharlainne faoi dhaltaí a mbíonn buarthaí ann fúthu toisc go mbíonn fadhb acu le freastal. Cruinnítear an t-eolas seo ag deireadh gach scoilbhliana agus foilsítear ar láithreán gréasáin na Roinne é.

The Department does collect information from the education and library boards about pupils referred due to concerns around non-attendance. This information is collected at the end of each school year and is published on the Department’s website (www.deni.gov.uk/index/21-pupils_parents-pg/pupils_parents-suspensions_and_expulsions_pg.htm). The Education and Welfare Service will receive a referral from a school when a pupil’s attendance pattern causes concern and each referral will be dealt with according to the individual circumstances.

School Pupils

Mr McNarry asked the Minister of Education how many pupils (i) there are in each constituency; and (ii) travel to schools outside the constituency where they live.

(AQW 1027/09)

The Minister of Education: Tá an freagra le fáil sna táblaí thíos.

The answer is contained in the tables below.

Primary school pupils by constituency of residence and the number of pupils who attend schools outside their constituency of residence – 2007/08

Constituency	No. of pupils resident	No. of pupils who attend schools outside the constituency they reside in
HOME POSTCODE NOT KNOWN/PROVIDED	748	NA
BELFAST EAST	5,893	706
BELFAST NORTH	7,082	480
BELFAST SOUTH	6,425	862
BELFAST WEST	8,243	975
EAST ANTRIM	7,656	825
EAST DERRY	8,138	509
FERMANAGH AND SOUTH TYRONE	9,097	692
FOYLE	11,346	58
LAGAN VALLEY	10,106	1,749
MID ULSTER	9,297	318
NEWRY AND ARMAGH	10,958	642
NORTH ANTRIM	9,966	479
NORTH DOWN	6,713	376
SOUTH ANTRIM	9,741	1,050
SOUTH DOWN	11,061	920
STRANGFORD	8,722	1,252
UPPER BANN	10,656	613
WEST TYRONE	9,091	148
TOTAL	166,639	12,654

Post primary school pupils by constituency of residence and the number of pupils who attend schools outside their constituency of residence – 2007/08

Constituency	No. of pupils resident	No. of pupils who attend schools outside the constituency they reside in
HOME POSTCODE NOT KNOWN/PROVIDED	2,113	NA
BELFAST EAST	5,314	2,168
BELFAST NORTH	6,714	1,420
BELFAST SOUTH	5,820	2,265
BELFAST WEST	8,410	1,680
EAST ANTRIM	7,077	1,527
EAST DERRY	7,303	1,257
FERMANAGH AND SOUTH TYRONE	8,425	570
FOYLE	10,652	403
LAGAN VALLEY	8,831	3,882
MID ULSTER	8,726	1,537
NEWRY AND ARMAGH	9,781	1,425
NORTH ANTRIM	8,461	1,087
NORTH DOWN	6,222	1,690
SOUTH ANTRIM	8,434	3,697
SOUTH DOWN	10,351	2,288
STRANGFORD	7,909	4,089
UPPER BANN	9,218	1,322
WEST TYRONE	8,181	725
TOTAL	147,942	33,032

Special school pupils by constituency of residence and the number of pupils who attend schools outside their constituency of residence – 2007/08

Constituency	No. of pupils resident	No. of pupils who attend schools outside the constituency they reside in
HOME POSTCODE NOT KNOWN/PROVIDED	160	NA
BELFAST EAST	231	199
BELFAST NORTH	380	337
BELFAST SOUTH	215	88
BELFAST WEST	501	370
EAST ANTRIM	236	61
EAST DERRY	184	26
FERMANAGH AND SOUTH TYRONE	194	7
FOYLE	272	14
LAGAN VALLEY	389	72
MID ULSTER	123	63
NEWRY AND ARMAGH	154	31
NORTH ANTRIM	253	76
NORTH DOWN	242	162
SOUTH ANTRIM	259	175
SOUTH DOWN	183	120
STRANGFORD	286	91
UPPER BANN	141	47
WEST TYRONE	208	27
TOTAL	4,611	1,966

Source: Annual school census 2007/08

Note:

Primary includes nursery, reception and year 1 – 7 classes
Home postcode details are not available for some pupils.

Bangor Academy and St Columbanus College

Mr B Wilson asked the Minister of Education if she will increase the enrolment figures for Bangor Academy and St Columbanus College, to prevent a recurrence of the inability of secondary schools in Bangor to provide places for all year 8 pupils.

(AQW 1029/09)

The Minister of Education: Níl ganntanas áiteanna scoile ann do phaistí i gceantar Dhún Thuaidh taobh istigh d’achar réasúnach taistil óna mbailte. Socraítear líonta iontrálacha agus rollaithe Bangor Academy agus St Columbanus College de réir na cóiríochta atá ar fáil sna scoileanna.

There is no shortage of school places for children in the North Down area within a reasonable travelling distance of their homes. The admissions and enrolment numbers of Bangor Academy and St Columbanus College are set in accordance with the accommodation available at the schools. There are no plans to increase the admissions and enrolment numbers of Bangor Academy. St Columbanus College has a capital scheme in development for a new school in the future but there are no plans to increase its numbers based on its present accommodation.

The Department is always willing to consider requests from schools for temporary variations to their admissions and enrolment numbers. However when considering such requests, the Department must take account of the availability of alternative school places in order to maintain a viable schools’ estate.

Charge Levied by Hochtief

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of Education to detail the charge levied by Hochtief for (i) cleaning up a lemonade spill; and (ii) replacement of an internal ceiling tile at Bangor Academy/ Nendrum College.

(AQW 1043/09)

The Minister of Education: Tá curtha in iúl ag Príomhfheidhmeannach Bhord Oideachais agus Leabharlainne an Oirdheiscirt go bhfuil glanadh frithghníomhach ar cheann de na seirbhísí a sholáthraítear faoin chonradh agus mar sin de, ní bhíonn aon táille ar iarratais aonair glanta.

The Chief Executive of the South Eastern Education and Library Board has advised that reactive cleaning is one of the services that is provided under the contract and there is, therefore, no charge applied to individual cleaning requests. Similarly, the replacement of a ceiling tile comes under the heading of building maintenance, which is provided under the contract, and there is, therefore no charge for this work.

Dalriada Sure Start Programme

Mr McKay asked the Minister of Education what plans she has to provide funding to the Dalriada Sure Start programme to extend it to include the Glens of Antrim.

(AQW 1061/09)

The Minister of Education: Is é an beartas reatha atá ag an Roinn Oideachais ná Sure Start a chothú in 20% de na ceantair barda is díothaí i dtuaisceart na hÉireann, mar a rangaítear iad de réir Scór Tomhais Díthe Ilchineálaí.

The current policy of the Department of Education is to maintain Sure Start coverage of the 20% most deprived ward areas in the North of Ireland, as ranked by the Multiple Deprivation Measure Score. As the Glens of Antrim fall outside the catchment areas there are no plans to increase funding to Dalriada Sure Start for it to extend and include the Glens of Antrim.

School Amalgamations

Mr Gardiner asked the Minister of Education what proposals for school amalgamations she is (i) involved in; and (ii) aware of.

(AQW 1072/09)

The Minister of Education: School amalgamation proposals emanate from the relevant education authorities and the Department is not involved in formulating such proposals. Proposals for amalgamations require the support of a published development proposal. This is a statutory process which facilitates public consultation and includes a two-month period during which comment or objection may be offered to the Department. I will reach a decision on a development proposal as soon as possible after that period.

Tá dhá mholadh foilsithe cónasctha á mbreathnú ag an Roinn faoi láthair, mar atá:

There are currently two published amalgamation proposals with the Department which are:

School	Proposal
St Comgall’s College, Larne, St Aloysius High School, Cushendall and St MacNissi’s College, Garron Tower	Amalgamation of the 3 schools on the Garron Tower site.
Augher, Clogher and Carntall Primary Schools	Amalgamation of the 3 schools in a new school on a new site.

Threshold Payment Scheme

Mr Shannon asked the Minister of Education why musical instrument tutors employed by the South Eastern Education and Library Board have not been able to access the Threshold Payment scheme; and what plans she has to extend this to musical instrument tutors.

(AQW 1121/09)

The Minister of Education: Dhíreoinn aird an Chomhalta ar an fhreagra a thug mé do Simon Hamilton MLA, an Comhalta do thoghcheantar Loch Cuan, ar AQW 659/09 a foilsíodh sa Tuairisc Oifigiúil ar 3 Deireadh Fómhair 2008.

I would refer the Member to the reply I gave Simon Hamilton MLA, the Member for Strangford, to AQW 659/09 published in the Official Report on 3 October 2008.

EMPLOYMENT AND LEARNING

Educational Groups

Mr Easton asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what educational groups are funded by his Department in the North Down area.

(AQW 660/09)

The Minister for Employment and Learning (Sir Reg Empey): My Department funds one educational group in the North Down area, Conservation Volunteers NI. The funding is made available under the European Social Fund programme.

In addition, the following groups and organisations have contracts with the Department to deliver Training for Success and ApprenticeshipsNI in the North Down area:

A4E
Belfast Central Training
Belfast College of Training
Conservation Volunteers NI
CAFRE Rural Enterprise Team
CRAFT Training
Dairy Farm
Electrical Training Trust
Engineering Training Services
Food and Drink Training Council
Hair Academy/Jennymount
National Federation of Roofing Contractors
NIE
North Down Training Ltd. & Datalink Reprographics
Oriel Training Services
Opportunity Youth
Paragon Training
People 1st
Plumbing and Mechanical Services Training
Protocol Skills
RT Resources
Rutledge Joblink
Seven Towers Training
TTE Training
Transport Training Services
VT Training

Neighbourhood Renewal Posts

Ms Ní Chuilín asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what Neighbourhood Renewal posts and services his Department will fund from March 2009.

(AQW 710/09)

The Minister for Employment and Learning: My Department does not core fund posts. It does, however, deliver a range of programmes related to employment and skills which aim to address disadvantage and are targeted at the needs of individuals, many of whom live in Neighbourhood Renewal areas. These include ApprenticeshipsNI and Training for Success, the Local Employment Intermediary Service (LEMIS) and the new Steps to Work provision. FE Colleges across Northern Ireland are also in the process of contracting for the delivery of learner mentoring and support under the auspices of the new Learner Access and Engagement provision. Organisations which are currently funded through Neighbourhood Renewal monies therefore have the opportunity to bid for a variety of contract opportunities for the delivery of services as and when they arise.

Southern Regional College

Mr Easton asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what the budget is for the Southern Regional College this financial year.

(AQW 723/09)

The Minister for Employment and Learning: The Further Education College allocations are made on an academic year basis, and for the 2008/09 academic year the Southern Regional College will receive £24,770,900 through their main recurrent block grant allocation. Additionally, almost £12million is made available in-year sector wide, for specific purposes which are allocated through demand led ear marked funds, and as such cannot be disaggregated to college level at this stage in the academic year.

Belfast Regional College

Mr Easton asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what the budget is for the Belfast Regional College this financial year.

(AQW 724/09)

The Minister for Employment and Learning: The Further Education College allocations are made on an academic year basis, and for the 2008/09 academic year the Belfast Metropolitan College will receive £34,561,800 through their main recurrent block grant allocation. Additionally, almost £12million is made available in-year sector wide, for specific purposes which are allocated through demand led ear marked funds, and as such cannot be disaggregated to college level at this stage in the academic year.

South Eastern Regional College

Mr Easton asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what the budget is for the South Eastern Regional College this financial year.

(AQW 725/09)

The Minister for Employment and Learning: The Further Education College allocations are made on an academic year basis, and for the 2008/09 academic year the South Eastern Regional College will receive £21,756,000 through their main recurrent block grant allocation. Additionally, almost £12million is made available in-year sector wide, for specific purposes which are allocated through demand led ear marked funds, and as such cannot be disaggregated to college level at this stage in the academic year.

South Eastern Regional College

Mr Easton asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what education groups the South Eastern Regional College funds in the North Down Area.

(AQW 726/09)

The Minister for Employment and Learning: The South Eastern Regional College does not fund any education groups in the North Down area.

Irish Medium Colleges

Mr Easton asked the Minister for Employment and Learning the number of Irish medium colleges.

(AQW 816/09)

The Minister for Employment and Learning: There are no colleges which deliver their provision solely through the medium of Irish. St Mary’s University College does, however, provide a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) to train aspiring teachers who wish to teach through the medium of Irish.

St Mary's University College

Mr Easton asked the Minister for Employment and Learning the budget for St Mary's University College in each of the last 3 years.

(AQW 818/09)

The Minister for Employment and Learning: Details of grants allocated by my Department to St Mary’s University College in each of the last 3 academic years are shown in the attached table. Prior to 2008/09 recurrent grant was allocated as a block funding amount, based on the previous year’s allocation, and did not take account of the number of students enrolled at the college.

A new funding methodology has been introduced from academic year 2008/09 which takes account of actual student numbers.

Funding allocated to St Mary’s University College

Academic Years 2006/07 – 2008/09

	2006/07 £	2007/08 ⁽¹⁾ £	2008/09 £
Recurrent grant	5,077,493	5,077,493	5,210,358
Widening Participation for students from disadvantaged backgrounds	62,442	62,442	65,923
Widening Access for students with disabilities	10,000	10,000	10,000
Diversity and Mutual Understanding (DMU)	30,000	30,000	30,000
International Awareness	40,000	40,000	40,000
Irish Medium Education (IME)	100,000	145,226	194,334
Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLS)	66,520	47,154	48,000
Capital Equipment	50,000	50,000	50,000
Total Allocations	£5,436,455	£5,462,315	£5,648,615
Conversion Funding			£50,000
Development of Strategic Options			£30,000
			£5,728,615

Notes on the allocations

⁽¹⁾ Pending the introduction of a new funding model, and in light of declining student numbers, funding for both university colleges in academic year 2007/08 was held at 2006/07 levels except for the separate initiative funded elements of IME and CETLS.

North West Regional College

Ms Anderson asked the Minister for Employment and Learning (i) if he is aware of student numbers on some part-time courses offered by the North West Regional College being reduced to a limit of 25 people; (ii) his assessment of the impact of this on the number of people in the North West who are able to access third-level education; and (iii) if the Department has been informed of any reason why this limit may have been imposed.

(AQW 870/09)

The Minister for Employment and Learning: North West Regional College (NWRC) has advised me that there has been no reduction of places on part-time courses. However, to comply with health and safety requirements, classes which have an element of practical tuition continue to operate a ceiling on the number of enrolments.

Where a course is over-subscribed, subject to sufficient demand, a further class will be created or, alternatively, provision on a comparable course within the College will be offered.

Steps to Work Programme

Mr Attwood asked the Minister for Employment and Learning if any organisations that were awarded contracts under the tender process for Steps to Work, were granted time extensions to comply with tender/contract requirements in the period up to and after 28 September 2008; if TWL have been granted any extension beyond 28 September 2008 in relation to its tender/contract obligations; and if TWL (i) was open for business; (ii) were able to accept Steps to Work referrals; and (iii) had staff in place in operational premises on 28 September 2008.

(AQW 1171/09)

The Minister for Employment and Learning: Contracts for the Steps to Work Programme were awarded on 17^th September 2008. No organisations were granted time extensions to the required timescales.

TWL was open for business, were able to accept Steps to Work referrals and had staff in place in operational premises on 29^th September 2008, the date on which Steps to Work commenced.

ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND INVESTMENT

GAA Games

Mr McKay asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what plans she has to feature significant GAA games on the Northern Ireland Tourist Board's consumer website.

(AQW 655/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (Mrs A Foster): The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) features events and sporting activities on its website:

when it is notified of these;
when these are relevant to tourists and NITB’s corporate plans and objectives; and
when these are of national and international prominence.

NITB retains full editorial control of its website and the information uploaded to it.

Cruise Ships Visiting Northern Ireland

Mr Spratt asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment how many cruise ships have visited Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

(AQW 775/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: The number of cruise ships which have visited Northern Ireland in the last 5 years is as follows:

Year:	Belfast:	Londonderry:	Total:
2004	13	7	20
2005	18	3	21
2006	23	2	25
2007	31	8	39
2008*	39	2	41
Totals:	124	22	146

* By the end of November 2008

It is estimated that 42 cruise ships will be coming to Belfast in 2009.

Merger of HBOS and Lloyds TSB

Mr Burns asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what steps she intends to take to safeguard jobs at HBOS following the takeover by Lloyds TSB.

(AQW 809/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: HBOS was one of the first major financial institutions to invest in Northern Ireland and its presence here continues to be of significant strategic importance to our economy. The First Minister and deputy First Minister have written to Mr Eric Daniels, Group Chief Executive of Lloyds TSB, stressing the importance of the HBOS investment to the Northern Ireland economy and outlining the Northern Ireland proposition for further investment.

I plan to write to Mr Andy Hornby, Chief Executive HBOS Plc, again stressing the importance of the HBOS investment here and requesting a meeting to discuss any implication this proposed acquisition may have for Northern Ireland and how Northern Ireland may contribute positively to their future plans.

In addition, Invest NI continues to work closely with senior management in HBOS to develop its contacts within both Lloyds TSB and HBOS to ensure all parties are aware of the importance of HBOS’s continued presence here and the opportunities for further investment in Northern Ireland.

It should be noted that the proposed acquisition is still in the very early stages and it is not expected to be completed until the end of February 2009. However, I can assure you that I, together with Invest NI, will continue to work proactively to secure the best possible outcome for Northern Ireland.

Invest NI

Ms Anderson asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment how much public money has been invested by Invest NI in Perfecseal; and what measures are in place to safeguard the public investment made in this company’s operations in the North West.

(AQW 855/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: Invest NI has offered a total of £5.35 million financial assistance to Perfecseal. Most of this assistance (£5.3 million) relates to an offer made in December 2005 in respect of Perfecseal’s planned new premises. The remainder relates to two small offers for consultancy support in relation to training and costs for a Business Improvement Agent.

The December 2005 Financial Assistance Agreement included a number of conditions to facilitate Invest NI’s monitoring of the project. The company agreed to furnish Invest NI with quarterly management accounts and signed year end accounts within specified timescales. The Financial Assistance Agreement also required that the company submit to Invest NI a quarterly report providing information on areas such as sales growth, job creation, capital expenditure and an update on progress towards relocation to the new factory at Campsie Industrial Estate. Invest NI completes financial and project monitoring reports for this project in line with

Invest NI monitoring guidelines. The relocation project was successfully completed as Perfecseal relocated to a new, purpose built facility at Campsie in mid 2007. In addition to the information submitted by Perfecseal, Invest NI has held regular meetings with the company to ensure that Invest NI is fully aware of current business activities, future plans and business issues.

Invest NI considers Perfecseal to be of strategic importance to both the Life Sciences sector and the North West. The Managing Director (Clients Group and Entrepreneurship, Invest NI) met senior management of Perfecseal on 23rd June 2008 and offered to travel to the US to meet with senior management of Perfecseal’s parent company if such a meeting would be helpful in attracting further investment to Perfecseal in Northern Ireland. At a meeting on 12th September 2008, senior officials from Invest NI and I, again offered to meet with Perfecseal’s senior management and that of its parent company in order to promote Northern Ireland as an investment location.

Invest NI remains in close contact with Perfecseal and is working to secure any further potential Perfecseal investment at Campsie. Recent discussions have included considering options to support research and development and training projects in addition to any potential financial assistance for capital expenditure/ growth in employment.

Invest NI

Ms Anderson asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment how many meetings Invest NI has had with Perfecseal during the last 12 months; and what action it is taking, in conjunction with the company (i) to secure existing employment; and (ii) to facilitate new investment and employment at its existing plant.

(AQW 856/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: Invest NI has met with Perfecseal on 9 occasions, in total, over the last 12 months. This includes two meetings organised by my office, which I attended and one meeting attended by the Permanent Secretary, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.

Invest NI offered Perfecseal £5.3 million of financial assistance in December 2005 which helped to secure existing jobs and to assist the creation of new jobs. This £18 million project saw the relocation of Perfecseal from Springtown Industrial Estate to a new, purpose built 120,000 sq ft factory at Campsie Industrial Estate, Londonderry, in mid 2007. Current employment at Perfecseal, Londonderry is approximately 277.

Over the last year Invest NI has provided advice to Perfecseal in respect of expansion into new export markets. The company also participated in the Invest NI sectoral trade mission to MEDICA (a medical device trade fair, held in Germany) in November 2007. Invest NI remains in close contact with Perfecseal and is working to secure any further potential Perfecseal investment at Campsie. Recent discussions have included considering options to support research and development and training projects in addition to any potential financial assistance for capital expenditure/ growth in employment.

Invest NI considers Perfecseal to be of strategic importance to both the Life Sciences Sector and the North West. Ian Murphy, Managing Director, Clients Group and Entrepreneurship, Invest NI, met senior management of Perfecseal on 23^rd June

2008 and offered to travel to the US to meet with senior management of Perfecseal’s parent company to help attract further investment to Northern Ireland. At a later meeting which I attended, senior officials from Invest NI and I, again offered to meet with Perfecseal’s senior management and that of its parent company in order to promote Northern Ireland as an investment location.

Unemployment in Carrickfergus

Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for her assessment of the current level of unemployment in the Carrickfergus area.

(AQW 873/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: At August 2008 there were 520 Claimant Count Unemployed persons in Carrickfergus District Council area, 374 males and 146 females. This corresponds to 2.1% of persons of working age, compared to 2.7% in Northern Ireland as a whole. Carrickfergus had the equal ninth lowest rate of all the 26 District Council areas.

Neighbourhood Renewal Posts

Ms Ní Chuilín asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to provide details of the neighbourhood renewal posts and services that her Department will fund from March 2009.

(AQW 885/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: My Department will not be funding any Neighbourhood Renewal posts from March 2009.

In terms of specific services support, an element within the new Small Business Support Programme is targeted at Neighbourhood Renewal areas.

This programme is currently at tender stage with annual resource estimates to the specific Neighbourhood Renewal element of £700,000.

NACCO

Mr Gardiner asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what steps she will take to secure the 93 jobs under threat in the NACCO plant in Craigavon.

(AQW 893/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: Invest NI is in regular contact with NACCO management at their Craigavon plant.

The potential 93 job losses at the factory have been triggered by a reported significant downturn in the market for forklift trucks. NACCO management has reviewed production requirements on that basis.

Invest NI provided selective financial assistance towards two major manufacturing projects in 2003 and 2004 and these projects are still active.

Invest NI continues to work closely with NACCO to maintain the Craigavon plant’s position as a competitive manufacturing unit, and to encourage new investment in Northern Ireland by the NACCO group.

Electricity Price Rises

Mr P Ramsey asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment whether the Department has made an assessment of the lifetime cost difference between electricity produced by wind and the average cost of electricity produced by fossil fuels, given the recently announced electricity price rises.

(AQW 945/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: Neither the Department nor the Utility Regulator has carried out a detailed consideration of the lifetime cost of electricity produced by fossil fuels compared to electricity produced from wind. While some comparative costs were calculated within the Grid Study completed in late 2007, these would require updating in light of the recent significant increases in fossil fuel costs, and would not be considered suitable as a basis for comparison without substantial further analysis.

Renewable Energy

Mr P Ramsey asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, in relation to the all-island Single Electricity Market, how many megawatt hours of renewable energy have been traded from (i) Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland; and (ii) the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland, over the last year; and what is the expected number to be traded between north and south from now until 2012.

(AQW 947/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: It is not possible to differentiate between the types of electricity transmitted along the interconnector at any one time, and therefore not possible to identify the volumes of renewable energy transmitted between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and vice versa.

In any event, since the Single Electricity Market (SEM) was established on 1 November 2007, the electricity interconnector between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is considered as an integral part of the electricity grid network on the island. In effect, wholesale electricity is no longer traded between North and South, as generated electricity produced from both conventional and renewable generation is traded within the SEM trading pool.

Renewable Energy

Mr P Ramsey asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (i) to give the year on year target for the percentage of electricity to be produced by renewable energy between now and 2012; and (ii) what is the current proportion of energy produced by renewables.

(AQW 948/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: Northern Ireland’s renewable energy target is that, by 2012, 12% of electricity consumption will come from indigenous renewable energy sources and, of that renewable element, at least 15% will be from non-wind sources. There are no formal interim targets although DETI’s current Operating Plan does include a milestone of 7% to be met by 31 March 2009 against the 12% target. Currently, renewables generation is providing around 6% of our electricity consumption.

Renewable Energy

Mr P Ramsey asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to detail the energy targets apportioned to Northern Ireland following the meeting of the EU Energy Council in spring 2007; and given that the burden of renewable energy will not be borne equally by the various consumption sectors, what percentage of electricity will need to be produced by renewable sources in order to meet the overall 2020 targets.

(AQW 949/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: The EU Energy Council meeting in Spring 2007 set a 20% target for the proportion of total energy within the EU that is to be met from renewable energy sources by 2020. Total energy includes heating and transport fuels as well as electricity. The draft EU Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources sets the UK target at 15% and the UK Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform recently completed a consultation on how the UK, including Northern Ireland, as an EU Member State is to achieve this target. Given the low levels of renewables penetration in heating and transport fuels, the UK Government has suggested that the UK scenario for meeting the 15% target might be around 14% in heat, 10% in transport and 32% in electricity. No targets have been apportioned to Northern Ireland but I intend to set a target within the context of the overall UK national action plan and a revised Strategic Energy Framework for Northern Ireland, once the Directive has been finalised.

European Social Fund

Mr Butler asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what steps she has taken to ensure that projects that have sought match funding from her Department, or its agencies under the European Social Fund, will be informed of the outcome of any requests for funding at the earliest opportunity.

(AQW 950/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: I can confirm that projects that have sought match funding from my Department, or its agencies under the European Social Fund, have been informed of the outcome of any requests for funding at the earliest opportunity.

New Approved Complaints Scheme

Mr Butler asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to provide details of (i) the number of estate agents; (ii) how many have joined the new approved complaints scheme; and (iii) what plans the Minister has to ensure that all estate agents have joined the scheme when it comes into force on 1 October 2008.

(AQW 951/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: The premises data base of the Trading Standards Service (TSS) currently has a record of 603 estate agency branches in Northern Ireland.
There are two approved redress schemes in the UK established by The Estate Agents (Redress Scheme) Order 2008. These are the Ombudsman for Estate Agents and the Surveyors Ombudsman Scheme. I am advised by the administrators of the Estate Agents Ombudsman Scheme that 132 Northern Ireland Estate Agency branches had signed up by 2 October 2008. The administrators of the Surveyors Ombudsman Scheme were unable to supply numbers of Northern Ireland Branches that had signed up with them on that date.
To help improve awareness of the new law my officials in TSS wrote to all 603 estate agent businesses practising in Northern Ireland on 18 September 2008 advising them of their new obligations under the Estate Agents (Redress Scheme) Order 2008, giving them the contact details of the relevant schemes and informing them of the legal and financial consequences of non-compliance.

On 24 September my Department issued a press release covering the key aspects of the new law and followed this up with a number of newspaper and broadcast media interviews.

My Department, in liaison with the two Redress Scheme administrators, plans to monitor the level of compliance within Northern Ireland and to identify those businesses which have not joined a redress scheme for appropriate follow-up action. This could include the issue of £1,000 penalty charge notices or, ultimately, a banning order by the Office of Fair Trading, for businesses which refuse to comply.

Economic Research Institute of Northern Ireland

Ms Anderson asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, pursuant to her answer to AQW 6561/08, when the Economic Research Institute of Northern Ireland research project will be completed; and (i) how; and (ii) when, it will be made available to the public.

(AQW 967/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: The Economic Research Institute of Northern Ireland is currently working on this project, and as indicated in the answer to AQW 6561/08, expect to have this work completed by the end of 2008. Invest NI intends to present this information within its next Performance Information Report, which is planned for publication before the end of March 2009.

Invest NI

Ms Anderson asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, pursuant to the answer to AQW 166/08, to detail (i) each item of expense; (ii) the cost of each item; and (iii) the number and identity of officials who submitted expense claims on 25 and 26 November 2006, in relation to Invest NI activity in Shanghai.

(AQW 969/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: The total expenditure reported in answer to AQW 166/08 in respect of the visit to Asia in November 2006 was £22,005. The visit included Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo. The Shanghai expenditure totalled £20,668, and is broken down as follows:

Air Fares** £18,490

Other travel £ 132

Internet and telephone costs £ 135

Hotel accommodation £ 1,620

Meal allowances £ 131

Trade mission dinner/Lunch etc £ 160

£20,668

** Please note that this is the total air fare cost and therefore also includes an element for onward travel to Hong Kong, Beijing and Tokyo.

The attached appendix shows the expenditure broken down by staff member, as requested.

The names of other staff involved are not being disclosed in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned.

APPENDIX

Total Reported	Detail Reported
	AQW 166/08
25/11/2006	12,128	Hong Kong Beijing, Shanghai
26/11/2006	4,596	Shangai
26/11/2006	5,281	Shangai, Tokyo
	22,005

<--------------------------------------SHANGHAI-------------------------------------------->								Other Destination (Not Shanghai) (included in Original) £22,005 reported
Job title	Grade	Air fare **	Other travel Taxi's rail etc	Internet accessTelephone costs	Hotel Accomodation	Meals	Trade mission Dinner / Lunch & Embassy costs
Chief Executive	1	5,178.00			405.00	73.44		330.00
Managing Director	3	4,033.00	52.84	17.68	405.00	28.74		192.37
Director	5	4,739.00	25.41		405.00	28.91	132.50	355.11
Trade Executive	SO	4,540.00	53.83	117.17	405.00		27.93	460.00

Totals		18,490.00	132.08	134.85	1,620.00	131.09	160.43	1,337.48

Total costs relating to Shanghai							20,668.45	22,005.93

** Note that as some staff also travelled to Tokyo, Beijing and or Hong Kong the air fares costs shown include elemants of costs for destinations other than Shanghai

Public Private Partnerships Accommodation Contract

Ms Anderson asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to identify the names of the Permanent Secretaries or Deputy Permanent Secretaries of his Department or its predecessor, the Department for Economic Development, who were serving board members of Dunloe Ewart plc when the Public Private Partnerships accommodation contract for Invest NI's new headquarters was processed by invited application in July 2003 and awarded to McAleer and Rushe Ltd and Dunloe Ewart Ltd (MRDE) Accommodation Services in April 2004.

(AQW 970/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: There were none.

Public Private Partnership Accommodation Contract

Ms Anderson asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to detail (i) the precise terms and conditions of the Public Private Partnership accommodation contract; and (ii) the amount paid to date, for Invest NI's new headquarters at Bedford Street, Belfast, which was processed by invited application in July 2003, and awarded to McAleer and Rushe Ltd and Dunloe Ewart Ltd (MRDE) Accommodation Services.

(AQW 971/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: Following a competition initiated in the OJEC in April 2003, the McAleer Rushe Dunloe Ewart (MRDE) Consortium was awarded the Invest NI HQ Contract in November 2004. The contract is in line with the Treasury and Strategic Investment Board guidance "Standardisation of PFI Contracts Northern Ireland". (A copy of this detailed contract has been placed in the Assembly Library.)

The Contract is for the provision of fully-serviced accommodation for the 25 year operational phase of the Project, to include cleaning, catering, maintenance, waste management, helpdesk facility etc.

The method of payment is by a Unitary Charge, currently £4,337,573 per annum, but is subject to an annual increase based on the Retail Price Index figure for February each year.

Within the contract certain additional services (e.g. hospitality, catering, additional file management) are paid for based on volume of usage.

For the period October 2005 – September 2008 the total of these fixed and variable elements is £12,921,852.

Public Private Partnership Accommodation Contract

Ms Anderson asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to confirm the identities of any former (i) Chief Executives; (ii) Deputy Chief Executives; and (iii) Board Members, of either (a) Invest NI; (b) the Industrial Development Board; and (c) LEDU, who were serving as Board Members of Dunloe Ewart plc. when the Public Private Partnership accommodation contract for Invest NIs new headquarters at Bedford Street, Belfast, was processed by invited application in July 2003 and awarded to McAleer and Rushe Ltd and Dunloe Ewart Ltd (MRDE) Accommodation Services in April 2004.

(AQW 973/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: There were none.

Accommodation Sectors

Mr W Clarke asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to outline the levels of growth in the (i) Hotel; (ii) Bed & Breakfast; and (iii) Self Catering sectors in terms of visitors numbers.

(AQW 980/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: In 2004, it is estimated that there were 1,129,200 arrivals to hotels in Northern Ireland, 217,100 arrivals to bed & breakfasts and 109,100 arrivals to self-catering establishments.

For 2007, it is estimated that there were 1,134,600 arrivals to hotels in Northern Ireland, 247,100 arrivals to bed & breakfasts and 135,300 arrivals to self-catering establishments.

In the last three years these are respective increases of 0.5%, 13.8% and 24% in terms of arrivals to these accommodation sectors.

Northern Ireland Tourist Board

Mr W Clarke asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to outline the level of marketing support given to the (i) Hotel; (ii) Bed & Breakfast; and (iii) Self Catering sectors by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.

(AQW 982/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: With reference to developing markets and delivering world class visitor experiences, NITB has and will continue to support the accommodation sector in a number of ways.

A series of marketing campaigns is delivered annually by NITB and Tourism Ireland Ltd. One of the key aims of these campaigns is to drive visitors to the www.discovernorthernireland.com website where certified accommodation providers are promoted.

NITB also produces a variety of publications that promote the accommodation sector. These include:

Hotels and Guest Houses Northern Ireland
B&B and Guest Houses Northern Ireland
Self Catering
Budget Accommodation

NITB regularly provides insights and intelligence to the industry in the form of a monthly ezine and regular research reports. These are available to the industry to download from www.nitb.com.

From 2005-2008 NITB piloted a programme of Masterclasses, Learning Journeys and Workshops to assist the industry including accommodation providers to develop its competitive skills in a number of business areas. This programme will continue and will be extended in 2008-2011.

Electricity and Gas Consumption

Dr McDonnell asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what assessment her Department has made of the anticipated reduction in electricity and gas consumption which will occur in a 12 month period as a result of the increase in prices this year.

(AQW 990/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: Due to the large number of uncontrollable variables e.g. temperature variation, possible changes in weather patterns, and fluctuations in customer numbers, it is not possible for my Department to accurately predict if there will be any reduction in electricity and gas consumption which will occur in a 12 month period as a result of the increase in electricity and gas prices this year. However, it is anticipated that consumers are more likely to consider energy efficiency measures when faced with higher fuel bills, thus reducing energy consumption.

Electricity Consumption

Dr McDonnell asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to state (i) which measures the Department is taking to reduce the consumption of electricity; (ii) the estimated (a) annual; and (b) lifetime saving each measure will contribute; (iii) the total cost of each measure; (iv) the proportion of cost that will be borne by the public purse; (v) the proportion of cost borne by consumers; and (vi) the average and total savings to householders.

(AQW 991/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: Statutory authority for implementing measures in relation to energy efficiency is shared between DETI, DSD, DFP and Invest NI. DETI, through Invest NI, funds the Carbon Trust to deliver an energy saving programme to the industrial and commercial sectors. The latest savings data available covers the period May 07- Mar 08 and is detailed below.

DETI / INVEST NI Measures	Estimated Annual saving (Giga watt hours GWh)	Estimated Lifetime saving	Total Cost of Measure (07/08)	Proportion of cost borne by public purse	Proportion of cost borne by consumers	Average and total savings to householders
Carbon Trust - Carbon Management Energy Efficiency and Carbon Surveys	84.255	£270m	£593,885	£593,885 (subsidy for surveys)	None	N/A
Energy Efficiency Interest-free loans	4.8	£15.3m	£2.0 million of interest free loans	£279,191 (grant to cover administration management and marketing costs	None	N/A
SME Energy Grant Scheme	3	£9.6m	£180,000	£180,000 (capital grant)	None	N/A

Electricity Consumption

Dr McDonnell asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment given the Department's target of reducing electricity consumption by 1% below trend, to state (i) the number of megawatt hours of electricity which must be saved to meet this target; and (ii) if this 1% reduction below trend is based on a rebasing of the trend line as a result of successful saving in the previous year.

(AQW 992/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: The 1% reduction in electricity consumption target amount for 2007/08 is based on actual electricity consumption for 2006/07. This equates to 88,270 megawatt hours.

Clearly there will be a number of factors, including weather, economic development climate, energy efficiency and social influences, which could contribute to changes in Northern Ireland’s annual electricity consumption. Consequently the equivalent of a 1% reduction in electricity consumption may not be detectable in the trend on consumption alone. Monitoring of the 1% target is therefore based on a bottom up approach of monitoring energy efficiency performance data which is the method favoured in the EU Directive on Energy End-Use Efficiency and Energy Services. This method of measurement takes into account all the measures put in place to save electricity during the year across all organisations with statutory responsibility for energy efficiency. Each year the target is based on actual consumption of the previous year with an allowance for economic growth which was taken as 1.8% in 2006/07 and 2007/08. Therefore for 2008/09 the target becomes 89,329 megawatt hours.

Carbon Emission Targets Report

Mr Ford asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment when she expects the report on the 'Economic research on business opportunities and challenges presented by carbon emission targets' to be published.

(AQW 993/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: Work on this research project is ongoing. The analysis will provide a much greater understanding of the implications of carbon emission targets for businesses locally in Northern Ireland. Climate change is a key issue, and this research will provide comprehensive information on the level of emissions in Northern Ireland, and the challenges and opportunities presented by emissions targets.

The research is scheduled to be completed early in the New Year. I intend to publish the final report in the first quarter of 2009. The report will be issued for consultation with key stakeholders and other interested parties.

Incinerator Plant in Glenavy

Mr Butler asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (i) to detail the progress to date of her Department's involvement in the Rose Energy's proposals for an incinerator plant in Glenavy; and (ii) how much public money her Department is considering offering for this project.

(AQW 1017/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: Invest NI completed a full commercial appraisal of the Rose Energy project in February 2008. Since then, there has been ongoing discussion between Invest NI/DARD/DETI and between Invest NI and the promoters of the project about potential support. In July, the Chairman of Rose Energy wrote to Invest NI indicating that the project costs had escalated significantly due to the rising steel price, Euro exchange rate and increasing global market for biomass energy generation. A review of the commercial appraisal was commissioned and will be completed in October 2008. Following this, further negotiations on a potential support package will be carried out and, depending on the outcome a case for support will be completed and presented for my consideration. DFP approval for financial support would also be required.

Consideration of the amount of public expenditure support is dependent on the outcome of the appraisal and negotiations between Invest NI and the project promoters. It would not be in the public interest to discuss this before the negotiations were completed.

Unemployment in Larne

Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for her assessment of the current level of unemployment in the Larne area.

(AQW 1066/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: At August 2008 there were 340 Claimant Count Unemployed persons in Larne District Council area, 247 males and 93 females. This corresponds to 1.8% of persons of working age, compared to 2.7% in Northern Ireland as a whole. Larne had the fifth lowest rate of all the 26 District Council areas.

Carbon Usage

Mr McKay asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment if records are kept of carbon usage; and what plans the Department has to purchase carbon offsets each time a long distance journey is undertaken, as is practiced in other European parliaments.

(AQW 1107/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment does not record carbon usage and has no plans to purchase carbon offsets each time a long distance journey is undertaken.

Number of Page Views for DETI Website

Mr Ross asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment how many page views her Department's website received each month, for the last 12 months.

(AQW 1113/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: The number of page views at the Department of Enterprise,Trade and Investment website for the past 12 months are set out in the table below.

Month Page Views

Oct 2008 26307 (up to 8^th October 2008)

Sep 2008 123285

Aug 2008 126074

Jul 2008 123087

Jun 2008 110083

May 2008 125696

Apr 2008 206327

Mar 2008 201624

Feb 2008 178610

Jan 2008 403284

Dec 2007 335904

Nov 2007 297997

Total 2,258,278

Estimated Uptake of Broadband

Mr Hamilton asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to indicate the estimated uptake of broadband by (i) business users; and (ii) domestic users, broken down by council area.

(AQW 1133/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: The information requested is not available broken down by council area. Under the terms of the contract this Department has with BT, data on broadband uptake is available for each district exchange area across Northern Ireland, but on a strictly commercial-in-confidence basis. Broadband uptake data for cable operators is also available for Northern Ireland as a whole, but a sub-regional spilt is not available. At the Northern Ireland level, the uptake of broadband by (i) business users is estimated to be 46,000; and by (ii) domestic users is estimated to be 330,000. According to recent survey evidence business uptake equates to some 63% of businesses, whilst domestic uptake equates to some 52% of households.

Location of Public Sector Jobs

Mr McCartney asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to detail (i) what engagements she had with Professor Bain in relation to the review of the location of public sector jobs; and (ii) any offers she made to relocate jobs in her Department.

(AQW 1139/09)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: Professor Bain met DETI officials to discuss the functions of the department and its NDPBs. The options canvassed in Professor Bain’s report reflect the Review teams own views.

ENVIRONMENT

Climate Change

Mr McGlone asked the Minister of the Environment what his Department's scientific and technical position is in relation to the causes of climate change.

(AQW 644/09)

The Minister of the Environment (Mr S Wilson): I refer the Member to my answer to AQW 181/09.

Climate Change

Mr McGlone asked the Minister of the Environment to detail all policy advice given by his Department to other departments in relation to the causes of, and most appropriate policy response, to climate change.

(AQW 645/09)

The Minister of the Environment: I have not been asked by other Departments for policy advice in relation to the causes of, and most appropriate policy response, to climate change.

Planning Service

Mr Wells asked the Minister of the Environment to detail the guidance given to Planning Service staff following the change in the definition of Brownfield land outlined in the Review of the Regional Development Strategy.

(AQW 654/09)

The Minister of the Environment: My Department is currently working on a policy addendum to Planning Policy Statement 7 'Quality Residential Environments’. This will consider new policy provisions on apartment development and flat conversions, and highlight the need for appropriate design measures to alleviate the risk of localised flooding due to rain and storm run-off. The policy addendum will also reinforce the application of current policy and take account of recent adjustments to the Regional Development Strategy.

Climate Change

Mr McGlone asked the Minister of the Environment to detail the (i) scientific; and (ii) policy, differences between the approach adopted by his Department in relation to the causes of climate change and those adopted by (a) the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs; and (b) the Scottish Government.

(AQW 677/09)

The Minister of the Environment: My Department’s approach to both the science and policy response to the causes of climate change has not led to any differences with other UK Government Departments.

Flood Risk Management Plan

Mr McGlone asked the Minister of the Environment for an update on the progress of a flood risk management plan for (i) Northern Ireland; and (ii) Belfast; and to detail the climate change science upon which this plan is based.

(AQW 678/09)

The Minister of the Environment: My Department is not responsible for the preparation of a Flood Risk Management Plan for Belfast and Northern Ireland. Flood Risk Management is the responsibility of DARD Rivers Agency and only they could comment on the climate change science upon which the Flood Risk Management Plans are based.

My Department has a published policy in terms of planning for new development in areas of flood risk (PPS15: Planning & Flood Risk). It provides a robust set of land-use policies to deal with the potential for flood risk where new development is proposed. PPS15 seeks to prevent unnecessarily increasing future flood risk by adopting a precautionary approach to the location of new development.

Equality Legislation

Mr McGlone asked the Minister of the Environment, pursuant to his answer to AQW 323/09, to detail how this legislation is applied to applicants who are not resident in Northern Ireland.

(AQW 679/09)

The Minister of the Environment: Equality legislation applies regardless of whether or not the person is resident in Northern Ireland.

Divisional Planning Office

Mr Wells asked the Minister of the Environment (i) how many enforcement officers are currently employed in each Divisional Planning Office; (ii) the average number of cases being dealt with by each officer; and (iii) for his assessment of the caseload compared with other parts of the United Kingdom.

(AQW 699/09)

The Minister of the Environment: My Department has provided the following information on (i) how many enforcement officers are currently employed in each Divisional Planning Officer and (ii) the average number of cases being dealt with by each officer.

Division	No. of Enforcement Staff	Average No of Cases being dealt with by each officer
Ballymena	5	104
Belfast	8	125
Craigavon	8	100
Downpatrick	7	317
Headquarters	6	71
Londonderry	8	120
Omagh	5	95

At this time my Department does not hold any statistics in relation to local authority enforcement cases in Great Britain.

Areas of Special Scientific Interest

Mr Wells asked the Minister of the Environment to detail all prosecutions for damage to Areas of Special Scientific Interest since 1 April 2001.

(AQW 700/09)

The Minister of the Environment: Details of prosecutions for damage to Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs) are given in the following table:

Defendants Name	ASSI	Fine
Mr McShane	White Park Bay	£300 plus £88 costs
Mr McLernon	Lough Neagh & Lough Beg	£1,000 plus £31
Mr Cooke	Strangford Lough Part 3	£3,000 plus £85 costs
Mr & Mrs Steele	Lough Neagh	£200
Mr McGrogan	Lough Beg	£500 plus £85 costs
Mr Foster	Knockninny Hill	£20,000 reduced on appeal to £4,000 with restoration order for damaged lands.
Mr Coleman	Lough Neagh & Lough Beg SPA	Bound over 2yrs
Sandycove Holiday Homes Ltd	Outer Ards	£300 plus £18 costs

Planning Office and Site Meetings

Mr Wells asked the Minister of the Environment how many (i) planning office meetings; and (ii) site meetings, were held in the period 1 April 2007 to 31 July 2008, broken down by council area.

(AQW 791/09)

The Minister of the Environment: I regret in order to provide figures for the number of office and site meetings a manual search of all files in the Divisions would have to be carried out. This could not be done in the time available and would incur a disproportionate cost.

Single Dwellings in the Countryside

Mr Wells asked the Minister of the Environment how many applications for single dwellings in the countryside, submitted in the Down District Council area before (i) 1 February 2005; and (ii) 16 March 2006, have yet to be determined.

(AQW 792/09)

The Minister of the Environment: The number of applications for single dwellings in the countryside in the Down District Council area, submitted before (i) 1 February 2005; and (ii) 16 March 2006 and yet to be determined, is set out in the attached table.

Application Id	Date Received	Development Type	Proposal
R/2004/0748/O*	17/05/2004	Erection of Building(s)	Rural style dwelling.
R/2004/1732/O*	14/10/2004	Erection of Building(s)	Site for dwelling and detached garage
R/2004/2096/O*	08/12/2004	Replacement	Renewal of outline permission R/2001/1397.
R/2005/0438/F*	01/03/2005	Change of Use	Restoration & Conversion to Single Residential Dwelling.
R/2006/0189/RM*	20/02/2006	Erection of Building(s)	Erection of new bungalow of rural character

Source: August 2008 Outstanding Report

* F, RM and O represent Full, Reserved Matters and Outline applications.

Caveat

These figures have been extracted from a live dataset which is continuously updated and validated. They should therefore be regarded as indicative only at this point in time and should not be compared with any previous figures published by the Agency.

Enforcement Case Files

Mr Wells asked the Minister of the Environment how many enforcement case files (i) have been opened since April 2001; and (ii) have arisen as a result of (a) detection by Planning Service staff; (b) a complaint by a member of the public; and (c) a complaint by a public representative.

(AQW 793/09)

The Minister of the Environment: The number of enforcement files that have been opened since 2001 is 26,593. These figures must be considered in terms of our current live enforcement caseload which as of September 2008 stands at 5570. Clearly a large proportion of the 26, 593 cases opened since 2001 have been dealt with and resolved by my Department.

In relation to points (ii) (a-c), the current system of electronic data retrieval – 20/20 – does not record applications in sufficient detail to provide the information requested.

To provide accurate figures for the period in question can only be done by a manual search of all our existing files. This information would not be available in the time specified and would incur disproportionate costs.

Drainage

Mr Ross asked the Minister of the Environment what action he is taking to ensure that building does not occur on flood plains; and where building does take place, that adequate drainage is provided.

(AQW 800/09)

The Minister of the Environment: My Department’s general policy approach to dealing with flooding is contained within Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 15 ‘Planning and Flood Risk’ which adopts a precautionary approach to decision making.

My Department will consult DARD Rivers Agency on planning applications on flood risk and continues to liaise with DARD Rivers Agency on planning and flood matters. Where it is clear mitigation measures are insufficient to offset any risk my Department may refuse planning permission. Northern Ireland Water’s role in the consultation process where new development is proposed has been to provide advice on the availability of water and sewerage infrastructure to service the development.

My officials are continuing to liaise with Rivers Agency officials regarding consultation in areas of flood risk. As part of this process Planning Service will be contacting NIW to clarify if any of the recent flood events has identified any specific areas at particular risk from flooding associated with existing storm drainage infrastructure.

Roads Safety Strategy

Mr Ross asked the Minister of the Environment for an update on his Department's performance in relation to the targets set out in the Roads Safety Strategy 2002-2012.

(AQW 801/09)

The Minister of the Environment: The 2012 road safety targets are to reduce by 33% the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads and by 50% the number of children killed or seriously injured (from the 1996-2000 average). These would represent reductions from 1750 people per annum to fewer than 1200 and from 250 children to fewer than 125.

The latest published statistics show that in 2007, 1,210 people were killed or seriously injured on our roads, 106 of whom were children. These represent reductions of 31% and 57% against the respective targets.

Emergency Relief Payments

Mr Weir asked the Minister of the Environment to detail the total amount of money paid in emergency relief payments as a result of the recent floods, broken down by district council area.

(AQW 810/09)

The Minister of the Environment: A total of 1,911 claims have been received by 24 district councils under the current "Scheme of Emergency Financial Assistance", of which 1,519 were successful. Details for each district council are set out in the attached table.

The total expenditure on the Scheme to date is £1,519,000. Councils will be reimbursed for additional costs incurred by them but the Department does not yet have details of this expenditure.

Council	Grant Applications	No. of successful claims
Antrim	201	176
Ards	6	5
Armagh	13	8
Ballymena	164	151
Ballymoney	15	11
Banbridge	113	106
Belfast	462	333
Carrickfergus	4	4
Castlereagh	101	75
Coleraine	5	3
Cookstown	8	8
Craigavon	153	119
Londonderry	0	0
Down	171	127
Dungannon & South Tyrone	21	17
Fermanagh	3	1
Larne	8	6
Limavady	1	1
Lisburn	193	145
Magherafelt	24	24
Moyle	2	1
Newry & Mourne	52	45
Newtownabbey	163	131
North Down	10	7
Omagh	18	15
Strabane	0	0
TOTAL	1,911	1,519

Emergency Relief Payments

Mr Weir asked the Minister of the Environment to detail the total amount of money paid in emergency relief payments as a result of the flooding that occurred in June 2007, broken down by district council area.

(AQW 812/09)

The Minister of the Environment: The total amount of money paid in emergency relief payments, as a result of the June 2007 flooding, was £1,419,099. This figure includes £1,181,000 paid to individual householders, which represents 1181 successful applications. A balance of £238,099 related to payments made to district councils to cover their additional costs for carrying out the operation. The Department does not hold a record of the total number of claims submitted to councils. The details for individual councils are set out in the attached table.

Council	No. of successful claims	Total amount paid £
Antrim	4	4,000
Ards	17	17,393
Armagh	6	6,000
Ballymena	11	11,000
Ballymoney	0	0
Banbridge	0	0
Belfast	609	827,626
Carrickfergus	0	0
Castlereagh	354	366,096
Coleraine	6	6,325
Cookstown	5	5,000
Craigavon	0	0
Londonderry	0	0
Down	17	17,536
Dungannon & South Tyrone	7	7,370
Fermanagh	0	0
Larne	9	9,000
Limavady	2	2,000
Lisburn	8	8,000
Magherafelt	3	3,000
Moyle	17	18,716
Newry & Mourne	5	5,000
Newtownabbey	1	1,000
North Down	3	3,000
Omagh	95	99,037
Strabane	2	2,000
TOTAL	1,181	1,419,099

Emergency Relief Payments

Mr Weir asked the Minister of the Environment how many claims for emergency relief payments (i) were made; and (ii) were successful, in relation to the flooding that occurred in June 2007, broken down by district council area.

(AQW 813/09)

Council	No. of successful claims	Total amount paid £
Antrim	4	4,000
Ards	17	17,393
Armagh	6	6,000
Ballymena	11	11,000
Ballymoney	0	0
Banbridge	0	0
Belfast	609	827,626
Carrickfergus	0	0
Castlereagh	354	366,096
Coleraine	6	6,325
Cookstown	5	5,000
Craigavon	0	0
Londonderry	0	0
Down	17	17,536
Dungannon & South Tyrone	7	7,370
Fermanagh	0	0
Larne	9	9,000
Limavady	2	2,000
Lisburn	8	8,000
Magherafelt	3	3,000
Moyle	17	18,716
Newry & Mourne	5	5,000
Newtownabbey	1	1,000
North Down	3	3,000
Omagh	95	99,037
Strabane	2	2,000
TOTAL	1,181	1,419,099

Emergency Relief Payments

Mr Weir asked the Minister of the Environment how many claims for emergency relief payments (i) were made; and (ii) were successful, in relation to the recent flooding, broken down by district council area.

(AQW 814/09)

The total expenditure on the Scheme to date is £1,519,000. Councils will be reimbursed for additional costs incurred by them but the Department does not yet have details of this expenditure.

Council	Grant Applications	No. of successful claims
Antrim	201	176
Ards	6	5
Armagh	13	8
Ballymena	164	151
Ballymoney	15	11
Banbridge	113	106
Belfast	462	333
Carrickfergus	4	4
Castlereagh	101	75
Coleraine	5	3
Cookstown	8	8
Craigavon	153	119
Londonderry	0	0
Down	171	127
Dungannon & South Tyrone	21	17
Fermanagh	3	1
Larne	8	6
Limavady	1	1
Lisburn	193	145
Magherafelt	24	24
Moyle	2	1
Newry & Mourne	52	45
Newtownabbey	163	131
North Down	10	7
Omagh	18	15
Strabane	0	0
TOTAL	1,911	1,519

Climate Change

Mr Ford asked the Minister of the Environment, pursuant to the answer to AQW 181/09, whether the view expressed is in line with his Department's assessment of the link between human activity and climate change.

(AQW 827/09)

The Minister of the Environment: As I said in my answer to AQW 181/09, I believe there is still considerable debate on the degree to which climate change is caused by human activity.

Perfecseal

Ms Anderson asked the Minister of the Environment if he is aware of concerns on a planning application which could have a negative impact on the Perfecseal plant in Derry/Londonderry; and to detail what steps he is taking to address these concerns and safeguard the plant.

(AQW 834/09)

The Minister of the Environment: I am aware of the planning application and of the concerns raised by Perfecseal Ltd in relation to the potential impact the proposal may have on their continuing operation. Consideration of the planning application is ongoing and it is understood that Perfecseal Ltd intend to submit further information in support of their objection in the near future.

I can assure you that in processing the planning application, careful consideration will be given to all the relevant material considerations including the relevant policies and the impact on adjacent industrial enterprises before a decision is reached.

Perfecseal

Ms Anderson asked the Minister of the Environment what meetings and correspondence he has had with management of Perfecseal in the last year; and to outline the key areas raised in these engagements.

(AQW 835/09)

The Minister of the Environment: I have received two requests to meet with Perfecseal. I met with representatives from Perfecseal on one occasion and they outlined the background to their move to the site at Campsie, the company's expansion plans and their concerns about the proposed waste management facility.

Introduction of Environmental Taxes

Mr Ross asked the Minister of the Environment for his assessment of the introduction of environmental taxes.

(AQW 846/09)

The Minister of the Environment: Taxation in Northern Ireland is a reserved matter and the responsibility of the Treasury.

Planning Service

Mr Wells asked the Minister of the Environment how many enforcement cases have been discontinued since 2001 as a result of Planning Service staff failing to serve an enforcement notice before the (i) 4 year; and (ii) 10 year, rule came into force.

(AQW 852/09)

The Minister of the Environment: The information held by Planning Service on its computer system does not include a facility related specifically to time limits. Unfortunately the only way this information could be ascertained would be through a manual search which could not be done in the time available and would incur disproportionate costs.

Epic Project

Mr McGlone asked the Minister of the Environment to give details (i) of the costs to date associated with development of the Epic Project; and (ii) changes to the original specification for the project.

(AQW 858/09)

The Minister of the Environment: Costs to Date Associated with Development of the ePIC Project

The project is being delivered by a consortium led by Hewlett Packard (HP), with BT and IDOX (formerly known as CAPs). The capital expenditure for the project per our audited accounts to 31 March 2008 was £7.39m. In addition, non capital expenditure relating to the project was £1.29m up to 31 March 2008. These amounts do not include Planning Service staff costs in relation to the development and delivery of the project.

Further capital investment will be required to achieve full implementation and work on completion of a revised Business Case is ongoing. This further capital investment is required to address the following issues:

Additional development work to make ePIC fully compliant with Northern Ireland legislation; and
Essential improvements needed to e-forms, document scanning facility and the internet portal.

Changes to the Original Specification for the Project

The scope of the ePIC business functionalities has not changed since the beginning of the project. The technical components used to deliver the business benefits highlighted in the ePIC business case have been revised to take into account time and value-for-money constraints. The ePIC benefits remain unchanged:

Make optimum use of ICT to re-engineer, streamline and/or automate the current Planning Service business processes and facilitate changes in these processes;
Provide a ‘portal’ for online submission of planning applications;
Facilitate online issuing of property certificates;
Enable faster, quality decision-making;
Improve access to information throughout core Planning Service processes;
Improve information sharing with consultees; and
Improve management of the planning service processes.

Noise Nuisance

Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of the Environment how many prosecutions for noise nuisance there have been in Carrickfergus Borough Council in the last 5 years.

(AQW 871/09)

The Minister of the Environment: There have been no prosecutions for noise nuisance in Carrickfergus Borough Council over the last five years.

http://www.doeni.gov.uk/index/protect_the_environment/local_environmental_issues/noise/complaint_statistics_for_ni.htm

Public Transport Services

Mr Ross asked the Minister of the Environment to detail (i) all the private operators who currently offer public transport services; and (ii) what routes they operate.

(AQW 877/09)

The Minister of the Environment: There are 29 Road Service Licensees that offer stage carriage and/or express transport services.

Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway Company T/A The Swilly Bus Service

Londonderry – Culmore Point

Mairead McAnulty & Hugh McAnulty T/A Yellow Line Coach Hire

Warrenpoint – Newry Market
Warrenpoint Town Centre – Ballydesland Road, Warrenpoint
Burren Chapel, Warrenpoint – Upper Dromore Road, Warrenpoint
Trevor Hill, Newry – Crieve Road, Newry
Church Street, Rostrevor – University of Ulster Jordanstown

Mr Francis McGinn T/A McGinn’s Coach Hire

Rathlin Pier – West Lighthouse, Rathlin Island
Ballycastle – Belfast (Express Service)

Chambers Coach Hire Ltd

Ballygruby, Moneymore - Cookstown HS, Coolnafrankie Estate
Dunronan Road, Moneymore - Loup PS
Holy Trinity HS, Cookstown – Dunamore
Moneymore – Tamlaght
High Street, Moneymore - Cookstown HS, Coolnafrankie Estate
Moneyhaw Road, Moneymore – Magherafelt
Lough Fea Road, Cookstown – Churchtown
Beechway, Cookstown - Lissan Primary School, Cookstown
Moneymore - Savile Row, Castledawson
Moneymore - Desmond's Factory, Dungannon
Moneymore – Slaughtneill
Rockview Park, Moneymore – Loup, Moneymore
Magherafelt - Queen's University, Belfast
James Street, Cookstown - Queen's University, Belfast
James Street, Cookstown - Antrim Area Hospital
Dungannon - Viva bingo, Cookstown
Ballyronan Road, Magherafelt - Viva bingo, Cookstown
High Street, Moneymore - Cookstown High School
Kilrea Square - Empire bingo, Union Road, Magherafelt
Jonnys Corner, Draperstown - The Elk Bar, Hillhead Road, Toome
The Square, Kilrea - The Elk Bar, Hillhead Road, Toome
Randalstown Main Street - Empire bingo, Union Street, Magherafelt
Ardboe Hall, Killycanavan Road, Ballymaguigan - Islandhill, Ballymaguigan
Moneymeena - Viva bingo, Cookstown
Moneymore – Foyle Street, Londonderry (Express Service)
Moneymore – Glengall Street, Belfast (Express Service)
Omagh, Bus Station – Belfast, Europa Bus Centre (Express Service)
Londonderry – Belfast (Express Service)
Moneymore – Belfast (Express Service)
Foyle Street, Londonderry – Belfast (Express Service)

Gerard, Elizabeth & Paul McCauley T/A McCauley Coaches

Garrison – Univeristy of Ulster, Jordanstown

Patrick, Sean & Dorothy Logan T/A Logan Executive Travel

Dunloy Road, Ballymoney – Ballymoney Town Hall
Rogans Shop, Rasharkin – Ballymoney Town Hall
Main Street, Cloughmills – Ballymoney Town Hall
Loughguile – Ballymoney Town Hall

Robert Darragh T/A Darragh’s Coaches

Cloughmills – Kilrea Bingo
Rasharkin – Clady Bingo

Gerald Cordner & Bernard Lyness T/A Lyness Coaches

Lurgan – Moypark, Portadown

Adrian McDermott T/A McDermott Coach Hire

The Square, Portaferry – Castle Park, Bangor

Patricia Mary Sheridan, Gerald Sheridan T/A Sheridan Coaches

Crossmaglen – Queens University & University of Ulster, Jordanstown (Express Service)

John Cyril Matthew Bell T/A Ards Tours

Dundonald High School – North Down Tech, Bloomfield Road, Bangor
Tullycarnet – Dundonald High School, Dundonald

Fredrick Ferguson T/A Cavehill Coaches

Maghaberry Village – Crumlin High School, Crumlin

Slo-Coaches Ltd

Greencastle Street, Kilkeel – Buttercrane Area, Newry

Ronnie Bullick T/A RJG Bullick Coach Hire

Lissize Avenue, Rathfriland – Iveagh Primary School, Castle Hill

Colin Biggs T/A Biggs Coaches

Cornmill Centre, Coalisland – Glenavon Hotel, Cookstown
Glenavon Hotel, Cookstown – Cornmill Centre, Coalisland

Eamonn Rooney T/A Rooney International Coach Hire

Hilltown Square – Queen’s University, Belfast
Stonebridge, Newry – Coleraine University (Express Service)
Queen’s University, Belfast – Coleraine University, Portstewart (Express Service)
Hilltown – Jury’s Hotel, Great Victoria Sreet, Belfast (Express Service)
Hilltown – University of Ulster Jordanstown (Express Service)

Daniel J Monaghan T/A Dial-A-Bus/Titanic City Tours/Diplomat Car & Coach Hire

Elmwood Avenue, Belfast - Queens Road Science Park, Belfast

Sean Patterson T/A Ace Coaches

Granville/Ballygawley Road/Newell Road, Dungannon – Moypark – Wilanco Industrial Estate, Dungannon
Donaghmore Road/Thomas Road – Granville Industrial Estate, Dungannon
Dungannon Square – Moypark factory, Killyman Road, Dungannon

Francis Bosco McAlinden T/A B&C Coaches

Mayfair Business Centre, Portadown – Victoria Centre, Chichester Street, Belfast
Mayfair Business Centre, Garvaghy Road, Portadown – Glenavon House Hotel, Drum Road, Cookstown
Bank of Ireland, High Street, Portadown
Costcutters, Garvaghy Road, Portadown – Rushmere Shopping Centre, Craigavon
Costcutters, Garvaghy Road, Portadown – Glengannon Hotel, Dungannon
Bank of Ireland, High Street, Craigavon –Portadown, Town Centre
Ashbrooke, Portadown – St Catherine’s College, Armagh
Maghery – Ashbrooke, Portadown
Mayfair Business Centre, Portadown - IKEA
The Mall, Armagh – City Hall, Belfast (Express Service)

Joseph Lavelle, Lee Lavelle & Paul Johnston T/A Belfast City Sightseeing/Belfast City Coaches

HSS Stena Terminal, Belfast – Castle Place, Belfast
University Street, Belfast – St Mary’s College, Falls Road, Belfast

West Belfast Taxis (Transport) Ltd

Stewartstown Road, Belfast – Lagmore Drive, Belfast
Whiterock Road, Belfast – Monagh-By-Pass, Belfast
Falls Road, Belfast – Junction at Stewartstown Road, Belfast
Falls Road, Belfast – Ladybrook Cross, Belfast
Falls Road/Glen Road Junction, Belfast – Suffolk Road, Belfast
King Street, Belfast – Glen Road, Belfast
Andersonstown Road, Belfast – Upper Dunmurry Lane, Belfast
Andersonstown Road, Belfast – Bell Street Road, Belfast
Castle Street, Belfast – Estoril Park, Belfast

Stephen Davidson T/A Davidson Coach Hire

Dunavon Park, Dungannon – Moypark, Killyman Road, Dungannon
George Street, Dungannon – Moypark, Killyman Road, Dungannon

Anthony Leo (Liam) Murray T/A Murray’s Coaches

Drumcree Road, Portadown – Moypark Factory, Seagoe Industrial Estate, Portadown

Maura Breen T/A A 2 B Coaches

Garvaghy Road, Portadown– Bank Disco, Newry

Airporter Ltd

Londonderry to Belfast International and Belfast City Airports via Dungiven

Randal Carberry T/A Carberry’s Coaches

Courthouse car park, Lurgan – Killeen, Newry
Courthouse car park, Lurgan
Cricket Club, Armagh – Rathfriland Road, Banbridge
Portadown – Rathfriland Road, Banbridge

B & I Transport Ltd, McGread Omagh

Omagh – Portrush

Eamonn Duff T/A Duff’s Coaches

William Street, Lurgan – Moypark, Seagoe Industrial Estate, Craigavon

Derry Taxis Ltd

Galliagh – Shantallow
Ballymagroarty/Hazelbank/The Glen & Foyle Springs
Greater Shantallow Area
Creggan/Rosemount/Brandy Well

Ards & Down Area Plan

Mr Wells asked the Minister of the Environment to (i) explain the delay in the publication of the Ards & Down area plan; and (ii) confirm when it will be published.

(AQW 918/09)

The Minister of the Environment: As previously advised, the Department received the Planning Appeals Commission’s report on the public inquiry, requested by Planning Service to hear objections into the draft Ards and Down Plan, at the end of March 2008, later than was originally anticipated.

The specific content of the PAC report is confidential and can only be made available at adoption so there is a limit to what I can discuss at this stage. I can say, however, that it has raised a number of complex issues, which are linked to broader regional policy considerations and also contains a number of recommendations on the adoption process.

Unfortunately it has not been possible to finalise our consideration of the PAC report as early as originally programmed, due to the complexity of the issues involved. That said, I can assure you that considerable progress has been made and we anticipate having the remaining issues resolved by the end of October.

The Department is confident that a final Plan for Ards and Down will be published by the end of March 2009, in line with our Business Plan Objective.

Lecale Area

Mr Wells asked the Minister of the Environment to; (i) outline the current status of the Lecale area of outstanding natural beauty; and (ii) what plans he has to review the status of the area.

(AQW 920/09)

The Minister of the Environment: The Lecale Coast was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1967 under the Amenity Lands Act (1965). NIEA is currently conducting a review of Lecale AONB in conjunction with a review of Strangford Lough AONB which will be completed by the end of this year. The Agency will use the findings of the review to develop proposals for the future of Lecale AONB.

Northern Ireland Environment Agency

Mr W Clarke asked the Minister of the Environment (i) to identify what measures have been taken to prevent further pollution incidents in the Quoile River, Downpatrick; and (ii) to outline the recommendations made by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and its predecessor the Environment and Heritage Service to resolve this matter.

(AQW 977/09)

The Minister of the Environment: The Northern Ireland Environment Agency works to reduce the number of pollution incidents occurring in Northern Ireland, including the Quoile River, through a range of proactive initiatives including:-

Education about the effects and consequences of pollution;
Advisory publications;
Offering advice at site meetings;
Promoting good environmental practices through responses to planning consultations;
Pollution prevention programmes;
Promoting sustainable drainage systems; and
Conducting environmental audits.

The Agency has formed nine Catchment Stakeholder Groups (CSGs) in Northern Ireland which meet twice a year. The Strangford and Lecale CSG covers the Quoile area. The Group met on 23 April 2008 and next meets with the Agency on 4 November 2008.

The CSG meetings have been successful in helping to encourage local people to get involved in water management and have helped to improve awareness of local pollution problems and the reporting methods.

Draft River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs), which detail measures which will be implemented to improve water quality across Northern Ireland, including the Quoile River, will be issued for public consultation from December 2008 until June 2009. During this consultation period, NIEA will actively engage with local CSGs on key local water management issues and use this feedback to prioritise the issues and implement solutions.

At a local level these measures include an upgrade to the Downpatrick Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) which is currently underway. This is a £9.7 million investment by Northern Ireland Water (NIW) which is due to be completed in June 2010. As well as bringing benefits to the local economy and environment, the upgrade will ensure that the WWTW in Downpatrick complies with all current national and European regulations.

NIEA operates a freephone pollution response system that is available to the public at all times. The Agency also has a number of Water Quality Investigators who are actively working in the Quoile River System to investigate pollution concerns and prosecute polluters where appropriate.

Northern Ireland Environment Agency

Mr W Clarke asked the Minister of the Environment (i) if the Northern Ireland Environment Agency investigated reasons for low oxygen levels in the Quoile River, Downpatrick; and (ii) to detail the outcome of that investigation.

(AQW 979/09)

The Minister of the Environment: The Northern Ireland Environment Agency, in conjunction with the Fisheries Conservancy Board and the Agri-Food and Bio-Sciences Institute, undertook an extensive chemical sampling programme of the Quoile River following the fish kill on 29 August 2008. The results did not identify the presence of any pollutants however they did detect low levels of oxygen throughout the Quoile Pondage.

The Quoile pondage contains saline water from Strangford Lough and freshwater from the Quoile River. Because the saline water is more dense than the freshwater, two distinct layers are formed in the system with the freshwater flowing over the saline water. The oxygen in the lower saline layer becomes depleted because of the breakdown of organic matter in the river sediments but, normally, there is still plenty of oxygen in the upper freshwater layer which allows fish to survive.

Following heavy rainfall and flooding, which also introduced additional organic matter into the pondage, the two layers mixed. This caused the available oxygen levels to fall which resulted in the fish kill.

Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside

Mr McCartney asked the Minister of the Environment what potential negative impact the failure to reinstate the representative of the Irish government onto the Advisory Committees of the Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside, will have on the protection and monitoring of migratory birds.

(AQW 1037/09)