The Rivers Agency Business Plan for 2002/2003 will be placed in the Assembly Library at a later date.

(AQW 239/02)

The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure (Mr McGimpsey): Discussions, led by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, have been ongoing with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for over a year regarding the impact of the draft Communications Bill on broadcasting and telecommunications in Northern Ireland.

The First Minister and the Deputy First Minister responded formally on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive to the consultation on the draft Bill on 1 August 2002. A copy of that response has been placed in the library. The First Minister and the Deputy First Minister have twice requested a meeting with the Secretaries of State for Trade and Industry and for Culture, Media and Sport but have yet to receive a reply.

The issue of Northern Ireland representation on the Board of the new regulator, OFCOM, has been raised in telephone conversations between Dermot Nesbitt and Dr Kim Howells, Minister for Broadcasting at DCMS; between myself and Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport; and in the margins of a meeting between Douglas Alexander, Telecommunications Minister in DTI, and Sir Reg Empey. The lines taken in the response of 1 August have also been rehearsed several times by officials of Northern Ireland Departments in discussions with the Joint DTI/DCMS Bill Team both before and since 1 August. A further meeting is planned in October between DCAL and DCMS officials.

(AQW 260/02)

Mr McGimpsey: The figures you requested are detailed below.

(AQW 261/02)

Mr McGimpsey: Each district council takes account of the needs of the disabled when providing facilities in its area for recreational, social and cultural activities. My Department has issued guidance to each district council and has sponsored workshops for district councils on the development of local cultural strategies to promote the cultural well-being of its area and its people. This guidance will serve as a planning tool to help councils to plan strategically for culture, arts and leisure in such a way as to improve services and maximise funding opportunities.

In addition, the Sports Council is currently undertaking a review of the sporting opportunities available to disabled people as a whole in Northern Ireland, to enable it to determine appropriate initiatives for the future, including sporting and leisure schemes for children and young adults with disabilities and special needs.

(AQW 265/02)

Mr McGimpsey: Tha Boord o Ulstèr-Scotch (the Ulster-Scots Agency) currently has four staff. Two of these are seconded civil servants and two are recruitment agency staff. Foras na Gaeilge (the Irish Language Agency) currently employs forty-five staff. The North South Ministerial Council noted at its meeting on December 2001 the Agency’s proposal to appoint seven staff and work is in hand to complete the recruitment process.

I am committed to ensuring fair treatment for all the bodies and organisations that my Department deals with.

(AQW 266/02)

Mr McGimpsey: 10 members of staff transferred from the Rivers Agency in Northern Ireland and 269 members of staff transferred from the Waterways Service of the Department of Arts, Heritage , Gaeltacht and the Islands in the Republic of Ireland.

Some 62 new posts were advertised and filled by open competition, 53 of these based in Northern Ireland, and 9 based in the Republic of Ireland.

Information regarding the previous employment of staff recruited through open competition is confidential.

(AQW 274/02)

Mr McGimpsey: As Foras na Gaeilge (the Irish Language Agency) does not yet have an office in Northern Ireland, the expenditure in the North is for project support. I can, however, advise you that in 2001 assistance totalling £2,413,820 was provided to groups and organisations in Northern Ireland. Between January and August of this year assistance totalling £1,090,753 has been provided.

The various groups are involved in projects and activities which include language, culture and education. The information in respect of Tha Boord o Ulstèr-Scotch (the Ulster-Scots Agency) is given below.

Assistance to activities undertaken by groups and organisations is included in the language, culture and education totals.

(AQW 275/02)

Mr McGimpsey: As Foras na Gaeilge (the Irish Language Agency) does not yet have an office in Northern Ireland, the expenditure in the North is for project support. I can, however, advise you that in 2001 assistance totalling £2,413,820 was provided to groups and organisations in Northern Ireland. Between January and August of this year assistance totalling £1,090,753 has been provided.

The various groups are involved in projects and activities which include language, culture and education. The information in respect of Tha Boord o Ulstèr-Scotch (the Ulster-Scots Agency) is given below.

Assistance to activities undertaken by groups and organisations is included in the language, culture and education totals.

(AQW 308/02)

Mr McGimpsey: The Department currently owns five of the buildings which it occupies and of the five, one of the buildings currently contains asbestos as a component of its construction. This is the Public Record Office for Northern Ireland (PRONI) which is situated at 66 Balmoral Avenue, Belfast. There are currently 70 staff working on this site.

The PRONI site and outbuildings have been subjected to periodic inspection and survey by the Construction Service of the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) - the most recent in March 2000. Following a survey, asbestos based materials which are deemed in poor condition will normally be recommended for removal. DFP Construction Service are responsible for implementing such work. During refurbishment work undertaken in November 2000 to convert the Exhibition Hall within PRONI to a microfilm room, asbestos based material was removed. A specialist company removed this material under the supervision of Construction.

PRONI keeps three Asbestos Registers which have been periodically managed and reviewed in partnership with Construction Service. All three registers were last up-dated in March 2000 following inspection by Construction Service. These inspections revealed a number of areas where asbestos based materials were either confirmed to be present or assumed to be present. However, because it was not deemed to be potentially injurious to the health of either staff or the public, Construction Service recommended no action, other than labelling and further review.

Construction Service has been requested to put a management system in place to routinely inspect the known asbestos materials within the PRONI estate. This system will include a facility to implement adequate control measures in accordance with current legislation, where such materials are deemed to be potentially injurious to the health of both staff and the visiting public.

(AQW 332/02)

Mr McGimpsey: Tha Boord o Ulstèr-Scotch (The Ulster-Scots Agency) currently employs four staff. Two are seconded Civil Servants and two are Recruitment Agency staff. Foras na Gaeilge (The Irish Language Agency) currently has thirty-four staff.

(AQW 385/02)

Mr McGimpsey: The number of people involved in canoeing through the Canoe Association of Northern Ireland (CANI), the official body responsible for canoe sport in Northern Ireland, is as follows:

A total of 17 clubs, affiliated to CANI, represent those involved. However, there are a number of organisations involved in unaffiliated participation in canoeing e.g. Outdoor Education Centres, Education and Library Boards, District Councils, and youth and community organisations such as the Boys Brigade, Scouts, Duke of Edinburgh. Unfortunately there are no statistics available on the numbers involved in unaffiliated canoeing.

(AQW 213/02)

The Minister of Education (Mr M McGuinness): My Department has been allocated a budget of £19.11 m in the 2002/2003 financial year to meet its administration costs.

I regret that the information regarding the Education and Library Boards is not available at present. I will write to you regarding these figures as soon as possible.

(AQW 214/02)

Mr M McGuinness: My Department currently has a total of 609 staff employed in an administrative and advisory capacity (which equates to a full-time equivalent of 578 staff).

I regret that the information regarding the Education and Library Boards is not available at present. I will write to you regarding these figures as soon as possible.

(AQW 238/02)

Mr M McGuinness: The Pre-school Education Expansion Programme aims to provide a place for every child whose parents wish it by March 2003. This school year the overall level of provision will be considerably greater than 90%, which is in excess of our expected level of demand. At present my Department is working closely with each education and library board’s Pre-School Education Advisory Group in order to ensure that the most effective allocation of funded places has been achieved.

(AQW 240/02)

Mr M McGuinness: Any receipts realised from the sale of the former Scrabo High School are to be used to offset the expenditure incurred on the capital development of Regent House Grammar School in Newtownards.

(AQW 250/02)

Mr M McGuinness: The North Eastern Education and Library Board has advised that the number of pupils on home tuition was as follows:

(AQW 251/02)

Mr M McGuinness: My Department has the principle enshrined in legislation that, subject to certain provisos, young people should be educated in a mainstream setting. The Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs builds upon this and we have allocated substantial resources to support this provision. This right to a mainstream education will be further strengthened by the introduction, in the current Assembly session, of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Bill for Northern Ireland, broadly equivalent to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001.

To enable children with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties to receive an education in a mainstream setting the education and library boards may provide additional teacher support, classroom assistance, help from the behaviour support services and part-time or full-time placement in the behaviour support units attached to these services, both at primary and secondary level.

The Regional Strategy Group for Special Educational Needs is currently examining the issue of Inclusion, including the identification of effective practice. This will help ensure that all children are provided with a range of options and are treated equally and fairly.

(AQW 252/02)

Mr M McGuinness: At present, if a pupil transfers from a mainstream school to a special school, as a result of a statement being issued, no associated funding transfers with the pupil. However the Common Funding Scheme, which is due to come into effect in April 2003, proposes that funding adjustments will be made where a pupil transfers from a grant-aided school to a special school.

(AQW 253/02)

Mr M McGuinness: The 2001/02 total number of statemented pupils in primary and grammar schools are as follows:

(AQW 254/02)

Mr M McGuinness: The breakdown of translations and interpretations of publications and stationery is as follows:

(AQW 282/02)

Mr M McGuinness: The information requested is as follows:

(AQW 283/02)

Mr M McGuinness: The range of educational facilities available to children with speech and language impairments in the NEELB area is as follows:

(AQW 292/02)

Mr M McGuinness: The number of Educational Psychologists full-time and part-time, employed per Board area, is:

Boards employ a wide range of officers who advise on many aspects in the field of special educational needs. I will write separately to you with this information.

(c) The number of pupils who are currently at stage 4 of the Code of Practice, per Board area, is:

The above figures relate to children who are currently undergoing statutory assessment procedures (Stage 4 of the Code of Practice) and do not yet have a final statement of special educational needs (Stage 5 of the Code of Practice). The statutory assessment process determines whether or not a statement is appropriate and therefore does not lead to the issue of a statement on every case.

(AQW 295/02)

Mr M McGuinness: I will outline the next stages of the Post-Primary review on 8 October when I publish a report on the responses to consultation. I will be engaging with key interests to build on emerging consensus and to develop new arrangements which are fair, give every child the opportunity to fulfil their potential and raise standards for all children.

(AQW 297/02)

Mr M McGuinness: My Department does not own or lease any buildings and responsibility for the buildings occupied by Departmental staff rests with the Department of Finance and Personnel.

Departmental staff occupy buildings at two locations, Rathgael House, Bangor and Waterside House, Londonderry. The number of staff employed in Rathgael House is 482 and in Waterside House 126.

(AQW 298/02)

Mr M McGuinness: The South Eastern and Library Board has advised that it will soon be commencing a survey of its buildings in order to compile an asbestos register, which will be required under the new Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations which are to come into force in 2004. At this time the Board is unable to provide details of schools that have asbestos in their buildings.

(AQW 309/02)

Mr M McGuinness: My Department does not own or lease any buildings and responsibility for the buildings occupied by Departmental staff rests with the Department of Finance and Personnel.

Departmental staff occupy buildings at two locations, Rathgael House, Bangor and Waterside House, Londonderry. The number of staff employed in Rathgael House is 482 and in Waterside House 126.

(AQW 339/02)

Mr M McGuinness: Children are not referred to Health and Social Services Boards for statutory assessment purposes, they are referred to Health and Social Services Trusts. The numbers of children referred to Trusts in the Northern Health Board area over the last three years (September 1999 to 31 August 2002) are as follows;

(AQW 340/02)

Mr M McGuinness: There are currently 13 children in residential care in the Northern Health and Social Services area with statements of special educational needs. Two of these statements have been issued whilst the child was in care. All other statements pre-date the residential component of care packages. Information is not available for earlier years

(AQW 383/02)

Mr M McGuinness: The information for 2001/02 (non grammar schools only) is as follows:

(AQW 388/02)

Mr M McGuinness: The number of pupils applying for places in secondary education in the Ards town area in each of the last three years is detailed below: