Northern Ireland Assembly, 26 May 2009

334 contributions from 60 members. The official report.

Matters Of The Day

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

Mr Gerry Adams and Mr Francie Brolly have sought leave to make a statement on a matter that fulfils the criteria that are set out in Standing Order 24. I shall call Mr Gerry Kelly to speak for up to three minutes on the subject. I shall then call a representative from each of the other parties, as agreed with the Whips. Those Members will also have up to three minutes to speak on the matter.

Gerry Kelly (Sinn Féin, Belfast North)

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I send condolences from Sinn Féin to Mrs McDaid. I hope that, on this occasion, I speak for the whole Chamber in sending those condolences. Anyone who heard Mrs McDaid speak on the radio this morning about the terrible death of her husband, Kevin McDaid, could not be anything but moved.

It was a terrible and brutal killing. Mrs McDaid went to the aid of her husband and was also beaten. Her friend, who is pregnant, went to assist, and she too was beaten. We could have been looking at three deaths. We are told that up to 50 loyalists went into the estate. This is a time for the Chamber to give a unified voice and to let anyone and everyone who cares to listen know that sectarian attacks are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

Unfortunately, the attack brings back memories of the terrible death that young Michael McIlveen endured. Mr McDaid was in a mixed marriage and was well known in the area as a cross-community worker, and this was not the first time that had been beaten. He had also been attacked within the past two years. Our first thoughts are for Mrs McDaid and her children. According to this morning’s newspapers, Mr McDaid initially went out to make sure that his son was safe, and he lost his own life over it.

Another young man, who has been named locally as Damian Fleming, is in a critical condition and is fighting for his life in hospital.

The Assembly sends its condolences to everyone who has been affected by those events; in the past, it has spoken with a unified voice on such incidents. I call for that unified voice to be heard now so that people who get involved in sectarian attacks understand that they have no excuse. Regardless of where sectarianism comes from, the Assembly condemns it utterly. Go raibh míle maith agat.

Gregory Campbell (DUP, East Londonderry)

I join the Member in offering my sympathies and condolences and those of the DUP to the McDaid family. The murder of Kevin Brendan McDaid, who was a father of four children, must be and is condemned by every Assembly Member.

As with every murder, irrespective of when and by whom it is committed, it is necessary that information be passed to the police so that it can be translated into evidence and the perpetrators brought before a court of law. That is the only way that such incidents will stop and that the perpetrators will realise that there is no escape from justice.

I am the MP and MLA for the area in which Mr McDaid lived. The Heights is a mixed area of Coleraine, and, by and large, families there get on well together; indeed, Mr McDaid was involved in cross-community work. In recent years, however, the Heights has been blighted by a small number of individuals who engage in antisocial behaviour, drug dealing, car theft and other petty crimes; all of which pale into insignificance compared with Mr McDaid’s murder.

At this time, the police need support, just as the family does. I call for that support to be unanimous throughout the House and the wider community.

David McClarty (UUP, East Londonderry)

Like the two previous Members, I extend my deepest sympathies and those of the Ulster Unionist Party to Evelyn, Kevin’s widow, and to their entire family circle. Mr McDaid’s death was tragic, violent, and it should never have occurred. Like other Members, I appeal to anyone who saw anything suspicious to pass that information — even the smallest snippet — to the PSNI so that those who are responsible for that evil deed are brought to justice.

I was born and bred in the Heights area of Coleraine; a fact of which I am proud. I was educated in the area. I went and still go to church in the area. I was married there. The residents of the Killowen/Heights area of Coleraine are a people apart; they are wonderful individuals who care for one another. Unfortunately, as Mr Campbell said, a small number of individuals has spoiled the peace that the community has enjoyed for many years.

Certain people try to portray what is happening in the Heights as widespread sectarianism; nothing could be further from the truth. The vast majority of people in the area simply want to live in peace and harmony with their neighbours, and individuals and groups are working towards that end.

Now, more than ever, I call on the community to come together to isolate the men of violence who have perpetrated this heinous crime and to rid the streets of Coleraine and every other street in Northern Ireland of all forms of sectarianism.

John Dallat (Social Democratic and Labour Party, East Londonderry)

I am glad of the opportunity to join other Members to express the SDLP’s condolences to Evelyn McDaid and her family and friends on the tragic death of Kevin.

Although the tragedy directly affects the McDaid family, it is a far greater tragedy than that. The McDaid family’s loss is Coleraine’s loss. Indeed, it is a serious loss to the countless people across Northern Ireland who yearn for a new dawn and a new beginning and who have responded accordingly, directly to the family and through the media. Let us hope, indeed pray, that Kevin McDaid’s death is not in vain. Let us hope that out of this darkness a new beacon will be lit that lifts the cloud of despair that hangs over Coleraine today. That would bring some comfort to the McDaid family and to Kevin’s widow, who, this morning, courageously called for no retaliation. I hope that her wishes are respected. It would certainly please Kevin, who spent his life working for peace and reconciliation. The people of Coleraine — Catholic and Protestant — want to be free to build that new future. They want to be free from mob law, from lynch mobs and from the lawless organisations of the past that failed everyone and, sadly, still exist.

I was at the scene yesterday, and I heard graphic accounts of the events that led to the tragedy. I heard about the sheer hate, the foul language, the cudgels and hammers and, of course, the physical violence. That is not the Coleraine that I or anyone else wants. Yesterday afternoon, I met the PSNI, and I hope that its resources, which I saw at the police station, will be successful and will put away those who know only violence and despair and who, in the past as in the future, have brought nothing to Coleraine for ordinary, decent people to build on. They were the building blocks of failure. However, I assure the House that many people in Coleraine want to be the building blocks of a new future — one in which Kevin McDaid and others will not die.

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

On behalf of the United Community group, I express my sympathy to Mrs Evelyn McDaid, her family circle and her neighbours who suffered in that dreadful attack.

The murder was a dreadful crime, and it is right that every corner of the House and every part of wider society has condemned it in the same way that we have, sadly, condemned the recent murders of others, particularly the two soldiers and the policeman who died in March. Tragically, in this case, the murderers did not descend from Mars; they came from somewhere else in the Coleraine area. Therefore, people must have information that could help to ensure that the perpetrators are put behind bars, and we should all appeal to those with any information to bring it to the police. The aspiration of the majority of local people is that we move forward together in peace and harmony.

In this place, our progress may sometimes falter. However, we have at least set an example through seeking to work together. Many others in the community work to promote cross-community activity and to build good relations in different parts of Northern Ireland. Kevin McDaid was one of them. We owe it to his memory to ensure that that good work is done and is supported by the whole society.

Dawn Purvis (PUP, Belfast East)

I offer my party’s condolences to Mrs McDaid, her boys, her family and her friends. Furthermore, I send my thoughts to Mr Fleming and his family and hope that he makes a full recovery.

This is an awful murder, and I encourage anyone with information to help the police to bring those responsible to justice. Those involved only serve the aims of extremists on both sides. That fact was made clear several weeks ago through the murders of two sappers and a policeman. Sectarianism is a deadly virus that affects our whole community, not only in deprived areas, but in every class. The murder of Kevin McDaid is an example of sectarianism at its ugliest and most brutal. It is at its most sinister when it is unseen and unheard and when it is institutionalised, as it is in our society.

It is our responsibility to tackle that deadly virus together, and I look forward to the publication of the strategy for cohesion, sharing and integration as the Executive’s first step to dealing with that deadly virus. “Separate but equal” will not result in the shared and better future that we all crave.

Ministerial Statement

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

I have received notice from the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment that she wishes to make a statement on the short-term aid scheme for business in Northern Ireland.

Arlene Foster (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I wish to make a statement on the introduction of a £15 million short-term aid scheme for business in Northern Ireland. My Executive colleagues and I have been acutely aware over the past months of the difficulties that companies right across Northern Ireland face in the wake of the global economic crisis. We have witnessed a significant increase in redundancy notices and company closures, which have fed into the unemployment numbers and have posed real difficulties for companies and individuals.

After my statement, the Minister for Employment and Learning will make a statement on actions that his Department is taking in response to the difficulties that companies are experiencing. For my part, I tasked my officials some months ago with devising proposals to help fundamentally viable companies that are facing short-term difficulties to weather the economic storm.

In mid-December 2008, by way of response to the global credit crunch, the European Commission issued a temporary community framework for state-aid measures to support access to finance in the current financial and economic crisis, because it believed:

“the current global crisis requires exceptional policy responses.”

One measure — small amounts of compatible aid — offers member states the opportunity to assist companies with relatively modest amounts of support without detrimentally affecting competition in the European Union. The amount is set at up to €500,000 before tax deduction or other charges.

That element of the temporary framework operates within de minimis aid regulations, and the Commission recognises the potential need for a greater quantum of support at this time than would be available under normal de minimis aid rules, which normally allow up to €200,000 to be administered. The Commission takes the view that to assist one company at the revised de minimis level of support under the temporary framework in acknowledged extraordinary circumstances will not distort its competition with others.

In January 2009, the UK Government notified a £1 billion umbrella scheme to the Commission for providing business support of up to €500,000 per company during the period to 31 December 2010. That specifically notified measure is designed to address potential damage to the UK economy through the possible loss of fundamentally viable companies as a result of the global financial crisis. The UK measure, however, is not a scheme in its own right. It is up to the devolved Administrations and England’s regional development agencies (RDAs) to develop their own proposals to meet their region’s specific needs within the terms of the UK’s notified measure. In its proposals, the Economic Development Forum (EDF) subgroup outlined a desire for Northern Ireland to take advantage of the temporary framework’s provisions.

My officials have been working on developing a scheme for Northern Ireland, and I can now inform Members that a £15 million grant scheme to support eligible companies that are experiencing difficulties in the current economic climate will be introduced from Monday 1 June 2009. The scheme’s objective is to provide eligible businesses with financial assistance that will enable them to plan and, where necessary, restructure for the future, while retaining key staff so that they are ready to take advantage of an economic upturn.

The scheme, which is to be known as the short-term aid scheme, will offer support over and above what Government have already established and what the banks have so far announced. The scheme, which Invest Northern Ireland will operate, will run until 31 December 2010. Assistance will be based on maintaining the employment of key skilled workers in a supported business who would otherwise have to be released. Maximum support per business will be €500,000, which is approximately £445,000 at current exchange rates, less the value of other de minimis aid offered to the business between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2010.

Costs incurred that are beyond 31 December 2010 are not eligible for support. Those rules comply with Commission regulations.

The short-term aid scheme will be available to large companies, SMEs and microbusinesses in the manufacturing and tradeable services sectors that are fundamentally viable and were not in difficulty at 1 July 2008 but are experiencing short-term difficulties because of the global downturn. The business concerned should also have or have the potential to have total sales of more than £100,000 per annum by 31 December 2010, more than 25% of which should be from outside Northern Ireland. Alternatively, it should have total external sales of more than £250,000 per annum.

Companies will be expected to demonstrate on their application form their need for support, the costs that are involved, and the steps that they are taking or have taken to address their difficulties. They should also identify the key skilled posts that they wish to retain and the proposed activities that will be undertaken. Those activities could, for example, be related to individual training, developing leads and undertaking market research into new niche markets, and secondments from larger companies to improve the capabilities of local SMEs while retaining the individual secondees on the books of the larger company.

Where training activities are proposed, there will be close co-operation between my officials in Invest Northern Ireland and officials in the Department for Employment and Learning to ensure that a comp­rehensive, practical response is provided to the company in question. An Invest Northern Ireland selection panel will assess cases that are presented for support, and applicants will be notified of the panel’s decision. A flat rate of grant assistance will be offered that is based on company size, according to the European Commission’s definition of a company. That will be 80% for SMEs that have fewer than 50 employees, 70% for SMEs with between 50 and 250 employees, and 60% for non-SMEs. Salaries and some associated costs for the key skilled posts that are identified will be supported.

I mentioned support that the Government have introduced already. In order to bring a degree of clarity to the range of financial support that is available to Northern Ireland SMEs and to help them through the difficulties arising from the current economic downturn, my Department has prepared an easy-to-read compendium. It is available in tabular form on the Department’s website. It is not an exhaustive list of all forms of support; instead, it provides a snapshot of the main European, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland schemes that were introduced recently as a direct response to the economic downturn. Those include the European Investment Bank funding, the UK-wide enterprise finance guarantee scheme and Invest Northern Ireland’s accelerated support fund.

To date, the table has been used as part of wider briefing material for Minister’s meetings with the main Northern Ireland banks to discuss lending practices. The recent Institute of Directors bank lending survey showed that businesses do not appear to be sufficiently aware of the various local funding schemes that are available. I am, therefore, keen to widen knowledge of the various forms of support that our SMEs can access.

Having distributed the table in government, I have arranged for it to be circulated to the Economic Development Forum and the cross-sector advisory forum to ensure that the information reaches business representative organisations and their members. I understand that the table is being highlighted already by the Institute of Directors on its NIcrunchtalk website.

The table shows that, in addition to the short-term aid scheme that is being introduced today, Northern Ireland businesses can avail themselves of a number of other schemes. Some of those are available via Invest Northern Ireland, but others can be accessed through local banks. I have encouraged local banks to make maximum use of the available schemes when discussing lending opportunities with customers.

In addition to showing the various loan schemes that are available, the table provides information to businesses about the business payment support service of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. That service provides help by spreading tax payments over a longer period. There is also a trade credit insurance top-up scheme, which is provided by BERR and is designed to help businesses whose credit insurance cover has been reduced by their insurance provider.

It is clear that many businesses are experiencing a short-term reduction in demand for their products and services. That is resulting in companies’ finances being squeezed, and it is causing what would otherwise be viable businesses to experience financial difficulties. To help those businesses prepare for the economic upturn when it comes, it is important that the Government provide effective and efficient support. A key element of that support will be to ensure that businesses retain their skills base and enhance that where possible. The scheme that I have announced today will do just that. It will provide crucial and invaluable support to businesses that may otherwise have to make key employees redundant, resulting in the loss of valuable skills and knowledge that would therefore not be readily available when economic recovery occurs. The scheme will save on future recruitment costs when markets improve and will provide the potential for businesses to generate profits arising from the activities of the maintained posts. I commend the statement to the Assembly.

Jennifer McCann (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. As Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, I thank the Minister for her statement.

The Committee has been proactive in looking at the impact of the economic downturn and its effects on businesses here. The Minister’s statement is extremely welcome. The support being offered will act as a lifeline to many companies that are dealing with the effects of the credit crunch on a daily basis.

The Minister mentioned criteria for assessing which companies are eligible for short-term aid. Given that the scheme will be introduced next week, will she give details of the specific criteria that will be used by Invest NI to assess the need for support to ensure that all applicants are considered equally? Also, will the Minister provide details of any appeals procedure for companies that the Invest NI selection panel assess as being ineligible for aid?

Arlene Foster (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I am glad to note that the Committee welcomes the scheme. I am sure that it will be welcomed by many of the businesses throughout Northern Ireland that have indicated that they are dealing with short-term pressures. Those companies feel that they are viable in the long term. They are experiencing short-term difficulties, which are precisely what the scheme has been designed to address.

The short-term aid scheme will run from 1 June 2009 until 31 December 2010. It is open to all companies in the manufacturing and tradeable services sector in Northern Ireland that are in difficulty. The scheme is available to companies that are fundamentally viable and that were not in difficulty prior to 1 July 2008 — that is, their difficulties have been caused by the global economic downturn. They must also meet or have the potential to meet the criteria, which are that they must have total sales of £100,000 a year and have sales outside Northern Ireland that are greater than 25% of their turnover, or, if they are larger firms, the amount of sales should be greater than £250,000 a year. Those are the details of the scheme.

The application forms are clear and simple to complete, which Members will welcome. We do not want to spend a lot of time on bureaucracy during the scheme. Help for companies that are clients of Invest NI and require assistance to complete the forms will be provided by client executives in Invest NI. Companies that are not Invest NI clients and require help to complete the forms will be assisted by business development executives in Invest NI.

Completed forms will be sent to a panel of Invest NI. The panel will consider the application forms and the criteria, as well as the regional economic impact that the loss of those key skills would have in respect of that particular company. The Deputy Chairperson will be pleased to know that that will be taken into account when the applications are assessed. We are also looking at the wider economic impact that those companies have and at the maintenance of key skills for the Northern Ireland economy.

I am happy to write to the Deputy Chairperson with details of how companies can appeal. I hope that there will not be too many appeals, because we hope to help as many companies as possible. Fifty million pounds is available to us, and although the scheme is scheduled to run for a short time we believe that we will have no difficulty in spending the money.

Jim Wells (DUP, South Down)

I am sure that the House will join me in welcoming this innovation. I am delighted to see that Northern Ireland is trailblazing once again as far as the rest of the UK is concerned. That is very welcome.

I wish to raise two issues with the Minister. We all hope that, by the end of December 2010, the recession will be a thing of the past and that companies will have come out of their current difficult positions. Should that not happen, can the innovative scheme be extended so that it can continue to support jobs?

I also want to raise the slightly thorny issue of displacement. One company might receive funding under the scheme while another company might not, which will mean that the latter will lose jobs and the former will keep people in employment. Will the assessment panel examine applications carefully to ensure that we are not robbing Peter to pay Paul with regard to job retention?

Arlene Foster (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

The purpose of the scheme is to maintain key skills that are not readily available elsewhere for the entire Northern Ireland economy. Therefore, we do not see displacement as an issue. We will consider the regional and wider economic impact of awarding money to each company that applies.

Please God, we will not need to extend the scheme beyond 31 December 2010, but, if we did, we would consult the Westminster Government. The scheme has been made possible because the UK Government have provided a £1 billion umbrella scheme and allowed us to develop our own scheme. The Member is absolutely right: as far as I am aware, there is no scheme akin to ours in any of the other devolved regions in the United Kingdom. Therefore, Northern Ireland is leading the way, and we are very pleased about that. We are determined to help our smaller companies, larger companies and micro-companies as much as we can and ensure that devolution makes a difference to people in Northern Ireland.

Leslie Cree (UUP, North Down)

I thank the Minister for her welcome statement. The qualifying criteria for the short-term aid scheme suggest that it is geared solely towards INI client companies. Will the Minister assure Members that the scheme will be open to businesses that are not INI client companies?

Arlene Foster (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I specifically said that the scheme was not only for Invest Northern Ireland companies, which is why the criteria are set out as they are. We could easily have said that the scheme would apply only to Invest Northern Ireland client companies, but I was determined that it would not. Furthermore, that is why I said that those who need assistance to complete the application form can go either to their Invest NI client executive or to a business development executive within Invest Northern Ireland who is not attached to any company and will help smaller companies, in particular, to complete the application forms. The application forms are very simple; there are guidance notes, but, if further help is required, Invest Northern Ireland will provide that.

Declan O'Loan (Social Democratic and Labour Party, North Antrim)

I welcome the Minister’s statement and the scheme that she outlined, which is in line with SDLP proposals. I also welcome the Minister’s answer, in which she referred to an easy and supported application process.

The Minister said that a flat rate will be offered, based on company size. Is that not an inflexible way to proceed, and should the scheme not provide support on the basis of the quality of a company’s proposal?

The Minister also said that there is not sufficient awareness among businesses of the available schemes. Does she not agree that the real problem is that banks are not making money available to businesses?

Arlene Foster (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I partially welcome the Member’s comments; I am reminded that it is election time and that every party is trying to claim responsibility for good policies. The scheme is a good news story for the entire Assembly, and it means that businesses will be assisted when they are most in need so that they can retain their skilled workers.

I accept the Member’s comments about flat rates, but the idea behind that is to be as quick as possible in responding to the needs of businesses. We have set ourselves a target of turning application forms around within 20 working days. I want that to be delivered, because people in difficulty need our help as quickly as possible.

I am very much aware that many people are still having difficulties with their banks. We are engaged in ongoing dialogue with the banks, but, as a member of the Committee for Finance and Personnel, the Member will know that, unfortunately, we do not have any statutory powers over the banks. However, we will continue to push them to be open for business and to provide businesses with access to credit.

I am particularly concerned about the take-up rate for the enterprise finance guarantee scheme in Northern Ireland. I have seen the take-up figures for the rest of the United Kingdom and those for Northern Ireland, and, frankly, a huge disparity exists, for which there must be a reason. I recently wrote to the four main banks that operate the scheme here to ask them for a dialogue about take-up levels. If the scheme is operating in the rest of the UK, why is it not operating in Northern Ireland in any more than a very limited way? That is an issue on which I will continue to press, and I know that the House will want me to do that.

Séan Neeson (Alliance, East Antrim)

I, too, very much welcome the Minister’s statement and the co-operation between the Minister and Sir Reg Empey on the matter. It is a pity that Minister Foster did not make her statement a day earlier, because she would have thwarted her former friend Mr Allister on ‘Talkback’ yesterday when he said that the European Commission was not doing enough to help businesses.

Does the Minister agree that the success of the scheme very much depends on co-operation between her Department and the Department for Employment and Learning?

Arlene Foster (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

It being a bank holiday yesterday, I was not listening to ‘Talkback’, but, as Members can imagine, I am sorry that I did not hear that interjection.

My Department and Sir Reg Empey’s Department for Employment and Learning have been working very closely on what we can do to help businesses. The Member will know that, directly after this statement, Sir Reg will make a statement on the help that his Department will be offering.

As I said in my statement, the Executive are only too aware of the difficulties that businesses are facing. Indeed, the global economic downturn is a standing agenda item for discussion every week that the Executive meet. That is right and proper, and we will continue to do that.

Robin Newton (DUP, Belfast East)

I join other Members in welcoming the Minister’s statement. I also welcome the fact that she has taken the initiative on the matter. Indeed, in the United Kingdom, we are taking the lead. I have no doubt that business organisations and those whom they represent will welcome the statement. Knowing that the Assembly does care and is prepared to act to support it will give the business sector some confidence.

I welcome the Minister’s remarks about reducing red tape and making swift decisions. How long will those swift decisions take to make? I also welcome her saying in her statement that she intends:

“to bring a degree of clarity to the range of financial support that is available to Northern Ireland SMEs and to help them through the difficulties arising from the current economic downturn”.

Although a considerable amount of help is available, the clarity that SMEs need in order to obtain that assistance is not there.

Arlene Foster (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I concur with the Member’s last point. I do not think that there is clarity about what is available for businesses, small or large. That is why the Department has put together a compendium or matrix that sets out what is available, whether from the European Investment Bank, Invest Northern Ireland or local banks.

Availability is one thing — I refer the Member to my previous answer — but we also need to ensure that there is take-up. I hope that the compendium, which is available on the Department’s website, will be used fully. I am sure that, if they so wish, we will be able to furnish Members with hard copies of the compendium for their constituency offices so that they can have them to hand when businesses come in for advice and assistance, as they do in all constituencies. The Institute of Directors has said that there is no awareness of what help is available to businesses; therefore, it is incumbent on the Government to help fill that communication gap.

In relation to the turnaround of applications, we are committed to giving an answer to companies within 20 working days of receipt of applications. That is a good target, and I will be watching very carefully to see that it is complied with. The last thing that we want to do is add to the bureaucracy and stress faced by those companies.

Simon Hamilton (DUP, Strangford)

I join others in welcoming the scheme and, in particular, the fact that it is unique in the United Kingdom. Will the Minister assure the House that there is a requirement for confidentiality in respect of any applications? As she pointed out in her statement, all those businesses are generally good, solvent businesses that are merely experiencing some short-term problems. Does the Minister agree that, if the names of the companies that were applying for the scheme became known, it could do long-term damage to businesses that were merely trying to get through short-term choppy waters and that, therefore, confidentiality is key?

Arlene Foster (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I absolutely agree that confidentiality is key. As the Member said, the aim of the short-term aid scheme is to help companies that are viable in the long term but are having difficulties at the moment. However, if companies became aware that other companies are having difficulties, they may try to take competitive advantage of that. Invest Northern Ireland is well used to dealing with confidentiality issues, and it will continue to do so in respect of the short-term aid scheme.

Alasdair McDonnell (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast South)

I thank the Minister for her statement, even though she does not accept that there may be a strong correlation between SDLP approaches and her announcement. Nevertheless, I thank her for facilitating that.

The Minister will be aware of the Prime Minister’s reply to a question that I asked him last week. Does she agree with him and with me that banks, particularly those that have required Exchequer bail-out, should not be allowed to gratuitously squeeze otherwise viable businesses out of existence, nor should they be allowed to overcharge for their services? What further action can she take to pressurise local banks? She referred earlier to re-establishing trust and with that trust will come renewed cash flow. Anyone who I talk to about those things feels that there is hardly any point in going near a bank any more because they will not give them money, and, if perchance people are given money, they will be charged twice as much interest as they should be.

Arlene Foster (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I recognise what the Member is talking about in relation to banks, and the First Minister, the deputy First Minister, the Finance Minister and I met each of the banks to press home those very issues. Some of us had a suspicion that the banks, particularly those that have been recapitalised by the Government, are trying to build themselves up again. There is a perception among people who have small businesses, particularly farmers, that they are being targeted because they are easy hits, and they feel very sore about that. I have said it before, and I will say it again: if there are specific instances of banks putting pressure on people, we need to challenge the banks on those.

When we meet the banks, we are told that they are open for business, that they very much want to do business with and lend to the people of Northern Ireland. However, we hear a very different story from our constituents. Therefore, we will continue to talk to the banks, but we do not have any statutory authority over them. As I said, I want to know why we are having difficulties with the enterprise finance guarantee scheme in Northern Ireland. I want to know what the problem is and whether the banks have a difficulty with that scheme. I hope to get to the bottom of that.

Jim Shannon (DUP, Strangford)

I thank the Minister for her comprehensive response and the announcement of a new initiative. That good news for the economy has been welcomed by everyone.

The Minister’s statement referred to businesses that are “fundamentally viable” and “not in difficulty” as of 1 July 2008. The Minister will be aware, as will everyone in the Chamber, of businesses that have cut back on their hours and overtime. Some businesses have cut the number of weekly working days to four or even three and reduced their wage bills. I suggest that such businesses are responding to short-term difficulties that are due to the global downturn. Will the Minister assure the House that the assistance that she has announced, in the form of the short-term aid scheme, will be available to those small, medium and large companies, thereby ensuring that they will, as she said in her previous answer, be able to bounce back when the inevitable economic upturn occurs?

Arlene Foster (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I thank the Member for his question. The idea behind the scheme is to help companies that would be flying along now were it not for the global economic downturn and its accompanying pressures. I pay tribute to large and small companies that are taking the initiative to sustain their businesses. Many employees have had to endure shorter working hours and a reduction in wages. However, they do so in the knowledge and with the hope and expectation that it will be only for the short term. Employees hope that, when the economic upturn happens, their jobs will still be there and the companies will grow again.

The scheme is designed to make the situation easier for employers and employees. It will facilitate the redeployment of skilled people to other areas. The Department has been wide-ranging and flexible about what those people will do during that period. As long as a particular company retains those skills, workers can be redeployed to do almost anything. The scheme was set up to be flexible and assist struggling companies, and I hope that it fulfils those objectives.

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

I have received notice from the Minister for Employment and Learning that he wishes to make a statement on training during the economic downturn.

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

As all Members know, the Executive are committed to doing all that they can to protect local people and businesses from the worst effects of the economic downturn. In the course of only a few months, the economic context that underpins the delivery of all interventions in skills development in Northern Ireland has radically changed. The global recession has been keenly felt across Northern Ireland, resulting in significant job losses in many industries. In addition, an increasing number of companies, particularly in the manufacturing and engineering sector, have ceased production for a set period or moved to three- or four-day working arrangements. Their aim in doing so is to reduce product stockpiles and running costs during the current period of low demand in the marketplace.

Such dramatic economic challenges have brought the skills agenda sharply into focus. To ensure that Northern Ireland is able to make the most of the opportunities that will arise as a result of the eventual economic upturn, we must continue to build on and improve the skills of the workforce. However, during a recession, business training needs change, and apprentices can often be vulnerable. Therefore, I have asked my officials to develop proposals to focus on the needs of apprentices who have been placed on short-time working.

When Apprenticeships NI was launched in September 2008, the Department restated its commitment to 10,000 apprentices being in training at any one time by 2010. By February 2009, that target had been exceeded, with almost 10,300 people undertaking apprenticeships. That represents an increase of 77% over two years.

To protect its existing investment in apprentices, the Department has already put in place procedures to help to protect them from some of the effects of the recession. Contingency arrangements were introduced from 1 December 2008 to ensure that apprentices in the construction, engineering and automotive sectors can complete their training even if they are made redundant. However, more can be done, particularly for apprentices who have been placed on short-time working, which is why I am announcing the introduction of a new scheme to help apprentices on short-time working. Commencing on 8 June, the new Skillsafe scheme will make up to £6 million available for the training of apprentices who are on short-time working. Money for the scheme will come from my Department’s budget and from the European social fund. My Department will work with employers who have placed apprentices on short-time working and with the relevant training organisation to help to fill the apprentices’ downtime with accredited training that will contribute to their apprenticeship.

The scheme will pay the apprentice a training allowance to offset the reduction in their pay caused by their being placed on short-time working. The scheme will also contribute to the additional training costs. The programme will begin with the manufacturing/engineering sector, but eligibility for the scheme will be kept under review with the aim of expanding it to other key sectors, subject to demand.

The Department believes the scheme to be an appropriate intervention for several reasons. A modest level of intervention now could save up to three years’ investment in the training of apprentices and their work-based mentors. Offering a financial incentive for apprentices will encourage employers to consider retaining them rather than regarding them as an easy target for redundancy. The scheme will encourage the use of downtime for an investment in skills by apprentice and employer. Skillsafe supports the principle of the “Now is the time” campaign and the Success through Skills strategy to invest in skills and upskilling to strengthen the future economy. It will complement the support provided by Invest NI, as outlined earlier by the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment. The scheme will be available from 8 June and will end once we have recorded two consecutive quarters of neutral or positive growth.

Over the next two weeks, my Department will send information leaflets to all our apprenticeship training providers for distribution to all relevant employers; the leaflets will outline what is on offer and whom to contact. Details will also be available on my Department’s website.

In addition, my Department’s day-to-day operations involve working closely with employers and businesses. During the present difficult time, we are even more committed to doing what we can to help them to survive the downturn and to prepare for recovery. We have a dedicated team of advisers available to help businesses that want to look at their training requirements and the possible upskilling of non-apprentice staff. That team has a wealth of experience, and eligible companies can arrange for someone to visit their premises to offer advice and assistance. The team works with an organisation to identify and address its training requirements and to provide necessary support on a case-by-case basis.

Although I hope that the Northern Ireland economy will soon see signs of recovery, I have asked my officials to continue to develop other interventions in addition to those announced in the Assembly today. One of those interventions will target small and medium-sized enterprises in the manufacturing and tradeable services sectors to encourage individuals to train, should they also become subject to short-time working.

Once the required due processes are completed and the required authorisations received, I will make a further statement to the Assembly. Members are aware that this new scheme is being devised in the context of current public expenditure constraints, and they will understand what that may mean.

Sue Ramsey (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I thank the Minister for his statement. It is useful, as it came on the back of the statement made by the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment. It sends out a clear message that a joined-up approach is being used to tackle some of those issues.

The Minister mentioned the Skillsafe scheme and the issue of the £6 million. He ended his statement by saying that the scheme was devised in the context of current public expenditure constraints. Will that have an impact on the decision about which companies will be offered the scheme? How will the decision be made?

The Minister mentioned paying apprentices a training allowance to help offset reductions in their pay. Will that allowance cover their full losses or only a percentage of them? Are employers expected to meet the remaining training costs? The Minister’s last point was about updating the Assembly on other programmes that are in the pipeline. Does he think that those programmes will come on board before the summer recess?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

The Member raised a number of issues. I mentioned public expenditure simply because this programme will operate within our existing budgets, with some help from the ESF. I also mentioned that it is my intention to evaluate whether we need to expand the programme to other sectors, subject to demand. If we do, there will clearly be financial implications.

In addition, I mentioned that I envisaged making a subsequent statement about wider issues, particularly those that concern SMEs. I cannot be precise, but I hope to be in a position to do that within the next few weeks, before the recess. At that stage, we could be talking about significant amounts of money. We will not shy away from spending money because we believe that spending it at this time and on these issues is good value for money. However, much will depend on uptake, and it is clear that we have only a finite amount of money. We will operate within our existing budgets, with a bit of help from ESF. I do not want that to put a dampener on anything; I merely point out that we must bear in mind that there are limits to which we have to adhere. As far as the offset is concerned, I envisage that we will pay apprentices who are on short time at least minimum wage for the period of downtime, irrespective of their age.

The matters that concern training providers will depend on a number of issues. We will have to negotiate with them because they all have contracts. We may have to examine their capacity to deliver the training and negotiate individually with them, so I cannot be very precise. The objective will be to ensure that the training providers are adequately resourced, but the matter will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. That covers most of the points that the Committee Chairperson raised.

Robin Newton (DUP, Belfast East)

I welcome the Minister’s statement. It followed the statement that was made by the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, and it gives some degree of confidence and comfort to the business sector as a whole and to young people who have faced the problems of redundancy over the past days and months.

This is a welcome scheme. The Minister indicated that it will go out of existence when we witness growth in the economy. How will the effects of the scheme be monitored and reviewed? In the event that it does not produce the results that we desire, how will it be reviewed to ensure that the necessary changes will be made to bring it up to speed and into line?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

I indicated that two consecutive quarters of nil or positive growth would be the cut-off point. The starting point for the scheme is that we wanted to get help in there quickly. We will have information on our website, we are printing leaflets, and our advisers will be aware of the scheme so that they can talk to companies about it.

We do not want to get ourselves too bogged down in bureaucracy. Where we make an investment, a degree of risk is involved, just as a degree of risk is involved in the statement that Minister Foster made, so we could make errors, or an investment may be put in place yet the company does not survive. However, we propose to use existing providers to deliver the training, and those providers are monitored and inspected in the normal course of events. Therefore, it is not our intention to put in place an elaborate structure to monitor that aspect of the scheme, because the Department has the capacity to do so under existing arrangements.

I do not intend to be overcautious. When companies come to us, we will have to make a judgement and an assessment, just as the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment will have to do. Where we believe that there is a genuine reduction in hours, with apprentices being put on short-time working, and if we are satisfied that that is happening in the sector on which we are focusing, we will negotiate an offer of help with the individual training provider that is applicable to that particular company and pay an allowance to the apprentice. We will have to keep an eye on how the scheme is working. We must ensure that the scheme is being adhered to, but existing processes are in place to allow that to happen.

David McClarty (UUP, East Londonderry)

I thank the Minister for his statement and congratulate him on the initiative.

As all Members are aware, we are in the middle of an unprecedented economic downturn. However, after the downturn will eventually come an upturn, for which we must be prepared. It is, therefore, vital that we build on and improve our skills base. Following his recent visit to the United States, where he visited community colleges, has the Minister identified best practice for improving the training, and consequently the skills, of our young apprentices?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

We have had a relationship with the state of North Carolina, particularly with its community college system, for some time. We have been involved with its community college system for several years. I was pleased that the Committee for Employment and Learning had the opportunity to see for itself last month how that system works. North Carolina uses the community college system, which is the equivalent of our further education sector, as its principal training tool for economic-development purposes.

An interesting point to note is that the community college system works closely with the United States Department of Commerce, which is the equivalent of our Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment. The lesson learned was that those two sectors work together closely to ensure that the state provides, via its community colleges, the right skills for the companies in that state. That is the link between the two. The creation around the Province of workforce development forums for each further education college to engage with local employers means that we are close to adopting that model in Northern Ireland.

That is the best way of conveying to colleges the type of training that local employers want, because it costs no more to train people for the right jobs than for the wrong ones. It is a good system from which we can learn. The Committee found it interesting, and I believe that the model has potential for Northern Ireland.

Declan O'Loan (Social Democratic and Labour Party, North Antrim)

I welcome the Minister’s statement. I know that he is a reasonable person, and I am sure that he will agree that his proposal is very much in line with proposals that have been published by the SDLP.

Does the Minister agree that the building trades, including the electrical trade, are in need of the scheme? Many of us are annoyed and disappointed that NIE has said that it will not recruit apprentice electricians in September of this year. Will the Minister update us on discussions that he has had with NIE? Its decision not to recruit apprentices aggrieves many of us, especially given the profits that it draws from every household and business in Northern Ireland.

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

I want to correct the Member: the SDLP’s proposals are in line with my Department’s. We were working on the proposals some time before the Member produced his document; I do not know how he got our internal information.

I visited the NIE’s training centre and was impressed with what I saw. NIE is a profitable company, and it has a first-class school at its headquarters. I know that my Department has been liaising closely with NIE in recent weeks. Therefore, it is hoped that any reduction in apprentices will be short term. Ultimately, however, it is up to individual companies to provide apprenticeships; we cannot invent them, but we have to encourage companies. I assume that NIE made a commercial decision based on the volume of people whom it has trained already. Furthermore, it is also possible that in the economic recession, fewer people are leaving NIE to move to other jobs.

On visiting NIE, I saw that its apprenticeships are not confined to young people; one apprentice whom I met was over 50 years of age. Perhaps there is hope for all of us.

Anna Lo (Alliance, Belfast South)

I welcome the Minister’s statement. His intervention proposals are timely and will bring much needed help to the apprentices who, so often, are the first to be made redundant or to be put on short-time working during difficult economic times.

Plenty of questions have been asked about apprentices, but I am particularly interested in what the Minister said about intervention in SMEs, given the shortage of managerial skills in that sector. Will the Minister target the new intervention at managerial training for SMEs?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

As I said earlier, I intend to make another statement when certain due processes are completed.

The proposal that I announced today is consistent with programmes that are running in the Department for Employment and Learning; it is an extension of them. Therefore, the Department was able to make a unilateral decision — without reference to the Department of Finance and Personnel, for instance — because it was consistent with existing programmes.

If we propose interventions that are different from those that we make at present, there is a process in Government through which we have to pass. Furthermore, any interventions that are different from those that we make at present are more far-reaching. In working out the detail of those interventions, therefore, we must be careful to ensure, as far as possible, that any flaws are kept to a minimum, because people will always find a loophole or there will always be an error.

Therefore, a lot of preparatory work needs to be done, and we must work on that with the Department of Finance and Personnel. The possibility of the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and I having to bid for additional funding during monitoring rounds must be borne in mind. Once we begin such interventions, it does not take long for large sums of money to start adding up.

On the specific issue of managerial skills, the Member will be aware that my Department has offered companies management and leadership courses that are free at the point of delivery. In fact, demand for those courses has been such that we have had to halt the applications temporarily, because we have had difficulty processing them. However, we will return to that. Interest from companies has been significant already, and that intervention will stand those companies in good stead.

We must remember — perhaps this is a good thing — that many business managers have never had to manage during a recession before. They know how to manage in good times and in periods of growth, but many of them have never had to manage in a downturn. When one thinks about it, people who began their careers in their early 20s would be in their late 30s now and would never have experienced an economic downturn. That explains why there is such interest in, and demand for, management courses.

All the evidence at our disposal suggests that improving management and leadership capability has a direct influence on the ability to improve the competitiveness of the economy. I assure the Member that my Department is very focused on that area.

Alex Easton (DUP, North Down)

I, too, welcome the Minister’s announce­ment; it is good news for businesses and for apprentices in particular. How much of the £6 million funding will come from the European social fund and how much from his Department? Will funding from the Minister’s Department be new money, or will it be money that has been taken from other areas?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

The money will come from existing departmental budget lines; it is not new money in that sense. I have shifted money around in my budget. The European social fund normally contributes about 40% of the funding. That is the standard rate, and I expect it to be the same in this case. Given that the Budget settlement for the last financial year was the tightest of the three years, we have a wee bit more room for manoeuvre in this new financial year, now that inflation and pressure on pay rates and so on are much lower. Therefore, we have merely reconfigured existing budget lines slightly to allow for the initiative, and that, together with the European social fund contribution at 40%, is how we propose to fund the scheme.

As I said in my statement, we will look at other sectors as demand arises. Therefore, the proposals apply to one particular sector at what could be the maximum take-up rate. If we were to extend the scheme to other sectors, which we may do in light of circumstances, there would be further pressure on those moneys. Given the present recession, it is important that the Department spends money when it will have the most effect. There is little point in waiting until it is too late. There is little point in allowing apprentices, who may have spent two or three years of their lives trying to get qualifications, to be thrown out with nothing. Therefore, the moneys used will be public money well spent.

My Department has co-operated greatly with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment on the initiative. I have had several meetings with representatives of that Department, and our officials are in constant contact. We are trying to take a joined-up approach. We are working closely with Invest NI, which will be able to provide guidance from time to time on the possibility of expanding the scheme to other sectors. We will be very interested to hear Invest NI’s contributions at that time.

That is how I propose to fund the scheme at this stage. However, any second proposal that I come back with could be much more expensive.

Paul Butler (Sinn Féin, Lagan Valley)

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. The Minister has, in the past, referred to other sectors, particularly the construction industry and the motor vehicle industry, and he referred in his statement to other interventions. Is he considering strengthening the ties between further education colleges and employer engagement, given the important role that further education colleges play in helping small and medium-sized enterprises? Is the Minister assessing the critical sector analysis to see how it can help people into training?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

The Member has reminded me that I omitted to respond to Mr O’Loan when he referred to the construction sector — obviously, his claiming credit for his party threw me at that point. If the sun is still shining, that may also be his party’s responsibility. [Laughter.]

In reply to both Members, we all know that the construction sector is in severe difficulty. I have made a lot of visits to jobcentres, the most recent of which was to Magherafelt the week before last. Members know that there is a high concentration of people working in the construction sector in that area. It is a very depressed situation and, in some cases, jobcentres do not have a single job available in the construction sector. As the Member knows, we are reviewing the Construction Industry Training Board, and we are in the middle of a lot of work on this issue.

Mr Butler also asked about SMEs and critical sector analysis. We are guided by all those issues. I anticipate there being interventions to non-apprentices; in other words, interventions at the level of employees who may be faced with short-time working. Such interventions are particularly important given that Northern Ireland’s economy mainly involves small businesses. We want to ensure that those interventions will be made not only by Invest NI companies, but by small companies that may not have any connection with Invest NI. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment will be taking the same approach.

The construction industry is in a difficult situation, given the fact that there are so few opportunities available. If someone has achieved a construction skill recently, there is normally a period of time before that person is eligible to join a further scheme. However, jobcentre advisers now have greater flexibility, so, for example, if a person has recently been trained in construction, but there are no jobs in that area, that person may be directed to a different area where there is a greater chance of a job being available.

We are trying to be as flexible as possible. The Member is correct: the critical sector analysis will, of course, form part of what we are doing. However, we must remember that we are an economy of very small businesses. We all know that, despite all the talk, if we do not have a meaningful manufacturing or tradeable services sector left at the end of this, we will all be in serious difficulty.

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

I call Dr Alasdair McDonnell, who will confirm whether the sun is still shining.

Alasdair McDonnell (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast South)

I can confirm that the sun is still shining. Will the Minister expand on his views that the dark clouds are due to parties other than his or mine?

Has the Minister any intention of developing plans or working with the Department of Finance and Personnel to ensure that, within the award of Government building contracts, there is a requirement to employ an agreed percentage of apprentices? I am thinking of something similar to the London proposal to employ 1,000 apprentices on Government building contracts, which is a good idea. Are there any plans at this end to pick up on that?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

The Member is a wee bit ahead of his time, perhaps three hours ahead. He might be asking me that question later today.

The answer is yes. The Minister of Finance and Personnel is heading a group that is looking at the matter, and I am pleased to say that there is progress. In the right circumstances, contracts may contain a condition whereby contractors will be required to employ one apprentice for every £2 million worth of turnover.

People have clearly got the message, and the answer to the Member’s question is in the affirmative.

Maurice (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I agree that this is a good news story. The SDLP tries to claim all the good news stories going, as though this programme were taken out of the SDLP manifesto. However, I suspect that there is not a word of truth in that.

This is an excellent statement and it has excellent content. However, the Minister has touched on one of the issues that I wanted to raise. The paper deals mostly with those who are in training. However, does the Minister accept that, in the past, apprentices have lost their jobs and were unable to complete their apprenticeships? What can he tell people who are in that position? Will this programme address that issue? Is there any way that the Department can ensure that apprentices who have completed two thirds of their apprenticeships and find themselves out of work will not be disadvantaged?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

On 8 December last year, I announced assistance for apprentices who were faced with losing their jobs in three separate sectors. At that stage, I announced measures, and they have helped. However, they do not cover all sectors; I am prepared to keep that under review.

Today’s proposals focus on apprentices who are moving into short-time working. There are provisions for apprentices who are being made redundant, depending on their age. Those aged 16 to 18 can go into colleges — into what might be called a simulated work environment — where they can complete their training. Those who are over 18 can go into mainstream programmes run by the Department, where, I hope, apprenticeships may be completed. However, there are exceptions, and a number of apprentices have been made redundant. I urge them to talk to advisers in the Careers Service. We have expanded the Careers Service. There are 23 new careers staff in the Province who can give appropriate guidance. We are trying to make the system as flexible as possible.

However, there will be those who have fallen through the net. I urge them to talk to the careers advisers who can be found in jobcentres or to look at our departmental website where they will find guidance. That is my advice. The Department will try to be as flexible as possible with those young people.

Basil McCrea (UUP, Lagan Valley)

There is much to praise in the Minister’s statement. I will touch on the issue of the sun: those who were here yesterday know that the sun does not always shine, that the rain comes and dark clouds gather. When that happens, people take shelter in this place. I commend the Minister for offering shelter to those who are suffering as result of the economic travails and downturn.

I ask the Minister to expand on an issue: what is his thinking behind the setting of the allowance to apprentices at the minimum wage rate? The Minister is aware that I have previously raised the issue with him. Is he concerned that some apprentices might have been paid below the minimum wage rate in the past and that that might be to the detriment of future provision?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

Some Members have raised that issue on a number of occasions. I have said that we propose to pay all apprentices, irrespective of their age, the full minimum wage rate of £5·73 an hour. That means that even if an apprentice is under 22 years of age, he or she will still receive that rate. I do not propose to apply the rate according to age; rather, a flat rate will apply to all.

The Low Pay Commission is undertaking a review of the minimum wage, and I have commented on that in letters and statements to several Members. We are well aware of the concerns. The minimum wage is a national issue because Whitehall is responsible for determining and enforcing it. I can assure the Member that when the review is complete, I will bring it to the House, because I know that many Members have an interest in the issue and have felt that apprentices were exploited in the past.

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

I have received notice from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development that she wishes to make a statement on the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) meeting in aquaculture and marine sectoral format.

Michelle Gildernew (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I wish to make statement, in compliance with section 52 of the NI Act 1998, on the recent meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council in aquaculture and marine sectoral format. The meeting was held in Carlingford on Thursday 30 April 2009. The Executive were represented by Jeffrey Donaldson and me, and the Irish Government were represented by Eamon Ryan TD, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, and by Conor Lenihan TD, Minister of State. This statement has been agreed with Jeffrey Donaldson.

The Council welcomed a progress report on the work of the Loughs Agency on the conservation and protection of the fisheries of Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough, which was presented by the chairperson, Mr Tarlach O Crosain, the vice-chairperson, Ms Jacqui McConville, and the chief executive, Mr Derick Anderson.

The Council noted the following points: the impact of the extreme weather conditions that were encountered in 2008 on commercial and recreational fisheries; the agency’s continued success in the detection of illegal fishing activity; the collaboration with industry partners in the conservation of marine species in Lough Foyle; the development of partnerships with agencies from both jurisdictions to respond to a major incident in Carlingford Lough; and the successful delivery of the amended Foyle and Carlingford primary legislation in improving the significant voluntary conservation and protection support that angling clubs and associations provide.

Ministers welcomed progress on the agency’s application for funding under EU INTERREG IV, for which a letter of offer is now imminent, and on the development projects that the agency’s sustainable development programme supports. They also noted the progress made towards the licensing of aquaculture and the introduction of the oyster regulations with the engagement of stakeholders.

Ministers welcomed a presentation from Dr Walter Crozier from the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, and Niall Ó Maoiléidigh from the Marine Institute, on a joint programme of research that the Loughs Agency commissioned and that Queen’s University and the Marine Institute conducted into the genetic population structure of Lough Foyle salmon and the stock composition of the commercial fishery.

I found the presentation fascinating, and it was particularly interesting to hear that the research demonstrated conclusively the positive result of fisheries’ management decisions. We were told that the cessation of a significant proportion of commercial salmon netting, for which a hardship scheme was put in place for the fishermen affected, was marked by a drop to zero of the number of non-Foyle salmon caught in the fishery that remains.

Ministers also noted that the science partnerships that were established during that period have played a leading role in the development of a major Europe-wide research project on the use of genetic techniques to identify origins of salmon caught at sea (SALSEA). That was especially significant, and I welcomed the local involvement in the European context in my response to the presentation.

The council approved the Foyle Area and Carlingford Area (Licensing of Fishing Engines) (Amendment) Regulations 2009, and it also noted plans to bring forward commencement orders. Those orders are required for a staged and managed introduction of the new powers that are available to the Loughs Agency to develop and license aquaculture and to protect the fisheries in the Foyle and Carlingford areas. It also noted that further regulations will require NSMC approval in 2009. It was interesting to hear that although some stakeholders object to any form of regulation, others appreciate the fact that the boundaries and rules are now clear.

The council also discussed the 2009 draft business plan, progress towards the establishment of an unsocial hours allowance, and the salmon hardship scheme. It agreed that its next meeting in the aquaculture and marine sectoral format will take place in July 2009. Go raibh míle maith agat.

William McCrea (DUP, South Antrim)

I thank the Minister for her statement. The fisheries policy seems to be to introduce hardship schemes for those in the industry rather than to have a proactive and co-ordinated plan for the development of the sector. The House has heard about the salmon hardship scheme, and the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development will hear later today about the hardship scheme for the beleaguered Northern Ireland fleet.

Will the Minister tell the House how she will ensure that the industry itself does not collapse? Will she further indicate what the Department and the Loughs Agency are doing to ensure that the commercial and recreational fisheries in Northern Ireland are attractive to those wishing to enter into the industry for the first time and to those outside Northern Ireland who wish to participate in recreational fishing, thereby supporting tourism potential?

Michelle Gildernew (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

The questions and answers today are based primarily on what was discussed at the NSMC meeting, and that particular issue was not discussed. However, I assure the Committee Chairperson that the Department is doing all that it can to continue sustainable fishing in the Foyle and Carlingford areas and at sea. Indeed, I have just returned from the EU Fisheries Council in Brussels where that issue was discussed.

The Department wants to see sustainability in the fishing industry, and any illegal fishing and overfishing will have an impact on that. Therefore, a managed approach is required, and the Loughs Agency is doing excellent work in that area. Such an approach will ensure the sustainability of fishing in those areas as a means for the local population to make a living and as a tourist attraction. The Department works closely with the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) on issues that concern both Departments.

Tom Elliott (UUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I thank the Minister for her statement. I would like to concentrate on successes in the detection of illegal fishing. Will she elaborate on the details of illegal fishing and how the detection process is operating? Will she also tell us the levels of detection that there have been?

Michelle Gildernew (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

At the meeting, representatives of the Loughs Agency reported the increased need for enforcement, and they referred to their knowledge of five poaching crews. They also provided a list of recent seizures, including two extremely high-value cars. Indeed, that type of car is not normally seen in the car park here. By the looks of things, those who are fishing illegally are not short of a bob or two. The agency also receives reports from angling clubs’ about their river watchers, and that information includes details on some 500 licence checks. Therefore, the Department is keeping a very close eye on the matter to ensure that the actions of those fishing illegally or poaching fish do not militate against our efforts.

P J Bradley (Social Democratic and Labour Party, South Down)

I thank the Minister for her statement, in which she referred to:

“The development of partnerships with Agencies from both jurisdictions to respond to a major incident in Carlingford Lough.”

What type of incident did the Ministers have in mind when those preparations were being made? Does that reflect on any previous experience of a particular type of incident? Is such work something new, or was it planned?

Michelle Gildernew (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

The exercise was carried out to ensure that we are prepared for any event. In January, the agency hosted a desk exercise on a simulated marine pollution incident in Carlingford Lough that was enthusiastically received by everybody who was involved in it, including the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Irish Coast Guard, Warrenpoint and Greenore harbour authorities, Louth County Council, the NIEA (Northern Ireland Environment Agency) and Carlingford Lough shellfish fishermen and their representatives. The exercise highlighted the need for a joined-up cross-border approach in the event of a maritime incident. A series of follow-up actions is planned, including a real-time oil-booming exercise and a review of both jurisdictions’ oil-spill response procedures for Carlingford Lough. Such preparatory planning ensures that we will be able to cope with any incident that might arise.

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

I, too, thank the Minister for her statement. She referred to a drop to zero in the number of non-Foyle salmon caught in the one remaining salmon fishery at sea. First, what plans are there to remove that last remaining netting arrangement, and secondly, what data exists on the number of salmon that are now entering the Foyle system compared to the period before the nets were removed? It seems that the principal economic benefit will be derived from allowing the maximum number of salmon into rivers for anglers, preferably those from outside Northern Ireland who pay large sums of money to support our local tourist industry.

Michelle Gildernew (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

The figures for 2006 show that non-Foyle fish were caught from the Eskra and Bush rivers, which had not been meeting their conservation targets. Cessation was supposed to help them to comply with the habitats directive. Ongoing fish tagging means that the Rivers Agency will be able to identify where fish come from and where, and if, they return to spawn. We need to work closely with others in order to see where the fish go, whether they come back and, if so, how many come back, so that, based on that information, we can decide which rivers offer sustainable angling and which require further work. Gathering all that data will help us to make the best decision that we can.

Jim Shannon (DUP, Strangford)

I thank the Minister for her response. She said that she was in Brussels yesterday, and I know that she was there because news reports have already carried the story. Did the Minister discuss, or does she intend to discuss, the regionalisation of the fishing industry? In other words, might we be able to work within the United Kingdom and Ireland in an attempt to retain and promote fishing?

The Minister also mentioned salmon fishing, a subject on which other Members touched. Speaking not as fisherman but as one who is aware of what fishermen like, the ultimate prize for a fisherman is to catch a salmon. Similarly, for a shooting man, the ultimate prize is to shoot a goose or a red stag. For a fisherman, to get a salmon is to reach the top of the tree. Will the Minister confirm whether the tourism potential of salmon fishing was discussed and how we might take full advantage of it?

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

I knew that Mr Shannon would mention shooting at some stage.

Michelle Gildernew (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I shall indulge him a wee bit — not that I have favourites — and veer off the topic of my statement.

Yesterday, in the discussions in Brussels, we welcomed the fact that there will be less microman­agement by the Commission of the quota and more regional control. Nevertheless, there is much work to do; we still have to engage with industry stakeholders to determine how we might bring forward changes. Although good work has been done, much more must be done in preparation for the North/South Ministerial Council meeting in December.

At the end of the meeting yesterday, I met Joe Borg. I also met my Southern counterpart to discuss how, as an island nation, we can ensure that our fishermen are able to fish sustainably into the future. That meeting was useful.

The Member is right that the goal of a lot of anglers is to catch salmon and other types of fish. We want them to have a fishing experience that they will talk about when they return to their own countries. However, regardless of how much work is done by the Tourist Board, Fáilte Ireland or whoever else, word-of-mouth recommendations are hugely important.

We want all tourists to have worthwhile and valuable experiences. The very good work being done by the Loughs Agency is ensuring that more people who come here to fish for enjoyment are given a good experience and the possibility of catching quality fish. We are always working towards enhancing the fishing experiences of the people who visit.

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

Every time the story is told, the salmon gets bigger and bigger.

Michelle Gildernew (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

Yes; and they talk about the one that got away. [Laughter.]

Willie Clarke (Sinn Féin, South Down)

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I also thank the Minister for her statement. Will she elaborate on the Loughs Agency’s proposal for an unsocial hours allowance to be given to river watchers?

Michelle Gildernew (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

The Loughs Agency wishes to pay an allowance to its field staff to take account of the unsocial hours that they work, and it is preparing a business case in that regard. Such allowances require the approval of the Finance Ministers, North and South, and the NSMC, but we want to make it happen. We must recognise the good work that is being carried out by the Loughs Agency’s staff and reward them for that work accordingly.

Executive Committee Business

Margaret Ritchie (Social Democratic and Labour Party, South Down)

I beg to move

That the Social Security (Lone Parents and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 be approved.

The regulations were laid before the Assembly on 1 December 2008. Unemployed single parents are five times more likely to be poor than those who are in jobs. More than one third of children who live in lone-parent households in Northern Ireland are living in poverty and more than a half of the children who live in workless, lone-parent households are living in poverty.

For lone parents, having even a part-time job reduces the likelihood of their child living in poverty to 17%. The figures I quote are taken from the recent Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister’s report on child poverty. In addition to the financial benefit, paid work provides far-reaching social, health and personal benefits for the lone parent and the children in a household.

The intention behind the regulations is to provide opportunities for paid work to more lone parents and to support them in creating a better standard of living for themselves and their families. The purpose of the regulations is to implement new arrangements for lone parents with older children who claim income support solely on the grounds of being a lone parent. Instead of continuing to receive income support until their youngest child turns 16, parents who are able to undertake paid work may claim jobseeker’s allowance when their youngest child reaches 12; by 2010, they will be able to do so when their youngest child reaches the age of seven. With support and assistance, those parents will be required to look for paid work that is appropriate to their individual situation.

To ensure a smooth transition, the changes are being phased in, starting with lone parents of children who are over the age of 12. Lone parents who have a disability or health-related condition that limits their capability to work may be able to claim employment and support allowance. The regulations do not apply to lone parents who are entitled to income support on other grounds, such as those who are in receipt of carers allowance or those who foster. Lone parents who have a child for whom the middle or highest rate care component or disability living allowance is payable will remain eligible for income support.

To ensure further that that change does not compromise children’s welfare, the regulations designate lone parents as a vulnerable group so that the jobseeker’s allowance hardship regime may apply in certain circumstances.

The regulations also include transitional protection for lone parents who receive income support and are full-time students; lone parents who are undertaking a work-related qualification; lone parents who are undertaking work placements in the Department for Employment and Learning’s Steps to Work programme; and lone parents who are on an approved New Deal for lone parents scheme. Lone parents in those categories will remain entitled to income support until their youngest child reaches the age that is in force at the time at which they commence their studies.

To provide opportunities to prepare and support lone parents for the change, the regulations include the introduction of mandatory, quarterly work-focused interviews in the last year in which they are eligible for income support. The changes that are set out in the regulations form part of a package of ongoing welfare reform and are intended to contribute to the strategy to eradicate child poverty.

I appreciate that some claimants face greater barriers in obtaining work than others, especially parents who may face extra challenges because of their children’s needs. To recognise that, extra support has been provided to lone parents to assist them to find and keep a job, and to progress once they have settled into employment.

The Department for Employment and Learning provides support to help lone parents to find work through its Steps to Work programme, which offers access to a personal adviser and a range of services. Lone parents have the opportunity to gain a work-related qualification; meaningful and relevant experience of the workplace through quality job placements; assistance with essential skills; and help with developing the skills that are needed to search for work and to sustain employment.

A return-to-work credit of £40 a week is now available to all lone parents in Northern Ireland on their return to work. That can also help to overcome barriers to employment. Lone parents can also access help when they are settling into their job. For example, financial help can be provided through the adviser discretion fund. A payment of up to £300 for the purchase of goods or services may be available to overcome any unexpected financial barriers that might otherwise prevent a lone parent from remaining in paid work.

Tax credits are also available. In December 2008, around 13,700 Northern Ireland families were benefiting from the childcare element of working tax credit. Those families received, on average, childcare support of around £80 a week.

The regulations strike the right balance between providing financial and other assistance to support families and our wider responsibilities to lift individuals, families and children out of poverty. I recognise that lone parents, who do not have the support of a full-time partner, may require extra help to balance their family needs with looking for work. For that reason, the regulations contain additional flexibilities to help and support lone parents who are actively seeking work while often facing challenging personal circumstances.

Most importantly, employers must consider whether it was unreasonable for a lone parent to stay in a job or to take up a job because appropriate, affordable childcare was not available. I fully appreciate the current problems with childcare provision in Northern Ireland. To compensate for that, I have built in an extra flexibility, which is not available in Britain, for lone parents here. Where it is clear from the outset that no suitable childcare is available in an area, the requirement to attend the office fortnightly will be waived, and, instead, the lone parent will be asked to attend only every 13 weeks. I reassure the House that no lone parents in Northern Ireland will be sanctioned if suitable and affordable childcare is not available in their area.

We face challenging times during the current global economic climate. However, it is important that the mistakes of previous slowdowns are not repeated and that people are not allowed to slip into long-term inactivity. That is bad for individuals and their families because it traps them in dependence and poverty.

Northern Ireland’s labour market remains dynamic. Many people continue to move between employment, unemployment and inactivity. Job opportunities continue to become available, notwithstanding the economic downturn. The Department for Employment and Learning strives to help people to return to employment as quickly as possible. It provides fast and easy access to thousands of jobs, information, advice and access to necessary skills development. Active labour-market policies such as these regulations will ensure that lone parents do not become further detached from the labour market and are well placed to benefit from current jobs and other opportunities as the economy picks up.

The regulations provide for the right help and support to be available to lone-parent claimants who can work but, often, face challenges to doing so. At the same time, it supports claimants and potential claimants for whom work is not an option in a way that best suits their circumstances. As well as operational safeguards, guidance and training for staff, the additional flexibility to jobseeker’s allowance that is contained in the regulations offers protection to the most vulnerable people.

It is not wrong to encourage and support lone parents to find work. Indeed, it is wrong to neglect to do so. I hope that Members will agree that those changes to the regulations are worthwhile and necessary to ensure that, when the children of lone parents are older, those lone parents who are able to work are assisted to seek work with appropriate support.

Dawn Purvis (PUP, Belfast East)

I thank the Minister for taking the time to explain the thinking and intentions behind the regulations and how they are supposed to be applied in practice. I appreciate that they are intended to support reforms in the country’s welfare system and to have a positive impact on child poverty by, ideally, increasing lone parents’ employment rate. I also understand that the regulations are moving forward now to ensure parity of implementation throughout the UK. However, I have a number of concerns about whether any of those objectives will be achieved.

First, what has happened to the principle of joined-up government? Where is the childcare strategy that is an inherent part of making those changes work? On Monday 20 April 2009, the Assembly debated and passed a motion that called on the Executive to produce a national childcare strategy to address the dearth of accessible, affordable and flexible childcare in the Province. Throughout the debate, each party acknowledged that there is already a shortage of appropriate childcare services to deal with the existing need and that that is particularly the case for older children, who are the ones who will be directly affected by changes in the regulations.

The regulations will create more demand for childcare services. Unlike in England and Wales, where local authorities have a statutory duty to meet childcare needs in their areas, Northern Ireland has no such safety net, no strategy to get there and no Minister who is willing to take the lead in making that happen. Lone parents make up a striking percentage of the number of families who live in, or are at risk of, poverty or are struggling with debt. Efforts to help to move those families towards greater financial health are certainly to be welcomed. However, those regulations appear to ignore the fact that the primary barrier to paid employment for unemployed women is affordable childcare. Without addressing that issue, the regulations run the risk of simply pushing more single-parent families into greater financial stress. If the Minister’s argument for bringing forward the regulations is one of parity, why does she not consider full parity that includes provisions for childcare services to be addressed?

Secondly, where are the jobs? We are in the midst of a recession in which there are daily announcements of redundancies and layoffs. Parents with young children already face tough challenges to finding appropriate employment because the type and number of hours that they can work are restricted.

That is particularly true for lone parents, who often do not have the necessary support networks at home to enable them to work flexible or highly demanding hours. As a result, they tend to find low-paid or low-value work. Therefore, we are pushing those women — I refer to women because more than 95% of lone parents on income support are women — into low-paid work and adding additional and expensive childcare costs to their monthly expenses, and that is assuming that they can find such childcare. That is the real dilemma. Will the legislation move more children out of poverty and away from the risk of poverty, or will it put more families at risk of falling into greater financial stress or, even, poverty?

I appreciate that the Minister has added a few elements of extra flexibility to the implementation of the regulations to protect from sanctions those parents who cannot find childcare. However, it seems to be a highly subjective system. On what information will front line staff base their assessment of whether an area has childcare provision? Will they base it on their own experience? What will happen if they have never been exposed to the availability of services in the area? Although I am certain that the Minister has examined those issues, I ask her to consider whether it is appropriate to delay the introduction of the regulations until those critical matters have been addressed fully.

Anna Lo (Alliance, Belfast South)

I share many of the concerns expressed by Ms Purvis. Given the economic downturn, it is unrealistic to expect lone parents to seek jobs. The lack of a childcare strategy is another major concern. I urge the Minister to talk to the Executive so that they can, as quickly as possible, formulate a childcare strategy that will enable women to access affordable and flexible childcare provision, without which there is no point in telling women to seek work. As the Minister said, it is not wrong to help women to go out and seek work, but we must be realistic.

At the moment, the Department is still playing ping-pong games and shirking its responsibilities in relation to the provision of childcare facilities for school-age children. It is important that the Executive agree who is responsible for that and formulate a strategy to provide women with access to proper childcare provision before they are asked to seek work.

Mickey Brady (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. As so often happens, we are told that legislation is progressive, innovative and beneficial. However, in reality, it is punitive to those upon whom it impacts and whom it is designed to help. That is certainly the case with the Social Security (Lone Parents and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations.

Lone parents will have to claim jobseeker’s allowance instead of income support. As other Members have asked: where are the jobs at the moment? The legislation currently affects lone parents whose youngest child is aged 12. From October 2009, lone parents with a youngest child aged 10 will be affected, and, from October 2010, the legislation will affect those with a youngest child aged seven.

Interestingly, I dealt with a case last week in which a lone parent, who is also a foster parent, will lose income support because she will be expected to claim either employment and support allowance or jobseeker’s allowance. That will impact on her income, and, therefore, she will not be in a position to foster. She takes into foster care the most difficult children on the books of social services. The legislation will not only affect her, but the children to whom she devotes much time and effort.

There are regional anomalies in the North, particularly with respect to lone parents. As has been mentioned, there is a dearth of childcare provision and no childcare strategy: that must be rectified. Also, for a person to access the childcare element of working tax credit, their child must be cared for by a registered childminder. It is not immediately clear how the regulations will help lone parents and relieve child poverty.

Jennifer McCann (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

Does the Member agree that the regulations will have a disproportionate and potentially negative effect on women in particular, as 87% of lone-parent families are headed by mothers? Does he also agree that in the absence of a childcare strategy and quality affordable childcare more pressure will be placed on vulnerable families both financially and socially?

Mickey Brady (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

I thank the Member for her intervention. I agree that the legislation will be of no benefit to the vast majority of lone parents and will in fact have an adverse effect on them. The legislation highlights the need for us to address those issues in which parity makes the situation worse for people here in comparison with those in Britain. Legislation introduced in England and Wales in 2006 makes it incumbent on local authorities to provide proper childcare. If a gap is identified, it is up to the local authority to fill that gap. That legislation does not apply here.

Issues relating to child poverty will be impacted by the regulations. Lone parents will be forced into a situation in which they have to take jobs that are not necessarily suitable for them, and they will not be able to access the childcare element of working tax credit, thus putting them in an invidious position.

Billy Armstrong (UUP, Mid Ulster)

I thank the Minister for bringing the Social Security (Lone Parents and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 to the Assembly. I welcome the general thrust of the regulations, which is geared towards removing lone parents and children from benefit dependency and poverty. It is crucial that lone parents are given every opportunity to reach their full potential, support their families and get into work.

However, an important issue has been brought to my attention, and it raises wider questions about the way in which parity regulations are approved. In the absence of accessible, affordable and comprehensive childcare provision in Northern Ireland, the positive impact of the regulations may be limited when compared with other areas of the United Kingdom that have comprehensive childcare strategies. What discussions has the Minister had with her Executive colleagues about the creation of a revised childcare strategy, and what impact will the absence of such a strategy have on the implementation of the regulations?

Margaret Ritchie (Social Democratic and Labour Party, South Down)

I thank all the Members who have contributed to the debate: Dawn Purvis, Anna Lo, Mickey Brady and Billy Armstrong. All of the contributions pinpoint the lack of and need for an approach involving a childcare strategy.

When I discussed the regulations in the Executive as far back as December 2008, I highlighted the fact that there was clear absence of a childcare strategy; that I did not have ministerial responsibility for that; and that there were in fact others sitting around that Executive table who did have that ministerial responsibility. It is my understanding that on 18 June there will be a meeting of the ministerial-led group dealing with children and young people. I hope that at that stage we will be able to develop a revised childcare strategy to take on board the various issues that have been raised by Members today, particularly the implications of the economic downturn, of differing employment opportunities and probably the lack, in some rural communities —

Fra McCann (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

Will the Minister give way?

Margaret Ritchie (Social Democratic and Labour Party, South Down)

I am responding, but I will give way on this one occasion.

Fra McCann (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

I know that the Minister answered questions that were asked by the Committee at one of its meetings. The Minister has stated that a meeting is due to take place, but would it not be better at this stage to suspend any decision until there is a proper childcare strategy?

Margaret Ritchie (Social Democratic and Labour Party, South Down)

I view that simply as an attempt by the Member’s party to stall progress. I made the point at the Executive meeting in December that the Sinn Féin Minister with responsibility for the issue had not brought the revised childcare strategy forward.

I will deal with the various issues that have been raised. Dawn Purvis spoke about the lack of childcare provision and asked what would happen if it was not available. Because of Northern Ireland’s particular circumstances and the parity issue, I was able to introduce flexible arrangements that mean people, either because of their personal circumstances or the inaccessibility of some rural communities, do not have to go until after the prescribed limit, as is the case in Britain, but only after 13 weeks.

I will provide some detail on the role of personal advisers. Advisers are required to consider the availability and suitability of childcare when they consider whether a parent’s childcare responsibilities made it unreasonable for him or her to stay in employment, take up paid employment or to carry out a jobseeker’s direction. I take the point that most of the time it is women who find themselves in those situations. I stress that advisers must also consider any necessary childcare expenses where they represent an unreasonable amount of that person’s earnings. A lone parent who is also claiming jobseeker’s allowance will not be penalised if he or she has just cause for leaving a job or not taking up a job because of their childcare requirements.

I freely acknowledge that there are problems with childcare provision in Northern Ireland. That is why I built in those extra flexibilities, which can be used by advisers in the Department for Employment and Learning and the Social Security Agency. For example, where it is clear from the outset that there is no suitable childcare available in the area, the requirement to attend fortnightly at the jobs and benefits office or social security office will be waived. The job search activity can be confirmed by post until such times as childcare is available. In those circumstances, the customer will only be asked to attend the office every 13 weeks.

I agree with the Members who spoke in the debate: there is a definite need for a proper childcare strategy. I do not have lead ministerial responsibility for such a strategy. As I said at the outset, that responsibility lies with another Minister.

Dawn Purvis (PUP, Belfast East)

I acknowledged that the Minister had introduced certain flexibilities. On what information will advisers make their judgements? Is this not a subjective system in which advisers are left to their own ends to make decisions regarding local availability and affordability of childcare?

Margaret Ritchie (Social Democratic and Labour Party, South Down)

I reassure Ms Purvis that I will insist that personal advisers use the most objective criteria and are sensitive and sympathetic to the people concerned. If Ms Purvis knows of cases that highlight a policy issue or point to a level of insensitivity, she should provide me with the details so that the matter can be pursued. Notwithstanding that, I want to ensure that the highest level of sensitivity and objectivity is exercised so that due care, attention and sympathy are extended to potential claimants. The majority of those claimants will be women who will have certain requirements that must be recognised.

Dawn Purvis also asked whether these moves trap lone parents in low-paid jobs and simply move them from benefits to in-work poverty. One of the most effective tools available to personal advisers is the better-off calculator, which performs two main functions: it provides advice to customers about the range of benefits that they may be entitled to, and it estimates how much better off the customer could be in work. From today I will ensure that those personal advisers carry out their work in a most objective way.

Dawn Purvis also spoke about the employment position of lone parents. The lone parent employment rate has increased by 4·9% from the same quarter in 2007. Since 1997, it increased significantly by 15·9%, meaning that there were an extra 11,000 lone parents in work. The gap in the overall employment rate increased by more than 12%.

Anna Lo raised similar issues about the childcare strategy. I return to my original point: I do not have ministerial responsibility for that strategy. I raised that point in direct correspondence with my Executive colleagues when I brought the regulations to them for approval.

Mickey Brady raised the issue of foster carers being excluded under the new legislation. The entitlement of a fostering lone parent is not affected by the changes, as he or she is not claiming income support solely on the grounds of being a lone parent. That group has been exempted from the changes, as those lone parents would have greater difficulty in being available for paid work with the extra responsibilities of looking after at-risk children who cannot live with their parents.

Mickey Brady (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

Will the Minister give way?

Margaret Ritchie (Social Democratic and Labour Party, South Down)

I have given way sufficiently. I will address other issues raised by Mr Brady, which may help him.

Mr Brady asked whether we are putting more pressure on parents by wanting them to work and take more responsibility for their children by ensuring that they eat healthily and get more exercise. Growing up in a workless household or in poverty can have a significant negative effect on a child’s physical and social development. There is no doubt about that. Research is available to prove that point, but we do not need research to see that; we have ample evidence from our own communities.

I believe that the regulations constitute a balance between providing financial and other support to lone-parent families and our wider responsibilities to lift individuals and children out of poverty. Parental employment can bring benefits to the adults involved through increased self-esteem, extended social networks, a greater sense of control and reduced mental health problems, all resulting in knock-on benefits for children.

Maternal employment in particular can be an important protection against future hardship, notwithstanding the fact that we are in an economic downturn and that finding employment may be difficult, particularly for those in rural areas. That is why childcare strategy must be revised.

Billy Armstrong is absolutely right: there is a need for a childcare strategy. I highlighted that many months ago when I brought regulations to the Executive in December 2008. It is important that that be put in place. I hope that the meeting on 18 June will ensure that that happens.

The regulations ensure that the right help and support will be available for lone parents who want to work but who face demanding challenges in doing so. At the same time, we will ensure that customers who have a limited capacity to work are supported in a way that best suits their circumstances. I believe that, for those who can work, work is the most sustainable route out of poverty for them and their children. Equally, I understand that there may be difficulties and challenges facing people in obtaining employment and in trying to sustain themselves in their own community.

We all know that work is good for people’s health and well-being and that it raises self-esteem and prospects for all families. Paid work promotes choice and independence and on a wider scale supports our society and increases community cohesion. No lone parent — I emphasise that point — in Northern Ireland will be sanctioned if suitable and affordable childcare is not available in their area. That is notwithstanding the fact that there should be a proper childcare strategy in place. We know where the responsibility for that lies.

I thank all Members who contributed to the debate for the interest that they have shown in the regulations. If Members hear of particular difficulties in the outworking of the regulations, through either constituency representations or contact that they have with people who are subject to the regulations, they should relay them to me so that they can be examined in the context of the policy and form part of a suitable submission to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. That is important, because, as I said, the regulations are a piece of parity legislation on which I was able to exert a degree of influence. The parity nature of the legislation means that final responsibility for it lies at Whitehall and Westminster. I commend the motion to the House.

Question put,

The Assembly divided: Ayes 48; Noes 17.

AYES

Mr Armstrong, Mr Attwood, Mr D Bradley, Mrs M Bradley, Mr P J Bradley, Mr Buchanan, Mr Burns, Mr Campbell, Mr Cobain, Rev Dr Robert Coulter, Mr Cree, Mr Dodds, Mr Donaldson, Mr Easton, Mr Elliott, Sir Reg Empey, Dr Farry, Mr Ford, Mrs Foster, Mr Gallagher, Mr Gardiner, Mr Hamilton, Mrs Hanna, Mr Hilditch, Mrs D Kelly, Mr Kennedy, Ms Lo, Mr McCallister, Mr McCarthy, Mr B McCrea, Mr I McCrea, Dr W McCrea, Dr McDonnell, Mr McFarland, Mr McNarry, Lord Morrow, Mr Newton, Mr O’Loan, Mr P Ramsey, Ms Ritchie, Mr G Robinson, Mr K Robinson, Mr P Robinson, Mr Ross, Mr Shannon, Mr Spratt, Mr Storey, Mr Weir.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Burns and Mrs Hanna.

NOES

Ms Anderson, Mr Boylan, Mr Brady, Mr Butler, Mr W Clarke, Mr A Maskey, Mr P Maskey, Mr F McCann, Ms J McCann, Mr McCartney, Mr McElduff, Mrs McGill, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr O’Dowd, Mrs O’Neill, Ms Purvis, Ms S Ramsey.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr Brady and Mr F McCann.

Question accordingly agreed to.

Resolved:

That the Social Security (Lone Parents and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 be approved.

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

The Business Committee has arranged to meet immediately on the lunchtime suspension. I propose therefore, by leave of the Assembly, to suspend the sitting until 2.00 pm.

The sitting was suspended at 1.03 pm.

On resuming (Mr Deputy Speaker [Mr Dallat] in the Chair) —

Private Members’ Business

John Dallat (Social Democratic and Labour Party, East Londonderry)

In accordance with the Business Committee’s agreement to allocate additional time when two or more amendments have been selected, up to one hour and 45 minutes will be allowed for the debate. The proposer of the motion will have 10 minutes to propose and 10 minutes in which to make a winding-up speech. Two amendments have been selected and published on the Marshalled List. The proposer of each amendment will have 10 minutes to propose and five minutes in which to make a winding-up speech. All other Members who wish to speak will have five minutes.

Basil McCrea (UUP, Lagan Valley)

I beg to move

That this Assembly urges the Minister of Education to put in place more efficient, targeted measures to deal with educational underachievement rather than relying on the mechanism of free school meal entitlement.

One sometimes wonders where to begin on an issue as complicated as education. Many factors affect the future well-being of our young people and country, but few are more basic than numeracy and literacy skills, which our young people need in order to move forward. All sides accept that those who come from more socially deprived areas, particularly areas of multiple deprivation, face a number of additional challenges. We must try to find a way to support them.

However, my party and I are concerned that we have not yet found a proper way of identifying those people. How do we target resources correctly? The motion was tabled after a discussion in the Education Committee. The ‘Every School a Good School’ policy document states that a substantial body of research confirms the correlation between social disadvantage and educational performance. It goes on to say that free school meal entitlement is regarded as the best indicator yet of social disadvantage in our schools.

However, the conundrum is then posed by the statement that many schools with exactly the same level of free school meal entitlement or exactly the same level of social deprivation achieve hugely different performance outcomes. That must suggest that although entitlement to free school meals is important, it is not the sole or best indicator in that regard. Other areas must be considered to establish how intervention should be targeted.

The ‘Every School a Good School’ policy document goes on to explain why free schools meals are used as a measurement in transfer 2010, which the Minister has presented for consultation as though it is a panacea for our problems. However, even the report that brings the matter forward clearly identifies that free school meal entitlement appears to advantage certain sections of the community and disadvantage others. Its own analysis sets out that there is a difference between the cohorts, which clearly indicates that there is a problem with analysis in that area. Nobody is suggesting that we should not try to target intervention at those who need it most. We are saying that the selection of a clearly unequal criterion that is not working compounds and reinforces inequality rather than addresses it.

I note that two amendments to the motion have been tabled. That is to be welcomed. Nevertheless, given the discussions that were held beforehand, I am a little confused about the arguments that are being put forward. I fully accept and understand the amendment tabled by the DUP. It contains points that were discussed in detail in the Education Committee. I agree that the amendment refers not to a matter of opinion but to one of fact, consideration of which has previously led me to issue a challenge to the Minister of Education — and I did that very dangerous thing for all politicians: I said, on air, that I was not sure what to do next.

That is a statement from which I will not resile because there is a problem in our education system and there appears to be no way of tackling it. I am quite happy for somebody to correct me on this because I am not exactly sure of the details, but I am led to believe that the important topic of animal welfare has been discussed 10 times by the Executive. I do not understand why that is the case, but education has not yet managed to make it onto the Executive’s agenda. Is there anything that is more important for our people than sorting out the education debate?

Many parents come to me and ask whether anything will be sorted out. Although I would welcome being contradicted about this, I fear that the answer is that we have decided that education is too difficult for us to sort out. It seems that we have decided to leave that issue alone and deal with something that is a little more commensurate with our abilities. The people of Northern Ireland will not understand that.

I believe that Sinn Féin may be prepared to support the DUP amendment, which is only an addition to our motion. I do not understand that; it is fundamentally incorrect to rely on free school meal entitlement because it clearly differentiates and discriminates against certain folk. In this case, it is the political people —

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

Will the Member give way?

Basil McCrea (UUP, Lagan Valley)

I will if the Member is short.

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

I am not short. [Laughter.]

On a number of occasions during his speech, the Member indicated that free school meal entitlement is an unequal measure. Will he explain how he has come to that conclusion, given that school meal entitlement is calculated on the basis of household incomes?

Basil McCrea (UUP, Lagan Valley)

Despite the fact that the Member is not short, I am glad that he intervened. There are three or four matters that lead me to that conclusion, which is what this debate is all about.

Education maintenance allowance (EMA) is awarded using similar criteria to those used for free school meal entitlement. I have a list that indicates that one school had a 3·47% take-up of free school meals and a 32·8% take-up of education maintenance allowance. Another school had a 3·23% take-up of free school meals and a 29% take-up of education maintenance allowance. If the criteria are based on the same principle of encouraging people to come forward, why is there a disparity?

That disparity continues right through the different sectors. Those particular figures happen to be taken from the controlled grammar school sector but I have other figures in front of me also. If the Minister is so keen to encourage people from lower-income backgrounds to come forward, why does she discriminate against good schools, such as controlled grammar schools? The free school meal entitlements for controlled grammar schools are below 5% yet, when it comes to sixth form, those schools bring people forward in the very way that we want.

I also refer Mr O’Dowd to the conclusions of, and questions from, the equality impact assessment of the transfer 2010 guidance. The free school meal criterion is shown to advantage Catholic children as, although only 50% of children who are in P6 are Catholic, of those who receive free school meals, 62% are Catholic. Is the Member saying that children in the Protestant sectors are better off than children from the Catholic tradition? I do not think that that is the case. All the educational underachievement figures that are contained in the PricewaterhouseCoopers report indicate that the fundamental problem is in Protestant working-class schools. That report categorically states that the criterion of free school meal entitlement goes the wrong way, and that is why it is not the answer.

The third thing that I will say to destroy the Member’s assertion is that there is a marked difference in the performances of schools that have pupils from similar backgrounds, that are based in areas with similar levels of social deprivation and in which there are similar levels of free school meal uptake. Therefore, free school meal entitlement is not a reliable indicator. The fact that we try to build the entire way forward for our educational debate by using that criterion is shameful. It will perpetuate social inequality; it will not deal with the problem.

Whenever we discuss how we can have a reasoned debate, I have to say — and I was trying to develop this point — that I do not know how to get the Minister of Education to listen to reason. Nobody is saying that we should not try to tackle certain issues in our society or that there are not areas where we could do better. We are saying that where the system is working, surely we should maintain it. Where there are lessons to be learned, surely we should learn them. Where there are facts, evidence and reports that contradict statements that are being made, surely we should listen to those rather than get on an ideological tub and start thumping and saying “it is my way or no way”. That is not the way forward for this type of society.

We want to address genuine and serious issues, but there also are many success stories to discuss.

John Dallat (Social Democratic and Labour Party, East Londonderry)

I ask the Member to bring his remarks to a close.

Basil McCrea (UUP, Lagan Valley)

Other Members will talk about the great successes that there have been in the model schools in Belfast. The Ulster Unionist Party is committed wholeheartedly to supporting those who need help, but we will not support a clearly discriminatory policy. We call on the Minister to think again.

Michelle O'Neill (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster)

I beg to move amendment No 1: Leave out all after “Assembly” and insert

“recognises the relationship between educational underachievement and social deprivation and that the use of free school meal entitlement is a robust indicator of children from low income households; further recognises that educational underachievement is caused by a range of social and economic factors; and urges all the Executive Departments to tackle these factors in a joined up way.”

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I should say at the outset that Sinn Féin will accept the DUP’s amendment, provided that our own is passed. However, I make it clear that in no way will we accept the UUP’s conservative motion. I thought that the motion was about educational underachievement; however, it is obvious that the Member who moved it lost his way and could not articulate that point.

We have debated educational underachievement no less than twice in the past number of months. The evidence is clear, and we have all referred to it time and again. The facts are before us. There is a correlation, which is recognised across the world, between social disadvantage and educational outcomes. In the North, 27% of pupils who are entitled to free school meals achieve five good GCSE grades A to C, whereas 60% of those who are not entitled to free school meals achieve those grades. That is more than double the figure for pupils who are entitled to free school meals.

Since coming into office, the Minister has recognised the need to urgently address educational inequalities. She has taken forward a number of high-level policies that will tackle underachievement and inequality, including the revised school improvement policy, the early years strategy, the literacy and numeracy strategy, and the special educational needs review.

Mr McCrea claims that using the free school meal entitlement as an indicator is a blunt and unreliable device, but evidence to the contrary exists. The Committee for Education was given a briefing from departmental officials last week. A lot of information supports the fact that the free school meal entitlement has long been recognised as a good proxy of many aspects of social deprivation and that it is a robust indicator of deprivation in its own right. It is a good measure of disadvantage; the evidence shows that clearly. Mr McCrea mentioned transfer 2010; however, the Equality Commission’s response to that considered the free schools meals entitlement to be an appropriate proxy for poverty and social deprivation. That is very clear for us all to see.

There are a number of reasons why the entitlement is used as a measure. First, it is highly correlated with the multiple deprivation measure. Secondly, it relates to individuals, meaning that it is a more robust method than assuming that everyone in an area is the same. Thirdly, it is current. Fourthly, it is readily available for us to use as part of the census return. Even with the evidence base for using free school meal entitlement as an indicator, it is not the only measure that the Department uses. The Minister can, perhaps, tell us more about that in her response.

Mr McCrea referred to some variation between schools. That is to be expected even when allowances are made for socio-economic status. However, even between schools that have similar levels of disadvantage, the difference in the number of pupils reaching the expected level in literacy and numeracy at Key Stage 2 in primary schools that have above-average free school meal entitlement can be as much as 60 percentage points. At Key Stage 3, the difference can be as much as 40 percentage points. At GCSE level, in schools where 50% and more of pupils are entitled to free school meals, the variation in the proportion of pupils achieving grades A to C is around 20 to 30 percentage points. Those are facts that the Minister of Education has chosen not to ignore. As I said, policies and systems are in place that will work to achieve equality in the education system.

That work aims to ensure the success of every child, regardless of his or her background, gender, sexual orientation or race and regardless of whether he or she has a disability or comes from the Travelling community. All schools should be safe havens to which children can go to learn and to be encouraged and supported to achieve their potential.

The education system across the North performs well at the highest levels, but it does not compare well in an international context. Too many young people are not achieving the educational outcomes that should be the norm on completion of 12 years of compulsory education, and we need to be more effective in raising standards overall and, particularly, in reducing the levels of underachievement. As I said already, the Minister has set in train a number of measures that will do that from within the Department of Education, and she has also signed up to a number of public service agreement targets, in conjunction with Departments such as DEL, Health and DSD. We need to support and enhance that work, and we must ensure that all our children — not only the chosen few — reach their potential. Go raibh maith agat.

Mervyn Storey (DUP, North Antrim)

I beg to move the following amendment: At end insert

“; and notes the issue of underachievement of boys, and specifically boys from deprived Protestant areas, as identified by reports commissioned by NISRA into the literacy and numeracy of pupils; and calls on the Minister of Education to outline what action her Department is taking to address this specific problem.”

I support the Ulster Unionist Party’s motion, if amended by the DUP amendment. The amendment expands on the Ulster Unionist Party’s motion. Some time ago, the Committee for Education received evidence that Protestant boys, in particular, were suffering as a result of underachievement. The NISRA research publication, ‘Literacy and Numeracy of Pupils in Northern Ireland’, indicated that there were a number of factors around the issue of underachievement.

In the course of the debate, no one in the House will try to somehow mask the fact that there is a problem. However, they can try to avoid the problem — to duck and dive. I will respond to some of Mrs O’Neill’s comments in a moment to prove that if one continues to say the same thing, there is always the risk that people will begin to believe one’s propaganda.

I remind Members that we are dealing with underachievement, and we are seeking mechanisms and methods to deal with that problem. Why are some pupils underachieving? The NISRA report says that there is:

“A lack of parental involvement in their children’s education”.

We have to send out a challenge to parents. I speak as a parent who, sometimes, struggles with his 16-year-old daughter’s homework, because it has advanced so much from the days when I was at school. We have to ensure that we continue to engage with our children and that we know what is taking place in schools.

The report states that there is:

“A perceived lack of value placed on education in certain areas, particularly deprived Protestant areas”.

I am glad that, for once, a document has been produced that is unashamed in its use of the word “Protestant”. There is a culture emerging in Northern Ireland in which one has to almost whisper the word. I am not ashamed to use the word; I am proud of my Protestant heritage and Protestant culture. Here we have Government statistics and analysis that says that there is a problem in deprived Protestant areas.

The Minister comes to the House and lectures us. In her monotone, she tells us how she is concerned about the children. Then she tells me and my colleagues on this side of the House that we are failing the Protestant community. Now we have evidence: Government statistics showing that there is a problem in the Protestant community. What has the Minister done about that? As usual, there is no eye contact, no response, no answers, no solutions — only rhetoric.

The NISRA report also mentions:

“a shortage of positive role models”,

and gives a list of factors that affect underachievement, such as:

“A decline in the readiness for schooling of pupils entering primary school”.

Then it says:

“One of the issues identified by the NIAO and PAC reports was the underperformance of boys, and, specifically, boys from deprived Protestant areas, compared to girls in Northern Ireland.”

The question that must be asked is: what is the Minister doing? Among the raft of paperwork that comes to the Committee for Education — I do not know how many trees were cut down to produce all the documents — I have not seen one report from her Department, excluding independent analyses from NISRA or the Public Accounts Committee, that has stated that such a problem exists in the Protestant community.

Yes, the terms “Irish medium” and “Travelling community” are used. Let me repeat, just in case it creates an issue, that I have no problem with making provision for the Travelling community. I have no problem with making provision where it can clearly be seen that demand for Irish-medium education exists. Remember that we spend £20 million a year on that sector, which, according to the Education and Training Inspectorate’s ‘Chief Inspector’s Report 2006-2008’, is beginning to slow down. That sector is not as progressive as we were told it was. However, in case I am accused of fundamentalism, of which I was accused a few weeks ago, or sectarianism or racism, let me state that that is not what we are about and put that accusation to bed.

None of the documents that come from the Minister’s Department states that there is a problem in the working-class Protestant community. Therefore, Minister, in the House today, can you unequivocally —

John Dallat (Social Democratic and Labour Party, East Londonderry)

I remind the Minister — sorry, the Member, although he may be a Minister in future — to speak through the Chair, please.

Mervyn Storey (DUP, North Antrim)

Through you, Mr Deputy Speaker, I ask the Minister, when she responds to the debate, to tell us clearly, without fudge or prevarication, what she has done. Let us not hear about ‘Every School a Good School’ or about numeracy and literacy policy, because neither of those policies refers to boys’ underachievement, particularly Protestant working-class boys.

The proposer of amendment No 1, Mrs O’Neill, said that our school system does not perform well internationally and that, in that context, we are really very poor. I remind the Member of the briefing note ‘Comparisons of Educational Attainment’ that the Assembly’s Research and Library Service compiled on behalf of the Committee for Education, of which she is a member. The note is not DUP propaganda, nor was it written by a hybrid of strands of unionism ganging up on the Minister, but is independent analysis that states:

“With significant differences between jurisdictions with respect to the types of qualifications obtainable, any comparative assessment of educational attainment performance presents challenges.”

That quotation clearly states that problems present when comparing figures.

Members should note what the briefing note goes on to say about what the programme for international student assessment (PISA) said about Northern Ireland. We are always being told how PISA is a great system. We ignored the trends in international mathematics and science study (TIMSS), because it would have cost us £400,000, although that would have provided a more accurate measure of deprivation and its associated problems. However, according to the briefing paper, PISA’s report shows:

“Northern Ireland’s performance is broadly in line with rest of the UK and outperforms OECD average in science”

and in other areas. Therefore, to try to present to the House the argument that we are not performing internationally is not to be accurate with the figures.

We can bandy figures back and forth across the Chamber and debate statistics, but, in today’s debate, we are throwing down a challenge to the Minister. I will repeat that challenge: can she provide evidence that she has taken on board the arguments and the statistical data that state clearly and unequivocally that there is a problem in that Protestant boys are underachieving? What is she doing about that?

Remember that she is the Minister for all the children. She tells us that she is concerned about all our children. Today, she has an opportunity to prove to the House that she has done something specific.

I shall now deal with the issue of free school meals.

John Dallat (Social Democratic and Labour Party, East Londonderry)

The Member must bring his remarks to a close.

Mervyn Storey (DUP, North Antrim)

I have one minute left of my allotted 10 minutes. If someone were to intervene, I would be able to squeeze another minute out of my speech.

What is the Minister doing to encourage the Protestant community to take up free school meals? It is clear that in that community, a stigma is still attached to claiming free school meals. Mr Basil McCrea mentioned the EMA, and there is no stigma attached to claiming that. One reason is probably because it is not seen as such an issue, whereas in our community, there is still a problem with getting our people to apply for free school meals.

We will work with our community to deliver on that, but what is the Minister doing to encourage people to take up free school meals? She has done absolutely nothing. However, even if she were to do something, it would still not be a fair and accurate way of making sure that an objective monitor can be put in place to discover the underlying reason for underachievement in our schools.

John Dallat (Social Democratic and Labour Party, East Londonderry)

The Member’s time is well up.

Mervyn Storey (DUP, North Antrim)

I support amendment No 2.

John Dallat (Social Democratic and Labour Party, East Londonderry)

As Question Time will commence at 2.30 pm, I suggest that Members take their ease until that time. The debate will continue after Question Time, when the next Member to be called to speak will be Mr Dominic Bradley.

The debate stood suspended.

(Mr Speaker in the Chair)

Education

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

1. asked the Minister of Education what action has been taken, to date, by her Department to clarify departmental responsibility for school-age childcare. (AQO 2771/09)

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

Tá roinnt Ranna freagrach as cúram leanaí i dTuaisceart na hÉireann. Childcare is a responsibility shared between a number of Departments in the North of Ireland.

Access to good, affordable childcare is an important element in achieving a range of Government objectives, including helping parents to move into work, training or education or to increase their working hours if they wish. It also plays an important role in extending choice for women, and high-quality provision can have a positive impact on children’s educational and health outcomes. The needs of children and parents and the range of services are dependent on the age of children and the appropriateness and quality of care, and go beyond school-aged childcare alone.

In recognition of the cross-cutting nature of childcare, my Department has contributed to a working group led by officials in the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) as part of the subgroup on poverty, which is one of the six key priority themes identified by the ministerial subcommittee on children and young people. That working group has prepared a paper scoping out the issues and needs for childcare and is examining future options for the provision of childcare. The paper will be discussed by the relevant Departments on 18 June, following the meeting of the Executive.

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

I do not think that anyone would disagree with the importance that is put on childcare generally. However, the issue of school-age childcare is particular in that there has been a dispute rumbling between the Departments of Health and Education as to who is responsible. I am seeking an assurance that the Department of Education is proactively seeking a solution. As the Minister said, it is critical to lifting families out of poverty.

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

I absolutely agree that high-quality childcare is important. It is a shared policy between three Departments: the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS), the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL)and the Department of Education. OFMDFM is leading a working group on the matter, and there will be a meeting on 18 June.

Michelle O'Neill (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster)

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I welcome what the Minister has said. Does she expect to see a new childcare strategy for the North on the back of that working group?

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

Beidh ionadaithe ón Roinn Sláinte, Seirbhísí Sóisialta agus Sábháilteachta Poiblí, ón Roinn Fostaíochta agus Foghlama, ón Roinn Fiontair, Trádála agus Infheistíochta, ón Roinn Talmhaíochta agus Forbartha Tuaithe, ón Roinn Forbartha Sóisialta, ó Oifig Thuaisceart na hÉireann, mar aon le hionadaithe ón Roinn Oideachais ag freastal ar chruinniú ar 18 Meitheamh leis an bpáipéar ar chúram leanaí a phlé.

DHSSPS, DEL, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI), the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), the Department for Social Development (DSD) and the NIO, along with the Department of Education, have been invited to attend a meeting on 18 June to discuss the paper on childcare emerging from work under the auspices of the subgroup on child poverty. That meeting will assist Departments in shaping their next steps.

Basil McCrea (UUP, Lagan Valley)

When the Minister is considering all of those issues for childcare and a review of the overlapping issues, will she give us an indication of when she expects to report on the workforce review in schools, which she gave a commitment to do in 2007 to the classroom assistants, who play a valuable role in the care of our children?

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

Today, the focus is on the childcare strategy. There will be a meeting on 18 June at which we will bring forward proposals.

Mary Bradley (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

2. asked the Minister of Education what interim arrangements are being proposed by her Department to sustain funding beyond 2009 for the community groups funded by her Department’s community relations core funding scheme. (AQO 2772/09)

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

Chreid mé le fada go raibh an beartas um chaidreamh pobail ró-chúng, agus tá mé iontach sásta go bhfuiltear anois ag dul i ngleic leis an ngné seo tríd an athbhreithniú.

I have long held the view that the community relations policy has been too narrowly defined, and I welcome the fact that that dimension has been explored through the review. Work on the revised community relations policy is well advanced and will be brought forward in due course. I will consider any funding issues within the context of the revised policy. The scope of the review of policy includes enshrining equality and good relations as core principles, and addressing section 75, which places a statutory duty on public bodies in carrying out their various functions to have due regard to promoting equality.

The scope of the review also includes taking into account the views of persons from each of the nine groups listed in section 75 and focusing on the wider concepts of diversity and issues affecting the two main traditions. Under section 75, public authorities are also required to:

“have regard to the desirability of promoting good relations between persons of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group.”

Mary Bradley (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

Is the Minister aware that staff are now being put on notice and that schools are being informed that their respective education and library boards have no money for the schools’ community relations programme? Will she tell the House why there has been a deafening silence from her Department?

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

The current method of funding community relations programmes was to end on 31 March 2009. However, as community relations continue to be addressed by schools and youth groups throughout the summer months, funding was extended until August 2009. All organisations currently in receipt of community relations funding, including the 26 core-funded groups, have been advised of the extension and that the outcome of the review may impact on the level of funding available. It is essential that our community relations policy reflects our section 75 duties and the diversity of groups across the range of section 75 groups. I hope that the Member is not suggesting that we leave out any group included in section 75.

Jim Shannon (DUP, Strangford)

My concern, and that of many other Members, is for the continuity of funding for community relations groups. Lack of continuity has an adverse effect on staff and on the impact of the programmes that they carry out. Will the Minister confirm that, as her ministerial responsibility and her promise to people involved in those groups implies, she will ensure continuity of funding so that the good programme of work that they do will continue?

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

I have already answered that question. The Department informed all organisations of the review well in advance, and it informed them of the review’s implications. It has given an extension to the community relations programme. That was meant to end in April but, because of summer activities, we have extended it to August 2009.

Dolores Kelly (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Upper Bann)

3. asked the Minister of Education how many teachers are being made compulsorily redundant this year. (AQO 2773/09)

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

Discussions are ongoing between employing authorities with a view to securing volunteers for redundancy and the redeployment of teachers in redundant posts where appropriate. It is therefore not yet possible to identify the number of compulsory redundancies, if any, that there will be in 2009.

I am informed, however, that employing authorities do not anticipate any increase in the number of teacher redundancies in 2009, and I am pleased to report that the number of teacher redundancies in schools has fallen significantly over the last two years as a result of ongoing reform of the arrangements for compensating teachers for redundancy and premature retirement.

An eight-week consultation on the draft Teachers’ (Compensation for Redundancy and Premature Retirement) Regulations 2009, and on equality screening of the draft regulations, closed on 15 May 2009. The Department is currently analysing all the responses to that consultation. When the analysis is complete, a summary of responses and a revised equality screening will be published on the Department’s website. At that point, I will consider the outcome and review any equality duties in relation to the matter.

Dolores Kelly (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Upper Bann)

Naturally, I am disappointed, though not surprised, that the Minister did not answer the question.

Is it not the case that the budget that schools and employing authorities have at their disposal, as well as school numbers, will, in some part, determine the number of compulsory redundancies? Does the Minister concede that her proposals on teacher redundancies will have a disproportionate and detrimental impact on young female teachers, many of whom are in their first teaching post? Does she further concede that the proposals should have been equality screened and impact assessed before they were put out for public consultation?

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

I answered the Member’s question, and I will now answer her numerous supplementary questions. The proposal has been the subject of a consultation exercise, and the responses are being studied. I hope that the Member is not suggesting that I pre-empt that work. An extra £6 million to give to the employing authorities has been found, and I hope that the Member is pleased about that. The proposal has been equality screened; however, I will review the proposal, if the responses to the consultation suggest that there is a need to do so.

Alex Easton (DUP, North Down)

Does the Minister agree that it is an absolute disgrace that only in the past two to three months has the South Eastern Education and Library Board made contact with teachers at Donaghadee High School about redundancies and teacher placements elsewhere? Does she also agree that it is totally unacceptable that those teachers found out about that only two or three months before the school’s closure?

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

Rather than comment on a particular school, I will respond to the Member in writing.

Ken Robinson (UUP, East Antrim)

Given the annual cull of teachers, many of whom are based in schools that are located in areas of high disadvantage and that already have too many composite classes, will the Minister indicate her estimation of the impact of that ongoing cull of highly skilled teachers?

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

It is interesting to hear the Members opposite say that they support the secondary school sector, and I welcome the fact that they support it. However, I ask that they reflect on the reason why a disproportionate number of secondary school teachers are suffering redundancies. In case some Members do not understand why that is happening, let me explain the situation again: the amount of money that a school gets is based on the number of children taught there; and the number of teachers that a school can employ is based on the number of children at that school. In our classrooms, there are 50,000 empty desks. Which schools are bearing the brunt of those 50,000 empty desks? It is the secondary schools. Yet, Members of the two parties opposite fail to support secondary schools and fail to support change in the system. Thankfully, — [Interruption.]

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

Order. The Minister has the Floor.

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

Thankfully, my party stands by the pledges that it made. We stand by our pledge to reform the education system in order to make it fair. Here we have crocodile tears — [Interruption.] Members are reacting because they know what is happening. They know that the current system disadvantages our secondary schools, which have the greatest number of children receiving free school meals, the greatest number of children with special needs and the greatest number of empty desks. That is the case because grammar schools accepted pupils who got a grade A in their 11-plus first, then the pupils who got a grade B, then those who got a grade C, and then those who got a grade D. Thankfully, the 11-plus is gone. No more — [Interruption.]

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

Order.

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

No more will children be discriminated against in that way.

Anna Lo (Alliance, Belfast South)

4. asked the Minister of Education to outline why there is a delay in reaching a decision on rebuilding premises at Lagan College. (AQO 2774/09)

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

Ó rinneadh Aire díom, chuir mé in iúl an imní atá orm faoi úsáid comhpháirtíochtaí príobháideacha poiblí i scoileanna. Since coming to office, I have opposed the use of public-private partnerships in schools. I have not approved any new school PPP projects since taking up office.

The Lagan College/Tor Bank Special School project was one of a number of legacy PPP projects already in procurement when I was appointed. Remaining issues must be resolved before a preferred bidder can be appointed for the building project to extend and refurbish Lagan College. As a preferred bidder has not yet been appointed, the specific issues remain commercial in confidence. My Department is liaising closely with representatives of the project board to ensure that all issues are addressed as a matter of urgency.

Anna Lo (Alliance, Belfast South)

I thank the Minister for her response. Will she confirm that the project is definitely going ahead, given that a promise was made to the school seven years ago?

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

Tor Bank School and Lagan College require, and will receive, new school buildings. However, there are issues that need to be resolved.

Carmel Hanna (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast South)

Will the Minister tell the House how many capital projects have fallen behind their target start dates? Does she have plans to ensure prompt delivery of those projects?

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

My Department currently has more money than it has ever had to spend on capital projects. We must ensure that that money is spent wisely and carefully and that we rebuild our schools estate.

I will write to the Member to answer her detailed question. I am delighted that so many new school builds are in place. Members may be pleased to note that, last year, for the first time in a long time, there was no underspend in the Department’s capital spend. That happened because I placed a huge emphasis on ensuring that that budget was spent.

Alex Maskey (Sinn Féin, Belfast South)

5. asked the Minister of Education to confirm if the SEN (special educational needs) review has been submitted again to the Executive Committee for approval to go out for public consultation. (AQO 2775/09)

Martina Anderson (Sinn Féin, Foyle)

8. asked the Minister of Education what risk exists to the £25 million, secured through the Programme for Government and Budget for implementation of the policy proposals of the SEN review, if implementation of the review is further delayed. (AQO 2778/09)

Pat Ramsey (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

15. asked the Minister of Education when the results of the special needs review will be published; and when additional funding will be released for this area of education. (AQO 2785/09)

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will take questions 5, 8 and 15 together.

Le breis agus 60,000 — 18·6% — páiste agus duine óg a bhfuil riachtanais speisialta oideachais acu agus le 13,210 — 4·1% — a bhfuil ráiteas acu, ní féidir neamhaird a dhéanamh a thábhachtaí atá riachtanais speisialta oideachais don chóras oideachais go ginearálta.

Everyone accepts that more must be done to ensure that the 60,000 children with special educational needs — some 18·6% of our children — are given the opportunity to achieve during their time at school. Unfortunately, although many Members talk about the need to provide more effective support for those children, their will to deliver does not seem to be as strong as their rhetoric.

Despite the fact that a document on the review of special educational needs and inclusion was first referred to the Executive in July 2008, I have been unable to progress the proposals arising from that review as planned. That is due to the lack of an Executive agreement to issue those proposals for public consultation. On 8 May 2009, I resubmitted the policy proposals to the Executive for the third time and again recommended that the Executive agree to issue the proposals for public consultation as soon as possible. Once again, my request appears to have fallen on deaf ears. Almost 11 months on from the original referral, and despite the Assembly’s supporting last week’s motion to issue that document, I regret to report that, unbelievably, the consultation document did not make it onto the Executive agenda on Thursday 21 May. Parents of children with special needs have questions, which they need to ask the party opposite.

This year, I made £750,000 available to bring forward a range of initiatives that support many aspects of the policy proposals that do not require legislative change. The shift in timescales caused by the delay means that I may not be able to commence implementation of the full package of proposals in 2010 and 2011, but I plan to use £24 million for capacity-building programmes to enhance the current provision.

I thank all the other Assembly parties for supporting last week’s motion; only one party voted against it. Those programmes will help to ensure that our educational system can provide an effective continuum of support for the continuum of need in our schools.

The policy proposals that emerged from the review relate to the most vulnerable individuals in our society. The public consultation is much anticipated by all those who are involved in the extensive pre-consultation stage, particularly those parents who have experienced difficulties with the current framework and who remain frustrated that they are being prevented from giving their opinion on the proposals. It is my firm hope that my Executive colleagues will now agree, at the earliest opportunity, to issue the policy proposals for consultation. Any further delay will result in difficulties remaining unresolved.

Every day that passes means that some of our children continue to fall through the identification net, and they do not receive the help that they need when they need it. Most importantly, every day that passes means that this Assembly continues to fail children with special educational needs.

Alex Maskey (Sinn Féin, Belfast South)

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I thank the Minister for her answer, even though the substance of it was disappointing. Will she clarify to the House why her proposals following the special educational needs review have not been tabled for discussion by the Executive?

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

As I said, I have brought the matter to the Executive on a number of occasions. One party is blocking the proposals from getting on the agenda. Last week, we heard the reasons why. There is a lack of progressive thinking. My colleague John O’Dowd clearly outlined some of the reasons why one party is blocking the proposals, and that party must now question its position: we cannot continue to fail children with special needs. Therefore, I expect the proposals to be on the Executive’s agenda for discussion.

Martina Anderson (Sinn Féin, Foyle)

With respect to Question 8, how does the Minister intend to spend the £25 million? Go raibh míle maith agat.

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

We are already spending £188 million in relation to children with special needs. In addition, we have an extra £25 million. We are making sure that, as well as providing for special needs children, we are providing for the further category of children with additional educational needs, so that we remove barriers to learning at an early stage. The proposals are progressive and radical, and intensive work has been carried out by experts in the field.

Pat Ramsey (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

I thank the Minister for her response. Given that every parent’s greatest fear is to be told that their child has special needs, will the review of special needs services ensure that the statementing process is streamlined and made less worrying for parents?

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

Until I publish the matter for consultation, it is not possible to answer the Member’s question in detail, although his point is well made. The statementing process takes far too long and it stops early intervention and intervention at the point of need. The proposals will ensure that we intervene earlier and that we take a whole-school approach with respect to special needs children.

Danny Kennedy (UUP, Newry and Armagh)

Twenty-two minutes have passed. I will see whether I can get an answer to a question. Will the Minister explain how efficiency savings of £2·5 million in the provision of special education in 2010-11 will be affected given that she has proposed increased spending of £25 million?

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

We are already spending £188 million; we need to ask ourselves whether we are spending it in the best way. Much of our psychologists’ time is spent on the statementing process, yet many children are left without the support that they need. The extra £25 million for special needs children is an important resource that must be freed up as soon as possible.

Dominic Bradley (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Newry and Armagh)

Go raibh míle maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Tá ceist agam faoi na daltaí úra a tháinig isteach go dtí an tír seo agus na riachtanais speisialta oideachais atá acu.

Does the Minister agree that newcomer pupils also have special needs and that the policy on newcomer pupils that she published recently fails to outline how services, such as educational psychology, speech and language therapy, and education welfare, will be adapted to cater for their needs? Moreover, will she assure the House that that glaring omission will be rectified without further delay? Go raibh míle maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle.

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

As the Member knows, I launched the newcomer policy, which is part of the ‘Every School a Good School’ policy, at Botanic Primary School. Members will know that a growing number of newcomer pupils have come to the island of Ireland. In the North, we have newcomer pupils from many different countries. Our Department has very progressive policies on newcomer pupils, and we sent a toolkit for diversity to every primary school throughout the Thirty-two Counties.

At the North/South Ministerial Council last week, head teachers from right across the island gave a presentation on the strategies that are being used to ensure that we make the most appropriate interventions for newcomer pupils. English as an additional language is one of the areas in which we need to assess our provision. Our Department has some of the most progressive proposals on this island. I was very proud of many of the principals who presented to Batt O’Keefe, Reg Empey and me at the North/South Ministerial Council meeting.

The Member asked about the provision of services such as educational psychology for newcomer pupils. The ‘Every School a Good School’ and the ‘Review of Special Educational Needs and Inclusion’ documents are both part of the same whole-school approach to those matters, and we await the proposals from the review of special needs.

Mervyn Storey (DUP, North Antrim)

The Minister has yet again rehearsed the importance of children with special needs. However, in the wake of the collapse of the Republic of Ireland Government’s funding of the Middletown Centre for Autism, when will she tell the House about her plans? Rather than merely issuing press releases, when will she tell the elected representatives in the Chamber how the money will be spent to directly deliver for children who suffer from autism and their parents, rather than being put into a scheme that faces financial crisis?

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

I respectfully suggest that the Member reads his programme to find out when I will make a statement about the North/South Ministerial Council and the Middletown all-Ireland centre of excellence. The Middletown Centre for Autism is very good; we had our meeting there last week. It is regrettable that the Government in the South of Ireland have said that they cannot currently afford to continue supporting the centre in the way that we had previously agreed.

However, the North/South Ministerial Council meeting was very useful, and we have agreed to review the decision that was made by the Minister in the South of Ireland. I very much look forward to continued discussions on the matter. The Middletown centre is world-class, and it provides some of the best training on the island. Indeed, I met teachers from various communities who told me that North Carolina is the only other place in which such training is available. Thankfully, there are now opportunities on the island of Ireland that we did not have before, and that will continue.

Thomas Burns (Social Democratic and Labour Party, South Antrim)

6. asked the Minister of Education what progress has been made with Area-based Planning. (AQO 2776/09)

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

Tá dul chun cinn maith déanta ar an ngné seo. Eisíodh mo dhréacht-pháipéar beartais ar phleanáil bhunaithe sa cheantar don údarás um oideachas agus scileanna le haghaidh comhairliúcháin phoiblí anuraidh. Ina dhiaidh sin, cuireadh an beartas faoi bhráid Choiste Oideachais an Tionóil le haghaidh a bhreithnithe.

Good progress has been made. My draft policy on area-based planning for the education and skills authority was issued for public consultation last year, and it is now being considered by the Committee for Education. I understand that very good progress has also been made with the post-primary exercise that I announced last year. The central group will report to me on that exercise shortly.

Thomas Burns (Social Democratic and Labour Party, South Antrim)

Will the Minister explain what will happen to the children in my constituency of South Antrim who have no choice but to commute outside the constituency, to schools in Belfast, Ballymena and Magherafelt? Those children will be at a severe disadvantage when the proposed area-plan postcode lottery is introduced.

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

I agree with the Member that far too many children are leaving their home towns and villages and spending hours travelling to schools that are not local to them. Public money must not be spent in a way that is disadvantageous for young people. The transfer 2010 guidelines that I brought forward are about family, geography and community. They are about building up local communities and cohesion and keeping families together.

It is about keeping brothers and sisters together: too many children are passing one other, in buses, and are not members of their local schools. One reason why I introduced transfer 2010 was to avoid such situations; another was so that children could be a major part of the local community.

I agree with the Member: we must create a system that has an area-based-planning approach and builds up local schools, rather than the willy-nilly approach that has been taken in the past. Far too many young people — thousands of them — are travelling into Belfast, and that is decimating local schools.

EMPLOYMENT AND LEARNING

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

Questions 1 and 2 have been withdrawn.

Anna Lo (Alliance, Belfast South)

3. asked the Minister for Employment and Learning for his assessment of the recent meeting of the Holylands stakeholders forum; and what actions his Department will take to address antisocial behaviour in the Holylands. (AQO 2793/09)

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

I was encouraged by the discussions that took place at the forum on 7 May 2009. On the basis of those discussions, a draft report will be produced and circulated to all the delegates for their consideration. Tackling antisocial behaviour requires a multi-agency approach. When the report is finalised, I shall write to the relevant agencies and organisations, including my Executive colleagues, with a view to agreeing the way forward.

Anna Lo (Alliance, Belfast South)

I thank the Minister for his reply. I accept that that is a complex problem, involving not only the universities but the Government. Will the Minister consider forming an interdepartmental task force to ensure that all relevant agencies work together on the action plans to address the issue comprehensively?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

The Member will be aware that a number of groups exist. My purpose in convening a meeting of stakeholders was not to create any more tiers of administration or bureaucracy; it was to bring people together and to give a political lead in a situation that had deteriorated rapidly. I will await the outcome of the report, but as the Member knows, Belfast City Council and other groups meet already. It is clear that a number of Departments, as well as the Northern Ireland Office and other groups, will be involved in the solution. We must not forget that the most important group in influencing events comprises the students.

I cannot confirm that another body will be created; we shall see what the report says. I intend, subject to the details of the report, to reconvene the stakeholders in the autumn, by which time I hope that we will have a comprehensive proposal to put forward. We shall ask other Departments, agencies, the students, the residents and others to follow a particular course of action. Our actions on the matter are a work in progress.

Jimmy Spratt (DUP, Belfast South)

I welcome the Minister’s initiative. I was unable to go to the meeting, but I was invited. Does the Minister agree that not all of the problem comes from the universities and colleges and that much of it comes from antisocial behaviour, which has been created and allowed to build up over the years? Does he agree that the Police Service of Northern Ireland must play a major role to ensure that anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) and other measures are used in the area? The people of the area have been plagued by the problem for years. Will the Minister encourage the Police Service to do its bit in coming to terms with the problem of antisocial behaviour in the Holylands area?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

The Member is correct in saying that the problem does not come exclusively from students at the universities and the colleges. In fact, because of the number of houses in multiple occupation in the area, some of the people in question have nothing to do with the universities.

The PSNI was invited to the meeting and was present, as were representatives from the NIO. Their involvement will be critical because of certain specific issues, and the Member will be aware of some of those. For instance, under current legislation, police cannot even go into a front garden of a house where misbehaviour is taking place. Such stupidity limits the action that the police can take. Consequently, the area becomes a place of misery for its residents.

ASBOs have not proved to be terribly successful, and I am not convinced that they necessarily are the answer. The Member is correct to say that the problem’s causes are widespread and complicated, and there is no single cure. That will take time and a multi-agency approach. Certain issues are at play that are unrelated to the universities. The Member has to look only at the addresses of some of the people who have been charged to detect that a broad spectrum of people has been involved. People who do not reside in the area come into it simply to participate in trouble. The Member is well aware of those issues.

Carmel Hanna (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast South)

Is the Minister aware of any plans by the universities or, indeed, by the private sector to develop alternative student accommodation?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

Yes, I am. Belfast City Council has received a planning application for 260 units of accommodation at the Elms Village, and that raises problems. Recently, I met representatives of the area’s residents’ association, who expressed concern at the prospect. Equally, residents of the Holylands say that the density of students in that area is too great, and they want the universities to provide more student accommodation. Therefore, a fundamental conflict exists, which the process must resolve. I hope that after the report is brought to me during the summer, my Department can come back in the autumn with clear proposals that can be followed to ensure that the disgraceful scenes that occurred in March 2009 are not repeated in 2010.

Robert Coulter (UUP, North Antrim)

I thank the Minister for his answer. Will he confirm whether the need to provide adequate suitable student accommodation is likely to be one factor that will be considered when assessing the University of Ulster’s proposals for the Cathedral Quarter?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

The Member’s assumption is correct. The Department has received a proposal from the University of Ulster to move some of its courses to its Belfast campus. The university intends to expand that campus significantly, which could increase pressure on the Holylands. That issue must be taken into account. My Department has not had any detailed discussion with the University of Ulster on that issue, but I can assure the Member that it is at the top of my list.

Séan Neeson (Alliance, East Antrim)

4. asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what plans he has to ensure that Queen’s University and the University of Ulster will provide more student accommodation in line with universities in other parts of the UK. (AQO 2794/09)

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

Mr Neeson’s question relates to previous questions. Provision of accommodation is primarily an issue for the universities. I have been advised by the University of Ulster that current provision at its Jordanstown campus is not fully occupied, so it has no plans to expand that accommodation. To date, Queen’s University has invested some £45 million in creating the Elms Village. Recently, a planning application for 260 bed spaces for postgraduate and international students at the Elms Village has been submitted.

Séan Neeson (Alliance, East Antrim)

I thank the Minister for his reply. Obviously, my question relates to previous questions. Is the accommodation that has been proposed at the Elms Village intended only for international and postgraduate students? Accommodation for first-year students is needed. Does the Minister acknowledge that universities across the water provide, on average, 25% of student accommodation whereas Queen’s University provides only 15%?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

There is no doubt that that is the case. Indeed, I challenge those figures and say that the percentage of accommodation that is offered by Queen’s University might even be less than that. Levels of student accommodation are primarily in the university’s remit. It is commonplace for other universities to insist that first-year students live in halls of residence.

That is not the case in Belfast, because the universities argue that there are some empty places in their accommodation. The reason for that can be related to the rental issue, which is a matter that the stakeholder forum can consider. Some people believe that houses in multiple occupation should pay more rates because of the extra cleaning that the council has to do in the areas in which they are situated. Such a move would balance the rents.

We need to address many issues, and I assure the Member that all those are in the mix. The facilitator who presided at the stakeholder forum and his team are drafting the report of that event. As the Member knows, the event comprised six workshops. Everybody who attended has considered all those issues, and I look forward to reporting the outcome to the House at a later stage.

Alastair Ross (DUP, East Antrim)

Student accommodation is a significant problem, as are parking facilities for students, particularly at the University of Ulster campus in Jordanstown. Given the location of that campus, many students have to travel there in their own cars. Will the Minister assure the House that he will provide adequate parking facilities at that campus? Furthermore, what discussions has he had with Translink to build public transport links to that university and to encourage students to use public transport to reach the campus?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

Parking is a difficulty at both campuses. I draw the Member’s attention to the fact that through its green zone policy, Queen’s University has, in many cases, prevented students from parking in the curtilage of its grounds. As the Members for South Belfast will know, residents in places such as Beechlands have been forced, in some cases, to park their vehicles on the streets because Queen’s will not allow the owners of those vehicles on to their own properties.

If the University of Ulster were to move a significant number of its courses to the Belfast campus, parking would be part of the planning arrangements. Given the nature of such a massive development, I would be surprised if a public inquiry were not conducted, because I am sure that there would be demand for one. The Member asked about Translink; I will take that matter on board and will write to him in due course after I have had an opportunity to consult the Department.

Ken Robinson (UUP, East Antrim)

Has the Minister assessed the potential impact that the campus transfer may have on the housing needs of the resident population in north Belfast, which experiences housing pressures already? What steps will be required prior to any move in order to avoid another Holylands situation developing in the north of the city?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

I am conscious of that matter. Although they were not affected directly by the recent violence, I asked residents from the Lisburn Road area and the Malone area to participate in the stakeholder forum because of the potential spread of the problem. As was raised in the stakeholder forum, there might be a proposal to move a significant body of students to, or to increase the number of students in, the Belfast campus. It is perfectly obvious that there is little or no accommodation in that area. That shortage will result in immediate further pressure being put on the Holylands or on the areas that are immediately adjacent to north Belfast. I expect that any comprehensive proposal that may be brought forward in due course will deal with that matter. I hope that we have learned lessons from the Holylands problem; allowing a repetition of that situation would be a dereliction of duty.

Carál Ní Chuilín (Sinn Féin, Belfast North)

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I want to follow up Mr Robinson’s question. If the Minister creates a stakeholder group to consider the proposed move to York Road, it is incumbent on him to talk to people in the surrounding area rather than to allow the consultation from another area to influence the proposals for that area.

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

Of course, each proposal will stand on its own merits. I am merely saying that we should learn from the mistakes in one area and apply the lessons to another area.

The proposals that I am aware of for a partial move from Jordanstown to the York Street site would require a substantial programme of capital build. There would be a need for accommodation; apart from university-based and course-based accommodation, there is also an issue concerning parking and residential accommodation. All that will have to be dealt with in a proper appraisal. The proposals cannot be acted on unless significant public funds are made available. I can assure the Member that all those matters will have to be taken into account. I am merely saying that, having seen what went wrong in the Holylands, we should not make the same mistakes in another area.

John McCallister (UUP, South Down)

5. asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to outline the changes in the numbers of (i) jobseeker’s allowance claimants; and (ii) vacancies in the South Down constituency, over the last 12 months. (AQO 2795/09)

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

The number of jobseeker’s allowance claimants in the South Down area has increased from 369 in April 2008 to 874 in March 2009. That is an overall increase of 137%. In April 2008, the Department was notified of 71 vacancies. The same number of vacancies was notified to the Department in March 2009.

John McCallister (UUP, South Down)

I am grateful for the Minister’s reply. My constituency of South Down has been hard hit by the downturn; the figures that he has just provided certainly confirm that. What specific actions are his Department taking to help those in South Down who find themselves on the jobless list?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

I have been to visit a number of jobcentres in that area. I have been to Kilkeel, Banbridge, which is adjacent to the Member’s constituency, and Newry, which is on the periphery of his constituency. There is no doubt that there has been a considerable increase in the number of people seeking work, and, as can be seen from the figures, even though the number of applicants for jobseeker’s allowance has increased by 137%, the number of vacancies has remained static. That tells its own story.

A wide range of assistance is available to redundant workers who sign the unemployment register, but I suspect that the Member has in mind the large number of people in that area, particularly in the construction sector, who may be self-employed and are in grave distress and difficulty but who are not showing up in those figures. I know that that is one of the Member’s concerns.

Personal advisers in the jobcentres provide information and advice on employment opportunities, job searching, training, further education options and early entry into the Department’s Steps to Work programme, which is the mainstream programme for dealing with unemployment.

I can also tell the Member that in the South Down area, the Department is working as a partner in the recently formed employment task force for the Mournes area, which has been set up as a direct response to the economic downturn. The group aims to deliver a practical working document that will map out the short-term and long-term solutions for addressing issues around the current economic recession.

The task force was established in March of this year and includes all relevant stakeholders from the public, private and voluntary sectors, such as Kilkeel Chamber of Commerce, DARD, the Planning Service, Southern Regional College, Invest NI, the South Down Fishing Task Force, local councillors and a number of representatives from the business sector. Participation in that forum could be a key factor in finding a way forward in the coming days.

P J Bradley (Social Democratic and Labour Party, South Down)

I thank the Minister for the detail in his reply. What additional funding has been made available to retrain those from South Down who lost jobs during the past 12 months?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

We have been trying, as in all areas. The Member must understand that the Department provides services for every part of Northern Ireland. Although the profile of the problems differs from area to area, there are parallels between, for example, the Magherafelt area and the Member’s constituency. Construction was one of the key drivers in both those areas, and that has been dramatically hit.

Indeed, on a recent visit to a jobcentre in the Member’s constituency, I discovered that not a single construction job was available there. Nevertheless, many people have been encouraged to participate in courses to obtain a skill and to attend college to get a qualification.

We are struggling, particularly in construction, but funds are available through my Department’s main adult return-to-work provision, Steps to Work, which was rolled out across Northern Ireland in September 2008. Its design is sufficiently flexible to meet current and emerging needs, as demonstrated, for example, in recent adjustments to accommodate apprentices who have been made redundant from key sectors such as the construction industry. Additional adjustments to that programme include enhanced provision for short training courses of up to 10 days to try to give people a skill; increased expenditure up to £2,000 for training per individual, which was previously set at £300; and short training courses to assist participants to equip themselves for available job vacancies. We are trying to do all that, but there is no disguising the fact that the number of well-paid jobs on the jobcentres’ books is dramatically reduced, and the Member must be aware of that.

Basil McCrea (UUP, Lagan Valley)

The problems mentioned by my colleagues are not confined to their constituencies. The Minister has outlined the assistance that is available to redundant workers; I wonder what he has in mind for the psychological damage that is done to many people. It is not just about skills, but about self-esteem and self-worth. How will his Department help redundant workers in those situations?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

The Member touches on a sensitive issue. The nature of the client base that is coming to jobcentres has changed dramatically, as the arithmetic that I outlined shows. Many of those people have never been in a jobcentre in their lives; many are professionals who are in considerable distress. Indeed, our staff have been given special guidance, because, sad to say, they have even encountered a person who was threatening suicide. That is very sad, but one can understand the pressures that some people are facing.

Many people are tearful and in distress when they visit the jobcentre. Our staff have to deal with that, and we are trying to support them as they take clients through the available options. For someone who has been in a position of giving advice in a professional capacity, to be faced suddenly with having to claim jobseeker’s allowance at a maximum of £62 a week can be a huge trauma for many people. The advisers have been trained to the best of their ability to cope with those situations, but we cannot expect the workers at the coalface to have myriad skills. At least, however, they have been trained to recognise when a person is in difficulty and to offer referral options.

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

Question 6 has been withdrawn.

Trevor Lunn (Alliance, Lagan Valley)

7. asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what additional retraining programmes will be made available to cope with the large number of workers recently made redundant. (AQO 2797/09)

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

The Department’s main adult employment programme, Steps to Work, offers immediate access to those who have recently become unemployed following redundancy. Steps to Work is an employment programme that offers a flexible, menu-based approach to targeting individuals’ barriers to employment. It also provides, in a flexible way, the opportunity to gain a work-related qualification; meaningful and relevant experience in the workplace through high-quality job placements; assistance in improving essential skills; and help with developing the skills that are needed to search for a job. Furthermore, the Department has put contingency arrangements in place for apprentices who have been made redundant from the construction, engineering and automotive sectors to enable them to continue their training.

Trevor Lunn (Alliance, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Minister for his answer. I realise that he covered some of that ground in his answer to the previous question. How does the Minister feel that our efforts compare with those being made in England, Scotland and Wales? Has he reassessed the support that is available to apprentices?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

The Member will know that I announced this morning my intention to launch the Skillsafe scheme. The scheme is designed to help apprentices to increase their training if they are put on short-time working. That will involve a personal allowance to apprentices, as well as paying for their training by a provider.

We are in an advanced position in nearly all comparable cases with England, Scotland and Wales. Many of the programmes that existed in England two years ago were pulled and done away with. We did not do that. England now finds itself having to rebuild many of those programmes.

As the Member is aware, employment is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. That is not so in Scotland or Wales. We have extra work to do here, but I am confident that when we consider the interface between further education and training and employment, we are in a much more advanced position, given that we provide training in up to 750 different locations, not including further education colleges. That does not happen on the same scale across the water.

I am confident that we are in a better position — one that is tailored to meet our own needs. That is the point: the nature of unemployment varies from region to region, and the solutions vary as well. I am, therefore, glad that we have that power devolved and that we can use it to benefit people.

Alex Attwood (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast West)

I welcome the Minister’s last comment but issue a warning: in England, training, including training for those who have been made redundant, is, unlike that provided in Northern Ireland, falling to huge corporations and companies that are much removed from local communities.

Will the Minister confirm what was or was not done to support the Visteon/Ford workers before they left the plant last week and what has or has not been done since they left? Will the Minister take the opportunity to agree that grave questions need to be answered about how Visteon and Ford managed the workers’ pension fund? Does he support the need for there to be an inquiry? Does he agree with the representations that my colleague Alasdair McDonnell and others made to the Prime Minister for full and immediate pension entitlements to be delivered to the Visteon workers?

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

Order. The Member is stretching the parameters of the original question.

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

I was about to say that the Member has excelled himself, because one of his colleagues asked that question of me earlier in Question Time.

I am happy to answer the question on Visteon, because I know that it is of interest to many people. I spoke with representatives of the Ford Motor Company when I met with the plant’s workers and their representatives. I had a meeting earlier this month in London with Tony McNulty, the Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform at the Department for Work and Pensions, at which the matter was raised.

We have reported the issues surrounding pensions at the Visteon plant to the pensions regulator. Allegations have been made that pots of money may have been moved into a surviving Visteon company’s pension fund. At our insistence, Tony McNulty said that he would facilitate the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform’s (BERR) raising of that matter directly with the pensions regulator. Therefore, we have acted on the basis of information that was given to us.

We offered to bring a clinic into the factory, but the administrators told us that they did not control the factory, and that we, therefore, could not do so. We offered alternative arrangements, and many workers, having taken up that offer, went to various jobcentres in the surrounding area. The point was made that, because of Visteon’s actions, a large bill was being dropped in the taxpayer’s lap and that we felt sore about that. I made that clear to the Ford Motor Company.

I believe that we have tried to address the issue, and as far as the pensions fund is concerned, that is an ongoing matter. We have reported to the pensions regulator, and I will be happy to report back to the House when we receive clarity on the matter.

Leslie Cree (UUP, North Down)

To return to the question, redundancy is a very serious situation for anyone. Will the Minister explain what types of retraining are provided through the Steps to Work scheme?

Reg Empey (UUP, Belfast East)

Steps to Work is the Department’s main programme for retraining and offers an array of training opportunities. Advisers are aware that when they meet a client they must first assess his or her needs. That could include helping a client with essential skills, because we find that if people do not have essential skills it is very difficult for them to advance.

Advisers then have to look at what the client has been doing hitherto. For instance, if people have been working in the construction sector there is not much point in training them for that sector at the moment; we have to offer training in an area in which a client is more likely to get a job in the short term, which could be in retailing or some other area. The adviser then has to look at whether the client has a skill that could be developed further.

This is a much more flexible system, and we can take new qualifications in new sectors into account. For example, in light of recent revelations I said that if moat cleaning were required we would consider an apprenticeship in that, because there may be some local demand for the skill. That might be an area for us to explore.

Enterprise, Trade and InvesTment

Dolores Kelly (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Upper Bann)

1. asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what opportunities have been identified to increase the percentage of community heating systems using indigenous, renewable fuel sources. (AQO 2811/09)

Arlene Foster (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I will be issuing a revised strategic energy framework for consultation shortly, and it will set out the Department’s view on the future energy priorities for Northern Ireland. Among other things, the consultation will ask for views on how my Department should progress work on renewable heat. I expect that developing proposals on renewable heat will include work on community-scale solutions for generating heat cleanly, efficiently and cost effectively.

I also plan to issue a cross-departmental action plan on bioenergy soon. Following a review of the potential to exploit bioenergy in Northern Ireland, the priority for development should be on bioenergy for heating and electricity. The cross-departmental action plan will outline objectives that will support the development of bioenergy in Northern Ireland and capitalise on the area’s natural resources, contribute to the region’s security of energy supply, support jobs and businesses and help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Dolores Kelly (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Upper Bann)

I thank the Minister for her answer. Will she say how and when such a scheme will be implemented? Will she also comment on grid connection charges, which are detrimental to many who want to put electricity back into the grid? I know that connection to the grid cost one company £700,000 and that such charges are stopping a lot of this work taking place. As I understand it, there are no grants available from the Department to assist with grid connection.

Arlene Foster (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I thank the Member for her supplementary question. As I said, we have already completed the scoping work on the strategic energy framework. I chair an interdepartmental working group on the general issue of sustainable energy, which is working very well together. It met on Thursday past.

The work on renewable heat is very much part of the strategic energy framework. We need to reduce the amount of fossil fuel that we use in this country, and an examination of district and community heating will form part of the response. As the Member knows, some very good entrepreneurs are examining the subject of district heating. The Carbon Trust has done some work on industrial sites, and work is being done in west Tyrone to look at providing heat for housing developments. Therefore, quite a lot is going on.

I am very clear that heat, in addition to other issues such as electricity, has to be included in the strategic energy framework. I hope that that framework will be published for consultation over the summer months so that the Member will see what we plan to do.

Fra McCann (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Community heating systems have been successful in Scandinavia, particularly in Denmark where more than half of all homes are heated through such schemes. What discussion has the Minister had with the Minister for Social Development about developing such an infrastructure here? What support has the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment given to companies here that want to develop community heating systems?

Arlene Foster (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

Community heating systems are very much part of the Department for Social Development’s plans. As the Member will appreciate, however, that is a long-term strategy and will require substantial financial resources. As I understand it, such systems will become a viable option for DSD only when it is building new homes.

Earlier, I referred to a developer in west Tyrone who is looking to build 20 homes, and part of that development will include a community heating system. A lot is going on in that respect. The Member might be aware that a community-style heating system is being developed for the eco-village that the Department for Social Development is planning for the former Grosvenor Barracks site in Enniskillen. I have not had any meetings with the Minister for Social Development about that matter, but a dialogue is ongoing and will continue, through my interdepartmental working group.

Leslie Cree (UUP, North Down)

Is the Minister aware of thermal treatment plants in other parts of the United Kingdom? There is, for example, one in the centre of Sheffield that produces heat for a major part of the city. Would she be prepared to promote that issue with her Executive colleagues to encourage the building of such a plant in Northern Ireland? That would solve two problems.

Arlene Foster (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I take it that the Member means to ask whether I will encourage other Government Departments to become involved in that sort of mechanism. One discussion at the interdepartmental group on Thursday was about the role of Government Departments in promoting renewable and sustainable energies. Departments such as the Department for Social Development and the Department of Health have quite large estates, and the Department of Health is doing good work on renewable energy sources at the new site in Enniskillen, for example. We want to encourage that. The strategic energy framework, which will be available for consultation in the summer, will look at all the available technology.