Ms Hanna asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to advise how it proposes to take account of the views of the Civic Forum on issues including the draft Programme for Government.

(AQW 1596/00)

Reply: On 6 February the Assembly approved the arrangements for seeking views from the Civic Forum on social, economic and cultural matters and our officials will shortly be meeting with the Civic Forum Chairperson to discuss the matters on which its views will be sought. In addition, the Forum will be advised when public consultation exercises on relevant matters are being carried out by Departments and it will be a matter for the Forum itself to determine which of these it wishes to respond to. Views expressed by the Civic Forum on social, economic and cultural matters once received by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister will be forwarded directly to officials, who are developing the particular policy in question, to be considered along with other responses.

The Forum offered views on the Programme for Government on 15 January. A new draft of the Programme taking account of these and other comments is being put to the Executive for approval. The Programme will be presented to the Assembly in the coming weeks.

(AQW 1617/00)

Reply: The Northern Ireland Office has to date had responsibility for providing core funding for these groups and specific questions on funding should be referred to that Department.

In addition, approximately £4·2m was allocated to victims groups from the European Peace I Programme. Information on the breakdown of funding by District Council area is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

(AQW 1767/00)

Reply: The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister has allocated £320,000 in the current financial year to assist victims. While final decisions on the allocation of these resources have not yet been made, the emphasis will be on providing practical help and support by contributing to the Northern Ireland Memorial Fund, supporting the four Trauma Advisory Panels, assisting with specific projects undertaken in the health and trauma fields, developing capacity building and commissioning research on service provision for victims.

The Peace II European Programme will include a specific measure for victims, with funding of approximately £6·67 million, which will become available in the next financial year.

(AQW 1768/00)

Reply: There were no advertising campaigns undertaken by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in any of the periods mentioned.

(AQW 1809/00)

Reply: The total cost of invoices received to date by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister is £88,583 for the use of the Odyssey Arena and an estimated £50,000 for press and media facilities.

(AQW 1826/00)

Reply: The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, via the Executive Information Service, maintain a NI Executive web site and an Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister web site. The addresses are www.nics.gov.uk and www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk.

A common Information Technology infrastructure has been deployed across the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, linking all functions of the Department. An information Technology Programme is being developed with the aim of improving efficiency and public access.

The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister is taking the lead in the development of a project called "Knowledge Network" which will link all Northern Ireland Departments and enable key information to be shared. It is hoped that much of this information will be made available to the public via Internet technologies.

(AQW 1869/00)

Reply: The peace process, being a dialogue between the Northern Ireland political parties and the Governments of the United Kingdom and Ireland, relates to matters that are not devolved to this administration.

(AQO 811/00)

Reply: The devolved administration is taking proactive measures to deal with the needs of victims. These include the actions contained in the draft Programme for Government, the establishment of an interdepartmental working group on victims and the development of a cross-departmental strategy on victims issues which will be subject to public consultation. In addition, capacity building programmes for both victims’ groups and policy makers are currently taking place.

A total of £320,000 has been allocated to the Victims Unit for this financial year. No final decisions have yet been made on the distribution of this funding but it is likely that funds will be allocated to the four Trauma Advisory Panels, projects in the health and trauma fields and the Northern Ireland Memorial Fund. In addition, a specific measure for victims will be included in Peace II with approximately £5m coming from Europe and £1·67m coming from the Northern Ireland Executive.

(AQO 853/00)

Reply: The Executive gave a commitment in the Programme for Government to undertake a Review of Public Administration.

Over the past couple of months the Executive has been giving detailed consideration to the wide range of issues which will shape the review. These include the scope of the review, the terms of reference, how it should be carried out and by whom. While important details are yet to be finalised, we are agreed that there needs to be a fully comprehensive review of all aspects of the public sector, a strong element of independence is essential, and the process should be as inclusive as possible, involving wide-spread consultation.

The time we are taking to consider these matters is an indication of the importance the Executive places on getting this right. Rushing into this exercise without proper consideration of all the issues would be counterproductive. We hope to be in a position to make a full statement to the Assembly providing details about the review in the near future.

(AQO 842/00)

Reply: The New Targeting Social Need Action Plans for all Northern Ireland Departments together with an explanation of the Executive Committee’s agreed New TSN policy will be published in March.

(AQO 821/00)

Reply: Following a substantial debate on the 28 November, the Assembly adopted a resolution to legalise Sunday On-Course betting in Northern Ireland. This is a matter for the Minister of Social Development in the first instance. We have, however, written to the Minister to ascertain what plans he has to come to the Executive to outline his response to the resolution and to detail the proposals to bring forward the relevant legislation.

(AQO 820/00)

Reply: The agenda, when finalised, will be notified to the Assembly in accordance with section 52(5) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

(AQO 838/00)

Reply: We have corresponded with the Secretary of State on this issue and have arranged to meet with the Minister of State in the near future to discuss these issues, including the contribution which the criminal law can make to combating racist and sectarian behaviour.

(AQO 852/00)

Reply: At the Executive meeting of 9 February 2000 it was agreed that the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety should take the lead role on behalf of the Executive in relation to the Northern Ireland Drugs Strategy, involving other relevant Ministers as necessary.

A report by the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, setting out the current position on the implementation of the Northern Ireland Drugs Strategy and the proposals for taking forward co-operation on drugs issues within the context of the British-Irish Council was circulated to the Executive on 17 January 2001.

The Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety provided details of progress on the Drugs Strategy in reply to Oliver Gibson AQW 1525/00) on 8 February 2001.

(AQO 834/00)

Reply: The Executive gave a commitment in the Programme for Government to undertake a Review of Public Administration.

The Executive has been giving detailed consideration to the wide range of issues, which will shape the review. These include the scope of the review, the terms of reference, how it should be carried out and by whom.

The time we are taking to consider these matters is an indication of the importance the Executive places on getting this right. Rushing into this exercise without proper consideration of all the issues would be counterproductive. We hope to be in a position to make a full statement to the Assembly providing details about the review in the near future.

(AQO 863/00)

Reply: The First Minister and Deputy First Minister may appoint up to eight of the twenty-four members of the Community Relations Councils. Sixteen shortlisted applicants were interviewed last year and appointments are expected to be made shortly.

(AQO 844/00)

Reply: Under the Executive’s Community Relations Programme, funding is provided to a wide range of groups which promote community relations, with the bulk of the support channelled through the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council and the District Council Community Relations Programme. In the current financial year the Department’s Community Relations budget, including research provision, amounts to some £5.5m. The Department of Education also has its own community relations programme for schools and young people amounting to £3.4m this financial year. In addition, under the EU Peace Programme "Pathways to Reconciliation", Measure which is administered by the Community Relations Council, over £3m was available for projects during this financial year.

(AQO 841/00)

Reply: The Programme for Government commits the Executive to undertaking an evaluation of New TSN by December 2002. The evaluation will focus on the progress made by Departments in the implementation of their New TSN Action Plans.

The evaluation is expected to draw both on internal resources and externally commissioned work.

(AQO 851/00)

Reply: We have not jointly discussed this matter with the Prime Minister, the current Secretary of State or his predecessor. Our respective parties have, however, met them to discuss this issue.

(AQO 871/00)

Reply: As this relates to a criminal justice matter which is not a devolved responsibility, the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister have not held joint meetings with the family of the late Billy Wright and have no plans at this time to hold any such meetings.

The First Minister has however met with Mr David Wright on a number of occasions to discuss the death of Mr Wright’s son in December 1997 and is more than happy to meet with Mr Wright again.

The Deputy First Minister has referred requests from the family of the late Billy Wright to the Social Democratic and Labour Party to be handled on a party basis. However, he has asked to be kept informed of developments in this case including, in particular, the recent British Irish Rights Watch Report into Mr Wright’s death.

Mr Paisley Jnr asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to give her assessment of the potential impact of a ban on hunting with dogs in rural areas and to make a statement.

(AQW 1668/00)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (Ms Rodgers): I am aware of the Westminster Bill on hunting with dogs currently progressing through Parliament. Hunting with dogs is not an agriculture issue per se and I am therefore not in a position to make a statement on the issue.

(AQW 1725/00)

Ms Rodgers: The 971m euro is made up of 700m euro for the Purchase and Destruction Scheme, 238m euro for beef market intervention and 33m euro for the co-financing of BSE tests. The UK has made a bid for a proportion of the 33m euro for the mandatory BSE testing programme. The exact amount to be received from the Commission is to be determined. It is not appropriate to make a bid under the Purchase and Destruction Scheme, as the Over Thirty Months Scheme already applies in the UK, nor under beef market intervention, as beef prices in the UK have not fallen to trigger levels to merit market intervention.

(AQW 1763/00)

Ms Rodgers: I should, first of all, point out that, although I initiated the exercise to develop a vision for the future of the Northern Ireland agri-food sector, the members of the Steering Group were actually appointed during a period when the devolved institutions were suspended. That said, I fully approve of the membership of the Steering Group to which members were appointed for their personal expertise and knowledge and not to represent particular groups.

(AQW 1764/00)

Ms Rodgers: The 2001-2006 Rural Development Programme is currently being finalised with the EU Commission as part of the next round of Structural Funds. I hope to be in a position to publish the Programme Strategy within the next three months.

The Programme is expected to consist of the following elements:

• Strengthening Rural Communities - to help rural people gain the skills necessary to participate successfully in local regeneration activity.
• Local Regeneration Projects and Programmes - which can be developed by community groups, collectives and co-operatives.
• Sectoral and Area Based Development Projects and Programmes - which will address particular economic, social and environmental sectors or themes.
• Natural Resource Rural Tourism (under Peace II) - which will be targeted at disadvantaged areas with a high tourism potential based on their natural resources.
• LEADER+ - which will be delivered through Local Action Groups and will focus on micro-business development in rural areas, including small farms.
• INTERREG III - which will address the problems and opportunities which can be best tackled on a cross border basis.

The full draft of the Leader+ Operational Programme can be viewed on the Internet at www.dardni.gov.uk/ publications/pubs0000.htm

(AQW 1766/00)

Statutory advertising i.e. legal notices, job advertising, Rivers Agency notices, animal health notices, and tendering adverts account for the largest proportion of Departmental spend on advertising in the years concerned. Detailed below is the total spend on campaign advertising to recruit students for the four DARD Colleges at Enniskillen, Greenmount, Loughry, and Newforge Lane.

Result surveys from the colleges demonstrate the ability of students and exam grades being achieved. This factor is also taken into consideration when composing the content of advertising and prospectuses.

(AQW 1791/00)

Ms Rodgers: All DARD Meat Inspection staff and Veterinary Officers are tasked with checking imported consignments of XAP beef quarters and carry out routine inspections in establishments for the presence of SRM, including spinal cord. Following incidents where consignments of beef from Germany had SRM attached, importers have been requested to notify DARD of such imports and every German consignment is now checked by DARD for the presence of spinal cord. There is also a due diligence requirement on all beef processors to ensure that beef with SRM attached does not get into the food chain. Any quarters of beef found with spinal cord attached are seized and destroyed. DARD has currently 24 Meat Veterinary Officers and 123 Meat Inspectorate staff responsible for ensuring compliance with the legislation.

(AQW 1814/00)

Ms Rodgers: Northern Ireland Departments are required to produce E-Business Strategies by May 2001. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has appointed consultants to undertake work on the DARD E-Business Strategy. This exercise is aimed at optimising the benefits of electronic delivery and integration of services that could provide a better quality service to the citizen.

The Strategy will encompass all key services provided to the public, business and other sectors, together with all internal and interdepartmental processes. The consultant’s findings should be available to the Department by May 2001.

(AQW 1845/00)

Ms Rodgers: It is too early to speculate on the reaction of the Commission and Member States to the outcome of the year 2000 testing programme. However, industry has continued to press for a relaxation of the export ban, and I am determined to pursue the matter as soon as it is appropriate to do so. Other Member States will be testing the same category of animals this year and that may well demonstrate that NI has a comparatively low incidence of BSE, even if the overall number of cases was higher than we had thought.

(AQO 808/00)

Ms Rodgers: As the Member is aware, the concept of rural proofing features prominently in the Executive’s Draft Programme for Government which I am confident the Assembly will endorse shortly.

Once it has done so I shall take steps to introduce appropriate machinery to ensure that rural proofing is carried out effectively across the system, and I intend to consult the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee before taking final decisions. Nevertheless, as is mentioned in the Draft Programme for Government I see a need for an interdepartmental group of officials from most, if not all, Departments, under my Chairmanship, to manage the process.

(AQO 843/00)

Ms Rodgers: I am more than happy to confirm the importance of childcare in rural communities. Under the 1994-1999 Rural Development Programme a number of community based regeneration projects located in disadvantaged rural areas included the provision of childcare facilities. These facilities have been provided because the local communities have identified childcare as an issue that needs to be addressed.

I spoke recently at a major Cross Border Rural Childcare Conference which celebrated some excellent work in rural areas. In Northern Ireland the project, funded by my Department and the EU, piloted a range of childcare provision in Belleek, Donemana, and the Clogher Valley. Models of rural childcare that can be replicated in other areas have been developed.

Although we are still negotiating the 2001-2006 Rural Development Programme with the European Commission I expect it to bring opportunities for local communities and women’s organisations to identify and address their needs and look forward to proposals coming forward.

(AQO 859/00)

Ms Rodgers: The Livestock and Meat Commission has statutory responsibility for promoting Northern Ireland beef and lamb. My Department has provided £2m towards implementation by the LMC of the Red Meat Strategy. That strategy included considerable volume of expenditure for generic promotion of beef in target markets which would not necessarily be confined to Europe.

While the beef export ban has prevented a major marketing drive, promotional activity has continued. For example considerable effort has been made to promote the Greenfields brand in Holland. In addition the LMC and major processors have maintained a significant presence at major international food shows in Europe each year. This means that there is a real base to build upon when we are able to export again.

I have been pleased to be able to assist the industry in its promotional work with existing and potential customers both in Northern Ireland and other countries and I look forward to continuing to do so.

(AQO 865/00)

Ms Rodgers: This is a food safety issue and is therefore primarily a matter for the Food Standards Agency. However I can confirm that discovery of remnants of spinal cord in two consignments of beef quarters imported into Northern Ireland from Germany constituted serious breaches of EU rules on the removal of specified risk materials. I would wish to point out that it was the vigilance of DARD’s Veterinary Service inspectors that ensured the breaches were detected during their routine checks on imported beef and as a result, the consignments were detained and subsequently re-exported. The matter was referred to the European Commission and they have raised the issue with the German authorities.

(AQO 816/00)

Ms Rodgers: I have concluded, after discussions with the industry and officials, that some elements of the horticulture sector in Northern Ireland appear to offer potential for expansion, both in home and export markets.

It is my considered opinion, that what we now require is a thorough review of the present situation and the production of a workable strategic plan. I have therefore taken steps to initiate such a study which will be developed in consultation with the industry. We are currently considering the terms of reference and scope of the study but identification of business opportunities and market requirements will clearly be important elements of any such study.

Any recommendations will be discussed with the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee in due course but in the meantime my Department will continue with its ongoing programme to support companies in improving the promotion of their products. This is done through initiatives such as the Northern Ireland Garden Centre Awards, the Nursery Trade Directory and exhibits at trade shows such as the Kildare Growers and Four Oaks Shows.

(AQO 828/00)

Ms Rodgers: It is clear that organic food represents a growing market opportunity and I wish to encourage the development of a vibrant organic production and processing sector in Northern Ireland. Increased resources, of some £9 million, have therefore been made available under the Northern Ireland Rural Development Plan 2000-2006 for a new Organic Farming Scheme, to help farmers convert to organic production systems. This Scheme will open for new applications on 1 March 2001.

However, I recognise that the ongoing development of the Northern Ireland organic sector must be progressed in a strategic way. Accordingly, on 31 October 2000, I announced that I was commissioning consultants to undertake a strategic study of the Northern Ireland organic sector. The study is progressing well with the consultants, Elm Farm Research Centre in Berkshire, a much-respected centre of excellence in the organic sector, due to report to me by the end of February 2001. I shall wish to reflect upon the consultant’s recommendations and consult widely thereon including, of course, with the Assembly Committee.

(AQO 857/00)

Ms Rodgers: The importation of beef from other Member States is allowed under EU Single Market Rules provided the redmeat trade conditions are complied with and all such consignments are duly checked at the point of destination. The fact that it is these checks which detect instances of breaches of the rules on SRM, provides evidence of their effectiveness.

Under the EU rules on beef labelling, certain information is required to be shown on beef labels to allow the beef to be traced to the plant of origin and a batch of animals. These requirements apply to beef produced in Northern Ireland or imported. Industry interests in Northern Ireland have been reminded of their obligations regarding the labelling of beef whether sourced in Northern Ireland or elsewhere.

(AQO 850/00)

Ms Rodgers: My Department, in partnership with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Environment and Heritage Service (Department of the Environment) and the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure is finalising proposals for a Natural Resource Rural Tourism initiative within the Peace II negotiations. This will form part of my Department’s next Rural Development Programme which will run from 2001 to 2006.

It is my intention to consult widely on this rural tourism initiative within the next few weeks.

(AQO 814/00)

Ms Rodgers: I was aware that such imports had been taking place. Processed Specified Risk Material from Monery By-Products (now called Monery 2000 Ltd) in Co. Cavan was exported from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland for landfill at the Tullyvar landfill site at Aughnacloy. The imports were under licence from my Department and took place from July 1999 until December 2000.

New EU rules on Specified Risk Material were introduced by the European Commission on 29 June 2000 through Commission Decision 2000/418. This Decision, which came into force on 1 October 2000, made it illegal to export Specified Risk Material to another Member State except for the purposes of incineration. As the Republic of Ireland authorities lacked the necessary landfill facilities to deal with this material they requested that the trade continue beyond 1 October 2000 while they sought a derogation from the Commission. This approach was unsuccessful and the Republic of Ireland authorities immediately stopped the trade in December 2000. No further trade has occurred since.

(AQO 823/00)

Ms Rodgers: I am assuming the Member is referring to the rendered animal residue from the Over Thirty Month Slaughter Scheme, which was introduced throughout the UK in 1996. The costs of storage and associated transport of this material, that is Meat and Bonemeal and Tallow, from May 1996 to the end of November 2000 was just over £178 million.

Around 435,000 tonnes of Meat and Bonemeal and 215,000 tonnes of tallow are currently in secure storage in 18 sites around the UK. In Northern Ireland there are four Meat and Bonemeal stores holding around 90,000 tonnes of Meat and Bonemeal and no tallow stores.

(AQO 836/00)

Ms Rodgers: Following the securing of £2m for beef quality in the Programme for Government my Department has been consulting the industry on methods of improving beef quality in Northern Ireland. The increased use of AI and other new breeding techniques were an integral part of the draft proposals. Subject to ensuring that the proposals meet EU State Aid guidelines they will be finalised as soon as possible.

A straightforward subsidy for farmers for the production of higher grade beef would be unlikely to secure state aid approval and I am not convinced that it could have the necessary effect since it would impact more directly on beef finishers than suckled calf producers. However I have already indicated that I will consider the feasibility of applying quality criteria in the use of the Beef National Envelope next year.

(AQO 826/00)

Ms Rodgers: The main focus of the Council was BSE. The Commission reported on progress made by Member States in implementing the new measures adopted in December, as well as on the market and budgetary problems arising from the dramatic fall in beef consumption in many Member States. In the light of advice from the EU Scientific Steering Committee, the Council agreed that new rules should be put in place banning the use of mechanically recovered meat from ruminant bones, requiring heat treatment of fat from ruminants for use in animal feed and requiring the removal of vertebral columns from beef carcases. The UK was able to secure a derogation which means that the decision in question will not apply to it.

The Council has received a package of proposals addressing the problems in the Beef market for discussion at the forthcoming Council of Ministers meeting, which I will be attending. I am currently considering these proposals in consultation with the local industry. The proposals will be financed within the budget limits laid down by the Berlin European Council.

The Council also heard presentations from Commissioner Byrne on proposals to improve the welfare of pigs and planned proposals to improve the operation of the Directive on the welfare of animals in transit.

Commissioner Fischler presented new proposals for reform of the olive oil regime and for a pilot scheme introducing a new simplified subsidy to replace certain production-linked aids. The scheme would be limited to farmers receiving no more than 1000 euros a year in direct subsidies.