That detailed information is not available because of the way in which it is collected and collated. The cancellation of operations causes anxiety for cancer patients and their families. However, all trusts prioritise patients with suspected or diagnosed cancer, and they take all possible measures to minimise delays. Trusts have reported that cancer operations are rarely cancelled because intensive care beds are unavailable.

That will not be of much comfort to the small number of people who have been affected. However, although the Department does not collect statistics centrally, it is a matter that trusts prioritise and on which they take all possible action. Among other tasks, they ensure that procedures are in place to reschedule operations as soon as possible. Since I became Minister, I have taken considerable care to increase the number of high-dependency beds and intensive care beds that are available.

I share Ms McWilliams's response to the Minister's reply. It is disappointing that those answers are not forthcoming. Anyone who has cancer, or whose life is at risk, deserves a proper explanation as to why his or her operation has been cancelled, whether it be due to the lack of an intensive care bed or to the lack of a surgeon. That came through loud and clear in the latest waiting list report. More operations are being postponed - sometimes for six months. I want the Minister to inform the House of those figures as soon as possible.

There is a major difference between patients not being told the reason why their operation has been postponed and my not having that information collected centrally. The fact that such information is not collected centrally does not in any way suggest that patients are not told why their operations have been cancelled.

I wanted to give an answer that was not based on information that trusts were able to give me from their own knowledge. That answer is that operations are scheduled by prioritising patients who have suspected or diagnosed cancer. It is rare for a cancer operation to be cancelled for that reason. Since 1999, when I became Minister, there has been significant expansion in the number of intensive care and high-dependency unit beds. It has considerably reduced the problems caused by the lack of availability of critical care beds. I accept that, occasionally, during peak periods, it is possible that all intensive care and high-dependency unit beds can be filled, which can result in urgent operations being postponed. Although such procedures are usually rescheduled quickly, I am, of course, not happy that any operation can be affected by the lack of such beds.

With regard to the lack of intensive care unit beds, will the Minister clarify whether the major problem lies with the facility infrastructure or with the lack of staff? Will she also explain what action she is taking to remedy the problem?

As I have said, considerable work has been done to increase the number of intensive care and high-dependency unit beds. One of the first tasks that I undertook to do when I became Minister was to ask the Chief Medical Officer to review intensive care services. All 10 additional intensive care beds recommended by the Chief Medical Officer have been brought on-stream. The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety is clear that intensive care beds are available and staffed to support patients who require such care. However, the demand for those beds occasionally exceeds availability, and some operations might be temporarily delayed. As I said, immense action has been taken, given the cost of bringing on-stream both intensive care and high-dependency unit beds. It is not simply a question of funding; it is also a question of staff. When the Department examines how it can develop better services and the profile of each of the hospitals, it will also consider where intensive care and high-dependency provision needs to be.

3.

asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what assessment she can make of the difficulties faced by disabled young adults leaving full-time education, and to outline how she intends to address the issue.

(AQO 80/02)

9.

asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many young people who left special schools this summer have been provided with (i) full-time; (ii) part-time; and (iii) no day care by health and social services trusts.

(AQO 95/02)

13.

asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety whether she plans to provide additional day-care services for school leavers and young adults with learning disabilities in the Dungannon area.

(AQO 94/02)

Le do chead, a Cheann Comhairle, freagróidh mé ceisteanna 3, 9 agus 13 le chéile ós rud é go mbaineann siad leis an cheist chéanna.

With your permission, Mr Speaker, I shall take questions 3, 9 and 13 together, as they relate to the same issue.

Tá sé tábhachtach go mbíonn teacht ag aosaigh óga mhíchumasacha ar thacaíocht agus ar sheirbhísí fóirsteanacha nuair a fhágann siad oideachas lánaimseartha. Thiocfadh dó gur teacht é seo ar oideachas, oiliúint agus fostaíocht bhreise a bheadh i gceist, chomh maith le teacht ar ionaid lae aosach nó scéimeanna gníomhaíochta lae eile a reachtálaíonn iontaobhais sláinte agus seirbhísí sóisialta.

Éilíonn 'Tosaíochtaí le haghaidh Gníomhaíochta 2000-03' ar bhoird agus ar iontaobhais leanstan ar aghaidh ag forbairt seirbhísí chúram lae agus seirbhísí faoisimh do dhaoine le míchumas foghlama. Ar 3 Meán Fómhair bhuail mé leis an Aire Oideachais agus leis an Aire Fostaíochta agus Foghlama le plé a dhéanamh ar cad é mar is féidir lenár Ranna agus lena ngníomhaireachtaí oibriú le chéile le freastal níos fearr a dhéanamh ar riachtanais na ndaoine óga seo. Iarradh ar fheidhmeannaigh tuairisc a thabhairt dúinn i mí na Samhna le moltaí.

It is important that disabled young adults have access to the appropriate range of services and support when they leave full-time education. That may be access to further education, training or employment, as well as access to adult day centres or other day activity schemes run by health and social services trusts. Priorities for action require boards and trusts to continue to develop the range of day-care and respite services for people with learning disabilities.

On 3 September, I met the Minister of Education and the Minister for Employment and Learning to discuss how our respective Departments and their agencies can work together to better meet the needs of those young people. Officials have been asked to report to us with proposals in November. Information on the numbers of young people who left special schools this summer, and the type of day care provided by health and social services trusts, has been placed in the Library.

As regards the development of day-care provision in the Dungannon area, I understand that the Southern Health and Social Services Board gave Armagh and Dungannon Health and Social Services Trust £68,000 in 1999-2000 for that purpose. A further £75,000 was allocated in 2002-03. The trust advises that the money was used to develop services in each of the four centres in the Dungannon area, especially the Aughnacloy day centre and the Oakridge Social Education Centre. The trust has reported that it is able to meet the day-care needs of special school leavers in that area.

Does your Department require additional funding from the Executive if full day-care services for people with learning difficulties are to be developed?

I have bid for additional resources in the next spending round. Additional funding is needed for day care and, indeed, for a whole range of other health and social services. However, I was able to allocate a further, recurrent £300,000 to boards in June for wheelchair and day-care provision.

Given the pressures across the spectrum of health and social services, it is inevitable that difficult decisions must be taken about the allocation of funding. However, it is health and social services' responsibility to provide day care for those young people who are unable, because of their disability, to access further education, training or employment. Many young people do not want a day-care place and aspire to do the same things as their non-disabled peers.

I thank the Minister for her response to my question, although I regret that she could not supply the statistics for which I asked.

No matter what the Minister might say about young people who may or may not want a place in day care, is it not a fact that there is a huge demand - indeed, requirement - for day-care places, both from young people with learning disabilities and from their parents? It is not a crisis that is thrust upon the Minister at the last minute, as people tend to reach the age of 19 gradually over a period of years. Why can priority not be given to that important area when other services, such as acute hospitals, seem to get a much easier acceptance from the Department?

In relation to the Member's regret about the provision of information, I have placed that information in the Library. Members must accept that I am restricted by time when answering questions, and that asking specific questions with more than one part, which requires detailed information, makes that rather difficult.

Six people are currently not receiving day care. Of those, one is due to receive day care shortly, initially part-time, but that will be increased to full-time care as soon as possible; one was referred to the trust only on 4 September and has yet to have a needs assessment; and another person's parents were adamant that they did not want any day-care arrangements.

As I have said, I accept that additional funding is needed, and I have given additional funding to boards this year. Like all other Ministers, I must consistently bid for funding, and I shall continue to do so. I have given much more in that area than has been given for quite some time, although I accept that much more needs to be done.

I welcome the Minister's confirmation that a cross-departmental approach will be taken. Will her Department take the lead in examining the issue of young people with disabilities who have left full-time education or specialist schools? Will she examine the quality of the accommodation in day-care centres, the facilities and equipment, the number of support staff available, and training provision for staff and parents?

The Minister of Education took the lead in organising our meeting with the Minister for Employment and Learning. I am happy to report that the discussion was positive. It was not a case of pass the parcel. We discussed how each Minister could contribute to the future of people who leave special schools.

My Department's remit covers the provision of services for those who are unable to access further education, training or employment because of disability. I have included the expansion of day-care services as a service development priority this year, and some of the additional funding allocated to boards for the development of community services is available for that purpose. However, it is important that we examine how our respective Departments and agencies can work together to better meet the needs of those young people.

Does the Minister agree that no other society forces its young people out of full-time education at the age of 19? Although many of those young people have the bodies of 19-year-olds, they can have mental ages of seven or eight. Where else are children forced out of full-time education at that age? Why are those young people discriminated against by not being allowed to continue in full-time education? Many adult centres are totally inappropriate for children of that age. They fossilize rather than further themselves, while other children are permitted to develop. Can the Minister find a way to give those children the same access to education, learning and employment that other children have?

I cannot say who does or does not have the right to education, because that is not within my area of responsibility. However, the Ministers and officials at the meeting made it clear that we want to examine overall needs and centre our work on the needs of individuals to ensure that they do not fall between two stools - or in this case three, given that three different Departments are involved.

I also accept that, although facility-based day care may meet the needs of some people, provision must offer choice. Boards, therefore, prefer to develop a range of day care with several providers, including those from the voluntary sector, to develop innovative, locally based schemes, which have been particularly beneficial in some areas. That is a more inclusive response to the day-care needs of today's young people.

4.

asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, subsequent to delays in the processing of a grievance procedure relating to the shift rota at Kilkeel ambulance station, whether the Ambulance Service is required to adhere to any standards for the processing of such procedure.

(AQO 78/02)

Tá a cuid nósanna imeachta inmheánacha féin ag an tSeirbhís Otharchairr le déileáil le gearáin fostaithe. Leagann siad sin amach amchlár soiléir mar threoirlíne le déiléail le céimeanna éagsúla na nósanna imeachta.

Tuigim go raibh moill dhosheachanta ann roinnt uaireanta i bpróiseáil gearáin faoi phatrúin sealanna a thóg foireann Stáisiún Otharchairr Chill Chaoil níos luaithe i mbliana. Tharla an mhoill mar gheall ar chastacht na ceiste agus cionnas nach raibh fáil ar go leor foirne le painéal achomhairc a chur le chéile ag an am.

The Ambulance Service has its own procedures for dealing with grievances raised by employees. Clear timetables are set as guidelines to deal with various stages of the procedures. I understand that earlier this year there were several unavoidable delays in the processing of a grievance about shift patterns that was raised by staff at Kilkeel ambulance station. Those delays were partly because of the nature and complexity of the issue and partly because of the unavailability of key staff to constitute an appeals panel during the period in question. Although the grievance was not upheld, the Ambulance Service has given the staff at Kilkeel an undertaking to review urgently the shift patterns.

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I thank the Minister for her answer, and I am delighted to hear of the review. Will the Minister ensure that management listens to those at the coalface of accident and emergency care, and takes seriously their recommendations to improve the service rather than stick to the old, familiar ways? They are inadequate and endanger the welfare of patients.

Given the decision to refer the matter of shift patterns to the joint consultative negotiating committee for urgent consideration next month, it is clear that the service wishes to listen to staff, and that it accepts that there should be fair treatment and a consistency of approach for all staff.

5.

asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety whether she will consider offering breast and cervical screening to all women over 40.

(AQO 93/02)

Faoi láthair, tugtar cuireadh do gach bean idir 50 bliain d'aois agus 64 bliana d'aois dul faoi scagthástáil cheirbheacsach gach trí bliana. Ní thacaíonn toradh an taighde atá ar fáil go nuige scagthástáil a thabhairt isteach do mhná faoi 50. Seo dearcadh an Choiste Scagthástála a thugann comhairle do na hAirí Sláinte anseo agus i Sasana, Albain agus sa Bhreatain Bheag.

The programme invites women between the ages of 50 and 64 for breast screening every three years. To date, research evidence available does not support the introduction of breast screening for women under 50. That is the view of the screening committee, which advises Health Ministers here, in England, in Scotland and in Wales.

I thank the Minister for her answer. What was the date of the most recent figures given to her Department? Would new figures not prove that the detection of more women over 40 might be relevant to the question that Monica McWilliams asked earlier about operations?

The reason for not introducing breast screening for women under 50 is that, in the view of the screening committee, there is a difficulty. The evidence available was assessed, and it is not at all clear that its introduction would lead to better detection. Mammograms, or X-rays of the breast, in women under 50 are much more difficult to interpret compared to those of women over 50. The breast tissue in women under 50 is more dense, thus making the X-ray difficult to read. Furthermore, the consistency of breast tissue in pre-menopausal women changes throughout each month, and that could result in an unacceptable level of false positives and false negatives.

Will the Minister examine why the breast-screening service does not apply to women over 64?

The extension of the breast-screening programme to women aged between 65 and 70 would increase the workload by approximately 40% and would require additional staff and finance. It is to be hoped that, in the coming year, I will be able to allocate funding for that purpose.

We have run out of time for questions to the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.

Finance and Personnel

Question 2, in the name of Mr John Dallat, has been withdrawn and will receive a written answer.

1.

asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to make a statement on the current position of the needs and effectiveness evaluation studies.

(AQO 86/02)

The Minister of Finance and Personnel (Dr Farren): Five needs and effectiveness evaluations are being considered by the relevant Assembly Committees. They cover health and social care, education, financial assistance to industry, housing and vocational education and training. Further work has been undertaken on English expenditure figures provided by the Treasury. Such figures give us the comparators against which to assess our spending. Departments are being advised of the outcome of that work so that it can be taken into account in the consideration of the material.

The needs and effectiveness study now with the Committee highlighted that the Health Service is seriously underfunded. Will that be reflected in the forthcoming Budget?

The needs and effectiveness evaluation reports are important documents to be considered when finalising the forthcoming Budget, and they will help the Executive to make the best use of their resources. Health is an important priority, which has been emphasised in previous Budgets. The priority that we give to health and the results of the needs and effectiveness evaluations must be taken into account when we decide the Budget allocations.

3.

asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to outline the key elements of the spending review and the implications for Northern Ireland.

(AQO 101/02)

The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the outcome of the national spending review on 15 July 2002, and the Executive are considering its implications for Northern Ireland and how best to allocate the additional resources. The spending review provided Northern Ireland with additional resources, based on the Barnett formula, of approximately £148 million for 2003-04; £507 million for 2004-05; and £930 million for 2005-06. Northern Ireland also received non-Barnett additions for ring-fenced items such as the European Union Special Support Fund for Peace and Reconciliation (EUSSPPR). A draft Budget containing the Executive's assessment and proposals will be presented to the Assembly on 24 September 2002.

Will additional resources target the Assembly's agreed priority areas?

The Executive's position report presented to the Assembly on 5 June 2002 outlines the key issues that affect public services. Based on the comments received from departmental Committees and other interested parties, the Executive are considering the best allocation of resources. As I said earlier, the Budget will be presented next week.

I will outline the process thereafter. The draft Programme for Government and the draft Budget will be presented next week. In October and early November the Committee for Finance and Personnel will take evidence from other Committees on the draft Budget. That will be followed by a take-note debate on the subject, and the revised Budget will be presented to the Assembly for debate and vote in early December.

4.

asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel what consultation has taken place with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development on wet weather payments for farmers.

(AQO 99/02)

I met the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development last week, and she raised the issue of wet weather payments for farmers. Her Department is reviewing the situation and will be unable to assess the position until the autumn, when the growing season has ended. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and I have agreed that she will keep the issue under review, and, indeed, she has written to Executive Colleagues to advise them of the matter.

I am surprised that the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development raised the issue only last week; perhaps she did so because she knew that there would be a question to be answered this week. Is the Minister of Finance and Personnel aware of the severe problems that farmers have faced, and still face, as a result of the wet weather earlier this year? Does he realise that harvests are substantially down on previous years and that farmers are in hardship and crisis? What assistance can he offer to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development so that she can deliver help to the rural community?

I am aware of the situation from my own observation and through direct contact with members of the farming community. I am sure that the Minister did not first consider wet weather payments last week. She advised me that she was reviewing the matter then, but that followed ongoing consideration of the matter by her and her officials in recent months. As I suggested in my initial answer, when the position becomes clear, then, and only then, can decisions be taken about allocations under the wet weather payments scheme.

The farming industry has suffered badly as a result of various diseases over the past few years, and the situation has been made much worse this year by the atrocious weather. Will the Minister of Finance and Personnel assure the House that if the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development agrees that there should be an application to the European Commission for wet weather payments, she will have his Department's full support? Should such an application to Brussels be successful, will he tell the House whether it will be funded entirely from the European Commission, entirely from the Northern Ireland allocation, or from both? If a wet weather payment scheme proceeds, will payments be made to the agriculture industry generally in Northern Ireland or to individual farmers?

I remind the Minister that he should answer only one of those questions.

I thank the Member for the three invitations to speculate on what action would be sought from the Executive on a situation that might arise. I hesitate to become involved in such speculation, but in my previous response I said that I am aware of the situation that has been affecting the agriculture industry. However, my Colleague, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development must advise me about the precise situation as regards wet weather payments.

I will try to ask a question that Mr Taylor may have left out. There are currently no central EU funds from which the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development can bid for aid. Will the Minister, therefore, assure the Assembly that he will be sympathetic to any bids from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to address the problem?

My role is to consider bids by all my Colleagues. Bids from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development will be given careful and sympathetic consideration, in line with that approach.

5.

asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail (a) any plans to introduce water charges; and (b) whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer expressed a view on water charging; and to make a statement.

(AQO 112/02)

There are no plans to introduce water charges. The Minister for Regional Development is considering the future organisation of the Water Service. His proposals will have important implications for the future financing and structure of water and sewerage services. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has not directly expressed a view on water charging here.

Is there European pressure on the Minister to introduce water charges? Will he take into account the TSN policy and the effect of the imposition of water charges on those with larger families who use more water, and those who live in deprived areas? It is important that services should be freely available, as charges would be detrimental to them.

I am aware of the European Directives, but responsibility for responding to Directives on water quality and sewerage lies with the Minister for Regional Development and the Minister of the Environment. As with all the members of the Executive, I am aware of the need to bear the TSN policy in mind, whenever or wherever policies are being developed.

Does the Minister agree that the introduction of water metering would conserve water? Does he also agree that it would dispel the myth, prevalent throughout Northern Ireland, that people receive their water free of charge?

That question must be directed to the Minister responsible for the Water Service, not the Minister of Finance and Personnel.

Will the Minister confirm that there are no current plans or intentions to introduce a system of direct water metering charges for domestic householders in Northern Ireland?

The consultation document on the review of the rating system includes a section on the future financing of the Water Service. Having read it, they will be aware that the Executive have ruled out any proposal for the introduction of water meters.

6.

asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel what plans are being developed to ensure a strategic shift in resources across Departments in 2003-04 and future years.

(AQO 84/02)

The Executive are considering the development and annual revision of the Programme for Government, which will inform our budgetary decisions, and seek to develop a collective direction involving agreed priorities, based on our assessment of where the greatest needs lie across the 11 Departments. We will take account of the outcome of the national spending review and the responses to the consultation that followed the publication of the Executive's June position report. Next week, a draft Budget containing our assessments and proposed spending plans will be presented to the Assembly, alongside the revised Programme for Government. At that stage, Members and Committees will have a full opportunity to engage in the process before the revised Budget is presented to the Assembly for a debate and vote on it in early December.

I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. Am I to take it from his response that this plan will end the large underspending of the past couple of years? Will it ensure that those Departments that need the money will get it, rather than have certain Departments bidding for more funding than they need?

If Mr Kelly is implying that any funds are allocated without proper consideration of the business plans associated with the expenditure in question, I must dispel that belief. Before the summer, I presented the Assembly with an outline of how I intend to deal with the problem of underspending. Several Members, and the Committee for Finance and Personnel in particular, have been quite exercised about this, and action to address it is under consideration as part of the process of formulating the draft Budget.

7.

asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel for a timetable on the implementation of 'Financing our Future'.

(AQO 103/02)

On 21 May, I announced to the Assembly the Executive's launch of a consultation exercise, 'Financing our Future', which focused primarily on the report by the working group on the opportunities for public-private partnerships (PPPs) in Northern Ireland. The consultation period, lasting some 18 weeks, has, to date, been proactive and constructive. It has included several public meetings and discussions with organisations, including representatives from the trade union movement, the business community and the voluntary sector. The process continues with today's debate and ongoing engagement with Committees. The consultation period ends on 20 September, when detailed consideration and an evaluation of comments and written submissions will begin. The findings will be submitted to the Executive later this year, and they will make a final decision on a policy framework for PPPs in Northern Ireland.

Has consideration been given to the Committee for Finance and Personnel's report on PPPs?

I thank the Member for her supplementary question, which reminds us of the significant work undertaken by the Committee on public-private partnerships. The Committee's report made a useful and significant contribution to the discussion on the use of PPPs to fund public services. As part of the consultation process for the working group's report, account was taken of responses to the Committee for Finance and Personnel's report. In formulating their final policy on the opportunities for using public-private partnerships, the Executive will take account of the PPP working group's report and the Committee's report.

8.

asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel what progress has been made in implementing the new procurement policy.

(AQO 102/02)

Since the announcement of the new procurement policy on 27 May 2001, the procurement board has met and agreed its terms of reference and approved the establishment of a procurement practitioners' group, which will assist the development of policy. It has also approved a work plan for the central procurement directorate for the period up to March 2003. The next meeting of the board is scheduled for early December, at which a plan for implementing all recommendations of the procurement review team will be tabled for discussion.

I acknowledge this bold and imaginative initiative by the Minister - an effort to ensure that public procurement becomes a mechanism to address long-term unemployment and disadvantage. However, the Minister will be aware that there were only four proposals for pilot schemes to the public procurement board two weeks ago, despite the fact that 20 were hoped for. Can the Minister reassure the Assembly that permanent secretaries will redouble their efforts to ensure that contracts of sufficient volume, value and impact are identified and forwarded to the public procurement board for consideration as a pilot scheme?

This is an important issue, and the idea of working through a series of pilot schemes is central to achieving the social dimension to procurement policy - helping the long-term unemployed in particular. As suggested by the procurement review team, Departments have initially been asked to submit capital work projects with a value above the European Union tendering threshold of £3·8 million, or service projects with a value above £500,000. Some Departments have stated that they have no such projects available in the current financial year, and so far only five projects have been identified for inclusion in the scheme. My officials are working closely with all Departments to ensure that we achieve our target of 20 projects.

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. The Minister for Regional Development, in a written reply to Mr Attwood, appears to be quite sceptical, if not openly hostile, to the idea of using procurement policy for some of the benefits that the Minister has outlined. What authority will the Minister or the procurement team have in this regard, given that the Department for Regional Development is a huge spender and is heavily involved in public procurement?

Views differ on this issue, but it is clearly set down and endorsed by the Executive that procurement policy should have this clear social dimension. I will be working with my officials and ministerial Colleagues to ensure that this objective is achieved across all Departments. I am conscious of the considerable scale of expenditure for which the Minister for Regional Development is responsible.

9.

asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to provide an update on the review of rating policy.

(AQO 119/02)

I announced the launch of the consultation stage of the review of rating policy on 27 May 2002. A dedicated web site has since gone online, and three public conferences have been held. There has also been a series of meetings with groups, organisations and district councils. Furthermore, evidence has been given to the Committee for Finance and Personnel, the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, and the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development. Consultation ends in mid-September, but I have decided to extend the deadline for Committees and district councils until 7 October. The consultation period will be followed by an assessment of responses. I hope to present a report on identified options to the Executive later this year. If significant change is endorsed, the legislative process will commence in 2003.

It is important that the public have a say on the issue. Only last week, I took part in a seminar run by the Federation of Small Businesses in the Long Gallery, at which those present participated eagerly and expressed their views. Can the Minister give us a flavour of the public response to the consultation so far?

I appreciate the curiosity about statements at those meetings. Members will fully appreciate that it is taking officials some time to collate and tabulate all the reactions, comments and recommendations made during the consultation.

I will, however, give a flavour of what has transpired. In June three public consultation conferences were held in Enniskillen, Belfast and Derry to discuss domestic and non-domestic rating issues. Representatives from local businesses, district and borough councils, public sector bodies and the voluntary sector attended the conferences, as did members of the public. Total attendances were disappointing. However, since the web site went live, it has been visited on more than 17,400 occasions, resulting in the consultation paper being downloaded more than 7,000 times. Clearly, society is availing of electronic communication to a greater extent than it is attending consultation meetings.

Several meetings were held with specific interest groups, including the Association of Local Government Finance Officers, charitable groups, the business sector and trade union groups. Two forums were held during August, with the landed professions - estate agents, valuers and surveyors - and with district council personnel through the Northern Ireland Local Government Association.

In addition, by mid-September the head of the Rating Policy Branch will have addressed council meetings in Fermanagh, Castlereagh and Omagh. Meetings have also been held with the Northern Ireland Federation of Clubs, the Confederation of British Industry, the Northern Ireland Independent Retailers' Association, the Northern Ireland Voluntary Association and the Federation of Small Businesses. A wrap-up conference has been organised for 23 September in Belfast.

We have attempted to consult widely, and many organisations and groups have approached us seeking the attendance of officials to explain the issues. I trust that the consultation process has been as comprehensive as possible during the past few months.

The Minister has outlined that a wide range of business interests and professional groups have responded to date. Can he advise Members of the degree of the response from domestic ratepayers to date? Would he acknowledge that a greater public response would be expected if more details were available of how the changes might ultimately affect individual households? Why was such indicative information not included in the consultation paper?

Although many organisations might appear to represent the non-domestic sector, every representative is resident somewhere, and, I imagine, interested in domestic rates. All aspects of the review were considered. I am reasonably assured that as comprehensive an opportunity as possible has been afforded to both domestic and non-domestic interests to address the issues.

The amount of downloading from and the number of visits to the web site show the high volume of interest across both areas.

10.

asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel whether he will make public the findings of the Ouseley Report on the review of the Senior Civil Service.

(AQO 98/02)

The report and consultation document on the appointment and promotion procedures for the Senior Civil Service was made available to the public on 9 July as part of the consultation process. It is not a question of when the report will be published; it was published some time ago.

When will the Minister's Department act on the report's findings? The longer it fails to act, the more the staff in the Civil Service will be discriminated against when they reach 60.

It is impossible for the Minister to give Mr McCarthy a full answer in the time allowed, and I am sure that he will receive a written answer.

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Is it in order for the Minister of Finance and Personnel to refer me to the Minister for Regional Development to find out whether the Minister of Finance and Personnel agrees with a concept under water charges?

It is entirely appropriate for a Minister to refer you to another Minister if he feels that that is right.

To find out whether he agrees with something?

Thank you, Mr Close.

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