QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER
ON MONDAY 22 JUNE 2009
Questions to the Minister of Education
Questions to the Minister for Employment and Learning
Questions to the Minister of Education
1. Mr D McNarry (Strangford)
To ask the Minister of Education, in light of the current difficulties with the post-primary transfer system, to outline the main achievements of her Department over her last two years in office.
(AQO 3011/09)
2. Mr T Burns (South Antrim)
To ask the Minister of Education if she will ensure that a full Equality Impact Assessment is carried out on the proposed teacher redundancy regulations.
(AQO 3012/09)
3. Mr A Bresland (West Tyrone)
To ask the Minister of Education to outline the steps her Department is taking to ensure that students from Northern Ireland will not be disadvantaged, during the intake of students to universities in the Republic of Ireland, as a result of the later release of their exam results.
(AQO 3013/09)
4. Mr T Elliott (Fermanagh and South Tyrone)
To ask the Minister of Education what percentage of (a) grammar; and (b) non-grammar schools offer separate sciences (triple award) at GCSE.
(AQO 3014/09)
5. Mr A Easton (North Down)
To ask the Minister of Education if she can give an assurance that all Year 8 pupils living in North Down will be allocated to schools in North Down in September 2009.
(AQO 3015/09)
6. Dr S Farry (North Down)
To ask the Minister of Education for an update on the progress she has made in encouraging and facilitating the development of integrated education during her term in office.
(AQO 3016/09)
7. Mr J Spratt (South Belfast)
To ask the Minister of Education to outline her plans to introduce full-time teachers of French and Spanish into primary schools.
(AQO 3017/09)
8. Mr W Irwin (Newry and Armagh)
To ask the Minister of Education what additional difficulties she has identified resulting from the establishment of the Education and Skills Authority three quarters of the way into a financial year.
(AQO 3018/09)
9. Mr D O'Loan (North Antrim)
To ask the Minister of Education what assessment she has made of the potential for legal challenges being taken as a result of unregulated transfer.
(AQO 3019/09)
10. Mr F Brolly (East Londonderry)
To ask the Minister of Education if she will support parents who feel that their children are entitled to attend a state-funded grammar school without having to endure a non-state sanctioned entrance test.
(AQO 3020/09)
11. Mr R Newton (East Belfast)
To ask the Minister of Education what steps she is taking to address the detached youth provision in east Belfast, when benchmarked against the detached youth provision provided in north, south and west Belfast.
(AQO 3021/09)
12. Mr S Moutray (Upper Bann)
To ask the Minister of Education for an update on the new build for Portadown College.
(AQO 3022/09)
13. Mr J Craig (Lagan Valley)
To ask the Minister of Education, if an inspection reports states that a building is unfit for purpose, what criteria the South Eastern Education and Library Board should follow in relation to undertaking new school projects or major renovations to schools.
(AQO 3023/09)
Questions to the Minister for Employment and Learning
1. Mr S Hamilton (Strangford)
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning what progress is being made to increase the commercialisation of university and college research by 2010, in line with the Programme for Government target.
(AQO 3024/09)
2. Mrs C Hanna (South Belfast)
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning if both his Department and the Department of Finance and Personnel have received the business case for the proposed merger of Queen's University and Stranmillis University College; when it will be shared with the Assembly Committee; and whether the delay in producing a business case impacts on the viability of the merger proposal.
(AQO 3025/09)
3. Mr D McKay (North Antrim)
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning how many companies have agreed to provide apprenticeships.
(AQO 3026/09)
4. Mr S Neeson (East Antrim)
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning for an update on the joint proposal by his Department and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to provide training allowances to companies facing economic difficulties.
(AQO 3027/09)
5. Mr A McQuillan (East Londonderry)
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning if there has been a reduction in the number of students enrolling in NVQ courses relating to the construction industry due to the economic downturn.
(AQO 3028/09)
6. Mr D Ford (South Antrim)
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning to give an indication of the publication date for the STEM Review co-ordinated by his Department and the Department of Education.
(AQO 3029/09)
7. Mr D Bradley (Newry and Armagh)
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning for an assessment of his Department's involvement in the decision making process resulting in the withdrawal of discounted fees to Regional Colleges, the proposals for the University of Ulster York Street Campus and the proposed merger of Queen's University Belfast and Stranmillis University College.
(AQO 3030/09)
8. Mr T Gallagher (Fermanagh and South Tyrone)
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning to provide an update on the Steps 2 work programme; to detail the numbers placed in employment by each of the primary Steps 2 work contractors to date; and to confirm when inspection reports on the primary contractors will be published.
(AQO 3031/09)
9. Mr D McNarry (Strangford)
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning to outline the progress made by his Department in meeting its targets for increasing the numbers in apprenticeship training.
(AQO 3032/09)
10. Mr A Bresland (West Tyrone)
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning whether there has been an increase in students entering post-graduate education in the last three years.
(AQO 3033/09)
11. Mr T Burns (South Antrim)
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning if the final decision on the proposed merger of Queen's University and Stranmillis University College should be suspended until the Teacher Training Review is published.
(AQO 3034/09)
12. Mr W Clarke (South Down)
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning what courses are available to pursue a career in traditional crafts such as stonewalling and thatching.
(AQO 3035/09)
13. Mr F McCann (West Belfast)
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning when the interim report on student fees will be completed.
(AQO 3036/09)
14. Lord Browne (East Belfast)
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning how many teachers graduated in the academic year 2007/08 and how many obtained permanent teaching posts.
(AQO 3037/09)
15. Mr J Shannon (Strangford)
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning what steps he is taking to ensure that this year's school leavers will have apprenticeship placements from September; and to outline the discussions held between his representatives and members of the construction industry regarding apprenticeships.
(AQO 3038/09)