Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I repeat that it is astounding that a centre that does such valuable work has to come to the Assembly with a begging bowl.

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety says that the funding crisis has come about because someone did not fill in an application form. We all have the details of the question put to the Minister by my Colleague Monica McWilliams earlier this year. She asked the Minister to make a statement on the current level of resources for the Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre and to detail proposals for the development of its work. The Minister answered that the Department was making available a grant of up to £33,000, and gave details of the conditions of the award of that grant. No mention was made of the fact that a form had not been received or that there was a potential problem.

Given the contact between the centre and the Department, why was the centre not alerted to the problem, and why was nothing done? There is no point in getting bogged down in a "did they or didn't they" argument. The debate about filling in forms highlights the need for more help for this organisation. We must get that point across to everyone.

I understand that the application has been revised from £32,000 plus £8,000 up to perhaps £136,000, to enable the centre to employ a full-time administrator. An administrator would help to overcome the funding crisis, as he or she would be able to draw up business plans and calculate the required funding.

Questions must be asked about how much paperwork is necessary. Many voluntary and community organisations are asking whether there is a way to reduce the volume of paperwork. I agree with my Colleague Sue Ramsey that organisations must report annually, at the least. As members of the Public Accounts Committee, we realise the importance of accountability. However, there may be a way to ensure accountability while avoiding lengthy forms.

Members have mentioned the centre's workload. It receives 3,000 calls a year. Some calls are from people who experienced sexual abuse 30 years ago and who are only ready to come forward now. There are calls from women, children and, increasingly, men, who come forward because they were abused the previous day. Mr Hay said that the centre receives 60 calls a week.

Two members of staff, Eileen Calder and Eileen Kelly, have to do everything, which involves supporting victims in the courts, answering phones, visiting hospitals and counselling traumatised victims, women and children. The staff need the patience and understanding of counsellors, the therapeutic knowledge of psychiatrists, and almost the same legal ability and dexterity as a High Court judge. We ask a great deal of them.

I was fascinated to note in the research that was prepared for us that incidents of rape have increased from 209 cases in 2000-01 to 252 cases in 2001-02. Indecent assaults on female children have dropped from 342 cases in 2000-01 to 308 cases in 2001-02, and indecent assaults on male children have dropped from 134 cases in 2000-01 to 55 cases in 2001-02, which is progress. However, one of the most shocking statistics was that, overall, sexual offences have increased from 1,176 in 2000-01 to 1,431 in 2001-02. These crimes are on the increase, and we should be doing much more about that.

It is important to note that these statistics mask the reality. Nine times out of 10, the abuser is known to the victim. In many of those cases, the victim will not want to go to the police to get the crime recorded. The statistics that I have given are the recorded statistics. All the additional cases that are handled by the centre are not recorded, and those victims do not want to go to the police.

Another surprising item of information is that an important piece of research shows that 84% of people convicted have previous convictions, one third of which are sexually related. These statistics must be taken more seriously.

Consideration of the localities shows that Foyle has a high incidence, with 144 cases last year. We have all heard of the problems in south Belfast with the student population; that area had 134 cases last year. My own area, north Down, had 79 cases. Those are the three highest incidences in Northern Ireland.

We still have much work to do. There are issues such as the extension of part V of the Police Act 1997 to allow previous investigations to be taken into account when cases are being heard, and the protection of children and vulnerable adults through the setting up of a proper vetting system. All that work is important. With its expertise, the Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre can offer much help with that.

I want to turn to one alarming - I am unsure what best to call it - obscenity. It is an Internet obscenity. I have received e-mails during the past couple of weeks that I would not even dare to repeat on the Floor of the House. They all involve the possibility of seeing free pictures of rape. I have contacted the police. People say that one can get eight or nine of these e-mails a day. They are obscene, disgusting and horrific, and children could have access to them. The centre is already working in this area to try to get "cyber police" to stop this type of obscenity coming to innocent and ordinary people, particularly young children. It is a disgusting occurrence in our society, and we must stop it.

Finally, I call for more funding, particularly core funding, for a centre that is doing so much work in this area. We must all work and take urgent action to prevent this type of thing from taking over our society.

As recently as a couple of weeks ago, Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre faced its own major crisis in that it was forced to operate for 24 hours with no telephone lines. This was as a result of the centre being unable to meet payments for a phone bill of a staggering amount. Over this period of time, I am absolutely convinced that those people seeking support from the trained counsellors at the centre were thrown into further confusion and upset due to being unable to access the support which they required. It is obvious that the Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre cannot function adequately or to its full capabilities without telephone lines, which are the first point of contact for someone contacting the centre for support and advice.

Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre is one of the earliest established centres in the UK, and it has been providing Northern Ireland with its only free and confidential service for survivors of rape for over 20 years. Right from its inception, the centre has been forced to operate on a shoestring budget. They are allocated the minimal sum of £30,000 per annum from the Department of Health and Social Services. That figure does not even come close to what is required to enable the centre to function properly. The crisis centre is an organisation which must be maintained. The latest crime statistics in my constituency of South Belfast have revealed a 42% increase in sex attacks in that area this year alone. I cannot praise the centre enough and the service that it provides; free, supportive and sympathetic advice and counselling to the victims of the heinous crime of rape.

The centre provides support at all levels: for example, it offers therapy support and Northern Ireland's only free phone line for victims of sexual abuse. The centre is unique in that it also provides court support. Many women do not report rape for fear of the treatment they will receive from the legal system. Women who do go through the courts are often left feeling that they have been raped all over again, as they have to relive the terrifying events and are left feeling traumatised after giving evidence. This is, once again, where the centre becomes involved. Its counsellors offer court support and advise and counsel women on how to cope with their experiences in court. As a result of this support, many women have found the courage to go through the legal system, and many perpetrators of this crime have been put behind bars.

This debate is concentrating on the funding crisis which the centre is facing. The centre is living from one year to the next, not knowing if it will get the finance to allow it to continue its valuable work. The reality unfortunately is that the level of funding is limited and the level of dependency great. The centre needs £150,000 each year to enable it to provide its services properly. The current level of funding totals just £32,000 each year, which is nowhere near the amount required to enable the centre to operate to its full capacity.

It simply baffles me that organisations such as the Belfast centre are forced into this position, when recent patterns of underspending by Departments have emerged. Resources must be managed better, so that the work which voluntary organisations do day and daily is not put in jeopardy. It is therefore essential that the necessary finance is made available to the centre if we are to avert a similar crisis in the future.

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I commend the work of the Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre in providing support for the survivors of child and adult sexual abuse and assault. Moreover, it is essential that there is a properly funded service to support such victims. I am almost reluctant to take an objective view of the circumstances surrounding the motion, because it is so emotive. I have serious concerns about what is happening in the centre - assuming that the report in today's 'Irish News' is correct - and questions must be asked.

Given the dire financial circumstances of the centre, why was it so tardy in making an application for funding? We have heard different stories about funding, and maybe the Minister will be able to reply to them. Members have, on other occasions, raised the need for transparency and probity. However, on this occasion they seem to be setting those things to one side, which makes it difficult to attempt to be objective about this emotive situation.

The centre was given £6,000 to put together a business plan. What happened to that business plan? Was it ever presented to the Department, and what happened to the money allocated for it? Other centres outside Belfast are attempting to deal with the problem of rape in their own way.

Why, instead of going through the normal funding channels that every other voluntary organisation adheres to, is the Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre using the media and the Assembly as the vehicle for its funding application? I have difficulty with that, and I would like to hear an explanation from it and others.

I do not wish to discount the work that is going on, but we must try to be objective. I would be the first to accept that, if a voluntary organisation feels that a Department has treated it unfairly, it should have recourse to MLAs. However, on this occasion, the organisation did not take the opportunity to speak to me or to my Colleague Sue Ramsey. Why, if no funding application was made, do we have the motion and all the publicity surrounding it?

Given that the Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre received substantial funding to prepare a strategic plan, why did it not deliver that plan? We might also ask whether there has been a proper audit of the centre's finances to ascertain exactly how the organisation has used the not inconsiderable amount of taxpayers' money that has been allocated to it over the years. How has it arrived, year after year, at this situation of dire financial straits, without it being flagged up in a substantive way to those of us who share the concerns of survivors of rape and child sexual abuse? We deal with those issues on an ongoing basis in our constituencies.

It is essential that those centres carry out their voluntary work efficiently. However, we must also have a sense of probity about the financial structures with which those organisations surround themselves.

Members have highlighted the needs of the Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre. Most of the issues have been mentioned; I do not wish to repeat them. The centre looks after several cases in my constituency of Strangford and in the Ards Borough Council area.

I have become aware of the number of people that have been abused and the need for the centre over the past 12 to 15 months. It is not just a question of those who have been abused in the last few months and years; several people have come forward for help who were abused 10, 15, 20 and even 25 years ago. Those people are still traumatised by what happened to them.

As a result of the numbers of people who asked me about this issue, I met the chairman of the Ulster Community and Hospitals Health and Social Services Trust to see if he could get funding to address the needs for such services in the Ards Borough Council area and, specifically, on the Ards Peninsula. He agreed that assistance was required, but if the money were granted, other services would suffer. My frustration was apparent to the chairman and his officials, but more apparent to my constituents, and to the Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre.

That is an example of the difficulties faced. The small way in which this issue is being addressed touches only the tip of the iceberg. The organisation supplies two hours of counselling in the Ards Hospital. That comes nowhere near to meeting the needs of people, most of whom have to travel to Belfast for assistance. Even then, the necessary funding was not apparent.

Although I support the motion, there should be a strategic review to help the people and organisations within the Health Department who look after rape and sexual abuse victims. It is important that that strategic review address all related issues, not just in the Strangford constituency but in all others. My Colleagues William Hay and Mark Robinson mentioned the need for assistance in their constituencies of Foyle and South Belfast.

We want a strategic review and a plan of action on the whole process, to zero in on where the problems are and give the necessary financial budget. If, God forbid, the Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre stopped its work tomorrow, the Government could not jump in, take over and continue its work, and that is a problem.

Members should recognise - and I think that the Assembly will recognise - the work of the centre. However, Members want the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and the Government to take on this case and to provide the necessary financial assistance to help the dozens, hundreds and even thousands who need help. In a small way, I realise the needs of some people, because my constituents come to me as other people go to their Assembly Members. The cry coming from Members is for more finance and help for those people. That can only happen if the finance is there and the Departments are doing their best to help.

It was not my intention to make a contribution, but I was astonished at that made by Mr John Kelly, the Member for Mid Ulster. After serving up the usual platitudes and paying due tribute to the work of the Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre, he proceeded to put the boot in in a highly political manner.

Will the Member give way?

No, the Member will not give way. Mr Kelly, you got your opportunity to speak.

On a point of order, a LeasCheann Comhairle.

Mr Kelly, I hope that this is a point of order.

Is it relevant to use "put the boot in" in these circumstances?

Order.

Is that a valid comment to make?

I am not sure whether it is parliamentary.

"Put the boot in" is the only apt term that could be used. Clearly, Mr Kelly is being used as a noble cat's paw, the ministerial spokesperson or the warm-up person to the Minister. It will be interesting to hear what the Minister has to say about the applications submitted by the centre, how they were processed and what assistance - if any - was given to it in its funding difficulties.

It is interesting that Mr Kelly concerned himself with issues of probity and questions which ultimately served to undermine the alleged comments of support that he promoted in the early part of his contribution. The manner in which Mr Kelly sought to undermine the credibility and attack the integrity of the centre left many Members with a bad taste in their mouths. It is almost unbelievable that that would happen in a debate in which members of the Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre have no recourse to respond as to how they dealt with applications. It is unfortunate and wrong of the Member for Mid Ulster to have made his contribution as he did.

I will be interested to hear the Minister's response on what help was offered and how she will address the various points that are now in the public domain. This essential service has been reduced to having to come to the Floor of the Assembly to beg for financial support to remain operational. Perhaps the Minister will reflect that if she wasted less money on some of her personal crusades, such as the promotion of the Irish language, groups such as the Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre might not face such unfortunate difficulties.

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Tá mé buíoch den Dr Esmond Birnie as an rún seo a mholadh mar go dtugann sé deis domh seasamh mo Roinne a shoiliéiriú maidir le maoiniú don Ionad Éigeandála um Éigniú agus Mhí-úsáid Gnéis Bhéal Feirste.

Tá mo Roinn ag tabhairt tacaíochta airgeadais don eagraíocht seo le cuid mhaith blianta. Caithfidh gach eagraíocht a fhaigheann an cineál seo tacaíochta airgeadais iarratas scríofa a dhéanamh agus eolas ar mhonatóireacht bliantúil a sholáthar don Roinn mar choinníoll don deontas. Le blianta beaga anuas, áfach, sháraigh go leanúnach ar an Ionad Éigeandála um Éigniú agus Mhí-úsáid Gnéis eolas ar mhonatóireacht bliantúil a sholáthar. Mar thoradh air sin, tá maoiniú ceadaithe ag mo Roinn don Ionad Éigeandála um Éigniú agus Mhí-úsáid Gnéis ar bhonn bliana seachas ar bhonn trí bliana mar is gnách.

Le tamall anuas, tá mo chuid feidhmeannach ag déanamh iarrachta oibriú leis an ionad le léargas níos soiléire a fháil ar staid airgeadais na heagraíochta agus le hoibriú amach cad is féidir a dhéanamh le cuidiú léi tabhairt faoina deacrachtaí reatha. Leithroinn mo Roinn £11,000 breise chuige seo le trealamh ríomhaireachta a cheannach agus le plean gnó straitéiseach a fhorbairt. Samhlaíodh go ndéanfadh an plean gnó beartaithe plean gníomhaíochta trí bliana a fhorbairt; straitéis phraiticiúil struchtúrtha maoinithe a chruthú; struchtúr bainistíochta soiléir cuntasach a bhunú; agus íomhá agus margaíocht a fheabhsú don úsáideoir agus do mhaoinitheoirí féideartha mar eagraíocht ghairmiúil. Go dtí seo, áfach, níor éirigh leis an phlean gnó seo teacht i gcrích.

Mr Deputy Speaker, I am grateful to Dr Birnie for tabling the motion, as it allows me the opportunity to clarify my Department's position regarding the funding of the Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre. The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has been providing financial support to the organisation for many years. All organisations receiving this type of financial support are required to make written application and provide the Department with annual monitoring information as a condition of the grant.

Unfortunately, in recent years, the Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre has continuously failed to provide annual monitoring information. As a result, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety placed the centre's funding on an annual footing, rather than the three-year cycle that normally pertains.

The motion specifically addresses the long-term future of the centre. My officials have been trying to work with the centre for some time to establish a clearer picture of its financial position and to determine what might feasibly be done to help the centre to address its current difficulties and then to focus on the key issue of long-term sustainability. To that end, my Department allocated an additional £11,000 to purchase computer equipment and develop a strategic business plan. It was envisaged that the proposed business plan would develop a three-year action plan; create a structured and practical funding strategy; establish a clear accountable management structure; and improve image and marketing to the end user and the potential funders as a professional organisation.

Unfortunately, the business plan has so far failed to materialise. The Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre has experienced ongoing difficulty in complying with the terms and conditions applicable to grants, with the late submission of the requested monitoring information - audited accounts, annual reports, details of how the grant has been attributed and an organisational forward plan.

I reiterate that it is a measure of the Department's commitment that, in March 2001, it awarded the Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre £6,500 of the additional £11,000 in funding to employ an independent consultant to help it to develop a strategic plan to turn it into a creative organisation that could ultimately achieve sustainability. To date, that plan has not materialised.

Will the Minister give way?

No.

Issues have been raised about adequate funding. The compact between Government and the voluntary and community sector, which was published in December 1998 and endorsed by the Assembly in early 2000, recognised the need for a more co-ordinated strategic approach to the funding of the voluntary and community sector in general. To address that matter, my Department is participating in a major cross-departmental review of Government support to the voluntary and community sector. It is hoped that the outcome of that review will ease the funding situation. In the interim I will continue to seek additional funding.

With regard to funding for the Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre, the Department awards grants of up to 75% of the amount requested. The centre has not submitted a case for increased funding. However, it received additional funding of £11,281 in 2001 and £3,500 in 1998-99.

Questions were asked about the Department's strategic approach. My Department and the Executive are concerned about sexual abuse and its impact on the individual, and we are committed to tackling the issue. Until now, most developments and services for survivors of sexual abuse have been included in wider service developments, such as child protection arrangements or the mental health services. However, the Department accepts the need for a strong, coherent policy, and officials are discussing the matter with their counterparts in Scotland.

The Department supports survivors of sexual abuse directly through grants to voluntary organisations and indirectly through boards and trusts. The health and social services boards and trusts provide a range of services, including specialised children's units, initial response teams, direct counselling by social workers and home visits to survivors of rape and sexual abuse.

The Department provides core funding for central administration costs to voluntary organisations that tackle issues, such as rape, sexual abuse, domestic violence and relationship counselling.

Members asked how funding is assessed and whether it is based on the organisations' application forms. The application form is essential, but, in order for the Department to make a proper assessment of the funding required, the application must also contain certain information. For example, it must demonstrate how the organisation intends to meet the Department's objectives in respect of the services to be provided. A regional organisation must show how it represents the region and how it proposes to achieve the aims set out in the application.

Until this morning, the Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre had not made an application to my Department for funding for the current financial year, although my Department had issued application forms and invited the organisation's representatives to meet officials.

An e-mail version of the application form arrived at the Department this morning, a full 11 months after the first application form was issued. It is the responsibility of both the Government and their social partners in the voluntary and community sector to ensure the effective and efficient use of public moneys. It would be remiss to allocate resources without due care for accountability, and I am certain that the Members who have constantly questioned the use of funding in the Assembly would not now wish to suggest that accountability is not an issue. I am astounded to hear a Member who has raised the question of accountability again and again refer to an application form as "a bit of a technical distraction".

Will the Minister give way?

No. The departmental procedures for grants are a basic matter of completion of application forms - forms which the Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre has been completing since 1989. I am aware of more general concerns in the wider voluntary statutory organisations about the onerous task of completing some assessments. However, our departmental procedures for grants are a matter of the basic completion of application forms; something that the organisation in question has been doing for years.

It is important to note that in the absence of verifiable evidence of need it is no easy task to assess what funding would be adequate. To establish a realistic level of funding, it is necessary for organisations to establish need; identify what is to be achieved; quantify the additional value to be gained; and commit to the monitoring and evaluation of the work undertaken. That is why those procedures exist, and that is why the Assembly again and again asks Departments and others to stick to proper criteria and procedures. My Department must consider all funding against competing priorities and financial constraints. I am aware that the junior Ministers have been in contact with Jane Kennedy about funding from the Northern Ireland Office.

I am committed to funding this type of service; I am committed absolutely to playing my part with others in providing what is needed to a vital section of society. Funding, however, is dependent on all organisations adhering to the terms and conditions of Government accounting procedures. It is also important that organisations are evaluated to ensure that they are delivering appropriate services in an effective and efficient manner. I therefore urge the organisation in question to complete the business plan, ensure that it maintains proper records and comply with the terms of any grant funding provided to it.

I should like to begin by thanking all those who spoke and, indeed, the Minister for her response. Mrs Annie Courtney rightly referred to the expertise of the centre and, like several Members, mentioned the recent problem when it had its telephone lines cut off. William Hay pointed out some of the problems dealt with by the centre, particularly in his own constituency. He highlighted the need to support all such centres carrying out this good work. Sue Ramsey commended the centre for its work and stated that there was a need for a strategy in that area of public health. Kieran McCarthy pointed out the practical help provided by the centre. Jane Morrice asked why the Department had not been alert to the fact that the centre had been tardy with its application forms. She also referred to some of the frightening statistics of rape and sexual abuse and raised the question of new and growing developments on the Internet. Mark Robinson also referred to the cutting off of the telephone lines and said that it was very significant, since the centre provided a free advice service over the telephone to people across the Province.

John Kelly commended the centre for its work. However, he asked why it had been, in his view, tardy in its application processes. Jim Shannon stated that the centre was carrying out needful work and referred to his constituency of Strangford. My Colleague, Danny Kennedy, outlined his astonishment, particularly at Mr Kelly's comments.

The Minister attempted to clarify her Department's position. She referred to money granted to the centre for its business plan, which she said had not yet been produced. The business plan is delaying an obvious conclusion that we can already come to: there is substantial underfunding in this case and that the work is immensely valuable. It is a chicken-and-egg situation. On one hand, for two decades the centre has been on a shoestring budget. However, on the other hand, it probably has problems with administration and housekeeping.

I appeal to the Minister to look favourably on better funding for the centre when the business plan and applications are produced. It can be argued that, in the long run, funding spent in this way represents good value for money: the centre and similar bodies deal with problems and counsel people in trauma at an early stage. Such help prevents their medical, psychiatric and mental health problems from worsening and stops the individuals appearing at another part of the Health Service with an even greater demand on resources to pay for treatment.

I would have thought that the Minister would have found it possible to be more supportive of the Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre, given her, and her party's, professed attachment to political radicalism and certain varieties of feminism. On 23 September, Eileen Calder of the Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre referred to the "iron law of oligarchy" in the 'Belfast Telegraph'. She felt that it had influenced the attitudes of the Department and hence, by implication, the Minister in supporting that needful work.

I said that the need for additional moneys is obvious even without the business plan. One way to prove that is to contrast the situation with that South of the border. I am sure that the Minister is well aware of that. In the Republic of Ireland, rape crisis centres operating in cities much smaller than Belfast, such as Galway and Limerick, receive much higher public support - sometimes two to three times higher.

As many Members have said, there is a need for a good strategy to deal with the victims of rape and sexual abuse.

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Oral Answers to Questions

Enterprise, Trade and Investment

I wish to inform Members that questions 2, 7 and 9, standing in the names of Mr John Fee, Mrs Joan Carson and Mr David Hilditch respectively, have been withdrawn and will not receive written answers. Question 13, standing in the name of Ms Michelle Gildernew, has also been withdrawn but will require a written answer.

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1.

asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to give an update on his policy to develop and promote Lough Neagh as a major tourist attraction.

(AQO 212/02)

It is fully recognised that the Lough Neagh wetlands, as an activity destination, are a greatly underutilised resource. The Lough Neagh management strategy, launched in June 2002, provides the necessary framework for the wise use of the resource, including its development for tourism. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, through the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, is committed to working with relevant partners to ensure its implementation.

Does the Minister agree that Lough Neagh has the potential to be a major tourist attraction, contrary to what is suggested by the low number of visitors there this summer? Can he ensure that when the area is developed, its environmental assets will be conserved?

With regard to the Member's last point, the conservation of the area must, of course, be a guiding principle in how it is developed, because no one wants to see the area ruined. I was in the area on Saturday evening at the opening of an equestrian centre. Given the reports that the Department has received, and the potential that clearly exists, the area is undoubtedly underutilised. Water sports-related activities, wildlife-related activities and equestrian activities have the potential to promote the lough as a significant destination.

At present, few people visit the area. Those visitors tend to come on day trips. The predominant use of the area is for informal recreation, as one would expect. The area has tremendous potential. Six local authority areas border the lough, and I believe that through working with them, and with the Lough Neagh Partnership, which is a new company limited by guarantee, the Department will be able to develop and implement projects, attract investment and market the area in a strategic manner. Although it is not envisaged that the Lough Neagh Partnership will carry out the statutory obligations of any agency, it will be well placed to manage strategic projects.

Members know that Lough Neagh has valuable tourist attractions. Can the Minister outline the Department's policy for the development and promotion of established tourist attractions, such as the Giant's Causeway and the Glens of Antrim?

I have no doubt that the Member is well skilled. If he sits in the Chamber until the end of Question Time, he may find that there is a question coming up on that particular subject. With your permission, Mr Deputy Speaker, I will decline to fall into that trap at this stage.

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3.

asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, pursuant to AQW 389/01, how many of the New York hospitality bills listed were paid with the credit card issued to NITB's New York manager.

(AQO 190/02)

None of the bills referred to were paid with the credit card that was issued to the Northern Ireland Tourist Board's New York manager.

I am delighted to hear that. However, can the Minister advise the House as to how he is so certain that that is the case? As I understand it, thousands of pounds worth of unaccounted bills are still outstanding, for which no receipts have been issued?

The bills were paid either through the Northern Ireland Tourist Board's cheque journal, in accordance with normal supplier payment arrangements, or through expense claim forms, which were then processed in accordance with normal procedure. The payments have either been repaid centrally by the Tourist Board or subsequently claimed and repaid through the normal process. That is how I am able to give the Member that particular answer.

The Minister will agree that chairmen of public bodies and those charged, as accounting officers, with safeguarding the use of public money have a particular duty of care in incurring substantial expenditure on hospitality, such as that which occurred in New York. He will further agree that it is essential that such expenditure is fully in line with best practice guidance and that it can be fully defended as regards value for money.

Get to the question.

Order.

Question.

I do not need to be prompted. Are you coming to a question, Mr Dallat?

Yes, indeed. I find it rather interesting that such anxiety is expressed from across the Floor about this question.

Get on with what you were going to say, ye bigot ye.

Withdraw that.

This really is unfortunate.

Yes.

Mr Dallat, I was right to call you to order.

I ask Mr Kennedy whether he cares to withdraw that remark.

Mr Deputy Speaker, the remark is withdrawn.

Thank you.

Is the Minister satisfied that the chairman and accounting officer met expectations during the visits and events detailed in his answer to question AQW 389/01? What criteria were used to assess that?

I am not absolutely sure that I quite understand what the Member is getting at. He said that accounting officers and chairmen have a duty of care for public expenditure. I entirely agree. The purpose and rationale for having an accounting officer is that there is a person designated as being responsible for the dispersal of public funds. I entirely accept that, and it is absolutely appropriate that such a person is clearly identified.

The Member also mentioned substantial expenditure on hospitality. That must be put into perspective. Going back to 1997, there were amounts of $123·13 and $27·54, up to larger amounts such as $3,689·24. However, we are talking about the promotion of Northern Ireland in New York, which is a very expensive city. Even at its peak, average expenditure was $500 a week. At that time, Northern Ireland was a very difficult place to promote. People forget just how far we have come since then.

People must have some sense of proportion. Whether it is $27 or $3,000, accountability must remain quite clear. In the first part of my answer, I said that the accounting officer must be answerable for, in this case, every cent that is spent from the public purse. However, we must also remember the purpose of spending that money. We are up against heavy expenditure from other places. I am not altogether sure if amounts of that scale would be subject to questions in the Irish Parliament - maybe they are. However, it is important to keep everything in proportion.

The chairman and the accounting officer must ensure that the Department's policy on expenditure of public moneys is adhered to, and, if it is not, that those involved are answerable to the Department. I am absolutely clear about that. However, as I said to Mr Close, I have been informed that in this case there was clear accountability and that the credit card in question was not used. There was a "shock, horror" reaction to the use of credit cards. Many car drivers use credit cards to pay for petrol; they are a perfectly legitimate means of dealing with public expenditure provided the procedures are in place to ensure accountability. We should not get ourselves into a twist about the use of credit cards or charge cards, because they are a good way to settle bills without using cash. The core issue is to ensure that the people who use them are accountable and answerable.

Am I correct to say that any manager who uses credit cards must submit receipts for any expenses claimed? Does the Minister agree that the number of questions that are being asked about the use of credit cards has reached epidemic proportions? Some of the questions are extremely petty. How much does it cost the Department, and thus the people of Northern Ireland, to answer those questions?

Other Ministers and I have a clear obligation to answer, to the best of our ability, any question asked by a Member, irrespective of the number of questions asked. However, perhaps Members do not always appreciate fully how much time is devoted to answering questions. I do not know the exact cost of answering questions on the use of credit cards, but I would be happy to try to find out.

I am more concerned by the fact that certain sections of my Department have to deal with many Assembly questions, which means that at peak times a client executive can spend up to 50% of his or her time answering them. That is a huge problem for the Department because it means that the officer is unable to work on other matters - [Interruption].

Order.

Irrespective of the question asked, I will continue to endeavour to give as full and frank an answer as possible. However, there comes a point when cost-effectiveness has to be taken into account.

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4.

asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to make a statement in response to the launch of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work's campaign to raise awareness of the causes of stress at work.

(AQO 213/02)

My Department, through the work of the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland, recognises that the campaign provides an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of work-related stress. I am sure that many Members would agree with that. The European Week for Safety and Health at Work, which will run from 14 October to 20 October 2002, is the cornerstone of the campaign. Locally, the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland is pursuing a comprehensive promotional programme.

Does the Minister agree that greater co-operation with the Department for Employment and Learning is needed to help to raise awareness of stress in the workplace and to help people to find a balance? In other words, perhaps an educational approach should be adopted.

The Health and Safety Executive is committed to addressing the issue of work-related stress. The Member may find the following statistics interesting. It is estimated that at any time in Northern Ireland some 12,500 people experience work-related stress, anxiety or depression. In June, the Health and Safety Executive launched the European Week for Safety and Health at Work at Maydown. It used that opportunity to encourage all organisations in Northern Ireland to address the issue of work-related stress. As part of a wide-ranging advertising campaign, over 13,000 information packs have been distributed to organisations in the Province.

The information packs describe the causes of work-related stress and provide information on how it can be prevented. Furthermore, specific information from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has been included. A European week awards scheme is being co-ordinated, which aims to recognise organisations that excel in their efforts to support the working on stress initiative. Local winners will be recognised during a European week awards ceremony to be held early in 2003.

I welcome the emphasis on stress-related illnesses and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. People often suffer disadvantages resulting from the appearance of such illness on a medical certificate. Will the Minister ensure that employees are not put under further stress by having that information on their employment record?

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