(AQO 441/01)

The First Minister and Deputy First Minister (Mr Trimble and Mr Durkan): A request to meet the Loyalist Commission was received last week.

Mrs Annie Courtney asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to make a statement on the next proposed plenary meeting of the North South Ministerial Council.

(AQO 423/01)

Mr Trimble and Mr Durkan: The next plenary meeting of the North South Ministerial Council is scheduled to take place on 30 November 2001. In accordance with section 52 (6) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, a report on the meeting will be made to the Assembly as soon as reasonably practicable after the meeting.

An agenda meeting has not yet been agreed

The Lord Kilclooney asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to outline (a) if she has provided a Union flag at the Department's premises at 2 Newry Road, Armagh City, (b) if any arrangements have been made to fly the flag at these premises on designated dates, and (c) why it was not flown on Remembrance Sunday; and to make a statement.

(AQW 749/01)

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (Ms Rodgers): My Department has provided a Union flag for its premises at 2 Newry Road, Armagh and arrangements are in place to fly the flag on designated days. I understand that due to an oversight at Newry Road the flag was not flown on Remembrance Sunday.

Mr Barry McElduff asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development whether she has any plans to relocate her Department's office in Trillick, Co Tyrone; and to make a statement.

(AQW 774/01)

Ms Rodgers: I can confirm that the Department is considering the future of this particular office though I should make it clear that I have not yet taken any decisions on whether or not it should be relocated elsewhere. The current Trillick office is leased on a monthly basis and the landlord has recently advised the Department that he has other plans for the property. So the Department is compelled to leave this office.

As relocation to another site will almost inevitably involve additional expenditure now is an appropriate time to consider if this is the correct course of action. Accordingly I will want to reflect on the cost and staffing considerations of this on one hand and the needs and alternatives for the local community on the other. I will also be interested to hear the views of the industry before coming to a final view on this matter.

Ms Mary Nelis asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what plans she has to bring forward legislation in respect of the Foyle, Carlingford and the Irish Lights Commission; and to make a statement.

(AQW 785/01)

Ms Rodgers: I would refer you to my statement to the Assembly of 12 November on the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission sectoral meeting which was held in Bundoran on 26 October 2001 when I updated members in relation to the progress in bringing forward the Foyle and Carlingford Fisheries Bill.

As you may know my Department and the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources in the Republic of Ireland are jointly preparing legislation to enhance the functions of the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission (FCILC) in line with the North/South Co-operation (Implementation Bodies) (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 and to update the inland fisheries provisions of the Foyle Fisheries Act (NI) 1952 and the Foyle Fisheries Act 1952 in a number of respects.

Officials from my Department and the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources continue to work together to progress this legislation. I had hoped to be in a position to introduce this Bill to the Assembly in the early part of next year, but that has had to be delayed further due to lack of progress by the South in producing their parallel draft Bill. A number of policy issues also remain to be resolved but should not delay progress unduly.

Ms Mary Nelis asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail progress by the Loughs Agency in promoting coarse angling and, in particular, the provision of stocks of unusual fish to facilitate marine tourism; and to make a statement.

(AQW 791/01)

Ms Rodgers: I would refer you to my statement to the Assembly of 12 November on the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission Sectoral meeting which was held in Bundoran on 26 October 2001 when I advised members of the introduction of a coarse angling licence in the Foyle and Carlingford Areas.

The Loughs Agency has carried out coarse fish stock assessments in various areas of the Foyle and Carlingford catchments in conjunction with local councils, tourism and angling interests. The most recent survey concentrated on the Newry Canal. This survey identified the potential for the development of a very significant pike fishery, which is particularly attractive to continental anglers. Other species of note found were tench, bream, roach and their hybrids. It is the Agency's aim to develop the canal and re-establish it as an internationally known coarse fishery, as it was for the 1984 World Coarse Angling Championship. Consideration is also being given to the proposed development of a carp fishery at Campsie in the Foyle catchment.

Other species which are showing significant potential to attract tourists include tope in Carlingford Lough and sea bass in both loughs. The Agency is also aware of large tuna being caught by game anglers close to the area seaward of Lough Foyle, an area for which it has responsibility, and proposes to liaise with interests in the area to assess its potential for the Foyle Area.

Mr Danny Kennedy asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to make a statement regarding the recent decision by her Department on advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, not to prosecute persons accused of sheep subsidy fraud.

(AQW 886/01)

Ms Rodgers: Following the investigation of the shortfalls of sheep identified after the Foot and Mouth culls, 12 cases were referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions with a view to prosecution. Seven of these had been accepted by the DPP and dates had been set for hearings when the loss of an unrelated appeal case caused the DPP to review the evidence and the legislation. He decided that he would be unable to secure a conviction due to limitations within the legislation. It was not therefore a decision by my Department but a decision by the DPP not to proceed with prosecutions. However, some of the farmers may still remain liable to legal action because they did not present their flock records when requested.

The limitation identified is that the Regulations provide for an offence only where false or misleading information is furnished by the claimant, and this effectively means at the time of the submission of a claim. Consequently, where a shortfall of sheep occurs after the claim has been submitted, it would be necessary to prove that the claimant did not intend, at the time he claimed, to keep the specified number of sheep.

An amending regulation has been laid and comes into operation on Tuesday 4 December when the 2002 scheme opens for applications. The amendment creates an additional offence where a farmer does not notify the Department of material changes to the particulars of his or her claim. Claimants are already required to do this under the Scheme rules and are subject to penalties if they do not. The new regulations will, in addition, make them liable to prosecution.

Mr P J Bradley asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what assessment has she made on the reports by Queens University, Belfast and University College, Dublin into the economic experiences of other governments, as result of their Farmers Retirement Schemes.

(AQO 413/01)

Ms Rodgers: The research into farmer early retirement and new entrant schemes which I commissioned from The Queen's University of Belfast and University College, Dublin earlier this year will not be completed until early summer 2002.

Mr John Dallat asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to outline what additional measures are being taken to promote access to forests; and to make a statement.

(AQO 447/01)

Ms Rodgers: I plan to discount the entrance charges for older people from 1 January next year. This will be achieved through the Annual Permit system.

The condition of forest paths is being surveyed to identify and publicise those which are suitable for less able people and in particular those people who rely on wheel chairs. Where it is affordable and there is demand, the condition of paths will be improved.

My Department also co-operates with other Departments in encouraging visitors to use forests.

Mr Eugene McMenamin asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to outline the monetary value, timescale and key objectives of the Rural Development Programme; and to make a statement.

(AQO 428/01)

Ms Rodgers: The value of the Programme over the period from 2001 to 2006 will be in the order of £80 million, and I anticipate that this support will lever additional private and public funds bringing a total investment of around £100 million.

The Programme for Building Sustainable Prosperity and the LEADER + Initiative formally commenced on 1 January 2000 and will close on 31 December 2006. The Peace II Programme, which will run for 4 years, also commenced on 1 January 2000, and will close on 31 December 2004. All approved works must be completed and claims paid within 2 years of the closure of the Programmes.

My key objective will be to expand upon the work of the previous Rural Development Programmes. I aim to create a flexible Programme which can identify and respond to the widest possible range of opportunity and need in rural areas. In particular, key objectives of the Programme will focus on:

• Capacity Building (strengthening rural communities);
• Local Regeneration Projects and Programmes;
• Sectoral and Area Based Development Projects and Programmes;
• Micro-business development; and
• Natural Resource Rural Tourism.

Mr Conor Murphy asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to make a statement on the enquiry into subsidiary fraud in South Armagh.

(AQO 435/01)

Ms Rodgers: Of the original 58 claims for Sheep Annual Premium from South Armagh containing irregularities 23 are still being investigated, 33 have been examined and penalties or rejection of the claims have been confirmed and 2 have had penalties reduced or removed where additional information has been provided. However, although appropriate penalties have been applied, because of the high standards of evidence required it will not be possible to pursue a prosecution in all cases for which no satisfactory explanation was provided to explain the discrepancy.

In view of this, I have announced my intention to strengthen the Sheep Annual Premium Regulations to create an offence where a claimant does not notify the Department of material changes, as required by the rules of the Scheme.

Mr Oliver Gibson asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure if he will introduce plans to encourage the celebration of British cultural identity through the celebrations of the Queens Jubilee in 2002.

(AQW 710/01)

The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure (Mr McGimpsey): I am enclosing a copy of an information leaflet which has just issued to District Councils for distribution to their community groups. Copies of this leaflet will also be placed in the Assembly Library. You will note the five themes for the Queen's Golden Jubilee which have been agreed by Buckingham Palace and in particular the emphasis by the Palace on Community and Commonwealth.

In drawing up these themes, the Palace has stated:

"We hope that the celebrations will reach into every community and can involve everyone no matter what their background, age, culture, ethnic origin, religion or status. The Golden Jubilee is an inclusive occasion and it is hoped that the celebrations will be accessible to all those who want to participate. The importance of the Commonwealth to the life of our nation is central to the programme of Golden Jubilee events scheduled for 2002."

My Department has been asked to co-ordinate the Northern Ireland programme for the Queen's Golden Jubilee which are part of the UK and Commonwealth celebrations, and we will of course be complying with these themes.

Mr Duncan Shipley Dalton asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to give his assessment of when he expects the recommendations of 'Creating a Soccer Strategy for Northern Ireland' report, to be implemented in full.

(AQW 741/01)

Mr McGimpsey: The Advisory Panel's Report "Creating a Soccer Strategy for Northern Ireland, which was presented to me on 30 October is currently being subjected to an 8-week period of consultation. Comments are required to be submitted to the Department by Friday 28 December 2001.

The Department's objective is to then produce its strategy for Soccer, taking account of the Advisory Panel's report and the views and comments received during consultation. The target is for the Department to publish its strategy as soon as possible after the end of the consultation period, and hopefully early in 2002.

Mr Oliver Gibson asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to outline progress against his targets for encouraging sport in local communities.

(AQW 753/01)

Mr McGimpsey: The following illustrates progress against some of the targets set for encouraging sport in local communities: new quality sporting opportunities have been provided after school for 60% of Northern Ireland's schools;

• five regional Youth Sport Programmes have been established (target is six) involving 38,000 children from all communities;
• almost £600,000 pounds has been invested in the first six months of this year in sports clubs, the target is one million by this year end;
• Lottery programmes Sports share and Community sport have invested in six major projects awards of £813,000.
• Derry City Council are about to appoint a new Community Sports Development officer aided by SCNI funding;
• 82 regional squads have been set up covering communities in all five education and Library Boards;
• The Countryside Activities and Access Network has broadened access to the countryside for many thousands of people through its new way-marked ways and eco trails.

Mr Eddie McGrady asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure what funding will be provided for the promotion and marketing of visitor amenities; and to make a statement.

(AQW 766/01)

Mr McGimpsey: The promotion and marketing of visitor amenities will always, in the first instance, remain the responsibility of those who operate them. However, my Department will be considering what its role should be in the promotion and marketing of visitor amenities as part of its work in taking forward the Local Museums and Heritage Review. It is too early to say what the resource implications will be, but when they have been quantified I may need to make a bid for additional resources.

Ms Mary Nelis asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure if he will research the role of sport in deprived areas; and to make a statement.

(AQW 801/01)

Mr McGimpsey: In October 2001, the Sports Council released a Report on the Value of Sport to the Quality of Life in Northern Ireland. The information presented in this report was taken from research and evaluative projects carried out over the last decade on the value of sport in improving the quality of people's lives in all sections of the community, including deprived areas. The need for further research is kept under constant review.

Mr Billy Hutchinson asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to investigate the feasibility of creating a 50 metre pool for competitive swimming.

(AQO 449/01)

Mr McGimpsey: Plans are well advanced for a Northern Ireland Institute of Sport at the Jordanstown Campus of the University of Ulster, which is being developed as part of the network of the United Kingdom Sports Institute.

Subject to costings and a detailed appraisal, the aspiration is to provide a 50m pool as an integral part of the Sports Institute at the Jordanstown site. This will be designed, as with all other UKSI sports facilities, with a focus on assisting the training of international performers.

Further to the Member's question, I have asked the Sports Council to provide me with an estimate of the cost of upgrading the proposed training pool to provide a 50m competition pool, which must include 8 lanes, with boom, spectator accommodation for a minimum of 400 and suitable facilities for television and media, to allow me to consider the options.

Mr Ken Robinson asked the Minister of Education to detail specific measures he has introduced to support the pupils and staff in (a) Holy Cross, (b) Wheatfield, (c) Ballygolan and (d) Cliftonville Primary Schools as a result of the ongoing problems in the north of the city.

(AQW 727/01)

The Minister of Education (Mr McGuinness): After extensive consultation between my Department, the Belfast Education and Library Board and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools I announced on 25 October a support programme for Holy Cross and the nearby Wheatfield Primary School. The funding, which totals £154,000, will be used to support the measures which the schools themselves have identified as necessary to meet the needs of pupils and staff. These include, for each school, additional substitute teachers, classroom assistants, curriculum support for P7 pupils, including those taking the transfer test, and respite activities for pupils and staff. My Department is also meeting the cost of a turning circle for vehicles at Holy Cross, estimated at £25,000. The Belfast Board continues to provide support to all schools in the area and, in response to the problem of increased vandalism, has installed additional security features at Ballygolan and Cliftonville Primary Schools.

As part of the Executive response to the problems in North Belfast, additional funding and support will be provided to other schools in the area which have been affected and to the youth service. The details of this support package are being finalised and will be announced shortly.

Mr Ken Robinson asked the Minister of Education if the Belfast Education and Library Board and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools will be expected to fund the special arrangements provided to support the pupils and staff of (a) Holy Cross, (b) Wheatfield, (c) Ballygolan and (d) Cliftonville Primary Schools, as a result of the ongoing problems in the north of the city.

(AQW 730/01)

Mr McGuinness: As I have indicated, additional resources totalling £154,000 have been made available to the Belfast Education and Library Board to fund the special arrangements which have been put in place to address the unique circumstances at Holy Cross and Wheatfield Primary Schools. These resources are earmarked and will be directed through the BELB to the schools through their LMS budget. The cost of the vehicle turning circle at Holy Cross will also be met by my Department. As part of the Executive response to the situation in North Belfast, additional funding and support will be provided to other schools which have been affected and to the Youth Service. This support package is currently being finalised and details will be announced shortly.

Mr Ken Robinson asked the Minister of Education to detail the breakdown of the various budget headings which have been used to provide support to the pupils and staff in (a) Holy Cross, (b) Wheatfield, (C) Ballygolan and (d) Cliftonville Primary Schools as a result of the ongoing problems in the north of the city.

(AQW 731/01)

Mr McGuinness: Support measures relating to Holy Cross and Wheatfield Primary Schools have been funded from the generality of minor in-year savings arising within the Department of Education budget. Funding for the education support measures included in the Executive initiative on North Belfast will be additional to the education budget.

Mr Oliver Gibson asked the Minister of Education to detail the expenditure by each education and library board on the provision of sport and recreation facilities from 1997 to date; and to make a statement.

(AQW 738/01)

Mr McGuinness: Expenditure by education and library boards on sport and recreation facilities from 1997 is as follows:-

£000

Belfast 778

Western 483

North-Eastern 1,025

South-Eastern 885

Southern 515

Boards have also incurred expenditure on sport and recreation facilities in new schools built since 1997 but it is not possible to show this expenditure separately.

Mr Ken Robinson asked the Minister of Education when implementing the recommendations of the Burns' report, in respect of the primary school sector, how will he ensure at an early stage that staff are properly trained and schools adequately resourced to meet the new demands that pupil profiling will place upon them.

(AQW 762/01)

Mr McGuinness: The establishment of a Pupil Profile is a key recommendation of the Review Body's Report which estimates that some £2 million per year might be needed over a 3 year period for related training, professional development and moderation. No decisions on the shape of future arrangements will be taken until after the public consultation and it will not be possible to put firm figures on the resources required until then. Any necessary additional resources will be sought from the Executive. I am very conscious of the bureaucratic burden on teachers and I will continue to work to reduce this in any new arrangements that are implemented.

Mr Ken Robinson asked the Minister of Education to outline his plans for teachers at initial training and at in-service training courses to have available resources which will enable them to introduce the Ulster-Scots culture into our society.

(AQW 763/01)

Mr McGuinness: There is scope, within the statutory curriculum for schools to introduce aspects of Ulster-Scots language, literature and culture as part of the Cultural Heritage and Education for Mutual Understanding cross-curricular themes, and, resource material is available from the Ulster-Scots Heritage Council.

My Department has recently met with members and officers of Tha Boord o Ulster-Scotch about its corporate plan and we are facilitating further discussions between the Boord and relevant educational bodies.

Mrs Iris Robinson asked the Minister of Education to detail (a) the number of places provided in state funded nursery schools in Newtownards, in each of the last five years and (b) the number of applications that have been submitted for these nursery schools in each of the past five years.

(AQW 772/01)

Mr McGuinness: The number of state funded nursery places in Newtownards and the number of applications for these places is as follows:

School Year Number of applications Number of nursery places

1997/98 - 151

1998/99 - 184

1999/00 298 209

2000/01 359 208

Information in respect of the number of applications for the 1996/97, 1997/98 and 1998/99 school years is not available.

Mr Mark Robinson asked the Minister of Education what steps he is taking to reduce bullying in schools.

(AQW 775/01)

Mr McGuinness: My Department has repeatedly made it clear that bullying behaviour is unacceptable, most recently in 'Pastoral Care in Schools; Promoting Positive Behaviour'. I intend at the next legislative opportunity to make it a requirement for schools to have an anti-bullying policy. During 2002 the findings from research about bullying here will be published and a locally based good practice guide on countering bullying is in preparation.

Mr David Hilditch asked the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 539/01, to state the nature of the official business.

(AQW 820/01)

Mr McGuinness: I was on official business in the Republic of Ireland. I was the keynote speaker at the opening of the Annual Conference of the Association of Principals of Vocational Schools and Community Colleges in Westport, Co. Mayo.

Mr John Dallat asked the Minister of Education, pursuant to the draft Programme for Government, why the Key Stage Three targets for pupil literacy and maths have been reduced.

(AQW 839/01)

Mr McGuinness: The targets published in the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy for Northern Ireland were provisional. They were based on only one, incomplete, year's assessment results and were, therefore, only a best estimate. The revised targets do not represent a reduction in standards but are, rather, more realistic targets based on the additional information available after 4 years of statutory assessment.

Mr Roy Beggs asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to outline (a) any assessment he has made in respect of the time Further Education Lecturers spend completing assessment reports in comparison to the time teaching students and (b) any plans he has to introduce new technology and reporting methods which would help increase the proportion of teaching time.

(AQW 662/01)

The Minister for Employment and Learning (Dr Farren): The Education and Training Inspectorate evaluate the quality of teaching and assessment but do not compare the time spent on each. I have invested £10m in a strategy for information and communication technology in FE, one strand of which is the training of lecturers to use technology to enhance teaching and learning and for assessment.

Mr Ian Paisley Jnr asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to outline (a) his reasons for suspending Individual Learning Accounts and (b) when he intends to restore these accounts.

(AQW 682/01)

Dr Farren: I announced the review and suspension of Individual Learning Accounts on 26 October 2001. My reasons were that I wanted to examine how the programme could be best targeted at those most in need, as well as protecting the public interest against the potential for mis-selling by some providers. I intend to bring forward revised arrangements as soon as possible.

Ms Mary Nelis asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to outline the current situation in respect of the supported employment scheme which was terminated in September and if there are other proposals to assist the disabled into employment.

(AQW 724/01)

Dr Farren: My Department's Employment Support scheme has not been terminated. A moratorium on new applications was, however, introduced in October 2000, to allow a long waiting list which had developed to be cleared. The Executive approved funding for an additional 50 places on the Employment Support programme from the current year, and I am pleased to advise that Employment Support is again accepting new applications.

Mr Oliver Gibson asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to make a statement on the future of tuition fees in relation to student support.

(AQW 758/01)

Dr Farren: I have increased the parental income threshold to £20,000 in 2001/02. This will increase the number of Northern Ireland higher education students who do not have to pay any contribution to tuition fees to around 50 percent. In addition, I have abolished fees for full-time students, aged over 19, on vocational courses in further education.

Mr Mick Murphy asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what safeguards are in place to ensure that the awards for students enrolling for a post graduate course are applied equally by the Education and Library Boards; and to make a statement.

(AQW 838/01)

Dr Farren: Within the framework of the Department's general guidance, each Board develops its own specific criteria. The formation of a Boards' Consortium on Student Support has greatly assisted a co-operative approach and the point has now been reached where only minor differences exist between the respective criteria applied by the Boards.

Mr Oliver Gibson asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what plans he has to increase funding for further education colleges; and to make a statement.

(AQW 845/01)

Dr Farren: MLAs and others have had the opportunity to consider the proposals in the draft budget for 2002-03. I, together with my colleagues, will carefully study all proposals for change before finalising the Budget for presentation to the Assembly on 3 December. Final decisions on the funding available for colleges will be made in the New Year.

Mr P J Bradley asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment if he will undertake to visit the factory premises of Bradfor Ltd, Rostrevor, during his next visit to South Down.

(AQW 683/01)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (Sir Reg Empey): I would be happy to visit the premises of Bradfor Ltd on my next visit to the area, particularly as I understand that the business has developed successfully and provides significant employment opportunities for people in rural areas around Rostrevor despite operating in the relatively difficult textiles market sector.

Mr Oliver Gibson asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment if he will make a statement on the effects that the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington have had on the promotion of tourism to Northern Ireland.

District	1997/1998	1998/1999	1999/2000	2000/2001*
Antrim	1,003,122	1,114,976	1,401,610	1,492,974
Ards	689,516	840,338	1,462,489	1,699,723
Armagh	570,274	500,511	807,572	1,047,815
Ballymena	873,588	867,916	*1,278,294	1,385,461
Ballymoney	513,904	569,712	763,994	755,169
Banbridge	531,088	595,077	619,103	780,162
Belfast	8,714,240	9,187,339	10,110,833	11,349,887
Carrickfergus	418,726	443,192	827,620	827,489
Castlereagh	1,990,874	1,574,847	2,477,802	2,550,041
Coleraine	596,261	564,144	734,045	822,809
Cookstown	613,651	480,481	869,400	1,068,377
Craigavon	1,897,293	1,893,018	2,284,194	2,348,149
Derry	1,991,982	1,852,442	2,420,223	2,648,052
Down	856,695	861,360	1,430,151	1,407,355
Dungannon	482,741	480,785	838,444	904,466
Fermanagh	720,584	618,000	1,119,907	1,102,093
Larne	434,181	437,947	779,657	785,750
Limavady	322,490	498,350	1,103,407	1,185,233
Lisburn	2,058,215	2,247,833	3,323,727	3,409,445
Magherafelt	1,091,857	746,706	995,096	1,069,146
Moyle	79,221	96,270	255,439	271,873
Newry & Mourne	863,647	1,109,997	1,707,216	1,657,831
Newtownabbey	2,534,334	2,645,633	*3,919,988	3,925,690
North Down	489,879	503,626	1,229,393	1,529,393
Omagh	749,481	752,502	1,059,784	1,134,026
Strabane	706,094	713,598	*696,611	688,944
Totals	31,793,938	32,196,600	44,515,999	47,847,353

*Figures have not yet been certified by Local Government Audit Office