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Friday Volume 44 16 October 2009 No WA 2 OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) CONTENTS Written Answers to Questions Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister [p109] Department of Agriculture and Rural Development [p110] Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure [p115] Department of Education [p116] Department for Employment and Learning [p126] Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment [p133] Department of the Environment [p164] Department of Finance and Personnel [p169] Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety [p171] Department for Regional Development [p194] Department for Social Development [p219] Northern Ireland Assembly Commission [p241] £5.00 This publication contains the written answers to questions tabled by Members. The content of the responses is as received at the time from the relevant Minister or representative of the Assembly Commission and has not been subject to the official reporting process or changed in any way. 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For more information please contact the Northern Ireland Assembly, Printed Paper Office, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, BT4 3XX Tel: 028 9052 1078 ASSEMBLY MeMBerS Adams, Gerry (West Belfast) McCarthy, Kieran (Strangford) Anderson, Ms Martina (Foyle) McCartney, Raymond (Foyle) Armstrong, Billy (Mid Ulster) McCausland, Nelson (North Belfast) Attwood, Alex (West Belfast) McClarty, David (East Londonderry) Beggs, Roy (East Antrim) McCrea, Basil (Lagan Valley) Boylan, Cathal (Newry and Armagh) McCrea, Ian (Mid Ulster) Bradley, Dominic (Newry and Armagh) McCrea, Dr William (South Antrim) Bradley, Mrs Mary (Foyle) McDonnell, Dr Alasdair (South Belfast) Bradley, P J (South Down) McElduff, Barry (West Tyrone) Brady, Mickey (Newry and Armagh) McFarland, Alan (North Down) Bresland, Allan (West Tyrone) McGill, Mrs Claire (West Tyrone) Brolly, Francie (East Londonderry) McGimpsey, Michael (South Belfast) McGlone, Patsy (Mid Ulster) Browne, The Lord (East Belfast) McGuinness, Martin (Mid Ulster) Buchanan, Thomas (West Tyrone) McHugh, Gerry (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Burns, Thomas (South Antrim) McIlveen, Miss Michelle (Strangford) Butler, Paul (Lagan Valley) McKay, Daithí (North Antrim) Campbell, Gregory (East Londonderry) McLaughlin, Mitchel (South Antrim) Clarke, Trevor (South Antrim) McNarry, David (Strangford) Clarke, Willie (South Down) McQuillan, Adrian (East Londonderry) Cobain, Fred (North Belfast) Maginness, Alban (North Belfast) Coulter, Rev Dr Robert (North Antrim) Maskey, Alex (South Belfast) Craig, Jonathan (Lagan Valley) Maskey, Paul (West Belfast) Cree, Leslie (North Down) Molloy, Francie (Mid Ulster) Dallat, John (East Londonderry) Morrow, The Lord (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Deeny, Dr Kieran (West Tyrone) Moutray, Stephen (Upper Bann) Dodds, Nigel (North Belfast) Murphy, Conor (Newry and Armagh) Doherty, Pat (West Tyrone) Neeson, Sean (East Antrim) Donaldson, Jeffrey (Lagan Valley) Newton, Robin (East Belfast) Durkan, Mark (Foyle) Ní Chuilín, Ms Carál (North Belfast) Easton, Alex (North Down) O’Dowd, John (Upper Bann) Elliott, Tom (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) O’Loan, Declan (North Antrim) Empey, Sir Reg (East Belfast) O’Neill, Mrs Michelle (Mid Ulster) Farry, Dr Stephen (North Down) Paisley, Rev Dr Ian (North Antrim) Ford, David (South Antrim) Paisley Jnr, Ian (North Antrim) Foster, Mrs Arlene (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Poots, Edwin (Lagan Valley) Gallagher, Tommy (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Purvis, Ms Dawn (East Belfast) Gardiner, Samuel (Upper Bann) Ramsey, Pat (Foyle) Gildernew, Ms Michelle (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Ramsey, Ms Sue (West Belfast) Hamilton, Simon (Strangford) Ritchie, Ms Margaret (South Down) Robinson, George (East Londonderry) Hanna, Mrs Carmel (South Belfast) Robinson, Mrs Iris (Strangford) Hay, William (Speaker) Robinson, Ken (East Antrim) Hilditch, David (East Antrim) Robinson, Peter (East Belfast) Irwin, William (Newry and Armagh) Ross, Alastair (East Antrim) Kelly, Mrs Dolores (Upper Bann) Ruane, Ms Caitríona (South Down) Kelly, Gerry (North Belfast) Savage, George (Upper Bann) Kennedy, Danny (Newry and Armagh) Shannon, Jim (Strangford) Kinahan, Danny (South Antrim) Simpson, David (Upper Bann) Lo, Ms Anna (South Belfast) Spratt, Jimmy (South Belfast) Long, Mrs Naomi (East Belfast) Storey, Mervyn (North Antrim) Lunn, Trevor (Lagan Valley) Weir, Peter (North Down) McCallister, John (South Down) Wells, Jim (South Down) McCann, Fra (West Belfast) Wilson, Brian (North Down) McCann, Ms Jennifer (West Belfast) Wilson, Sammy (East Antrim) Friday 16 October 2009 Written Answers NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY Friday 16 October 2009 Written Answers to Questions Office of the FirST MiniSter and depUTY FirST MiniSter Cohesion, Sharing and Integration Strategy Mr D Kennedy asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister, in light of the First Minister’s comments at the Ulster Hall on 8 September, if the Department will make a statement on the drafting and circulation of the Cohesion, Sharing and Integration Strategy. (AQW 122/10) First Minister and deputy First Minister (Mr P Robinson and Mr M McGuinness): The comments made by the First Minister at the Ulster Hall on 8 September were not the agreed view of this office. The draft Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration was originally meant to have been brought forward before the end of last year. That and subsequent commitments on timing were made in good faith, and it was our expectation that those would be met. However, it was not possible to meet that date. Reaching agreement on the Cohesion, Sharing and Integration strategy (CSI) remains one of the top policy priorities of OFMDFM. Currently, officials within OFMDFM are working on a revised draft of the Programme to identify areas of agreement and disagreement. Complaints Mr D Kennedy asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister, pursuant to AQW 16/10, how many complaints are outstanding against their Department; and how many of these were discussed at the meeting of the Central Freedom of Information Team and the NI Regional Office of the Information Commissioner on 26 February. (AQW 928/10) First Minister and deputy First Minister: There are currently five complaints registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office against the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister. At the time of the meeting between the Central Freedom of Information team and the Northern Ireland Regional Office of the Information Commissioner, on 26 February 2009, three of them had been registered. There was discussion around the handling protocols for one of the complaints, as it had also been received by three other Departments. Expenditure for the North South Ministerial Council Mr G Campbell asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister why the format of the reported expenditure for the North South Ministerial Council, as set out in the Annual Report pertaining to the breakdown of costs by main expenditure areas for the Joint Secretariat, has changed in the last two years. (AQW 1007/10) First Minister and deputy First Minister: In 2007, the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Joint Secretariat reviewed the format of its annual report with a view to reducing production costs. Arising from this review, annual reports in 2007 and 2008 were shorter and more focused than in previous years and have been produced in electronic format only. In line with this approach, information on NSMC Joint Secretariat expenditure in the 2007 and 2008 annual reports has been published on the basis of total expenditure only. WA 109 Friday 16 October 2009 Written Answers The total expenditure for the NSMC Joint Secretariat in 2007 and 2008 was £1,626,707 and £1,724, 872 respectively. Staff costs are met by OFMDFM and the Department of Foreign Affairs. All other costs associated with the Joint Secretariat are shared between the two administrations. Private Consultancy Mr P McGlone asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister, pursuant to AQW 74/10, if the figure for private consultancy includes expenditure on (i) capital projects; (ii) Private Finance Initiatives; and (iii) agencies of their Department; and, if not, to detail the expenditure on these. (AQW 1112/10) First Minister and deputy First Minister: The figures provided in AQW 74/10 for private consultancy (see Table 1 below) include expenditure on capital projects. The Department is not taking forward any projects under the Private Finance Initiative, and the Department does not have any Executive Agencies. TABle 1 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 Description (£’000s) (£’000s) (£’000s) (£’000s) (£’000s) Private Consultancy 404 830 1,193 2,758 1,017 DepartMent of AgricUltUre and RUral DevelopMent Flooding Programme Mr J Shannon asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail the number of areas defined under her Department’s flooding programme as “Areas at Risk” in each constituency. (AQW 890/10) Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (Ms M Gildernew): Currently an Inter-Agency Flood Liaison Group, chaired by DARD Rivers Agency, and including DRD Roads Service, NI Water and NI Fire and Rescue Service, has identified 79 “flooding hotspots” across the eighteen MLA constituencies to date. A number of additions have been proposed by DRD Roads Service and these will be considered at the next meeting of the Group. These “hotspots” are subject to ongoing consideration for flood alleviation work by the relevant Group member(s). Furthermore NI Water has advised that it is also developing a register of