Written Answers to Questions Official Report (Hansard)
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Written Answers to Questions Official Report (Hansard) Friday 22 June 2012 Volume 76, No WA1 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. Contents Written Answers to Questions Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister ................................................................... WA 1 Department of Agriculture and Rural Development ...................................................................... WA 5 Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure .................................................................................. WA 23 Department of Education ........................................................................................................ WA 27 Department for Employment and Learning ................................................................................ WA 36 Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment ...................................................................... WA 40 Department of the Environment ............................................................................................... WA 44 Department of Finance and Personnel ................................................................................... WA 115 Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety ......................................................... WA 125 Department of Justice .......................................................................................................... WA 154 Department for Regional Development ................................................................................... WA 162 Department for Social Development ...................................................................................... WA 171 Northern Ireland Assembly Commission ................................................................................. WA 190 Suggested amendments or corrections will be considered by the Editor. They should be sent to: The Editor of Debates, Room 248, Parliament Buildings, Belfast BT4 3XX. Tel: 028 9052 1135 · e-mail: [email protected] to arrive not later than two weeks after publication of this report. Assembly Members Agnew, Steven (North Down) Lyttle, Chris (East Belfast) Allister, Jim (North Antrim) McCallister, John (South Down) Anderson, Sydney (Upper Bann) McCann, Fra (West Belfast) Attwood, Alex (West Belfast) McCann, Ms Jennifer (West Belfast) Beggs, Roy (East Antrim) McCarthy, Kieran (Strangford) Bell, Jonathan (Strangford) McCartney, Raymond (Foyle) Boylan, Cathal (Newry and Armagh) McCausland, Nelson (North Belfast) Boyle, Ms Michaela (West Tyrone) McClarty, David (East Londonderry) Bradley, Dominic (Newry and Armagh) McCrea, Basil (Lagan Valley) Bradley, Ms Paula (North Belfast) McCrea, Ian (Mid Ulster) Brady, Mickey (Newry and Armagh) McDevitt, Conall (South Belfast) Brown, Ms Pam (South Antrim) McDonnell, Dr Alasdair (South Belfast) Buchanan, Thomas (West Tyrone) McElduff, Barry (West Tyrone) Byrne, Joe (West Tyrone) McGimpsey, Michael (South Belfast) Campbell, Gregory (East Londonderry) McGlone, Patsy (Mid Ulster) Clarke, Trevor (South Antrim) McGuinness, Martin (Mid Ulster) Cochrane, Mrs Judith (East Belfast) McIlveen, David (North Antrim) Copeland, Michael (East Belfast) McIlveen, Miss Michelle (Strangford) Craig, Jonathan (Lagan Valley) McKay, Daithí (North Antrim) Cree, Leslie (North Down) McKevitt, Mrs Karen (South Down) Dallat, John (East Londonderry) McLaughlin, Ms Maeve (Foyle) Dickson, Stewart (East Antrim) McLaughlin, Mitchel (South Antrim) Dobson, Mrs Jo-Anne (Upper Bann) McMullan, Oliver (East Antrim) Doherty, Pat (West Tyrone) McNarry, David (Strangford) Douglas, Sammy (East Belfast) McQuillan, Adrian (East Londonderry) Dunne, Gordon (North Down) Maginness, Alban (North Belfast) Durkan, Mark H (Foyle) Maskey, Alex (South Belfast) Easton, Alex (North Down) Maskey, Paul (West Belfast) Eastwood, Colum (Foyle) Molloy, Francie (Mid Ulster) Elliott, Tom (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Morrow, The Lord (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Farry, Dr Stephen (North Down) Moutray, Stephen (Upper Bann) Flanagan, Phil (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Murphy, Conor (Newry and Armagh) Ford, David (South Antrim) Nesbitt, Mike (Strangford) Foster, Mrs Arlene (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Newton, Robin (East Belfast) Frew, Paul (North Antrim) Ní Chuilín, Ms Carál (North Belfast) Gardiner, Samuel (Upper Bann) Ó hOisín, Cathal (East Londonderry) Gildernew, Ms Michelle (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) O’Dowd, John (Upper Bann) Girvan, Paul (South Antrim) O’Neill, Mrs Michelle (Mid Ulster) Givan, Paul (Lagan Valley) Overend, Mrs Sandra (Mid Ulster) Hale, Mrs Brenda (Lagan Valley) Poots, Edwin (Lagan Valley) Hamilton, Simon (Strangford) Ramsey, Pat (Foyle) Hay, William (Speaker) Ramsey, Ms Sue (West Belfast) Hazzard, Christopher (South Down) Robinson, George (East Londonderry) Hilditch, David (East Antrim) Robinson, Peter (East Belfast) Humphrey, William (North Belfast) Rogers, Sean (South Down) Hussey, Ross (West Tyrone) Ross, Alastair (East Antrim) Irwin, William (Newry and Armagh) Ruane, Ms Caitríona (South Down) Kelly, Mrs Dolores (Upper Bann) Sheehan, Pat (West Belfast) Kelly, Gerry (North Belfast) Spratt, Jimmy (South Belfast) Kennedy, Danny (Newry and Armagh) Storey, Mervyn (North Antrim) Kinahan, Danny (South Antrim) Swann, Robin (North Antrim) Lo, Ms Anna (South Belfast) Weir, Peter (North Down) Lunn, Trevor (Lagan Valley) Wells, Jim (South Down) Lynch, Seán (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Wilson, Sammy (East Antrim) Friday 22 June 2012 Written Answers Northern Ireland Assembly Friday 22 June 2012 Written Answers to Questions Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee Mr Allister asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister what plans they have to mark Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee by way of a gift on behalf of her subjects in this part of the UK. (AQW 6871/11-15) Mr P Robinson and Mr M McGuinness (The First Minister and deputy First Minister): At its meeting on 31 May the Executive agreed to present a gift, at no cost to the public purse, to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Governance Review into Procurement Mr Allister asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister, pursuant to AQW 10635/11-15, what role the Community Relations Council staff member, who declared a conflict of interest at tender evaluation stage, had in drawing up the tender documentation and setting the criteria; and whether she had access to such information. (AQW 12129/11-15) Mr P Robinson and Mr M McGuinness: Community Relations Council (CRC) was asked to take forward the governance review by OFMDFM. The member of staff from CRC, who subsequently declared a conflict of interest at tender evaluation stage, was a member of a panel responsible for drawing up the tender documentation and setting the criteria. Implementation Plan for their 2012-13 European Priorities Mr Lyttle asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister when they will publish an implementation plan for their 2012-13 European Priorities. (AQW 12346/11-15) Mr P Robinson and Mr M McGuinness: The Barroso Task Force Working Group is developing an Implementation Plan for the Executive’s 2012-13 European Priorities. We will take a decision on its publication once this work is complete. Petition from Victims Campaigners Mr McDevitt asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister what actions they intend to take following receipt of the petition from victims campaigners, subsequent to the research commissioned by the Wave Trauma Centre. (AQO 2103/11-15) Mr P Robinson and Mr M McGuinness: We welcome the findings of the report recently launched by WAVE Trauma Centre and thank all those involved in the report for their hard work and commitment to this extremely important issue. This research was funded by OFMDFM through the Strategic Support Fund. We remain committed to improving the lives of all victims of the conflict. Our officials have had a positive meeting with the Chief Researcher and Chief Executive of WAVE to discuss the report and the implications for future services for Victims and Survivors. WA 1 Friday 22 June 2012 Written Answers Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration Ms S Ramsey asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister for their assessment of the current status of the Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration. (AQO 2098/11-15) Mr P Robinson and Mr M McGuinness: We are committed to building a shared and united community and to continue to build on the progress that our society has made in improving community relations here. The Programme for Government recently agreed by the Executive reaffirms this commitment and we recognise that the finalised good relations Strategy will be an important building block in achieving the change we all want to see. The Cross-Party Working Group has been meeting since September 2011 with a view to agreeing a finalised strategy and high level action plan. We in the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister are eager to see the work of the group finalised as soon as possible but we are also mindful of the need to ensure that the final strategy is one that carries as much consensus as possible. The range of issues required to underpin the final strategy are wide-ranging and complex. Therefore we must balance the need to bring forward