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Friday Volume 46 4 December 2009 No WA 2 OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) CONTENTS Written Answers to Questions Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister [p95] Department of Agriculture and Rural Development [p101] Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure [p105] Department of Education [p107] Department for Employment and Learning [p114] Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment [p117] Department of the Environment [p125] Department of Finance and Personnel [p130] Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety [p141] Department for Regional Development [p156] Department for Social Development [p186] £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) 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 4 December 2009 Written Answers NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY Friday 4 December 2009 Written Answers to Questions Office of the FirST MiniSter and depUTY FirST MiniSter Homosexuality Dr S Farry asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister, pursuant to AQW 1548/10, if it is policy within the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minster to refer to homosexuality as a ‘lifestyle choice’. (AQW 2340/10) First Minister and deputy First Minister (Mr P Robinson and Mr M McGuinness): The Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister does not have a policy on this issue. Homosexuality Dr S Farry asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister, pursuant to AQW 1548/10, whether specific guidance will be issued to Ministers and officials to refrain from referring to homosexuality as a ‘lifestyle choice’. (AQW 2341/10) First Minister and deputy First Minister: There is no Departmental policy on this issue and therefore there is no plan to issue specific guidance. However, Ministers are required by the Ministerial Code and Pledge of Office “to serve all the people of Northern Ireland equally, and to act in accordance with the general obligations on government to promote equality and prevent discrimination”. Conduct of officials is governed by the NICS Code of Ethics. This sets out the Civil Service values and standards of behaviour including a requirement to carry out responsibilities in a way that is fair, just and equitable and reflects the Civil Service commitment to equality and diversity and its obligations under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. Taxi Expenditure Mr T Lunn asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister how much their Department has spent on taxis in each of the last five years. (AQW 2456/10) First Minister and deputy First Minister: The table below details how much the Department has spent in each of the last five years: Description 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 Taxis £8,435 £14,527 £12,399 £20,077 £14,650 The figures also include the costs incurred for car hire by our offices in Brussels and Washington during Ministerial visits. WA 95 Friday 4 December 2009 Written Answers Third Periodic Report of the Committee of Experts into the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages Mr D Bradley asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister when they will issue the supplementary report to the Third Periodic Report of the Committee of Experts into the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages. (AQW 2685/10) First Minister and deputy First Minister: The issue of this report will require the agreement of the Executive. Proposals by the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure are under consideration but, at this time, no date can be given as to when any such report will be issued. UN Committee on the Rights of the Child Mrs M Bradley asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister for update on the implementation of the concluding observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. (AQW 2709/10) First Minister and deputy First Minister: The children and young people’s strategy action plan will be the main vehicle for taking forward the UNCRC Concluding Observations. The current 2008-11 action plan already addresses a number of these recommendations but work is underway in strengthening it. The Executive agreed that the action plan will be a ‘living document’ open to review and amendment and a key element of this will be the consideration of additional actions, where necessary, to address the Concluding Observations. We consider that this will more effectively integrate respect for children’s rights into policy and practice than developing a separate UNCRC action plan. In revising the strategy action plan, we will also make a clearer link between the appropriate actions and the relevant Concluding Observations. To help inform this work, we have carried out a process of engagement during August and September with over 600 children and young people from a wide social and geographical spread. We asked them to identify the priority issues which they felt were not being addressed by the existing action plan, with a particular focus on the UNCRC Concluding Observations. To conclude this consultation, we hosted a conference on 21st November which afforded young people the opportunity to feed their views back directly to policy makers. This will be used to inform departments when considering additional actions for inclusion in the revised action plan. We do however recognise that we cannot tackle all of the issues in the short-term and whilst we will of course consider all of the concluding observations as we take this work forward, we have identified a set of 14 priorities on which we will focus first. The Junior Ministers have also been working with their counterparts in England, Scotland and Wales and they have contributed to the development of a joint statement of commitment to take action in response to the UNCRC’s concluding observations. This was published on 20th November 2009 and includes a section covering common areas for co-operation and links to 4 documents outlining the priorities for each administration in addressing the concluding observations. EU Directives Mr A Ross asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister how many EU Directives their Department has (i) received; and (ii) implemented in each of the last three years. (AQW 2728/10) WA 96 Friday 4 December 2009 Written Answers First Minister and deputy First Minister: Year Adopted1 Transposed2 2007 0 0 2008 0 2 20093 0 0 1 For the purposes of this question, ‘received’ is understood to mean adopted. A directive is formally adopted on the date it is published in the Official Journal of the European Union.