Friday 19 January 2001
Written Answers to Questions

OFFICE OF THE FIRST MINISTER AND THE DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER

Prisoners Groups: Funding

Mr Shannon asked the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister to detail the funding allocated to prisoners’ groups in each constituency area for the financial years 1998-1999, 1999-2000 and 2000-2001.

(AQW 1013/00)

Reply: The information requested is not maintained by constituency area and could only be compiled in this format at a disproportionate cost.

Mr Shannon asked the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister to outline when the first meeting of the Victims Unit with Give Innocent Victims Equality (GIVE) and Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR) will take place.

(AQW 1024/00)

Reply: As part of an ongoing information sharing exercise, officials from the Victims Unit met representatives of FAIR in Markethill on 29 November 2000. This will be followed by regular further meetings in the coming months. An initial meeting with GIVE has been scheduled for 19 January.

Mr Fee asked the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister pursuant to AQW 799/99: (a) what action has been taken to determine the range of costs incurred in responding to written and oral questions to Ministers of the Assembly and; (b) when and where the results of that action will be available.

(AQW 1063/00)

Reply: An exercise has recently been conducted on the cost of answering a written Assembly question. The average cost of providing a written answer is £91·44.

A similar exercise is under way in relation to oral Assembly questions. A figure for the average cost is expected to be available in March 2001.

The exercise to determine the cost of answering Assembly questions will be repeated at five-yearly intervals.

Mr Hussey asked the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister to state the definition of the words urban and rural as used by their Office.

(AQW 1065/00)

Reply: The Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister does not have a formal definition of the words urban and rural. However, when working with other Northern Ireland Departments, the Office takes account of any definitions relevant to their policies.

Mr Paisley Jnr asked the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister to detail: (a) the number of official Christmas cards they have sent; (b) the cost of their design, publication and postage and; (c) the list of people on the Ministers’ official Christmas card list.

(AQW 1108/00)

Reply: The First Minister, the Deputy First Minister and the junior Ministers sent 1,350 official Christmas cards at a cost of £686·35. The cost of postage was £354·30.

Christmas cards are typically sent to individuals and members of organisations who Ministers meet during the year. They are sent to counterparts and office-holders in organisations with which a Department regularly corresponds or who have a significant interest in a Department’s activities and responsibilities.

AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Milk Quota

Mrs Carson asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail how she intends to: (a) address the concerns about proposed milk quota allocation; (b) provide support for farmers who own a milk quota with more than 250,000 litres; (c) provide support for farm businesses with more than one family deriving a living from one milk quota and; (d) provide support for new entrants to the farming industry since 1 April 1999 with regard to distribution of milk quotas.

(AQW 1143/00)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (Ms Rodgers): A diversity of views were expressed during the consultation process on the allocation of additional milk quota, and essentially it was a choice between an allocation to all producers and a targeted approach. As the amount of quota is small, I decided that to provide maximum impact at individual farm level it should be allocated to active small producers.

If I had decided to allocate the quota to all producers on a pro-rata basis, the impact on producers with a quota holding of more than 250,000 litres would have been quite modest. In the circumstances, and given the recent payment of £2·4 million agrimonetary compensation to all dairy farmers, I do not see a need for any further action to address the concerns of larger producers.

I have some sympathy for new entrants, and I would have liked to have been able to help them. Unfortunately it was not possible to devise an acceptable mechanism. Nevertheless some new entrants since 1 April 1999 may benefit if they acquired all, or some, of their quota by gift or inheritance from a producer who was eligible for an award at 1 April 1999 but who has since disposed of his quota.

All milk producers will benefit from the rising trend in milk prices and from the recent payment of £2·4 million of dairy agrimonetary compensation.

Mrs Carson asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to outline her plans to implement the proposed reduction in EU farm support as presented by the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Fisheries.

(AQW 1144/00)

Ms Rodgers: My Department is currently involved in implementing the reforms agreed in the Agenda 2000 negotiations which culminated in the Berlin Agreement of March 1999. These involve reductions in market support accompanied by increases in direct support payments. We expect Northern Ireland agriculture to make a small net gain in income, with the reduction in market returns being more than offset by increases in direct payments.

There is ongoing discussion of the need for further reform of the Common Agricultural Policy because of budgetary pressures, enlargement of the EU, and the desire to reach an agreement in a new round of World Trade Organisation trade talks. However, it will be some time before any new Common Agricultural Policy reform proposals emerge.

Mr Shannon asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to: (a) outline the impact on the fishing community of the cuts in the fishing quotas; (b) detail the steps she is taking to secure the jobs and future of the fishing industry and if she will make a statement.

(AQW 1201/00)

Ms Rodgers: We had some success at the December Fisheries Council meeting in negotiating increases above the initial Commission proposals. However, it was disappointing that the total allowable catch for Irish Sea cod remains at its 2000 level and for the important nephrops there is a 10% reduction. As regards nephrops stock, a formal declaration from the Council was secured that this will be revised if a low by-catch of cod in the nephrops fishing can be demonstrated. Undoubtedly the industry faces a difficult year ahead but we cannot ignore the scientific advice and the interaction that catches of other stocks have on cod, which are in serious difficulties. We must ensure that the industry has a long-term future. I hope to soon be in a position to announce a fishing vessel decommissioning scheme to assist the industry through the difficult times ahead.

Mr Ford asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail her plans for public consultation in Northern Ireland on the proposed review of the EU Common Fisheries Policy.

(AQW 1221/00)

Ms Rodgers: The European Commission has yet to publish its proposals, but it is preparing a Green Paper on the 2002 review for publication in the spring of this year. It is my intention to conduct extensive consultation.

Mr McGrady asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what action she is taking to address the situation whereby Northern Ireland fishermen have to pay duties to the Irish Lights Commission, whilst their counterparts in the Republic of Ireland do not.

(AQW 1246/00)

Ms Rodgers: Responsibility for policy relating to the collection of lights dues, rests with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions in London.

The UK Fisheries Minister, Mr Elliot Morley has recently written to Mr Keith Hill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, seeking a reduction or the removal of the payment of lights dues by UK fishermen.

I have written to Mr Hill to support Mr Morley’s attempt to obtain a reduction, or the removal, of the payment of lights dues by UK fishermen. I have done this in view of the recent hardships suffered by the Northern Ireland fishing industry, and the fact that Northern Ireland fishermen are required to pay lights dues while their Republic of Ireland colleagues do not.

A copy of the Department’s recent press release announcing my support for Mr Morley’s position is attached.

Mr Wells asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail the advice given on predator control to those seeking to establish fish farming enterprises in the Carlingford Lough area.

(AQW 1247/00)

Ms Rodgers: My officials give general advice to people who seek to establish fish farming enterprises in Carlingford Lough on predators that may affect the species they intend to cultivate and the recognised measures available to control such predators. Fish farmers are also advised through conditions in their fish culture licences that they must notify the Department of any major problems they encounter with predators and seek approval for their removal and disposal. This would include seeking the necessary statutory consent from the Environment and Heritage Service of the Department of the Environment where appropriate.

CULTURE, ARTS AND LEISURE

Public Records Office of Northern Ireland

Mr McClelland asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to detail: (a) the number of users who have visited the Public Record Office this year and; (b) what plans he has to provide wider access to the facility.

(AQW 999/00)

The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure (Mr McGimpsey): The number of user visits to the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) since 1 January 2000 was 16,564. The number of first time users since 1 January 2000 was 4,536.

PRONI is actively extending its customer base. Since 1999 it has opened outreach centres at the Border Counties History Collective premises at Blacklion, Co Cavan; at Derry City Council’s Harbour Museum; and at the Ballymena Borough Council Morrow’s Shop Museum. A fourth centre is due to be opened this spring in the premises of Armagh Ancestry at St Patrick’s Trian Centre in Armagh. These centres provide computerised indexes and other finding-aids for records held at PRONI so that the potential user of PRONI’s resources can obtain as much information as possible before visiting PRONI.

PRONI also has a user-friendly and informative web site (http://proni.nics.gov.uk/index.htm) that has just been awarded a five star rating by the Good Web Guide for the excellence and accessibility of the genealogical information. Already the number of pages accessed on the PRONI web site is averaging almost 1 million per year. PRONI is continuing to update and add to its web site and has set itself a target for the next financial year to increase the number of pages by 5%.

In devising its business plan for 2001-2002, PRONI has very much in mind the importance of widening and improving access to its unique information resources and increasing the number of people making use of these resources.

Mr McClelland asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to detail: (a) the number of venues available for the playing of Gaelic games in South Antrim and; (b) what funding has been made available to enhance such venues.

(AQW 1002/00)

Mr McGimpsey: There are seven GAA clubs and two schools in the South Antrim parliamentary constituency area where Gaelic games are known to be played. These are as follows:

These school grounds are only used occasionally by the local clubs for training/games.

Funding for sport in Northern Ireland is made available through the Sports Council for Northern Ireland. The following two GAA clubs within the South Antrim parliamentary constituency area have received financial support through the Sports Council’s Capital Lottery Programme:

Mr Hussey asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to state the definition of the words urban and rural used within his Department.

(AQW 1004/00)

Mr McGimpsey: While most people will have an intuitive sense of what is meant by the terms urban and rural there are no universally accepted definitions that the Department is able to apply to its activities.

However, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has defined rural areas for the purposes of their rural development programme as all parts of Northern Ireland outside the Belfast metropolitan area, the city of Derry/Londonderry and towns with populations greater than 5,000.

My Department would use this definition should the need arise.

Mr Shannon asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to detail the research he has undertaken on the effect of introducing carp to Inland Waterways in Northern Ireland.

(AQW 1060/00)

Mr McGimpsey: On reaching my decision to allow the introduction of carp into Northern Ireland, I sought advice from scientific and technical staff in the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of the Environment, Environment and Heritage Service, (EHS), and from technical staff in my own Department.

The introduction of any animal which is not ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland requires the consent of the Environment and Heritage Service under the provisions of the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. The EHS has carried out a survey of all Northern Ireland’s lakes detailing plant communities and water chemistry. Using this and other relevant information, EHS assesses the potential impact of proposed carp introductions on a site by site basis and will only give approval where it is considered that there will be no significant damage to nature conservation interests.

The scientific advice provided by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development was based on experience from elsewhere as there are no significant carp populations locally on which to carry out practical research.

Scientific and technical advice is that carp are unlikely to breed successfully on a regular basis in Northern Ireland as a result of summer water temperatures being too low. Accordingly, Northern Ireland waters are unlikely to facilitate production of carp fry. Furthermore, carp cannot interbreed with indigenous species. Scientific staff have examined a small population of carp that was introduced in around 1996 into a pond in the vicinity of Belfast. There was no indication that the population had bred since its introduction and fish growth rates subsequent to introduction were steady but not high.

The potential disease risk from introducing carp was also considered. The Fish Health Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 require fish species entering Northern Ireland to be accompanied by certification by a competent authority that they are free from specified diseases, including spring viraemia of carp. The responsible authority, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, indicated that it would issue the appropriate health and movement permits if it was satisfied that imports came from a disease free stock.

On the basis of the above I decided to allow the introduction of carp. However, they should only be introduced into lakes that have either no fishery value or very low fishery value. Any outlets to other loughs or rivers must be screened to the Department’s satisfaction to prevent escapes. Carp introduction must be subject to the Department of the Environment’s licensing requirements and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s fish-health requirements being met.

For those carp introduced to date, the source of the fish was thoroughly researched from a fish-health perspective. Testing was carried out for bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases and the results were scrutinised before permits were issued. The fish were later sampled and tested by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s veterinary science division after stocking. The site will continue to be inspected on a frequent basis.

Mr Shannon asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to outline the action he has taken to prevent carp introductions into lakes in Northern Ireland.

(AQW 1061/00)

Mr McGimpsey: In September 2000 I decided to allow the controlled introduction of carp fisheries in Northern Ireland subject to the following conditions: Carp introduced will only be permitted into lakes which have no or very low fishery value and any outlets to other loughs or rivers will have to be adequately screened to prevent escapes; the carp will have to be certified as being from a disease free stock and a licence will also be required from the Department of Environment under the provisions of the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. These conditions should act as a safeguard to ensure that there are no detrimental effects on native fish stocks. Each potential development will be considered on a site by site basis.

Mr Hussey asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to detail the number of participants in the sport of bowls — lawn and indoor — in Northern Ireland.

(AQW 1067/00)

Mr McGimpsey: The latest figures available are as follows:

Mr Hussey asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to detail the measures he has put in place to ensure improved accessibility, participation and coaching in the sports of bowls — lawn and indoor — in Northern Ireland and to ensure improved support and encouragement for participation at representative level.

(AQW 1068/00)

Mr McGimpsey: The Sports Council for Northern Ireland has statutory responsibility for the development of sport in the Province. The council provides technical and financial support to the Irish Bowling Association, the Irish Women’s Bowling Association, the Irish Women’s Indoor Bowling Association and the Irish Indoor Bowling Association. This support covers coaching, nurturing talent, squad preparation and competition from both Exchequer Grant and Sports Lottery Fund programmes, under which £38,693 has been contributed in the current financial year. In addition, the talented athlete programme will be providing substantial assistance for the preparation of bowlers participating in the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002.

In recent years clubs have received over £1 million to help with major capital projects.

Mr Hussey asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to investigate alleged underfunding of bowls — lawn and indoor— by the Sports Council for Northern Ireland and if he will make a statement.

(AQW 1069/00)

Mr McGimpsey: The attached table details the financial support which has been provided to the sport of bowls —lawn and indoor — by the Sports Council for Northern Ireland between 1998 and 2001. This is a significant level of funding and I am unaware of the allegations of underfunding.

Under the Sports Lottery Fund, Capital Programme, none of the governing bodies applied for funding, but money was awarded to clubs as follows — indoor bowls, £723,100, outdoor bowls, £709,501.

Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to detail the number of meetings to date of the football task force and to give a breakdown of the attendance of members.

(AQW 1098/00)

Mr McGimpsey: Last October I announced plans for an initiative, ‘Creating a Soccer Strategy for Northern Ireland’. I also announced the establishment of an advisory panel to help guide the process of developing the strategy. The advisory panel has met on three occasions — 15 November 2000, 15 December 2000, and 10 January 2001.

The advisory panel has established two sub-groups, one to consider the arrangements for a conference workshop to which representatives of key interest groups will be invited, and the other to consider best practice elsewhere. The conference planning sub-group has met twice, on 29 November 2000 and 5 January 2001. The best practice sub-group has also met twice on 7 December 2000 and 10 January 2001. A breakdown of the attendance of the advisory panel members at these meetings is as follows:-

Mr Paisley Jnr asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to detail: (a) the number of official Christmas cards he has sent; (b) the cost of their design, publication and postage and; (c) the list of people on the Minister’s official Christmas card list.

(AQW 1109/00)

Mr McGimpsey: In December 2000 I sent 340 official Christmas cards at a total cost of £393.20. The cost of design and publication for these cards was £1.00 per card, and of the 340 cards sent, 280 were issued by second class postage. No postal charge was incurred on the remaining 60 cards.

Christmas cards are typically sent to individuals and members of organisations met through the year by Ministers; to counterparts and office-holders in organisations with which a Department regularly corresponds or which have a significant interest in the Department’s activities and responsibilities.

Dr O’Hagan asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to detail what projects have been allocated grant assistance by the national endowment for science, technology and the arts.

(AQW 1121/00)

Mr McGimpsey: To date one project in Northern Ireland has received grant assistance from the national endowment for science, technology and the arts (NESTA). This was the Invention and Innovation award of £50,000 over two years made to Paul McCormack in May 2000 to help develop and test a full working prototype of PAC TechFor, an innovative labour saving device that can automate packaging functions and help businesses meet their environment targets.

I understand that NESTA will be announcing further awards in February and that one of these, a Fellowship award, will come to Northern Ireland.

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to: (a) detail the fishery advisory or policy making groups with which he has developed links; (b) list the meetings he has had with them and; (c) explain the policies he has adopted as a result.

(AQW 1132/00)

Mr McGimpsey: The main advisory or policy-making group within the inland fisheries area that I have responsibility for is the Fisheries Conservancy Board (FCB). The FCB has statutory responsibility for making and enforcing policy on the conservation and protection of salmon and inland fisheries — except for the Foyle and Carlingford areas which are the responsibility of the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission. The board of the FCB comprises representatives from the inland and salmon commercial fishing industry, angling representatives, the Ulster Farmers Union, fish farming, tourism, sport, industry and local councils. The Department may seek the FCB’s advice on any matter pertaining to inland fisheries. The FCB is required to submit all policy and legislative proposals to me for approval.

I have not yet had formal policy meetings with the FCB, although I have met it informally. The FCB has been consulted in writing on a number of advisory and policy issues.

The FCB was consulted on the Department’s proposals to introduce common carp into specified Northern Ireland waters which will provide opportunities for local and tourist anglers to fish exclusively for carp.

There is ongoing liaison between the Department and the FCB on the implementation of a salmon management plan, which will introduce the internationally acceptable catchment based approach to salmon management and conservation.

The Department advised the FCB that fishery scientists were concerned that marine survival of wild salmon was showing a serious decline and that consideration should be given to the introduction of measures to reduce exploitation of salmon stocks. The FCB has submitted proposals to the Department, which are currently under consideration.

Mr Gibson asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to give his assessment of the capacity to stage major athletics events in Northern Ireland.

(AQW 1149/00)

Mr McGimpsey: Northern Ireland as a whole is well resourced in terms of available tracks and has hosted many significant events in recent years. There are four synthetic tracks at present; at the Templemore complex in Londonderry; the Antrim Forum, the Mary Peters Track, and a new eight-lane track soon to be opened in Bangor. Additionally, there is a new indoor athletics track in the Odyssey Arena, which offers opportunities for competition during the winter months. There is also a plan to create a new track as part of the Sports Institute Northern Ireland at the University of Ulster.

The sports governing body, the Northern Ireland Athletics Federation, is competent in managing major events, and the sport in general has the human resources and skills resources to attract and present events appropriate to Northern Ireland’s size and status.

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