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Friday Volume 39 13 March 2009 No WA 1 OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) CONTENTS Written Answers to Questions Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister [p1] Department of Agriculture and Rural Development [p9] Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure [p15] Department of Education [p25] Department for Employment and Learning [p31] Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment [p33] Department of the Environment [p37] Department of Finance and Personnel [p44] Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety [p50] Department for Regional Development [p60] Department for Social Development [p80] Northern Ireland Assembly Commission [p96] £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. This document is available in a range of alternative formats. 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) Burnside, David (South Antrim) McKay, Daithí (North Antrim) Butler, Paul (Lagan Valley) McLaughlin, Mitchel (South Antrim) Campbell, Gregory (East Londonderry) McNarry, David (Strangford) Clarke, Trevor (South Antrim) McQuillan, Adrian (East Londonderry) Clarke, Willie (South Down) Maginness, Alban (North Belfast) Cobain, Fred (North Belfast) Maskey, Alex (South Belfast) Coulter, Rev Dr Robert (North Antrim) Maskey, Paul (West Belfast) Craig, Jonathan (Lagan Valley) Molloy, Francie (Mid Ulster) Cree, Leslie (North Down) Morrow, The Lord (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Dallat, John (East Londonderry) Moutray, Stephen (Upper Bann) Deeny, Dr Kieran (West Tyrone) Murphy, Conor (Newry and Armagh) Dodds, Nigel (North Belfast) Neeson, Sean (East Antrim) Doherty, Pat (West Tyrone) Newton, Robin (East Belfast) Donaldson, Jeffrey (Lagan Valley) Ní Chuilín, Ms Carál (North Belfast) Durkan, Mark (Foyle) O’Dowd, John (Upper Bann) Easton, Alex (North Down) O’Loan, Declan (North Antrim) Elliott, Tom (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) O’Neill, Mrs Michelle (Mid Ulster) Empey, Sir Reg (East Belfast) Paisley, Rev Dr Ian (North Antrim) Farry, Dr Stephen (North Down) Paisley Jnr, Ian (North Antrim) Ford, David (South Antrim) Poots, Edwin (Lagan Valley) Foster, Mrs Arlene (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Purvis, Ms Dawn (East Belfast) Gallagher, Tommy (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Ramsey, Pat (Foyle) Gardiner, Samuel (Upper Bann) Ramsey, Ms Sue (West Belfast) Gildernew, Ms Michelle (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Ritchie, Ms Margaret (South Down) Robinson, George (East Londonderry) Hamilton, Simon (Strangford) Robinson, Mrs Iris (Strangford) Hanna, Mrs Carmel (South Belfast) Robinson, Ken (East Antrim) Hay, William (Speaker) Robinson, Peter (East Belfast) Hilditch, David (East Antrim) Ross, Alastair (East Antrim) Irwin, William (Newry and Armagh) Ruane, Ms Caitríona (South Down) Kelly, Mrs Dolores (Upper Bann) Savage, George (Upper Bann) Kelly, Gerry (North Belfast) Shannon, Jim (Strangford) Kennedy, Danny (Newry and Armagh) 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 13 March 2009 Written Answers NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY Friday 13 March 2009 Written Answers to Questions Office of the FirST MiniSter and depUTY FirST MiniSter Lillian Ladele Case Mr D Simpson asked the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister to detail the implications for the application of (i) section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998; (ii) all other UK equality legislation; and (iii) EU Directives, of the ruling by the Central London Employment Tribunal in the case of Lillian Ladele. (AQW 1675/09) Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (Mr P Robinson and Mr M McGuinness): Section 75(1) of the NI Act 1998 imposes a general statutory duty on all public authorities (as defined under section 75(3)). This duty requires a public authority to have due regard for the need to promote equality of opportunity in the discharge of all its functions. The Executive has previously stated its commitment to observing this statutory duty. Further detailed enforcement duties also arise under Schedule 9 of the Act, which is given effect by Section 75(4). Various remedies are available to any citizen or group asserting any failure to comply with either the general statutory duty in Section 75(1) or the detailed enforcement duties in Schedule 9. It is important to note that the Lillian Ladele case has since been successfully appealed at the Employment Appeal Tribunal. Since it is a case outside this jurisdiction it will have persuasive but not binding authority here. It is an example of the way in which the Courts balance competing interests (in this case between someone who had a conscientious objection to officiating at civil partnerships between couples of the same sex on the one hand and the rights of those couples to enter into a civil partnership on the other). A Court in Northern Ireland may or may not adopt the same approach in corresponding circumstances. Under domestic and European legislation each case would be decided in the light of the particular issues and facts involved. Training for Women Network Ms J McCann asked the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister for the reasons for the delay in the Peace III application submitted by the Training for Women Network which was approved by the Special European Union Programmes Body in August 2008. (AQW 3678/09) Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister: Following the approval from SEUPB it was necessary to ensure the project complied with government accounting requirements. This has been completed and Departmental approval of the Training for Women Network was given just before Christmas. A formal Letter of Offer was issued to Training for Women Network on 22 December 2008 by the Special European Union Programmes Body. Child Poverty Mr S Gardiner asked the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister how many children deemed as living in child poverty are residing in; (i) homes with a single parent; (ii) homes with two parents but only one parent working; and (iii) homes with two unemployed parents. (AQW 4989/09) WA 1 Friday 13 March 2009 Written Answers Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister: There are three measurements of poverty – relative, absolute and mixed. Relative income poverty describes families living below 60% of the median wage. It is estimated that the number of children in relative income poverty living in: (i) lone parent families is around 40,900 (ii) couple families with only one parent working is around 12,400 (iii) couple families with both not in work is around 16,500 The remainder of those children in poverty live in families with both parents working; this number is estimated to be around 21,100. These figures have been sourced from the Households Below Average Income, NI, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07. Because of the small numbers in the survey for this analysis it has been necessary to combine the three years of data. Ministerial Subcommittee on Poverty and Social Exclusion Mr T Elliott asked the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister when will the first meeting of the Ministerial Subcommittee on poverty and social exclusion take place; and what will the agenda be. (AQW 5127/09) Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister: We propose to hold the first meeting of the Executive Sub-Committee on Poverty and Social Inclusion on 26 March 2009. An agenda for this first meeting is still to be agreed. The Executive Sub-Committee will be responsible for agreeing the priorities and key Executive actions for tackling poverty and social inclusion here and also agreeing the monitoring and reporting mechanisms associated with the ‘Lifetime Opportunities’ Anti-Poverty Strategy. Once the Executive Sub-Committee has met, we would intend to convene a first meeting of the re-established Ministerially-led Poverty and Social Inclusion Stakeholder Forum. Cost of Trips and Ministerial Visits Mr A Attwood asked the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister to detail the total (i) travel;