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Friday 08 March 2002 Administration of Medicines in Schools
Mr McGuinness: My Department is currently reviewing the administrative arrangements relating to the medical needs of pupils in schools. After consultation with the teachers' unions, the Department intends to issue appropriate guidance to employing authorities and schools, similar to that produced by the Department for Education and Skills for use in England and Wales. Assessment of Special Educational Needs
Mr McGuinness: Money is not set aside as such for the education of blind and sight impaired, or deaf and hearing impaired children. Instead Education and Library Boards assess and respond to need on an individual basis in line with the Code of Practice on the Assessment of Special Educational Needs.
1) Deaf and Hearing Impaired
2) Blind and Visually Impaired
* represents a figure for Sensory Impaired pupils ie a combined figure for both Deaf and Hearing impaired and Blind and Visually impaired pupils.
Assessment of Special Needs
Mr McGuinness: Money is not set aside as such for the education of blind and sight impaired, or deaf and hearing impaired children. Instead Education and Library Boards assess and respond to need on an individual basis in line with the Code of Practice on the Assessment of Special Educational Needs.
1) Deaf and Hearing Impaired
2) Blind and Visually Impaired
* represents a figure for Sensory Impaired pupils ie a combined figure for both Deaf and Hearing impaired and Blind and Visually impaired pupils.
Effects of the Selective System of Secondary Education
Mr McGuinness: The Report "The Effects of the Selective System of Secondary Education in Northern Ireland" includes two volumes of research papers. In addition, the body of the main report includes references to other relevant published research; these are clearly denoted and copies are obtainable from the sources quoted. GCSE Qualification
Mr McGuinness: The percentages of boys and girls receiving fewer than 5 GCSEs A*-C or equivalent qualifications for regions with an ILO unemployment rate greater than 6.0% at Spring 2000 are as follows:
Modern Language Qualifications
Mr McGuinness: The number of pupils leaving school without a GCSE Grade G or above in a modern language is as follows:
A proportion of these pupils may, however, have achieved certification through
Graded Objectives in Modern Languages (GOML), which is offered by CCEA in five
languages at either three or four levels. Figures for pupils qualified through
GOML are not available, however; it is therefore not possible to provide the
number of pupils leaving secondary/grammar school with no qualifications in
a modern language The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment will be specifically addressing the issue of language provision as part of the current Curriculum Review. Pupils Leaving School at the Minimum Age
Mr McGuinness: The number of pupils who left school at the minimum age in each of the last 5 years is as follows:- 1995/96 - 14,218 These figures do not include pupils at special or independent schools. Private Finance Initiative Pathfinder Projects
Mr McGuinness: Allocation of funds to projects procured under the Private Finance Initiative only commences from the date the school becomes operational. The allocation for unitary payments in the 2001/02 financial year is £1,492,451. Board of Governor Appointments : Andrews Memorial Primary School
Mr McGuinness: The South-Eastern Education and Library Board has confirmed Mr Forster was appointed to the Board of Governors of Andrews Memorial Primary School in 1997 to serve for a term of 4 years, which ended in 2001. When reconstituting boards of governors the Board's Committee for the Management of Schools takes into account several factors including, the need to appoint new representatives, the retention of a proportion of existing representatives, the attendance record of governors and the requirement to achieve a reasonable gender balance. As a result of these considerations it is inevitable that some governors will not be re-appointed. This was the case at Andrews Memorial Primary School when it was decided not to re-appoint Mr Forester. In view of representations made regarding the appointment process, the Board have confirmed that it will be re-examining their procedures for appointment of board representatives in the future. Specialist Engineering Schools
Mr McGuinness: I am consulting about future post-primary arrangements and I have invited comments on the Burns proposals, suggestions for modifications to those proposals or for alternative arrangements. The consultation end on 28 June 2002 and I will not be making any decisions about future arrangements until I have considered the comments received. EMPLOYMENT AND LEARNING Student Loans
The Minister for Employment and Learning (Ms Hanna): The following table shows the total funds surrendered from the Student Loans budget for each of the last 2 financial years. Figures for 1998/99 (pre-devolution) are held by the Department of Education. Financial Year Total funds surrendered from Student Loans budget Proposed Merger : Hotel and Catering College/University of Ulster
Ms Hanna: My Department issued the consultation paper on 25th January 2002 and the closing date for responses is 22nd March 2002. There was an extensive list of consultees, including major organisations and interested parties involved in the hotel and catering industry. It is important that all those with an interest respond to the consultation process. The consultation will inform the final outcome as to whether or not the proposed merger will proceed. Non-Departmental Public Bodies
Ms Hanna: All formal guidance issued by DFP relating to financial operations, including fraud, is issued to NDPB's by the Department. Each of the Departments NDPB's has confirmed that they follow procedures laid down in Government Accounting in relation to fraud. Townland Names
Ms Hanna: It is usual practice in my Department for officials to reply to correspondence using the address supplied by correspondents. Levels of Student Debt
Ms Hanna: Latest figures available from the Student Loans Company show that the average amount a Northern Ireland student borrows through student loans in an academic year is £3,033. To reduce the levels of student debt, non-repayable bursaries of up to £1,500, with a commensurate reduction in the student loan, will be introduced from September this year for students from low-income families. New Deal
Ms Hanna: My Department provides a range of programmes to help long-term unemployed people (male and female) aged 50 and over to gain employment. These programmes include New Deal 50plus, Focus for Work (incorporating New Deal 25+, Bridge to Employment, Worktrack, Training for Work and Jobclubs). The Task Force on Employability and Long -Term Unemployment, which I chair, is currently examining the issue of long term unemployment. North West Institute of Further and Higher Education
Ms Hanna: My Department has allocated £467k to the North West Institute of Further and Higher Education in the last two financial years to enhance access for people with disabilities. Of this funding, £39k has been spent at the Strabane campus and the Institute has plans for further minor upgrades from its 2002/03 budget allocation. North West Institute of Further and Higher Education
Ms Hanna: My Department has provided the North West Institute of Further and Higher Education with funding of £14.9m in the 2000/2001 financial year to support its activities. How these funds are used, within the broad purpose for which they were allocated, is a matter for the Governing Board having regard for the educational needs of its community. Professional Qualifications
Ms Hanna: I have no plans to introduce a scheme of the nature described. The professional development of employees is a matter for the employer. However all employees, especially low paid, have access to the range of learning opportunities offered through Further Education Colleges and Learndirect, each of which carry a public subsidy. In the future when Individual Learning Accounts are reintroduced a further source of learning support will become available. Tertiary Education in the Republic of Ireland : Funding
Ms Hanna: Northern Ireland students attending courses at publicly funded colleges in the Republic of Ireland have their tuition fees paid by the Irish Government. The Education and Library Boards pay an additional charge for registration, examination fees and student services. Students also have access to income contingent loans and supplementary grants. Student Loan System : Review
Ms Hanna: Currently I have no plans to undertake a further review of the student loan system. However, I will consider the implications of any outcomes emerging from the current DfES review into student finance. High Quality Technology Mr David Hilditch asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to detail any plansshe has to initiate the development of high quality technology to facilitate research in university institutions.
Ms Hanna: The development of high quality technology is an integral part of much of the research being undertaken in the universities and, in addition to its mainstream grant, my Department is providing a number of special funding streams designed to assist the universities with this aspect of their work. New Deal
Ms Hanna: There have been two New Deal clients who have been employed by MLAs under the New Deal Programme. No NI Minister or Member of the House of Lords has employed a New Deal client. Graduates Who Secured Employment
Ms Hanna: This department collects information on subjects studied by students graduating from NI Higher Education institutions and their subsequent employment. The area of study is categorised into subject groups and employment is categorised by industrial classification. These categories apply across the UK. While it is possible to produce both, there is no agreed method by which industrial classification can be directly associated with a specific area of study. I have placed this information in the Assembly library. The tables provide details of the subject of study against the industry classification in which the graduate is employed for 1995/96 to 1999/00. It should be noted that the subject groups were revised in 1998/99. Springvale Educational Village
Ms Hanna: An Outline Business Case (OBC), is currently underway and will be presented, in due course, to the Department. The issue of a letter of offer relating to the Private Finance Initiative Project for the campus, is dependent on approval of the OBC and is due to be presented to my Department in April 2002. The OBC will address the issues you raise and the Letter of Grant will issue when the OBC has been approved. Quinquennial Review of the Labour Relations Agency
Ms Hanna: Part I of the Review has been completed. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library. The Report has been made available to the members of the Assembly Committee for Employment and Learning. The purpose of Part 1 was to establish whether there was a continuing need for the services provided by the Labour Relations Agency and, if so, to consider a range of options for delivering those services. The views of a wide range of stakeholders and interest groups, including among others trade unions, employers' organisations, voluntary bodies and district councils, were sought. Other options for delivering the services - through privatisation, contracting out/market testing, merger with another public body or reallocation of services to another public body - were examined. The Review concluded that there was a continuing need for the services and that an NDPB remained the best vehicle for delivering them. The main ground for the latter conclusion was that NDPB status offered the best guarantee of the independence and impartiality that a conciliation/mediation body must have, and be seen to have, if it is to have the full confidence of all its users. Part II of the Review will begin shortly. It will examine how the Agency operates and make recommendations for how delivery of its services might be improved. I will inform the Assembly of the outcome. ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND INVESTMENT Ministerial Visits Outside Northern Ireland : Cost
The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (Sir Reg Empey): The total amount spent on Ministerial visits outside Northern Ireland in each of the last 3 years is as follows: 1999/00 - £ 1,700 The information provided has been calculated during periods of devolution and has been based on financial year returns. It includes all Ministerial travel outside Northern Ireland ie Overseas and GB/ROI. Costs for attendance at BIC and NSMC have been taken into account. The amounts also include costs incurred to the Department by the Private Secretary, Press Officer, Special Advisor and Departmental Officials and represent air fares, rail, taxi, subsistence, hotel accommodation but excludes salary costs. Northern Ireland Economy : Global Downturn
Sir Reg Empey: The areas of the Northern Ireland economy that are most vulnerable to the current global downturn are foreign direct investment (particularly aerospace and Information and Communication Technologies), exports and tourism. Future employment prospects, in these areas, will be largely dependent upon a global economic recovery and the restoration of confidence in the airline industry. The view expressed in HM Treasury's Pre-Budget Report (November, 2001) is that the global recovery will gather pace in mid-2002. On the positive side, the Northern Ireland economy is better placed than most economies to withstand the current global slowdown given its reliance on the Great Britain economy and the significance of the Republic of Ireland as both a key-trading partner and source of foreign direct investment. These two economies are forecast to outperform most of their global competitors in 2002. The International Monetary Fund and Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development expect the UK to be the fastest growing Group of seven (G7) economy in 2002, while economic growth in the Republic of Ireland, although slowing, remains above most of its international competitors. Two notable exceptions are China and India, markets that my Department and its Agencies are actively encouraging NI exporters to develop. Public expenditure will also help to sustain jobs and incomes during the next few years. Non-Departmental Public Bodies
Sir Reg Empey: My Department has responsibility for four Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies.
Further detailed information on Non-Departmental Public Bodies can be found
in the annual Cabinet Office Publication, "Public Bodies". Copies
have been placed in the Assembly Library and are also available on the Cabinet
Office website (www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/quango). Promoting Tourism
Sir Reg Empey: The Republic of Ireland is one of the most important tourism markets for Britain. It is one of seven markets currently being targeted by BTA as part of its UK-OK campaign, which aims to recover the inbound tourism industry from the losses sustained as a result of the Foot and Mouth Disease and the events of September 11th in 2001. The BTA's brochure Hidden Britain (which is part of the enquiry fulfilment pack for the campaign) includes a number of Northern Ireland destinations as part of this campaign. The British Tourist Authority (BTA) exists to build the value of inbound tourism to Britain, generating additional tourism revenue throughout Britain, throughout the year. Promoting Northern Ireland is an important part of BTA's efforts to promote Britain as an attractive destination. BTA enjoys a close and continuing relationship with Northern Ireland Tourist Board. Contracts Awarded to W&G Baird
Sir Reg Empey: In the 12 months period subsequent to Mr Roy Bailie's appointment as Chairman of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board on 1 July 1996, the firm of W&G Baird was awarded contracts to the value of £160, 000. The total value of contracts in the 24 months subsequent to his appointment was £ 392,000. Details are as noted in the table below
Contracts Awarded to W&G Baird
Sir Reg Empey: In the 12 months period prior to Mr Roy Bailie's appointment as Chairman of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board on 1 July 1996, the firm of W&G Baird was awarded contracts to the value of £208,000. The total value of contracts in the 24 months prior to his appointment was £728,000. Details are as noted in the table below
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