(AQW 2998/01)

The Minister for Employment and Learning (Ms Hanna): Widening community access to all forms of adult education is at the heart of my Department’s lifelong learning policies, including the development of the learndirect network, the Access and Partnership initiatives in the further education sector and new arrangements for Individual Learning Accounts to be announced later this year.

Decisions regarding the Dundonald Adult Outreach Centre are entirely a matter for the Governing Body of Castlereagh College. The College has retained an extensive outreach programme in Dundonald, including activities with groups such as Tullycarnet Family Project, Torbank Special School, the Dundonald Family Centre and the Ballybeen Women’s Centre.

(AQW 3089/01)

Ms Hanna: I refer the member to AQW/1195/01 previously placed by Mr Mark Robinson MLA.

It is not possible to say why individual students leave before completing their course; it can be for a variety of reasons.

(AQW 3110/01)

Ms Hanna: In line with its Equality Scheme commitments, this Department consults all those listed on its approved list of consultees. The consultation list was, itself, consulted upon as part of the public consultation on the Department’s draft Equality Scheme.

A recent review exercise indicated that the majority of our consultees wish to continue to be consulted as our Equality Impact Assessment programme progresses.

(AQW 3116/01)

Ms Hanna: At present thirty-two out of the thirty-five offices in the JobCentre Network hold the Charter Mark Award, which is a national standard that acknowledges the current quality of the services that JobCentres offer to the public. It is intended that the remaining three JobCentres will apply for the Award this year.

(AQW 3142/01)

Ms Hanna: Since New Deal began in April 1998 a total of 60,365 participants had completed the programme by November 2001. Of those whose destination is known 36% found work. It is not possible to distinguish between those who found full-time employment and those who found part-time employment, therefore this figure includes both.

Percentage of New Deal participants who found work within 92 days of leaving the programme.

3. The end of an episode of New Deal is counted as when an individual has left a New Deal activity and not entered another New Deal activity within 13 weeks. Where an individual re-joins New Deal after a gap of less than thirteen weeks they are considered to have re-joined the previous episode.

4. Post New Deal employment is defined as where an individual finds employment within thirteen weeks of leaving an episode of New Deal.

5. Where an individual has had more than one spell of employment following a New Deal episode only the latest one up to the thirteen week point will be counted. (i.e. no participant can have more than one ‘found work’ attached to a New Deal episode).

(AQW 3143/01)

Ms Hanna: At present there is no legislation which specifically outlaws discrimination against older people seeking employment. A European Directive outlawing age discrimination is required to be implemented by 2006, and this is a matter for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

However, the former Department of Economic Development in June 1999 issued a non-statutory voluntary Code of Practice aimed at promoting good practice in the employment cycle in Northern Ireland. This Code sets the standard for non-ageist approaches in employment in relation to recruitment, selection, promotion, training, redundancy and retirement.

My Department is responsible for New Deal 50 plus which aims to help older people update their skills and equip themselves for a return to work. But it makes good business sense to base employment decisions on skills and abilities, rather than on preconceived ideas about age. Older workers often have talents and abilities that are in short supply, and employers who ignore them deprive themselves of a valuable resource.

(AQW 3154/01)

(a) The Department has not commissioned any economic appraisals of applications under the PEACE II programme.

(b) The Department is not responsible for selecting projects under the PEACE II Programme except for Measure 1.4. The selection process for this Measure has not yet been undertaken. So no projects have scored over the 65% quality threshold and been rejected by the Department for PEACE II.

(AQW 3427/01)

Ms Hanna: In keeping with the Executive’s Programme for Government, I am creating a new Union Learning Fund for Northern Ireland, and am making £250,000 available for it in this financial year.

The Fund will support and expand the role of the trade union movement in Northern Ireland in workplace lifelong learning. It will increase the capacity of trade unions to promote learning among their members and, with partners, to develop innovative projects to attract into learning those who are difficult to reach by traditional provision.

(AQO 1269/01)

Ms Hanna: Recent research indicates that, in spite of the recent downturn in the sector, there is a possibility of a shortage of electronic engineers, particularly at the graduate and technician level. My Department is addressing this issue by:

• increasing the number of higher and further education places;

• establishing centres of excellence in computing and electronics; and

• establishing a reskilling programme for existing engineers funded by Executive Programme Funds

(AQO 1292/01)

Ms Hanna: Students are advised in writing of their statutory maximum loan entitlement determined in accordance with the Education (Student Support) Regulations (Northern Ireland). It is a matter of personal choice for students to decide how much of a loan they need to borrow. It would not be appropriate for my Department to seek to influence them.

(AQO 1266/01)

Ms Hanna: The study consists of two stages. Stage one is a detailed examination of the source of recruits to two large Belfast based IT companies and Stage two examines recruitment to a number of IT companies throughout the rest of Northern Ireland. I understand that data collection for the first stage has now been completed and that an interim report will be available within the next few weeks once the analysis is complete.

(AQO 1272/01)

Ms Hanna: In the 1998-99 academic year there were 9,225 enrolments on GCSE courses at NI Further Colleges. This total decreased to 8,635 in 1999-00 and again dropped to 6,901 in 2000-01.

GCSEs are available in all Further Education Colleges, however my Department does not encourage GCSEs for students who have taken them already at school. Research by the Education and Training Inspectorate shows that there is no significant improvement in GCSE results when repeated. Consequently, Further Education Colleges offer a wide range of vocational qualifications including GNVQs at intermediate level and NVQs which are more appropriate for progression. Further Education Colleges will however, offer the new vocational GCSEs when introduced from September 2002.

(AQO 1263/01)

Ms Hanna: The NI universities are autonomous bodies with a statutory obligation, under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, to promote equality of opportunity and good community relations. My Department has set aside additional funding of £155,000 in 2001/02 to assist the universities in meeting these statutory obligations.

(AQO 1285/01)

Ms Hanna: A Working Group set up by my Department is to produce a good practice guide for Further Education Colleges, which addresses issues of cultural diversity, and make recommendations on the development of the further education curriculum to promote community relations.

Universities, Further Education Colleges and University Colleges have a statutory obligation, under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, to promote equality of opportunity and good community relations.

(AQO 1283/01)

Ms Hanna: I can give no commitment to increase overall provision for research and development for 2002/03 in light of the improved RAE scores as the Budget has already been set. As to 2003/04 and beyond, my Department will be bidding for additional resources in Spending Review 2002 and university research will be a priority.

(AQO 1290/01)

Ms Hanna: While student loans offer students a method of funding their living costs, with very favourable repayment terms, I recognise that some students experience financial difficulties. With this in mind, my Department is introducing means tested non-repayable bursaries of up to £1,500 per year from 2002/03. This will reduce the amount of loans students will claim and ultimately reduce the Departments loans budget.

(AQW 3140/01)

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (Sir Reg Empey): Forecasts for 2001 indicate that Northern Ireland attracted 19% of all overseas (including GB residents) visitors to the island of Ireland. Tourism Ireland, in consultation with NITB and Bord Failte, have set three year targets for growths of 5% and 8% per annum in overseas visitors to the island of Ireland and Northern Ireland respectively. Achieving these targets would grow Northern Ireland’s share by around 1percentage point per annum.

(AQW 3169/01)

Sir Reg Empey: No financial assistance has been made available to Le Winters (Strangford Arms) Hotel in the last two years by the NITB.

(AQW 3170/01)

Sir Reg Empey: 234 Northern Ireland attractions were invited to participate in the 2000 survey by means of a self-completion questionnaire. A response rate of 70% was achieved, with 164 completed forms being returned. This is a high response rate for this type of postal survey and compares favourably with the 59% response rate achieved for the UK as a whole in 2000.

(AQO 1260/01)

Sir Reg Empey: Considerable efforts are being put into promoting Down Business Park as an investment location and the decision by the Korean company ADT to locate there, promoting 70 new jobs is a welcome outcome of these efforts. Invest Northern Ireland will continue to promote the Park as an attractive location for inward investors.

(AQO 1255/01)

Sir Reg Empey: The global travel and subsistence budget for IDB’s Inward Investment Group over the three-year period 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2002 totalled some £455,000. Approximately 70% of this was attributable to the United States market based on project activity.

(AQO 1301/01)

Sir Reg Empey: There has been widespread consultation by Export Credit Guarantee Department (ECGD) with industry and other representative bodies in relation to its current review, which is aimed at strengthening its risk management systems and evaluating its contribution to the competitiveness of the UK economy. I will continue to, as I did on behalf of Bombardier Aerospace in the aftermath of the events of September 11, make representations to ECGD where I believe it would produce benefits for the UK Aerospace industry and in particular for the Northern Ireland aerospace sector.

(AQO 1256/01)

Sir Reg Empey: Harland and Wolff was privatised in September 1989.

(a) Offers of financial assistance provided by my Department since that time amount in total to some £105m . This is mainly comprised of contract related intervention aid grant in respect of merchant shipbuilding projects carried out at the shipyard.

(AQO 1261/01)

Sir Reg Empey: GB, ROI and the USA are the largest markets for exports from Northern Ireland. Support for companies participating in trade missions and exhibitions are the primary means used by my Department’s agencies in promoting sales and exports from Northern Ireland to these markets. In the year ending 31 March 2002, the expenditure incurred in such activities in

(a) the Republic of Ireland was £211,000;

(b) GB £763,000, and

(c) USA £304,000.

(AQO 1257/01)

Sir Reg Empey: Structures have been established under the Northern Ireland Science Park Foundation to progress the project. Outline Planning Permission has been obtained for the site at Queen’s Island and detailed planning and funding arrangements have been approved for Phase 1 which includes an Innovation Centre at Queen’s Island. Work on the Innovation Centre is expected to begin soon.

(AQO 1295/01)

Sir Reg Empey: In the financial year 1999/2000 there were 6 fatal accidents, 61 major injury accidents and 171 over 3 day accidents.

In the financial year 2000/2001 there were 3 fatal accidents, 60 major injury accidents and 144 over 3 day accidents.

The provisional figures in the financial year 2001/02 indicate that there were 4 fatal accidents, 50 major injury accidents and 150 over 3 day accidents.

(AQO 1300/01)

Sir Reg Empey: OFREG issued a gas conveyance licence to Bord Gais for the North West and South-North gas pipelines on 12 February 2002.

On 5 April 2002 OFREG invited expressions of interest from companies interested in gas distribution and/or supply projects to potential customers outside the Greater Belfast area. These expressions of interest should be submitted before 17 May 2002.

(AQW 3139/01)

The Minister of the Environment (Mr Nesbitt): The Ulster Way was largely brought about through the efforts of the late Wilfred Capper and the support that he received in the 1980s from the Sports Council.

The Access to the Countryside (Northern Ireland) Order 1983 gave my Department the power to grant aid District Councils to create and manage those parts of the route passing through their area.

However, the route has never been fully implemented to a uniform standard and, with the ending of Sports Council support in the early 1990s, there have been increasing questions about its management and overall viability. A report prepared for the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) of my Department, the Sports Council and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) in 1994 proposed the creation of a number of shorter routes. With the support of European and EHS funding, a range of such routes, marketed as Waymarked Ways and spread widely across Northern Ireland, has been established.

There is no single body with over-riding responsibility for the Ulster Way. However the establishment of the Northern Ireland Countryside Access and Activities Network (CAAN) provides an opportunity to address these issues.

CAAN has now established a widely representative Working Group to look at the future of the Ulster Way. The Group has met on a number of occasions and hosted public meetings. CAAN is to produce a report on the Group’s work by the end of this calendar year. This will contain recommendations to EHS, NITB and the Sports Council, in particular, on the future of the route.

I will want to consider that report and take the views of my statutory advisers, the Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside, before I make any further statement on the future of the Ulster Way.

(AQW 3182/01)

Mr Nesbitt: The Department’s policy in relation to trees and woodlands is contained in Planning Policy Statement 2 "Planning and Nature Conservation" and applies to both urban and rural areas. This policy emphasises the importance of the protection of trees both as habitats and in terms of their contribution to the amenity of a particular locality.

Where any proposed development has the potential to impact upon trees, landowners and developers will be encouraged to retain existing trees, and plant additional trees wherever possible. Trees, woodlands and important hedgerows will be protected by the imposition of conditions on the grant of any planning permission. Additionally, where opportunities arise, the Department will seek to secure new tree planting in development schemes. Where development includes the loss of trees, permission will normally be conditional on a replanting scheme with trees of appropriate numbers, species and size.

Recent Area Plans have also contained policies to protect specific woodlands and groups of trees.

The Department also has a discretionary legislative power under Article 65 of the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 to make Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) where it is considered expedient, in the interests of amenity, to do so. The function of a TPO is to bring the trees under the Department’s control and the Department’s consent is normally required to top, lop or fell trees unless they are considered dead, dying or dangerous. When considering the making of a TPO, the Department will not only have regard to the amenity of the trees considered for protection, but also to the possible financial implications for the Department if a claim for compensation is subsequently made.

While I am satisfied that the measures contained within PPS2, are sufficient in policy terms to ensure the preservation of significant trees, it has become apparent, as planning matters and policy has evolved over the years, that the current legislation needs to be strengthened in order to meet today’s requirements. That is why I propose to introduce new measures contained in the forthcoming Planning (Amendment) Bill which will simplify, streamline and strengthen the Department’s existing enforcement powers in relation to breaches of tree related planning conditions and TPOs. I also propose to extend enforcement powers to apply to trees not protected by a TPO but within a Conservation Area.

(AQW 3193/01)

Mr Nesbitt: The work undertaken by consultants in the last 2 years on behalf of the Planning Service, in the Carrickfergus Borough Council area, related to planning applications for development in the Carrickfergus and Whitehead Conservation Areas.

The total costs of the projects were £171,344.

(AQW 3196/01)

(a) I anticipate that the draft plan will be published during August 2002.

(b) The Ards and Down Area Plan 2015 is the first to be prepared in the context of the Regional Development Strategy (RDS), which was formulated in September 2001.

The Strategic Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 requires the Plan to be "consistent with" the RDS. The requirement of consistency has necessitated extensive discussions and additional work to ensure that the Plan will be consistent with all the approaches to sustainable development required by the Strategy.

The Department for Regional Development (DRD) is currently consulting on changes to the Strategic Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 to amend the obligation of consistency to one in which plans are required to be "in general conformity" with the RDS.

It is proposed to introduce a formal procedure whereby DRD will issue a ‘statement of conformity’, to clarify that a development plan conforms with the RDS at draft plan, and at final adoption stage.

Preparation of the Draft Plan Written Statement and supporting technical documentation for the Ards and Down Area Plan is well advanced. Clearance on ‘consistency’ will require consultations with the Department for Regional Development on the completed draft prior to publication. As a result of these considerations Planning Service now expects to publish the draft plan in August 2002.

(AQW 3205/01)

Mr Nesbitt: The information requested is not available. District Councils have not undertaken comprehensive monitoring or measurement of biodegradable waste going to landfill sites over this period .

However draft Waste Management Plans will be submitted to my Department by the end of June 2002 by the three District Council Waste Management Partnerships.

Article 23 of the Waste & Contaminated Land (NI) Order 1997 requires District Councils to include in their Plans the types and quantities of controlled waste which they expect to collect, recover, treat or dispose of during the period of the Plans.

The Department will provide guidance to District Councils to ensure a consistent approach and to establish the format for reporting.

Results will be used to monitor progress in meeting the primary target of the Waste Management Strategy to reduce the quantities of biodegradable municipal waste being landfilled to 75% of 1995 baseline levels by 2010, 50% by 2013 and 35% by 2020.

Until the draft Plans have been submitted, and the information they contain agreed, no figures will be available to my Department on the amounts of biodegradable waste going to landfill.

(AQW 3213/01)

Mr Nesbitt: The table below shows the total number of pollution incidents reported to the Water Management Unit of my Department’s Environment and Heritage Service (EHS), the number substantiated, and the severity of those incidents, by year, from 1996 to 2000. Statistics for 2001 have not been fully validated by EHS and are therefore not included.

*Incidents where pollution is confirmed on investigation.

The criteria applied by EHS when assessing the category of severity to be attributed to a pollution incident are set out in an annual EHS publication entitled ‘Water Pollution Incident and Prosecution Statistics’. A copy of this report for 2000 has been placed in the Assembly Library.

(b) The table below shows the number of pollution incidents which have resulted in prosecution and also the number of warning letters issued in lieu of prosecution, by year, according to the year in which the pollution incidents occurred.

All high and medium severity incidents are investigated with a view to prosecution, provided the necessary evidence can be obtained. The final decision on prosecution rests with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Warning letters may be issued where there is insufficient evidence for a prosecution or where there is no negligence involved.

Final statistics for 2001 are not yet available as a number of recommendations for prosecution are still pending in respect of incidents which occurred that year.

(AQW 3214/01)

Mr Nesbitt: I am aware that disposable nappies make up approximately 4% of the household waste stream with around 200,000 used nappies disposed to landfill each day in Northern Ireland.

Arrangements for handling disposable nappy waste are the same as those for general household waste. At present facilities do not exist for fully recycling disposable nappies and they can only be managed through disposal or incineration.

As a requirement of the Northern Ireland Waste Management Strategy, published by my Department, the three District Council Partnership Groups are preparing Waste Management Plans for their areas. Draft Plans have been out to public consultation, up to 7 May, and the Groups will submit final draft Plans to my Department by the end of June.

The Plans will detail the arrangements to be made by the Councils to recover, treat or dispose of household waste in order to meet the targets for the diversion of biodegradable waste from landfill set out in the Waste Management Strategy.

As part of the current public awareness campaign, my Department is preparing information leaflets, including one on this subject. The leaflet will outline the different arguments for and against reusable nappies to help parents reach an informed choice for the benefit of their children and the environment.

(AQW 3215/01)

Mr Nesbitt: I am aware that disposable nappies make up approximately 4% of the household waste stream with around 200,000 used nappies disposed to landfill each day in Northern Ireland.

Arrangements for handling disposable nappy waste are the same as those for general household waste. At present facilities do not exist for fully recycling disposable nappies and they can only be managed through disposal or incineration.

As a requirement of the Northern Ireland Waste Management Strategy, published by my Department, the three District Council Partnership Groups are preparing Waste Management Plans for their areas. Draft Plans have been out to public consultation, up to 7 May, and the Groups will submit final draft Plans to my Department by the end of June.

The Plans will detail the arrangements to be made by the Councils to recover, treat or dispose of household waste in order to meet the targets for the diversion of biodegradable waste from landfill set out in the Waste Management Strategy.

As part of the current public awareness campaign, my Department is preparing information leaflets, including one on this subject. The leaflet will outline the different arguments for and against reusable nappies to help parents reach an informed choice for the benefit of their children and the environment.

(AQW 3216/01)

Mr Nesbitt: Further to Mr Foster’s previous replies, I can confirm that Enforcement Notices were served on 5th March 2002 on the owners of land adjacent to 56 Knockagh Road, Carrickfergus, under Article 68 of The Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991.

The enforcement notices required:

(1) that the use of the land for the depositing of waste materials cease within one day of the date on which the notices took effect,

(2) that all waste materials are removed from the land within 28 days of the date on which the notices took effect,

(3) that the land be regraded to an even contour within 56 days of the date on which the notices took effect, and

(4) that the site be covered with topsoil and sown in grass within 56 days of the date on which the notices took effect.

The notices took effect on 5th April 2002 and no appeal has been submitted to the Planning Appeals Commission.

The time periods referred to in (1) and (2) above have passed without the required works having been carried out.

Proceedings are now being brought against the landowners under Article 72 of The Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 for non-compliance with the enforcement notices. Instructions are currently being prepared for the Departmental Solicitors Office.

(AQW 3225/01)

Mr Nesbitt: Whist my Department cannot identify the number of unapproved developments on a constituency basis, I can provide details of such cases dealt with in the Fermanagh District Council area and in the Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council area.

(a) The number of unapproved developments identified in Fermanagh & Dungannon Districts over the past three years ending on 31^st December 2001 was 355.

(b) The number of these developments which were granted retrospective planning approval over the last three years was 63.

(c) The number of enforcements actioned by the Department for the period 1st January 1999 to 31^st December 2001 was:

(AQW 3226/01)

Mr Nesbitt: The need for, and extent of, a green belt for the Dungannon and South Tyrone Council area was assessed recently during the preparation of the new development plan for the area, the South Tyrone Area Plan 2010 Draft Plan, which was published in May 2000.

This assessment concluded that a green belt covering the Dungannon and Coalisland areas was appropriate and necessary to maintain strict planning control in those areas of countryside where development pressure is likely to be greatest.

The Department invited objections/representations to all draft plan proposals during the statutory six week period which ran between 25 May and 6 July 2000. At the conclusion of this period, and following clarification of some objections, it was established that there were no objections to the principle of a green belt or in general to the spatial extent of the designation. Four site specific objections were received requesting amendments to the outer edge of the proposed green belt. These objections will be considered at the Public Inquiry into the Draft Plan which will be held before the independent Planning Appeals Commission. A date for the inquiry has yet to be set.

In view of the above, there are no plans to make any further assessment of the green belt around Dungannon and Coalisland.

(AQW 3227/01)

Mr Nesbitt: The forthcoming Planning (Amendment) Bill, which I propose introducing to the Assembly before the summer recess, will include a number of measures aimed at strengthening the Department’s powers to take enforcement action against breaches of planning control, including unauthorised development.

In addition, my Department has commissioned research into further strengthening the Department’s planning enforcement powers in respect of unapproved development, which I expect to be available in early June.

(AQW 3228/01)

Mr Nesbitt: The enforcement team in Omagh Divisional Planning Office is staffed at its full complement of 1 Higher Professional and Technology Officer and 2 Professional and Technology Officers who report to the Principal Planning Officer in the Development Control Section. In addition, each of the 4 Senior Planning Officers has an important role in contributing to the enforcement of planning control in the 5 District Council Areas covered by Omagh division.

The current workload totals 466 cases. Details of new cases received during the last four years are as follows: 1998 - 122, 1999 - 232, 2000 - 454, 2001 - 282 and 2002, to date, 128.

While it is not possible to predict the actual volume of enforcement work in the Division in the period 2002/2003, it is anticipated this is likely to be similar to previous years. Planning Service will continue to monitor the situation in relation to workload and staff resources in line with the Agency’s Human Resources Strategy, particularly any increase in workload arising from changes in Enforcement legislation as a result of the Planning (Amendment) Bill which I propose introducing to the Assembly before the summer recess.

(AQW 3254/01)

Mr Nesbitt: It is not possible within the time available to provide details of how the Department’s funding to the National Trust over the last five years has been allocated.

My officials are working on this and, when the information is available, I will write to the Member

(AQW 3273/01)

Mr Nesbitt: The breakdown of expenditure by the Department on external consultancy in each of the last three years is as follows:

*The figures provided previously in answer to AQW 1956/01 did not reflect the correct period during 99/00 and have been amended accordingly.