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 7 May 2010

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
Health, Social Services and Public Safety
Justice
Regional Development
Revised Written Answers

Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister

Maze Project

Mr T Lunn asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister to list the consultation and development bodies that have been constituted since the beginning of the Maze project; and to detail the cost of each of these bodies to date.

(AQW 4824/10)

First Minister and deputy First Minister (Mr P Robinson and Mr M McGuinness):

Two consultation and development bodies were established to assist with the redevelopment of Maze/Long Kesh. The cross-party Maze/Long Kesh Consultation Panel was set up in 2003 to help bring forward proposals for the redevelopment of the site. The cost of this body was £104,126. Subsequently the Maze/Long Kesh Monitoring Group was created to oversee the proposed development of the site. The cost of this Group was £2,804. It was dissolved in 2007 following devolution.

Maze Development Corporation

Mr T Lunn asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister if the Maze Development Corporation has a target date for its first report.

(AQW 4826/10)

First Minister and deputy First Minister:

The Maze/Long Kesh Development Corporation has not yet been formed therefore a target date for a first report has not been determined.

Maze/Long Kesh Delivery Unit

Mr T Lunn asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister to detail the cost, to date, of the Maze/Long Kesh Delivery Unit’s activities.

(AQW 4827/10)

First Minister and deputy First Minister: The Maze Long/Kesh Programme Delivery Unit was formed in April 2008. Costs for the Delivery Unit for the financial year 2008/09 were £518,920 and to date for this financial year are £328,986. These include management of the Maze/Long Kesh redevelopment programme, Central Procurement Directorate costs, planning ongoing regeneration work and land assembly.

Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

Incidences of Brucellosis and Tuberculosis

Mr T Elliott asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development if her Department is on track to meet the Programme for Government target to reduce the incidence of (i) brucellosis by 20%; and (ii) tuberculosis by 27%, by 2011.

(AQW 6314/10)

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (Ms M Gildernew): In relation to brucellosis, we have made outstanding and consistent progress given there has been a 60% reduction currently in disease to date compared to the target of 20% by 2011.

A 27% reduction in TB incidence, would require the incidence of TB in herds to be reduced to 3.90% by 31 March 2011. The current incidence is 5.54% (to the end of February 2010) and although bovine TB is a disease subject to fluctuations in incidence, it is unlikely this aspect of target will now be met. This is particularly the case as changes in the programme necessary to achieve EU agreement to an EU NI TB Eradication Plan 2010 - and thus a share of the 10 million Euros EU funding allocated to England, Wales and the north of Ireland for TB eradication - will result in the re-classification of animals as reactors that give an inconclusive result to a second consecutive TB test. The initial effect of this is expected to be an increase in the incidence of TB.

Single Farm Payment

Mr J Shannon asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what assistance is available from her Department for farmers and landowners when completing application forms for the Single Farm Payment.

(AQW 6404/10)

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development:

Single Application Forms (SAFs) are issued in late March each year to all farm businesses that submitted an application in the previous year. To assist farmers, the SAF is pre-populated with the identity details for the farm business, the number and value of entitlements held by the business and details of each field parcel declared on the previous year's application.

Guidance material detailing any changes to the application process, scheme rules and on how to complete the form is provided in the application pack. In addition, a booklet setting out the rules of the Single Farm Payment (SFP) Scheme is available on request from DARD Direct offices and also on the Department's website. This guidance material includes contact details for DARD Direct offices and Single Farm Payment Branch, Orchard House.

DARD Direct staff are available during normal office hours from Monday to Friday to provide advice about completing the Single Application Form. Whilst these staff are not able to complete the form itself nor make technical decisions on behalf of the farmer, they carry out a quick visual check for obvious errors and omissions. In addition, some help is available to measure ineligible areas on farm maps

If farmers want to use the services of a form filler, a list of form fillers is available in each of the DARD Direct offices Each year, following the introduction of SFP in 2005, SFP Branch has provided briefing for form fillers on the application process. In addition to these form filler sessions, in April 2010, Countryside Management Unit invited all new Countryside Management Scheme (CMS) and Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) participants to workshops in Ballymoney, Omagh, Enniskillen and Banbridge. Those attending these events (112 people) received advice about how to make a claim for the new CMS and OFS on the SAF using information in their scheme schedule. All those who attended were given a set of notes to take away with them.

Farm businesses have the option of submitting their application online. The online service, which is available around the clock, instantly verifies many aspects of the claim thus avoiding simple errors which could cause delays at a later stage

Enhancement of Bogs and Peat-lands

Mr J Shannon asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what discussions she has had with farmers, landowners and other Departments concerning the retention and enhancement of bogs and peat-lands.

(AQW 6443/10)

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development:

My Department has regular contact with farmers, landowners and other Departments concerning the retention and enhancement of bogs and peat-lands.

Retention of Bogs and Peat-lands

All farmers and landowners claiming Single Farm Payment are subject to Cross-Compliance rules and must maintain their land in Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC). Under GAEC measure 6 - the Protection of Habitats, all semi natural habitats such as bogs and peat-lands must be retained.

Enhancement of Bogs and Peat-lands

DARD’s agri-environment schemes provide funding for farmers and landowners to positively manage and enhance farm habitats including lowland raised bogs and peat-lands within heather moorland habitats. These voluntary schemes include measures such as controlled grazing, bracken and scrub control. Currently there are over 5,100 ha of lowland raised bog and over 54,500 ha of heather moorland being managed under these schemes.

Contact with other Departments

All DARD agri-environment scheme applicants with land within Designated Sites (Natura 2000 and Areas of Special Scientific Interest) are referred to DOE’s NI Environment Agency (NIEA) for comment and advice before the final approval of the management details in the agri-environment scheme agreement.

Wild Mussel Fishery at Copeland Sound, Donaghadee

Mr J Shannon asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what steps she is taking to ensure that fishermen can develop the wild mussel fishery at Copeland Sound, Donaghadee.

(AQW 6462/10)

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development: I have decided that the mussel resource at Donaghadee Sound shall continue to be shared between those fishing for seed and wild mussels. There is therefore still an opportunity for the wild mussel fishermen to develop a fishery.

Single Farm Payment

Mr J Shannon asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development how many Single Farm Payment applications were granted after going through an appeal process in each constituency, in each of the last three years.

(AQW 6560/10)

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development:

I am unable to provide the information you have requested by constituency. My Department does not hold information relating to SFP applications by constituency. I am able to provide the information by post code.

My Department has a two stage process for reviewing decisions relating to Single Farm Payment applications. Following a review decisions either remain unchanged or are changed. The table attached sets out by year and post code those cases where following a review my Department’s original decision was changed.

Annex A

Single Farm Payment Review of Decisions (Appeal) cases that resulted in a change to DARD’s original decision.

Year	Post Code	Number Cases resulting in a changed decision
1 May 2007 – 30 April 2008	BT14	1
	BT23	1
	BT25	1
	BT29	2
	BT30	1
	BT31	1
	BT32	2
	BT34	4
	BT35	2
	BT39	3
	BT41	1
	BT42	1
	BT45	4
	BT46	1
	BT47	5
	BT51	1
	BT54	3
	BT62	1
	BT63	1
	BT67	2
	BT70	2
	BT71	1
	BT75	1
	BT76	1
	BT79	9
	BT80	2
	BT81	2
	BT92	2
	BT93	2
	TD5 (Scotland)	1
	TOTAL	61

Year	Post Code	Number Cases resulting in a changed decision
1 May 2008 – 30 April 2009	BT24	1
	BT25	1
	BT34	1
	BT42	1
	BT43	1
	BT44	4
	BT45	2
	BT47	2
	BT51	2
	BT53	1
	BT69	1
	BT70	2
	BT74	1
	BT75	1
	BT76	1
	BT78	2
	BT79	4
	BT80	1
	BT92	3
	BT93	1
	TOTAL	33

Year	Post Code	Number Cases resulting in a changed decision
1 May 2009 – 30 April 2010	BT18	3
	BT20	1
	BT24	1
	BT25	2
	BT28	1
	BT29	2
	BT34	3
	BT35	1
	BT42	2
	BT43	1
	BT45	1
	BT47	3
	BT51	1
	BT52	2
	BT53	5
	BT54	5
	BT66	1
	BT71	1
	BT74	1
	BT75	1
	BT78	2
	BT79	1
	BT92	2
	TOTAL	43

Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure

Non-commissioned Works of Art

Mr T Burns asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure what financial contribution his Department has made towards the cost of purchasing non-commissioned works of art, broken down by (i) the institution making the purchase; (ii) the work of art; (iii) the amount contributed; and (iv) the date of purchase, in each of the last ten years.

(AQW 6347/10)

Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure (Mr N McCausland):

The Department does not fund organisations directly, but rather funding is disbursed through its arms length bodies, in this case the Arts Council, National Museums and Northern Ireland Museums Council.

Table 1 lists purchases made by the Arts Council and table 2 lists purchases by National Museums.

Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC) operates a specimen purchase scheme for non-national museums and table 3 details these purchases. The definition of these pieces as 'works of art' is open to interpretation. The table shows the Council’s contribution to the purchase but not necessarily the whole cost and the date of purchase is not included as the actual purchase would have been made by the museum, not NIMC.

Table 1 - Arts Council of Northern Ireland Collection

There were no works purchased by the Arts Council between 2000 and 2003. 

Year	Title	Purchase Price	Payment Date
2003/04
	Night Fall #1	£2,200.00	19/12/2003
	Eventide	£3,510.00	13/01/2004
	Return to Choco Island	£2,250.00	13/01/2004
	Forever Painting - The Morning #20	£1,900.00	13/01/2004
	Forever Painting - The Morning #23	£1,900.00	13/01/2004
	Pays de Mont Blanc	£3,100.00	13/01/2004
	Untitled Blue Painting	£3,000.00	13/01/2004
	Untitled Red Painting	£3,000.00	13/01/2004
	Untitled 2003	£2,100.00	12/02/2004
	Glimpsed Head I, II and III	£1,500.00	12/02/2004
	Untitled 2001	£600.00	12/02/2004
	The Virgin	£1,500.00	12/02/2004
	Trodden Underfoot	£350.00	23/03/2004
	Prussian Mist	£985.00	23/03/2004
	Hood	£900.00	23/03/2004
	Still 1a	£2,000.00	23/03/2004
	Seducere "Figure No 11"	£400.00	23/03/2004
	Enfold	£1,000.00	23/03/2004
	Lough Belshade	£2,400.00	23/03/2004
	Neelamoongil I	£495.00	23/03/2004
		£35,090.00
2004/05
	Untitled, Monoprint	£400.00	09/06/2004
	Foundation	£345.00	09/06/2004
	Stairwell	£3,800.00	16/06/2004
	I Hear Dogs Barking	£1,200.00	21/06/2004
	Extracts from a File	£6,072.21	21/06/2004
	Coat	£300.00	21/06/2004
	W5 Large Window	£450.00	21/06/2004
	W5 Small Window	£450.00	21/06/2004
	Horizon 2002	£3,867.50	21/06/2004
	Untitled No 3	£1,000.00	21/06/2004
	Digital Prints x4	£1,660.00	23/06/2004
	Corridors of Power - A Prison	£200.00	23/06/2004
	Corridors of Power - Castlereagh	£200.00	23/06/2004
	Corridors of Power - Stormont	£200.00	23/06/2004
	Some of my Friends	£1,900.00	05/08/2004
	01CIRC/ORO3 No1	£1,100.00	08/09/2004
	Landscape 2	£2,250.00	21/10/2004
	Self Portrait	£1,200.00	14/12/2004
	Manhattan	£2,500.00	14/12/2004
	Flooded Quay	£1,200.00	14/12/2004
	Lecale Coast	£1,200.00	14/12/2004
	Muck Spreader x 2	£250.00	14/12/2004
	Drawings x 2	£200.00	14/12/2004
	Pouring Vessel - Long Pipe	£200.00	14/12/2004
	Pouring Vessel - Vegetable Cutter	£200.00	14/12/2004
	Pouring Vessel - Teapot	£150.00	14/12/2004
	Pouring Vessel	£150.00	14/12/2004
	Pouring Vessel - Jackfield & Crows	£175.00	14/12/2004
	A Space Between 4	£1,250.00	14/12/2004
	Close to Home 8	£1,250.00	14/12/2004
	Interior	£2,850.00	20/12/2004
	Stereoscope x 3	£1,500.00	18/01/2005
	Flowers and Feathers	£3,200.00	07/03/2005
	Seed and Shadow	£2,497.33	07/03/2005
	Slice Painting in Prussian Blue 2004	£800.00	16/03/2005
		£46,167.04
2005/06
	Loves Schemes and Echoes	£2,200.00	31/03/2004
	Venice related Cups and Saucers.	£600.00	07/03/2005
	Towards a Newer Laocoon	£1,550.00	31/03/2005
	Belfast Landscape : St Anne's from River House	£6,250.00	20/05/2005
	Time Lost from Home	£415.00	06/09/2005
	Nude with Palm Tree	£850.00	28/09/2005
	Untitled 1	£400.00	28/09/2005
	Untitled 2	£400.00	28/09/2005
	The Bathers	£1,600.00	29/11/2005
	Set of Venice Biennale related works	£5,000.00	24/03/2006
	Growing reflection	£3,500.00	31/03/2006
	Gathered lava	£1,350.00	31/03/2006
	Silver teapot with Lava knob	£2,995.00	31/03/2006
	Silver teapot with long handle	£1,500.00	31/03/2006
	Running wild	£340.00	31/03/2006
	Prickly Trio	£220.00	31/03/2006
		£29,170.00
2006/07
	Untitled	£3,500.00	11/04/2006
	In control (Head 1)	£395.00	13/06/2006
	Absorbed (Head 2)	£395.00	13/06/2006
	Wistful (Head 3)	£395.00	13/06/2006
	The Mercy Seat	£1,250.00	27/06/2006
	Doubting Blue	£525.00	17/07/2006
	Invisible Distance	£525.00	17/07/2006
	Meadow	£4,000.00	13/11/2006
	The Substitute Window	£4,500.00	13/11/2006
	The Emigrant	£3,500.00	13/11/2006
	Rhythm 1	£900.00	13/11/2006
	Rhythm 2	£900.00	13/11/2006
	American Express	£550.00	27/11/2006
	Yellow Helicopter	£1,200.00	27/03/2007
		£22,535.00
2007/08
	A Tiger from Socci	£3,500.00	18/04/2007
	Disclaimer	£4,000.00	26/06/2007
	No Parking	£250.00	20/07/2007
	Fan	£250.00	20/07/2007
	James Street	£250.00	20/07/2007
	Harris Street	£250.00	20/07/2007
	Pigeon Holes	£400.00	18/07/2007
	I Love You. I Don't Know Why But I Do	£300.00	12/12/2007
	Cyber Baby	£190.00	09/01/2008
	Implements	£142.00	09/01/2008
	Experiment	£95.00	09/01/2008
	A Necessary Absence (A Study)	£1,900.00	09/01/2008
	Out of Time	£285.00	09/01/2008
	Radiant	£285.00	09/01/2008
	Man Outside the Pub	£1,800.00	07/01/2008
	Untitled 2006	£375.00	07/01/2008
	Altered Horizons I	£1,250.00	09/01/2008
	A Hundred Days	£340.00	20/03/2008
	Drinking the Waters	£650.00	25/01/2008
	Untitled	£300.00	11/01/2008
	R21. NW Watchtower	£2,849.38	05/02/2008
	Mannish Boy V - Policeman	£4,200.00	20/03/2008
	5 Euro Mannish Boy I - Priest	£260.00	20/03/2008
	5 Euro Mannish Boy VI - Undertaker	£260.00	20/03/2008
	School Protest	£720.00	20/03/2008
	Aerobatics	£450.00	20/03/2008
	Blue & White China	£350.00	20/03/2008
	Uccello of the Potato Field I & II	£300.00	20/03/2008
	Interruption II	£3,500.00	20/03/2008
	Untitled	£1,500.00	22/04/2008
		£31,201.38
2008/09
	Market Street, Derry	£4,500.00	10/06/2008
	Analytical Expression No.1	£1,200.00	17/07/2008
	Innocent Chaos Collection - Split Personalities	£900.00	25/07/2008
	Untitled	£5,500.00	05/08/2008
	Green JCB Bucket with three holes	£1,450.00	29/01/2009
	Neil Shawcross's Studio Space	£220.00	29/01/2009
	Case Studies	£350.00	29/01/2009
	bell(a) exchange	£2,000.00	29/01/2009
	Collection	£2,500.00	29/01/2009
	Earl of Leicester	£900.00	29/01/2009
	City Hall, Belfast	£995.00	29/01/2009
	Potential	£330.00	06/03/2009
	Mew Island	£636.82	10/03/2009
	Systematisation Series	£570.00	18/03/2009
	Untitled Blur (Behold now is the day of our salvation.)	£400.00	18/03/2009
	Untitled Blur (Be still and know that I am God.)	£400.00	18/03/2009
	Margo	£850.00	05/05/2009 (accrual)
	Robert	£850.00	05/05/2009 (accrual)
	Elsy	£850.00	05/05/2009 (accrual)
	Dr Tim McInerny	£850.00	05/05/2009 (accrual)
		£26,251.82
2009/10
	Exterior-Interior	£1,600.00	05/05/2009
	Cairn Vessel # 0109b	£2,695.00	04/08/2009
	Cairn Vessel # 0209a	£2,395.00	04/08/2009
	Bag Men	£455.00	04/08/2009
	Erupt	£800.00	04/08/2009
	Wood at Mostnica Gorge, Slovenia	£855.00	15/12/2009
	Michael Longley	£1,425.00	15/12/2009
	Sleeping Girl	£2,850.00	15/12/2009
	Untitled	£325.00	20/01/2010
	Three Exhibition Rings	£2,300.00	09/02/2010
	Walker's Monument	£800.00	20/01/2010
	The Map of Watchful Architecture	£300.00	20/01/2010
	Falling for Grandeur Found Fabric	£3,300.00	20/01/2010
	Capella Head Point	£650.00	20/01/2010
	Flower	£650.00	21/04/2010
	Chop	£650.00	21/04/2010
	Not Gun	£650.00	19/03/2010
	No Use Crying	£400.00	20/01/2010
	No Use Crying	£400.00	20/01/2010
	Here and There	£1,800.00	20/04/2010
	Return of the Native (A Source of Light)	£5,000.00	09/02/2010
	F-L-A-M-M-A-R-I-O-N	£7,000.00	Pending
		£37,300.00
	Total	£227,715.24

Table 2 – National Museums

Work	Date of Purchase	Amount and Source of Funding
		National Museums	Other	Total
Painting by Ernest Hayes, Storm Seas, Irish Coast (1963)	21/12/2000	IR£4,000	Friends of National Collections of IrelandIR£4,000	IR£8,000
Sculpture by Philip Flanagan, Ash Wood on Water, bronze , glass and wood	10/04/2001	£7,500	-----	£7,500
Painting by Salomon Van Ruysdael (1600-70), River Landscape with Figures in Boats and Church in the Distance (1644)	14/06/2002	£15,000	Heritage Lottery Fund, National Art Collections FundEsmé Mitchell Trust£415,500	£430,500
Painting by Rita Duffy, Titanic, mixed medial (oil, wax, lead) on panel (2002)	11/09/2002	£1,300	----	£1,300
Painting by Hughie O’Donoghue, Wrestlers (2000-2)	21/12/2004	£23,000	National Art Collections Fund£25,000Esmé Mitchell Trust £1,000	£49,000
Painting by John Breakey, The Sea is the Sea (2004)	21/01/2005	£2,475	---	£2,475
Forty plexiglass and laminated cibachrome prints on aluminium by Willie Doherty, Apparatus	08/02/2007	£10,000	The Art Fund£35,000	£45,000
Video installation by Willie Doherty, Ghost Story (2007)	21/04/2008	£29,060	Esmé Mitchell Trust£7,500	£36,560
Painting by Thomas Hickey (1741-1824), George, 1st Earl Macartney (1737-1806)	19/03/2009	£14,000	----	£14,000
Watercolour by John Nixon, A Friday Market in Belfast (1809)	19/03/2009	£5,500	----	£5,500
Painting by Elizabeth Magill, Chronicle of Orange (2007)	19/03/2009	£20,000	----	£20,000
Painting by Lindy Guinness (Belinda Guinness, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava), Rt. Hon. The Rev. Dr. Ian Paisley, MP, MLA (b. 1926)	1/03/2010	£3,250	---	£3,250
Video/sound installation by Bill Fontana, Silent Echoes (2008)	20/03/2010	£15,000	---	£15,000

Table 3- Northern Ireland Museums Council – Specimen Purchase Scheme

Year	Museum	Object	Grant Claimed
2000-01	Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum	Irish silver tankard	£3,000
	Down County Museum	Oil painting after Kneller	£1,000
	Down County Museum	Three rent books	£400
	Fermanagh County Museum	Farmers Club medallion	£240
	Downpatrick Railway Museum	Transportation of passenger brake carriage	£794.50
	Downpatrick Railway Museum	Transportation of R3 Railbus	£519
	Down County Museum	Watercolour by J.W.Carey	£1,250
	Fermanagh County Museum	William VI Irish tablespoon	£225
	Total		£7,428.50

The Specimen Purchase grants scheme was suspended in 2001-02 due to budgetary pressures

2002-03	Fermanagh County Museum		Three copper plates used in Belleck Pottery	£500
	Lisburn Museum		Victorian Bog Oak Prayer Chair	£2,090.31
	Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum, Armagh		1840’s brass hilted sword etched	£125
	Carrickfergus Town Museum		Painting of Annie Crossfield of Barrow ship by Reuben Chappel of Goole	£350
	Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Museum		WW11 medals	£350
	Harbour Museum		Hugh Thomson drawing	£250
	Larne Museum		Model of Princess Victoria	£1,000
	Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Museum		Military General Service Medal	£3,000
	Total			£7,665.31
2003-04	Larne Museum		Shell case gong, 1918	£125
	Down County Museum		Watercolour and framed addresses	£198.33
	Coleraine Museum		Three NI Railway posters	£1,125
	Carrickfergus Museum		Two volumes previously owned by Richard Kane	£750
	Coleraine Museum		Hugh Thompson archive	£5,000
	Total			£7,198.33
2004-05	Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Museum		Three metals awarded to Colour Sergeant Taylor	£750
	Gray Printers Museum		Banner of the Irish Volunteers	£1000
	Somme Heritage Centre		Five WWI artefacts	£850
	Ballycastle Museum		Seven paintings by Andrew Nicholl and John Nixon	£2,000
	Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum		Medals awarded to CSM Robert Neville	£1,000
	Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum		Two pamphlets on the Ulster linen industry	£450
	Carrickfergus Museum		Northern Ireland International Football cap belonging to Bill McCullough	£350
	Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum		First series ordnance survey atlas of County Down	£1,375
	Fermanagh County Museum		Painting by Janet Pierce	£669.38
	Total			£8,138.76
2005-06	Royal Irish Fusiliers Museums		Linehan Medal	£65
	Royal Irish Fusiliers Museums		Carroll Medal	£85
	Lisburn Museum		Two books and two manuscripts	£563
	Fermanagh County Museum		Belleek Pottery items	£2,000
	Carrickfergus Museum		Kane Bible	£375
	Larne Museum		Illuminated Address	£280
	Down County Museum		Portrait of Neil Shawcross by Raymond Piper	£1,000
	Total			£4,368
2006-07	Down County Museum		Home Rule and Internment artefacts	£700.00
	National Trust – Florence Court		Five volumes from Enniskillen library	£750.00
	Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum		23 WWI Regimental postcards	£125.00
	The Inniskillings Museum		2 Korean War medals	£400.00
	Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum		18th century lady’s linen waistcoat	£500.00
	The Inniskillings Museum		O’Brien-Twohig medals	£1,000
	Fermanagh County Museum		‘Whithorn’ by William Scott – screen printed linen	£600.00
	Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum		Manuscript history of Hillsborough	£2,000
	Coleraine Museum		18th century folio collection of Dr Adam Clarke	£500.00
	Coleraine Museum		Collection of seven Charles Lever first editions	£775.00
	Total			£7,350.00
2007 - 2008	Down County Museum		Items from Annesley Estate	£658.34
	Down County Museum		'Down Cathedral' by Patric Stevenson	£1,000.00
	Ballymena Museum		UVF Material 1912-14	£1,250.00
	Ballymoney Museum		30 Emigrant Letters	£200.00
	Newry and Mourne Museum		5 glass decanters	£1,500.00
	Coleraine Museum		2 pictures by A D McCormick	£415.79
	Coleraine Museum		Two drawings by Hugh Thompson and painting by Joseph Carey	£1,389.37
	Ballymoney Museum		C18th medical Book	£200.00
	Newry and Mourne Museum		Cake Delivery Box	£400.00
	Coleraine Museum		3 drawings by Hugh Thomson	£1,680.00
	Total			£8,693.50
2008 -2009	Down County Museum	United Irishmena and Ballykinler Group Documents		£1,750.00
	Mid-Antrim Museum	Two clocks		£3,425.00
	Down County Museum	Items relating to Dr Hodges		£400.00
	Derry Heritage and Museum Service	Pacata Hibernia		£2,000.00
	Coleraine Museum	Dunluce castle LMS Poster		£925.00
	Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum	Medals of Pte T Stewart		£450.00
	National Trust - Springhill	Picture - 'Boy with Candle'		£2,000.00
	Lisburn Museum	Picture - 'Henri de Massue de Ruvigny'		£4,000.00
	Sentry Hill	Stoneware Water Jug		£250.00
	Larne Museum	Model of 'Mayflower'		£275.00
	Coleraine Museum	Three Hugh Thompson drawings		£1,875.00
	Total			£17,350
2009 -2010	Coleraine Museum		Silver golfing trophy	£520.00
	Coleraine Museum		'Highways and Byways' by Hugh Thomson	£1,700.00
	Down County Museum		'Strangford Lough' by Percy French	£1,000.00
	Fermanagh County Museum		'Tree Calligraphy' by Jeremy Henderson	£1,000.00
	National Trust – The Argory		Portrait of Walter McGeogh Bond	£725.00
	Newry and Mourne Museum		Two Photomontages by Sean Hillan	£2,000.00
	Total			£6,945.00

Libraries NI

Mr G Savage asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to detail (i) the number of libraries currently under the control of Libraries NI that were inherited from the Belfast Education and Library Board (BELB); (ii) the postal addresses of these libraries; and (iii) the opening hours of the libraries (a) now; and (b) when they were under the control of the BELB.

(AQW 6374/10)

Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure:

(i)There are currently 20 libraries under the control of Libraries NI that were inherited from the Belfast Education and Library Board (BELB).

(ii) The postal address of each library is noted in the table below.

Andersonstown	Slievegallion Drive	Belfast	BT11 8JP
Ardoyne	446-450 Crumlin Road	Belfast	BT14 7GH
Ballyhackamore	1-3 Eastleigh Drive	Belfast	BT4 3DX
Ballymacarrett	19-35 Templemore Avenue	Belfast	BT5 4FP
Belfast Central Library	Royal Avenue	Belfast	BT1 1EA
Chichester	Salisbury Avenue	Belfast	BT15 5EB
Falls road	49 Falls Road	Belfast	BT12 4PD
Finaghy	38B Finaghy Road South	Belfast	BT10 0DR
Grove	120 York Road	Belfast	BT15 3HF
Holywood Arches	4-12 Holywood Road	Belfast	BT4 1NT
Ligoniel	53-55 Ligoniel Road	Belfast	BT14 8BW
Lisburn Road	440 Lisburn Road	Belfast	BT9 6GR
Oldpark	46 Oldpark Road	Belfast	BT14 6FR
Ormeau	Ormeau Road Embankment	Belfast	BT7 3GG
Sandy Row	127 Sandy Row	Belfast	BT12 5ET
Shankill	298-300 Shankill Road	Belfast	BT13 2BN
Suffolk	Stewartstown Road	Belfast	BT11 9JP
Whiterock	Whiterock Road	Belfast	BT12 7FW
Whitewell	Ballygolan Primary School	Belfast	BT36 7HB
Woodstock	358 Woodstock Road	Belfast	BT6 9DQ

(iii) The current (2009-10) opening hours for each library and the opening hours when these libraries were under the control of BELB (2008-09) are noted below.

		2008-09	2009-10
Andersonstown	Monday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Tuesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Wednesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Thursday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Friday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Saturday	Closed	Closed

During 2008 BELB implemented Summer Opening Hours in Andersonstown and opening hours were shortened during the summer months. Libraries NI did not reduce opening hours in summer 2009.

		2008-09	2009-10
Ardoyne	Monday	09:30 - 13:00 14:00 - 17:30	09:30 - 13:00 14:00 - 17:30
	Tuesday	09:30 - 13:0014:00 - 17:30	09:30 - 13:0014:00 - 17:30
	Wednesday	09:30 - 13:0014:00 - 17:30	09:30 - 13:0014:00 - 17:30
	Thursday	13:30 - 19:00	13:30 - 19:00
	Friday	09:30 - 13:0014:00 - 17:30	09:30 - 13:0014:00 - 17:30
	Saturday	09:30 - 13:00	09:30 - 13:00

During 2008 BELB implemented Summer Opening Hours in Ardoyne and opening hours were shortened during the summer months. Libraries NI did not reduce opening hours in summer 2009.

		2008-09	2009-10
Ballyhackamore	Monday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Tuesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Wednesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Thursday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Friday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Saturday	09:30 - 13:00	09:30 - 13:00

		2008-09	2009-10
Ballymacarrett	Monday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Tuesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Wednesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Thursday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Friday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Saturday	Closed	Closed

During 2008 BELB implemented Summer Opening Hours in Ballymacarrett and opening hours were shortened during the summer months. Libraries NI did not reduce opening hours in summer 2009.

		2008-09	2009-10
Belfast Central	Monday	09:00 - 20:00	09:00 - 20:00
	Tuesday	09:00 - 20:00	09:00 - 20:00
	Wednesday	09:00 - 20:00	09:00 - 20:00
	Thursday	09:00 - 20:00	09:00 - 20:00
	Friday	09:00 - 17:30	09:00 - 17:30
	Saturday	09:00 - 16:30	09:00 - 16:30

		2008-09	2009-10
Chichester	Monday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Tuesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Wednesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Thursday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Friday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Saturday	09:30 - 13:00	09:30 - 13:00

During 2008 BELB implemented Summer Opening Hours in Chichester and opening hours were shortened during the summer months. Libraries NI did not reduce opening hours in summer 2009.

		2008-09	2009-10
Falls Road	Monday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Tuesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Wednesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Thursday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Friday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Saturday	09:30 - 13:00	09:30 - 13:00

		2008-09	2009-10
Finaghy	Monday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Tuesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Wednesday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Thursday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Friday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Saturday	09:30 - 13:00	09:30 - 13:00

		2008-09	2009-10
Grove	Monday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Tuesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Wednesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Thursday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Friday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Saturday	09:30 - 13:00	09:30 - 13:00

		2008-09	2009-10
Holywood Arches	Monday	09:30 - 20:00	09:30 - 20:00
	Tuesday	09:30 - 20:00	09:30 - 20:00
	Wednesday	09:30 - 17:00	09:30 - 17:00
	Thursday	09:30 - 20:00	09:30 - 20:00
	Friday	09:30 - 17:00	09:30 - 17:00
	Saturday	10:00 - 17:00	10:00 - 17:00

		2008-09	2009-10
Ligoniel	Monday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Tuesday	09:30 - 12:3013:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 12:3013:30 - 17:30
	Wednesday	09:30 - 12:3013:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 12:3013:30 - 17:30
	Thursday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Friday	09:30 - 12:3013:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 12:3013:30 - 17:30
	Saturday	Closed	Closed

During 2008 BELB implemented Summer Opening Hours in Ligoniel and opening hours were shortened during the summer months. Libraries NI did not reduce opening hours in summer 2009.

		2008-09	2009-10
Lisburn Road	Monday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Tuesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Wednesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Thursday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Friday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Saturday	09:30 - 13:00	09:30 - 13:00

		2008-09 (July onward)	2009-10
Oldpark	Monday	Closed	Closed
	Tuesday	10:00 - 12:3013:00 - 17:00	10:00 - 12:3013:00 - 17:00
	Wednesday	Closed	Closed
	Thursday	Closed	Closed
	Friday	Closed	Closed
	Saturday	Closed	Closed

During 2008 BELB implemented Summer Opening Hours in Oldpark and opening hours were shortened during the summer months. In September 2008 BELB did not restore normal opening hours in Oldpark. Libraries NI inherited the revised opening hours when it took responsibility on 1 April 2009 and has continued to operate them during 2009/10. Libraries NI did not reduce opening hours further in 2009.

		2008-09	2009-10
Ormeau	Monday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Tuesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Wednesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Thursday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Friday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Saturday	09:30 - 13:00	09:30 - 13:00

		2008-09 (July onward)	2009-10
Sandy Row	Monday	Closed	Closed
	Tuesday	09:30 - 13:0013:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 13:0013:30 - 17:30
	Wednesday	Closed	Closed
	Thursday	Closed	Closed
	Friday	09:30 - 13:0013:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 13:0013:30 - 17:30
	Saturday	Closed	Closed

During 2008 BELB implemented Summer Opening Hours in Sandy Row and opening hours were shortened during the summer months. In September 2008 BELB did not restore normal opening hours in Sandy Row. Libraries NI inherited the revised opening hours when it took responsibility on 1 April 2009 and has continued to operate them during 2009/10. Libraries NI did not reduce opening hours further in 2009.

		2008-09	2009-10
Shankill	Monday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Tuesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Wednesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Thursday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Friday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Saturday	09:30 - 13:00	09:30 - 13:00

		2008-09	2009-10
Suffolk	Monday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Tuesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Wednesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Thursday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Friday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Saturday	09:30 - 13:00	09:30 - 13:00

During 2008 BELB implemented Summer Opening Hours in Suffolk and opening hours were shortened during the summer months. Libraries NI did not reduce opening hours in summer 2009.

		2008-09	2009-10
Whiterock	Monday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Tuesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Wednesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Thursday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Friday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Saturday	Closed	Closed

During 2008 BELB implemented Summer Opening Hours in Whiterock and opening hours were shortened during the summer months. Libraries NI did not reduce opening hours in summer 2009.

		2008-09	2009-10
Whitewell	Monday	14:00 - 17:00	14:00 - 17:00
	Tuesday	Closed	Closed
	Wednesday	14:00 - 17:00	14:00 - 17:00
	Thursday	Closed	Closed
	Friday	Closed	Closed
	Saturday	Closed	Closed

During 2008 BELB implemented Summer Opening Hours in Whitewell and opening hours were shortened during the summer months. In September 2008 BELB did not restore normal opening hours in Whitewell. Libraries NI inherited the revised opening hours when it took responsibility on 1 April 2009 and has continued to operate them during 2009/10. Whitewell was also closed during July and August in 2009 as toilet facilities are in the school and are only available when it is open. During July and August 2009 additional mobile provision was made.

		2008-09	2009-10
Woodstock	Monday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Tuesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Wednesday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Thursday	13:30 - 20:00	13:30 - 20:00
	Friday	09:30 - 17:30	09:30 - 17:30
	Saturday	09:30 - 13:00	09:30 - 13:00

During 2008 BELB implemented Summer Opening Hours in Woodstock and opening hours were shortened during the summer months. Libraries NI did not reduce opening hours in summer 2009.

Libraries NI

Mr G Savage asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, in relation to libraries previously controlled by the Belfast Education and Library Board but which are now under the control of Libraries NI, to detail (i) the number of employees; and (ii) the grade and job description of each employee, who provided (a) support staff services; and (b) external support services at each of these libraries (c) now; and (d) when they were under the control of the Belfast Education and Library Board.

(AQW 6433/10)

Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: Support Staff Services are provided centrally by Libraries NI staff, most of whom are currently based in Lisburn. The cost of these services is not allocated to individual branch libraries. The following staff provide these services to the entire Libraries NI organisation:

	Description	Number	Grade
1.	Director of Business Support	1	Second Tier Officer
2.	Personal Assistant	1	Executive Officer
3.	HR Manager	1	Senior Principal Officer 2
4.	Senior HR Officer	1	Assistant Principal Officer
5.	HR Officer	1	Admin Officer
6.	HR Executive Officer	2	Executive Officer
7.	HR Assistant	2	Senior Clerical Officer
8.	Finance Manager	1	Education Officer
9.	Senior Finance Officer	1	Assistant Principal Officer
10.	Finance Admin Officer	1	Admin Officer
11.	Finance Clerk	4	Senior Clerical Officer
12.	Payroll Officer	1	Admin Officer
13.	Assistant Payroll Officer	3	Executive Officer
14.	Assets Manager	1	Education Officer
15.	Assistant Assets Officer	1	Admin Officer
16.	Senior IT Support Officer	1	Senior Admin Officer

A full job description for each post is available in the Assembly Library.

Libraries NI do not provide external support services.

Before 1 April 2009 staff support services were provided centrally by the Belfast Education and Library Board (BELB) and funded from Department of Education’s budget. BELB officials have informed me that no amount was charged to the branch libraries (or the library budget) for these costs, and it is not possible for BELB to distinguish between the support staff costs for education and libraries as they operated integrated staff support systems.

Belfast Education and Library Board's Library Service

Mr G Savage asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure for a breakdown of the annual cost of providing the Belfast Education and Library Board's library service.

(AQW 6452/10)

Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure:

The Chief Executive of BELB has advised me of the spend attributed to each branch library under his control as Accounting Officer in 2008/09. The table below shows the total expenditure breakdown for the library service in the former Belfast Education and Library Board area, prior to the formation of Libraries NI:

	Expenditure (£) *
Stock	316,000
Belfast Central Library **	2,697,893
Andersonstown	67,544
Ardoyne	68,973
Ballyhackamore	155,618
Ballymacarrett	110,635
Chichester	129,861
Falls Road	129,148
Finaghy	120,735
Holywood Road	127,184
Ligoniel	64,009
Lisburn Road	120,172
Oldpark Road	17,240
Ormeau Road	158,496
Sandy Row	21,159
Shankill	157,448
Suffolk	132,523
Whiterock	150,377
Whitewell	8,628
Woodstock Road	152,984
Grove Wellbeing centre	170,652
Mobile Libraries	113,268
Redundancies ***	312,000
Total	5,502,547

* These figures do not include the cost of the library management and public internet system (ELFNI) which operated across all of Northern Ireland’s public libraries and was funded separately.

** The Belfast Central Library figure includes some BELB central libraries administration costs (e.g. Chief Librarian’s salary, ordering books, preparing invoices for payments).

*** In order to prepare for Libraries NI’s formation under the Review of Public Administration BELB carried out a redundancy scheme in March 2009.

Grand Opera House

Mr B Leonard asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure if the payment of £1.736m for over-run costs by his Department to the Grand Opera House without retrospective approval from the Department of Finance and Personnel was a breach of protocol.

(AQW 6483/10)

Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure:

The decision to award additional funding to the Grand Opera House was not taken lightly and was based on a significant body of evidence which was analysed before the Department agreed to make the payment.

The decision was taken by the DCAL accounting officer. In exceptional circumstances it is within the remit of an accounting officer to decide to make a payment whether or not the Department of Finance and Personnel approves the business case.

The Department concluded that that an additional funding contribution of £1.736m was essential to enable the Grand Opera House to meet its obligations, remain operationally viable and regain a stable financial position. In reaching this decision the Department also took into consideration the significance of the Grand Opera House to the arts sector in Northern Ireland and that £6million of public money had already been invested through DCAL and the Arts Council.

Creative Industries

Mr K Robinson asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure for an update on the £5m investment in the creative industries.

(AQO 1134/10)

Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure:

Most recent estimates indicate there are some 36,000 people in Northern Ireland employed in the creative industries or in creative occupations. This represents approximately 4.6% of the workforce.

In 2008 my Department secured funding from the Northern Ireland Innovation Fund to undertake a three year programme to boost local creative industries. This includes the provision of a Creative Industries Innovation Fund and a range of related initiatives to support innovation in business, by people, and through sectoral knowledge and development.

In 2008/09, £660,000 was declared as an easement as the early part of that year involved the development of a Strategic Action Plan for the Creative Industries and the subsequent Fund was not launched until October 2008. Therefore the investment to support the sector over 2008-2011 via the Fund and other initiatives is approximately £4.34M

The Fund, which is administered by the Arts Council, has made awards to date totalling £3.62M to 133 individual businesses and 23 sectoral bodies. Supported companies have included those working in film, digital media, music, craft and the performing arts. I am pleased to report that early stage evaluation findings indicate that many businesses have significantly increased innovation and international activity.

Moving forward, the Arts Council will continue to monitor project delivery and my Department will evaluate the outcomes and full impact of the Fund and other initiatives and work with key stakeholders to further develop policy and strategies to support and enhance the creative industries in Northern Ireland.

DCAL Projects: North Belfast

Mr F Cobain asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure for a summary of the projects planned by his Department for North Belfast in the current financial year, including the total capital investment involved.

(AQO 1139/10)

Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: There are seven separate capital projects planned for North Belfast in the current financial year. The total capital investment in these projects planned for 2010-11 is £6.466m, broken down as follows:

• Construction of the Mac - £5,000K

• Belfast Royal Academy: Synthetic hockey pitch - £6.125k (Total project investment of £245k)

• Crusaders FC: Upgrade to 3G synthetic surface - £15.681k (Total project investment of £209.075k)

• Woodvale Cricket Club: Artificial pitch, drainage and new equipment - £45.051k (Total project investment of £186.8k)

• Crusaders FC: Provision of covered seating and turnstiles - £650k (Total project investment of £650k)

• Belfast Central Library: Restoration of stonework - £649k (Total project investment of £748k)

• Belfast Central Library: Redevelopment of facilities: - £100k (Total project investment of £25,000k)

There are five separate resource projects planned for North Belfast in the current financial year.

• Annual Support for Organisations Programme: numerous projects.

• Re-imaging Programme: Lower Shankill Community Association and New Lodge Arts.

• Ulster-Scots Agency: Ballysillan Highland Dancers

• Foras na Gaeilge: Cumann Culturtha Mhic Reachtain (McCracken Cultural Society)

• Foras na Gaeilge: Iontaobhas Ultach (Ultach Trust)

Galbally GAA Club: Hunger Strike Commemoration

Mr S Hamilton asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure if he has received the report from the Ulster Council GAA on last year's republican demonstration at Galbally GAA Club.

(AQO 1140/10)

Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure:

The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure has recently received a letter from the Ulster Council of the GAA enclosing a report on issues surrounding the Hunger Strike commemoration at Galbally on 16^th August last. This report states that the event was taken forward independently of the GAA and that the main focus was the Galbally Community Centre which is not Association property. The report also states that there is no evidence that the Galbally Pearse’s Gaelic club exceeded its position or that it organised the event. DCAL received the letter late last week and I will be reviewing it to make sure that it satisfactorily addresses all the issues.

The Ulster Council also enclosed, with its letter and report, a copy of a letter from the Association’s Director General, Páraic Duffy, which issued a few weeks ago to all GAA Provincial and County Secretaries. In this letter the GAA reiterates its policy in relation to the use of premises for party political purposes and for other purposes that are clearly politically motivated or linked to a party political opinion. This policy stipulates that grounds and facilities should not be used under any circumstances for any party political purpose whatsoever. It further states that any use for other purposes is subject to the sanction of the GAA’s Central Council.

I understand that the letter arose from a number of recent incidents, including the hunger strike commemoration at Galbally, last August. I also understand that the GAA plans to produce a clear policy document on the use of Association property in the coming weeks. I am advised that the purpose of the recent circular is to remind members of existing rules in advance of the policy document being produced. 2012 Olympics

Mr D McNarry asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to outline any meetings he has planned for the next six months aimed at ensuring that Northern Ireland can benefit from the London 2012 Olympics.

(AQO 1141/10)

Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure:

My Department leads and co-ordinates Northern Ireland’s response to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. I chair a Northern Ireland 2012 Leadership Group that provides strategic direction, advice and guidance to ensure that NI maximises the unique opportunities presented by the

Games and the delivery of a sporting, social and economic legacy. The 2012 Leadership Group meets 3 times per year. Membership includes the Chairpersons from Arts Council NI, Disability Sport NI, SportNI, NITB, InvestNI, and senior representatives from the Department of Education NI, Department of Employment and Learning NI, Local Government, Volunteer Now (previously the Volunteer Development Agency) and a NI VIP Ambassador.

During the next six months I will be meeting a number of National Olympic and Paralympic Committee representatives in relation to securing countries and teams for pre Games training camps in Northern Ireland. I will also be contacting Lord Coe Chair of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) to discuss what other ways Northern Ireland could benefit from the Games. My officials will continue to have regular meetings with counterparts in LOCOG.

Festival of Fools

Mr D McClarty asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure what financial support his Department is providing for the upcoming Festival of Fools in Belfast and to outline the projected revenue benefits from the festival.

(AQO 1144/10)

Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure:

The 2010 Festival of Fools has been awarded £40,000 Lottery Funding from the Arts Council and £5,000 from the Community Festivals Fund. Half of this Community Festivals Fund grant is provided by DCAL with match funding being provided by Belfast City Council.

As the festival is mainly street performance, which is free to the public, there is no box office income.  However, the public can make donations in collection hats on the street, with an estimated £3,000 contributed in 2009.

A survey carried out by the Festival of Fools during the 2009 event indicated that the festival attracted an audience of 42,000, 79% of whom were visiting Belfast specifically to attend the festival. Over the five days of the festival, the adult spend per head was estimated at £16.19. The overall additional revenue generated for the city was therefore estimated at approximately £680,000.

The projected audience for 2010 is 44,000.

Disabled Young People: Outdoor Pursuits

Mr L Cree asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure what action he is taking to increase access to outdoor pursuits for young people with a disability.

(AQO 1146/10)

Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure:

I am committed to improving sports participation rates amongst people with a disability, including young people with a disability, under Sport Matters: The Northern Ireland Strategy for Sport and Physical Recreation 2009-2019. This commitment applies to sport generally in Northern Ireland including sports undertaken in an outdoor pursuits context. Furthermore, Sport Northern Ireland (SNI) which is responsible for the development of sport including the distribution of funding has, since 2006, invested in Disability Sports Northern Ireland (DSNI), the lead development body for disability sports, to help it implement its Disability Mainstreaming Policy. As part of the implementation of this policy, DSNI is working on improving access to outdoor sports opportunities for disabled people. SNI is also a co-founder of the Countryside Access and Activities Network (CAAN) and supported CAAN’s Barriers to Participation research in 2008 which sought to identify ways of overcoming the barriers limiting participation in countryside recreation for people with a disability.

In addition, DCAL’s current strategy with regard to improving access to angling by persons with a disability (including young people) is to maintain existing disabled angler stands and improve access at two new facilities per year. DCAL also produces a disabled angler’s guide and maintains and enhances an angling website which provides specific information targeted for disabled anglers.

Department of Education

Irish-medium Unit at St Joseph's Grammar School, Donaghmore

Mr B McElduff asked the Minister of Education for an update on the provision of an Irish-medium unit at St Joseph's grammar school, Donaghmore; and when a final decision will be made so that parents and children affected can decide on transfer options.

(AQW 5475/10)

Minister of Education (Ms C Ruane ):

Fógraíodh faomhadh d’aonad Gaeilge a bhunú ar Scoil Naomh Seosamh Domhnach Mór ar 23 Márta 2010.

Approval to establish an Irish-medium unit at St Joseph’s Donaghmore was announced on 23 March 2010.

St Patrick's Primary School, Mayobridge

Mr P J Bradley asked the Minister of Education what action she intends to take to assure parents, whose children did not obtain a place in the reception class of St Patrick's Primary School, Mayobridge, for enrolment in September 2010, that a place will be provided for them at this school.

(AQW 6432/10)

Minister of Education:

Leis na socruithe atá ann le haghaidh iontráil daltaí ar bhunscoileanna, bíonn tuismitheoirí ábalta a rogha a chur in iúl maidir leis an scoil ar mhian leo go bhfreastalóidh a bpáiste uirthi. Ní féidir gealltanas a thabhairt do pháiste ar bith go bhfaighidh siad áit ag scoil áirithe, áfach.

The arrangements for the admission of pupils to primary schools enables parents to express a preference as to the school they wish their child to attend. However, no child can be guaranteed a place at any school. If St Patrick's Primary School, Mayobridge is over-subscribed with Year 1 applications for the 2011/12 school year, it will be for the Board of Governors to determine, through the application of their published admissions criteria, which pupils will be admitted. If the school is under- subscribed, all applicants will be admitted.

DE: Capital Budget 2010-11

Mr D McNarry asked the Minister of Education to detail the reasons for her reduced capital budget in 2010/11.

(AQO 1147/10)

Minister of Education: My Department’s budget is set by the Executive. The Capital Budget for education in 2010/11 is £169 million.

I would point out that in the last two years my Department has fully utilised the capital funds available to it. Since May 2007, 39 major capital school projects have been completed representing an investment of over £253m in our schools estate. This includes 4 schools in the Strangford Constituency, Kircubbin Nursery School, Nendrum College, Saintfield High School and Victoria Primary School.

A further 16 major capital school projects are currently on site representing a further investment of over £252m. This includes St Josephs Primary School situated in the Strangford Constituency.

Cinnteoidh an t-athbhreithniú atá ar siúl faoi láthair ar gach oibreacha reatha caipitil go n-úsáidfear gach sócmhainn atá ar fáil chun na torthaí is fearr do pháistí agus an luach is fearr don cháiníocóir a bhaint amach. Ba mhaith liom foirgnimh nua a thógáil agus leanfaidh mé de bheith ag éileamh cistí breise caipitil agus tá mé ag tnúth le tacaíocht a fháil ó gach páirtí maidir leis an tsaincheist seo.

The review of existing capital works which is underway will ensure that available resources are used to secure the best outcomes for children and maximum value for every taxpayer. I want to build new schools and I will continue to press for additional capital funds and look forward to receiving support from all parties and members in in-year rounds on this issue.

Early Years Strategy

Mr A Attwood asked the Minister of Education to outline how the £1.5 million that has been set aside for an Early Years strategy will be spent.

(AQO 1148/10)

Minister of Education:

Chíor mé an dréachtStraitéis Luathbhlianta (náid go sé bhliana d’aois) agus thug mé comhairle do m’fheidhmeannaigh é seo a thabhairt ar aghaidh agus é a ullmhú do chomhairliúchán poiblí. Aithním go maith cé chomh tábhachtach is atá sé chun infheistiú a dhéanamh i soláthar do na luathbhlianta lena chinntiú go mbíonn an tús is fearr is féidir ag páistí lena saol.

I have considered the draft Early Years (0-6) Strategy and have advised my officials to take this forward, and to prepare for public consultation. I very much recognise the importance of investing in early years provision to ensure that our children have the best possible start in life.

There are a range of areas relevant to early years which would benefit from additional funding and which far exceed the level of funding that I have been able to make available this year.

I am currently considering the options for investing the £1.5 m in light of the likely timescale for the consultation and finalisation of the strategy.

Education and Library Boards

Rev Dr R Coulter asked the Minister of Education for an update on the convergence process for the Education and Library Boards.

(AQO 1152/10)

Minister of Education:

Is é is aidhm le Coinbhéirseacht ná riarachán a shruthlíniú; inathraitheacht i soláthar seirbhísí a bhaint; agus torthaí oideachais a fheabhsú trí sholáthar níos comhsheasmhaí níos dírithe eochairpholasaithe. Mar a éilítear sa Phlean Soláthair Choinbhéirseachta, tá an Príomhfheidhmeannach (Ainmnithe) agus na Stiúrthóirí (Ainmnithe) ar an Údarás um Oideachas agus Scileanna ag obair chun struchtúir chuí réigiúnacha bhainistíochta a shainaithint le haghaidh réimse seirbhísí.

The purpose of Convergence is to streamline administration; remove variability in service delivery; and improve educational outcomes through more consistent and focused delivery of key policies. As required in the Convergence Delivery Plan, the Chief Executive (Designate) and the Directors (Designate) of the Education and Skills Authority have been working to identify appropriate regional management structures for a range of services.

Work is also currently taking place on governance arrangements, structural requirements, timetables and frameworks for the regional management of these services and will continue over the summer so that with the agreement, commitment and goodwill of all the affected bodies, implementation will begin later this year.

Education and Library Boards

Mr J Craig asked the Minister of Education what is the current legal lifespan of the transitional Education and Library Boards and how this impacts on her decision not to re-constitute the South Eastern Education and Library Board.

(AQO 1155/10)

Minister of Education:

Gheall an Coiste Feidhmiúcháin go mbeadh 1 Eanáir 2010 ina dháta bunaithe don Údarás nua um Oideachas agus Scileanna (ESA) a ghlacfaidh feidhmeanna na mBord Oideachais agus Leabharlainne ar láimh. Ní dheachaigh an Bille um Oideachais ar aghaidh chuig an gcéim bhreithnithe, áfach, cionn is nach ndearna an Coiste Feidhmiúcháin cíoradh ar na leasuithe a bhí curtha síos agam, ag an gCoiste Oideachais ná ag baill aonair. Creidim go n-aithníonn mo chomhghleacaithe ar an gCoiste Feidhmiúcháin an gá le dul ar aghaidh go práinneach leis an leasú riachtanach seo sa riarachán oideachais d’fhonn go bhféadfar an tÚdarás nua seo a bhunú ag an dáta is luaithe is féidir.

The Executive committed itself to 1 January 2010 as the establishment date for the new Education and Skills Authority ESA which is to take over the functions of the Education and Library Boards. However, the Education Bill has not proceeded to Consideration Stage because the Executive has not yet considered the amendments that have been tabled by the Education Committee, by individual Members and by myself. I trust that my Executive colleagues recognise the need to proceed urgently on this much-needed reform of education administration so that the new authority can be established at the earliest possible date.

I have had to put in place arrangements until ESA is established. The Education and Library Boards are being constituted for the transitional period within the existing legislation and my Department is satisfied that the action being taken complies with my powers to determine and appoint board members.

I decided that the most appropriate way forward for the South Eastern Education and Library Board is for the four Commissioners to stay on for the transitional period.

Schools: Academic Selection

Mr J O'Dowd asked the Minister of Education for her assessment of why schools which apply academic selection cannot agree on a single test.

(AQO 1156/10)

Minister of Education:

Leagtar amach i dTreoir mo Roinne um Aistriú 2010 an bealach chun tosaigh do gach scoil maidir le páistí a chumasú chun aistriú ó bhunscoil go hiarbhunscoil gan a bheith ag dul trí thástáil neamhiontaofa neamhriachtanach strusmhar. Tá an treoir sin fós ina seasamh mo Roinne.

My Department’s Transfer 2010 guidance sets the way forward for all schools to enable children to transfer from primary to post-primary school without the need for stressful, unnecessary and unsound testing. This guidance remains the position of my Department.

It is now time for the small group of break-away schools to stop the outdated practice of academic selection. I urge them to join with the rest of the education system and ensure that every child can access a good education without having their future held to ransom on the results of an unregulated test.

No child should be put through the pressure of one test, let alone multiple tests. Rather than bickering about how to pick and reject 10-year-olds, we should all commit ourselves to meeting the real challenges in education; raising standards; tackling underachievement and reforming our education system – that is what will make the real difference to our children’s futures.

A-level Students

Mr B McElduff asked the Minister of Education how many pupils continued their studies to A-Level in the 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10 academic years.

(AQO 1160/10)

Minister of Education:

There was an increase of 5.7 percentage points in the number of pupils in Year 13 in post-primary schools studying A – Levels or equivalent, in relation to the number of pupils in Year 12 in the previous academic year, from 2007/08 to 2009/10.

In the 2007/08 academic year, there were 14,088 pupils in Year 13 in post-primary schools studying A – Levels or equivalent. This represents 54.7% of Year 12 pupils in post-primary schools in 2006/07.

In the 2008/09 academic year there were 14,570 pupils in Year 13 in post-primary schools, studying A – Levels or equivalent. This represents 57.2% of Year 12 pupils in post-primary schools in 2007/08.

In the 2009/10 academic year, there were 14,774 pupils in Year 13 in post-primary schools, studying A – Levels or equivalent. This represents 60.4% of Year 12 pupils in post-primary schools in 2008/09.

Tá daltaí a chreideann go bhfuil an t-am a chaitheann siad ar scoil tábhachtach dóibh ina ndaltaí is dóichí a fhanfaidh a ghabháil don oideachas; agus ní amháin go méadóidh sé seo rátaí fanúna, ach feabhsóidh sé caighdeáin fosta.

Pupils who see their time at school as relevant to them are more likely to stay engaged with education; this will not only increase staying on rates but also drive up standards.

Schools: Holywood

Mr A Easton asked the Minister of Education for an update on the capital project for schools in Holywood.

(AQO 1161/10)

Minister of Education:

As I noted at the recent adjournment debate on the Holywood schools, it is critically important that investment in the education estate is consistent with and supportive of the policy framework I am putting in place and that it adheres to our statutory duties in relation to equality and targeting on the basis of objective need. At the heart of this is Every School a Good School, Revised Curriculum, Sustainable Schools, Irish-Medium Review and the Entitlement Framework. As area based planning develops, these policies will drive the reshaping of our estate and the consequential investment plans.

Ós rud é go bhfuil an t-athbhreithniú ar gach tionscadal caipitil ar siúl go fóill, níl mé in ann trácht a dhéanamh ar dhul chun cinn na scoileanna molta nua in Ard Mhic Nasca nó ar dhul chun cinn aon tionscadail eile um fhoirgnimh nua. Mar gheall ar an tábhacht a bhaineann leis an gcion oibre seo, is riachtanach go mbailítear fianaise láidir agus go dtugtar lánbhreithniú do gach tionscadal, sula ndéantar aon chinneadh.

As the review of all capital projects is currently ongoing, I cannot at this time comment on the future progress of the proposed new schools for Holywood or any other new build projects. Given the importance of this task, however, it is essential that robust evidence is collated and that full consideration is given to each project, before a decision is taken.

The Education budget as you will be aware is set by the Executive. In my budget statement on 21 April 2010 I highlighted the challenging financial position being faced. My Department has tough decisions to make and I look forward to support from all parties when I make bids for additional funding during in year monitoring rounds. All capital projects, including the Holywood schools need to be considered against the policy framework in place and in light of the budget available.

Department for Employment and Learning

Regional Colleges

Mr P Weir asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what action his Department has taken to develop links between regional colleges and other international institutions of a similar nature.

(AQW 6390/10)

Minister for Employment and Learning (Sir Reg Empey):

My Department is committed to encouraging Further Education colleges to increase their international profile through the development of links with similar international institutions.

As part of this commitment, the British Council (NI), in a joint venture with the Department, has established a project to promote and raise the international profile of Further Education, and Higher Education, called "Choose Northern Ireland (NI)". My Department has committed £99,500 for the period April 2008 – June 2010 to support Choose NI, which is building alliances, identifying potential target countries for marketing purposes and, ultimately, increasing the number of international students coming to study in Northern Ireland.

Additionally, following my recent visit to Washington DC, colleges are actively seeking to progress a number of opportunities identified for future

collaboration, through the American Association of Community College and Northern Virginia Community College.

Regional Colleges

Mr P Weir asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what projects are (i) ongoing; or (ii) planned between regional colleges and similar institutions outside the British Isles.

(AQW 6391/10)

Minister for Employment and Learning:

All six Further Education (FE) colleges have a wide ranging international dimension to their work. Details of projects currently underway with similar institutions outside of the British Isles are listed at Annex A.

Additionally, following my recent visit to Washington DC, colleges are actively seeking to progress a number of opportunities identified for future collaboration, through the American Association of Community College and Northern Virginia Community College.

ANNEX A

Regional College	Project	Organisation	Location
SWC	Carbon Zero NI	Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh	USA
SWC	Comenius STEM Assistant	Linköping University	Sweden
SWC	Comenius ESOL Assistant	Xios University	Belgium
NWRC	NWRC – NEU Alliance	Northeastern University Shenyang	China
NWRC	ESCI	ESCI (Graduate School of International Buisness)	France
NWRC	New Horizons	Korsor Production School	Denmark
NWRC	Solid Waste	Studiorum - Uni	Italy
SRC	Open web Learning Partnership	Universidad Rey Juan Carlos	Spain
NRC	Memorandum of Understanding	Morehead State University	USA
NRC	Memorandum of Understanding	Instituto de Maquina y Herramienta	Spain
SERC	Exchange Programme	Toyama College	Japan
SERC	Digital Media	Europaschule Westerstede	Germany
SERC	Short Film Production	Besancon College	France
BMC	Memorandum of Understanding	Koning Willem 1st College	Netherlands
BMC	Memorandum of Understanding	Kodolanyi Janos Univeristy of Applied Sciences	Hungary

NEETs

Miss M McIlveen asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to outline the timescale for publishing the scoping study and introducing a strategy on young people not in eduction, employment or training.

(AQO 1165/10)

Minister for Employment and Learning:

The issue of young people not in education, employment or training is a high priority for me. That is why my Department is taking the lead and producing a scoping study which is in final editing stages and should be completed very soon. However, it is clear from this work that the issues affecting these young people are cross-departmental and multi-agency in nature. For example, in 2007/08, 80.1% of those young people who left school at year 12 did not achieve 5 GCSEs at grades A*- C including both English and Maths. This represented 8,046 young people of the 10,050 who left school. Clearly the need to improve educational attainment is a key component in any work to prevent young people from falling into inactivity. Indeed there is a strong argument for early intervention.

Since any specific action plan or strategy which might be developed on foot of the scoping study will need to be carried forward on a cross-departmental basis, I intend to bring a paper on the subject to my Executive colleagues for consideration as soon as possible.

It is important to stress that my own Department already has in place a wide range of programmes and initiatives commencing with guidance provided by the Careers Service, Employment Service provision, programmes such as Training for Success, the Success through Skills Strategy, and widening participation initiatives in both Further Education and Higher Education.

A wide range of provision is therefore available depending on the needs of the individual. However, we are not complacent and the development of a strategy will inform future provision.

Redundancies

Rev Dr R Coulter asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what plans his Department has in place to respond to any further large-scale redundancies.

(AQO 1167/10)

Minister for Employment and Learning:

The Department has established redundancy service procedures which enable it to respond effectively to large scale redundancies. The Employment Service co-ordinates delivery of a tailored package of support including partner organisations such as the Social Security Agency, the Careers Service, the appropriate Regional College and, where appropriate, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.

Unfortunately, the Department has significant experience in the provision of a redundancy service to companies facing large scale redundancies. Over the past 12-18 months the Employment Service has delivered tailored packages of support to Seagate in Limavady; Nortel in Monkstown; Hughes Christensen in East Belfast and Arntz Belling in Londonderry.

Careers Guidance

Mr C McDevitt asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what his Department is doing to provide learners with well-resourced, professional career guidance which directs them to opportunities in growth industries.

(AQO 1170/10)

Minister for Employment and Learning:

My Department employs over 100 professionally qualified Careers Advisers to deliver client-centred, careers guidance throughout Northern Ireland to young people and adults. A number of these Careers Advisers are also trained to work with clients with disabilities. 23 additional advisers have been recruited in the past year. The careers guidance process enables clients to realise their skills, abilities, interests and aspirations. Access to up to date careers information is vital in the career decision making process. Improving access to careers information is a key theme in "Preparing for Success" the careers strategy which has been developed jointly by my Department and the Department of Education. In conjunction with the Sector Skills Councils my Department has produced Industry Factsheets to highlight opportunities in growth industries and assist in the career decision making process.

The Strategy also highlights the need for improved access to careers services and my Department plans to enhance delivery by establishing a number of Careers Resource Centres.

Apprenticeships

Lord Morrow asked the Minister for Employment and Learning the number of new apprenticeship places planned for the current financial year and how this compares to previous years.

(AQO 1171/10)

Minister for Employment and Learning:

The success of the Northern Ireland economy is dependent on a well trained workforce including a regular supply of apprentices, especially young people, employed across the industry.

The number of new apprenticeships is, therefore, determined by employers’ recruitment of apprentices and whether of not individuals meet the eligibility criteria to enrol on the programme. The flexibility of ApprenticeshipsNI enables apprentices to join the programme throughout the year.

Despite the economic recession, new apprenticeship places have grown from 3,341 in 2005/06 to 7,372 in 2008/09 and 6,958 in 2009/10. In addition, young people are on the Programme-Led Apprenticeship programme because they have been unable to secure employment and wish to be trained to be ready to avail of opportunities when the economy recovers.

Based on the information from the last two years it is likely that there will be around 7,000 new apprenticeship places in this current financial year.

Universities: Local Students

Mr T Clarke asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what his Department is doing to encourage more of our students to remain in Northern Ireland to attend university.

(AQO 1172/10)

Minister for Employment and Learning:

Research has indicated that, in the main, those who opt for a university place in Great Britain as their first choice, do so because they believe that that institution is the best place to study their chosen subject and gives them the development opportunity to live and study away from home. In that respect these students are ‘determined leavers’.

Students, in an increasingly global society, should continue to have a free choice of academic institute within the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and elsewhere, and my Department has no plans to prevent students from opting for universities elsewhere as their first choice rather than universities in Northern Ireland.

As the economy recovers, there is an opportunity for business and government, working together, to highlight the employment opportunities available in Northern Ireland to these graduates and undergraduates. This ‘Attract’ work will form an important aspect of the revised and updated Skills Strategy for Northern Ireland which will be published for public consultation shortly.

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment

International Events

Mr T Gallagher asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what measures are being taken to promote and develop Northern Ireland’s ability to host major international events.

(AQO 1137/10)

Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (Mrs A Foster):

The responsibility for Northern Ireland Events transferred on 1^st April 2010 from the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure (DCAL) to the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB).

The draft Tourism Strategy to 2020, which is currently out for consultation, identifies events as a key driver for tourism. In recognition of the value of major events to the economy of Northern Ireland NITB is undertaking a range of activities. These include:

Promotion - Working closely with Tourism Ireland to promote Northern Ireland as an event-based destination in our key markets.

Partnership – Working closely with stakeholders to maximise the opportunities for Northern Ireland to develop its major events capacity and potential.

Maximising our Opportunities – Through product development, marketing and events support, NITB is engaged in a wide range of major events for Northern Ireland in the coming years, including support to attract the Clipper round the world yacht race, the celebration of the Titanic in 2012 and the World Police and Fire Games in 2013.

Events Financial Support – With a £800k budget to support events in 2011/12, NITB will be working with the industry to determine how best to deploy these funds within the context of the Tourism Strategy

Consultation - NITB will be conducting an events industry consultation commencing in early June 2010. Following this a new events plan will be developed and implemented.

Feed-in Tariffs

Mr J Shannon asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment if he will introduce 'feed-in tariffs' in line with the rest of the United Kingdom.

(AQW 6490/10)

Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment:

A Feed-In Tariff (FIT) was introduced in Great Britain on 1 April 2010. Northern Ireland does not currently have the legislative powers to replicate this.

I have however recently legislated for enhanced Renewables Obligation Certificates for certain small scale technologies to ensure that Northern Ireland generators are not disadvantaged by the introduction of a FIT in the rest of the United Kingdom.

A study is currently underway which will consider the cost of introducing a FIT in Northern Ireland as there are a number of considerations to be taken into account, not least the impact on electricity prices here.

I intend to make an announcement on this issue later in the year.

Department of the Environment

Closet River, Kinnego

Mr G Savage asked the Minister of the Environment to detail the findings of any water samples taken from the Closet River, Kinnego in the last twelve months.

(AQW 6306/10)

Minister of the Environment (Mr E Poots):

Northern Ireland Environment Agency has not taken any water samples from the Closet River in the last twelve months. The Agency opened a site on the Closet River this year to collect samples to provide chemical data but no data is available at this early stage.

Closet River, Kinnego

Mr G Savage asked the Minister of the Environment for her assessment of the cleanliness of the Closet River, Kinnego.

(AQW 6309/10)

Minister of the Environment:

The Closet River's current overall status is poor, based on the European Water Framework Directive classification, with the objective set to reach moderate status by 2015. The status was based on an environmental risk assessment, taking into account known pressures on the Closet River water body.

Driving Instruction Industry

Mr J Dallat asked the Minister of the Environment to outline any plans he has to ensure that people joining the driving instruction industry have the appropriate level of education and qualifications and the necessary skills and motivation which makes them suitable for this profession.

(AQW 6361/10)

Minister of the Environment: Those seeking to join the driving instruction industry are required to pass a rigorous three-part entrance test to ensure they have the appropriate knowledge and skills. The three-part test for prospective instructors consists of a theory test, a practical driving test and a test of their ability to instruct.

My officials will be issuing a consultation paper later this year on proposals to strengthen further the regulation of the industry in relation to qualifications, registration and standards.

Driving Instructors

Mr P Weir asked the Minister of the Environment to detail the number of convictions for people operating as driving instructors without the required qualifications or licence in each of the last five years.

(AQW 6430/10)

Minister of the Environment:

Since the PSNI is the prosecuting authority for cases of illegal driving instruction, my Department may not be aware of every incident or conviction. However, the Driver & Vehicle Agency, which maintains the register of approved driving instructors, is aware of two cases of unregistered instruction that were detected and prosecuted in 2007 and of two further cases that are now pending with PSNI.

CCTV Systems in Local Councils

Mr T Burns asked the Minister of the Environment to detail (i) how many CCTV systems have been installed by each local council, in each of the last five years; (ii) the location of each system; and (iii) the average cost of (a) installing; and (b) operating each system.

(AQW 6528/10)

Minister of the Environment: Information in the form requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

Temporary Staff in the Health Service

Mr D Hilditch asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the number of temporary staff in clerical and administrative positions (i) currently working in the Health Service; and (ii) who have worked in the Health Service for more than one year in the same position.

(AQW 5832/10)

1. Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Mr M McGimpsey): The number of temporary administrative and clerical staff within the Health Service is 1100 (headcount) 958.97 (WTE). This represents 8.8% of all administrative and clerical staff (based on headcount or WTE).

   The reasons given for the use of temporary staff include: (i) cover for maternity leave, (ii) long-term sick leave, (iii) RPA implications, (iv) staff acting up to a different band, (v) secondments both inside and outside the Trusts, (vi) career breaks, (vii) vacancies, (viii) unpaid leave, (viiii) increased workload and also (x) posts created from (a) project work, and (b) outside funding for research.

2. This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Notes:

1. WTE = Whole-time equivalent

Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority

Ms A Lo asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for his assessment of the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority recommendations on the use of residential facilities for day clients, particularly for people with severe learning disabilities.

(AQW 6260/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

RQIA has registered 48 nursing and residential care homes to provide day care services, through a variation to their existing registration as either nursing or residential care homes.

Twelve of these facilities cater for people with a learning disability.

The ability of residential and nursing homes to offer a limited number of day care places is considered by RQIA as appropriate, as this may enable some people with learning disability to remain living at home for longer than would otherwise be possible.

My Department has confirmed with RQIA that no issues have arisen during the past year, to require RQIA to take enforcement action or to lead them to make recommendations within this area of day care provision.

Dental Practices

Ms M Anderson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what consideration he has given to introducing legislation to regulate the intake of patients in dental practices, so that a suitable quota of Health Service patients are registered with each practice.

(AQW 6263/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

My Department is currently engaged with the British Dental Association over the development of a new contract for health service dentistry in Northern Ireland. Once implemented, this will give the Health and Social Care Board much greater control over how and where health service dentistry is provided. Consideration will be given to specifying patient quotas within the new contracts. I have no plans to legislate for patient quotas otherwise.

Delays for Hospital Treatment

Mr D O'Loan asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what measures are in place to ensure that patients are regularly informed when there will be long delays for their hospital treatment.

(AQW 6265/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

An Integrated Elective Access Protocol was issued to Trusts in 2008 which sets out the arrangements to be followed when booking patients' appointments. This protocol includes a requirement to initially advise patients of the likely waiting time for assessment and / or treatment either in written correspondence or when patients telephone to book appointments where this service is available. Patients will be contacted again when an appointment has been made.

Obesity Strategy

Mr A Easton asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for an update on the Obesity Strategy.

(AQW 6268/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

My Department is continuing the development of an Obesity Prevention Strategic Framework and I anticipate that this will go out for public consultation in summer 2010.

Orthodontist Services

Mr A Easton asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what plans his Department has for Orthodontist Services.

(AQW 6269/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

My Department is currently engaged with the British Dental Association over the development of new (separate) contracts for General Dental and Orthodontic services.

The proposed orthodontic contract includes the use of an index to identify those patients who need health service orthodontic treatment. This index is called the ‘Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need’ (IOTN). The IOTN is widely used throughout the British Isles and is recognised by the British Orthodontic Society as a fair, objective and reliable assessment tool to identify treatment need.

Given the imperative to target resources at orthodontic need rather than patient demand, my officials have begun discussions with the BDA to introduce IOTN in advance of the new contracts.

Children's Health Services

Mr P Weir asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how much his Department has allocated, this year, to (i) school-based children's individual health services; (ii) school-based children's group health services; and (iii) the Healthy Schools programme.

(AQW 6294/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The Health and Social Care family provides a broad range of school based health services under the Child Health Promotion Programme. This includes universal services requiring contact to be made with each family to identify health need, using a holistic assessment which incorporates screening and surveillance. The universal programme within the school setting is delivered through HSC Trust school health services. Where school-aged children have additional health needs, targeted services are provided to support them in a range of settings which may include schools.

Prevention of Communicable Diseases

Mr P Weir asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how much funding his Department allocated to the prevention of communicable diseases (i) 2009/10; and (ii) 2010/11 financial year.

(AQW 6296/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

The prevention of communicable diseases is integral to a wide range of areas of policy and service delivery across Health and Social Care organisations and it is therefore not possible to calculate a figure for this funding without incurring disproportionate cost.

Public Health Agency

Mr P Weir asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (i) the number of staff; and (ii) the average salary of an employee of the Public Health Agency.

(AQW 6297/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

The latest information available shows that the PHA has 204 staff equating to 183.38 whole time equivalents.

It is not possible to provide a meaningful average salary cost for the PHA as staff fall into a range of separate terms and conditions groups which cover Agenda for Change, junior doctor rates, consultant rates and senior executives.

Public Health

Mr P Weir asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how much funding his Department allocated to public health in (i) 2009/10; and (ii) 2010/11 financial year.

(AQW 6301/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

£70m was provided recurrently to the Public Health Agency in 2009/10 to fund all aspects of public health expenditure. The 2010/11 budget has yet to be finalised.

Tami Flu Tablets

Mr A Easton asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many Tami Flu tablets are in stock.

(AQW 6308/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

There are currently 1.17 million courses of Tamiflu antiviral stockpiled in Northern Ireland to treat viral infections.

Physiotherapy Treatment

Mr J Shannon asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many children with disabilities had their physiotherapy treatment (i) reduced; or (ii) withdrawn in each Health Trust, in each of the last three years.

(AQW 6321/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

The information requested is not collected centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Mental Health Act

Mr A Easton asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many people have been detained under the Mental Health Act in each of the last three years.

(AQW 6329/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

The number of people who have been detained under the Mental Health (NI)

Order 1986 is not available.

Child Protection Register

Mr M Durkan asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the number of children, per thousand child population, on the child protection register in each Health Trust area.

(AQW 6331/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

The information requested is detailed in Table 1 below.

Table 1

Number of children¹ on the Child Protection Register at 31 March 2009, per 1000 child population² by Health and Social Care Trusts in Northern Ireland

HSC Trust	Children per 1,000 child population on the Child Protection Register
Belfast	8.9
Northern	3.4
South Eastern	6.9
Southern	4.6
Western	6.0

1. A child is defined as a person under 18 years of age.

2. The population figures used are the latest available mid-year estimates for 2008, produced by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency within the Department of Finance and Personnel for Northern Ireland.

Western Health and Social Services Trust

Ms M Anderson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (i) the current number of staff employed within the Western Health and Social Services Trust, broken down by grade; and (ii) the number of staff who will be employed after the Review of Public Administration, broken down by grade.

(AQW 6333/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

The current number of staff in the Western Health and Social Services Trust, by staff group, can be found in the Key Facts Workforce Bulletin on the DHSSPS website at: http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/stats_research/work_force/stats-research.htm.

Information on the number of staff who will be employed after the Review of Public Administration, broken down by grade is not available

Cancelled Operations

Mr T Burns asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many patients have had operations cancelled on more than (i) one; (ii) two; (iii) three; (iv) four; or (v) five or more occasions, in each of the last five years, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.

(AQW 6348/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

Information on the number of patients who have had operations cancelled on more than (i) one; (ii) two; (iii) three; (iv) four; or (v) five or more occasions is not collected centrally.

GPs Practising in the Western Health and Social Care Trust

Mr T Elliott asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many GPs were practising in the Western Health and Social Care Trust area in (i) 2005; and (ii) in the most recent year for which figures are available.

(AQW 6351/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

Figures provided by Family Practitioner Services - HSC Business Services Organisation show that in the area covered by the Western Health and Social Care Trust there were:

i) 190 GPs practicing in April 2005;

ii) 194 GPs practicing in April 2010.

Figures refer to headcount of unrestricted principals or equivalents, and salaried GPs. Other types of general practitioner, such as locums, assistants, and associates are not included.

Dentists in the Western Health and Social Care Trust

Mr T Elliott asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many dentists were practising in the Western Health and Social Care Trust area in (i) 2005; and (ii) in the most recent year for which figures are available.

(AQW 6352/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

Figures provided by Family Practitioner Services - HSC Business Services Organisation show that in the area covered by the Western Health and Social Care Trust there were:

i) 111 dentists registered to provide Health Service dental services in April 2005;

ii) 142 dentists registered to provide Health Service dental services in April 2010. This figure includes 15 dentists employed by Oasis Dental Care Ltd under the new contract awarded by the Department in May 2009.

Figures refer to Principal dentists only; assistants and Vocational Dental Practitioners are not included. Figures exclude those dentists working in the Community Dental Service and the Hospital Dental Service.

Myalgic Encephalopathy

Mr J Craig asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how his Department's strategy on Myalgic Encephalopathy compares to other parts of the UK.

(AQW 6357/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

My Department’s strategy for the effective treatment and management of Myalgic Encephalopathy (ME) is based on the Department’s link to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). While arrangements for the endorsement and implementation of NICE guidance in Northern Ireland differ from those that apply in England and Wales, my Department expects Health and Social Care Trusts to reflect NICE guidance on ME in the future planning and delivery of services for people diagnosed with this illness.

Myalgic Encephalopathy

Mr J Craig asked Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the processes in place, in each Health and Social Care Trust, in relation to Myalgic Encephalopathy (i) for diagnoses; (ii) to set up programmes of support and monitor the changing needs of patients; (iii) what support is given to the emotional and physical needs of patients; and (iv) what support is given to the family of patients.

(AQW 6358/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

People who have symptoms of Myalgic Encephalopathy (ME) typically consult their General Practitioner. Patients’ needs are then assessed on an individual basis with subsequent onward referrals to treatment and services being made on their assessed need. Their ongoing needs and support are addressed through assessment, intervention and review. In addition, Health and Social Care professionals provide physical and emotional advice and support to patients as necessary. Furthermore, the needs of patients’ families and carers also form part of the wider holistic assessment of patient need.

Myalgic Encephalopathy

Mr J Craig asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (i) how many people are currently diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalopathy in each Health and Social Care Trust; and (ii) what research is currently being carried out into the needs of people with Myalgic Encephalopathy.

(AQW 6359/10

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

Information on the number of people currently diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalopathy (ME) is not available.

In Northern Ireland, the Research and Development Office promotes, co-ordinates, and supports research and development within the HSC. The R&D Office has received no applications for research projects involving ME and does not currently fund any research into ME

Daisy Hill Hospital Ambulance Service

Mr P J Bradley asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for his assessment of the response time of the front line ambulance service at Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry, since 5 April 2010.

(AQW 6366/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) measures the achievement of its emergency response performance targets on the basis of Local Commissioning Group (LCG) areas. Daisy Hill Hospital is situated in the Southern LCG area. Despite increased demand over the Easter period, NIAS has responded to 66.2% of the life-threatening calls received since 1 April 2010.

In pursuit of continuous improvement in the service provided to the public across Northern Ireland, NIAS closely monitors its emergency response performance. The ambulance service manages its resources on a daily basis to achieve the most efficient and effective means of addressing variations in demand.

Accident and Emergency Units

Mr T Clarke asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many (i) doctors; and (ii) nurses are routinely on duty, per shift, over a 24-hour period in the Accident and Emergency Units at (a) the Causeway Hospital, Coleraine; and (b) the Antrim Area Hospital.

(AQW 6383/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

The minimum and maximum number of A&E staff on duty across the various shifts is:

Grade	Causeway		Antrim Area
	Maximum	Minimum	Maximum	Minimum
Doctors	4	1	9	2
Nurses	7	4	9	8

Source: Northern HSC Trust

Accident and Emergency Units

Mr T Clarke asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (i) how many patients, on average over a 24-hour period, attended the Accident and Emergency Units, at (a) the Causeway Hospital, Coleraine; and (b) the Antrim Area Hospital; and (ii) what is the average waiting time.

(AQW 6384/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

The EC1 aggregate information return is collected monthly and records the number of patients that waited 0 to 4 hours, 4 to 12 hours, and greater than 12 hours in each A&E Departments across Northern Ireland. This information is published monthly and is available at: http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/stats_research/stats-activity_stats-2/emergency_care.htm

Information on the average waiting time for patients attending the Accident and Emergency Units, at (a) the Causeway Hospital, Coleraine; and (b) the Antrim Area Hospital is not collected centrally.

Information on the longest recorded waiting time for patients attending Accident and Emergency Units at (i) the Causeway Hospital, Coleraine; and (ii) the Antrim Area Hospital is not collected centrally.

Accident and Emergency Units

Mr T Clarke asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the longest recorded waiting time in the Accident and Emergency Units at (i) the Causeway Hospital, Coleraine; and (ii) the Antrim Area Hospital in (a) 2008; (b) 2009; and (c) 2010 to date.

(AQW 6385/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

The EC1 aggregate information return is collected monthly and records the number of patients that waited 0 to 4 hours, 4 to 12 hours, and greater than 12 hours in each A&E Departments across Northern Ireland. This information is published monthly and is available at: http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/stats_research/stats-activity_stats-2/emergency_care.htm

Information on the average waiting time for patients attending the Accident and Emergency Units, at (a) the Causeway Hospital, Coleraine; and (b) the Antrim Area Hospital is not collected centrally.

Information on the longest recorded waiting time for patients attending Accident and Emergency Units at (i) the Causeway Hospital, Coleraine; and (ii) the Antrim Area Hospital is not collected centrally.

Western Health and Social Services Board

Mr M Durkan asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (i) the number of staff employed in the former Western Health and Social Services Board prior to the establishment of the Health and Social Care Board; (ii) the number of staff currently employed by the Health and Social Care Board in the former Western Health and Social Services Board area; and (iii) the staffing complement for the Health and Social Care Board in the former Western Health and Social Services Board under current proposals, broken down by (a) grade; and (b) location.

(AQW 6387/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

The requested information is provided in the table below.

(i) & (ii)

	Western HSSB		HSC BOARD( in the Western area)
	Headcount	WTE	Headcount	WTE
31/03/09	232	200
31/03/10			84	72.11

Notes: WTE = Whole-time Equivalent

1. It should be noted that staff in the former WHSSB transferred to either the Health and Social Care Board, Public Health Agency, Business Services Organisation and Patient Client Council.
2. As at 31 March 2010 a further 17 former Western Health and Social Care Board staff (16.3 WTE) were working in the Western area for Cooperation and Working Together. (CAWT)

(iii)

The Health and Social Care Board advised that it is currently not possible to be definitive on proposed total staff at this time as this will depend on the outworking of the current process including engagement with trade unions, but they are committed to the maintenance of strong local offices, and to undertaking this process fairly and transparently as possible.

Western Health and Social Services Board

Mr M Durkan asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the number of Health and Social Care Board staff in the former Western Health and Social Services Board area who have been acting up to a higher grade for more than two years, broken down by grade and the number of years at the higher grade.

(AQW 6388/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

The requested information is provided in the table below.

Staff acting up within the former WHSSB for more than 2 years

GRADE	HC	WTE		HIGHER GRADE	HC	WTE	TIME PERIOD
3	1		1	5	1	1	4 years
4	1		1	SM2	1	1	6 years
5	1		1	SM2	1	1	4 years
6	1		1	7	1	1	2 years
6	1		1	7	1	1	2 years
6	1		1	7	1	1	2 years
8A	1		1	8C	1	1	2 years

People with Asthma

Mr J Shannon asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what consideration his Department has given to providing 24-hour access to primary care as first point of contact for people with asthma.

(AQW 6406/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

Under the General Medical Services Contract, 24 hour access to primary care is available to people with asthma through their GP practice or their local Out of Hours Service Provider.

Personal Asthma Action Plan

Mr J Shannon asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what consideration his Department has given to providing a personal asthma action plan for all people the condition.

(AQW 6407/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

Under the provisions of the General Medical Services (GMS) Contract, a Directed Enhanced Service (DES) has been put in place for people with long term conditions, including patients with asthma. The DES requires GP practices to provide asthma patients, aged 15 and over, with mild persistent asthma and above that level, with a written self-management plan and a patient held asthma action plan on an annual basis. Patients should contribute to their own written plans over time. For asthma patients under 15 years of age, the GP practice will provide the child or parent (as appropriate) with the action plan.

Pollution from the George Best Belfast City Airport

Mr A Maskey asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what consideration he has given to carrying out a study on the health implications of the pollution from the George Best Belfast City Airport for residents in South and East Belfast.

(AQW 6441/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

I share the concerns that were raised by the former Eastern Health and Social Services Board with Planning Service in relation to potential health impacts regarding the proposed extension of the runway at Belfast City Airport and welcome the Health Impact Assessment that has been commissioned into this development.

I also support the Public Enquiry into this application which was announced by Minister Poots on the 16 March 2010.

Hospital Car Parking Charges

Mr W Clarke asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to list the car parking charges at each hospital.

(AQW 6458/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

Public charges for car parking are as follows:

Charge Bands	Belfast City £	Mater £	Royal £	Ulster £	Craigavon £	Altnagelvin £	Daisy Hill £
Up to 1 hour	1.00	1.00	1.20	1.20	0.50	0.60	0.50
1-2 hours	1.50	1.00	1.20	1.80	1.00	1.20	1.00
2-3 hours	2.00	1.00	1.20	1.80	1.50	1.80	1.50
3-4 hours	2.50	1.00	1.20	1.80	2.00	2.40	2.00
4-5 hours	4.50	1.00	2.00	2.50	2.50	3.00 and 4.80	2.50
5-6 hours	7.50	1.00	2.00	2.50	2.50	3.60 and 7.20	2.50
Over 6 hrs	10.00	1.00	4.10	3.50	3.50	4.20, 4.80 and 9.60	3.50
8-24 hours	10.00	1.00	4.10	4.50	4.50	6.00 and 12.00	4.50

If a hospital is not listed, there is no charging in place. Craigavon, Daisy Hill and Altnagelvin offer some free car parking on site. After 4 hours, Altnagelvin charges different rates for different parking areas.

Staff charges for car parking are as follows:

Hospital	Annual charge (note part time staff pay less)
Royal	Sliding scale up to £206
Belfast City	£78
Mater	£100 (£200 for a more convenient car park)
Ulster	£132

Altnagelvin, Craigavon and Daisy Hill do not charge staff for car parking.

Waiting Lists

Mr T Clarke asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to outline the difference between a 'planned waiting list' and an 'elective waiting list'.

(AQW 6497/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

The term "planned" is used for patients who are waiting to be recalled to hospital as part of a planned sequence of care determined on clinical criteria. It is typically used when treatment may be required some months or years hence, perhaps because clinicians must await the physical development of a child or young person or because of other factors affecting a person's care and treatment. 

The term "elective" is used for patients for whom a clinician has determined that a treatment is required and need not await other clinical considerations and which of course the clinician and patient concerned have decided should proceed.  

Review of Maternity Services

Ms J McCann asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for an update on the review of maternity services.

(AQW 6537/10)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:

I announced the review on 2 April, the project board has been established and will meet on 19 May to agree the Terms of Reference and begin the review in detail. The joint chairs of the review are Professor Cathy Warwick, General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives and Dr Paul Fogarty who is a consultant obstetrician at the Ulster Hospital and Chairman of the Northern Ireland Committee of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecology

Department of Justice

DOJ: Staff Payments

Mr C McDevitt asked the Minister of Justice how many staff employed by (i) what is now the Department of Justice; (ii) the Northern Ireland Court Service; (iii) the Northern Ireland Prison Service; and (iv) the Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission received payments in addition to their basic salary in (a) 2008; and (b) 2009; and to indicate the amount of each payment and the grades of the staff involved.

(AQW 6102/10)

Minister of Justice (Mr D Ford):

The Department of Justice came into existence on 12^th April 2010. Details of payments made to staff before that date are a matter for the previous departments. Similar information to that requested is publicly available for staff employed by the Northern Ireland Office for 2008 and 2009 in Hansard (House of Lords references: 5 Jan 2010 : Column WA65; 11 Mar 2010 : WA104 and House of Commons reference 1 Feb 2010 : Column 4W). I can further advise that previous salary information in relation to NIO Board Members is also available publicly in the annual NIO Resource Accounts by accessing the NIO website www.nio.gov.uk. Salary information in relation to NI Court Service Board Members in the financial year 2008/09 is included in the Resource Accounts for the NI Court Service available on the NI Courts and Tribunals Service website at www.courtsni.gov.uk .

Requests for information on payments made to staff in the NI Court Service and NI Legal Services Commission in 2008 and 2009 is the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor.

Diesel Dipping

Mr T Burns asked the Minister of Justice to detail (i) the number of 'diesel dipping' operations launched by the PSNI in each of the last 5 years; (ii) the number of vehicles that were found to be using illegal fuel during these operations; (iii) the number of arrests made; and (iv) the outcome of any prosecutions.

(AQW 6288/10)

Minister of Justice :

Responsibility for tackling excise fraud is a reserved matter that rests with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and not with the PSNI. As HMRC is accountable to Her Majesty’s Treasury, I have forwarded this question to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury who will reply on this matter.

Sentences for Sex Crimes

Mr A Easton asked the Minister of Justice if he has any plans to increase sentences for sex crimes.

(AQW 6323/10)

Minister of Justice :

I have no plans to increase sentences at this time.

A full review of the law on sexual offences was carried out prior to the introduction last year of the Sexual Offences (NI) Order 2008. This review looked at the sentences available for all sexual offences and recommended substantial increases, following changes in England & Wales, along with a new framework of offences, including many more offences carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

I plan to review the operation of the new legislation in due course, once sufficient statistical evidence is available to make it meaningful.

Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland

Mr J Dallat asked the Minister of Justice what procedures are in place in Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland to ensure that staff appointed to handle finance do not have criminal convictions for fraud.

(AQW 6365/10)

Minister of Justice :

Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland operates independently of the Department of Justice. I am advised by Dr Michael Maguire, the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice that Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland initiates a criminal record check with Access NI to ensure that staff appointed to handle finance do not have criminal convictions for fraud.

Anti-social Behaviour

Mr D Hilditch asked the Minister of Justice how many convictions have been secured for anti-social behaviour in the East Antrim constituency in each of the last two years.

(AQW 6378/10)

Minister of Justice :

It is not possible to provide information on convictions for anti-social behaviour as convictions are only secured as a result of a criminal offence being committed and anti-social behaviour is not a criminal offence.

Information is however available in respect of the number of Anti- Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) issued by District Council area. The information is not held by constituency.

The Department of Justice has been notified by the relevant authorities that there were 32 ASBOs issued in Northern Ireland in 2008 and 25 ASBOs issued in Northern Ireland in 2009. The table below details the breakdown of these figures by District Council area.

ASBOs Issued by District Councils 2008 and 2009

District Council	2008	2009
Antrim	0	2
Armagh	0	1
Ballymena	17	5
Belfast	2	5
Carrickfergus	0	1
Castlereagh	0	1
Coleraine	1	4
Craigavon	0	3
Down	1	0
Larne	2	0
Lisburn	1	0
Newry	4	1
Newtownabbey	3	1
North Down	0	1
Strabane	1	0
Total	32	25
Notes
The Anti-social Behaviour (NI) Order2004defines relevant authority as district councils, PSNI or Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

DOJ: Budget

Mr A Easton asked the Minister of Justice to detail his total budget for the 2010/11 financial year.

(AQW 6392/10)

Minister of Justice :

Details of the total 2010/11 budget for the Department of Justice are included within the Department’s 2010/11 Main Estimate. This was laid in the Assembly on 22 March 2010.

A copy of this is available in the Assembly library. The full title is; Northern Ireland Estimates 2010-2011 for

• Department of Justice;
• Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister; and
• Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland.

Police Reserves

Mr J Shannon asked the Minister of Justice if there are any plans to retain the police reserves in light of the increased dissident republican activity.

(AQW 6466/10)

Minister of Justice :

Decisions about the future of the Full Time Reserve are a matter for the Chief Constable, who is accountable to the Northern Ireland Policing Board. I am committed to respecting the operational independence of the Chief Constable and the role of the Policing Board, and I have forwarded this question to the Chief Constable, who will respond directly.

PSNI's Stop and Search Powers

Mr D McKay asked the Minister of Justice for his assessment of the PSNI's current use of stop and search powers.

(AQW 6475/10)

Minister of Justice :

The provision of powers for police to stop and search under the Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 is a necessary measure in the detection and prevention of crime. PACE Code A regulates the exercise of these powers and provides important safeguards and protection for members of the public.

Measures of accountability and transparency are in place for the monitoring and scrutiny of appropriate exercise of these powers. Police must record particulars for each person or vehicle stop and search and make that record available to the person searched. PSNI publish quarterly reports on the number of persons stopped, searched, questioned and arrested under the relevant powers. The latest publications can be accessed at -http://www.psni.police.uk/index/updates/updates_statistics/updates_stop_and_search_statistics.htm

Instances of stop and search are a matter for the Chief Constable, who is accountable to the Northern Ireland Policing Board which closely monitors and scrutinises the usage of police stop and search powers.

Assaults Against Pregnant Women

Mr P Ramsey asked the Minister of Justice how many violent assaults against pregnant women have been recorded by the PSNI in each of the last ten years.

(AQW 6498/10)

Minister of Justice :

Statistics on recorded crime are collected by PSNI. I have therefore forwarded this question to the Chief Constable, who will respond directly.

Assaults on Prison Staff

Lord Morrow asked the Minister of Justice how many prison staff have been assaulted in each prison in each of the last three years; and how many of these assaults were regarded as serious.

(AQW 6503/10)

Minister of Justice :

The table below shows the total number of prison staff assaulted in each prison in each of the last three years including, in brackets, those recorded as serious assaults.

Financial Year	Maghaberry	Magilligan	Hydebank
2007-08	28(21)	7(6)	9(1)
2008-09	21(10)	3(1)	17(3)
2009-10	30(14)	8(0)	15(5)

Foreign Nationals Serving Prison Sentences

Lord Morrow asked the Minister of Justice how many foreign nationals have been (i) deported; and (ii) recommended for deportation after serving prison sentences, in each of the last three years.

(AQW 6507/10)

Minister of Justice :

According to statistics recorded by the Northern Ireland Prison Service in the last 3 years, 31 foreign national prisoners have been recommended by the courts for deportation after serving a sentence. The figures are as follows:

Year	Numbers recommended for deportation
2007	3
2008	12
2009	16

Of these, 9 remain in custody and 22 have completed their sentences. Of the latter, 20 have transferred to the custody of the UK Borders Agency. One successfully appealed deportation and one has voluntarily returned to their home country.

The Northern Ireland Prison Service does not hold information on whether or not individuals are deported by the UK Borders Agency.

Department for Regional Development

NI Water

Mr T Elliott asked the Minister for Regional Development how much investment will be required by NI Water over the next (i) 10 years; and (ii) 20 years to enable it to meet European standards.

(AQW 6349/10)

Minister for Regional Development (Mr C Murphy):

I have been advised by Northern Ireland Water (NIW) that it estimates capital investment in the region of £750 million will be required over the next 10 years, and £900 million over the subsequent 10 years, to meet European Union standards for water and wastewater treatment. This includes investment to maintain and, where necessary, achieve current EU standards and to comply with future EU standards which are known about, but excludes the capital cost of maintaining the existing assets, providing enhanced service levels for customers or extending the water and sewerage systems to cater for increases in demand resulting from development growth. In addition, it is not yet known what impact some of the more recently introduced EU standards, such as the Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive, will have on the cost of providing water and wastewater services.

NI Water

Mr T Elliott asked the Minister for Regional Development how much NI Water has spent in each local Council area in each of the last three years.

(AQW 6350/10)

Minister for Regional Development:

I have been advised by Northern Ireland Water that in many cases capital projects cross Council boundaries and it is not possible to apportion expenditure to individual Council areas. The tables below provide details of total expenditure on capital infrastructure projects by local Council areas in the last 3 years, where it relates solely to individual Council areas. It also provides total expenditure in each of the 3 years for other projects which cross more than one Council area.

Water
Council	2007/08	2008/09	2009/10
	£000's	£000's	£000's
Antrim	925	1,107	1,171
Ards	3,013	3,520	6,076
Armagh	7,347	6,100	3,350
Ballymena	3,217	2,399	3,969
Ballymoney	3,119	1,069	1,999
Banbridge	1,486	2,795	189
Belfast	4,939	1,057	9,602
Carrickfergus	30	16	552
Castlereagh	2,701	1,305	0
Coleraine	395	40	1,929
Cookstown	5,071	1,276	144
Craigavon	1,057	3,968	453
Derry	1,102	1,997	5,788
Down	1,619	72	4,354
Dungannon	652	3,255	2,811
Fermanagh	681	638	209
Larne	41	108	125
Limavady	485	1,772	1,758
Lisburn	385	701	1,570
Magherafelt	237	184	28
Moyle	5	9	3,276
Newry & Mourne	2,641	1,364	495
Newtownabbey	842	1,703	1,592
North Down	712	3,830	34
Omagh	900	2,035	2,930
Strabane	719	5,737	754
More than one Council Area	15,391	19,401	22,136
	59,712	67,458	77,294
Sewerage
Council	2007/08	2008/09	2009/10
	£000's	£000's	£000's
Antrim	8,673	11,210	6,763
Ards	4,219	10,235	7,886
Armagh	5,647	3,591	2,732
Ballymena	375	298	1,325
Ballymoney	2,495	2,124	2,021
Banbridge	5,606	2,864	811
Belfast	58,241	52,308	27,047
Carrickfergus	38	4	226
Castlereagh	638	335	1,262
Coleraine	12,849	728	1,063
Cookstown	778	1,401	2,821
Craigavon	2,277	2,249	2,967
Derry	7,629	8,978	7,334
Down	5,959	14,524	12,651
Dungannon	2,247	4,363	9,438
Fermanagh	10,480	10,400	2,249
Larne	873	156	1,247
Limavady	2,595	4,263	4,647
Lisburn	2,499	8,211	6,811
Magherafelt	1,660	3,439	6,044
Moyle	450	2,238	6,425
Newry & Mourne	8,236	5,269	5,408
Newtownabbey	2,280	663	886
North Down	1,495	4,463	4,230
Omagh	1,765	533	507
Strabane	2,537	2,091	866
More than one Council Area	2,992	2,898	11,543
	155,533	159,836	137,210

Payments for NI Water Services

Mr J Dallat asked the Minister for Regional Development what arrangements are in place to ensure that payments for NI Water services, such as the emptying of septic tanks in emergencies, can be made by debit or credit card to avoid unnecessary delays, such as the clearing of cheques.

(AQW 6363/10)

Minister for Regional Development:

I have been advised by Northern Ireland Water (NIW) that, at present, payment of bills for water and sewerage services can be made by debit or credit card but this facility has not yet been extended to miscellaneous services such as septic tank desludging. As part of its commitment to improving services to customers, NIW has undertaken to consider if arrangements can be put in place for payment by debit or credit card for emergency septic tank desludging.

Translink Train Set

Mr G Savage asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail the cost of modifications to the 'drive carriages' of the train set Translink bought from the Gatwick Express to enable the train set to be used for active service.

(AQW 6368/10)

Minister for Regional Development:

Translink have informed me that the information you have requested relates to contracts Translink have entered into with other commercial organisations and which are bound by confidentiality. Furthermore, the information has implications for the commercial interests of Translink.  I therefore am not in a position to disclose this information.

I should point out that in making decisions relating to the deployment of trains, Translink take account of the current pressures on resource and capital funding.

Translink Train Set

Mr G Savage asked the Minister for Regional Development (i) how much Translink spent on purchasing a train set from the Gatwick Express; (ii) when it made this purchase; and (iii) to detail the cost of refurbishing the train set at the railway works in Derby.

(AQW 6369/10)

Minister for Regional Development:

Translink take the view that the information which you have requested relates to contracts Translink has entered into with other commercial organisations which are bound by confidentiality. Furthermore, the information has implications for the commercial interests of the organisation.  I therefore am not in a position to disclose this information.

I should point out that in making decisions relating to the deployment of trains, Translink take account of the current pressures on resource and capital funding.

Translink Train Set

Mr G Savage asked the Minister for Regional Development, in relation to the train set Translink purchased from the Gatwick Express, to detail (i) Translink's usage of the train set since its purchase; (ii) planned use for this train set; (iii) the current location of the train set and if there are any plans to move it to a new location; and for his assessment of the security of any proposed new location.

(AQW 6370/10)

Minister for Regional Development:

Translink have informed me that following its purchase in 2001 and subsequent commissioning, the Gatwick train set was used to supplement peak commuter capacity from Portadown to Belfast. Whilst it is no longer used in this capacity, this rolling stock provides network backup and remains an integral part of Translink’s operational fleet.

In relation to its location, the Gatwick’s are stabled at both the Fortwilliam train maintenance facility and Lisburn rail yard, both of which are considered as secure facilities.

Road Maintenance Schemes

Mr J Shannon asked the Minister for Regional Development how much has been spent, per head of population, on road maintenance schemes in the West Belfast constituency compared to the Strangford constituency in each of the last three years.

(AQW 6448/10)

Minister for Regional Development:

My Department’s Roads Service has advised that it does not hold the information you request by head of population, or on a parliamentary constituency basis.

Roads at Bushforde and Bush Manor, Antrim

Mr T Burns asked the Minister for Regional Development for an update on accessing the road bonds to complete and adopt the roads at Bushforde and Bush Manor in Antrim; and to detail if legal proceedings will commence against the developer or administrators.

(AQW 6565/10)

Minister for Regional Development:

My Department’s Roads Service understands that the two developments, to which you refer, are to be known as Bush Manor, and it has asked Antrim Borough Council to supply and erect the street name signs.

Roads Service adopted the part of development adjacent to the Stiles Way/Steeple Road crossroads on 24 March 2010. However, the streets within the development to the north east are incomplete and have not been adopted.

As the developer, Eassda, is in administration, Roads Service officials are currently compiling a list of carriageway defects, such as pot holes, to enable repairs to be carried out and allow the safe movement of traffic and pedestrians. It is hoped that this work will be carried out in the very near future.

In addition, Roads Service officials are preparing a list of work required to bring roads, street lighting and sewers to the standard required for adoption. This may include work to strengthen a retaining wall along the front of the site, as well as providing final surfacing to roads and footways.

Roads Service is making every effort to arrange for the required remedial works to be undertaken as soon as possible.

With regard to legal proceedings, Roads Service considers that there will be sufficient funds within the Developer’s road bond to complete the outstanding works. However, should the Developer or Administrator default, Roads Service will issue a legal notice under Article 11 of the Private Streets (NI) Order 1980.

REVISED WRITTEN ANSWERS

Friday 7 May 2010

 

(AQW 4762/10)

During March 2010, I responded to your Assembly Question 4762/10 about the salary and expenses claimed by the Chief Executive and Chairperson of each non-departmental public body (NDPB).

The Department for Regional Development (DRD) has now advised me that the information it provided for my response to you, on expenses for the Chairman of Northern Ireland Water (NIW), requires amendment. The expenses for the NIW Chairman were a total of three categories:

1. Amounts claimed directly by him,
2. Amounts invoiced to NIW but 100% attributable to him; and
3. Other common Board expenses for which the Chairman was allocated a share.  This included Board dinners, lunches and other common expenses.

DRD now considers that category (iii) above should not have been included in the assessment of expenses claimed (this category was originally included in line with calculations completed for HM Revenue & Customs purposes). The original allocation of expenses to the NIW Chairman for 2007/08 has also been revised.

The amended position regarding expenses claimed is detailed below:

Year	Position and Company	Expenses
2007/08	Chairman of NIW	£3,076
2008/09	Chairman of NIW	£22,143

This letter will be copied to the Speaker, other members, the Assembly Library and to the Office of the Official Report (Hansard).

I trust this clarifies the matter for you. I apologise for any inconvenience caused.

(AQW 5689/10)

The information below replaces my previous answer on 24 March 2010, which provided incorrect details of expenses paid to the four non-executive NIW Board members. I apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Northern Ireland Water (NIW) has provided details of the fees and expenses paid to the four non-executive NIW Board members for the entirety of their time with NIW and these are set out in the table below. None of these non-executive Board members received any bonus or other payments during their time with NIW.

	2007/08		2008/09		2009/10
	Fees	Expenses	Fees	Expenses	Fees	Expenses
Christopher Mellor	£70,500	£3,076	£159,000*	£22,143*	£87,882*	£14,965*
Ruth Thompson	£26,167	£633	£24,750	£3,994	£20,250	£2,586
John Ballard	£30,375	£1,088	£24,000	£7,911	£20,250	£4,849
Declan Gormley	£0	£0	£12,000	£71	£21,750	£22

* These fees and expenses figures reflect the fact that for part of 2008/09 and part of 2009/10 the NIW Chairman had undertaken a joint role as Chairman and Chief Executive within NIW.