QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER
ON MONDAY 24 NOVEMBER 2008
Questions to the Minister of Education
Questions to the Minister for Employment and Learning
Questions to the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment
Questions to the Minister of Education
1. Mr O'Dowd ( Upper Bann):
To ask the Minister of Education how the establishment of an Education Skills Authority will improve outcomes for learners, particularly among young Protestant males.
(AQO 1274/09)
2. WITHDRAWN
3. Ms J McCann ( West Belfast):
To ask the Minister of Education what discussions her Department has had with other Departments to address the lack of adequate play facilities for children with autism in West Belfast.
(AQO 1279/09)
4. WITHDRAWN
5. Mr Doherty (West Tyrone):
To ask the Minister of Education to detail her proposals for (i) the introduction of 2 new factors within the current Common Funding Formula; and (ii) the changes to the operation of existing factors to be applied from April 2009.
(AQO 1281/09)
6. Mrs Hanna ( South Belfast):
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the ways in which her Department presently co-operates with the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in relation to school pupils who are autistic.
(AQO 1301/09)
7. WITHDRAWN
8. Mr Brady (Newry and Armagh):
To ask the Minister of Education what meetings she has had with post-primary school principals about her proposals for post-primary transfer published on 15 May 2008.
(AQO 1290/09)
9. Mr Newton ( East Belfast):
To ask the Minister of Education how school careers teachers gain knowledge and experience to enable them to offer advice on vocational career choices, particularly within the traditional trades.
(AQO 1228/09)
10. Mr W Clarke (South Down):
To ask the Minister of Education when her Department will publish its Early Years Strategy.
(AQO 1291/09)
11. Mr Ross ( East Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Education for her assessment of specialist schools in the post primary sector.
(AQO 1221/09)
12. Mr P J Bradley (South Down):
To ask the Minister of Education what plans she has to allow rural children to be offered free travel on partially filled school buses that pass close to their homes.
(AQO 1269/09)
13. Ms Ní Chuilín ( North Belfast):
To ask the Minister of Education what percentage of children sitting the transfer test in 2007, from the (i) Malone Road; (ii) Kilcooley; (iii) Shankill; and (iv) Falls areas, were admitted to grammar schools.
(AQO 1287/09)
14. Mr Beggs ( East Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Education what consultation she has had with the CCEA on the proposed interim post-primary transfer test.
(AQO 1238/09)
15. Mr Molloy ( Mid Ulster):
To ask the Minister of Education what action her Department is taking to ensure that Traveller children receive a fair and equal education.
(AQO 1286/09)
16. WITHDRAWN
17. Mr Boylan (Newry and Armagh):
To ask the Minister of Education if her Department encourages the inclusion of the Irish language as a subject on the curriculum of post-primary schools.
(AQO 1273/09)
18. Mr Lunn ( Lagan Valley):
To ask the Minister of Education what action she will take against primary schools that are preparing pupils for tests as opposed to teaching the curriculum.
(AQO 1310/09)
19. Ms Anderson (Foyle):
To ask the Minister of Education what are the policy objectives of her current consultation document 'Every School a Good School'.
(AQO 1280/09)
20. Mrs D Kelly ( Upper Bann):
To ask the Minister of Education what discussions she is having with schools and teacher training providers to build the capacity for modern language teaching in (i) initial teacher training; and (ii) in-service development for existing teachers, in primary schools.
(AQO 1305/09)
Questions to the Minister for Employment and Learning
1. Mr Ross ( East Antrim):
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning how many FE courses were undersubscribed in the 2008/09 academic year.
(AQO 1220/09)
2. Mr McCallister (South Down):
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning to provide a timescale for the completion of the Teacher Training Review.
(AQO 1251/09)
3. Mr A Maginness ( North Belfast):
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning if Queen's University, Belfast and Stranmillis University College have agreed that their target date to merge in August 2009 is not feasible.
(AQO 1303/09)
4. Mr P J Bradley (South Down):
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning for his assessment whether 3rd level students have greater difficulty in accessing student loans due to the current economic situation or the personal financial profile of the student.
(AQO 1308/09)
5. Mrs D Kelly ( Upper Bann):
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning to detail the reasons why a tender bid for Steps 2 Work resulted in a preferred contract status being offered to TWL despite it having only one member of staff and no accommodation facilities five weeks before the contracts went live.
(AQO 1311/09)
6. Mr Attwood ( West Belfast):
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning if TWL or other Steps 2 Work contractors have been given an extension after the formal award of Steps 2 Work contracts on 17 September 2008; and if deadline requirements to provide his Department with details of customer information, number of referrals and caseload details have been varied to give contractors longer periods of time to comply.
(AQO 1297/09)
7. Mr Storey ( North Antrim):
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning if all Sector Skills Councils will have achieved their sector skills agreements by December 2008.
(AQO 1214/09)
8. Mr McFarland (North Down):
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning for his assessment of the success of the 'C'mon Over' campaign.
(AQO 1252/09)
9. Mr Savage ( Upper Bann):
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning to provide a timescale for the publication of the Careers Strategy.
(AQO 1243/09)
10. WITHDRAWN
11. WITHDRAWN
12. WITHDRAWN
13. Dr McDonnell ( South Belfast):
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning to explain why casual callers to TWL Headquarters in England seeking information on TWL in Northern Ireland on 29 September 2008 were unable to be given contact details of TWL premises; and why callers were provided with the mobile number of a TWL employee in Northern Ireland who could only provide information up to the award of Steps 2 Work contracts.
(AQO 1296/09)
14. Mr Shannon (Strangford):
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning, given the difficulties with finding places for apprenticeships, to outline his plans to address these issues through job centres and schemes that are in place to encourage these types of opportunities.
(AQO 1223/09)
15. Mr D Bradley (Newry and Armagh):
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning what plans he has to conduct an inquiry into the six year delay in the production of the Review of Teacher Training to determine what failures occurred in the management of the Review and the lessons that can be learned.
(AQO 1289/09)
16. WITHDRAWN
17. Mr K Robinson ( East Antrim):
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning how the rates of undergraduate retention at Queen's University, Belfast and the University of Ulster compare to the United Kingdom average.
(AQO 1246/09)
18. WITHDRAWN
19. Mr Newton ( East Belfast):
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning how careers advisors gain knowledge and experience to enable them to offer advice on vocational career choices, particularly within the traditional trades.
(AQO 1229/09)
20. Mr McKay ( North Antrim):
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning what action he is taking to support people that have lost their jobs in the construction industry.
(AQO 1254/09)
Questions to the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment
1. Mr McCarthy (Strangford):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what plans she has to attract tourists from Europe in light of the global economic downturn.
(AQO 1331/09)
2. Mr Cree (North Down):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what strategies her Department has in place to assist SMEs in the context of a UK wide recession.
(AQO 1255/09)
3. Dr McDonnell ( South Belfast):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, given the recent increases in domestic energy prices, what assessment she has made of possible future reductions in energy costs.
(AQO 1325/09)
4. Mr Buchanan (West Tyrone):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what action she is taking to help manufacturing sales in the West Tyrone constituency, given the current economic climate.
(AQO 1239/09)
5. Mr McCallister (South Down):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what actions she is taking to enable businesses to survive the current economic difficulties.
(AQO 1247/09)
6. Mr McKay ( North Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what plans she has to ban the sale of incandescent light bulbs.
(AQO 1263/09)
7. Ms J McCann ( West Belfast):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what discussions she has had with Invest NI in relation to redistributing the reduced requirements in its resource budget, due to the impact on investment decisions by foreign direct investors because of the economic downturn, to help develop (i) Small and Medium Sized Enterprises; and (ii) Social Economy Enterprises.
(AQO 1265/09)
8. Mrs Long ( East Belfast):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what plans she has to attract tourists from North America in light of the global economic downturn.
(AQO 1328/09)
9. Mr B McCrea ( Lagan Valley):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what discussions she has held with the Minister of Finance and Personnel on a small business rates relief scheme.
(AQO 1245/09)
10. Mr Armstrong ( Mid Ulster):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what steps she is taking to address the fall in productivity in the business service and finance sector.
(AQO 1262/09)
11. Mr Poots ( Lagan Valley):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what meetings she has had with representatives of the agriculture and food processing industry, since taking up office.
(AQO 1277/09)
12. Mr Ross ( East Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what scope there is for the reduction of electricity prices in light of falling oil prices.
(AQO 1225/09)
13. Mr K Robinson ( East Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for her assessment of the ability of Northern Ireland to face the current economic downturn.
(AQO 1258/09)
14. Ms Lo ( South Belfast):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what plans she has to attract investment in light of the global economic downturn.
(AQO 1326/09)
15. Mr I McCrea ( Mid Ulster):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what plans she has to extend the gas pipeline to Cookstown.
(AQO 1231/09)
16. Rev Dr Robert Coulter ( North Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, given the current economic downturn, what additional steps she is taking to ensure the retention of existing foreign direct investment.
(AQO 1260/09)
17. Mr Storey ( North Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to outline the anticipated level of unemployment over the next three years.
(AQO 1213/09)
18. Mr Burns ( South Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, given the downturn in retail sales and the failure of the Executive to meet since June, what steps she is taking to improve consumer confidence.
(AQO 1334/09)
19. Mr Simpson ( Upper Bann):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for her assessment of the impact of the current downturn in the world economy on the local business community.
(AQO 1217/09)
20. Mr O'Loan ( North Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what discussions she has had with local major financial institutions on the levels of support available to help ameliorate the impact of the current economic downturn on local small to medium sized enterprises.
(AQO 1327/09)