Friday 18 May 2001
Written Answers to Questions

Dr Birnie asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to give its assessment of the applicability to Northern Ireland of the financial relief measures currently being considered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Rural Task Force in England.

(AQW 2474/00)

Reply: The Executive has been involved in the Rural Taskforce in England, and is closely monitoring developments in GB to ensure that Northern Ireland benefits from any UK-wide initiatives.

The Minister of Finance and Personnel has made a technical assessment of the financial measures being considered in GB and made recommendations to Executive colleagues. On the basis of those recommendations the Executive approved a scheme to defer the payment of rate bills, for up to three months, for those businesses experiencing financial hardship as a result of Foot and Mouth Disease.

The Executive has also established an inter-Departmental taskforce to examine the impact of Foot and Mouth Disease on the wider Northern Ireland economy and examine practical measures which might be implemented to address the negative impact of the disease.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has paid compensation to farmers who have lost their livestock due to foot and mouth. To date, this amounts to £1.89 million.

Ms Ramsey asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to explain what the relationship will be between the Forum for Children’s Organisations and the Interdepartmental Working Group to establish a Children’s Commissioner.

(AQW 2632/00)

Reply: The Non-Governmental Forum for Children’s Organisations was established on 3 April as an informal mechanism to provide advice and expertise to the Inter- departmental group chaired by Ministers Haughey and Nesbitt.

In particular, the Forum has been asked:

• To provide advice to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on the role and remit of a Children’s Commissioner for Northern Ireland.
• To provide advice to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on the components of a children’s strategy for Northern Ireland.
• To represent the views of children’s organisations throughout Northern Ireland.
• To act as a conduit of information both to and from the wider children’s sector in Northern Ireland.
• To comment on any draft proposals produced by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister and/or Interdepartmental Steering Group in relation to the strategy or Commissioner.
• To conduct research/prepare papers for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister/ Interdepartmental Steering Group.
• To identify and comment on research which has already been carried out in relation to children in Northern Ireland.
• To advise on appropriate mechanisms for consulting with children and young people.

The work of the Forum will assist the Executive, through the Inter-Departmental Working Group, to develop and shape the Children’s Strategy and the establishment of the office of a Children’s Commissioner.

Ms Ramsey asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to detail, in relation to the Forum For Children’s Organisations Group, (a) the terms of reference for this group, (b) who will be appointed to this group, and (c) when the first meeting will take place.

(AQW 2634/00)

Reply: The Non-Governmental Forum of Children’s Organisations was established on 3 April 2001 as an informal mechanism to provide advice to Ministers to aid the development of the Executive’s Children’s Strategy.

It has not been formally constituted or given any formal authority. However, Terms of Reference were provided to aid the focus and direction of the work to be undertaken.

The Terms of Reference are as follows:

• To provide advice to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on the role and remit of a Children’s Commissioner for Northern Ireland.
• To provide advice to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on the components of a children’s strategy for Northern Ireland.
• To represent the views of children’s organisations throughout Northern Ireland.
• To act as a conduit of information both to and from the wider children’s sector in Northern Ireland.
• To comment on any draft proposals produced by the Office of the First Minister and/or Interdepartmental Steering Group in relation to the strategy or Commissioner.
• To conduct research/prepare papers for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister/ Interdepartmental Steering Group.
• To identify and comment on research which has already been carried out in relation to children in Northern Ireland.
• To advise on appropriate mechanisms for consulting with children and young people.

Participation in the Forum is on a voluntary basis. The following have been invited, as representatives of a wide variety of organisations representing the interests of children, to become members of the Forum:

The first meeting of the Forum took place on 4 May.

Mr Beggs asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to co-operate with the Scottish Executive to ensure a co-ordinated emergency response to assist ferries, fishing and merchant vessels or other emergencies that may occur in neighbouring regions.

(AQW 2736/00)

Reply: The Central Emergency Planning Unit of the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister maintains close liaison with the Scottish Executive on issues of emergency planning policy and practice, through attendance at formal liaison meetings, informal visits and exchange of delegates at meetings and courses.

The specific arrangements for response to maritime emergencies are the responsibility of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and thus are outside the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Administration.

However, a large number of Northern Ireland Public Services, including the emergency services and the Central Emergency Planning Unit have good working relationships with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, both informally and through the Northern Ireland Marine Safety Committees chaired by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Activities promoted by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have included the involvement of both the Northern Ireland and Scottish organisations in training and exercises.

The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister is committed to maintaining and developing links with the Scottish Executive on emergency planning issues of mutual importance.

Mr Shannon asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to establish an inter-departmental group to ensure that senior citizens receive equitable treatment under the equality legislation.

(AQW 2906/00)

Reply: The EU Framework Directive of 27 November 2000 lays down a general basis for equal treatment on a number of grounds, including age. In order to implement the Directive it will be necessary to bring forward new legislation to prohibit discrimination in employment on the grounds of age. We plan to introduce that legislation in the Single Equality Bill which will also harmonise, as far as practicable, existing anti-discrimination law. The scope of the Single Equality Bill is currently the subject of consultation. One of the areas on which views are sought is whether protection from age discrimination should be extended beyond employment.

There are no plans at present to establish an inter- departmental group.

Mr Armstrong asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister whether it has consulted with other Regional Assemblies in respect of foot-and-mouth disease and if it is in a position to formulate a financial package to assist all businesses in Northern Ireland.

(AQO 1488/00)

Reply: An important aspect in the co-ordination of a response to this crisis has been consultation with colleagues in the other devolved administrations.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development has had a number of meetings with the other UK Agriculture Ministers in recent weeks. Sir Reg Empey has met with the other UK Tourism Ministers to discuss the impact of the crisis on tourism.

Officials from our Department attend the Whitehall Rural Taskforce to keep abreast of developments on wider economic issues in Great Britain and ensure that Northern Ireland benefits from any national schemes. The Executive also established its own inter-Departmental taskforce, led by the Economic Policy Unit, to examine the impact of Foot and Mouth on the Northern Ireland economy.

In terms of financial assistance, a number of UK-wide measures providing assistance to affected businesses have been in place for some weeks and are available to Northern Ireland businesses. Sir Reg Empey announced a £1 million tourism recovery strategy on 5 April, and the Executive is developing a grant scheme in lieu of rate relief. We hope to announce details of this soon.

Ms Hanna asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to report what progress has been made on the Mobility Study approved at the last North/South Ministerial Council Plenary meeting.

(AQO 1477/00)

Reply: I refer the member to the written answer we gave to AQO 1357/00.

Public Consultation Conferences on Obstacles to Mobility between North and South are planned for 16 May in Carrickmacross and 29 May in Omagh. The conferences have been advertised in the Press.

The consultation process will be open and fully participative.

It is anticipated that the consultants will present their final report to the Steering Group in mid-June.

Mr Byrne asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to indicate what steps it is taking to train its staff on those statutory duties outlined under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

(AQO 1475/00)

Reply: The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister’s Equality Scheme commits the Department to ensuring that all staff receive a programme of relevant communication and training on Section 75 obligations.

To that end Section 75 awareness seminars were delivered to our staff from December 2000 through to mid February 2001. These seminars covered the historical background to the legislation, its aims, who is affected by it, the role of the Equality Commission, the structure of the Department’s Equality Scheme, the criteria for screening policies and the objective of equality impact assessments. More awareness seminars are planned. The Department will ensure through its induction programme that all new staff are made aware of their equality obligations.

In addition, over the coming months, officials directly involved in carrying out equality impact assessment of policies will receive more focused training based on the practical guidance published by the Equality Commission on 26 April 2001. There will also be training for staff directly involved with consultation exercises.

Mr Beggs asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister if it is aware of the contents of the recent document, Lessons of Peace I produced by Proteus, and to confirm that the European Peace and Reconciliation funding has been distributed taking into consideration equality considerations outlined under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

(AQO 1486/00)

Reply: The "Lessons of PEACE I" document reports on the impact of projects funded by PROTEUS under the Employment Sub-programme of the EU Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (PEACE I). At the mid-term review of the Programme the general principle was established that every effort should be made and every assistance given to ensure that all sectors of the population participate fully in the Programme. A full assessment of the impact of the Programme will begin before the end of the current financial year, which will include the extent to which the implementing bodies complied with this principle, in line with the equality considerations outlined under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act.

Mr Berry asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to detail the total cost of establishing and running the Civic Forum to date.

(AQO 1444/00)

Reply: The cost of establishing the Civic Forum was almost £75,000. This includes the cost of filling the post of Chairperson and the costs of the "sectors" that nominated the Forum’s members.

The running costs of the Forum since its establishment in October 2000 until 31 March 2001 have been £145,000.

Mr Hilditch asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to detail the progress of the Civic Forum to date.

(AQO 1455/00)

Reply: The Civic Forum has been making steady progress since it was established in October 2000. It now has structures and procedures in place to enable it operate effectively. The Forum has met in plenary session on 4 occasions. Much of the work of the Forum is, however, carried out behind the scenes in its business committees and project groups.

The Civic Forum produced a comprehensive response to the draft Programme for Government which was taken into account in finalising the programme. The Civic Forum is currently researching and developing contributions on the three key areas; Life Long Learning, Combating Poverty and Building an Inclusive Society. At the end of this month the Civic Forum will make a substantive submission as part of the "Investing for Health" consultation round.

Mr Bradley asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to state the number and nature of meetings held under the North/South Ministerial Council since its inception.

(AQO 1478/00)

Reply: Since December 1999, a total of 30 meetings have taken place under the auspices of the North South Ministerial Council, of which 28 have been sectoral meetings and 2 plenary meetings.

Ms McWilliams asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to confirm if the report on the North/South Consultative Forum has been completed; and to make a statement.

(AQO 1423/00)

Reply: The study on the North/South Consultative Forum has not yet been completed. A Working Group has been established to take the study forward. Consultants have been appointed to produce a report for the working group. Progress on the study will be reported to the next plenary meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council following which we shall make a further statement to the Assembly.

Mr Fee asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to report what progress has been made on staff and accommodation developments at NSMC Secretariat and Implementation Bodies.

(AQO 1474/00)

Reply: Progress on staff and accommodation in respect of the NSMC Secretariat and the 6 Implementation Bodies is set out below.

SEUPB has – a directly-recruited Chief Executive Officer (CEO); 17 staff on secondment from Departments, North and South; an accountant employed from an outside company; and 8 from the recent takeover of the Northern Ireland Partnership Board (NIPB)

The SEUPB has 3 premises with the headquarters based in Belfast.

The Belfast headquarters is temporarily housed in Commercial Union House - it is hoped to move to new leased premises at the Gasworks during the summer.

The Omagh regional office is housed in temporary accommodation but is moving to new premises at 13 Kevlin Road, Omagh, which will be officially opened on 23 May 2001.

The Monaghan regional office (EU House, Monaghan) is leased. The lease has expired and is currently being reviewed.

Waterways Ireland has 50 Professional Technical and Administrative staff and 200 Industrial Staff of whom 22 are based in headquarters in Enniskillen. The remainder are based at the three Regional Offices and on operational duties throughout the waterways network.

The agreed final staff complement is 381 and a recruitment campaign will take place over the next 12-15 months.

Waterways Ireland has 70 offices, depots, stores and yards throughout Ireland, including headquarters located in interim accommodation at Darling Street & Belmore Street, Enniskillen. The three interim regional offices are at Scarriff, Co Clare, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim and Dublin.

Waterways Ireland is about to issue a detailed developers’ brief following a public tender procedure for permanent headquarters in Enniskillen. This will provide accommodation for 70 staff.

Waterways Ireland are seeking planning permission for a permanent office in Scarriff and has plans to acquire permanent offices in Dublin and Carrick on Shannon.

The FSPB has 7 full-time staff, three of whom are seconded from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, and 4 others on short-term contracts. The Body has approval for a staff complement of 30.

The Body is also assisted on a part-time basis (one day per week on average) by a Scientific Adviser based at QUB/Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in Belfast.

Accommodation in Dublin is sub-let at Abbey Court Lower Abbey St, Dublin 1. The Cork Headquarters (7 Eastgate Avenue, Eastgate, Little Island, Co Cork) will be available from the end of May.

(I) Loughs Agency

The Loughs Agency has 38 staff at present, consisting of 34 permanent, 2 on secondment and 2 university placements. Four posts are vacant. The Agency is in the process of recruiting 20 temporary River Watchers for the summer (16 for Headquarters and 4 for Carlingford).

The new Loughs Agency Headquarters at Prehen (22 Victoria Road, Londonderry) has been operational since July 2000. The Agency also has a temporary regional office at Old Quay Lane, Carlingford, Co Louth, and arrangements are in place to secure permanent accommodation.

(II) Lights Agency

Lights functions have not yet transferred from the Commissioners of Irish Lights.

(I) Irish Language Agency- Foras na Gaeilge

The Board occupies two premises in Dublin. The premises at 7 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, are owned by the Office of Public Works and leased to Foras na Gaeilge.

The premises at Fredrick Court, 24-27 Fredrick Street, Dublin 1, are occupied under an informal arrangement with the Department of Education and Science and no rent is payable.

At present there are 35 staff with 10 posts vacant.

(II) Ulster-Scots Agency - Tha Boord o Ulster Scotch

The Body currently has 6 staff consisting of 2 seconded staff, 1 Public Relations consultant, and three temporary staff supplied by an outside recruitment agency. There are plans to recruit a further administrative officer.

The Ulster-Scots Agency currently has leased offices in Franklin House, 10-12 Brunswick Street, Belfast, and is considering the establishment of an office in East Donegal.

The Body currently has 23 staff consisting of 11 staff directly employed and an additional 11 staff seconded from Departments, North and South, and the private sector (Northern Ireland). In addition, one member of staff has been supplied by an Agency.

A recruitment exercise for Executive and Administrative grades is underway and it is hoped to appoint 12 staff during the summer.

There will be further recruitment until InterTradeIreland reaches its projected complement of 42 staff.

InterTradeIreland currently occupies temporary accommodation at the Old Gasworks Business Park, Newry. The property is rented.

In August 2001 it will move to a new headquarters on the same business park which is being completed at present. This property will be leased.

The staffing complement for the NSMC Secretariat is 29. There are 27 staff at present consisting of 15 Northern Ireland civil servants and 12 Irish Government civil servants. There are currently two vacancies on the Irish Government side.

The Secretariat is jointly led by Joint Secretaries (North) and (South), assisted by Deputy Joint Secretaries (North) and (South).

The Secretariat currently occupies temporary leased accommodation in the Queen’s University campus in Armagh. It is intended that the Secretariat will relocate to permanent accommodation in Armagh within the next five years.

Mr Shannon asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister what steps it is taking to ensure that evangelical protestants are included on the board of the Community Relations Council.

(AQO 1462/00)

Reply: Applications to fill vacancies on the Community Relations Council are invited through public advertisement in accordance with the procedures promulgated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The Articles of Association of the Council state that it should endeavour to achieve and maintain a membership which at all times taken together is generally capable of commanding respect and approval across the community. It is fully open to all members of the community, including evangelical protestants, to apply for and be appointed to membership of the Community Relations Council.

Mr Close asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister what non-governmental organisations are being invited to join the Children’s Forum.

(AQO 1452/00)

Reply: On 3 April 2001 Ministers Haughey and Nesbitt announced the establishment of a Forum of non- governmental organisations to provide input on the Executive’s plans to appoint a Commissioner For Children in Northern Ireland and the development of a children’s strategy. The following organisations are represented on the Forum:

• Barnados
• Child Care (Northern Ireland)
• Children’s Law Centre
• Disability Action
• First Key Northern Ireland
• Homestart
• Include Youth
• Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities
• Northern Ireland Pre-school Playgroups Association
• Northern Ireland Youth Forum
• NSPCC
• Parents Advice Centre
• Playboard
• Royal College of Nursing
• Save the Children
• Voice of Young People in Care

Mr Hussey asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to explain the pricing system whereby, within the ewe trade, a Northern Ireland Meat plant pays 70p per Kg and a Leicestershire firm offers 70-75p per lb whilst both supplying the same wholesaler.

(AQW 2718/00)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (Ms Rodgers): The level of prices paid to sheep producers is a commercial matter. Nevertheless I would be concerned if there was evidence of producers in Northern Ireland being treated unfairly.

It is difficult to comment meaningfully on the prices you quoted. The main difficulty is that there is no formal reporting system for ewe prices.

The 70p per kg you quoted for prices paid in Northern Ireland is in line with the prices in the weekly bulletin issued by the Livestock and Meat Commission. That price is considerably lower than the prices which were reported prior to the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak. This fall may have been due to the closure of export markets especially as more than 50% of NI ewes were exported live to the Republic of Ireland.

Regarding ewe prices in Great Britain my officials have liaised with the authorities there but have been unable to obtain any reliable data. In the circumstances I am unable to confirm or deny that there is a major price difference between NI and GB.

Mr Paisley Jnr asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail the number of (a) RUC officers and (b) former RUC officers who are operating from DARD headquarters to assist in the eradication of foot-and-mouth disease.

(AQW 2761/00)

Ms Rodgers: The Chief Constable has provided sufficient police liaison at DARD headquarters to meet the needs of the current foot and mouth disease situation. The precise numbers deployed at any time are a matter for the Chief Constable.

DARD’s Veterinary Service also has available to it officers involved in the enforcement of legislation. In the current Foot and Mouth Disease emergency these have been supplemented by four additional members of staff, recruited on a temporary basis to provide support to the Department staff in investigations surrounding Foot and Mouth Disease. It is not our policy to comment on the former career history of any member of staff.

Mr Hussey asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail her plans to issue specific guidelines on foot-and-mouth disease to candidates campaigning in rural areas in any forthcoming election.

(AQW 2786/00)

Ms Rodgers: My officials have written to the Chief Electoral Officer drawing his attention to the current Executive guidelines in relation to the Foot & Mouth outbreak. As a result the Chief Electoral Officer will be sending to all candidates a copy of the current guidelines and will draw attention to the importance of candidates and their canvass teams avoiding any contact with farm animals and staying off farms, including farmhouses. If the guidance is followed, the Election campaign will carry no risk to the successful outcome of the current fight against Foot and Mouth disease.

Mr Leslie asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail (a) highest and lowest amounts of compensation paid per ewe culled as part of the foot-and- mouth precautions for breeding ewes of the following breeds: blackface, grey face (also known as crossbred), suffolk cross, cheviot, texel cross, (b) the amount of compensation paid for lambs at foot of above ewes; and (c) the amount of compensation added in lieu of lambs unborn at time of cull.

(AQW 2803/00)

Ms Rodgers: The compensation details as recorded on valuation papers do not, in the majority of cases, provide the breed of sheep. The categories generally recorded are rams, sheep, ewe, sheep with lambs and lambs. I regret therefore that compensation details apportioned by breed are not available and consequently compensation paid in respect of lambs at foot for the breeds requested is similarly unavailable. In respect of compensation in lieu of unborn lambs, compensation figures are not available as valuations do not separately identify any element for unborn lambs.

Mr Shannon asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to confirm (a) the number of telephone calls received by the 24 hour emergency phone line for the foot-and-mouth outbreak and (b) where the unauthorised movements of livestock have taken place.

(AQW 2811/00)

Ms Rodgers: Up to 7 May 2001, the 24 hour emergency foot and mouth disease phone line has taken 413 phone calls concerning unauthorised movements of livestock. The calls have concerned movements throughout all parts of Northern Ireland.

Mr Shannon asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to confirm that there are sufficient personnel to investigate the illegal movement of livestock.

(AQW 2815/00)

Ms Rodgers: The confirmation of two further outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease in Ardboe and Cushendall and the subsequent flow of information on illegal movements, resulted in the Department needing to increase its investigative capacity. This was met through the transfer of existing staff and the recruitment of four additional members of staff to the Veterinary Service enforcement team. The immediate investigation needs of the Department in relation to the illegal movement of livestock are being met but the Department will keep this under review should the situation change.

Mr Gibson asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail her plans to ensure prompt payment for claims made under the Agrimonetary Compensation Scheme.

(AQW 2919/00)

Ms Rodgers: Agrimonetary compensation is currently available and will be paid in accordance with European Commission requirements as follows:

Transitional compensation for cuts in direct payments as at 1 January 1999. The third tranche of the three year package is worth about £2.1 million to beef producers and £0.38 million to sheep farmers in Northern Ireland. The beef element is scheduled for payment in November and December 2001. The sheep payments were issued issued in April 2001.

Definitive agrimonetary compensation due to the strength of sterling during 1999. The first tranche of the three year package will pay a total of £4 million to beef producers by June 2001. The second tranche is worth in the region of £2.9 million to the beef sector and over £1 million for sheep. The compensation will be paid on Beef Special Premium, Suckler Cow Premium and Extensification Payment claims in November and December 2001. The sheep element issued in April 2001.

Definitive agrimonetary compensation due to the strength of sterling during 2000. This compensation is in two elements, one relating to the beef and dairy sectors for reductions in support prices, and one to sheep and beef producers for cuts in the sterling value of direct payments. The market support element for beef is worth about £9 million and will be received by applicants under the Extensification Payment scheme in July 2001 and by Beef Special Premium and Suckler Cow Premium claimants by mid June 2001. The dairy element is being issued by the Intervention Board on a UK-wide basis in two stages in April and May 2001. The direct support package represents a total of about £2 million for beef, payable to Beef Special Premium and Suckler Cow Premium applicants in December 2001 and on Extensification Payments in May 2002. Payments of £0·34 million will be received by sheep farmers by early June 2001.

Mr J Wilson asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail whether she has considered or is currently considering Nutts Corner as a possible site for the burial of animals in the event of a mass cull being required as a precautionary measure against further outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease.

(AQW 2966/00)

Ms Rodgers: I can confirm that I am not considering nor have I considered this or any other specific site for the stated purpose.

Mrs Carson asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to detail the action he intends to take to reduce the number of public bodies or quangos under the control of his Department.

(AQW 2823/00)

The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure (Mr McGimpsey): As you will be aware the Executive has committed in the Programme for Government to carrying out a review of public administration. Any work on reviewing quangos and NDPBs within my Department’s remit will be taken forward in the context of that wider review.

At present the Executive is considering the scope, nature, terms of reference and timing of that review and it would be premature for me to initiate a widescale review of all the bodies for which my Department has responsibility pending agreement on the way forward on the service-wide review.

Mr Dallat asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to give his assessment of the "Host Town Programme" for the Special Olympics to be held in 2003 and to indicate which towns have volunteered to participate.

(AQW 2832/00)

Mr McGimpsey: The "Host Town Programme" for the Special Olympics World Summer Games in 2003 is, in my view, one of the most important elements of the Games. It encourages local communities to provide meaningful support to people with learning disabilities and enables them to make a significant contribution towards the staging of the Games. I also believe that the "Host Town Programme" gives communities in Northern Ireland an excellent opportunity to come together to work towards a common goal.

The Programme, which was launched officially in Northern Ireland on 30 April, is actually the responsibility of the Special Olympics World Summer Games Organising Committee. While I would encourage as many towns as possible in Northern Ireland to volunteer to take part, it is really a matter for individual towns and cities to decide whether they wish to do so.

Ms Lewsley asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to detail his plans to contribute to the staging of the Special Olympics in Ireland in 2003.

(AQW 2833/00)

Mr McGimpsey: I refer to your Assembly Question AQW2833 which was tabled for written answer, namely:-

To ask the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to detail his plans to contribute to the staging of the Special Olympics in Ireland in 2003.

As you may be aware, responsibility for the organisation and staging of the Special Olympics in Ireland in 2003 rests with the Special Olympics World Summer Games Organising Committee. This includes both planning and applications for assistance, financial or otherwise, that may be required for the Games. To date, my Department has not received any formal request from the Organising Committee for a contribution towards the staging of the Games.

Mr Hussey asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to outline those major sporting events he is actively encouraging to consider Northern Ireland as a host country.

(AQW 2844/00)

Mr McGimpsey: The Northern Ireland Events Company, which is funded by my Department, is currently working with other statutory bodies, including the Sports Council, to develop a 3-5 year plan involving some 30 World and European Sporting, Cultural and Artistic events. Details of major events coming to Northern Ireland will be publicised in due course.

Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to detail what assistance is available to those local authorities wishing to participate in the ‘Host Town Programme’ for the Special Olympics in 2003.

(AQW 2927/00)

Mr McGimpsey: The Bank of Ireland is the lead sponsor for the Special Olympics Host Town Programme. Any local branch of the Bank will be happy to provide advice and guidance to those wishing to participate in the Programme.

Mrs Carson asked the Minister of Education to detail the action he intends to take to reduce the number of public bodies or quangos under the control of his Department.

(AQW 2824/00)

The Minister of Education (Mr M McGuinness): Administrative arrangements within the education sector will be examined as part of the proposed wider Review of Public Administration.

Mr Paisley Jnr asked the Minister of Education to detail how much direct grant assistance was received by each school in the constituency of North Antrim for 2000-01 financial year.

(AQW 2837/00)

Mr M McGuinness: The information requested is not recorded by constituency. Details of the amount of recurrent funding received by each school in the 2000-01 financial year are not yet available. When available, information will be set out in Local Management of Schools Outturn Statements published by Education and Library Boards (in respect of controlled and maintained schools) and the Department of Education (in respect of Voluntary Grammar and Grant Maintained Integrated Schools).

Mr Paisley Jnr asked the Minister of Education to detail the amount of capital funding made available to schools in the constituency of North Antrim for 2000-01 financial year.

(AQW 2838/00)

Mr M McGuinness: Capital funding made available to schools in the North Antrim constituency in 2000-01 amounted to £2.288 million.

Mr Leslie asked the Minister of Education, pursuant to "A Common Funding Formula for Grant- Aided Schools" (pages 135 and 151, calculations of the impact of high and low ASB on VGS non-denominational schools), to detail the figures used in the formula for Dalriada School, Ballymoney.

(AQW 2861/00)

Mr M McGuinness: The table below details the figures used in the proposed common funding formula for Dalriada School, Ballymoney:

Mr K Robinson asked the Minister of Education to detail the percentage of each primary school budget, in the constituency of East Antrim, that is allocated to meet the costs of teachers’ salaries.

(AQW 2878/00)

Mr M McGuinness: The budget allocated to individual schools is unhypothecated and thus a school may decide for itself how much, or how little, to spend on teachers’ salaries.

The latest year for which figures are available is 1999-2000. In that year the percentages of each primary school budget, in the constituency of East Antrim, spent on teachers’ salaries were:-

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