Health, Social Services and Public Safety

1.

asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the length of time that patients are waiting to have varicose vein operations by health board area for the past three years.

(AQO 37/01)

2.

asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the number of patients on all hospital waiting lists in September 1999 and the current numbers on all hospital waiting lists.

(AQO 94/01)

Le do chead, a Cheann Comhairle, freagróidh mé ceisteanna 1 agus a 2 le chéile mar go mbaineann siad le hábhair chosúla. With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions one and two together as they deal with similar subjects.

Maidir leis an mhéid ama a fhanann othair le hobráidí féithe borrtha, tá an t-eolas a iarradh iontach mion agus bheadh sé neamhphraiticiúil agam plé leis an cheist anseo. Mar sin de, shocraigh mé go gcuirfí an t-eolas seo i Leabharlann an Tionóil.

Maidir leis an dara ceist, i mí Mheán Fómhair 1999, bhí 46,432 duine ag fanacht le dul isteach in otharlanna anseo mar othair chónaitheacha. Is é 54,246 an figiúr do Mheitheamh 2001.

I mí Mheán Fómhair 1999, bhí 98,712 duine ag fanacht lena gcéad choinne othair sheachtraigh in otharlanna anseo. Is é 128,438 an figiúr do Mheitheamh 2001.

The information on the length of time that patients wait for varicose vein operations is very detailed, and it would be impractical for me to deal with the question here. Therefore I have arranged to have that information placed in the Library.

In answer to question 2, in September 1999 there were 46,432 people waiting for inpatient admission to hospitals here. The equivalent figure for June 2001 is 54,246. In September 1999 there were 98,712 people waiting for their first outpatient appointment at hospitals here, and the equivalent figure for June 2001 is 128,438.

It is unfortunate that the information required has not been delivered, especially as there are approximately 23,000 people waiting for operations across the Province and 5,000 people waiting for operations in the Eastern Health and Social Services Board area alone. The Minister has lost the plot in relation to delivering a service to the people of the Province, and they are concerned about it.

People in my constituency have been waiting two years for varicose vein operations. Can the Minister say whether it is possible for these people to have their operations carried out in Scotland - in the same way as some people have had heart operations carried out - so that they can move up the list and get the service and health care that they need?

It is possible for people to have operations at another hospital here in the North. For example, such an offer was made recently to patients in the Southern Board area. I am sure that it would be possible, although I cannot answer for the Eastern Board today. As part of the framework for action, people have been asked to look at instances where it is possible to have operations carried out at another hospital here. That has also been done in relation to several other questions.

The Member must understand that, given the pressures on the service and the difficult situation we are in, it is natural that hospitals will carry out operations according to clinical priorities. That will impact on those seeking treatment for conditions such as varicose veins.

The Minister seems to be presiding over a continual disaster. We were hoping for an improvement once we had our own Assembly, but it seems that the situation is getting worse despite having local hands on the helm.

In the south Tyrone catchment area that covers Craigavon, there is no reduction in waiting lists. Instead, frustrated GPs are sending patients to accident and emergency departments because they cannot cope. Urology patients and those waiting for angiograms and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in the Craigavon area must now wait for up to three years. That is unacceptable. Last year, £5 million was thrown at waiting lists, with no improvement. This year, £8 million has been thrown at them -

Order. It is for the Minister to give facts and figures, and for Members to ask questions on those facts and figures.

She does not know.

Order. Will the Member ask her question?

I was just in the last breath of it.

You were indeed.

Can the Minister now give us something to look forward to, and explain the unacceptable growth of the waiting lists?

There are many good examples of what is being done. Given the pressures on the service, had that work not been carried out, the situation would be a good deal more serious.

Many hundreds have been offered the opportunity of undergoing their operation at a different hospital, if they have been waiting a long time. For example, the Eastern Board has recently offered 300 patients the opportunity to be treated at Downe Hospital, rather than wait for their operation elsewhere. A further six ophthalmology patients have been treated as day cases in the Mater Hospital - they would otherwise have had to wait for treatment elsewhere. Ward 8 in the Royal Victoria Hospital has been reorganised as an elective ward for six months a year, and as an emergency admissions ward for the rest of the year.

Several pilot studies have been carried out. For example, a study at the Royal Victoria Hospital is aimed at finding ways to reduce waiting times for oral surgery. Other patients have travelled to Glasgow to have cardiac surgery, rather than wait for treatment locally. As the Member so kindly pointed out during her question on scanning, a mobile MRI unit was brought in to provide a scanning service for the Northern Board and Western Board areas to help reduce waiting lists there. Additional scanning capacity from a mobile unit also continues at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

Waiting lists have grown for two reasons. First, the overall capacity of the system: in spite of the funding that I have allocated for the reduction of waiting lists - which the Member highlighted - more investment in the service is needed if it is to meet the demands being placed on it. The additional resources allocated in this year's budget fall far short of the bids that I made.

The increase in the inpatient waiting list in the last quarter can, for the large part, be explained by delays in some operations resulting from the directive to use single-use instruments for tonsillectomies. Around 60% of the increase in waiting lists occurred in the ear, nose and throat speciality. Other issues were involved, and I can come back to them if Members want more detail on the specific figures for the last quarter.

Is the Minister aware that people awaiting hip replacements, which in some cases could have been done in a couple of months two years ago, are now having to wait more than two years? Furthermore, people awaiting coronary artery bypass grafts cannot even get on a waiting list. Much of the flexibility and options for shopping around that she referred to earlier are no longer permitted. Those are some of the difficulties.

Many other GPs and I want to know what to tell those patients and their relations. One lady said to me that, as far as she was concerned, the Health Service is leaving her husband, who has coronary artery disease, to die.

I am aware that the rise in waiting lists means that some people are having to wait longer for their much-needed treatment. As I said in answer to a previous question, it is clear that clinical priorities are being dealt with. However, it is worth remembering that three out of four people waiting for either inpatient treatment or outpatient appointments are still being seen within three months.

Specifically regarding cardiac surgery, I am very conscious of the difficulties. For that reason I have asked the Chief Medical Officer to carry out an urgent review of that area. She has examined it and has made several recommendations. I hope to issue the review report in the near future. I have also allocated additional funding for supernumerary posts in cardiac intensive care to support existing staff, allowing additional nurses to give specialised treatment. That will help to increase bed capacity and the number of operations. Some people who have been waiting longer have been offered surgery elsewhere. Angiographic facilities due to open at Altnagelvin Hospital will increase overall capacity for this diagnostic facility and testing and will help to reduce waiting time.

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. What additional finance is needed to resolve the matter, given that a similar situation exists in the UK? The Labour Government have had to inject massive resources into that.

Money is specifically put into waiting list initiatives, and money is also put into the service as a whole. Clearly, regardless of the amount of money put into waiting list intiatives, if the service is under considerable pressure we will see a rise in waiting lists rather than the fall we would like to see. The service has faced some very difficult choices this year. To make a lasting impact on waiting lists we must address the capacity in hospital and community services.

I have given an extra £3 million for action on waiting lists this year. In addition, last year's normal allocation of £5 million was made recurrent, bringing the total additional resources specifically for action on waiting lists this year to £8 million. However, in the Eastern Board area alone, medical activity in hospitals is calculated to have increased by almost 9% since last year. Our hospitals are generally operating with occupancy levels in excess of 80%. When that kind of capacity difficulty exists, any increase in the number of emergency admissions or the loss of capacity on a given day can increase pressure considerably. On some days occupancy levels are well in excess of 90%. The system is running so close to full capacity that any small increase in demand can be a problem. I as Minister, and the Assembly as a whole, need to address that budget in the coming period.

I am aware that there is considerable interest in the question of waiting lists, but almost half the Question Time has gone, and we must move on to other questions. Mr McCarthy has asked for a written answer to be given to question 3.

4.

asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to outline the initiatives put forward by her Department to combat drug misuse and detail what countries are the main sources of drug supply to Northern Ireland.

(AQO 44/01)

13.

asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to outline the steps she is taking to prevent the spread of illegal drugs in Northern Ireland.

(AQO 8/01)

20.

asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail her budget for (a) drug treatment; and (b) drug education.

(AQO 15/01)

Le do chead, a Cheann Comhairle, freagróidh mé ceisteanna 4, 13 agus 20 le chéile. With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 4, 13 and 20 together.

Rinneadh dul chun cinn maith i gcomhlíonadh aidhmeanna agus cuspóirí na straitéisí drugaí agus alcóil. Chuir an Roinn foireann dhíograiseach straitéise drugaí agus alcóil le chéile le gníomh daingean a dhéanamh ar fud na Ranna agus na ngníomhaireachtaí uile.

Dáileadh breis agus £4·5 mhilliún ar 36 scéim ag soláthar réimse seirbhísí, lena n-áirítear oideachas, scoileanna agus grúpaí pobail a chur ar an eolas agus oideachas ar dhrugaí a chur ar fáil do thuismitheoirí.

Good progress has been made in delivering the overall aims and objectives of the drug and alcohol strategies. The Department has created a dedicated drug and alcohol strategy team to drive action forward across Departments and agencies.

Over £4·5 million has been allocated to 36 projects, covering a range of services such as education and awareness raising in schools and community groups and drugs education for parents. We have also improved and expanded treatment, rehabilitation and counselling services for drug users, including a 10-bed inpatient unit at Holywell Hospital and a needle and syringe exchange scheme. Funding has already been made available for action to reduce drug use in prisons and among offenders.

In May, the Executive approved the joint implementation of drug and alcohol strategies. The source countries for drug supply are Holland, Belgium, Morocco, Spain, Turkey, Afghanistan, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. In the past three years, £5·5 million has been spent on tackling drug misuse. In the most recent Budget, the Chancellor allocated an additional £9·3 million to help tackle drug misuse here. A total of £6·3 million was transferred to the Executive, and discussions on how those resources can be deployed most effectively are under way.

Can the Minister confirm that, following this summer's episode, Colombia will be added to the list that she read out? I know that the drugs issue is embarrassing for the Minister and her party. However, I trust that we will not see the same political monkey act that we had from her Colleague, the Minister of Education. He seemed to see no evil, hear no evil and did not believe that his party did any evil in relation to drug dealing and other drug-related activity in Northern Ireland.

Does the Minister unequivocally condemn the actions of the IRA/Sinn Féin canvasser, the IRA/Sinn Féin executive member and the IRA/Sinn Féin foreign representative who were caught with drug-dealing terrorists in Colombia? Given that she is so concerned about the drug problem in Northern Ireland, what co-operation has she given to the RUC in its efforts to defeat it?

The Member knows that questions about the supply of drugs are not within my remit. However, to be helpful to him, I approached the NIO for information about the sources of drug supply, and I have given him the answer that my officials received.

Secondly, I can only presume that the Member is referring to the three Irish men recently arrested in Colombia. I would certainly not refer to people in the way in which he did. Thirdly, Sinn Féin - as the Member well knows - is not involved in drug trafficking, nor is it associated with any organisations that are. My party's position on drug trafficking is clear, and it is absolutely and entirely consistent with my considerable efforts, as Minister, to implement the drug strategy and to combat drug abuse.

Finally, the Member wants to know what work I am doing - [Interruption]. I am sure that, having asked the question, he and his Colleagues want to hear the answer. As the Member knows, I am working with the new structures and the six working groups on the joint implementation of the drug and alcohol strategies, as agreed and supported by the Executive.

Two of the working groups - the social legislation working group and the criminal justice working group - are concerned with legal issues. The RUC is represented on four of the six working groups and on the drug and alcohol implementation steering group. The Executive and I feel that the structures that were agreed represent the best way of taking the matter forward.

The Minister will be aware that Members of her party have described part of my constituency as the drugs capital of Northern Ireland. If there is a drug problem there, as she knows there is, will she tell the House what she is going to do to help tackle the problem? What is the Minister going to do in order to work with the RUC, who require help in dealing with the problem? Will she give unequivocal support to the RUC? When will she be prepared to meet them? When will she be prepared to commit resources to the RUC, and when will she work with them to tackle drug abuse in my constituency and across Northern Ireland? Her failure to embrace the RUC is at the root of the problems concerned with tackling drug abuse effectively.

The Member will be aware that, given the other considerable pressures on my budget, committing resources to the criminal justice field, which is not within my remit, would hardly be part of my answer today, or part of anything that the Member or anyone else would expect. The considered and lengthy answer to the original question set out precisely what we have done and are doing to combat the drugs problem.

Good progress has been made since the launch of the drugs strategy in August 1999. Four drug and alcohol co-ordination teams are now in place, with representatives from the agencies working in the field. Each of those teams has produced, and is putting into effect, an action plan that reflects circumstances and priorities in their respective areas. Therefore, there is an action plan designed to help tackle the problems that are specific to the Member's area. The key Departments and agencies have also produced, and are implementing, plans for action at the regional level across their various responsibilities.

The Member will also know of the work being done by the Drug Information and Research Unit (DIRU). As heroin addiction is such a difficult problem, treatment is mainly provided through local community addiction teams. There are eight teams, which offer a variety of treatment services at their clinics. Each team has a consultant psychiatrist who will see the individual concerned after a member of the community addiction team has made an initial assessment. A treatment programme is then agreed on, which can range from residential treatment and detoxification in the community to the prescription of substitutes in exceptional circumstances.

The additional resource package, worth £4·5 million, was used to pay for the 10-bed inpatient unit that was recently opened at Holywell Hospital. That means better residential and detoxification facilities for the Ballymena area.

Will the Minister clarify her budget? What is the total annual budget this year to deal with the issue of drug abuse? Could she provide me with details of the 36 projects in writing? Are certain areas in Northern Ireland being targeted, especially those with a known history of cocaine abuse?

There have been two main sources of money specifically to deal with the drug issue. People who come into an accident and emergency unit and are suffering from drug and alcohol abuse will get treatment that is not paid for from that budget. Those people might be seen by a consultant psychiatrist or by other staff for different difficulties. In 1999, £5·5 million was made available to implement the drugs strategy, and £4·5 million of that was allocated to the 36 projects. I am happy to send the Member the information he requested.

This year, in addition to the £5·5 million, we had an extra £9 million from the Chancellor's Budget. To date, £6·23 million of that money has been transferred into the Executive Budget. Discussions are now under way to determine how to deploy these resources most effectively within our remit.

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Will the Minister give her assessment of whether the drugs strategy is working?

We are making considerable progress in implementing the strategy and in tackling the problem. An extensive range of work must be carried out. We have ensured that work has been organised across the spectrum of society. Therefore, in the new working groups, work is being advanced that involves treatment, education and prevention, information and research, local communities and social legislation. The NIO will carry out work in the criminal justice field.

Not only do we have a range of projects in place that impact keenly on the issue, but structures have been formed that can impact on the problem and that are a model of inclusiveness. They allow for the voluntary and community sectors to have more than 20 seats throughout the structure, which will also help to impact on the measures that are needed to advance the strategy.

Work is being carried out in the education and treatment fields, and specifically, as the drug strategy suggested, in dealings with young people and in the field of peer education. Work is being also carried out - successfully - in communities.

5.

asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to make it her policy that beta interferon remains freely available to those suffering from multiple sclerosis.

(AQO 17/01)

7.

asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to make it her policy that the availability of beta interferon to MS sufferers on the National Health Service in Northern Ireland will not be affected by draft recommendations from the National Institute of Clinical Excellence to withdraw its use in Wales and England.

(AQO 1/01)

Le do chead, a Cheann Comhairle, freagróidh mé ceisteanna 5 agus 7 le chéile. I will answer questions 5 and 7 together.

Is eol domh gur cúis mhór bhuartha iad na dréachtmholtaí a d'eisigh an Insititiúid Náisiúnta um Fheabhas Cliniciúil faoi infhaighteacht beta interferon sa todhchaí. Bhuail mé leis an Chumann Ilscléaróise cheana féin le héisteacht lena gcuid tuairimí agus níba déanaí bhuail mé le gairmithe sláinte atá rannpháirteach go gníomhach i láimhseáil na hilscléaróise.

Is measúnacht shealadach í ar cheithre chógas atá in úsáid an ilscléaróis a láimhseáil an cháipéis seo a d'eisigh INFC ar na mallaibh. Níl ann ach cáipéis chomhairleach, agus ag an am seo ní thugann sí treoir úr ar bith ar úsáid beta interferon.

I am aware that the draft recommendations issued recently by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) have given rise to considerable concern about the future availability of beta interferon. I have already met with the Multiple Sclerosis Society to listen to its views and, more recently, I have met with health professionals who are also involved in the management of multiple sclerosis. The document that NICE issued recently represents a provisional appraisal of four medicines used in the management of multiple sclerosis. It is a consultation document only and, at this stage, does not constitute fresh guidance on the use of beta interferon.

As Members may be aware, NICE guidance applies only in England and Wales. However, I may wish to consider local implications when the guidance is formerly published later this year. In the meantime, patients with multiple sclerosis will continue to receive drugs such as beta interferon for as long as their consultant neurologist considers that they are likely to benefit from the treatment - having discussed the risks and benefits of treatment with the patient, and having taken account of the evidence of effectiveness, departmental guidance and the guidelines of the Association of British Neurologists.

I thank the Minister for that response, which will provide some reassurance to those who are currently receiving beta interferon and who are concerned that the apparently financially-driven decision by NICE in England would be implemented here.

The Minister has just said that in the meantime a consultant neurologist who wishes to prescribe beta interferon will be able to do so. Will the Minister give an assurance that this will continue to be her position, and that she will put the needs of patients in Northern Ireland, and the recommendations for specific patients from specific consultants, ahead of any financial considerations deriving from London?

I said "in the meantime" because once formal guidance is available - albeit applying to only England and Wales - I will want to look at it. I am simply making the position clear between now and then. I understand that the earliest likely date for the publication of the NICE guidelines is November 2001. It is appropriate that the Department continue to take account of changes in the management of multiple sclerosis, including new and emerging evidence on both the clinical and cost-effectiveness of these medicines. The Member will understand that, at this point, I do not wish to say anything further than that. I will look at the guidance.

Order. The Minister's time is up. There are clearly substantial interests and concerns in all portfolios, but particularly in this one. That is clear from the number of questions listed and from - and this is perhaps less clear to the House - the number of requests for supplementary questions that came to me on this portfolio. The time allotted is the same as for the others and, regrettably, we have come to the end of that time.

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Finance and Personnel

1.

asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to indicate what steps he intends to take to ensure that Departments accept reports from the Public Accounts Committee, including criticisms where appropriate.

(AQO 114/01)

The Department of Finance and Personnel acts to ensure that the views and recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) are considered carefully by the relevant Departments and that the Department of Finance and Personnel memorandum of reply gives an appropriate response to each PAC conclusion. There can be occasions where a Department takes the view that it would not be appropriate to accept a PAC recommendation. Should that be the case, the memorandum of reply would need to explain why, so that the Committee can reflect on whether the response is acceptable.

Is the Minister aware that the Department of Finance and Personnel memorandum of reply to the fifth report from the Public Accounts Committee rejects the conclusion that the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety failed to introduce legislation in time to curb pay increases to health board chiefs? Can he reassure the House that the work of the Public Accounts Committee is not treated in a cavalier fashion by any Department, that its work is taken seriously and that its conclusions are accepted, rather than simply rejected without explanation?

A Department of Finance and Personnel memorandum of reply conveys the response of the relevant Department to the PAC's conclusions. I have seen both the Committee's conclusion and the Department's reply. As I read it, there was a difference of opinion over a course of action that had taken place over several years. The Committee was of the view that the Department had not acted swiftly enough to resolve a particular issue, while both the accounting officer and the departmental Minister considered that the action had been as swift as possible. I would find it difficult to second-guess another Minister in relation to whether a Department had acted quickly enough in a complex situation. However, I am sure that the Department concerned is well aware of the need for urgent and effective action should a similar situation reoccur.

I accept that a memorandum of reply might, in some circumstances, include a Department demurring in relation to PAC recommendations or disagreeing with PAC views; that goes with an open and transparent process. However, I also accept that it might be more appropriate for a Department not to baldly reject the PAC's view, and the Department of Finance and Personnel will ensure that such summary terms are not repeated.

2.

asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to give an update on the negotiations on the contracts with the various intermediate funding bodies.

(AQO 111/01)

Following the outcome of the competitive tendering process for the selection of organisations or consortia to become intermediary funding bodies, the next step was to engage the organisations and consortia involved in contract discussions.

The detailed contracts under negotiation involved complex issues, reflecting the requirements of the European structural funds regulations, which were addressed through a programme of negotiation meetings between the Special EU Programmes Body and the recommended organisations or consortia. My departmental officials, and those from other relevant Departments, were also involved, and negotiations with all 11 recommended organisations or consortia have now been completed.

What steps can the Minister take to address the concerns of people in projects in the community and voluntary sectors that are now receiving gap funding that will cease at the end of October?

I am aware that many projects receive gap funding under the interim arrangements agreed by the Executive in February and that that funding is due to cease at the end of October. I am keeping the position under close review in light of the emerging timetable for the flow of funds, particularly from newly-appointed intermediary funding bodies, and from the new local strategy partnerships.

Given Mr Hume's announcement this morning, will the Minister confirm if he is willing, able and available to undertake a new contract as leader of the SDLP?

Mr Speaker, I was hoping that you would rule on the irrelevance of the question.

My remit extends entirely to the Chamber. I would not dream of making the judgement as to whether that question was relevant or irrelevant to the Minister. Perhaps Mr Eddie McGrady will enlighten us.

3.

asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail what progress has been made on the decentralisation of Civil Service jobs to rural areas in Northern Ireland; and to make a statement.

(AQO 55/01)

4.

asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel what progress is being made on the decentralisation of public sector employment.

(AQO 40/01)

10.

asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail progress to date on the decentralisation of Government offices outside the Greater Belfast area.

(AQO 28/01)

11.

asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to give an update on the work of the accommodation review.

(AQO 118/01)

I will take questions 3, 4, 10 and 11 together. In May, consultants were appointed to carry out a strategic review of Government office accommodation. That includes an examination of the scope for the decentralisation of Civil Service jobs. The outputs and milestones agreed in the review are being met as scheduled. The current timetable for the delivery of the consultants' report is the end of November.

I will refrain from taking up the option proposed to me by the Speaker before he left the Chair. The Civil Service review will take account of targeting social need, equal opportunities and regional planning strategy. Will the Minister confirm that it will take into account, as it states in the Programme for Government, the need for rural proofing, and when can we expect to see some practical changes from the review regarding decentralisation to the rural community? Can he ensure that reasonable additional funds are provided to make that transition?

I expect to receive the consultants' report by the end of November, at which stage the scope for the decentralisation of Civil Service jobs will become clear, as should the level of resources required to deliver any decentralisation options. Where options for decentralisation are identified, the impact on the exporting and importing areas, urban or rural, will have to be considered. I intend to examine any options and the associated financial implications as a matter of urgency, together with Colleagues on the Executive, and in appropriate consultation with other interested parties. It is currently too early to say what resources might be required or to identify how they might be secured.

Does the Minister agree that decentralisation of public-sector employment does not mean a redeployment to two or three urban centres across Northern Ireland? When the Minister for Regional Development spoke about decentralisation a few days ago he said that roads, water, planning and other services were in place across the rural community. That is contradicted by the experience in south-east Ulster, where planning, roads, water, sewerage, land valuation and rate collection, among other functions, are centralised in Marlborough House in Craigavon. Will he give specific attention to that?

By definition, the examination of the scope for decentralisation will concentrate on the potential for jobs to be relocated from Belfast and north Down. One factor that must be taken into account in deciding where such jobs might go is the number of Civil Service jobs in any one area in relation to the local workforce.

I remind the Minister that as well as the issue of where jobs might be taken to, with the consequent benefits for the receiving areas, there is also a severe problem with office accommodation in the Greater Belfast/north Down area. That is particularly true for organisations such as the Environment and Heritage Service, whose premises, I understand, are already overcrowded, yet it is supposedly recruiting additional staff. How quickly does the Minister expect to be able to do anything about those pressures, given the long timescale under which jobs will be decentralised?

I appreciate that many Departments are already suffering acute accommodation pressures as a result of departmental reorganisation and accommodation constraints, not least those that the Member has referred to in the Greater Belfast area. Notwithstanding the strategic importance of the review that I have referred to, we are also considering shorter-term measures that can relieve some of the pressures currently facing Departments.

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I do not wish to pre-empt the November consultation, but in view of the Assembly accommodation plans and the Minister's authorisation of expenditure of £9 million on accommodation in east Belfast, will he give the House some assurance that civil servants' jobs, perhaps under pressure for accommodation, will be decentralised?

I must correct the Member. I did not give approval for the Assembly Commission to spend £9 million on accommodation in east Belfast. Expenditure by the Assembly Commission is not subject to the approval of the Minister of Finance and Personnel or the Executive. The Member should know that, and she should have read her correspondence carefully. That expenditure is undertaken by the Assembly Commission, on which a range of parties are represented. I understand that the Assembly Commission's decision was unanimous.

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