Written Answers to Questions

Department of Education

Provision within the Curriculum in Relation to Alcohol Abuse

Mr B McCrea asked the Minister of Education to detail (i) the provisions within the curriculum in relation to alcohol abuse; (ii) any guidance and support her Department provides to schools to promote healthy attitudes to alcohol consumption; and (iii) any joint working between her Department and the PSNI, and any other agencies within the criminal justice system, in relation to alcohol abuse and consumption by school age children.

(AQW 1783/11)

Minister of Education (Ms C Ruane ): (i) Cuimsíonn an curaclam athbhreithnithe Forbairt Phearsanta agus Comhthuiscint ag leibhéal na bunscoile agus Foghlaim don Saol agus don Obair ag leibhéal na hiarbhunscoile agus is ábhar éigeantach é go 16 bliana d’aois. Tugann na Réimsí Foghlama seo deiseanna do dhaoine óga eolas, tuiscint agus scileanna a fhorbairt le go mbeidh siad ábalta déileáil le ceisteanna mar mhí-úsáid alcóil.

(i) The revised curriculum includes Personal Development and Mutual Understanding (PDMU) at primary level and Learning for Life and Work (LLW) at post-primary level and is compulsory up to age 16. These Areas of Learning provide opportunities for young people to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills to deal with issues such as alcohol abuse. Through the youth work curriculum, health education programmes dealing with issues such as obesity, drugs and alcohol are provided for young people at youth clubs and units managed or supported by the Education and Library Boards (ELBs) or funded by the Youth Council.

(ii) My Department has taken a number of steps to help schools deliver drugs and alcohol education. In May 2004, the Department issued Circular 2004/09, along with comprehensive guidance produced by a CCEA-led working group, to all schools on drawing up a drugs and alcohol policy and drug and alcohol education programme and on managing suspected drug and/or alcohol related incidents. Schools are supported in the delivery of drugs and alcohol education by the ELBs’ drugs and alcohol education officers who provide training and support for teachers. In addition the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) has provided guidance/resource materials to all schools to support them in their delivery of PDMU/LLW. All guidance and resources are available on the curriculum website, www.nicurriculum.org.uk.

(iii) DHSSPS leads on the development of policy on drugs and alcohol which is articulated in the "New Strategic Direction for Alcohol and Drugs" (NSD). This was developed through joint working across government departments, agencies and relevant organisations, including the PSNI, and one of the key priorities identified is underage drinking. The Department of Education is represented on the NSD Steering Group and relevant advisory groups and has had an active role in agreeing the DHSSPS’s Addressing Young People’s Drinking Action Plan. Education and Library Boards are also represented in relevant advisory groups.

Furthermore, ELBs work in collaboration with the PSNI Community Involvement Officers to enhance the delivery of the drugs and alcohol programme and are represented in local Drugs and Alcohol Co-ordinating Teams (DACTs) which meet on a regular basis to oversee local priorities and action plans. DACTs also include representatives of the PSNI and Probation Board. The North Eastern ELB has collaborated with the PSNI in producing four short programmes for www.neelb.tv to highlight the problems of alcohol abuse. ELBs liaise closely with several organisations to provide support to young people experiencing difficulties with substance/ drug (including alcohol) misuse. Schools may also invite external agencies and organisations with specialist knowledge to assist in delivering their drug and alcohol education programme.

Transport: Primary Schools

Mr P Weir asked the Minister of Education how many parents are currently receiving financial assistance, from the South Eastern Education and Library Board, for taking their children to and from their nearest primary schools.

(AQW 1784/11)

Minister of Education: Tá Bord Oideachais agus Leabharlainne an Oirdheiscirt ag cur cúnaimh airgeadais ar fáil do theaghlaigh na 557 dalta atá ag freastal ar an Bhunscoil is cóngaraí dóibh faoi láthair.

The South Eastern Education and Library Board is providing financial assistance to the families of 557 pupils who are currently attending their nearest Primary school.

New Build for Scoil an Droichead, Cooke Street, South Belfast

Mr A Maskey asked the Minister of Education for an update on the new build for Scoil an Droichead, Cooke Street, South Belfast, and to explain any delays.

(AQW 1786/11)

Minister of Education: Níl Scoil an Droichid mar chuid den Phlean Seachadta um Infheistíocht Chaipitiúil atá ag an Roinn agus chuige sin, níl aon phleananna ann faoi láthair le haghaidh foirgnimh nua don scoil. Tá an Roinn fós i mbun plé leis an scoil agus le hIontaobhas na Gaelscolaíochta le díriú isteach ar cheisteanna cóiríochta na scoile.

Scoil an Droichid is not on the Department’s capital Investment Delivery Plan and as such there are currently no plans for a new build for the school. The Department continues to work with the school and Iontaobhas Na Gaelscolaíochta to address accommodation issues at the school.

Capital Shortfalls

Miss M McIlveen asked the Minister of Education what plans she has to sell revenue-generating assets to offset any capital shortfalls.

(AQW 1855/11)

Minister of Education: Nuair a bhíonn an Roinn ag smaoineamh ar shócmhainní a dhiúscairt, cloíonn na Boird Oideachais agus Leabharlainne leis an treoir polasaí a d’eisigh an Láraonad Comhairleach de Sheirbhísí Talaimh agus Réadmhaoine.

In considering the disposal of assets, Education and Library Boards adhere to the policy guidance issued by the Central Advisory Unit of Land and Property Services. This requires all owners of public sector property to keep their land holdings under continual review and to release surplus property with the least possible delay, subject to the need to realise the best value for the Exchequer.

Public Open Space Land

Dr S Farry asked the Minister of Education how much public open space land is owned by her Department and its associated bodies.

(AQW 1860/11)

Minister of Education: Tá tuairim is 11.72 heicteár talaimh ag na Boird Oideachais agus Leabharlann faoi láthair nach bhfuil suite laistigh de thailte scoile agus níl an talamh seo ar léas ná ar cíos, agus tá 3.44 heicteár as sin atá ar an liosta le haghaidh diúscartha. Tá 14.24 heicteár eile ar léas do chomhairlí áitiúla agus do chlubanna srl. lena n-úsáid féin a bhaint astu.

The Education and Library Boards currently own approximately 11.72 hectares of land that is not within school grounds and is neither leased nor rented, 3.44 hectares of which is currently on the list for disposal. A further 14.24 hectares are leased to local councils and clubs etc. for their use.

Statemented Needs

Mr P Weir asked the Minister of Education how many primary school children in the North Down constituency (i) have been statemented (ii) have had their statemented needs met and (iii) have statemented needs that have not been met, including how long they have been awaiting a solution and the reasons for the delay.

(AQW 1883/11)

Minister of Education: Thug Príomhfheidhmeannach Bhord Oideachais agus Leabharlann an Oirdheiscirt an t-eolas seo a leanas dom.

I have been advised by the Chief Executive of the South Eastern Education and Library Board as follows:-

  i.      115 pupils currently have statements of special educational needs and attend primary schools within the North Down Constituency;

  ii.      All 115 pupils have their identified special educational needs met;

 iii.      None of these pupils have statemented needs that have not been met.

Exceptional Circumstances Body

Mr D Bradley asked the Minister of Education to detail the number of appeals to the Exceptional Circumstances Body in each of the last three years and, of these, how many led to pupils being admitted to their school of choice.

(AQW 1886/11)

Minister of Education: Tá an Foras um Imthosca Eisceachtúla i bhfeidhm ó 1 Meitheamh 2010. Tá tugtha le fios ag Rúnaíocht an Fhorais dom go bhfuair an Foras 120 iarratas ó thuismitheoirí sa tréimhse go dtí 5 Samhain 2010.

The Exceptional Circumstances Body has been in operation since 1 June 2010. The Secretariat to the Body has advised me that in the period up to 5 November 2010 the Body received 120 applications from parents. These 120 applications led to 100 hearings (20 applications were withdrawn by the applicant). The work of the Body is ongoing because there is no deadline by which applications must be submitted by parents.

Of the 100 applications scheduled for a hearing 97 have been completed, with 3 cases pending. Of the 97 applications heard by the Body 42 have resulted in the Body directing the admission of the child to the school specified in the application.

Exceptional Circumstances Body

Mr D Bradley asked the Minister of Education to detail the name and the number of pupils admitted to each school as a result of appeals to the Exceptional Circumstances Body.

(AQW 1887/11)

Minister of Education: Tá an Foras um Imthosca Eisceachtúla i bhfeidhm ó 1 Meitheamh 2010. Don tréimhse go dtí 5 Samhain 2010, tá tugtha le fios ag Rúnaíocht an Fhorais dom go bhfuil 42 ordú tugtha ag an Fhoras mar fhreagra ar 97 iarratas, a d’éiligh ar an scoil a ainmníodh san iarratas iontráil a thabhairt don pháiste a ndearnadh an iarratas ar a son nó ar a shon.

The Exceptional Circumstances Body has been in operation since 1 June 2010. The Secretariat to the Body has advised me that in the period up to 5 November 2010, and in response to 97 applications, the Body made 42 directions requiring the school named in an application to admit the child on whose behalf the application was made.

The names of the children concerned for data protection reasons cannot be provided, but the table below shows the schools in respect of which the Body made these 42 directions. Where the number of children involved is fewer than 5, and in accordance with DE policy, the number is not given in order to prevent the disclosure of information that may identify individuals.

Exceptional Circumstances Body

Mr D Bradley asked the Minister of Education to detail (i) the start-up costs of the Exceptional Circumstances Body; and (ii) how much, in total, has been paid to members of the Exceptional Circumstances Body to date.

(AQW 1888/11)

Minister of Education: The Department of Education incurred expenditure of approximately £10,000 in setting up the Exceptional Circumstances Body. This relates to expenditure incurred in developing the regulations that set out the remit of the Body, the recruitment of members to the Body and the preparation of information leaflets and application forms for parents to use.

San iomlán, tugadh tuairim is £45,000 do chomhaltaí an Fhorais um Imthosca Eisceachtúla as an obair a rinne siad go dáta ar éisteacht le hachomhairc.

In total, members of the Exceptional Circumstances Body have been paid approximately £45,000 for the work they have carried out to date in hearing appeals.

Spending on Legal Fees and Compensation

Mr P McGlone asked the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 1512/11, to provide a breakdown of the spending on (i) legal fees; and (ii) compensation.

(AQW 1919/11)

Minister of Education: Tugtar sonraí ar an chaiteachas a chaith an Roinn Oideachais ar sheirbhísí dlí agus ar chúiteamh i ngach bliain le cúig bliana anuas ó 2005-06 go 2009-10 sa tábla thíos.

Details of expenditure that the Department of Education has coded to legal services and compensation in each of the last five years from 2005-06 to 2009-10 are provided in the table below.

In years where a number of cases are withdrawn and the associated accounting provision for legal fees is reversed, this can result in an overall negative cost for the year.

Economic Appraisal for Minor or Capital Works

Mr M Storey asked the Minister of Education to detail the number of schools for which an economic appraisal for minor or capital works is out of date and needs to be revised, broken down by (i) Education and Library Board; and (ii) sector.

(AQW 1961/11)

Minister of Education: An Economic Appraisal is required for all major capital works (i.e. those over £500k) but not for minor works. The economic appraisal is an ongoing process and needs to be continually reviewed up to the date of commencement of the capital building project in line with NI Guide to Expenditure Appraisal and Evaluation (NIGEAE)

There are a total of 181 major capital schemes (covering 209 schools) for which Economic Appraisals are at various stages of development. These schemes fall into 2 categories:

1. Schemes on the Investment Delivery Plan (IDP) – 67 schemes for 72 schools; and
2. Unannounced schemes – 114 schemes for 137 schools.

Economic Appraisals for 18 schemes remaining on the IDP and one Economic Appraisal (for one school) for an unannounced scheme are currently completed or in the final stages of completion in line with NIGEAE requirements.

Sonraítear sa tábla thíos na 187 scoil atá fágtha a bhfuil forbairtí nó athbhreithnithe á ndéanamh orthu ar aon dul le NIGEAE agus iad miondealaithe de réir boird agus earnála.

The table below details the remaining 187 schools which are being developed or are under review in line with NIGEAE broken down by board and sector.

Investment Delivery Plan

Mr M Storey asked the Minister of Education to list the schools that are not included in her Department's Investment Delivery Plan, broken down by (i) Education and Library Board; and (ii) sector.

(AQW 1962/11)

Minister of Education: Glacaim leis go mbaineann do cheist le scoileanna a bhfuil infheistíocht caipitil le haghaidh foirgnimh scoile nua á lorg acu, ach nach bhfuil mar chuid den Phlean Seachadta um Infheistíocht.

I assume your request relates to schools which are seeking capital investment for a new school build but which are not on the current Investment delivery Plan.

There are 114 projects (comprising 137 schools) which are at an early stage in planning and have yet to be announced for capital investment. These are schools that have been identified by the school managing authorities as requiring new accommodation. The table attached gives a breakdown of these projects by area board and sector.

Schools identified as requiring new accommodation not currently on the IDP

PRIMARY

POST PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Bullying in Schools

Mr M Storey asked the Minister of Education what steps she has taken in the last year to reduce the incidence of bullying in schools.

(AQW 1964/11)

Minister of Education: Níl aon leithscéal ná áit don tromaíocht sna scoileanna, is cuma cén fhoirm di atá i gceist nó cén fáth a tharlaíonn sí. Tá an Roinn tiomanta tabhairt faoin cheist seo agus bheith gníomhach agus í ag fiosrú na bealaí leis an tromaíocht a chosc.

Bullying, in whatever form and for whatever reason, has no place in schools. The Department is committed to tackling this issue and is pro-active in examining ways to prevent it.

The Department is an active member of the local Anti-bullying Forum (NIABF) and funds the regional coordinator post attached to the NIABF who is involved in delivering the 3-year Anti-Bullying Strategy which includes an annual anti-bullying week.

This year, Anti-Bullying Week is 15-19 November and aims to determine where bullying takes place in schools and what can be done to stop it. Activities include the dissemination of anti-bullying resource packs for schools and an art and multi-media competition for pupils around the theme. The winning entries will be displayed at the Crescent Arts Centre and the full range of entries will also be displayed at 5 other local venues.

The Inter-Board Group is working to develop a common approach to tackle bullying in schools. In October this year, the Inter-Board group launched a CD-ROM entitled "Let’s Stop Bullying". This interactive resource was developed for all primary and special schools and has been made available through the C2K system. The Department provided the funding to produce the localised version of this resource.

The department plans to repeat research undertaken in 2007 and 2002 on "The Nature and Extent of Bullying in Schools in the North of Ireland" to maintain accurate information about what is happening in schools currently. In the last few months, the Department has set up a reference group which has developed terms of reference for this research and the contract to undertake the study will shortly go out to public tender.

The independent schools’ counselling service remains available in all grant aided post-primary schools allowing pupils to speak to a trained counsellor about their concerns or fears around bullying. It is expected that this service will shortly be extended to post primary aged pupils in all special schools.

New Build for Castle Tower Special School

Mr M Storey asked the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 1235/11, when she expects the economic appraisal for a new build for Castle Tower Special School to be completed.

(AQW 1966/11)

Minister of Education: In view of the financial constraints on my Department’s capital budget and uncertainty over the level of resources available for the coming years, I cannot provide a timeframe for completion of the economic appraisal in respect of the potential project for Castle Tower Special School.

Mar is eol duit, bhain mé usáid éifeachtach as an chistiú caipitil a bhí ar fáil do mo Roinn agus, má fhaightear go leor cistithe caipitil, leanfaidh mé leis an infheistíocht ar athnuachan an eastáit scoile. Beidh mé ar lorg tacaíochta ó mo chomhghleacaithe sa Choiste Feidhmiúcháin maidir leis seo.

As you are aware I have effectively utilised the capital funding available to my Department and, provided with sufficient capital funds, I will continue to invest in renewing the schools estate. I will continue to seek my Executive colleagues support in this regard.

Entrances of Schools

Mr T Burns asked the Minister of Education to detail the name and address of (i) primary schools; and (ii) secondary schools which have an entrance, used by pupils, situated on a road with a speed limit of (a) 20mph; (b) 30mph; (c) 40mph; (d) 50mph; and (e) 60mph, broken down by Education and Library Board area.

(AQW 1972/11)

Minister of Education: Cé go bhfuil mo Roinn ábalta ainmneacha agus seoltaí na scoileanna ar fad atá san eastát a chur ar fáil, ní choinnítear an t-eolas a d’iarr tú. As siocair go bhfuil freagracht ag an Roinn Forbartha Réigiúnaí as teorainneacha luais ar bhóithre taobh amuigh de scoileanna, mholfainn duit an cheist a chur ar aghaidh chuig an Roinn sin.

While my Department can provide the names and addresses of all schools in the estate it does not retain the information you have requested. As the speed limit on roads outside schools is the responsibility of the Department of Regional Development, I would suggest that your question is redirected to that Department.

Teacher Substitution

Mr J Dallat asked the Minister of Education to detail the cost of teacher substitution, to cover teachers released from their posts for examination duties for which they are remunerated by the examination boards, in each of the last three years.

(AQW 1974/11)

Minister of Education: Ní choinníonn an Roinn an t-eolas seo ach rinneadh teagmháil le Príomhfheidhmeannach na Comhairle Curaclaim, Scrúdúcháin agus Measúnaithe. Sonraítear sa tábla thíos na costais foriomlána a bhaineann le clúdach ionadaithe i leith ollthuarastail, costas na bhfostóirí agus táille chaighdeánach luacha saothair a thugtar do gach múinteoir a théann amach le haghaidh dualgas scrúdúcháin.

The Department does not hold this information and contacted the Chief Executive of the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA). The attached table details overall substitution cover costs in respect of gross salary, employers costs plus a standard remuneration fee which is made to each teacher released for examination duties.

14-19 Statement

Mr C Lyttle asked the Minister of Education for an update on the 14-19 Statement, particularly in relation to careers.

(AQW 1990/11)

Minister of Education: Tá mo Roinn ag obair go dlúth leis an Roinn Fostaíochta agus Foghlama le comhráiteas a ullmhú a leagann amach an chomhobair atá á déanamh ag an dá roinn lena chinntiú go bhfuil na polasaithe agus na cláir atá dírithe ar an aoisghrúpa 14-19 ar aon dul le chéile agus lena chinntiú go gcuirtear a n-aidhmeanna uileghabhálacha in iúl ar bhealach níos soiléire ná mar a tharla san am atá thart.

My Department is working closely with DEL to prepare a joint statement that sets out how the two departments are working together to ensure that policies and programmes aimed at young people in the 14-19 age group are aligned and their overarching aims communicated more clearly than perhaps has been the case in the past. That statement will include a clear focus on providing effective careers education, information, advice and guidance for young people and will also be informed by work being led by the Executive Sub-Committee on the Economy to develop a new economic strategy for the north of Ireland.

Work on the statement is progressing well at official level and I expect to meet the newly appointed Employment and Learning Minister in due course to discuss and agree a final text that will then be brought to the relevant Assembly Committees for consideration before being published.

Efficiency Savings

Mr S Moutray asked the Minister of Education to what extent she intends to prioritise efficiency savings over cuts in preparation for the next Budget.

(AQW 2009/11)

Minister of Education: D’iarr an Céad-Aire agus an leasChéad-Aire cruinniú le Príomh-Aire na Breataine. De dheasca na h-idirbheartaíochta sin, beidh an Coiste Feidhmiúcháin freagrach as Clár don Rialtas agus dréachtBhuiséad a shocrú, a leagann amach pleananna caiteachais na Ranna.

The First Minister and deputy First Minister have requested a meeting with the British Prime Minister. Following those negotiations it is then up to the Executive to agree a Programme for Government and a draft Budget setting departmental spending plans. Until that happens, I will not be in a position to make detailed decisions on future funding for education. When I have details of the draft budget I will, as always, seek to drive efficiencies, cut bureaucracy and protect frontline services as far as possible. The creation of ESA would deliver significant efficiency savings and release a total of some £80 million across the budget period. The ongoing delay is damaging the education system, demoralising staff, obstructing key reforms and wasting scarce resources on unnecessary administration.

Single Education System

Mr M Storey asked the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 1466/11, why her answer did not state whether her department has made an assessment of whether educating children in a single education statement would (i) assist; or (ii) hinder the delivery of its community relations policy to 'encourage cross-community interaction and co-operation; to support and develop respect for each other's beliefs and backgrounds; and to encourage mutual understanding, recognition and respect for cultural diversity'.

(AQW 2016/11)

Minister of Education: The answers to AQW 1465/11 and AQW 1466/11 did not state if my department has made an assessment of whether educating children in a single education system would assist or hinder my department’s responsibility to promote good community relations, which is addressed, in part, through my department’s Community Relations policy, because it was not clear from the question as to the form of the single education system referred to. 

If the single education system referred to is the Education and Skills Authority (ESA), which the Assembly has already voted in favour of, then it is the Department’s assessment that the establishment of ESA would assist the delivery of the proposed new Community Relations, Equality and Diversity Policy and the department’s responsibility to promote good community relations by bringing consistency to its delivery, allowing resources to be managed centrally and by maximising the linkages between the formal and informal curriculum within a single management structure, as well as allowing opportunities for cross community interaction and co-operation to be maximised.

Má bhaineann na ceisteanna le córas oideachais aonair seachas an ESA, ní dhearna mo Roinn measúnú ar aon chóras teoiriciúil eile oideachais aonair.

If the questions related to any single education system other than ESA, then my department has not made an assessment of any other theoretical system of single education.

Single Education System

Mr M Storey asked the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 1465/11, why her answer did not state whether her department has made an assessment of whether educating children in a single education system would (i) assist; or (ii) hinder the delivery of its responsibility to promote good community relations.

(AQW 2020/11)

Minister of Education: The answers to AQW 1465/11 and AQW 1466/11 did not state if my department has made an assessment of whether educating children in a single education system would assist or hinder my department’s responsibility to promote good community relations, which is addressed, in part, through my department’s Community Relations policy, because it was not clear from the question as to the form of the single education system referred to. 

If the single education system referred to is the Education and Skills Authority (ESA), which the Assembly has already voted in favour of, then it is the Department’s assessment that the establishment of ESA would assist the delivery of the proposed new Community Relations, Equality and Diversity Policy and the department’s responsibility to promote good community relations by bringing consistency to its delivery, allowing resources to be managed centrally and by maximising the linkages between the formal and informal curriculum within a single management structure, as well as allowing opportunities for cross community interaction and co-operation to be maximised.

Má bhaineann na ceisteanna le córas oideachais aonair seachas an ESA, ní dhearna mo Roinn measúnú ar aon chóras teoiriciúil eile oideachais aonair.

If the questions related to any single education system other than ESA, then my department has not made an assessment of any other theoretical system of single education.

Article 32(4) of the Education Order (NI) 1998

Mr M Storey asked the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 1470/11, whether or not her plan to amend Article 32(4) of the Education Order (NI) 1998 requires (i) legislation in the Assembly; or (ii) Executive approval.

(AQW 2021/11)

Minister of Education: Scríobh mé chuig an Choiste Feidhmiúcháin ar an 23 Márta 2010 le cur in iúl dóibh go raibh sé de rún agam deireadh a chur leis an cheanglas reachtach atá ar scoileanna tosaíocht a thabhairt do pháistí atá ina gcónaí i dtuaisceart na hÉireann agus cúnamh iompair a chur ar fáil do dhaltaí atá ag freastal ar scoileanna sa deisceart. Thug mé le fios go mbeadh faomhadh an Choiste Feidhmiúcháin á lorg agam leis na leasuithe sa reachtaíocht a rith tríd an Tionól.

I wrote to the Executive on 23 March 2010 indicating my intention to pursue the deletion of the legislative requirement for schools to give priority to children resident in the north of Ireland and to extend transport assistance to pupils attending southern schools. I advised that I would be seeking the Executive’s approval to take the necessary legislative amendments through the Assembly.

Definition of "Bigotry"

Mr M Storey asked the Minister of Education pursuant to her answer to AQW 1238/11, for her assessment of how the statistics quoted in her answer correspond to the dictionary definition of 'bigotry'.

(AQW 2025/11)

Minister of Education: The statistics quoted in AQW 1238/11 clearly demonstrate that the system of selecting and rejecting children at the age of 10 or 11 through the use of high-stakes tests resulted in higher numbers of those from more affluent areas and backgrounds gaining access to academically selective schools. There was a bias towards those from more affluent areas and discrimination against those from disadvantaged areas. In the dictionary "bias" and "discrimination" are synonyms for "bigotry".

Creidim go bhfuil sé éigeart agus éagórach go mbíonn níos lú seans ag páistí áirithe áit a fháil i scoileanna áirithe mar gheall ar a gcúlra sóisialta nó imthosca an teaghlaigh. Sin an fáth go n-impím ar gach scoil cloí le polasaí mo Roinne ar aistriú iarbhunscoile a bhfuil an comhionannas i gcroílár an pholasaí.

I consider it wrong and unjust that certain children should have less chance of gaining access to certain schools because of their social background or family circumstances. That is why I continue to urge all schools to adhere to my Department’s post-primary transfer policy which has equality at its core.

Health and Safety Works

Mr M Storey asked the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 1340/11, to list all work that her Department has undertaken in conjunction with the education and library boards to (i) introduce additional fields on the estates database; (ii) capture more specific information on reported health and safety works; and (iii) bring clarity to what constitutes health and safety works.

(AQW 2026/11)

Minister of Education: The Department has been working with representatives from the Education and Library Boards who are responsible for the development and maintenance of the Manhattan estate management database. As you will be aware, this is the data store for information regarding the condition of the schools’ estate and from it is obtained the backlog figure for maintenance of the estate. The work being carried out involves some modifications to database fields to support the efficient interrogation of the data.

The work is not yet complete, but will provide the Department with regular maintenance backlog information from the database and will detail that element of the backlog that is attributable to health and safety matters and therefore deemed to be an urgent priority. It is however anticipated that this figure is likely to be relatively small, as health and safety matters that are deemed to be urgent and considered as having a level of unacceptable risk are normally addressed without delay and do not therefore generally feature in the reported backlog figure.

Mar a bhí sonraithe i m’fhreagra ar AQW 1340/11, tá baint ag an téarma sláinte agus sábháilteacht le cuid mhór ceisteanna cothabhála. De ghnáth meastar cothabháil bheith riachtanach nuair atá codanna den eastát meathlaithe nó millte. Tugtar tosaíocht don obair seo de réir leibhéal riosca an mheathlúcháin sin. Má mheastar an riosca seo bheith do-ghlactha, tugtar faoi láithreach bonn de ghnáth, mar atá sonraithe cheana féin.

As detailed in my response AQW 1340/11, the term health and safety could be attached to many maintenance issues. Maintenance is normally deemed to be required when elements of the estate either deteriorate or are damaged. This work is prioritised according to the level of risk that is attributable to that deterioration. If this risk is deemed to be unacceptable then, as already stated, it is normally addressed immediately.

Bus Passes

Mr C Lyttle asked the Minister of Education (i) to outline the rationale for permitting preference for the six categories of suitable schools when assessing entitlement for free bus passes to travel to school, but not the preference for single sex or co-educational education; (ii) whether she would consider giving parents this preference; and (iii) if any analysis has been carried out to assess the costs involved in making pupils' bus passes more flexible in relation to the preference for single sex and co-educational schools, and if not, whether she would consider carrying out such an analysis.

(AQW 2034/11)

Minister of Education: Historically, education in the North has been associated with the two main religious faiths and has developed over very many years in recognition of the needs and diversities of the whole community. This, coupled with the maintenance of grammar sectors within denominational and non-denominational schools, introduced 4 of our 6 current categories of schools. The integrated and the Irish-medium categories reflect important requirements under Article 64 of The Education Reform (NI) Order 1989, and Article 89 of The Education (NI) Order 1998.

I consistently challenge the basis for the grammar sectors, but otherwise the sectors reflect a recognition that community and individual identity needs to be reflected in the school system. Pupils and parents may have preferences for single-sex or co-educational schools, but their need for either may not consensually be considered as comparable to our children’s need for schooling that reflects their community and individual identity.

Ní dhearnadh aon anailís ar oideachas aon-ghnéis/ar chomhoideachas a thabhairt isteach mar fhochatagóir bhreise ar na critéir cháilitheachta le haghaidh iompair, nó ar cheisteanna oideachais eile níos leithne ina n-úsáidtear na catagóirí reatha agus níl aon phleananna agam faoi láthair í a dhéanamh. Bheadh sé neamhfhóirsteanach sa timpeallacht eacnamaíoch seo tuilleadh deighilte ar na catagóirí scoile a dhéanamh, rud a d’fhéadfaí costais a ardú.

No analysis has been carried out of the option of introducing single-sex/co-education as a further sub-categorisation of the transport eligibility criteria, or to other wider educational matters where the existing categorisations are used and I have no immediate plans to do so. A further division of school categories, which has the potential to increase costs, is inappropriate in the current economic climate.

Delivery of Telecommunications

Mr M Storey asked the Minister of Education to list all companies currently responsible for the delivery of telecommunications for her Department.

(AQW 2049/11)

Minister of Education: Soláthraíonn na comhlachtaí seo a leanas teileachumarsáid do mo Roinn:

The following companies provide telecommunications for my Department:

• British Telecom
• Eircom
• Orange
• Vodafone

Cost of Calls and Lines Supplied by BT

Mr M Storey asked the Minister of Education to detail the cost of calls and lines supplied by BT to her Department in each of the last five years.

(AQW 2050/11)

Minister of Education: Tugtar sonraí sa tábla thíos ar na méideanna a íocadh le BT agus a bhain le glaonna gutháin agus cíos líne, i ngach bliain le cúig bliana anuas.

Amounts paid to BT and coded to telephone calls and line rentals, in each of the last five years, are provided in the table below.

ey Goudie

Cost of Translating and Publishing Documents in Irish

Mr T Clarke asked the Minister of Education to detail the cost of (i) translating; and (ii) publishing all documents associated with her Department in Irish in each of the last four years.

(AQW 2079/11)

Minister of Education: Sonraítear sa tábla seo a leanas caiteachas na Roinne Oideachais ar aistriúcháin agus ar fhoilsitheoireacht sa Ghaeilge i ngach bliain le ceithre bliana anuas:

The Department of Education’s expenditure on translating and publishing documents in Irish in each of the last four years was as follows:

* For bilingual documents the total cost of printing is included.

Department for Employment and Learning

Internal Disciplinary Hearings

Mr P Ramsey asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to detail the number of internal disciplinary hearings involving (i) academic staff; and (ii) non-academic staff, in each of the Regional Colleges of Further Education, in each of the last five years.

(AQW 1686/11)

Minister for Employment and Learning (Mr D Kennedy): Under the Further Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1997, each College Governing Body is recognised as an employing authority in their own right. On this basis, all employment related issues, including disciplinary matters and managing sick absences, are a matter for the designated institution. As a result, my Department does not hold this information.

I have therefore asked the six Further Education College Directors to respond to you directly on this issue.

Staff Occupational Health

Mr P Ramsey asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to detail the cost of occupational health for (i) academic staff; and (ii) non-academic staff, in each of the Regional Colleges of Further Education, in each of the last five years.

(AQW 1687/11)

Minister for Employment and Learning: Under the Further Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1997, each College Governing Body is recognised as an employing authority in their own right. On this basis, all employment related issues, including disciplinary matters and managing sick absences, are a matter for the designated institution. As a result, my Department does not hold this information.

I have therefore asked the six Further Education College Directors to respond to you directly on this issue.

Work Related Stress

Mr P Ramsey asked the Minister for Employment and Learning how much each Regional College of Further Education spent on replacement staff, as a result of sick leave taken for work related stress by (i) academic staff; and (ii) non-academic staff, in each of the last five years.

(AQW 1688/11)

Minister for Employment and Learning: Under the Further Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1997, each College Governing Body is recognised as an employing authority in their own right. On this basis, all employment related issues, including disciplinary matters and managing sick absences, are a matter for the designated institution. As a result, my Department does not hold this information.

I have therefore asked the six Further Education College Directors to respond to you directly on this issue.

Enrolling Foreign Nationals

Miss M McIlveen asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what steps he is taking to assist colleges and universities in addressing the difficulties of enrolling foreign nationals.

(AQW 1744/11)

Minister for Employment and Learning: Whilst my Department has no remit to intervene in the awarding of student visas, it works closely with local further and higher education institutions to ensure that they are aware of issues impacting on students who may require visas to study in Northern Ireland.

To ensure that Northern Ireland related visa issues are considered at a national level my department has representation on the UK Joint Education Taskforce (JET). The JET is made up of representatives from the four devolved administrations with responsibility for work areas linked to the United Kingdom Border Agency’s (UKBA) visa system. This forum has been used by officials to help inform local institutions of changes to student visa regulations and to raise issues arising from such changes.

Queen's University

Miss M McIlveen asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to detail the reasons identified by Queen's University for the failure of students to complete courses.

(AQW 1749/11)

Minister for Employment and Learning: Research carried out by the University has identified a range of reasons, common across the higher education sector, as to why students withdraw from their courses. These include poor compatibility between the student, and their course and institution; lack of preparation for the higher education experience; lack of commitment to the course; lack of social integration and poor academic progress. The University’s research also found that, whilst a contributing factor, financial hardship is not the primary reason for the failure of students to complete their course.

Officer Training Corps

Mr A McQuillan asked the Minister for Employment and Learning which campuses of our universities recruit for Officer Training Corps in the armed forces; and if not in all campuses, the reason why.

(AQW 1770/11)

Minister for Employment and Learning:There are 19 University Officer Training Corps throughout the United Kingdom, each of which serves the universities in a distinct geographic area.

The Queen’s University Officer Training Corps has been in existence since 1908. Membership is open to all third-level students of any Higher Education or Further Education institution in Northern Ireland. This includes students of the University of Ulster, Stranmillis and St Mary’s University Colleges. However, for security reasons, it would not be appropriate to outline the number of students from each of these institutions who are members of the Officer Training Corps.

The location of Officer Training Corps facilities is a matter for the Army and, ultimately, the Ministry of Defence. I am, however, strongly supportive of the role of the Queen's University Officer Training Corps and the opportunities it provides to students from across Northern Ireland's higher education institutions.

Staff Mileage Claims

Mr A Easton asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to detail the cost, to his Department, of staff mileage claims in the last financial year.

(AQW 1794/11)

Minister for Employment and Learning: The Department for Employment and Learning incurred £450,526 in the 2009/10 financial year as a result of mileage claims from staff.

Student Drop-out Rates

Miss M McIlveen asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what steps universities are taking to address student drop-out rates; and what assistance his Department is providing in relation to this matter.

(AQW 1821/11)

Minister for Employment and Learning: Both Queen’s University and the University of Ulster regard the issue of student retention as an institutional priority and have in place a range of mechanisms to address student drop-out rates. Details of these are attached at Annex A.

Northern Ireland’s participation rates of young people in Higher Education are now the highest in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland outperforms the other regions in increased access to higher education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, there is a correlation between widening participation and increased drop-out rates. In recognition of this, my Department pays the higher education institutions around £1.5m per year in the form of a Widening Participation premium to support the recruitment and retention of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The

issue of drop-out rates among disadvantaged students is also being specifically addressed in the development of the Regional Strategy for Widening Participation in Higher Education.

Annex A

Queen’s University, Belfast

In addressing the issue of student retention, Queen’s University has in place a comprehensive portfolio of measures for student mentoring and development, which seeks to ensure that all students optimise their potential and leave the University with the best possible academic qualification.

The University’s ‘Supporting Student Attainment Sub-Group’ oversees this portfolio, providing a strategic and coordinated approach to the issue. The portfolio recognises that measures to improve student retention need to start well before entry to university, and continue throughout the first semester, the first year and beyond. Such measures rely on the full involvement of teaching staff and are embedded in programme content and learning, teaching and assessment strategies.

Initiatives that the University has taken to enhance retention rates include:

• Establishing minimum undergraduate student retention targets for each School.
• Developing a prospective student portal, reviewing open days, and developing a range of events for teachers and pupils so that prospective students have a better idea of the demands and rewards of university.
• Reviewing and refining welcome, induction and orientation programmes.
• Introducing a 10% contribution of Level 1 results to the overall degree classification.
• Implementing a Student at Risk policy.
• Introducing Personal Tutors for Levels 1 and 2 students.
• Piloting peer mentoring.
• Establishing, as a single point of contact, the Student Guidance Centre, which houses a number of practical and pastoral services for students—ranging from welfare and finance, to disability and counselling services.
• Establishing a Learning Development Service which provides one-to-one support for students with particular needs, as well as learning support and assistance for Schools.
• Helping new students to identify with their subject area in order to improve student engagement, for example, by including the development of social space within Schools.
• Providing a range of support mechanisms through the Students’ Union and Student Accommodation service in order to foster a greater sense of ‘student community’.
• Developing and promoting extra-curricular activities through the Degree Plus programme.

Progress against these targets is monitored through the annual performance management reports, produced at both School and corporate level, and are reviewed annually as an integral part of the academic planning process.

University of Ulster

The University of Ulster has conducted research on the multi-factorial nature of student non-continuation and actions that might impact on this through two projects funded by the Department for Employment and Learning. The University has adopted the recommendations of these projects.

As first year students have the highest non-continuation rates, the University has given increased priority to first-year non-continuation and progression in its current Teaching and Learning Strategy, 2008/09-2012/13. The figure for first year early leavers has decreased by 4% over the past four years.

The University monitors non-continuation and progression data on a regular basis and works with faculties to address specific issues identified through this monitoring. The University’s Senate reviews non-continuation regularly and has set targets for the reduction of the figure at faculty level year-on-year. Progress towards these targets is reviewed annually.

There have been recent internal audits, by the University’s external auditors, of the University’s processes for monitoring and managing student non-continuation which found that the processes are operating as intended and are aimed at pro-actively addressing the causes of non-continuation.

Failure of Students to Complete Courses

Miss M McIlveen asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to detail the reasons identified by the University of Ulster for the failure of students to complete courses.

(AQW 1822/11)

Minister for Employment and Learning: The University advises that students fail to complete courses for a variety of reasons, many of them inter-related. These include;

• commuter population – approximately 45% of the University's students live at home and commute to university which can present difficulties in engendering a feeling of belonging and result in students feeling disconnected;

• first generation students – the University of Ulster has a higher proportion of first generation students than other universities, which aligns to its objective of widening participation. These students may lack the wider support network of family and friends that other students may benefit from.

• financial/economic circumstances – the University has a high incidence of term-time employment with 69% of students working whilst studying. Additionally, 63% of students at the University of Ulster work for more than the nationally recommended average of less than 10 hours per week;

The University also cites unrealistic and/or unreasonable expectations of higher education on the part of students as a reason for them failing to complete their course.

Student Finance

Mr P Weir asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what discussions his Department has had with the UK government in relation to student finance, since the publication of the Browne report.

(AQW 1884/11)

Minister for Employment and Learning: Since the publication of the Browne Report on 12 October, and the statements in the House of Commons on the Browne Report and the Comprehensive Spending review, as well as the Government response to the Browne report, officials in my Department have been in regular contact with their counterparts in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in England. Officials are also due to engage with their counterparts from all of the UK administrations at a meeting of the Student Finance Quadrilateral Group, to be held later this month.

On 3 November 2010, I had a telephone conversation with David Willetts, Minister of State for Universities and Science, prior to his statement in the House of Commons, in which he set out the UK Government response to the Browne proposals. We have agreed to arrange a formal meeting as soon as possible, to discuss amongst other issues, the Browne report and the issues around higher education funding, tuition fees and student finance. This discussion will, of course, be set in the context of the budget position following the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending review.

Premature Retirement Compensation Scheme

Mr P Butler asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what steps he intends to take to ensure that the six regional colleges adopt a common sector-wide approach when implementing Premature Retirement Compensation severance payments for lecturers in the Further Education sector.

(AQW 1963/11)

Minister for Employment and Learning: Whilst my Department has no statutory role in the operation of any aspect of the Teachers’ Premature Retirement Compensation Scheme, it has consistently encouraged the Further Education (FE) sector to adopt a uniform policy, to ensure that lecturers are treated equitably regardless of which college they are employed by.

As a result of my Department encouraging the adoption of a common approach the college employers submitted a ‘sector wide’ proposal to the Department on 17th September 2010. My Department provided clarification, as requested, on 14^th October 2010 that this proposal is within the parameters of the Teachers’ Premature Retirement Scheme.

This response also advised College employers that any proposal remains subject to discussion with the recognised Trade Unions, using the established negotiating mechanisms.

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment

Integrated Business Survey System

Mr G Savage asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment when the integrated business survey system will be operating in his Department; and how many Civil Service jobs will be lost as a result.

(AQW 1935/11)

Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (Mrs A Foster): The build of the new integrated survey system is expected to commence in March 2011, subject to financial approval being obtained as part of the Budget 2010 exercise. A recent economic appraisal anticipated that this could ultimately release resources equivalent to 12 full time posts.

Limavady Gear Company

Mr J Dallat asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to detail any discussions she had in relation to saving jobs at the Limavady Gear Company.

(AQW 1976/11)

Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: On 22^nd October 2010 I was informed by Invest NI that Limavady Gear Company had been placed in Administration. I am saddened by this news and the uncertainty that it brings to the employees and their families. I have discussed the situation with Invest NI and asked them to continue the discussions that have been ongoing with the Company, the Ulster Bank and the Administrators.

Limavady Gear is an important employer in the Limavady area and while it is too early to comment on any outcomes from the Administration process, I will be doing all I can to ensure the best possible outcome.

Queen's Festival

Mr J Spratt asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what potential impact any proposed cuts in funding to the Northern Ireland Tourist Board may have on the Queen's Festival.

(AQO 566/11)

Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: It is proposed that two funding programmes will be available in 2011/12, a National Funding Programme and an International Funding Programme. The Northern Ireland Tourist Board’s Events Unit is preparing to open a call for funding events through these programmes in the financial year 2011/2012 in early December 2010.

All applications received will be ranked on merit with the highest scoring events receiving funding until the available funds are exhausted. At this stage it is not possible to predict the outcome of an open and transparent application process on the Belfast Festival at Queens should an application be submitted.

Department of the Environment

Car Dismantling Yards

Mr D McKay asked the Minister of the Environment what action he is taking to ensure that owners of car dismantling yards which operate illegally and without a Waste Management licence are prosecuted.

(AQW 1773/11)

Minister of the Environment (Mr E Poots): The Northern Ireland Environment Agency’s Environmental Crime Unit continues to investigate all intelligence it receives on serious and persistent environmental offending, including the operation of unlicensed vehicle breakers’ yards. Investigations are carried out in the most serious cases. Prosecution cases are submitted to the Public Prosecution Service, which bases its decisions on the evidence presented by NIEA and consideration of public interest and sufficiency of evidence.

Masterplans for Town Centres

Ms M Ritchie asked the Minister of the Environment for his assessment of Masterplans for town centres.

(AQW 1956/11)

Minister of the Environment: I welcome the work being led by DSD in preparing Masterplans for town centres in Northern Ireland. I believe Masterplanning is an important tool in assisting the regeneration of our town centres and I have encouraged my officials to work closely with DSD officials in taking it forward. I believe the delivery of the reform of local government and the transfer of land use planning and regeneration to the new 11 councils will enable Masterplanning to be even more effective as it will be joined up with mainstream planning under local councils.

Review of Planning Fees

Mr C Lyttle asked the Minister of the Environment to outline the timescale for his review of planning fees.

(AQW 1989/11)

Minister of the Environment: A public consultation paper, "Planning Fees in Northern Ireland: Proposals for Change", was published on 8 November 2010 and the consultation will run until 4 January 2011. My Department will carefully consider any responses received and draft appropriate subordinate legislation.

Subject to the Assembly process it would be my intention to bring forward this legislation within the life of this current Assembly.

Houses in Multiple Occupation

Mr G Campbell asked the Minister of the Environment what consideration he has given to adopting the principles underlying the Houses in Multiple Occupation Subject Plan for the Belfast area to towns on the north coast, where there is a high density of Houses in Multiple Occupation.

(AQW 2006/11)

Minister of the Environment: As you will be aware my Department sought to address the issues arising from houses in multiple occupation (HMO) in certain parts of the Coleraine Borough through the preparation of a HMO Subject Plan for the Borough.

Unfortunately work on the HMO Subject Plan had to be suspended due to the ongoing problems experienced by the Department following a series of judicial reviews relating to the process of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) which needs to accompany the preparation of a development plan.

My Department will keep the situation under review, particularly in light of further developments with regard to the SEA issue. Given the financial pressures currently facing my Department however I am not able to give any assurance at this time in relation to specific areas of work that will be taken forward.

Local Council Staff

Mr D Hilditch asked the Minister of the Environment to detail the number of local council staff who are paid a salary of £40,000 or more, broken down by each of the 26 local councils.

(AQW 2007/11)

Minister of the Environment: The information requested is not held in precisely the format requested. Councils, as directed by my officials, record numbers of staff earning £50k or more in their annual accounts. Details of the number of staff in each council earning £50k or more in the last financial year is detailed in the table below.

Information about the number of staff in the salary band £40k to £50k may be available from any individual council in which you have an interest.

Number of Staff earning £50k or more
Council	2009/10
	£
Antrim	3
Ards	5
Armagh	7
Ballymena	6
Ballymoney	7
Banbridge	5
Belfast	52
Carrickfergus	5
Castlereagh	4
Coleraine	8
Cookstown	6
Craigavon	4
Derry	21
Down	4
Dungannon & S Tyrone	6
Fermanagh	7
Larne	5
Limavady	4
Lisburn	6
Magherafelt	5
Moyle	2
Newry & Mourne	8
Newtownabbey	5
North Down	6
Omagh	9
Strabane	6
TOTAL

Efficiency Savings

Mr S Moutray asked the Minister of the Environment to what extent he intends to prioritise efficiency savings over cuts in preparation for the next budget.

(AQW 2013/11)

Minister of the Environment: During the current financial year, my Department has faced significant budgetary pressures, most notably arising from a substantial reduction in the level of income from planning applications. In seeking to address this pressure, I have ensured that all necessary steps have been taken to minimise the impact of this funding shortfall on the delivery of frontline services.

In respect of the outcome of the Budget 2010 process, my priority will be to continue to protect frontline services and, where possible, seek to deliver savings through more efficient and effective service provision.

Illegal Dumping at Ballyhornan Road, Downpatrick

Mr B Wilson asked the Minister of the Environment for an update on the investigation into illegal dumping at Ballyhornan Road, Downpatrick.

(AQW 2077/11)

Minister of the Environment: A full investigation into an incident of illegal dumping at Ballyhornan Road, Downpatrick has been conducted by the NIEA Environmental Crime Unit and a file will shortly be submitted to the Public Prosecution Service.

Tree Preservation Orders

Mr B Wilson asked the Minister of the Environment what action has been taken to enforce the Tree Preservation Orders on the trees felled at Myrtle Lodge, Newcastle.

(AQW 2078/11)

Minister of the Environment: The Department has taken legal advice and is currently considering its position in relation to enforcement action regarding the felling of trees covered by the Tree Preservation Order.

Details cannot be disclosed at this time due to data protection issues and to avoid any prejudice to legal action by the Department.

Income from Leisure Services

Mr T Burns asked the Minister of the Environment how much money has been raised as income from leisure services in each District Council in each of the last five years.

(AQW 2090/11)

Minister of the Environment: The information requested for the five financial years 2005/2006 to 2009/2010 is set out in the table below.

Early Retirement

Mr P McGlone asked the Minister of the Environment to detail (i) the amount of funding that has been allocated for early retirement within his Department for this financial year; (ii) the number of applications that have been approved to date in 2010/11 in (a) the Department; and (b) the Planning Service; (iii) the number of further applications expected to be approved in 2010/11; and (iv) the grades and ages that can avail of early retirement.

(AQW 2095/11)

1. Minister of the Environment: The terms under which civil servants may retire early on Approved Early Retirement (AER) terms are set out in the NICS HR Handbook. AER under element ‘b’ enables some staff to retire and take their pension before they reach the age of 60. There is no enhancement of service under element ‘b’. The Department has set aside c£250,000 for the funding of AER applications made under element ‘b’ in 2010-11 but expects this to generate initial net savings of £124,500.
2. a. The Department has approved 22 applications to date in the current financial year;

1. 10 of the approved applications relate to staff in the Planning Service

1. The Department is not in a position to say how many further applications it expects to approve in this current financial year. Each case is considered on its merits, on a value for money basis and following the completion of a detailed cost benefit analysis to determine if any savings will be achieved. However, two cases are under active consideration.
2. The option to apply for AER under element ‘b’ is open to any officer, irrespective of grade, aged over 55 years with a minimum of 25 years service.

Department of Finance and Personnel

Civil Servants' Salaries

Mr J Dallat asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel how many civil servants in each Department have received salary enhancements or bonuses (i) between £5,000 and £10,000; and (ii) in excess of £10,000, in each of the last three years; and to detail the grade and salary scale point of each recipent.

(AQW 1242/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel (Mr S Wilson): The information requested is provided in the attached tables.

Note : Some data has been aggregated to avoid the identification of individuals and their respective bonus payments in line with data protection principles.

Peace Money

Ms S Ramsey asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail (i) the groups in the greater West Belfast area that have received peace money from his Department in each of the last three years; and (ii) who provides the 35% match funding for each group.

(AQW 1489/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: The table below details PEACE III funding awarded to groups in West Belfast in the last three years.

¹ - These projects are sub-projects of the From Prison to Peace: Building on Experience project led by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland (CFNI)

² - These projects are sub-projects of the Belfast City Council Local Peace and Reconciliation Action Plan

³ - This project is a sub-project of the Newtownabbey Peace and Reconciliation Action Plan

⁴ - This project is a sub-project of the Lisburn Council Peace and Reconciliation Action Plan

Funding to PEACE III projects comprises 67.54% EU – from the European Regional Development Fund – and 32.46% match funding. The match funding is provided by the government departments in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland accountable for the relevant PEACE III Programme Themes. OFMdFM is the Northern Ireland accountable department for Programme Themes 1.1, 1.2 and 2.2, DSD for Theme 2.1, and DFP for the programme’s Technical Assistance needs.

Civil Servants

Mr T Clarke asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel how many civil servants have applied for (i) voluntary redundancy in the last year; and (ii) early retirement in each of the last three years.

(AQW 1588/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: Full details of applications for early retirement (including applications which were unsuccessful or withdrawn) are not available. Figures provided below are numbers of actual departures on early retirement or voluntary redundancy terms.

Numbers of NICS Early Retirementsin the financial years 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10

Notes:

¹ There were no compulsory redundancies/severances in the last 3 financial years.

²A retirement certificate must be issued in each case by a Medical Adviser, usually from the NICS Occupational Health service.

³ Individuals are entitled to retire under this category without management approval. There is no additional cost to the Exchequer.

Administrative Officers

Mr G Savage asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel, pursuant to AQW 3175/10, how many of the 2,406 Administrative Officers who left the Civil Service during that period did so having completed less that two years reckonable service.

(AQW 1710/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: The information requested is set out in the table below.

Barnett Consequentials

Mr P Weir asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel for his assessment of the impact of the proposed changes in university funding on the Barnett Consequentials .

(AQW 1785/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: Changes in UK Government funding for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, which may in part reflect changes in government funding to universities in England, impact on the Barnett Consequential for Northern Ireland. There is no hypothecation of Barnett consequentials and it will be a matter for the Employment and Learning Minister to determine the level of funding allocated to universities within the budget allocation eventually agreed for his department.

Administrative Assistants

Mr G Savage asked e Minister of Finance and Personnel, pursuant to AQW 3175/10, how many of the 5,517 Administrative Assistants who left the Civil Service during that period did so having completed less that two years reckonable service.

(AQW 1802/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: The information requested is set out in the table below.

Running Costs of Arms-length Bodies

Mr A Easton asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail the annual running costs of each Department's arms-length bodies for each of the last three years, broken down by (i) administrative costs; (ii) salaries; and (iii) capital spend.

(AQW 1836/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: The running costs of my department’s arms-length bodies for each of the last three years are outlined in the table below. This outturn reflects administrative costs only, as the bodies did not incur any salaries or capital expenditure.

My department does not hold this information in respect of other departments’ arms-length bodies.

EO2s

Mr G Savage asked Minister of Finance and Personnel, pursuant to AQW 3175/10, how many of the 460 EO2s who left the Civil Service during that period did so having completed less that two years reckonable service.

(AQW 1841/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: The information requested is set out in the table below.

Technical Grade 1

Mr G Savage asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel how many civil servants were employed at Technical Grade 1 as of 31 January 2007; and how many of these were women.

(AQW 1842/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: Information at 31 January 2007 is unavailable. At 1 February 2007 there were 323 civil servants employed at Technical Grade 1, of which 30 were female. This figure includes permanent staff only and excludes staff on career breaks.

Civil Service Pay Bands

Mr A Easton asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail the pay bands for each Grade within the Civil Service.

(AQW 1853/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Efficiency savings

Mr D McNarry asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail (i) the projected efficiency savings in all Executive Departments over the last five years; and (ii) the actual efficiencies achieved, expressed in terms of percentages and absolute amounts.

(AQW 1900/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: The tables below set out the efficiency savings targets, the actual efficiencies delivered and the percentage of the target. For 2010-11, the projected efficiencies deemed to be "on track" have been included.

Notes

Totals in above tables may not add due to rounding.

Civil Service Pension Fund

Mr T Burns asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel (i) how much money has been paid out to pension recipients of the Civil Service Pension Fund in each of the last ten years; (ii) how much money was received in contributions from active workers to this fund in each of the last ten years; and (iii) in any years in which there was a surplus, how that surplus was handled, invested or distributed.

(AQW 1965/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: The total amounts receivable and payable by the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (NI) are set out in the table overleaf.

There was no surplus of contribution over payments, in any of the years.

Civil Service

Mr P Weir asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail the number of (i) retirements from; and (ii) vacancies within, the Civil Service in each of the last five years.

(AQW 2000/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: The information requested is set out in the attached tables.

Table 1: Retirements from the NI Civil Service in each of the financial years 2005/06 to 2009/10

Table 2: Vacancies with the NI Civil Service in each of the last 5 years(as at 1 July in each year)

- Vacancy information obtained from data provided by Departments.

- 2006 & 2007 figures exclude Water Service, which transferred out of the NI Civil Service on 1 April 2008 and vacancy levels were not monitored.

- Figures at 1 July 2010 (latest available) include the Department of Justice and Public Prosecution Service, following devolution of policing and justice.

Impact of the Increase in VAT

Mr S Anderson asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel for his assessment of the relative impact of the increase in VAT from 17.5 per cent to 20 per cent on poorer families compared to more affluent families.

(AQW 2008/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: I have made no assessment of these impacts. The Northern Ireland Executive has no responsibility for the rate of Value Added Tax (VAT). This is a reserved matter and setting the rate of VAT and assessing its socio-economic impact is the responsibility of Her Majesty’s Treasury.

Impact of the Increase in VAT

Mr S Anderson asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel whether he has made any assessment of the impact on familes of the increase in VAT from 17.5 percent to 20 per cent.

(AQW 2010/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: I have made no assessment of these impacts. The Northern Ireland Executive has no responsibility for the rate of Value Added Tax (VAT). This is a reserved matter and setting the rate of VAT and assessing its socio-economic impact is the responsibility of Her Majesty’s Treasury.

Efficiency Savings

Mr S Moutray asked e Minister of Finance and Personnel to what extent he intends to prioritise efficiency savings over cuts in preparation for the next Budget.

(AQW 2030/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: The scale of the financial challenge faced by the Executive means that the first priority must be the pursuit of greater efficiencies in public service delivery. While some cuts in services are inevitable, reducing bureaucracy and administration costs should help to minimise the impact on the public. With this in mind I have proposed an Invest to Save fund in the forthcoming budget, which is designed to encourage and support the actions which underpin long term efficiency with service improvement.

Suicide

Mr T Burns asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel how many people who committed suicide in the last 10 years had their occupation recorded as farmer.

(AQW 2042/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: The attached table gives the number of deaths registered due to ‘suicide and self-inflicted injury’¹ and ‘undetermined injury whether accidentally or purposefully inflicted’² where the deceased’s occupation was recorded as farmer³ for each year between 2000 and 2009^P.

¹ International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes E950-E959 for 2000 and Tenth Revision codes X60-X84, Y87.0 for years 2001-2008.

² International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes E980-E989 for 2000 and Tenth Revision codes Y10-Y34, Y87.2 for years 2001-2008.

² Farmer occupations have been identified using SOC90 codes 160 and 900 for years 2000-2001 and SOC2000 Codes 1211, 5111, 9111 for years 2002-2009.

^P 2009 data is provisional

Table: Number of registered deaths due to ‘suicide and self-inflicted injury’ and ‘undetermined injury whether accidentally or purposefully inflicted’ to farmers, 2000 - 2009^P.

Civil Service Back Pay

Mr P Weir asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel for an estimate of the cost of paying full back-pay to all retired and current members of the Civil Service to the point at which Equal Pay differentials originated.

(AQW 2071/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Cycle-To-Work Scheme

Mr D Bradley asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel what discussions he has had with the Minister for Regional Development about the delay in introducing a Cycle-To-Work Scheme in the Civil Service.

(AQO 563/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: While I have not had any direct discussions with the DRD Minster, Conor Murphy, on the NICS introduction of a Cycle to Work scheme, officials from both Departments have been working together on the introduction of a scheme.

There are two issues currently delaying the proposed Cycle to Work Scheme. First, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs has changed its guidance on aspects of cycle to work schemes, which means that the pilot that was run in DRD is no longer suitable for full roll out across the NICS unless changes are made. DFP need to assess the impact of this.

Secondly and more importantly, introducing a scheme means that changes need to be made to the HR systems. This change sits alongside a range of other important changes that need to be made to our systems, some of them arising from statute and others associated with pay. These take priority.

Spending Priorities

Mr B Wilson asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel whether he intends to consult trade union representatives on spending priorities.

(AQW 2122/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: Consultation with Trade Unions has always been an integral part of the devolved budget process. For this current process, my officials met with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) in the pre-consultation phase in August. I personally met with ICTU to discuss the budget as recently as the 2^nd November. Once a draft Budget has been presented to the Assembly, it will then be subject to full public consultation, which gives local Trade Unions a further opportunity to contribute to the budget process.

Draft Budget to the Assembly

Mr P Givan asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel what the consequences are of failing to provide a draft budget to this Assembly within the timeframe previously outlined by the Minister.

(AQW 2166/11)

Minister of Finance and Personnel: It is important to stress that the timetable I previously outlined was already constrained due to the decision by HM Treasury to make a late Spending Review announcement in October.

The consequences of not having a draft budget released to public consultation in the next week or so are very serious. Putting aside the significant reputational damage it does to the Executive and Assembly in terms of not being mature enough to determine a draft budget position, it has additional negative impacts on public service delivery.

Organisations in the wider public sector in Northern Ireland such as Education Boards and Health Trusts need to have some degree of certainty in setting their budgets for 2011-12 and beyond. These budgets do not just appear on the 1^st April next year. There needs to be sufficient time made available to analyse what resources are being allocated and what services can be provided with those resources.

Furthermore there is a statutory duty imposed on the Executive to undertake meaningful consultation on the draft budget. That cannot be set aside just because some ministers cannot accept their responsibilities in the budget process.

It is also important to give sufficient time to the assembly committees to scrutinise the draft budget allocations and to engage with the various departments on the implications for service delivery.

Delay in setting these budgets would have a negative impact on those who depend on our public services, and that is an unacceptable scenario.

Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

Hospital Appointment Letters

Mr J Wells asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many appointment letters or other communications each Health and Social Care Trust sent to patients in (i) large print; (ii) braille; and (iii) audio format in each of the last three years.

(AQW 1681/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Mr M McGimpsey): This information is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Medical Secretary Redundancies

Mr C Lyttle asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for his assessment of the proposed Medical Secretary redundancies in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.

(AQW 1683/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: I would refer the member to my answer to AQW 149/2011.

Call-outs for Firework Related Incidents

Mr S Hamilton asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many (i) ambulance; and (ii) fire engine call outs there were during this Halloween period for firework related incidents; and the total estimated cost of these call outs.

(AQW 1684/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service has advised that this information is not available as its data relating to emergency call outs records clinical condition only and not social context.

The table below details the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service data for firework related incidents attended over the Halloween weekend and their estimated cost:

Note: Costs are based on an average NIFRS cost per mobilised incident.

Home-Help Workers

Mr W Irwin asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for a breakdown of the number of Home-Help workers directly employed and out sourced within the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area.

(AQW 1690/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The information requested is given in the table below.

Number of Home Helps employed in the Southern Trust at October 2010

Source: Southern HSC Trust

Notes:

1. Home Helps are employed on either a minimum guaranteed hours contract or on a "casual" basis. Of the 1,453 Home Helps, 374 are employed on minimum guaranteed hours contracts with a combined WTE of 244.44. The remaining 1,079 staff are employed on a "casual" basis. These "casual" Home Helps do not have a set number of contractual hours therefore they are not allocated a WTE, however it should be noted that a large number of these "casual" Home Helps actually work in excess of 20 hours each week.
2. The Southern HSC Trust has contracts with 24 independent sector providers for the provision of Domiciliary Care. The number of staff employed by each of these independent sector agencies is not available.

Free Presbyterian Church

Mr C McDevitt asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the meetings his Department has had with, and the correspondence received from, the Free Presbyterian Church in relation to sexual abuse in (i) 2006; (ii) 2007; (iii) 2008; (iv) 2009; and (v) to date in 2010.

(AQW 1691/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate costs.

Drug Abuse

Mr G Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the cost to each Health and Social Care Trust of dealing with drug abuse in each of the last four years.

(AQW 1692/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: Addiction services based within each of the five Health & Social Care Trust areas are responsible for dealing with both alcohol and drug misuse. It is not possible to disaggregate drug misuse services from those that also deal with alcohol misuse. Details of expenditure by each of the Trusts in relation to addiction services over the last four years are provided in the table below:

Prevalence of Cancer

Mr C McDevitt asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for an estimate of the prevalence of cancer (i) in Northern Ireland; and (ii) in each Health and Social Care Trust area in each year since 2003; and how the total figures compare with the rest of the UK.

(AQW 1695/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: Information regarding the prevalence of all cancer patients excluding non-melanoma skin cancer¹ (ICD-10² C00-97 excl. C44) in N. Ireland by Health and Social Care Trust and Year (with a comparison of the UK in 2006) is given for the years 2003 to 2008 in the table below; (This information was provided by the NI Cancer registry and is the most up-to-date available)

Cancer

Mr C McDevitt asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many people (i) in total; and (ii) in each Health and Social Care Trust area were diagnosed with cancer in each year since 2003; and how the total figures compare with the rest of the UK.

(AQW 1698/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: Information regarding the incidence of all cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin¹ cancer - ICD-10² C00-97, excluding C44) in Northern Ireland and each of the Health and Social Care Trusts is given for the years 2003 to 2008 in the table below;

National Institute for Clinical Excellence Guidance

Mr K McCarthy asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what progress his Department has made in the review of its procedures for assessing the applicability of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance in Northern Ireland.

(AQW 1724/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: My Department has made significant progress on the review of its procedures for assessing the applicability of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance to Northern Ireland. Work is currently ongoing to finalise the details however once the new process has been finalised, a circular explaining the new arrangements will be distributed to health and social care bodies and published on my Department’s website for all to access.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence Guidance

Mr K McCarthy asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety whether he will publish the findings of the review of his Department's procedures for assessing the applicability of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance in Northern Ireland.

(AQW 1726/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: Once my Department has completed the review, and finalised the new procedures for assessing the applicability of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance to Northern Ireland, a circular outlining the new arrangements will be distributed to health and social care bodies and published on my Department’s website for all to access.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence Guidance

Mr K McCarthy asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance, endorsed as relevant for Northern Ireland, is disseminated to Health and Social Care staff.

(AQW 1727/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: As each piece of NICE guidance is endorsed for implementation in Northern Ireland, my Department issues a circular to the Chief Executives of the HSC Board, HSC Trusts, Public Health Agency, and relevant HSC Special Agencies and Non Departmental Public Bodies, for action and wider distribution within their organisations as appropriate. The circulars provide a brief summary of the guidance and set out my Department’s expectations for implementation. The circulars are available on my Department’s website for all to access.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence Guidance

Mr K McCarthy asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety whether it is mandatory to implement the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance, endorsed as relevant for Northern Ireland.

(AQW 1729/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: Currently the requirement for implementation of NICE guidance, endorsed as relevant for Northern Ireland, varies according to the guidance type. NICE technology appraisals are treated as essential and HSC organisations are expected to put plans in place within three months of Departmental endorsement to facilitate implementation of the guidance. My Department requires HSC organisations to take account of clinical guidelines in the planning and delivery of their services. The clinical guidelines are broader and more complex statements on the appropriate treatment and care of people with specific diseases and conditions and, as such, are regarded as standards that the HSC is expected to achieve over time.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence Guidance

Mr K McCarthy asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how his Department assesses the implementation by Health and Social Care Trusts of National Institute of Clinical Excellence guidance, endorsed for use in Northern Ireland.

(AQW 1730/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) is responsible for reviewing clinical and social care governance arrangements in individual HSC Trusts against a range of quality standards on an on-going basis. This includes compliance with best practice guidance concerned with safe and effective care such as NICE guidelines.

Firework Related Injuries

Mr D Kinahan asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many people have received hospital treatment for firework related injuries in 2010; and whether any trends exist in terms of ages and types of injuries.

(AQW 1734/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: It is assumed that this question refers to the number of people reporting to Emergency Care with firework related injuries. This information is collected over a four week period covering the end of October and the start of November each year (Halloween period) and is available from:

http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/stats_research/stats-activity_stats-2/emergency_care-3/firework_statistics-3.htm

Cancelled Operations

Mr P Givan asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many patients in the last year had operations cancelled, whilst in the operating theatre awaiting operation, as a result of an administrative error.

(AQW 1738/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety:Information on the number of operations cancelled due to an administrative error, whilst the patient was in the operating theatre is not available.

Cancelled Operations

Mr P Givan asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many operations have been cancelled in the last year as a result of patients' notes being lost.

(AQW 1741/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: Information on the number of operations cancelled as a result of patients’ notes being lost, is not available.

Staff Mileage Claims

Mr A Easton asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what was the cost to his Department of staff mileage claims in the last financial year.

(AQW 1743/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The cost to my Department of staff mileage claims in the last financial year, 2009/10, was £173,668.

My Department is endeavouring to keep travel expenditure to an absolute minimum by utilising new technologies such as tele/video conferencing and delivering more meetings in-house and this has successfully reduced expenditure by almost 25% from that incurred in 2008/09.

Cost of Drugs

Mr P McGlone asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how much was spent by his Department on drugs in each of the last five years; and what percentage of the Departmental budget this represented.

(AQW 1746/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The amounts spent by my Department on drugs in each of the last five financial years, and the percentages that this represented of total departmental expenditure were as follows:

Budget for 2010/11

Ms M Ritchie asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety when details of his Department's budget for 2010/11 will be made available.

(AQW 1760/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: This information has already been made available. I discussed my budget and 2010/11 plans with the Assembly Health Committee on the 23^rd September. The Health and Social Care Board and Public Health Agency, as lead commissioners, subsequently presented their joint commissioning plan.

The 2010/11 commissioning plan is available online at www.publichealth.hscni.net/.

Home-Start Charity

Ms M Ritchie asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety whether he can give a commitment that the Home Start charity will receive funding from his Department for the next three years.

(AQW 1761/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: Work is currently under way to agree Departmental Budgets for the four year period commencing in April 2011. You will understand, therefore, that until the outcome of this exercise is known, I am not in a position to give any commitments to any group about future funding arrangements.

Home-Start Charity

Ms M Ritchie asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many children were supported by the Home Start charity in each Health and Social Care Trust in the last twelve months.

(AQW 1762/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The information is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Child Residential Care

Ms M Ritchie asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what is the average weekly cost of placing a vulnerable child in residential care.

(AQW 1768/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The 2008/09 average weekly cost of Residential Care for a child within the Family and Child Care Programme of Care is £2,662. This takes no account of individual case complexities.

Long-stay Patients in Muckamore Abbey

Mr J Dallat asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety when the last long-stay patients in Muckamore Abbey who wish to be repatriated into the community will be discharged.

(AQW 1769/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: Priority for resettlement has been given at Executive level through the Programme for Government target by 2013, anyone with a learning disability is promptly and suitably treated in the community and no-one remains unnecessarily in hospital.

In reaching this target I am advised that we are on track to meet the Priorities for Action target, that by 2011 we have 120 people resettled from learning disability hospitals. Of those 120 we have already resettled 106.

Progress on the Programme for Government target over the next 2 years will depend largely on the impact of imminent budgetary announcements.

Specialist Neurology Ward at the Royal Victoria Hospital

Mr G Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for what purpose the single bedded rooms in the Special Neurology Ward at the Royal Victoria Hospital will be used, given that they are no longer used for neurology patients.

(AQW 1777/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The delivery of services at the Royal Victoria Hospital is a matter for the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust as the service provider. The Trust is currently engaged in a programme of modernisation within the neurology service and this includes a review of bed utilisation.

Issues with regards to patient privacy in terms of gender and age continue to present challenges to most hospital wards throughout the healthcare system in Northern Ireland. The Trust continues to make every effort to ensure the provision of same sex bays in all wards, and the reduction in neurology beds will not impact on this endeavour.

Specialist Neurology Ward at the Royal Victoria Hospital

Mr G Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how he will ensure patient privacy in the Specialist Neurology Ward at the Royal Victoria Hospital, given that the ward is mixed both in terms of gender and age.

(AQW 1779/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The delivery of services at the Royal Victoria Hospital is a matter for the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust as the service provider. The Trust is currently engaged in a programme of modernisation within the neurology service and this includes a review of bed utilisation.

Issues with regards to patient privacy in terms of gender and age continue to present challenges to most hospital wards throughout the healthcare system in Northern Ireland. The Trust continues to make every effort to ensure the provision of same sex bays in all wards, and the reduction in neurology beds will not impact on this endeavour.

Hospital Acquired Infections

Mr T Clarke asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how much extra funding has been allocated in each of the last five years to deal with hospital acquired infections; and for a breakdown of the estimated costs of the current inquiry into the clostridium difficile outbreak in the Northern Health and Social CareTrust.

(AQW 1795/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: In 2006/07 and 2007/08 respectively, extra funding totalling £550k and £350k was allocated for measures to reduce healthcare-associated infections.

In 2007/08 I increased the funding for tackling HCAIs by £2 million. This was a recurrent increase. I added a further £100k to this in April 2010.

The table below gives a breakdown of the actual and estimated costs of the Public Inquiry into the C. difficile outbreak in Northern Trust hospitals.

The costs of the Inquiry are being met from the DHSSPS budget, not from HCAI resources.

Outbreak of Clostridium Difficile

Mr T Clarke asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (i) when the Serious Adverse Incident report on the outbreak of clostridium difficile in the Northern Health and Social CareTrust was sent to his Department; (ii) when was it received; (iii) what action was taken in response and on what dates; and (iv) whether a regional alert was issued about the 027 strain of the infection.

(AQW 1797/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The Serious Adverse Incident (SAI) report alerting the Department to the outbreak was sent by the Northern Trust and received by the Department on 8 January 2008.

On 18 January my Department asked the Consultant in Communicable Disease Control (CCDC) in the Northern HSS Board to alert the CCDCs in other Boards about the outbreak. This was done on the same day. Also on 18 January the DHSSPS Permanent Secretary issued a circular to disseminate key learning arising from the Healthcare Commission’s reports on outbreaks of Clostridium difficile 027 in Stoke Mandeville Hospital and Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. On 24 January the Chief Medical Officer issued a circular with guidance to the health service on C. difficile, and re-issued the Health Protection Agency’s Good Practice Guide to Control Clostridium difficile which had been issued to the service in Northern Ireland in April 2007.

Serious Adverse Incident Alerts

Mr T Clarke asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (i) the set procedures for responding to Serious Adverse Incident alerts; the number received in the last five years; and (iii) the subject areas involved.

(AQW 1798/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: Since 1 May 2010, Health and Social Care (HSC) organisations have been required to report to the HSC Board any Serious Adverse Incident relating to the services they provide. Prior to that date, incidents were reported to the Department.

The HSC Board, with input as appropriate from the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA), reviews each incident and decides whether any immediate action is required over and above that already taken by the reporting organisation. The reporting organisation is required to carry out an investigation into the incident and forward a report within 12 weeks to the HSC Board.

The HSC Board, working with the PHA, considers investigation reports to identify any learning points that have regional application and the most appropriate methods of disseminating the learning information to relevant parts of the HSC and beyond as necessary. The HSC Board also liaises with my Department on the most effective means of disseminating regional guidance that may be identified.

Under arrangements for managing Serious Adverse Incidents prior to 1 May 2010, a total of 1,478 incidents were reported to my Department in the five years from 2005 to 2009.

The information requested in relation to subject areas involved in Serious Adverse Incidents is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Desertcreat College Development

Mr P McGlone asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail his Department's financial commitment to the Desertcreat College development.

(AQW 1808/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: My Department’s current financial commitment in respect of the Desertcreat College development is £360.6k in respect of project management, exemplar design and business case advisors.

To date, my Department’s expenditure in respect of this project is nil.

The business case for the overall project is being considered and will be subject to approval by the Department of Finance & Personnel.

As you know, my Department is facing huge financial pressures and I am therefore not in a position to confirm further commitment to this project or any other project until the outcome of Budget 2010 is known and I have clarity on affordability.

Admissions to Hospitals

Mr P Givan asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many patients were admitted to hospital in the last twelve months following assessment in an Accident and Emergency Unit.

(AQW 1825/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: In 2009/10 (the most recent year for which information is available), there were 125,941 admissions to Health and Social Care Hospitals in Northern Ireland where the patient had been assessed in and Accident and Emergency Unit.

Arts Related Items

Mr P Givan asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how much each Health and Social Care Trust spent on arts-related items in each of the last five years.

(AQW 1826/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained in full at disproportionate cost.

Prescription Charges

Mr P McGlone asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the total cost, net of prescription charges, to the Health Service of prescribed items in the period 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2010 compared to the same six month period in each of the previous three years.

(AQW 1838/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The information requested is laid out in the attached table:

This information was supplied by the Family Practitioners Services, Information and Registration Unit, HSC Business Services Organisation

Staff Salaries

Mr J Craig asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many staff in (i) his Department; and (ii) each of its arms-length bodies earn (a) between £50,000 and £100,000; and (b) over £100,000 per annum, including bonuses and performance-related pay.

(AQW 1850/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: (i) In my Department (a) 60 staff earn between £50,000 and £100,000 and (b) 2 staff earn over £100,000.

(ii) I would refer the member to the details relation to my Department’s Arms Length Bodies provided in AQW 1718 /11. There were no bonus payments made in addition to these amounts.

Financial Control Targets

Mr A Easton asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail all the fines paid by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust for failing to meet financial control targets, in each year since its formation.

(AQW 1851/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: Since its formation, the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has not paid any fines for failing to meet financial control targets.

Management Costs for Heath and Social Care Trusts

Mr A Easton asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the management costs for each Health and Social Care Trust in each of the last three years.

(AQW 1852/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The table below shows the management costs of each HSC Trust for the last three years.

Increases in expenditure are partly the result of superannuation contributions that rose from 7% to 15.7% in 2008/09 and the ongoing implications of arrears paid to regarded staff under Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions.

Annual Salary for Executive Members of Health and Social Care Trust

Mr A Easton asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the current annual salary for each Executive member of each Health and Social Care Trust.

(AQW 1854/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: This information is published in the Trusts’ Annual Report.

Health Care for Prisoners

Mr P Givan asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to outline the criteria used to determine how much money will be allocated to the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust for the provision of health care to prisoners.

(AQW 1894/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The level of funding allocated by my Department through the HSC Board to the Trust each year is based on an assessment of the historic costs involved in delivering healthcare services to the prison population, the number of prisoners involved and their healthcare needs.

It will also be influenced by the total resources available to my Department and, if necessary, the need to deliver efficiencies or make service reductions.

Drugs Budget

Mr A Easton asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how much of the total Health budget was allocated to the drugs budget in each of the last three financial years.

(AQW 1901/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: I refer my colleague to the answer provided to AQW 1746/11

Drugs Budget

Mr A Easton asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what percentage of the drugs budget was spent on generic drugs in each of the last three years.

(AQW 1902/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The information requested is set out in the table below:

Note: Information supplied by the Family Practitioners Services, Information and Registration Unit, HSC Business Services Organisation

It is assumed that the question refers to the total drug budget. The generic figures are, therefore, expressed as a percentage of the total budget which includes proprietary drugs, generic drugs, dressings and appliances, elastic hosiery and trusses and unclassified items.

The volume of generic drugs for the years in question ranged from 56% to 58% of the overall number of drugs dispensed. Generic drugs are however, significantly cheaper than other groups of drugs and so represented only 19% of the total cost of drugs in 2009-10.

Consultants' Bonuses

Mr A Easton asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what was the cost to the Health Service budget of consultants' bonuses in each of the last three financial years.

(AQW 1903/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: Consultants do not receive bonus payments.

Intensive Care and High Dependency Beds

Mr P McGlone asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the number of (i) intensive care beds; and (ii) high dependency beds at each of the hospitals in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust area during each of the last 12 months.

(AQW 1904/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: Intensive care and high dependency beds in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust area are located in Antrim Area and Causeway Hospitals. The number of intensive care and high dependency beds in these hospitals during each of the last 12 months is shown below.

Source: Northern Health and Social Care Trust

Public Open Space Land

Dr S Farry asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how much public open space land is owned by his Department and its associated bodies.

(AQW 1910/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The following public open space land is owned by the Department and its associated bodies:

Patients Treated in Other Countries

Mrs D Kelly asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the cost, for the last financial year available, to the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust of the treatment of patients who were treated in (i) Great Britain; (ii) the Republic of Ireland; and (iii) other European Union countries; and the number of patients involved in each case.

(AQW 1913/11)

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety: The table below shows the cost to the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust of the treatment of patients in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. No costs were incurred in relation to other EU countries.

Patients are treated outside Northern Ireland because in some specialties, such as orthopaedics and cardiac surgery, demand is higher than capacity across the service can manage. The Trust also incurs costs treating a small number of patients who require highly specialised treatment such as eating disorders and specific mental illnesses that are not clinically or economically suitable for provision in Northern Ireland.

Department of Justice

Maghaberry Prison

Mr P Givan asked the Minister of Justice if the agreement reached with separated prisoners at Maghaberry prison in relation to the running of a prison would be in compliance with Home Office guidelines.

(AQW 1751/11)

Minister of Justice (Mr D Ford): The Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) operates under the direction and control of the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice and as such is not subject to policies or guidance issued by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) an Agency of the Ministry of Justice. Such guidance will not always be useful or appropriate when transposed to a Northern Ireland context. However, in developing and adapting new policies and procedures, NIPS takes account of practice in other jurisdictions and adopts policies and procedures which are deemed to be beneficial.

Roe House in Maghaberry Prison

Mr P Givan asked the Minister of Justice, AQW 1247/11, how much was spent on cleaning in Roe House in Maghaberry Prison following the protest by prisoners which commenced on Eatser Tuesday 2010.

(AQW 1813/11)

Minister of Justice : I refer the member to AQW 1247/11 which was answered on 27 October 2010 and is available in Hansard. That answer covered all costs incurred between Easter Tuesday and 12 August 2010.

Protest by Republican Prisoners

Mr P Givan asked the Minister of Justice, pursuant to AQW 1248/11, in relation to the capital works agreed after the recent protest by republican prisoners; (i) how much, in total, it will cost to implement these works; (ii) how much has been spent to date; and (ii) what budget will be used to meet these costs.

(AQW 1814/11)

1. Minister of Justice : The total estimated cost for the programme of work is £550,000.

   (ii) The total amount spent to date is £390,742.69

2. Capital works costs are paid from the existing allocated NIPS Capital Programme Budget.

Proposed Cuts to Counter- terrorism Policing and the British Intelligence Agencies

Mr S Anderson asked the Minister of Justice whether he has had any discussions with his counterparts (i) in the UK government; and (ii) in the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly about the potential impact of the proposed cuts, to counter- terrorism policing and the British intelligence agencies, on the ability of the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland to address (a) domestic; and (b) international terrorism.

(AQW 1846/11)

Minister of Justice : I met the Home Secretary on 9 and 26 September and raised the importance of ensuring the PSNI is adequately resourced to meet the current level of threat. I have also had a series of meetings with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland as well as official level meetings to ensure the Department of Justice is able to resource the PSNI adequately. These discussions are continuing.

I met with Kenny MacAskill, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Justice, in July and September and discussed some specific resourcing concerns, recognising the Northern Ireland situation is not directly comparable to Scotland in counter-terrorism terms. The Welsh Assembly Government has no responsibility for policing and justice and I have not therefore met them to discuss police funding.

Cost to Detain a Prisoner

Mr J Spratt asked the Minister of Justice why it is more expensive to detain a prisoner in Northern Ireland than in the rest of the UK.

(AQW 1847/11)

Minister of Justice : The cost per prisoner place target for NIPS in 2010/11 is £76,500, reduced from over £90,000 in 2006/07.

With only three sites, Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) faces significant challenges in dealing effectively and economically with the diverse population of prisoners. Moreover the Northern Ireland calculation is made using different elements to that in England & Wales and Scotland. (For example National Offender Management Service Agency in England & Wales do not include the cost of the headquarters function and education in their calculation.)

Other factors which serve to increase the differential include the following:

• In the past staff received higher salaries due to increased risks and in addition the staffing levels were higher than elsewhere; there remains a significant differential;

• Separated prisoners accommodation increase running costs disproportionately;

• The nature of the Criminal Justice system in Northern Ireland places additional requirements on NIPS;

• The headquarters function is required to deliver the same range of functions as its counterparts in England & Wales and in Scotland, so the proportionate costs are more.

Justice Bill

Mr K Robinson asked the Minister of Justice in which sports and regulated matches his Department expects part 4, chapter 2, clause 43, subsection (3) (a) of the Justice Bill to cover; and how much notification the host club will be given.

(AQW 1879/11)

Minister of Justice : Part 4, chapter 2 of the Justice Bill, which incorporates Clause 43, applies to regulated matches in the three main spectator sports in Northern Ireland: Association Football, Gaelic Games, and Rugby Union. Schedule 3 of the Bill provides the detail of the regulated matches within each of the three sports.

Clause 43, subsection (3)(a) provides the ability by order to disapply the offence of possessing alcohol when watching a regulated match inside a ground. Along with subsection (3)(b), which provides the power to adjust by order the time periods during which the offence applies, these provisions allow flexibility with regard to the application of the offence to different sports and changing circumstances. Full consultation with the Justice Committee, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, police, and relevant sports bodies would be carried out before either of these order making powers is exercised.

Public Open Space Land

Dr S Farry asked e Minister of Justice how much public open space land is owned by his Department and its associated bodies.

(AQW 1921/11)

Minister of Justice : The Department does not own any open space land which is accessible to the general public.

Disorderly Behaviour and Associated Offences

Lord Morrow asked the Minister of Justice how many convictions for disorderly behaviour and associated offences were associated with the consumption of alcohol by the perpetrator, broken down by court division, in each of the last three years.

(AQW 1959/11)

Minister of Justice : I regret the information is not available in the format requested. Court conviction data do not contain background information in relation to offences committed and it is therefore not possible to determine the number of convictions for disorderly behaviour which were associated with the consumption of alcohol. It is possible only to provide the total number of convictions for the offence ‘disorderly behaviour’ and other similar offences which identify alcohol in their offence definition.

Figures are documented in Tables 1 to 3 below. Data cover the calendar years 2004 to 2006 (the latest year for which figures are currently available) and are collated on the principal offence rule; only the most serious offence for which an offender is convicted is included.

Table 1: Number convicted for ‘disorderly behaviour’¹ and related offences² by offence and court division 2004

Table 2: Number convicted for ‘disorderly behaviour’¹ and related offences² by offence and court division 2005

Table 3: Number convicted for ‘disorderly behaviour’¹ and related offences² by offence and court division 2006

1. It cannot be determined from the court datasets the circumstances surrounding the offence.

2. Includes the offences being drunk when in aircraft, behaving in a disorderly manner onboard an aircraft and permitting disorderly behaviour/conduct/drunkenness in licensed premises.

Offences for Public Urination or Defecation

Mr T Burns asked the Minister of Justice to detail (i) the number of offences for public urination or defecation, or similar offences, recorded in each of the last five years, broken down by gender; (ii) for a breakdown of the type of offences; (iii) the number that resulted in conviction; (iv) the total of any fines imposed; and (v) a summary of any other sanctions imposed.

(AQW 1970/11)

Minister of Justice : The information is not available in the format requested. As the member should be aware, there is no specific offence of public urination or defecation

Interpreters

Lord Morrow asked the Minister of Justice how much (i) the Probation Board; (ii) the Court Service; and (iii) each prison, has spent on interpreters in each of the last three years.

(AQW 1977/11)

Minister of Justice : The following tables detail the amount spent on interpreter services for each of the specified agencies in the last three years.

Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI)

Table 1 below details the total expenditure by PBNI on interpreter services in each of the last three financial years.

Table 1*

* Figures provided by PBNI.

Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS)

Prior to 2008/9 all court interpreter services in the criminal courts were delivered through the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (PPS). Funding for 2008/9 and 2009/10 was the shared responsibility of the PPS, the former Northern Ireland Court Service and the NIO.

The answer to AQW6504/10, given on 13^th May 2010, set out the total costs of providing interpreter services associated with courts.

Table 2 below sets out the expenditure incurred solely by NICTS for interpreter services in each of the last three financial years.

Table 2*

*Figures provided by NICTS.

Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS)

Interpreter services for NIPS are paid for centrally, and the information is not readily available for individual prison establishments. A breakdown of costs by prison establishment could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Table 3 below details the total expenditure by NIPS on interpreter services in each of the last three financial years.

Table 3*

* Figures provided by NIPS

Arrest Warrants for Non-appearance at Court

Miss M McIlveen asked the Minister of Justice, in relation to arrest warrants for non-appearance at court, to detail (i) the number issued; and (ii) the number currently outstanding; and (ii) the average cost of issuing and implementing a warrant, in each of the last five years.

(AQW 1983/11)

Minister of Justice : An arrest warrant (Magistrates’ Court) or a bench warrant (Crown Court) is issued in order to require the police to bring a defendant before the court.

Information on the number of arrest and bench warrants issued in Northern Ireland was not centrally collated prior to the introduction of a new IT system in October 2006. Consequently, it is not possible to provide the requested information prior to 2007 without incurring disproportionate cost.

The following table details the number of arrest warrants and bench warrants issued in each of the last three years.

Note: A defendant may have more than one arrest or bench warrant issued against him.

As at the 10th November 2010, court records show that a total of 5202 arrest warrants and 109 bench warrants were outstanding. These figures include warrants issued prior to 2007.

Although it is not possible to state an average cost for the process of issuing an arrest or bench warrant the administrative cost is likely to be negligible as the process is managed electronically through the Causeway criminal justice IT system. The costs associated with the implementation (execution) of a warrant are an operational matter for the Chief Constable.

Minimum Sentences

Mr S Anderson asked the Minister of Justice, pursuant to AQW 1296/11, whether his Department has carried out an assessment of the effectiveness of minimum sentences for certain types of offences.

(AQW 2018/11)

Minister of Justice : There are only a small number of offences which attract minimum sentences including, for example, life imprisonment for murder and automatic disqualification from driving for certain road traffic offences. While I keep the framework of criminal offences under review, adopting such an approach more widely could diminish the fundamental principle that sentences should be determined by the judiciary taking account of all the relevant factors pertaining in individual cases including the culpability of the offender, the effect on the victim and the circumstances of the offence.

I am however currently conducting a public consultation exploring possible options for establishing a sentencing guidelines mechanism which could further support consistency, transparency and public confidence in sentencing. Your views on the consultation would be most welcome.

Outstanding Fines

Mr T Burns asked the Minister of Justice, for each of the last five years, to detail the (i) average value; (ii) maximum value; and (iii) minimum value of outstanding fines, for which fine defaulters have been subject to a custodial sentence.

(AQW 2045/11)

Minister of Justice : Information on fine warrants was not centrally collated prior to the introduction of a new IT system in October 2006. Consequently, it is not possible to provide the requested information prior to 2007 without incurring disproportionate cost.

The table below sets out the average, maximum and minimum values of fines imposed in the last 3 years that were defaulted on and cleared through committal to prison. The figures include all monetary penalties imposed by the court such as compensation, costs and confiscation.

*The minimum values relate to the remainder of fines unpaid following part payments for which a default warrant was issued. In each case, these sums were linked to other fine default warrants and formed part of a larger sum cleared through committal to prison.

Training Within Prisons and Youth Offender Facilities

Dr A McDonnell asked the Minister of Justice to detail (i) the organisations which provide training within prisons and youth offender facilities; (ii) what training is provided; (iii) the cost of each training course; and (iv) the evaluation procedures in place to determine the benefits for prisoners and young offenders.

(AQW 2046/11)

Minister of Justice : A wide range of both education and training services is available to prisoners and young offenders. Training has been defined as including all specialist trade- based skills and training services that develop soft skills such as positive relationship building, life skills and working in teams.

The majority of training services across the prison estate are provided by qualified NIPS - employed Instructors in specialist workshops.

Training courses are delivered to meet nationally accredited standards as required by the awarding bodies, which are quality assured by internal and external verifiers. Learning and skills services to prisoners and young offenders are inspected regularly through the Criminal Justice Inspection NI (HMCI) and the Employment and Training Inspectorate (ETI) and appropriate actions taken to address any weaknesses identified. A full review and evaluation of all learning and skills services is ongoing and will inform management decisions on the future structure, content and delivery arrangements.

Training provision has been developed to meet the assessed needs of individual prisoners including young offenders and women prisoners. The objective is to equip prisoners with the skills and level of qualifications needed to access employment, education and training opportunities on release. Education, training and employment are recognised Pathways to reducing or preventing reoffending.

A breakdown of training service provision is set out in the table below.

It has not been possible to identify the detailed costs requested in the time allowed. However this information will be forwarded in due course.

Police: Lateral Entry

Mr D McKay asked the Minister of Justice if he has raised with his counterpart in Dublin the issue of outstanding barriers to lateral entry between the PSNI and An Garda Siochana.

(AQO 508/11)

Minister of Justice : I am keen for officers to move between the two police services and I know this view is shared by the Chief Constable and the Policing Board. Such movements will benefit both services, both countries and individual police officers in bringing their experience and learning from practices elsewhere, and will build on strong cross-border cooperation already in place.

Over the last few years, a number of temporary personnel exchanges have taken place in both directions, as well as joint training of officers in a number of specific areas. Just as important is the first secondment between the two services which is in place with an officer from the An Garda Siochana currently serving with PSNI.

The legal provisions and agreed protocols required for Lateral Entry are in place in Northern Ireland. I raised the issue with Dermot Ahern at our Criminal Justice Co-operation meeting on Friday and was encouraged by what I was told. A final version of their draft regulations has been approved and will be submitted to representative police associations for consultation.  It is recognised that some practical issues may arise for individuals relating to the transferability of police officers' pensions, but these should not in themselves prevent lateral entry being put in place.

The decision to apply for lateral entry remains with individual officers.

Fixed Penalty Notices

Mr A Ross asked the Minister of Justice for his assessment of the impact of fixed penalty notices, as proposed in the Justice Bill, as a deterrent to low level crime.

(AQO 510/11)

Minister of Justice : Fixed penalties are one measure in a wide-ranging framework of disposals dealing with minor offending. They are aimed at delivering a proportionate justice response to isolated incidences of mainly disorderly type offences committed by first time or non-habitual offenders who, having been challenged as to their behaviour by police, are least likely to reoffend.

They enable an offence to be dealt with speedily at the time it is commissioned, not many months later in the courtroom, which could play a role in preventing individuals descending into a spiral of offending.

Recipients of a fixed penalty will be left in no doubt that repeated offending of this nature will be viewed very seriously and is likely to result in prosecution at court and a criminal record on conviction.

The Justice Bill now before the Assembly proposes that fixed penalties be available for 7 offences. Together these could however divert up to 2,000 cases annually from formal prosecution, freeing up the time of front-line police officers to deal with more serious crime.

Peace Walls

Mr S Neeson asked the Minister of Justice what steps his Department is taking to support communities who wish to have peace walls reduced or removed.

(AQO 511/11)

Minister of Justice : In areas where the community has identified scope for progress my Department is already actively engaged in discussions with other government Departments, statutory bodies and community representatives to look at the steps which need to be taken to facilitate change.

Barriers will only be removed or reduced with the agreement of the local community. There is already a huge amount of positive work done at interfaces by community groups to reduce tensions and build greater understanding. I want to recognise that work. My Department will continue to do all it can working with all relevant groups and organisations to support progress.

Many interface areas face multiple difficulties resulting from high levels of social deprivation and economic disadvantage. These social factors are often linked to problems of criminality and anti-social behaviour or the fear of them and cannot effectively be addressed in isolation. These issues can only be addressed by a cohesive Executive-wide approach and my Department will contribute fully to steps in this direction.

Sexual Violence and Abuse

Mrs M O'Neill asked the Minister of Justice what action he is taking to ensure that the findings of the Criminal Justice Inspection report on Sexual Violence and Abuse are implemented so that victims of abuse will have confidence in the criminal justice system.

(AQO 512/11)

Minister of Justice : Sexual violence and abuse are amongst the most serious and damaging crimes the criminal justice system has to deal with. As the Chief Inspector noted in his inspection report, they are also some of the most difficult crimes to investigate and prosecute successfully because often there is no third party or other corroborating evidence.

Whilst highlighting many examples of good practice, the report identifies the challenges which remain for the justice system: encouraging victims to come forward to report offences and seek help and support; to deliver on best investigative practice to help more cases achieve the threshold for prosecution; and to support victims effectively to encourage their continued support for the justice process.

Implementing the recommendations of the CJINI report is one of a range of proactive measures being taken forward through the Regional Strategy on Sexual Violence and Abuse Action Plan for 2010/12. Actions being taken on foot of the Inspectorate’s recommendations include: PPS conducting a thematic review of cases submitted with a primary offence of rape where a decision of ‘No Prosecution’ has been taken; PSNI developing an education and awareness strategy for all call handlers in relation to members of the public reporting sexual crime; and improving communication and provision of progress updates to victims.

Sexual violence is a cross-departmental issue and together with Michael McGimpsey and other colleagues on the Inter Ministerial Group on Domestic and Sexual Violence I will be continually monitoring progress in achieving strategic objectives.

The Sexual Assault Referral Centre – scheduled for early 2012 – is intended to be a supportive gateway for victims to the criminal justice system.

Security

Lord Morrow asked the Minister of Justice for his assessment of the present security situation, including any additional steps to curb the dissident threat and to outline any discussions he has had with the Chief Constable on this matter.

(AQO 514/11)

Minister of Justice : I believe that members will join with me in condemning all recent terrorist activity from both republican and loyalist quarters. Those who carry out such acts have no regard for public safety, they do not care who they injure or kill.

This recklessness was recently witnessed in Belfast when, in separate incidents, police officers were attacked whilst serving the local community and local residents faced pipe bomb attacks. I hope that those who were injured will continue to make a full and speedy recovery.

I commend the PSNI for their recent operations which resulted in a significant number of arrests in relation to both loyalist and republican terrorist activity, including the seizure of firearms and ammunition.

The most recent IMC Report also confirms that paramilitary groupings continue to pose a substantial and potentially lethal threat. The report highlights that there would have been many more attacks leading to deaths, injuries and destruction had it not been for the work done by the PSNI and the Garda Siochana.

I commend these agencies for their continued determination, despite the very real threat they face, to prevent terrorist attacks and to bring those responsible to justice.

For my part, I remain committed to doing all that I can to ensure that the PSNI has the necessary resources to deal with the threat and would encourage the community to give maximum cooperation to the police.

Finally, I regularly meet with the Chief Constable and Senior Officers to discuss a range of issues. I also have mechanisms in place for formal meetings with both the Chief Constable and the Secretary of State to discuss the security situation.

Sentencing

Mr P Ramsey asked the Minister of Justice what plans he has to give the Attorney General the power to refer alleged unduly lenient court sentences in criminal matters to the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal.

(AQO 515/11)

Minister of Justice : Following discussions, the First Minister, deputy First Minister and I have agreed we will bring forward a consultation on the accountability of the Public Prosecution Service.

The issues for consultation will include the appropriate location for the power to refer cases which may be unduly lenient to the Court of Appeal. Since devolution this has rested with the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Department for Regional Development

Belfast Rapid Transit Project

Mr W Humphrey asked the Minister for Regional Development whether the Belfast Rapid Transit project is currently on schedule and on budget.

(AQW 1712/11)

Minister for Regional Development (Mr C Murphy): The legislation required to implement Rapid Transit is contained within the new Transport Bill. This Bill, which was introduced to the Assembly on 21 June 2010, entered the Committee Stage on 30 June 2010. As a result the anticipated timeline for delivery of the legislation within the current Assembly session remains on target.

My Department is in the process of securing external support to complete the Outline Business Case (OBC) for Belfast Rapid Transit. The OBC will identify the preferred options for Belfast Rapid Transit in terms of the network routes, procurement strategy, commercial/business model and fare system. Identifying the preferred options will allow the Department to undertake the necessary public consultation, impact assessments and appraisals on the scheme. The OBC will also provide confirmation of the budgetary requirements and timescales for the identified preferred option.

Survey data collection work has been completed and preliminary designs for all route alignment options are being prepared. The preliminary designs will form part of a public awareness exercise, which is anticipated to take place in 2011, as part of the OBC process. This will give everyone an opportunity to comment on the options for Belfast Rapid Transit, including the route alignment options.

'Welcome to Northern Ireland' Signs

Mr W Humphrey asked the Minister for Regional Development when 'welcome to Northern Ireland' signs will be erected on roadsides of arterial roads connecting Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland.

(AQW 1713/11)

Minister for Regional Development: ‘Welcome to Northern Ireland’ signs are classified as tourist signs and my Department’s Roads Service has an agreed policy in place with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) and the local Councils to cover such signage.

More specifically, these signs fall under the ‘Geographical areas of tourist interest’ Section of the Northern Ireland Tourist Signing Policy and they should be considered as part of each border Council’s annual tourism signage plans.

Therefore, the provision of ‘Welcome to Northern Ireland’ signs is Council led, with all enquiries directed to Councils and subsequently considered by the NITB and Roads Service.

Disused Railway Lines

Mr T Burns asked the Minister for Regional Development why Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK which has not implemented a policy to re-open disused railway lines, in order to reduce car journeys and CO2 omissions.

(AQW 1733/11)

Minister for Regional Development: In line with the Regional Transportation Strategy my Department continues to take steps to encourage the use of public transport and to reduce the dependence on cars. As regards investment in railways, my current priority is to maintain, improve and upgrade existing railway lines.

NI Water

Mr P Givan asked the Minister for Regional Development what discussions he had, with the then Permanent Secretary, when the draft report into the investigation at NI Water was available to his Department.

(AQW 1750/11)

Minister for Regional Development: Following receipt of the draft report (which I did not see), the then Permanent Secretary met with the Independent Review Team (IRT) to be given a preview of their recommendations. He then advised me by email on 18 February 2010 that the report would be likely to provide clarity about where the responsibility for the governance failures lay and a clear basis for me, the Department and the Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Water to take action going forward. He also advised that the IRT felt the need to revise the draft in light of further information that was provided and that they were both confident and comfortable that they could justify any changes between their first and final report and that this would of course be their decision.

Chambers Coaches, Moneymore

Mr J Dallat asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail the funding, including grants, subsidies or incentives, allocated to Chambers Coaches, Moneymore, in each of the last five years.

(AQW 1780/11)

Minister for Regional Development: I can confirm that my Department awarded a contract to Chambers Coach Hire Ltd in July 2006 to provide Door-to-Door Transport services in 27 urban areas across the North. The introduction of these specialised services for elderly and disabled people began in September 2006, with all 27 areas operating by May 2007.

Since the services were introduced in the 2006/07 financial year, the Department has provided Chambers with the sums set out below.

Derry to Belfast Railway Line

Mr J Dallat asked the Minister for Regional Development what steps he is taking to ensure that (i) the Derry to Belfast railway line is upgraded, between Coleraine and Derry, for the City of Culture events in 2013; and (ii) the new Foyle footbridge can be accessed by rail passengers.

(AQW 1781/11)

Minister for Regional Development: (i) The Economic Appraisal for the Coleraine to Derry Track Renewals project has very recently been approved by DFP. I have agreed that Translink will issue a Pre Qualification Questionnaire to potential contractors. However a final decision on the affordability of the scheme will have to be taken in the light of agreed budgets. Translink anticipate that a procurement exercise could begin early next year.

Translink advise that the most cost effective way to complete the major works involved in upgrading the line is to close the full line from Coleraine to Derry for approximately a year. They will consider options to speed up the work during procurement but disruption is inevitable in order to complete such a major project. However, my officials are liaising closely with Translink to ensure the disruption is minimal and that the planning process will take into consideration that Derry will be the City of Culture in 2013. By issuing the Pre Qualification Questionnaire at this point Translink can continue planning taking due account of the Culture year timetable.

(ii) Translink have advised that the Foyle footbridge ties in with the public footpath network which also links to the rail station.  I understand that there is also some work being led by Sustrans, which Translink are co-operating with, to seek to construct a more direct footpath from the bridge to the rail station. 

Derry to Belfast Railway Line

Mr J Dallat asked the Minister for Regional Development what plans he has to address the frequent rock falls at Downhill which have affected the Derry to Belfast railway line and continue to be a hazard to road and rail users.

(AQW 1782/11)

Minister for Regional Development: I am advised that there have been two significant rock falls at Downhill in the past 12 months, the most recent on 31 October when rock fell onto the road and onto the raised bank between the railway and the road. No material made its way onto railway property. Since being informed of the rock fall Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) has imposed a temporary speed restriction as a precaution.

There was a similar event in November 2009 when material fell onto the road at a different location on the Seacoast Road but not onto NIR property. At that time, Roads Service, with the cooperation of landowners, carried out works to reduce the risk of rocks falling onto the carriageway.

Following the Downhill rock fall and train derailment in 2002, NIR installed a substantial wire rope rock fall protection fence on top of a concrete crash barrier wall at the Downhill slope and this remains in place.

Although my Department does not own the cliffs involved in the rock fall, Roads Service has, after discussions with the owner, engaged specialist services to assess the rock face at the location of the latest rock fall. Works started on 8 November to remove loose rock from the cliff face. Consideration is also being given to the installation of additional measures to mitigate against further rock falls at this location. A number of options are being considered and final proposals will require consultation with appropriate stakeholders. Proposed measures at any location along this coastline must consider the impact on this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and must also be prioritised against the many other competing demands on Roads Service’s work programmes.

It is hoped that the road will reopen as soon as possible, but this will depend on weather and further examination of the rock face. However, the main determining factor informing this decision will be ensuring the safety of road users.

The extent and location of rock falls are impossible to predict with any degree of certainty. However NIR and Roads Service continue to work together in sharing information on rock cliffs and Roads Service adopts a risk based approach to managing the area. The three kilometre stretch of road adjacent to the cliffs at Binevenagh is inspected for evidence of rock falls twice weekly and records are kept of all rock fall occurrences. This information is reviewed regularly by Roads Service and action is taken where there is evidence of recurring activity at specific locations, or where specific assessments recommend protection measures. There has been no previous recorded activity at this specific location.

Reservoirs

Mr P Frew asked the Minister for Regional Development for his assessment of the current levels of water in reservoirs.

(AQW 1817/11)

Minister for Regional Development: I have been advised by Northern Ireland Water that the water supplied to customers comes from impounding reservoirs (50%); natural loughs - mainly Lough Neagh (42%); rivers (7%); and borewells (1%). The overall storage in the impounding reservoirs and loughs (excluding Lough Neagh) is currently 94% of total capacity and this is considered a satisfactory position for this time of the year.

Leakage from the Network of Water Pipes

Mr P Frew asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail the current levels of leakage from the network of water pipes and how this compares to levels in (i) 2008; (ii) 2005; and (iii) 2000.

(AQW 1818/11)

Minister for Regional Development: I have been advised by Northern Ireland Water (NIW) that leakage is not measured directly but is calculated based on a recognised water industry methodology. The methodology used to produce the leakage figures was updated for 2008/09 onwards in agreement with both the Utility Regulator and The Reporter. Table 1 details leakage for 1999/2000, 2004/05 and 2007/08 and Table 2 details the leakage for 2009/10 calculated using the agreed methodology for use from 2008/09. The figures in the two tables cannot be directly compared.

Table 1: Leakage Figures 1999/2000 – 2007/08

Table 2: Leakage Figures 2009/2010

* Includes the impact of the extreme cold weather conditions experienced from December 2009 to January 2010.

Coleraine to Derry Railway Line

Mr T Burns asked the Minister for Regional Development why work on the track relay on the Coleraine to Derry railway line cannot be completed at night and on Sundays to prevent the line being closed for a year.

(AQW 1832/11)

Minister for Regional Development: The Economic Appraisal recently approved for this project includes what Translink have put forward as the most cost effective option. This envisages that the contractor employed will optimise working hours to provide Translink with a best price. Thus it is assumed that work will be completed mainly during week days, which does envisage a closure of the line for a considerable period of time. During this time it is planned to provide bus substitution services while the line is closed. This approach is considered to be the most pragmatic planning assumption in the light of known budgetary scenarios.

However, Translink will consider all possible options and alternatives, including shift patterns before work on site commences. Any final decisions will have to take account of resource availability.

Proposed A5 Road Development

Mr T Burns asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail the savings, at current prices, if the proposed A5 road development was postponed to 2016.

(AQW 1833/11)

Minister for Regional Development: My Department’s Roads Service has advised that postponing the A5 dualling project to 2016 would not result in any savings. On the contrary, it is expected that the construction and other related costs would increase significantly, should the scheme be postponed.

Furthermore, a delay to the project would result in the associated benefits of improved road safety and shorter and more reliable journey times, not being realised. It is also likely that there would be a negative impact, in terms of economic regeneration, in the West.

Regional Transport Strategy

Mr T Burns asked the Minister for Regional Development whether the majority of responses to the public consultation on the new Regional Transport Strategy indicated a need to reduce the budget allocated for roads and proportionately increase the budget for public transport.

(AQW 1834/11)

Minister for Regional Development: No public consultation has issued yet on a new Regional Transportation Strategy but I am assuming that the Member is referring to a Discussion document on the review of the existing Regional Transportation Strategy which my Department issued in December 2009 in order to generate discussion and debate on the future for transportation here.

The Department received 37 responses to that Discussion document, 10 of which featured either directly or indirectly the differential expenditure between roads and public transport.

Other views identified challenges around the need for behavioural change, addressing climate change and transport emissions, the availability of funding generally and the affordability of public transport particularly in rural areas.

Tender C 398

Mr G Savage asked the Minister for Regional Development, in light of the Comprehensive Spending Review (i) whether NI Water can provide an assurance that tender C 398 represents best value for money; and (ii) to outline the process followed in carrying out the tender evaluation, including who carried it out and at what level.

(AQW 1843/11)

Minister for Regional Development: I have been advised by Northern Ireland Water that the evaluation of Tender C398 has not been completed therefore the information requested is not yet available.

NI Water

Mr G Savage asked the Minister for Regional Development (i) to outline NI Water's policy and procedures in relation to resolving any discrepancies in mileage claims made by embedded contract staff, engaged under tender C 398; (ii) whether any discrepancies would be viewed as a disciplinary matter; and (iii) whether the standard journey planning software, detailed in tender C 398, will be used to adjudicate on any discrepancies.

(AQW 1844/11)

Minister for Regional Development: I have been advised by Northern Ireland Water that it does not recognise the term "embedded contract staff". The contract for Tender 398 has not yet been awarded and it is not possible at this stage to comment on the issues raised.

Sprucefield and Hillsborough Roundabouts

Mr P Givan asked the Minister for Regional Development what plans Roads Service has to address the traffic congestion at the Sprucefield and Hillsborough roundabouts on the A1 dual carriageway.

(AQW 1845/11)

Minister for Regional Development: My Department’s Roads Service has carried out surveys on the A1/Hillsborough Road roundabout, and has measured the delay to the A1 (Sprucefield bound) traffic as approximately 22 minutes in each hour during the morning peak. In addition, other surveys have been carried out which have revealed that approximately 30% of drivers avoid the morning peak Sprucefield bound queue, by diverting from the A1 and travelling through Hillsborough village, re-joining the A1 again at the Hillsborough roundabout.

Roads Service has prepared a preliminary design for the installation of part-time traffic signals at the Old Hillsborough Road approach to the A1 roundabout. This initial design has received approval, in principle, subject to further detailed consideration of some aspects. The current estimate for the scheme is approximately £100,000. However, with the current level of funding available for such works, the scheme will not be undertaken until, at least, the new financial year.

As you may be aware, the proposals to alter the Sprucefield roundabouts are part of the traffic mitigating measures associated with development at Sprucefield Retail Park. The current proposal is to signalise both the roundabouts and close the right turn access to Eglantine Road. However, an additional access to Eglantine Road is proposed from the A101.

A planning application for Sprucefield Retail Park has been submitted and the proposals, including the associated highway works, are the subject of a Public Inquiry. Until the issues are fully considered and concluded, as part of the Public Inquiry process, Roads Service is unable to confirm that the proposed amendments to the roundabouts and Eglantine Road will be accepted.

At present, Roads Service has no other proposals to improve either of these roundabouts.

Creagh Waste Water Treatment Project

Mr P McGlone asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail the (i) tendering costs; (ii) complete scheme costs; (iii) land valuation costs; and (iv) consulting costs for the Creagh Waste Water Treatment Project.

(AQW 1863/11)

Minister for Regional Development: I have been advised by Northern Ireland Water (NIW) that the costs associated with the Creagh Wastewater Treatment Project are as detailed in the table below:

NI Water Tender CO 71

Mr G Savage asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail NI Water's policy and procedures to address harassment and bullying by (i) NI Water staff of embedded contract staff, engaged under NI Water Tender CO 71; or (ii) embedded contract staff of other embedded contract staff, whilst working on or at NI Water properties, and how this is monitored, recorded and implemented and by whom.

(AQW 1889/11)

Minister for Regional Development: I have been advised by Northern Ireland Water (NIW) that it does not recognise the term ‘embedded contract staff’. However, for staff employed by contractors engaged by NIW who allege harassment or bullying against an NIW employee, it will investigate and progress each case with any resultant action carried out in accordance with its existing Harassment and Bullying policy. All investigations are undertaken by NIW’s Human Resources Directorate and are monitored and recorded in the same manner as is done for allegations of harassment or bullying by one NIW employee or employees against another NIW employee or employees.

NIW’s Harassment and Bullying policy does not extend to instances of harassment or bullying by contract staff against other contract staff, whilst working on or at NIW properties.

NI Water Mechanical and Engineering Personnel

Mr G Savage asked the Minister for Regional Development to confirm that NI Water Mechanical and Engineering personnel who use their own private vehicles whilst carrying out NI Water business will not be remunerated for the first 10 miles of travel from home to the location of the first job and the last 10 miles of travel from the last job to home, on any working day from of 1 January 2011.

(AQW 1890/11)

Minister for Regional Development: I have been advised by Northern Ireland Water (NIW) that Mechanical and Electrical employees who use their private vehicles on company business will be reimbursed in accordance with its rules governing travelling on official business. These rules do not preclude payment of the first 10 miles of travel from home to the location of the first job and the last 10 miles of travel from the final job to home and NIW has no plans to introduce such a provision with effect from 1 January 2011.

NI Water Mechanical and Engineering Personnel

Mr G Savage asked the Minister for Regional Development to confirm that all NI Water Mechanical and Engineering personnel who use their own private vehicles whilst carrying out NI Water business must have their vehicles insured for loss, damage and theft up to a value of £5000 from 1 January 2011.

(AQW 1891/11)

Minister for Regional Development: I have been advised by Northern Ireland Water (NIW) that Mechanical and Electrical employees who use their private vehicles on company business are required to satisfy the existing insurance conditions under its rules governing travelling on official business.

NIW has no plans to change the existing insurance conditions to introduce a requirement that private vehicles should be insured for loss, damage and theft up to a value of £5,000 from 1 January 2011.

NI Water Mechanical and Engineering Personnel

Mr G Savage asked the Minister for Regional Development to confirm that all NI Water Mechanical and Engineering craft personnel will be required to work 37 hours per week, from 1 January 2011 and that the standard working hourly week will be from 8am until 8pm Monday to Friday.

(AQW 1892/11)

Minister for Regional Development: I have been advised by Northern Ireland Water (NIW) that its Mechanical & Electrical Craft personnel are currently required to work a 37 hour week from Monday to Friday. Starting and finishing times are 8.00am to 4.00pm or 8.30am to 4.30pm and NIW has no plans to alter the current working hours or the standard working week from 1 January 2011.

Toome Bypass

Mr T Clarke asked the Minister for Regional Development for his Department's position on the design of the proposed upgrade of the Toome bypass and whether this will affect the roundabout on the Roguery Road, Toome.

(AQW 1893/11)

Minister for Regional Development: My Department’s Roads Service has advised that following a public exhibition and consultation in relation to the A6 Randalstown to Toome dualling scheme, it has been decided not to proceed with any changes to the original scheme. Consequently, there are no plans to upgrade the Toome Bypass.

I can further advise that the proposed Randalstown to Castledawson dualling scheme will not affect the roundabout on the Roguery Road, Toome.

Trust Ports Review

Ms M Ritchie asked the Minister for Regional Development to outline (i) the progress of the Trust Ports Review; and (ii) when he expects to bring forward legislation for trust ports.

(AQW 1917/11)

Minister for Regional Development: Primary legislation (a Harbours Bill) and secondary legislation (a series of Harbour Orders) implementing the outcome of the Trust Ports Review have been drafted.

There is insufficient time available to bring forward this new primary legislation during the current Assembly.

Public Open Space Land

Dr S Farry asked the Minister for Regional Development how much public open space land is owned by his Department and its associated bodies.

(AQW 1920/11)

Minister for Regional Development: i can confirm the following in relation to my Department and associated bodies:

Roads Service

Roads Service does not own any public open space land.

Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company

Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company owns public open space at Lands let to Belfast City Council at Corporation Street for use as a skate park - circa 0.42 acres.

Northern Ireland Water

Northern Ireland Water does not hold records of land open to the public due to the fact that some of its ground is leased by other bodies.  Areas such as Silent Valley can be clearly defined as open to the public but others leased cannot.

NI Water Mechanical and Electrical Craft Personnel

Mr G Savage asked the Minister for Regional Development if NI Water Mechanical and Electrical craft personnel, who access their daily work schedule from toughbooks, are aware that NI Water may chose to utilise the GPS tracking facility of toughbooks after 1 January 2011.

(AQW 1929/11)

Minister for Regional Development: I have been advised by Northern Ireland Water that it currently has no plans to utilise the GPS tracking facility of Toughbooks after 1 January 2011 for Mechanical and Electrical craft personnel.

NI Water

Mr A McQuillan asked e Minister for Regional Development why NI Water do not accept payments by card over the phone for the emptying of septic tanks.

(AQW 1939/11)

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 aims to have arrangements in place by April 2011 for payment by debit or credit card for septic tank desludging. NIW carry out up to 27,000 septic tank desludging operations per annum of which just over 300 are chargeable. (Every customer is entitled to one septic tank desludge per annum and only has to pay for subsequent empties).

NI Water

Mr P Weir asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail how much NI Water spent on water and sewage infrastructure in the North Down constituency since May 2007; and the planned spend for 2010/11.

(AQW 1940/11)

Minister for Regional Development:I have been advised by Northern Ireland Water that £21.26 million was invested in the water and wastewater infrastructure in the North Down constituency from April 2007 to March 2010. The planned investment for the area during 2010/11 is £1.78 million.

Roads Infrastructure in the North Down Constituency

Mr P Weir asked the Minister for Regional Development to provide a breakdown of the total investment in the roads infrastructure in the North Down constituency since May 2007.

(AQW 1941/11)

Minister for Regional Development: My Department’s Roads Service does not maintain an analysis of its expenditure in the format requested. However, it does hold an analysis of total annual capital expenditure by Council area. For the purposes of reply, details of the total capital expenditure in the Ards and North Down Council areas are set out in the table below.

Roads Service total expenditure on capital includes major capital schemes, minor capital schemes, street lighting renewal, land, capital structural maintenance and other capital activities.

Following the move of the NICS to International Financial Reporting Standards in the 2009-10 financial year, and to comply with International Accounting Standards, the structural maintenance activities of resurfacing, reconstruction, surface dressing and structural drainage were reclassified as capital expenditure. Prior to 2009-10, these activities were classified as resource expenditure. Therefore, in the table below, Capital Structural Maintenance is shown as nil in both 2007-08 and 2008-09.

I should also explain that Roads Service allocates its total budget for capital expenditure on roads across all District Council areas with major road improvements prioritised by taking a broad range of criteria into account. These include strategic planning policy, traffic flow, accidents numbers, potential travel time savings, environmental impact, accessibility and value for money. While the actual spend on a major works scheme may be within one district council area, the benefits of such schemes are not confined to that district council area.

The details of the total capital expenditure for the past three financial years, covering the period 2007-08 to 2009-10 for North Down and Ards Council areas, are set out in the table below:-

Crumlin to Nutts Corner Main Road

Mr T Burns asked the Minister for Regional Development (i) for his assessment of the condition of the main road, out of Crumlin to Nutts Corner, including the Mill Road; (ii) to detail what major repair work has been carried out on this stretch of road in the last five years; and (iii) any plans for major repairs or upgrades.

(AQW 1948/11)

Minister for Regional Development: I have been advised by my Department’s Roads Service that a detailed assessment of the A52 route between Main Street, Crumlin and the Nutts Corner roundabout, indicates that two thirds of the road is nearing the end of its useful service life, and would benefit from resurfacing. The cost of these works is substantial and progress will be dependent upon the availability of funding.

No major works have taken place on the road in last five years. The most significant works completed during this period was 2220 sq m of surface dressing on the Mill Road in 2009/10. I can also advise that patching expenditure on the road in last five years amounts to £5,000.

The Member will be aware from the content of Roads Service’s report to Antrim Borough Council in May 2010, that Mill Road has been included in resurfacing works planned for this financial year. While resurfacing has been delayed by utility works on this stretch of the road, Roads Service still expects to have it completed before March 2011.

Northern Ireland Railways Fleet

Mr T Burns asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail the current number of trains in the Northern Ireland Railways fleet, and how this compares, per head of population with (i) other parts of the UK; (ii) the Republic of Ireland; and (iii) other EU countries.

(AQW 1968/11)

Minister for Regional Development: There are fundamental differences in organisational structures between NIR and other regional train operating companies in Britain and this makes comparisons difficult. There is a lack of available official statistics on the number of trains in Britain. In the South, whilst CIE publish information on the number of trains, my officials are not currently able to verify these statistics. In the case of the EU, we are not currently aware of official statistics on the number of trains by country.

However, I have provided information on track length, journey numbers and population estimates for Britain and Ireland in the table below. Further information on track length and passenger kilometres for other EU countries is available from

http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/transport/data/main_tables .

¹ Information only available until 2008. All other data refers to 2009.

Sources: NI Transport Statistics 2009-10, Dept for Regional Development NI

Transport Statistics Great Britain 2009, Dept for Transport

Central Statistics Office, Transport 2008

Office for National Statistics: Population Estimates

Land Adjacent to Cullybackey Train Station

Mr P Frew asked the Minister for Regional Development if he intends to fund the purchase of identified land, adjacent to Cullybackey Train Station, to provide additional car parking space.

(AQW 1991/11)

Minister for Regional Development: Translink are seeking suitable options for further Park and Ride sites in the Cullybackey area. However the provision of any additional car park spaces at NIR stations will be subject to the availability of capital funding.

Tennent Street in North Belfast

Mr W Humphrey asked the Minister for Regional Development if his Department has any plans to resurface Tennent Street in North Belfast.

(AQW 1995/11)

Minister for Regional Development: My Department’s Roads Service has advised that major concrete repairs were carried out in Tennent Street, Belfast in 2008.

All resurfacing requests are investigated and assessed within the context of the three-year resurfacing and reconstruction works programme. Consequently, the present carriageway condition does not justify inclusion within the programme, at this time.

In addition, Roads Service carries out inspections of this area on a cyclical basis, and anything which is considered to be hazardous to the public, is identified and programmed for appropriate repair.

Senior Executives Bonuses

Mr P Maskey asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail the bonuses which Senior Executives in the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company/Translink are likely to be awarded for this financial year and the next three financial years.

(AQW 2040/11)

Minister for Regional Development: The Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (NITHCO)/Translink Board have confirmed that no bonuses will be paid in respect of this year (2010/2011). I have directed the NITHC/Translink Board that no bonuses should be paid in respect of last year (2009/2010). I will continue to follow Executive policy on this matter but have indicated to the NITHC/Translink Board that current policy is likely to remain in place.

Meters Installed in Domestic Properties

Mr C McDevitt asked the Minister for Regional Development to detail (i) the number of meters installed at domestic properties since May 2007 and the cost of installing these meters; and (ii) how many meters he expects to install in domestic properties in this financial year and the estimated cost of installing these meters.

(AQW 2134/11)

Minister for Regional Development: I have been advised by Northern Ireland Water (NIW) that the number of meters installed in domestic properties and the associated costs are set out in the table below.