QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER
ON WEDNESDAY 09 JULY 2008
Questions to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
Questions to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure
Questions to the Minister of Education
Questions to the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment
Questions to the Minister of the Environment
Questions to the Minister of Finance and Personnel
Questions to the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
Questions to the Minister for Regional Development
Questions to the Minister for Social Development
Questions to the Assembly Commission
Questions to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
1. Mr Gardiner (Upper Bann):
To ask the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (i) what is the total acreage of agricultural land set aside from production under EU regulations; (ii) what this represents as a percentage of total available agricultural land; and (iii) how much of this set-aside land is classified as arable.
(AQW 8581/08)
2. Mr Gardiner (Upper Bann):
To ask the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what acreage of the total agricultural land available is under cultivation for bio-fuels and what does this represent as a percentage of the total available agricultural land.
(AQW 8582/08)
3. Mr Gardiner (Upper Bann):
To ask the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what is the total number of rural businesses, and how many of these have been established in each of the past five years.
(AQW 8583/08)
4. Mr Gardiner (Upper Bann):
To ask the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to list all the government measures, both Bills and Orders, which have been subject to rural proofing over the past five years.
(AQW 8584/08)
5. Mr Gardiner (Upper Bann):
To ask the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development how many farmers markets are currently operating and what measures and investment her Department has made to encourage such markets.
(AQW 8585/08)
6. Mr Shannon (Strangford):
To ask the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development if she intends to bring forward legislation to ensure the findings of the Rural White Paper are implemented.
(AQW 8592/08)
Questions to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure
1. Mr D Bradley (Newry and Armagh):
To ask the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, pursuant to the answer to AQW 2449/08, when his department was made aware of discrepancies in PAYE, National Insurance, and VAT payments at the Northern Ireland Events Company; and to outline what action officials took as a result.
(AQW 8619/08)
2. Mr D Bradley (Newry and Armagh):
To ask the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, pursuant to the answer to AQW 2452/08, what the extent of the Northern Ireland Events Company overspend was at the end of the 2005-06 financial year; and to outline what action was taken by departmental officials as a result of that overspend.
(AQW 8620/08)
3. Mr D Bradley (Newry and Armagh):
To ask the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, pursuant to the answer to AQW 2410/08, to provide full details of the work undertaken by accountants Finnegan and Gibson during their visit to the offices of the Northern Ireland Events Company for a period of three days, and then for a further period of five days, during the 2006-07 financial year.
(AQW 8621/08)
Questions to the Minister of Education
1. Mr Easton (North Down):
To ask the Minister of Education when she will make an announcement on the future of Donaghadee High School.
(AQW 8589/08)
2. Mr Shannon (Strangford):
To ask the Minister of Education what action she is taking (i) to address the number of special education needs children; and (ii) to ensure that they are given the assistance needed to access mainstream education.
(AQW 8580/08)
3. Mr Storey (North Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Education what changes have been made to the funding formula in relation to children of Army Personnel, and when did the changes come into effect.
(AQW 8641/08)
4. Mr Storey (North Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Education how many children are diagnosed with Autism, broken down by Education and Library Board.
(AQW 8642/08)
5. Mr Storey (North Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Education what services, other than those provided by the Autism Centre in Middletown, are currently provided for children with Autism in each Education and Library Board area.
(AQW 8643/08)
6. Mr Weir (North Down):
To ask the Minister of Education what additional funding has been provided to the Education and Library Boards to cover the additional costs resulting from rising fuel prices.
(AQW 8606/08)
Questions to the Minister for Employment and Learning
1. Mr Bresland (West Tyrone):
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning what plans he has to replace the existing building at the Strabane Campus of the North West Regional College.
(AQW 8602/08)
Questions to the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment
1. Dr Farry (North Down):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment how the Gross Value Added of Belfast compares to other major UK cities.
(AQW 8632/08)
2. Dr Farry (North Down):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what the methodology is for calculating the Gross Value Added of Belfast relative to other major UK cities.
(AQW 8633/08)
3. Dr Farry (North Down):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what measures are being taken to address additional transport costs that are a result of Northern Ireland's relative peripherality within the European Union.
(AQW 8634/08)
4. Mr Shannon (Strangford):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what market there is for Bio-Fuels.
(AQW 8595/08)
5. Mr Shannon (Strangford):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment why her Department did not fund or assist a debt officer in the Ards and Strangford areas, within the Citizens Advice Bureau or other advice centres.
(AQW 8597/08)
6. Mr Shannon (Strangford):
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment how many applications there have been for alternative eco-friendly energy for the Strangford constituency.
(AQW 8609/08)
Questions to the Minister of the Environment
1. Mr Burnside (South Antrim):
To ask the Minister of the Environment what preventive measures his Department has in place to forestall any repeats of the Ballymartin River pollution incident.
(AQW 8591/08)
2. Mr Burnside (South Antrim):
To ask the Minister of the Environment to outline his Department’s ten year strategy for the development of national parks, outlining all areas under consideration, and detailing the formal links between his Department and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in relation to tourism.
(AQW 8593/08)
3. Mr Burnside (South Antrim):
To ask the Minister of the Environment what are his plans and strategies for the 10 year development of Lough Neagh.
(AQW 8594/08)
4. Mrs Long (East Belfast):
To ask the Minister of the Environment what assessment he has made of the impact of the increase in (i) fuel costs; and (ii) fuel duty on the departmental budget and the realisation of efficiency targets; and what action he has taken to mitigate against these increased costs.
(AQW 8626/08)
5. Mr K Robinson (East Antrim):
To ask the Minister of the Environment to outline his flood defence programme; how the programme will be extended over the next ten years; on what evidence his plans are based; and what budgetary provision he has made, or plans to make, to meet these obligations.
(AQW 8596/08)
6. Mr K Robinson (East Antrim):
To ask the Minister of the Environment for an update on the establishment of Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI); and what plans he has to extend or speed up the rolling out of this programme.
(AQW 8598/08)
Questions to the Minister of Finance and Personnel
1. Mr Burnside (South Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Finance and Personnel if he has applied zero-based budgeting (i) to any sections of his Department; (ii) to any of the operations of his Department; (iii) to his Department overall; (iv) to any agencies under the supervision of his Department; and (v) to any of the other Departments in the Executive or to any Agencies under their supervision.
(AQW 8586/08)
2. Mr Burnside (South Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Finance and Personnel (i) what processes are used to establish the areas of expertise required within the Northern Ireland civil service over the next ten years; (ii) what strategies are in place to better match departmental requirements to specialisms among existing staff, through retraining and secondment; and (iii) how the profile of specialisms required over the next ten years is matched to recruitment planning.
(AQW 8588/08)
3. Dr Farry (North Down):
To ask the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail the current policy on a differential rate of corporation tax for Northern Ireland.
(AQW 8630/08)
4. Dr Farry (North Down):
To ask the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail the representation made to the UK Treasury in relation to a differential rate of corporation tax for Northern Ireland, since the publication of the Varney I report.
(AQW 8631/08)
Questions to the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
1. Mr Easton (North Down):
To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety if the implementation of Agenda for Change is now fully complete.
(AQW 8590/08)
2. Mr Hilditch (East Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many maliciously started fires the Fire and Rescue Service has attended in the Borough of Carrickfergus, in each of the last 3 years; and what costs were incurred.
(AQW 8611/08)
3. Mr Hilditch (East Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what action he is taking to alert young people to the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse; and what information is being provided in schools.
(AQW 8618/08)
4. Mrs Long (East Belfast):
To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what assessment he has made of the impact of the increase in (i) fuel costs; and (ii) fuel duty on the departmental budget and the realisation of efficiency targets; and what action he has taken to mitigate against these increased costs.
(AQW 8627/08)
5. Mr Spratt (South Belfast):
To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many (i) cases of clostridium difficile; and (ii) deaths resulting from clostridium difficile, have occurred in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust in each of the last 3 years, broken down by hospital.
(AQW 8635/08)
Questions to the Minister for Regional Development
1. Mr Easton (North Down):
To ask the Minister for Regional Development what plans he has in relation to fencing around the Kilcooley Estate, Bangor.
(AQW 8644/08)
2. Mr Hilditch (East Antrim):
To ask the Minister for Regional Development, pursuant to his answer to AQW 2594/08, for an update on the street lighting scheme for the Coast Road area of Larne.
(AQW 8610/08)
3. Mr Hilditch (East Antrim):
To ask the Minister for Regional Development for an update on the progress made in relation to traffic calming measures in the Alexander Road area of Carrickfergus; and when this work is due to commence.
(AQW 8612/08)
4. Mrs Long (East Belfast):
To ask the Minister for Regional Development what assessment he has made of the impact of the increase in (i) fuel costs; and (ii) fuel duty on the departmental budget and the realisation of efficiency targets; and what action he has taken to mitigate against these increased costs.
(AQW 8628/08)
5. Mr K Robinson (East Antrim):
To ask the Minister for Regional Development what measures he plans to reduce flooding risks in all areas which have proved susceptible to flooding over the past ten years, and to detail his plans for each area.
(AQW 8601/08)
6. Mr Spratt (South Belfast):
To ask the Minister for Regional Development for an update on the proposed residents parking scheme for areas of Belfast.
(AQW 8578/08)
Questions to the Minister for Social Development
1. Mr Easton (North Down):
To ask the Minister for Social Development when she will consider funding for North Down Alternatives.
(AQW 8587/08)
2. Mr Easton (North Down):
To ask the Minister for Social Development if she is aware that North Down Alternatives have met the Northern Ireland Office protocols.
(AQW 8604/08)
3. Mrs Long (East Belfast):
To ask the Minister for Social Development what assessment she has made of the impact of the increase in (i) fuel costs; and (ii) fuel duty on the departmental budget and the realisation of efficiency targets; and what action she has taken to mitigate against these increased costs.
(AQW 8629/08)
4. Mr Lunn (Lagan Valley):
To ask the Minister for Social Development what proposals she is bringing forward to ensure the regeneration of town centres enhances the safety of deaf and blind road users.
(AQW 8640/08)
5. Mr Weir (North Down):
To ask the Minister for Social Development why surplus land owned by the Housing Executive at Breezemount, North Down, was offered for sale to North Down Borough Council, rather than to a housing association for use as additional social housing.
(AQW 8607/08)
6. Mr Weir (North Down):
To ask the Minister for Social Development how many Housing Executive applicants have been in 'housing stress' in North Down, in each of the last 5 years.
(AQW 8608/08)
7. Mr B Wilson (North Down):
To ask the Minister for Social Development how many instances have occurred where contractors, that have been awarded tenders under Achieving Excellence in Construction (Egan Initiative), subcontracted these tenders to other contractors, since 2001.
(AQW 8638/08)
8. Mr B Wilson (North Down):
To ask the Minister for Social Development what is the average cost per home for heating replacement in Housing Executive houses under Achieving Excellence in Construction (Egan Initiative) for each year since the scheme's introduction in 2001.
(AQW 8639/08)
Questions to the Assembly Commission
1. Mr McKay (North Antrim):
To ask the Assembly Commission what doors visitors and pass holders are allowed to use to access Parliament Buildings; and what plans there are to review these arrangements.
(AQW 8579/08)
2. Mr Weir (North Down):
To ask the Assembly Commission how many staff hours have been taken up with Commission or cross-directorate away days, involving the Commission, or team-building exercises, in each of the last five years.
(AQW 8605/08)