Northern Ireland Assembly, 24 June 2014

350 contributions from 58 members. The official report.

Assembly Business

Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I want to raise a matter with the purpose of seeking your assistance. It is the issue — the vexed issue on occasion — of excessive delay in answering questions for written answer. I want to draw attention in particular to a question for priority written answer — AQW 28360/11-15 — that was tabled in mid-November 2013 to the Department of Finance and Personnel. Seven months later, despite several reminder questions, it has not been answered. The same goes for a companion question — AQW 28359/11-15. Again, seven months have passed.

Particularly in the context of questions for priority written answer, I find it impossible to believe that the Minister has not been supplied with a draft reply by his civil servants. Yet, all the time frames that exist for answering questions, particularly questions for priority written answer, are being flouted. What can the House do to address this issue?

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

First, I am sorry that Members have to raise points of order on this issue, which has been raised on several occasions by a number of Members. Although the Speaker has no power to take action, especially under Standing Order 20C, I have always allowed Members to raise these issues on the Floor of the Assembly. It is sad that Members have to come to the House to raise points of order, especially on questions for priority written answer. The Member will know that I do not have any power, as I said. I have continually raised the issue with the Executive and, on occasions, I have written to them. Once again, I feel very disappointed that Members, especially Back-Benchers, are not being treated as they should. That needs to go on the record; it is wrong.

Ministerial Statements

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

Today, I am announcing the culmination of our review of apprenticeships and the final policy position through the publication of 'Securing our Success: the Northern Ireland Strategy on Apprenticeships'. I am also providing an update of progress on the ongoing and complementary review of youth training.

I believe that the policy commitments for apprenticeships that I will outline and the steps that we will take to implement the new strategy for apprenticeships will contribute to a fundamental transformation of the skills landscape in Northern Ireland. Skills are the key driver of positive economic change and are also a powerful tool to promote individual opportunity and achieve greater social inclusion.

Apprenticeships provide an excellent means by which employers can obtain the technical and employability skills that they require, as well as being assured that there is a strong skills base across the economy. Apprentices, in turn, know that they have the skills that are wanted by employers and are relevant to the local economy. As such, they will have enhanced prospects of good earnings and sustained employment.

I would like to begin by reminding the Assembly of how we have reached this stage. Last year, I launched major reviews of apprenticeships and youth training. In January, my Department published the interim report of the review of apprenticeships for consultation, outlining 32 proposals for change. Those proposals drew from international best practice in professional and technical education and training systems. Across the developed world, well-established apprenticeship systems have been proven to be an effective mechanism to match skills supply and demand.

The review benefited from input from a range of stakeholders through a series of stakeholder forums and a call for submissions. The expert panel, which I established last year, has also been particularly helpful in providing advice on the emerging proposals. I am very grateful for its key contribution. I would also like to thank the Committee for Employment and Learning for its positive contribution to the review process through the development and consultation stages. The Committee and other Assembly Members will remain critical partners during the implementation phase.

Building on a broad research base and the input of key stakeholders, the interim report articulated a blueprint for Northern Ireland's future apprenticeship programme — a model that is driven by strategic partnership, puts employers at its very heart, matches better supply with demand, affords opportunities in a wider range of occupations and offers a flexible progression pathway across professional education and training. Those interim proposals have now been consolidated into 20 key policy commitments under the following four themes: the components of an apprenticeship, increasing participation, the role of key players, and ensuring quality.

The first theme is the components of an apprenticeship. Through exploring that theme, I sought to establish apprenticeships as a system of employment and learning that would be adaptive to the particular needs of employers across a wide range of sectors. Under the new model, apprenticeships in Northern Ireland will be defined as a system of learning, irrespective of branding, that will be recognised by government if it contains the following five key components.

First, an apprenticeship will be for a new employee or, in the case of an existing employee, a new job role that requires a substantial amount of learning and skills development. Focusing the concept of apprenticeships in that way will ensure maximum value for public investment.

Secondly, an apprenticeship will commence at professional and technical level 3 and will be available in parallel to further and higher education at levels 4 to 6, sub-degree and degree levels. For certain occupations, there will be opportunities to undertake an apprenticeship at levels 7 and 8 — master's and doctorate. It will be crucial to have in place supporting measures to help young people to access apprenticeships at level 3. As I will highlight shortly, my Department's current review of youth training will seek to address precisely that need.

The third key component of an apprenticeship concerns duration. An apprenticeship will be designed to take at least two years to complete, reflecting the breadth and depth of learning that is required.

The fourth key component will be that apprenticeships will include a breadth of on- and off-the-job training beyond the specific needs of a given job role. That will support the mobility of the apprentice across that sector and also the wider economy.

Apprentices should also be able to progress from their initial apprenticeship into higher-level education and training. That is recognised in the fifth and final core component of our new model, which will guarantee that available progression routes are factored into the design process.

Beyond the core components, awards and qualifications are the key underpinning elements that will define the new apprenticeship model. To ensure clarity and to facilitate portability and progression, apprenticeships will have a single award or qualification for each occupation at each level. The design of the new awards and qualifications will be led by new sectoral partnerships, which I will address in further detail shortly.

To support the Government’s overall commitment to lifelong learning, and in recognition of our working-age demographic in Northern Ireland, apprenticeships will be open to everyone, irrespective of age. We will, however, pay particular attention to the key role that apprenticeships can play in supporting a young person's transition from education to the world of work.

Connected to that will be a further commitment to ensuring that we support individuals to make the transition into apprenticeships from other forms of training. That will be achieved through my Department's new youth training offer and more widely through a range of other initiatives, including the Skills Solutions service and customised training, which will afford opportunities to upskill and reskill adults in work.

I also see our new apprenticeship model drawing from the key elements of international best practice. It is only right, therefore, that our apprenticeships be valued in Northern Ireland and further afield. That will require mapping of awards and qualifications to international frameworks, such as the European qualifications framework. Furthermore, we will put in place measures to fully utilise opportunities for international placement and exchanges by establishing links with partner countries across Europe and beyond. As part of those efforts, my Department will explore the use of EU programmes such as Erasmus+ and consider incentives for participating employers.

All the efforts that my Department has made, and will make, to define our new apprenticeship offer will need to be supported by the appropriate structures to engage key stakeholders in delivery. Key to that is ensuring that the two main beneficiaries of apprenticeships — employers and apprentices — are encouraged to engage. That is central to the second theme of our approach: increasing participation.

The key commitment that I will make in that respect is to establish a central service for employers and potential apprentices. The service will include an online portal to facilitate the advertising of apprenticeship opportunities and the application process. For apprentices, the service will administer subsidies and relevant support, use a UCAS-style portal to advertise vacancies and source independent careers advice and guidance to inform their choices, particularly at key transition points. For employers, the service will advertise their apprenticeship vacancies, provide a matching service for apprentices and off-the-job training providers and administer support and services to make their engagement as beneficial and user-friendly as possible.

The service will also include bespoke measures to assist small businesses and microbusinesses, which are a key part of our local economy. While the service will be crucial to securing increased participation, there are further key commitments that I will make in that area.

First, apprenticeships will be offered in a wide range of professional and technical occupations. In parallel with the development of the new apprenticeship model, the Department has actively engaged in the promotion of apprenticeships across a range of new sectors and occupations. I am encouraged by the results so far but want to do more. I have already initiated high-level apprenticeship pilots in professional services, ICT and engineering. Significant interest has also been expressed in extending the pilot work to include the finance and accounting sector and the industrial chemical and life science sector.

We will also continue our engagement with the public sector and non-departmental public bodies to develop new apprenticeships in relevant professional and technical roles. I am very pleased with the broad support that I have received so far. It represents a good platform from which to work.

As I highlighted, a further key area of our local economy is the role of small enterprises and microenterprises. Those businesses, however, often have limited capacity to engage with education and training programmes and therefore require tailored support. In implementing our new model, we will test a range of measures to support those businesses, including financial incentives, subsidies for larger businesses to train apprentices based on sectoral need to feed into their supply chain; group training approaches; and public-private partnerships.

We will also need to ensure that our young people are guided to provision that is right for them to help sustain their engagement and support achievement and progression. In countries with the strongest apprenticeship provision, apprenticeships are embedded in the delivery of the relevant careers service. Therefore, my Department's Careers Service will provide impartial advice and guidance for young people considering the apprenticeship pathway.

That key role will be factored into my Department’s ongoing review of careers, which is being carried out in partnership with the Department of Education and will report in the autumn of this year.

Another key element in increasing participation will be addressing imbalances in gender participation. Although the proportion of female starts is increasing, males still represent the majority of participants in sectors that have been designated as economically important. To address that, my Department will take a twin-track approach, addressing the gender imbalances that exist within traditional sectors while also working to ensure that a gender balance is instilled in new apprenticeship areas as they are developed. Mechanisms will also be put in place to widen access to apprenticeships for individuals with disabilities or with additional support needs.

The sustained engagement of stakeholders, especially employers, at every level is a core feature in successful apprenticeship systems. I will put in place a new set of structures to secure the input of employers and other key stakeholders in the design and delivery of the new apprenticeship model. Those new bodies will ensure that apprenticeships will remain relevant to the needs of employers and the wider economy, are demand-led and informed by up-to-date labour market information, are portable at national and international level and are assessed according to the highest standards of quality.

First, I will establish a new strategic advisory forum comprised of employers, government, trade unions and off-the-job training providers. The forum will play a key role in providing oversight of the new model and will advise on issues concerning legislation, supply and demand factors, support measures and lessons from international best practice.

To ensure different sectors' needs are met, I will also establish new sectoral partnerships. Those partnerships will be key aspects of the new system, defining the new awards and qualifications that will be delivered, informing the approach for ongoing assessment and end testing for apprentices. They will have responsibility for striking an appropriate balance between the needs of particular employers and those of the wider sector and will play a lead role in developing interventions within sectors to increase participation.

The strategic advisory forum and the sectoral partnerships will be informed by a new skills barometer mechanism. The barometer will identify the current and future skills needs of the local economy. It will identify where further skills development will be required. Work on the barometer will be commissioned by August this year and will publish annually from 2015 onwards. These structures are all firsts for Northern Ireland and will ensure that apprenticeships are reflective and responsive to the needs of the economy.

The fourth theme in the apprenticeship strategy is quality. Quality and achievement of the full apprenticeship standard will be measurements of success. As such, the content, duration and assessment of each apprenticeship will be subject to rigorous quality assurance. Inspectors will have up-to-date experience in the professional and technical areas. They will be supported by experts from industry who will advise on how well the curriculum aligns with the specifications set by the sectoral partnerships. To support the quality of teaching and learning, criteria will be set for all teaching staff. The criteria will establish minimum qualification requirements in the subject area and related pedagogy. Staff will also be required to have up-to-date experience in industry. There will be a requirement for continuous professional development to ensure that those delivering training remain expert in their field.

Quality will be at the heart of the financial model for delivering apprenticeships. Only those providers who meet the standards as determined by the Department will be funded to deliver apprenticeship training. To ensure an open and transparent approach, data on performance and enrolments, and retention and achievements will be published regularly.

I want to ensure that all young people are provided with the opportunity to compete for apprenticeship places. In tandem with the review of apprenticeships, I have been progressing a review of our broader youth training offer. The aim of the review is to ensure that youth training reflects the changing needs of the Northern Ireland economy and offers a progression pathway for young people onto an apprenticeship at level 3, a further education programme or a sustainable job.

The review team has completed extensive research and stakeholder engagement events, including meetings of an expert panel, stakeholder events for young people, employers and training providers, an online call for submissions and study visits to the Netherlands, Denmark and Scotland. Throughout the process, stakeholders have highlighted the need for training provision to be simplified, streamlined and flexible, with clear progression routes to higher level options, including apprenticeships. The desired offer must also be accessible to those on programmes at entry level and level 1 to ensure a seamless system of vocational, professional and technical learning across all levels. Furthermore, the offer should be supported by effective mentoring, pastoral care and independent careers advice and guidance.

Training and qualifications must reflect the needs of employers and the local labour market, with enterprise and employability skills and the essential skills of literacy and numeracy being key elements to developing young people for the world of work. Stakeholders also highlighted that the branding for any new offer will be vital in reinforcing the image of high-quality, highly relevant, professional education and training.

In addition, the review will seek to simplify and clarify the present offer to enable young people to make informed choices, creating seamless progression pathways across the skills landscape. Current thinking is that the new youth training programme will provide the bridge for learners to move from entry level and level 1 provision to level 3 provision and beyond. To achieve that, the new programme will provide an employed pathway and a non-employed pathway. Underpinning those routes will be additional support for those young people with barriers to engagement, including those with disabilities.

Over the coming months, my Department will carry out additional research and stakeholder engagement activities to further develop our thinking on this crucial element of the skills landscape. That work will include an employer survey and additional focus group consultation with young people and employers.

It is my ambition that Northern Ireland's system of apprenticeships will be of a gold standard and form a key part of a new skills landscape. The system will offer a spectrum of support from entry level up to level 8 — equivalent to a doctorate — facilitate lifelong learning and allow participants to move in and out of professional education and training at their own pace. As I have highlighted, a further key element of the new skills landscape will be ensuring that support is in place for those young people who are not yet ready to take on an apprenticeship.

Now that I have set out the policy direction, the focus will be on implementation. Therefore I have tasked my Department with the delivery of a time-bound implementation plan. That implementation plan, which is also published today, will ensure that the new model of apprenticeships is in place by 2016. However, the landscape will not remain unchanged until then. My Department will take forward a series of key early actions. Stakeholders will see positive and incremental change over the coming months.

I will continue to pilot higher-level apprenticeships in engineering and ICT, with further pilots being taken forward in the public and private sectors. I will establish the strategic advisory forum and the sectoral partnerships to lead on the development of the new apprenticeship awards and qualifications. Through those structures, my Department will continue to work with key stakeholders to determine how apprenticeships can best meet employers' higher-level skill needs, support business growth, meet the career aspirations of individuals and enhance opportunities for social mobility. The strategic forum and sectoral partnerships will be informed by the development of the skills barometer mechanism, which will publish its findings annually from 2015 onwards. In tandem with that approach, my Department will establish a new central service, initially in pilot form, to test how best the service will work with key partners, such as the Careers Service, in guiding participants towards apprenticeship provision. That pilot service will be further developed and scaled up in time to deliver the new model in 2016. Supporting that will be ongoing work with small and microbusinesses to ensure that we have in place the correct mechanisms to facilitate their participation.

Running concurrently to that work, my Department will develop the wider financial and quality assurance models that will underpin the new apprenticeship system. The financial model will build on the current success of the ApprenticeshipsNI model in utilising the European social fund, and it will explore different approaches and develop incentives for testing before full implementation in 2016. My Department will explore methods to further underpin the core components of apprenticeships that I have outlined today, through guidelines and potential legislation, to further enshrine the concept of apprenticeships going forward.

The strategy now provides a huge opportunity to facilitate economic and social progress. These reforms will constitute a major, ongoing priority for my Department. I commend the statement to the Assembly.

Robin Swann (UUP, North Antrim)

I thank the Minister for his statement, and I thank him and his officials for their contribution to and engagement with the Committee through the entire process. It has been a two-way street at all times, and that has brought us to where we are today.

Minister, what specific targets have you set to measure the success of the programme? How will the change in apprenticeships tackle the high number of young people in Northern Ireland who are not in education, employment or learning? Finally, can you give us some tangible examples of interactive engagement with and support from your ministerial colleagues?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

First, I thank the Chair and all the members of the Committee for their engagement in the process to date. We have certainly valued that very positive engagement, and the comments from the Committee have further helped to shape the thinking not just on the review of apprenticeships but on the parallel review of youth training.

I am somewhat cautious about setting arbitrary targets for this, but, in some ways, I think that we have to be really ambitious about what we want to achieve. The system that we are putting in place will be a demand-driven process of young people, in particular, coming forward and employers offering apprenticeship opportunities. I am slightly concerned about the notion of setting an arbitrary target because Great Britain did that and, as a consequence, ended up trying to badge things as apprenticeships that perhaps did not really meet the full rigour and standards of what we want to create in Northern Ireland. That almost creates an artificial race to meet an artificial target.

Going forward, the most important thing that we can put in place in Northern Ireland is to ensure that we have quality and rigour behind our apprenticeship standards. If we are to achieve proper parity of esteem with other routes of training and education, it is important that apprenticeships are viewed as a gold standard. That is the first thing that we have to do. However, in that context, it is important to recognise that both the number of young people participating in apprenticeships and the number of companies in Northern Ireland engaging in apprenticeships are in the mid to low single figures. Despite Northern Ireland's long and deep industrial heritage and the fact that the apprenticeship brand has been very much part of our consciousness, as we look at that brand today, it is not part of our day-to-day activities in education and training, apart from a very small few. We need to radically improve the number of apprenticeship starts and the number of companies engaging in the process. Through the various mechanisms that we have put in place as of today, I believe, we will ensure much greater participation without compromising quality. That is what we are trying to achieve.

The issue that the Chair raises about those who are not in education, employment and training touches largely on our revised youth training offer. We have set out some initial thoughts today on where that is going. Our view is that we will come back to the Committee in early September to give a more detailed report on our thinking ahead of the publication of a formal consultation document that, in turn, will lead to a fresh youth training strategy. However, once again, we need a radical step change in the quality of our youth training offer. We need to build on our successes, but there is significant room for improvement in our ability to reach the young people who need additional support in moving from school into the world of work.

Finally, the Chair raises the issue of engagement with ministerial colleagues. We have had some positive results. I wrote to my colleagues earlier this year. The majority of Ministers responded positively, indicating that they wished to consider how apprenticeships could be expanded into the public sector and particular areas under their remit. We have positive leads in that regard, and, hopefully, announcements will be made in the very near future to begin some pilots for public sector apprenticeships.

Tom Buchanan (DUP, West Tyrone)

I thank and commend the Minister for bringing his statement to the House today. We all acknowledge that there still is a huge amount of work to do in this area, such as testing models and pilots, tailoring programmes and the design of awards. Does the Minister feel that 2016 is a realistic time frame, or has a target been set that will not be achieved? It is important that we get that clear. How will funding work? Will employers fund apprenticeships from level 3 through the entire programme?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

I thank the Deputy Chair of the Committee for his comments and his welcome for the strategy. Much as it is worth reflecting on the fact that a lot of hard work has gone into the process to get to the stage at which we are announcing what is, in essence, the high-level policy, the real hard work now begins to turn it into reality.

A lot of the work has commenced in a number of key areas, and we will roll out the changes over the next two years. The reason for 2016 being the backstop date for having the full system in place is that it dovetails with the expiration of the current ApprenticeshipsNI contracts, at which point we will have the opportunity to switch over to the new system. I am confident that we can make the changes over the next two years. As I stressed, it will be a major priority for me, as Minister, and for my officials. We believe that the changes are of fundamental importance to improving the skills landscape in Northern Ireland. As we look to our wider goals in the Programme for Government and the economic strategy, it is important that we do all that we can to invest in the skills most relevant to the economy. The type of demand-led process that we are putting in place, with employers in the driving seat, is probably the most efficient way to ensure that we provide the right higher-level skills to meet the needs of the economy moving forward.

Funding will be a partnership with employers. Obviously, they will employ apprentices and pay their wage or salary, and government will support the off-the-job training. We have access at present to the European social fund, and, subject to approvals being given elsewhere, the next phase of the fund will be available to us. Hopefully, we will have an enhanced package that will enable us to expand our apprenticeship provision. Resources are available from our block grant provision budget, which also supports the development of apprenticeships. UK-wide discussions are being led by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in conjunction with HMRC on a tax incentive or some other type of financial model. We will see whether that can be applied to Northern Ireland and whether it may be a more efficient way to support employers than our current default system. There is work to be done on finance locally and in conjunction with our partners elsewhere in the UK.

Bronwyn McGahan (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

Go raibh maith agat. Minister, I welcome your detailed and comprehensive statement. My constituency of south Tyrone is an engineering hub. There are very positive signs that the economy is growing, with over 140 businesses starting up in the past two years, including many in the field of engineering. Minister, will you tell me in a detailed and understandable way what is meant by high-level apprenticeship pilots in engineering?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

I thank the Member for her comments and her welcome for this. She referred to the economy in County Tyrone, and I am pleased that things are improving. South West College is one of the best colleges not just in Northern Ireland but in the UK and Ireland. It is an outstanding college and has been recognised as such. It is known for being very proactive in what it seeks to do.

The current higher-level apprenticeship pilots in ICT and engineering are at level 4. Those are our first interventions for apprenticeships at level 4. It is worth bearing it in mind that well over half our current apprenticeships are at level 2 and less than half are at level 3. We are seeking to change our level 2 offer to a youth training offer. That will include a detailed in-work pathway that will in turn be a pathway to an apprenticeship. Our new system will start at level 3. We want to do a lot more higher-level apprenticeships at level 4 and beyond. The initial higher-level apprenticeships include one in ICT that is being driven through South West College and one in engineering that is being driven through the Northern Regional College. I am optimistic that, with the success of the initial pilots, South West College could in turn offer a higher-level apprenticeship in engineering. Given the real concentration of small engineering firms in County Tyrone, there is no doubt that there is sufficient demand to make that a real success.

Pat Ramsey (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

The Minister's statement is most welcome, and it has a lot of quality information. However, I wanted a more disabled-friendly statement. In the eight-page statement, there are two lines that reference people with disabilities. That is not right, given the Committee's level of engagement with your Department's staff.

Given that DEL's statistics indicate that approximately 60% of participants in Skills for Life and Skills for Work do not succeed to the next stage, the unanswered question has always been "What will happen to entry level and level 1?". Will there be a review of those levels?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

I thank the Member for his comments. I am very aware of the point he makes on disability. We are committed to ensuring that we have proper equality of participation across all the different dimensions. The Member will appreciate that we are working on a disability employment strategy that we hope to issue for consultation in the autumn of this year. That strategy will contain a specific item that relates to facilitating progression into apprenticeships and support for people who may have a disability. We will ensure that it is rigorous. Hopefully, the Member can look forward to that.

We are trying to secure a seamless pathway through all skill levels from entry level and level 1 through to level 8, in order to revamp vocational training in Northern Ireland. It is fair to say that, while we have some outstanding interventions to support people at level 1 and level 2, we still do not have very good figures for progression. That means that we end up having to intervene, and then we only have a minority of people progressing into other pathways or even into employment. That is a major social and economic issue for us, and that is why we are taking so much time and care to ensure that we get the review of youth training correct to ensure that we have a real step change in performance that will lead to much stronger success rates of progression either into employment or other training.

The Member will also appreciate that we have the Pathways to Success strategy for those who are not in education, employment or training. A lot of those funding streams run out in March 2015, but the Department is also working on behalf of the Executive on the design of the wider United Youth programme. There will be a series of new interventions in that programme to support a range of young people to ensure that they have progression pathways.

Judith Cochrane (Alliance, Belfast East)

I, too, thank the Minister for his comprehensive statement this morning. As he will know, I chair the all-party group on small and medium-sized enterprises, and apprenticeships are a frequent topic of conversation in the group. Can he set out what he sees as the main attractions of the new system of apprenticeships to SMEs?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

I thank the Member for her comments and questions. The starting point to answer her question is again to reflect on the point that I mentioned to the Committee Chair: the small number of businesses in Northern Ireland that offer apprenticeship opportunities means that we have a very small footprint in the area, probably in the low- to mid-single figures in percentage terms. Other countries have a much higher level of participation from businesses, including societies that have a strong profile of SMEs. With the best will in the world, we will never have a situation where a majority of companies offer apprenticeships, but, if you want to benchmark the situation, you could look to Switzerland or Germany, where over 30% of businesses are engaged in apprenticeship programmes. That could give you an idea of how far you can go with the penetration of the new model in engaging with businesses.

I recognise that a lot of SMEs may be deterred by the bureaucracy involved with an apprenticeship. They may see the training requirements as being too much of a burden, or they may not believe that they will get a return from it. We need, therefore, to address those fears and misperceptions and ensure that SMEs have the confidence to engage with the model. The central service will be a major asset to SMEs in taking care of a lot of those processes. We will also seek to market apprenticeships specifically to SMEs. We can look to different models of how training can be supported in SMEs, including, for example, group training mechanisms or an SME being part of a wider network where a larger company will overtrain apprentices for the sector as a whole. It is important that SMEs also recognise that they will get a return from an apprentice. We want to see a breadth in apprenticeship training and a duration of at least two years. An apprenticeship that is properly pitched will see a productivity gain for a business employing an apprentice before the end of the training period. Taking on an apprentice should not be seen as a burden by an SME; it should be seen as a means of ensuring that they secure employees who are relevant to a business and who in turn will be an investment in the future security of the business.

David Hilditch (DUP, East Antrim)

I thank the Minister for his statement. One of the strong issues that came out through the consultation on youth training was the need for better advice, awareness and communication at a grass-root level. That came from the young people themselves. Can the Minister indicate how that can be improved? Are the changes and new initiatives that he highlighted in his statement enough?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

I thank the Member for his questions. There are probably two aspects that may give the Member some reassurance in that regard. The first is that we are conducting the review of careers, which builds on the excellent report that the Committee put in place earlier this year. That guides the terms of reference of the present review. We are looking to intervene at all levels across our skills landscape to ensure that young people in particular are given advice and guidance about making informed choices. Secondly, as part of our new youth training offer we want to put in place stronger mechanisms for the mentoring and pastoral care of young people, particularly when a young person may be leaving the more secure, more structured school environment. The world of work or training can seem daunting, so there is a need for increased intervention there. That is a point that we have taken on board, and we are looking to see how we can design that into the new youth training offer.

Fra McCann (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I thank the Minister for his statement to the House this morning. I hope that it begins a new era in the provision of apprenticeships for everyone. One concern that I had in Committee is the question of two-year apprenticeships. That is something that employers heavily criticised when they came before us. They did not recognise it. What is the difference between that and the two-year programme to complete that is in the document?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

I thank the Member for his introductory comments and his question. There were probably three areas that attracted most comment in the consultation. The first was whether the starting point for an apprenticeship should be level 2 or level 3. The second was the breadth of an apprenticeship. What I mean by that is whether an apprenticeship should be very specific to the needs of a particular employer or whether it should be training for a sector as a whole. The third was the minimum duration of two years for an apprenticeship. In some ways, the three are interconnected.

We have spent a lot of time on the back of the consultation further engaging with stakeholders on those issues to provide reassurance where people raised concerns. The central point that I will make is that we in Northern Ireland have a major skills challenge. We know that, to be competitive globally over the coming decades, we need to upskill and to invest more in our skills. Most of our new jobs will be created at level 3 or level 4 and above, so it is important that our training move with that.

The consensus is that the minimum training requirement for a level 3 apprenticeship should be two years. Those who expressed concern about the two-year duration might also have queried the issue of a level 3 versus a level 2 start. Hopefully, through the focus that we are placing on a revised youth training offer that will include a distinct pathway that involves on-the-job training through, in essence, a traineeship that may be less than two years, people will be assured that we are providing a full spectrum of support for the business community and ensuring that we offer a range of training programmes that will meet their needs at different skill levels. Fundamentally, it is important that we establish apprenticeships as being a gold-standard brand that is attractive to people across all levels of educational attainment. I believe that, through the totality of the recommendations that we are making today, we have achieved that.

Alastair Ross (DUP, East Antrim)

What is the likely cost of all the changes that the Minister has laid out? Will a failure by the Executive to agree welfare reform impact on his ability to deliver the changes he has outlined?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

Again, I thank the Member for his questions. Obviously, the current uncertainty with welfare reform affects everyone's budgets, both in terms of potential cuts to budgets and the difficulties with forward planning.

At this stage, we have a significant budget available for apprenticeships. That is made up of two components: the core funding of the Department through the Northern Ireland Budget and, secondly, the European social fund. We are hopeful that we will have access to a bigger pot of European social fund moneys in the future, as the European social fund for Northern Ireland is set to grow overall, so we are able to move ahead across a broad front in our support of skills. That resource will be available to us irrespective of what happens with the local Budget, although that issue may have an impact on the direct funding of the Department.

We look to a situation in which the new model will be very much demand-led. Indeed, as we look to a greater focus on level 3 and above, apprenticeships, in turn, will become more costly to provide. At this stage, I expect that we will be able to cope with the initial ramping up of apprenticeships within the current headroom that we have, but we will have to keep it under constant review.

Joe Byrne (Social Democratic and Labour Party, West Tyrone)

I welcome the statement by the Minister and the fact that apprenticeships are being examined in relation to employers' interests for the future. On the pilot exercise for engineering, are we talking about fabrication engineering, precision engineering or mechanical engineering? What is the remit of the term "engineering"? People like Terex in Tyrone and other employers tell me that they cannot get practically trained people who can operate computer numerical control (CNC) machines or machine tooling machines.

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

I thank the Member for his questions. I would first draw his attention to the engineering action plan that we launched in April, and I will ensure that my officials provide him with a copy of that. It was devised in conjunction with a range of universities, colleges and companies, and it is an asset that we will review on an ongoing basis.

On the more specific issue of apprenticeships, particularly in his part of the world, the beauty of the new system that we are putting in place is that it is entirely demand-led. It is not about government suggesting a particular apprenticeship in one aspect of engineering over something else. We want industry to come together through the sectoral partnerships and determine where it sees the scope for apprenticeships. We have seen that already with the higher-level pilots. Those do not reflect what we in government have done; we have not gone out to industry and said, "Why don't you do a pilot?". Rather, it has been the response of business in Northern Ireland to the fact that a new landscape for apprenticeships is emerging, and they have been proactive in that regard. As government, we seek to channel that through a particular system and ensure that we have the proper standards in that regard.

The business sectors in Tyrone could come together and suggest what engineering apprenticeships they require and at what levels that training needs to be done. They have the asset of South West College on their doorstep, and we will ensure that the quality is there and that the standards are driven through that process. We seek to enable that process to happen, and I encourage the Member to speak to those companies and encourage them to take every opportunity that is presented.

Sammy Douglas (DUP, Belfast East)

I thank the Minister for his statement. I certainly welcome it. I am sure that the Minister will agree that, for young people in particular, apprenticeships are positive and important experiences. Does he agree that they are very important for companies as well? An example of that are the software and IT companies that want to not only bring apprentices on but retain them in a very competitive market.

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

Again, I thank the Member for his comments. It is useful to look at it from the perspective of the companies and the apprentices. For companies, apprenticeships offer a much more secure way of achieving the technical and employability skills they require. We have a very good general education system, but that does not offer the same guarantee that the skills will be precisely what companies require to make a difference in what is a very competitive world, where they need the investment of a lot of skills.

At the same time, apprentices will know that they have the prospect of much more sustained employment because they will have the skills that companies require. There is less guesswork involved on whether they have done the right subjects and the right course to be relevant to employers. So, they know that they will have skills that are very bankable, and we will see situations in which people who go down the apprenticeship route will have the potential for much higher earnings over their working life than others. There will be a real incentive for a young person to go down that route.

It is also worth stressing that we are not simply talking about apprenticeships being for young people who might not get into university. Apprenticeships may be seen as some sort of second-rate choice that a young person will make. It is important that we try to create parity of esteem between the pathways that are available. For many young people, the traditional form of higher education will be highly appropriate, but, for a lot of other young people, an apprenticeship will offer a different route to higher-level skills. There are examples already of companies that are recruiting people with good A levels straight from school, who then end up at the same level as a graduate-entry person after a number of years. Often, it is the person who has gone down the apprenticeship route who has the better employability skills and is more adept at working in the particular company's environment. So it is important that we encourage apprenticeships and have real parity of esteem between the different pathways.

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

I thank the Minister for his statement in the same way as I have thanked previous Ministers over the last 15 years, but we still have the highest unemployment rate among young people. We still have high levels of illiteracy and innumeracy. I ask the Minister this directly: what are you doing to break down the prejudice against vocational education that still haunts this society, where young people are encouraged to do academic subjects? I read in the papers this morning that only two teachers in the maintained sector got permanent jobs. When will vocational education get the equality that it deserves?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

I thank the Member for his questions, and I will start with the final one. That is very much what we are seeking to do with our review of apprenticeships and with our youth training and all the promotional work that goes alongside that. Hopefully, from the comment that I just made to Mr Douglas on the importance of parity of esteem between the different pathways, I am making very clear my support for vocational training. It is also worth making the observation that, as we look around the European Union, it is the societies that have the most developed systems of apprenticeships and vocational training that also have the lowest levels of youth unemployment. I believe that this type of approach is a means by which we can address structural unemployment, particularly among young people, because you have that much closer matching of supply and demand and that greater emphasis on employability skills being provided for young people, particularly when we can create in-work situations for young people even when they do not have access to a full apprenticeship.

I also stress to the Member that literacy and numeracy are absolutely ongoing challenges in this society right across the spectrum. That is why we have put a lot of stock in essential skills qualifications. I am pleased that we have managed to achieve hundreds of thousands of those qualifications over the past number of years, but there is more work to be done, including among young people. We are seeing an improvement in our programme for international student assessment (PISA) scores for literacy and numeracy, but more needs to be done. That is why literacy and numeracy will be a key component of the revised youth training offer in particular.

Kieran McCarthy (Alliance, Strangford)

I, like others, welcome the lengthy statement from the Minister. I welcome his Department's determined commitment to see radical change and improvements in the role and work of apprenticeships for all ages. He referred to the strategic advisory forum and sectoral partnerships. Can he elaborate briefly on those two items?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

I thank the Member for his comments. The new structures are central to our new system. I am very conscious that, in government, we can do a lot but that we have limitations. A new system of apprenticeships has to be viewed as a partnership across society in Northern Ireland, and that includes key stakeholders coming together. We see the strategic advisory forum operating at a high level in providing oversight to our new system of apprenticeships, and we see employers, Departments, trade unions and others being key players in that regard. In turn, the sector partnerships are perhaps the most key aspect of the new infrastructure around apprenticeships. They will scope out the new opportunities and put in place the particular standards and qualifications for emerging apprenticeships. They will also drive the reform through the system, increase participation and ensure that we have a real, strong footprint in apprenticeships in Northern Ireland as we seek to ensure that we have the right inward investment in skills to meet the creation of jobs. We are doing a lot of work at present to improve the economic situation here.

Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

Could I return to the issue raised by Mr Ross but not answered by the Minister? Where are the costings in the statement in relation to what is anticipated? It is only when we get a glimpse of the costings that we can judge whether all this is merely aspirational or whether it is capable of delivery. Surely, as Minister, he must have some idea of the costings. Yes, part of it is demand-led, but he is putting in features of various forums etc, all of which will cost money. He must have an idea of the costings. Can he share that with us?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

The Member should understand that, today, we are talking about the high-level policy as we move forward with apprenticeships. In that way, this is the culmination of the policy review phase of what we are doing. We are now starting the implementation phase, where we are seeking to turn this into reality. If the Member cares to study the detail of the strategy that we are launching today, he will see the action plan and the different milestones within that. I stress again that we have a significant budget that is already available for apprenticeships. That includes access to the European social fund and money directly from the Northern Ireland Budget. At present, we have a combined budget well in excess of £30 million per annum in that regard, so that is an asset that is available to us.

The Member is also right to stress that this is fundamentally a demand-led process. We are reliant on employers coming forward and creating apprenticeship opportunities, and I would like to think that we will be victims of our own success and that we will be overwhelmed by demand. We will see an incremental approach, albeit at an accelerating pace over the coming years. As things stand, we have enough headroom to accommodate this, but we will have to keep it under constant review to ensure that we can plan ahead realistically. If we perceive a need for more resources, I will bid from the Executive. As I said, I believe that this is fundamental to the delivery of our Programme for Government and economic strategy objectives, and I hope that any call in that regard would be very favourably considered.

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. A Cheann Comhairle, ba mhaith liom ráiteas a dhéanamh chun an Tionól a thabhairt suas chun dáta ar chlár caipitil na scoileanna agus ar na pleananna breise infheistíochta caipitil atá agam don tréimhse atá romhainn.

I should like to make a statement updating the Assembly on the schools capital programme and my further capital plans for the coming period. In my statements to the House in the autumn of 2011, June 2012 and January 2013, I set out the challenges faced by a schools estate comprising 1,172 schools of varying sizes, primary and post-primary, across five education sectors. The estimated capital value of the education estate is substantial at just over £3 billion, and a useful indicator for investment need is the current maintenance backlog across the estate of £286 million.

My Department’s strategy for capital investment into the foreseeable future will remain focused on supporting the development and delivery of a network of viable and sustainable schools, set firmly in the context of 'Schools for the Future: A Policy for Sustainable Schools' and shaped by the outworkings of the area planning process.

I remain resolute in ensuring that my investment plans will also focus on providing a first-class education experience for the pupils, teachers and, indeed, school communities to ensure that our young people have the type and quality of accommodation required to help them to fulfil their potential.

In developing my investment plans for the schools estate, it is incumbent on me to balance the limited capital resources made available to me against the scale of investment needed across what can only be described as a wide and diverse schools estate. I am sure that every Member can identify a range of schools, primary and post-primary, that are in dire need of investment in the areas you represent. While I would love to be in a position to make a statement that promises investment to all schools in need, I must be realistic and also ensure that any school I announce for any form of investment is not only deliverable but sustainable for many years to come.

In my statement to the House in June 2012, I announced 18 newbuild projects. One of those projects is complete, seven are on-site, and a further eight projects are expected to move on-site before the end of this financial year. The remaining two schemes are at an earlier stage in development and are not expected to be on-site until the 2015-16 financial year.

In January 2013, I announced a further programme of 22 newbuild school projects to advance in planning. These projects are at a much earlier stage in development, and my officials are actively engaging with relevant school authorities to take the projects forward. Economic appraisals have been approved for two of these projects, which have moved to design phase, and I anticipate that others will proceed in the same manner in the coming months.

In February this year, I was pleased to announce 51 projects under the schools enhancement programme. All these projects have approved economic appraisals, and design teams are now in place for 37 of them, with work ongoing to secure teams for the remaining projects. An initial tranche of these projects will move on-site by the end of this financial year, and, subject to the availability of capital budget, the remainder will progress to construction during the next two financial years.

Today's announcement, coupled with the ongoing work within the Department, means that over 100 major and significant enhancement projects are being actively progressed. That represents an unprecedented level of capital development and renewal across the wider schools estate.

Implementing major works in schools is not my only priority in a given year. In the last three financial years, I have invested £214 million in much-needed minor capital works across the estate, including window replacement; toilet refurbishment; security works, including CCTV, access control and fencing; replacement of mobiles and new modular accommodation; disabled access, including ramps and special needs adaptations; and fire-risk improvements, including rewiring and fire alarms. These works have included addressing statutory obligations across the estate, in regard to health and safety and the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). They have also dealt with a range of accommodation issues and additional provision. I have also invested substantially in maintenance works across the estate in recent years, with notable maintenance investment in the last financial year of just short of £53 million.

Turning to the substantive element of my statement to the House today, I wish to set out my capital investment plans for this and the coming financial years. On major capital investment, I will shortly set out my next list of proposed newbuild schools to be advanced in planning, but I feel that it is important, in the first instance, to set out my rationale for selecting these schools for announcement today.

In December last year, in their capacity as planning authorities, the education and library boards, having consulted with school authorities, forwarded lists of potential newbuild projects for schools in their areas. In total, 145 newbuild school proposals were submitted, and the overall list included schools from all five education sectors.

As was the case in my previous announcements in 2012 and 2013, I have agreed a protocol that has been developed to assess the list of projects that were submitted. The basic underpinning rationale of the protocol is that all projects will be considered in the context of the emerging area plans and confirmed as forming part of the core provision in an area, going forward, including confirmation of the size of the school.

On that basis, each project on the list submitted by the planning authority was subject to a number of gateway checks to confirm, firstly, that the project has been proposed by the planning authority in consultation with the relevant school authority; secondly, that the school is viable and sustainable, in the context of my policy on sustainable schools and in line with the needs of the area as set out in the emerging area planning process; and, thirdly, confirmation that there are no area planning uncertainties in relation to the proposed project.

If the answer was no to any of those questions, the project was not considered further and was not scored in the context of the approved protocol. However, that in no way implies that I will not consider those projects as part of a future announcement.

The next stage involved scoring each of the proposals that made it through the gateway. The scoring was assessed under three broad categories: major works that will effect rationalisation proposals; major works to address inadequate or inappropriate accommodation; and social considerations. The full protocol was placed on the Department’s website this morning, along with a list of the schools that I will shortly set out to the House. Before I set out the school projects that will advance in planning, several points on the application of the protocol are worthy of note.

With a limited budget, I had to introduce a limit on investment in any given school. I have therefore included in the protocol a mechanism for supporting investment in our larger schools without having to allocate an overly large percentage of the available budget to those schools immediately. That has been achieved by seeking to identify smaller discrete projects that have merit in their own right but do not require a rebuild of the entire school.

I am also acutely aware of my statutory duties in respect of integrated and Irish-medium schools. I have therefore ensured that my protocol recognises those duties and, accordingly, factored them into the sustainability gateway that was applied. That was achieved by assessing recent enrolment trends to identify where enrolments are increasing and sustainability thresholds are likely to be met in coming years and ensuring that those schools were considered with the other schools that advanced to the scoring phase of the process.

I have also introduced a greater emphasis in the assessment process on schools whose pupils are more greatly impacted by social issues. The indicators that I have selected in the protocol are aimed at addressing those issues, and they take into account the number of pupils who have special educational needs and the level of free school meals entitlement in a given school.

Several of the schools that were submitted for consideration as major works were also submitted as part of shared campus proposals that involve rebuilding the school. Those schools will be assessed under the shared campus call for proposals in the first instance. It is my intention to make an announcement on the shared campus proposals shortly.

In selecting the number of projects to advance in planning, I had to consider several constraints and make various assumptions. There are constraints on the capital budget and the capacity of the various stakeholders in the process to deliver further projects in parallel with the existing programme of major works.

While different projects will progress at different speeds, given the likely timescales required to complete the economic appraisal, design and procurement processes, significant spend is unlikely before the financial year 2016-17. Therefore, I had to make assumptions about the level of capital budget likely to be available to my Department in that year and beyond.

This announcement to advance projects in planning does not commit the Department to fund a project within a defined timescale. In any event, such a commitment would be impossible, given that the Department does not know its capital budget availability beyond March 2015. That said, the schools announced to advance will have a valid expectation that the construction project will follow within a reasonable time frame. It is also reasonable for my Department to plan capital projects for future years, given the lead-in time for the delivery of such projects.

Having given due regard to those assumptions and constraints, I can now announce that major works projects will take place at the following primary schools: Drumlins Integrated Primary School, Ballynahinch; Gaelscoil na gCrann, Omagh; Iveagh Primary School, Rathfriland; Roe Valley Integrated Primary School, Limavady; Scoil an Droichid, Belfast; St Mark’s Primary School and St Luke’s Primary School, Twinbrook; and Woodburn Primary School, Carrickfergus. There will be a newbuild for the recently amalgamated St Patrick’s Primary School, Belfast.

The Twinbrook primary school project is linked to a wider DSD-led project to invest in Colin town centre. I place on record my support for that project, which includes plans for a new post-primary school in the area.

The current position is that, while I remain supportive of the project, I am mindful that there are wider area planning issues for the broader west Belfast, Crumlin and Glenavy areas that must be bottomed out before an investment decision on Colin town centre can be considered. This is a complicated process that must be completed before the size of any proposed new school can be confirmed.

I turn now to post-primary schools. Those moving ahead for newbuilds are Cullybackey High School; Dunclug High School, Ballymena; Lismore Comprehensive School, Craigavon; and Methodist College, Belfast, which is not a rebuild of the entire school but will cover the refurbishment of A block and the schoolhouse. There will be a newbuild for the combined Monkstown High School/ Newtownabbey Community High School; St Joseph’s High School, Crossmaglen; and St Killian’s College, Carnlough.

This announcement is not only good news for those schools to be advanced in planning but good news for the economy. It represents in the order of £170 million of capital investment, which will also be a welcome boost to the construction industry over the coming years as the projects come to fruition.

Mervyn Storey (DUP, North Antrim)

I welcome today's announcement, which is mixed with good news, partial news and no news. Some of it is a case of jam tomorrow. I particularly want to bring the Minister to one point that he referred to. In the House yesterday and today, he referred to the 18 projects that he previously announced. Only one of those is complete, and the rest are at various stages of the planning process. Given that, is it now time for the Minister to reconsider other procurement options? Is that in the protocol in regard to the announcement today?

I welcome the announcement of new schools in Cullybackey and in Dunclug in my constituency. My only caveat is that I am sad that part of the price tag for that is the closure of Ballee in Ballymena. There is a degree of acceptance and of sorrow that that is the case. Eleven years after it being announced, there is still no newbuild for Devenish College in Enniskillen. It is quite clear that the Minister has not yet got the word that a promise was made that has not been delivered on.

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

I thank the Member for his range of questions. If you want jam tomorrow, you have to grow fruit today. These announcements are preparation for and recognition of the lead-in time that is required to make a capital announcement a reality.

In the announcements that I made in June 2012, January 2013 and today, there are learning processes. The Department of Education is now taking forward what is probably the largest capital programme outside DRD. Over this time, despite the difficult financial constraints that we are working under, I made the decision that, while we may live in difficult times, we do not live in impossible times. It is only right and proper that we continue to progress capital announcements and that my officials and the relevant planning authorities work through the required stages to make that a reality.

The Member will be aware that I have often stood in the House and remarked on the red tape that we politicians wrap ourselves in when it comes to spending public money. The timescales and detail involved in business cases and economic appraisals are, in my humble opinion, restrictive. They go beyond what is required in protecting public finances and are in danger of delaying — in some cases, stopping — significant investment from the public purse back into the economy.

You said that only one of the 18 projects announced in June is complete. Several, however, are now on-site, with construction taking place and construction workers gainfully employed in building those schools. I assure you that the delight on the faces of the principals, boards of governors and pupils is real.

I have continued to refine the protocol that I have announced today because we recognise that, to announce a school and get it on site in reasonable time, there has to be a number of definitive things about the school, such as the pupil intake, its place in area planning, whether there are any outstanding development proposals etc. We have introduced that into today's protocol to try to advance things.

The Member is aware that I made an announcement about Devenish College, I believe, in January 2013. It is going through processes towards getting a newbuild. Devenish College will have a newbuild because of the decisions that I made in January 2013. Progress is being made on delivering that newbuild, and that newbuild will happen.

Christopher Hazzard (Sinn Féin, South Down)

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I, too, welcome the statement from the Minister. Indeed, like most Members, I welcome the announcement for specific schools in my constituency, such as Drumlins Integrated Primary School in Ballynahinch and, of course, Iveagh Primary School in Rathfriland. To what extent is the Minister able to use his capital budget to meet social need and, indeed, help tackle the effects of social deprivation on the learning process?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

I also welcome the moving ahead of Drumlins. It has been delayed for a significant number of years and that has been down to site identity. That is one of the problems that has caused delays in the past and one of the things that I hope this protocol will iron out moving forward, so that, when a school is announced, it is built within a reasonable period.

I have made a conscious decision on this occasion to include social clauses in my announcement on newbuilds. It is only right and proper that, if we have identified and are tackling social disadvantage through our common funding formula, we also enhance provision of facilities for communities that are facing significant levels of social deprivation. I have included scoring for free school meals entitlement in the protocol and have also included a score for special educational needs, because I believe that those in the greatest need require the greatest intervention from the state, and if we want to see a change in the pattern of social disadvantage in years to come, we have to invest to do so.

Seán Rogers (Social Democratic and Labour Party, South Down)

Thanks to the Minister for his statement. I, too, acknowledge the newbuilds for Drumlins and for Iveagh Primary School. They are needed. I also acknowledge the Minister's warning that it is not about funding a project within a particular time. Can I ask about school enhancement projects? There are about 51 projects, and they come to somewhere over £100 million. Given that you do not know what your capital budget will be beyond March 2015, how many projects do you expect to move on in that initial tranche?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

All those projects have been announced to move on to economic appraisal stage, and that stage will identify the next steps involved. I have announced them on the basis that it is my intention that they all move forward if they pass through economic appraisal stage. I, as Minister, as is the case with any other Minister — I listened to Mr Farry's contribution during questions on his statement — have to forecast ahead into a time when budgets are not confirmed, but I can safely say that the Department of Education will have a capital budget. We can either be like a rabbit in the headlights and become stunned by the fact that we do not know exactly what will happen after 2015-16 or we can plan with the intelligence we have to move forward. I also base my plans on other commentary. The coalition Government are on record saying that they will invest in capital and that they see capital as one way of restimulating the economy. If that is the case and those indications continue, I want to make sure that the Department of Education has shovel-ready projects to move forward and to capitalise on any of that funding that comes forward.

Danny Kinahan (UUP, South Antrim)

I, too, welcome the statement. I always welcome any capital funding that goes to any schools, and I am particularly happy to see that we will get a shared education announcement shortly. I have two concerns, other than the obvious one of area planning. The Minister says that the protocol will take account of the numbers of pupils with special needs, yet every indication from schools is that there are masses of children with special needs who have yet to be assessed. Do we really know what the numbers are? Do we have a thorough way of making sure that we know that number so that we are putting the finance there for them?

Also — this is not quite on the right subject — what about the shortfall of £11 million or £12 million for the library boards that seems to be there for the future?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

I can make assessments only on those children on the SEN register, and we are working diligently to ensure that timescales for assessment are reduced. The Member will be aware that I hope to bring legislation in relation to SEN to the Assembly in this calendar year to improve that situation.

In relation to funding for the education and library boards, the Member will also be aware that I have made a significant bid to the June monitoring round to cover the increased costs that our boards are facing in relation to SEN.

Trevor Lunn (Alliance, Lagan Valley)

I also welcome the statement; there is a lot of good news in it. I refer the Minister to the paragraph where he says that he is aware of his:

"Statutory Duties in respect of Integrated and Irish Medium Schools."

He says that he has factored those duties into the sustainability gateway:

"by assessing recent enrolment trends to identify cases where enrolments are increasing".

Can the Minister clarify how that differs from his assessment of any other type of school?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

We have a sustainable schools policy with enrolment trends contained in it. You can take a number of readings of that sustainable schools policy. I am taking a reading of it from the positive element, that the Irish-medium and integrated sectors should be facilitated and promoted, and to do that, at times, you have to provide them with a newbuild. So it is read in a different way from other sectors; it is read through a more positive prism than perhaps would have been the case in the past. I continue to review the protocol to reassure myself that it fully reflects our statutory duties. So the protocol may be open to change in future for that very purpose.

Jonathan Craig (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I also welcome the funding announcements; they are good news for those schools that have received them. As the Minister well knows, I have been championing the cause of Dromore High School. Thirty-three years ago, when I left that school, it needed a newbuild. It was a school built for 500 pupils; there are now 940 in it. We have jumped through major hoops around planning and the identification of a new site. Will the Minister confirm that, to get one of these "shovel-ready" schools, to use his terminology, he will fund the purchase of the site this year?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

Just to confirm: there is no question that Dromore High School needs a newbuild. Unfortunately, I do not have the finances available at this time to announce newbuilds for all the schools that I would have liked. In relation to Dromore High School, I am aware of the work that elected representatives, the school and the SELB have been involved in, in the identification of sites and issues around planning permission. I understand that the board has prepared a business case for my Department. That is being scrutinised with the mindset that we wish to purchase the land. If the business case stacks up, we will move ahead and purchase that land for an announcement at a later stage of a newbuild for Dromore High School. So, in many ways, the first stage will be crossed — the purchase of the land — then we have to move towards a build.

Michaela Boyle (Sinn Féin, West Tyrone)

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I, too, welcome the statement that the Minister has brought to the House. It goes some way to mention the maintenance backlog. What is his Department doing to address and prioritise the much-needed maintenance work for schools so that they can operate and open their doors come September, particularly those schools that have been given the green light to amalgamate? In my area, there are two primary schools of single-gender identity and, if they do not get the funding that they need for their maintenance, they will not function come September.

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

I thank the Member for the question. As I said in the opening paragraphs of my statement, we have a significant backlog of maintenance in the schools estate: somewhere in the region of £250 million, if not more. Over this last number of years, there has also been significant investment in maintenance projects across the estate. For instance, last year, we spent over £50 million on maintenance. That is unprecedented in recent years. We will spend £17 million this year. I have also made a bid to the monitoring rounds for maintenance programmes and, in fairness, even to, in previous times, the Executive. When we made interventions to stimulate the economy, I secured money for maintenance during those programmes. So I am open to funding maintenance and, in fairness to my Executive colleagues, so are they.

I suspect that the scenario that the Member paints for me may fall under minor works. However, if the Member wishes to write to me with details of the case involved, I will look at it more closely to reassure myself that all measures have been taken to progress the amalgamation of those schools. There is quite a healthy minor works budget available, as well. In recent years, we have spent significant amounts of public money on minor works improving our schools estate. However, if the Member writes to me, I will take a look at that case.

Jim Wells (DUP, South Down)

As the Minister knows, undertakings have been given for a new school at Down High. A very appropriate site was selected and planning approval given. It now appears that his Department is trying to point the school in the direction of a site on the Ardglass Road in Downpatrick — a site that he and his officials know is totally inappropriate and inconvenient, would lead to huge traffic congestion and would force 90% of the pupils who attend Down High to travel across Downpatrick to access education.

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

Apart from all that, can we have a question?

Jim Wells (DUP, South Down)

Will the Minister accept from me that he has placed a totally unrealistic expectation upon the board of governors of Down High School?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

Will the Member accept from me that I have not placed any restrictions on the board of governors of Down High School? It goes back to one of the points that I raised with Mr Storey. We as politicians have wrapped ourselves in red tape. It is very difficult to spend public funds when you are encased in red tape. The example of Down High School is a very good one. Down High School requires a newbuild and seeks to have that newbuild on its current site. However, under the rules for economic appraisal and the spending of public moneys, there is a duty upon my Department and my officials to look at all options in the area to see which is best value for money for the public purse. You can measure it through that simple prism — which is best value? — and end up with site a, b or c.

I am also aware that my officials are taking into consideration comments from local elected representatives and the school around the requirement for the school to be built on its current site for a number of the reasons that you have outlined. I cannot intervene in that process. Let the economic appraisal process take its course. The school has made its voice heard on the matter, as have local representatives. If there is any relevant evidence, such as you have pointed out today, in relation to traffic congestion in the town, then, in my opinion, that has to be taken into account before a final decision is made on the site for Down High School.

Pat Sheehan (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire, agus cuirim fáilte roimh an ráiteas seo ar maidin. I welcome the statement this morning and I am sure that the construction industry will welcome it. It will be a stimulus to an industry that has been under pressure for a number of years. Will the Minister tell us what it will mean to the construction industry in finance going into the industry and the number of jobs created?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

Go raibh maith agat. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chomhalta as a cheist. A recent report carried out by the construction industry suggests that every pound announced for capital investment stimulates a further £2·80 in the economy through stimulus in the construction industry. My primary objective is to build new schools for our pupils, parents and communities, but I am acutely aware that the announcement will also be welcomed by the construction industry. There has been a major step up in the number of schools now under construction, which has been welcomed by the construction industry. I have no doubt that the industry will welcome the fact that we are planning into the future for further builds. Having spoken to a number of construction workers and developers on the sites, I can assure you that they welcome it. The construction industry has been through a very lean period, but it now sees a step change, particularly from my Department, in relation to investing in capital programmes.

Patsy McGlone (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Mid Ulster)

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas cuimsitheach. I thank the Minister for covering a wide range of things there. Yes, the construction industry does appreciate the investment, but it would like to see a lot more happening a lot quicker in the process. I pay particular tribute to the enhancement projects and some of the officials, one of whom I see here, who has been particularly helpful in delivering practical measures on the ground.

Holy Family Primary School in Magherafelt in my constituency has been told repeatedly that it is at the top of the list and is a priority for the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools and the Department, yet today it still feels deeply let down. Can the Minister give any reassurance as to when, in the immediate future and not years away, that scheme will go ahead and whether his Department accepts that the school is a priority?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chomhalta as a cheist. I thank the Member for his question and for his kind comments about my officials, who are carrying out significant work on capital investment. I am sure that they will appreciate his comments.

I am acutely aware of the case of Holy Family Primary School, and there is no question that it requires being rebuilt. I cannot commit to a newbuild at this time because I would be giving the Member a false promise. I could stand here today and announce 100 schools and tell all who ask me that I will build them a new school, but I know that it is not going to happen in a reasonable period. What I have tried to do is manage expectations, manage my budget and manage the workload of my Department, the CCMS and the boards that have to follow through on the investment.

I have put a protocol in place that I believe is fair, open and transparent, and I have scored schools against that. As I said in my statement, the fact that a school has not been announced today or perhaps did not score as highly as it expected does not mean that it will not be announced at a later stage. I have no doubt that there will be significant disappointment that that project has not been announced. I can only commit to telling the school that I am doing my best for it and other schools to move projects forward.

Jo-Anne Dobson (UUP, Upper Bann)

I also thank the Minister for his statement and welcome the update and funding announcements for schools. However, will he explain why he has failed to bring forward major capital projects for Lurgan College and Portadown College and, crucially, the Lurgan campus of Craigavon Senior High School, all of which he has been so long aware of?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

I appear to have been aware of it longer than you have been, because I am the one who had to remind you that it was in a dire state. I am glad that the message has finally got through.

Lurgan is a classic example of why we require area planning to work and the needs of the entire school area to be taken into account rather than those of one or two schools in an area. To date, the debate among many in the Lurgan area has been about the needs of one or two schools rather than those of all the schools in the controlled sector. I hope that we get to the stage at which we have a debate, a discussion and a decision about the needs of the entire controlled sector in Lurgan. Then, I assure you, I will commit to following that up with capital investment.

Tom Buchanan (DUP, West Tyrone)

In his statement, the Minister makes much about the outworking of the area planning process. Indeed, he said that all projects would be considered in the context of the area plan and that one of the gateway checks for newbuilds is that "there are no area-planning uncertainties". Given that there are no area plans for the primary sector, how does he marry that with the eight newbuilds announced today?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

There have been draft area plans for the primary sector for a significant period. I understand that the education and library boards are to publish the next iteration of those plans on their websites, if not in the coming days or weeks, in the very near future.

Declan McAleer (Sinn Féin, West Tyrone)

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I, too, welcome the announcements made here today, not just for the eight primary schools and seven post-primary schools on the list but for what it means for the local construction industry.

From a local perspective, I particularly welcome the fact that Gaelscoil na gCrann is on the list. I have a special interest there, as my children attend the school. It is an excellent learning environment. This is a great end to the year for the school, which has recently won the all-Ireland drama championship.

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

I am sure that all of that is important —

Declan McAleer (Sinn Féin, West Tyrone)

I am coming to my question.

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

— but let us have the question.

Declan McAleer (Sinn Féin, West Tyrone)

I am glad that the Department is fulfilling its statutory responsibilities in respect of Irish-medium education. What message does the Minister think that sends out to other gaelscoileanna and to the Irish-medium sector in general?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

I welcome the fact that the Member is in the good books with his children on the newbuild at Gaelscoil na gCrann. It is a flourishing Irish-medium bunscoil or primary school. It requires investment, and that is why it has scored the way it has and why I am moving forward with the newbuild.

The message that is sent out today is that we will continue to invest in the Irish-medium and integrated sectors. We will live up to our statutory obligations on that matter. As I said to Mr Lunn, I am committed to continuing to review the protocol to satisfy myself that we live up to those obligations to the Irish-medium and integrated sectors and to ensure that capital and other investment flows into those sectors to give them a sound foundation in the education system.

Gaelscoil na gCrann has flourished in its temporary accommodation. It has done so because it has strong leadership, a strong board of governors, dedicated teaching and non-teaching staff and a community that is involved in the school. Therefore, I welcome the opportunity today to invest in it.

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

I also thank the Minister for his statement. I understand fully his cash-strapped condition. It tells us that teachers who were due for redundancy cannot have it.

Two top secondary schools in my area — St Paul's College and St Mary's College — have statutory notices that they are to close on 31 August 2015 to be replaced by one school, but there is no indication of the new school. Are those two excellent schools to be left to wither on the vine while the Minister continues to plead poverty?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

Mr Dallat never rises to speak unless he has his press release in mind. I can see the headline in the 'Coleraine Times' now: "Dallat challenges Minister". The Minister is not pleading anything. Since coming into office, the Minister has been to the fore in saying that the Department of Education's budget does not suffice, neither in resource nor capital. There is simply not enough money to meet the needs of our education system.

I am limited in what I can say about the proposals the Member refers to. If development proposals have been published, due process will take place. I will make a decision on them in due course. As I have said, protocols have been introduced to ensure that, when all area planning issues and development proposals have been dealt with, you then make an announcement on a newbuild and the way forward. If those processes are complete for those schools, they will be taken into due consideration for any future capital announcement.

Roy Beggs (UUP, East Antrim)

I thank the Minister for his statement. Having raised issues regarding Woodburn Primary School, I am particularly pleased that the Minister has recognised that need and included that school on the list and that he has accommodated a newbuild for the amalgamation of Monkstown Community School and Newtownabbey Community High School. Given the strong business case, can he confirm that the newbuild will be on the Monkstown site? Will the Minister advise on why a newbuild has not been included for Islandmagee, given the strong number of pupils at schools in that area, which meets the threshold; the need that is there; and the fact that investment has already occurred in a new site and outline planning permission has been approved?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

I believe that I made an announcement on Islandmagee in January 2013 after consultation with the board. The board has since come back and changed its plans for the area. That is why there are delays.

Where the newbuild will be for Newtownabbey Community High School and Monkstown Community School will be a decision for the economic appraisal process. It will be something similar to what Mr Wells raised with me. Let the processes continue; let the economic appraisal identify sites; and allow the school, the community and elected representatives to make cases for where, they believe, the new site should be.

Joe Byrne (Social Democratic and Labour Party, West Tyrone)

I welcome the statement by the Minister. In relation to the constraints among some stakeholders about design, planning and procurement, can the Minister enlighten us as to what the difficulties are?

I welcome the announcement on Gaelscoil na gCrann. What is the current situation regarding the replacement or newbuild for the Dean Maguirc College in Carrickmore, where people have been waiting a long time for a green light?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

Dean Maguirc College is on a list of many schools that require a newbuild. The fact that I have not announced it today does not mean that it will not get a newbuild in the future.

I did not catch all of the start of your question — I apologise; there was some noise in the background — but I believe that it was about the challenges that we face with procurement, design etc. When you bring forward a multimillion-pound project, you have to progress that by assuring yourself that it is best value for the public purse and that all options have been explored. An economic appraisal can take upwards of a year, and then you move into the design stage. If the project is worth over £5 million, you have to go through the European Journal and ensure that it is in line with all sorts of things. You then go through planning. You then run into problems with bats, badgers and all sorts of wildlife, as well as foliage. You have to deal with all those unexpected matters that come at you during a building programme. Hopefully, you then get to the stage at which you put a contractor on-site. Thus far, none of the projects has run as smoothly as anyone would have hoped for, but, when you take into consideration the scale of the investment that we are making, it is to be expected that we will run into problems.

In my Department, we have made structural changes to how we deliver capital and have invested in the boards and the CCMS for the delivery of capital, all of which is now starting to pay dividends. We made changes to the protocol because of past experiences, and all that will continue to pay dividends into the future. I remind the Member that we are now delivering one of the Executive's biggest capital programmes, if not the biggest. DRD is perhaps delivering a bigger programme in finance terms, but DE is delivering the largest number of capital projects.

Tom Elliott (UUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I am almost reluctant to welcome the Minister's statement because he may say at a later date, "You welcomed that", but I obviously welcome the capital builds that he has announced for these schools.

I have one query about Enniskillen Model Primary School. He will be aware that this has been going on since 2003. It got to the point of almost being given the go-ahead, but some blockages got in the way. I am looking for an update on that.

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

I believe that there are issues with numbers and some design heritage matters with the old school, but I will follow up on that in writing to give the Member the full details.

Steven Agnew (Green, North Down)

Any investment in schools is to be welcomed, but it would be remiss of me if I did not express my disappointment that there has been no investment in schools in north Down, where there is great need.

The Minister set out the criteria against which he judges a school's application. What level of transparency can schools and, indeed, MLAs expect on the scoring of schools, so that schools can ascertain whether they are close and how close they are?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

The document was published on the DE website today, and it gives all the information on how the protocol was run. Any requests from schools for information will be honoured. Nothing can be hidden; under freedom of information, I would have to release it anyway. I have no difficulty with being open and transparent about the process.

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

The Minister will know about the disappointment felt amongst my constituents in Dromore, given the extensive work to move the project forward. Indeed, there is some confusion about why the board prioritised the scheme, and yet the Department has not announced funding for it today. Will the Minister explain why that is? Has he revised the needs model to meet the obligations under article 64 of the 1989 Order and what he calls the positive prism, which Members on this side of the House call discrimination against the controlled sector? Is there a reason why some of the schools in the controlled sector did not get funding today?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

I am glad that you went on to clarify your position. I thought that you had changed your position from last week, when you voted against article 64, but you are still on the same page as you were last week, although you are not on the page that you were on the week before that. You might change your position by this stage next week. [Interruption.]

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

Order. Allow the Minister to answer.

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

I will do my best to keep up with your position, but apologies if I slip now and again.

Significant work has been carried out on the Dromore project, and I recognise the disappointment that Dromore High School will face today. However, if the business case stacks up, we are committed to buying the site.

That is a significant step forward, and it will increase its accessibility through the protocol as a school that has no significant barriers in its way to moving towards a build. When we run our next capital announcement, if things stay the way they are, I would expect that school to score very highly and come through the process.

I am not involved in discrimination against any sector. The legislation states that I have to positively discriminate in relation to Irish-medium and to the integrated sector, and I make no apologies for that.

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

Order, Members. That concludes questions on the ministerial statement. I ask the House to take its ease as we wait for the Health Minister.

Gregory Campbell (DUP, East Londonderry)

On a point of order, Mr Speaker, in relation to yesterday's questions for oral answer to the Education Minister and today's statement. Yesterday, the Minister launched what, I presume, was a pre-emptive strike about today's statement and alluded to the capital build projects coming to a total of £180 million. Today, in the statement, he said that they would come to £170 million. In terms of him misleading the House, can you check Hansard and return to us at a future point?

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

I hear the Member's point of order. All Members need to be careful when accusing Ministers of misleading the House. Let me read Hansard and come back to the Member.

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I am happy to clarify. Following Question Time in the House yesterday, a legal matter arose that I do not have privilege to go into detail on, but that will explain some of the concern that Mr Campbell has expressed. [Interruption.]

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

Order. The Minister has clarified his position. Let us move on.

Mervyn Storey (DUP, North Antrim)

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. In the light of the fact that the Minister has concealed information from the House, will the Speaker further pursue the issue and ask the Education Minister to ensure that the reasons why there has been a difference in the two statements will be conveyed to me as Chair of the Education Committee and to the House, which holds the Minister to account?

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

Order. I am sure that the Minister will clarify his position some time later. Let us move on.

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

With your permission, Mr Speaker, I wish to make a statement on the publication of the new strategic framework for public health 'Making Life Better 2013-2023'. The framework will provide strategic direction for reinvigorated action to achieve better health and well-being for everyone and to reduce inequalities in health. It has been informed by a number of key reports and bodies of evidence including 'Fair Society, Healthy Lives', the Marmot review of health inequalities in England; Health 2020, the European policy framework and strategy for health; the consultation response to the draft framework 'Fit and Well: Changing Lives 2012-2020'; and a report on health inequalities by the Health Committee. It has also been developed through cross-departmental and cross-sectoral engagement. In addition, feedback from colleagues in the World Health Organization has confirmed its alignment with Health 2020.

In relation to population health generally, we have made progress. We are living longer than previous generations, and we are keeping healthy and active for longer. This is good news. However, we also know that we continue to face real challenges. Good health is not evenly distributed. Some vulnerable groups and communities, including those living in deprived areas, continue to face worse health outcomes than the Northern Ireland average. We have a growing and ageing population, with the prospect that many more people may live longer with chronic conditions. This leads to ever-increasing demands on the health and social care system. It is vital not only for the future sustainability of our health care system but for our vision of a vibrant, flourishing society that we rise to these challenges. However, the health service alone cannot do this alone.

Health is an outcome of a whole range of influences on everyday life and the accumulation of those influences over the life course from the very early stages through to later years. This includes community, social and environmental conditions, which are in turn influenced by wider circumstances. It is clear that many inequalities in health arise because of inequalities in the conditions of daily life. Population health also impacts on other societal outcomes. For example, we stand a better chance of achieving economic growth through improved health and a productive workforce. Working together to secure improvement in the health of the population, especially if targeted at those most in need and with most to gain, is the right thing to do and an essential priority if we are to limit the growth in the cost of avoidable ill health to our society and economy.

(Mr Deputy Speaker [Mr Dallat] in the Chair)

The Programme for Government acknowledges the inter-relationship between health, disadvantage, inequality, the social and physical environment and longer-term economic growth. 'Making Life Better' is, therefore, a building block towards the achievement of a number of the priorities identified in the PFG and, in turn, is affected by the achievement of other Programme for Government commitments.

'Making Life Better' is a 10-year overarching framework designed to provide strategic direction for policies and actions to improve health and well-being and address inequalities in health. It aims to create conditions that are supportive of good health and in which people are enabled and supported in achieving their full health and well-being potential. To achieve that, it is not just about action at government level, important though that is; it will require strengthened collaboration and partnership work at all levels of society to address the issues influencing the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities.

Based on learning from the previous strategy, Investing for Health, and on international evidence, including the recommendations of Health 2020, the new public health strategic framework will take a whole-system approach to improving health. It recognises the need to collaborate around the wider societal influences that impact on health, such as education and literacy, employment and working conditions, income and housing.

I recognise that DHSSPS needs to continue to build strategic alliances across all parts of government in tackling many of the public health issues and inequalities that we face. The ministerial group on public health has been the focal point for such work under the Investing for Health agenda. Connections with the public health agenda are also made through a wide range of interdepartmental groups on issues such as Delivering Social Change, employment, neighbourhood renewal, fuel poverty and rural issues. Beyond Departments, local government and the voluntary and community sectors have been and will continue to be key partners in delivering the framework. The reform of local government presents an opportunity to strengthen collaboration with councils, particularly on addressing health inequalities. The Public Health Agency is working closely with local government to ensure that public health remains firmly on its agenda during and beyond the process. Many other organisations, including trade unions, professional bodies, advocacy and philanthropic organisations and funding bodies, and organisations in the private sector, make important contributions to public health, and we need to make and maintain effective links with them.

The framework sets out implementation and governance arrangements that will ensure a strong strategic lead at ministerial level and secure a joined-up approach across Departments. We have agreed that a ministerial committee for public health will be supported and informed by an officials' group from all Departments. It is important that we provide a visible signal to the public at large of a commitment to strategic and coherent leadership at government level in relation to the health and well-being of our population.

A regional project board led by the Public Health Agency will drive delivery at regional level in collaboration with other key stakeholders, including local government and the community and voluntary sector. At local level, partnerships will align with community planning arrangements over time. We recognise that those groups also need to make effective links with other strategic groups, such as the Children and Young People’s Partnership. Clear lines of communication between the levels of the system will be required, and processes will be developed to ensure effective communication and support arrangements within that overall structure.

The issues to be addressed in the framework are wide-ranging, so we have adopted a thematic approach. The actions committed to in the framework are grouped around six themes that reflect a life-course approach and a focus on the wider factors influencing health. Within each of those themes, there are particular outcomes that lend themselves to a cross-sectoral or thematic approach across Departments and organisations. I have already described the need for joint working across government to address the wider structural, economic, environmental and social conditions impacting on health at population level. That is recognised in the theme on creating the conditions.

The proposal to make a priority of giving every child the best start in life was supported strongly in the consultation on Fit and Well. It is retained as a key theme, with a strong emphasis on empowering and supporting parents. National and international findings in relation to early years and the importance of parenting have reinforced the need for a specific emphasis on positive early years experiences as the foundation for realising the potential of children and young people and the best route out of poverty.

On top of what already is being spent through mainstream programmes by several Departments, including mine and the Department of Education, the £5 million funding from the OFMDFM Delivering Social Change framework to deliver increased direct family support and support for parents strengthens our capacity to intervene early in children's lives. Making Life Better will promote a collaborative approach to bring about the incremental development of universal and targeted programmes to include antenatal and postnatal care and parenting programmes.

A further example of the commitment to early years intervention is the establishment of a cross-departmental early intervention transformation programme, with contributions from the Delivering Social Change programme, Atlantic Philanthropies and a collective of Departments: DE, DEL, DOJ, DSD and DHSSPS. DHSSPS will lead on the implementation of the programme. Within the framework, there is also a focus on supporting individuals' transitions into and through adulthood and older age, highlighting the need to work together, for example, to provide the skills and support for employment and lifelong participation in society, and to enable older people to maintain active independent lives, fully engaged in society and their local communities.

A further focus is to empower people of all ages to identify the risks to their health, choose healthy behaviours and make informed decisions about their health. As well as being taken forward through health promotion strategies, this is about an increased emphasis on improving health literacy, providing accessible and tailored advice and information, and embedding prevention across Health and Social Care services. Legislation has been an effective mechanism to secure health improvements, for example, in relation to tobacco and road safety.

Importantly, there is emphasis, too, on building social capital — the links that connect people within communities, which can promote resilience against difficulties and give people a feeling of control over their lives. It is also protective of health. We want to see thriving, united communities. That can be achieved only through a societal approach in full partnership with local communities to build on the assets we have in our communities, and to work in partnership with local government and other key agencies to address community issues.

The theme of developing collaboration identifies strategic and local actions to enhance collaboration, such as through the governance and implementation arrangements to ensure that health and health equity are considered coherently across ministerial and departmental policy in a health-in-all-policies approach. As I said, we need action at local level as well. Three issues are identified on which we are seeking to generate a collaborative response from local level up. They relate to food, the use of space and the promotion of social inclusion. The use of physical space is one example where collaboration for public health is needed. Many reports identify how the quality of the natural and built environment impacts on physical and mental well-being. The promotion of active travel, age friendly towns and cities, access to green spaces and to local services and the general appearance of our neighbourhoods are issues to which many sectors can contribute. There is scope for creative solutions to address the many factors that influence health and health inequalities through better use of space, from local neighbourhoods up to strategic regional initiatives.

As an overarching principle, the framework recognises that addressing inequalities in health is not just a question of targeting the most disadvantaged in our society. There are differences in health status right across the social spectrum. Therefore, action needs to be taken right across the whole population, but with varying degrees of intensity according to need. That is what the Marmot review calls "proportionate universalism". The principle applies to many of the factors that influence our health. The framework identifies some groups for which targeted action is needed, but it also recognises that decisions about targeted action should be taken at local level, depending on the health issue being addressed, local circumstances and need.

Funding from across local government is already committed to supporting the strategic actions identified in the framework. For my part, I am continuing to progress the PFG commitment to increase the percentage of the overall health budget being directed to public health. Not only will that support the framework in its aim of improving the health of the population and reducing inequalities, but the shift to prevention and early interventions is crucial to the sustainability of the health service. Taking a whole-systems approach, I am alert to the opportunities to identify other funding sources, be they other Departments, philanthropic organisations or European funding sources. I am also alert to exploring opportunities to pool resources where appropriate so that we optimise the public health benefits of spend from every source.

In conclusion, changes in population health and in health inequalities are a long-term goal. For example, it will take at least a generation before we reap the benefits of our concerted efforts on early childhood development and support for parenting. The capacity and efficiency of health and social care systems undoubtedly also has a key role to play in keeping people well. It is vital that public health and well-being be placed at the centre of our healthcare systems, with increased emphasis on prevention and early intervention and on addressing health inequalities. That is what Transforming Your Care and this framework, Making Life Better, seek to reinforce. However, the health system on its own cannot tackle the root causes of poor health and well-being. We must also look beyond health to a societal approach, requiring national leadership, strategic and local alliances and coherent collective and individual participation and action.

I thank ministerial colleagues for their support and cooperation in formulating the framework and look forward to working together to take it forward. I also thank the Health Committee, whose inquiry report on health inequalities has helped shape the new framework. It is vital that politicians, policymakers, health professionals, local government, other agencies and the public at large be aware of the impact on health and well-being of the economy and of the social and physical conditions in which we live and age so that, collectively, we can participate in making progress towards a healthier, more prosperous society. That is what Making Life Better strives to do, and I call on you all for your support.

Maeve McLaughlin (Sinn Féin, Foyle)

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I thank the Minister for his statement and welcome it. I think that it is a step in the right direction of developing cross-departmental priorities on public health and an outcome framework.

Given the high levels of health inequalities that exist, can the Minister explain how the whole-system approach will effectively target and eradicate the problem? Will he also explain the roll-out of the £30 million early intervention fund and tell us whether the shift to public health aligned under TYC will mean that more money will be going to public health?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

The fact that we meet as Ministers and representatives across Departments on the ministerial group is a demonstration that we are committed to a whole-system approach at Executive level. I find those meetings very useful because I hear all the time about things that different people are doing in different Departments. When we refer to the whole-system approach, it is good that we include local government, the voluntary sector, the lobby groups and, indeed, the business sector. I have had meetings with various businesses that, for example, organise for some of the cancer organisations to come in and carry out work on-site. So where you have 500 people employed on one site, you can get the Action Cancer Big Bus to come there. You can get other organisations to come in. A lot of companies are involved in doing pound-for-pound weight loss so they will sponsor people who are engaged in weight-loss programmes. We have good support from the business sector as well as from the wider voluntary and community sector and other aspects of government, and that is what it is all about.

We in the Department of Health will respond to people's healthcare needs. People can proactively avoid using the Department of Health and health services so much by taking actions. We can work together to ensure that more people take those actions. That is what the whole-system approach is about.

I welcome the £30 million of additional money that is coming in. We will target a lot of that towards the early intervention transformation programme. That will lead to investment in young children that will hopefully deliver better outcomes and truly challenge inequalities. We have children who are being brought up in circumstances that will almost inevitably lead to them not doing as well in life as others. If we can intervene to provide a greater level of support to those children, we will give them a much greater opportunity and ensure that they have an equal chance in life to the rest. That is something that I wholly support.

Jim Wells (DUP, South Down)

The Minister has frequently highlighted the problem of obesity and the impact it is going to have on the health service in years to come. Will he outline what action the strategy will take to deal with that very important issue?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

Obviously, obesity causes a huge challenge to all of us. Sadly, around 25% of children aged two to 10 are classified as being either overweight or obese. Unfortunately, many of those children will never lose that. It is something that they will have all their life. I think that tackling obesity needs to be started from the earliest days, encouraging parents to manage their children's diets better, ensuring that more exercise is taken and so forth. Some 62% of adults were classified as either overweight or obese. A quarter of adults were obese, with a further two fifths classified as overweight. Males are more likely than females to be overweight, so that is a message to all of us gentlemen.

Obesity causes all sorts of problems. It is a major issue for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Its consequences are that many more people end up having to give up work early, and many more people end up reliant on the health service and on benefits because they have not taken enough control of their weight. So, again, the public health agenda is critical to ensuring that we have a healthier population. I referred to the businesses that are doing the pound-for-pound scheme. It is an absolutely brilliant scheme. One of them, I think, is in your area — B/E Aerospace actively engages with its workforce. Business in the Community has been driving that. I encourage more businesses to get involved in ensuring that they have a healthier workforce because, while they invest in all of that training and so forth, it is good to ensure that they will have their workforce there for a long time and have fewer problems with sickness.

Seán Rogers (Social Democratic and Labour Party, South Down)

Thanks to the Minister for his statement, which I welcome. I also welcome your commitment to tackling health inequality. Given that the health service alone cannot address inequality, can you outline a strategic action plan for the proposed ministerial committee of public health?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I referred to the early intervention transformation programme. We also have Delivering Social Change. Both of those programmes are particularly important to us because they will ensure that we make a difference to people who are in areas of deprivation and perhaps have less opportunity. Obviously, people need to engage themselves. We cannot force people to participate, but, for example, we have directed £3 million for direct family support through the establishment of the 10 family support hubs to coordinate that early intervention service. We have directed a further £2 million for support for parents, which will provide additional high-quality support to new and existing parents living in areas of deprivation. On top of what is already being spent through mainstream programmes by several Departments, including mine and the Department of Education, the £5 million funding from OFMDFM's Delivering Social Change framework to deliver increased direct family support and support for parents strengthens our capacity to intervene early in children's lives. I think that that is the one that will make the big difference.

For some people, it will be much more difficult to change, but I think that, if you get in there at the early point with young children, provide that support and help and help them to make the right choices in life, we will reap a significant dividend in a generation to come. So it is a long-term investment, but it is well worth making.

Roy Beggs (UUP, East Antrim)

I, too, thank the Minister for his statement. He has recognised the need for links to strategic groups such as the Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership. I welcome that recognition of the importance of supporting children and young people in improving health outcomes, along with his recognition of issues that are related, such as education, employment and others that can create health inequality if they are not addressed.

I declare an interest as the chair of the Carrickfergus locality planning group of the Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership. Does the Minister agree that the new councils, particularly with their increased planning powers, community planning role, local knowledge and contacts, will also be key players that a range of Departments, including Health, should be working closely with to bring about better outcomes by combining and making better use of departmental funding?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

Absolutely. The Member is 100% right. The PHA, for example, has partnered with DRD to commission the active school travel programme in the Belfast and south-eastern areas. That programme is delivered through Sustrans, and the PHA invests around £70,000 a year in it. In addition, the Belfast Strategic Partnership for Health and Wellbeing, which is led by the chief executive of Belfast City Council, the PHA and the Belfast Trust and includes representation from DRD, is exploring ways to make Belfast more cycle-friendly.

That is a demonstration of how it is being done in one council, but there are so many opportunities in a range of areas in which local government can engage not just with one Department but with a number of Departments. To me, that is what community planning is about. People maybe dismissed community planning in the early days when we talked about powers being transferred to councils, but it can make a real and fundamental difference if it is embraced and carried out properly. We in government need to be prepared to work closely with local government to ensure that we can truly engage in community planning and make that difference for people on the ground.

Kieran McCarthy (Alliance, Strangford)

I welcome the statement. There is a lot in it that we know about and that is already there.

There is a lot of hypocrisy going on. The Health Minister talks about health inequalities, and our Committee is investigating that. There is a glaring health inequality in that Northern Ireland, which is a part of the United Kingdom, cannot access over 39 cancer drugs. The Minister has it in his power for that to be corrected. We visited the cancer diagnostic centre last week, and it was unbelievable how —

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

Order. I am frantically searching for the question.

Kieran McCarthy (Alliance, Strangford)

When will we see equality in Northern Ireland with what they have across the water in relation to cancer drugs?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

The question does not have much relevance to today's public health statement, but I will answer it in any event.

The power lies with the House and the Executive to ensure that we do this. I am committed to doing it. Those drugs are not NICE-recommended and are not part of the deal that has been done with the drug companies. New drugs are coming onto the market that are NICE-approved, and we are buying them. Let us be very clear: we are talking about drugs that are not NICE-approved. The Prime Minister has decided to go down a particular route in England. We are buying drugs that they are not buying, but they are buying cancer drugs that we are not buying. How do we resolve that, given that there is a £160 million gap between what I have to spend and what I need to spend? Let us make it very clear: I do not have the money to buy those drugs. Others choose to spend money on welfare, for example. There is £120 million, which, if we signed up to welfare reform, would be in the Northern Ireland Budget. That would quickly deal with most of the problems that I have and give me more freedom to do things in health.

In the absence of the money, I want to charge something for prescriptions. Remember, in England, which the Member referenced, there is an £8 charge for every prescription. I want to charge something. It could mean a few pounds on the old scheme, in which only 11% of prescriptions were paid for, with a maximum cap or a charge of as little as 50p for all prescriptions, again with a maximum cap of £25 a year, for example, which would be 50p a week. I am firmly of the view that the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland want to support those with cancer and would be prepared to do that. I am firmly of that view. I need the support of the House to deliver cancer drugs, and I implore the House to give me that support to buy the cancer drugs instead of putting me in some sort of chained-up position where I cannot do it and then condemning me for not doing it. Give me the support to do it, and I will certainly buy the cancer drugs. I will buy them straight away if the House gives me the support to do it.

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

Teenage pregnancy has been talked about a lot over the years. I am glad to say that teenage pregnancy figures have been coming down, and that is good. It is good that we have more awareness of sexual activity, and, consequently, that is the case. In Northern Ireland in 2013, there were 937 births to teenage mothers under the age of 20, and there were 90 births to teenage mothers aged under 17. The rate in the most deprived areas is around twice the Northern Ireland average, so, obviously, there is work to be done there in education, which, again, goes back to early years and working with young people throughout school to encourage them to learn more about what comes from sexual behaviours and therefore be able to take actions to avoid unwanted pregnancies.

As I said, our rates of birth to teenage mothers have reduced, but I do not think that we can be complacent. The Public Health Agency, through the sexual health improvement network, has been asked to seek to reduce rates of teenage pregnancy further. Programmes such as the Family Nurse Partnership provide intensive support to assist young parents through those early years, so that it does not happen again very quickly and there is greater support for them. It also encourages young men to take responsibility for the children that they bring into the world. Far too often, young men bring children into the world and take nothing to do with them. That is one of the things that Family Nurse Partnership engages proactively in. It gets the young dads involved, and it is amazing to see the positive responses that we get from the young men and the changes that it can make in their attitude. It is absolutely critical that we continue to do that.

Michaela Boyle (Sinn Féin, West Tyrone)

Go raibh maith agat. I thank the Minister for the statement to the House. Minister, yesterday in the Long Gallery, you were present when we met parents and staff involved in palliative care for children. Of course, we also met little Blake, who made an impression on everybody. They were there lobbying for much-needed investment for proposals coming out of the review of palliative care for children and young people. How will the new strategy complement what is already there to increase cancer awareness and address the issues that the parents raised yesterday about palliative care for children and young people?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

The review of palliative care is close to my heart, and you could not help be touched by the stories that were told by the parents. Indeed, young Blake was quite a star, particularly with the ladies. He seemed to be very fond of the women, and they all seemed to be very fond of him too. He was an absolute star.

The recommendations that have been made are rational and sensible, and we need to look at how we can provide the support that is needed for them. One of them, for example, is to provide a key worker for when someone gets the awful news their child has a condition that will shorten their life and they need a lot of support. Their entire focus will be on providing support and care for the child, which often leads to the point where they are so dedicated to helping the child that they do not get the support and help that they need, and it is important that they get that. There is a lot of work to be done on that.

How that ties in with this document is quite loose. This document is about people taking the right steps to ensure that we have a healthier population. Unfortunately, many of the young people involved have been born with long-term conditions that will lead to their early passing. If there is a means of tying it up, we certainly will, but we also need to look at how we can provide the support and the funding to ensure that we can support the parents of children who have those long-term conditions and have palliative care requirements.

David McIlveen (DUP, North Antrim)

I thank the Minister for his statement. He will be aware that, when it comes to our rural communities and the promotion of health services, it can, at times, be quite challenging to get the message into our more isolated rural areas. Can the Minister give us an indication of how his Department plans to deal with that issue specifically?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

Some good work has been going on. In the Member's area, the Northern Trust has done a lot of work. It has gone out to farmers' markets, for example. When you get a couple of pleasant-looking nurses, the farmers seem very keen to go in and get a check up, for whatever reason. Taking the case to the people, as opposed to expecting the people to come to it, is working. We identified issues where people had particularly high cholesterol levels, and recommendations were made immediately. We also identified mental health issues and cardiovascular disease — a whole range of issues. That work has been hugely beneficial. The Northern Trust is engaged in work on mental health as well.

I would welcome that type of activity throughout the other trusts that have a rural reach. It is important, particularly as we have quite an older population in the rural community who tend not to bother with doctors too much until it is too late. We want people to have those interventions carried out early, and, as a consequence, the outcomes will be considerably better.

The sitting was suspended at 12.52 pm.

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

Oral Answers to Questions

Roy Beggs (UUP, East Antrim)

Questions 7 and 9 have been withdrawn.

Claire Sugden (Independent, East Londonderry)

1. asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to outline his plans to establish a veterinary school at the University of Ulster, Coleraine. (AQO 6424/11-15)

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

The proposal to establish a veterinary school at the Coleraine campus of the University of Ulster has been brought forward by the university. The university has the discretion to offer veterinary courses from within its existing maximum student number (MaSN) allocation and funding. However, as the university wishes to secure funding from my Department for its veterinary school, it is preparing an economic appraisal to support its proposal. The proposal may be used to bid for additional funding by my Department.

Claire Sugden (Independent, East Londonderry)

I thank the Minister for his answer. I encourage him to welcome the proposal when he receives it. Northern Ireland needs a veterinary school, and Coleraine is the best place for it. In line with his announcement today on apprenticeships, how does he envisage his Department working with local veterinary practices to supplement a higher education veterinary course, should it come?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

I thank the Member for the supplementary. By way of responding to some of the preliminary comments: we will give a proper, objective analysis of the economic appraisal when it comes forward. The issue of whether Northern Ireland needs a veterinary school or otherwise will be one of those that we will wish to consider. Again, we have to weigh expenditure on this against other skill requirement objectives that our economy may have.

On her comments around other aspects of this, I understand that South West College, which has featured quite a lot today so far, has been exploring opportunities in relation to supporting issues around animal welfare. I am more than happy to ask the college director, Malachy McAleer, to get in touch with the Member to elaborate on some of those initiatives that are being undertaken.

Robin Swann (UUP, North Antrim)

I thank the Minister for indicating that he may see the need for a veterinary school in Northern Ireland. It has been well established, even from presentations to the Employment and Learning Committee, that all parties support that. The Minister referred to the economic, I suppose, support from his Department. Will he also consider the possibility of economic support from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development because the subject is veterinary science?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

Again, I thank the Member for the question. By way of context, it is worth stressing that investment in terms of a veterinary school is very expensive. The university is talking about having a school for about 250 students — 50 across five years. We are talking about a total cost of about £78,000 to train a vet, which is probably more expensive than any other profession that you can think of. It is important that Members are conscious of that.

As things stand, the university can go ahead with this on its existing resources, but that means a distortion. Its preferred option is for the Department to bid for additional resources. We can consider whether that bid is made by my Department or is done in conjunction with DETI and DARD, but it still has to be determined.

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

I have listened carefully to the Minister's response. I am sure that he is familiar with the old adage, "Eat horse, and you will get grass". Can the Minister assure us that Coleraine is not being fed another empty promise for which there is no money?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

First, I assure the House that I have no intention of eating horse or grass. [Laughter.] Obviously, the Coleraine campus is a major aspect of the University of Ulster. Indeed, we have made some capital investments in that university in very recent times, so there is ongoing support to ensure that it has modern facilities. It is for the university to allocate courses to its various campuses. I can only reiterate that I will give this a proper, objective analysis. However, at this stage, I cannot give any commitment on what will be the way forward.

Gregory Campbell (DUP, East Londonderry)

My apologies for being a few moments late. The Minister is looking at the issue. Will he also establish whether the University of Ulster, at its various campuses, will look at developing specialist schools — hopefully a veterinary school will be at Coleraine, and other campuses will be able to develop — so that there is a holistic approach in a number of disciplines?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

We are very happy to encourage the university to go down that line, especially at postgraduate level, where that type of intervention leads to different types of institutes being set up. Also, corralling people across a range of disciplinary boundaries is a very important intervention that universities can make.

The universities have academic freedom, so it is for them to make those calls. We facilitate the broad direction of travel through our higher education strategy, which places the economy at its core. No doubt, the vice chancellor and his successor will wish to reflect on the comments and encouragement from the Member.

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

2. asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to outline the implications of any reductions in his departmental budget as a result of the non-implementation of welfare reform. (AQO 6425/11-15)

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

The Executive have not taken any decisions regarding reductions in departmental budgets in respect of delays in implementing welfare reform.

The Treasury is imposing penalties for the delays in implementing welfare reform locally. The Finance Minister has advised Departments to plan for resource baseline reductions in 2014-15 and has said that there may also be baseline reductions to cover welfare reform and other Executive pressures in 2015-16.

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Minister for his response. Is he able to outline to the House what the real impact of any reduction in his Department's budget would be for those vulnerable people who are in receipt of different benefits and support to get them into training opportunities and employment? Vulnerable people are the ones whom we are trying to help. Will there be implications if your budget is reduced as a result of not bringing forward welfare reform?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

I concur with the broad thrust of what the Member is saying. Let me frame the answer in this way: there is a range of different means by which we can help people who find themselves in poverty or lacking opportunities to progress in society. It is important that we have a balance of interventions across the board. If we end up in a situation in which we are essentially paying fines to Westminster for not implementing welfare reform — a decision that is out of our hands, and, under parity, we have little choice but to go along with it — there will be implications for our ability to invest in those levers that help people get out of poverty.

Beyond the remit of my Department, we can look at things such as investing in public health, which is important to improving people's life chances, and we can talk about investing in early years education, which is also important to improving people's life chances. From my Department's perspective, we can invest in training programmes and employment schemes. Unless we invest in the employability skills and technical skills that young people need to engage with the labour market, we are condemning people to a situation in which they will be in receipt of benefits.

Too much of the current discussion is on the protection of benefits. Worthy as that is, we have to have a much more rounded discussion and understand that we have a range of mechanisms that is involved in supporting vulnerable people. If we are forced into making cutbacks to those mechanisms, we will be inadvertently condemning people to a life of poverty by taking away the ladder that would allow them to escape it.

Pat Ramsey (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

Will the Minister outline the extent of the reduction to his Department's budget as a result of the Budget Bill and the effect that that will have his on delivery of the services that he is responsible for?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

There is not actually a reduction as such in the Budget Bill, which is working its way through the House. The Bill gives effect to the Budget that was agreed by the Executive and the Assembly for the entirety of the CSR period. We all know that we are going through a discussion that is, in some ways, a little bit arbitrary and false, because we know that the issue is still looming. The issue is whether there will be cuts made in-year as part of the June monitoring round. That is where the discussions lie. It would be inappropriate for me to talk about the precise percentages and figures, given that only the Executive are privy to them at this stage. Once the figures are agreed, no doubt the Finance Minister will make them known.

It is fair to say that, across a range of Departments, some very difficult decisions will have to be taken on the back of the failure of the Executive and the Assembly to find common agreement on the way forward on welfare reform.

Leslie Cree (UUP, North Down)

I am sorry that I did not catch the Minister's response to the first question. Have any of his recent statements or programmes been predicated on the fact that welfare reform will be introduced?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

My Department is not a welfare Department. That is the responsibility of the Department for Social Development. Obviously, what happens with welfare reform does influence the wider context in which policy is made in Northern Ireland. For example, we are progressing our new employment programme, Steps 2 Success, and we hope to make announcements in that regard in the near future. That is something that we would have been addressing irrespective of welfare reform because it is a refreshment of our existing programme. Obviously, we will want to take into account the onset of universal credit and other aspects of welfare reform in how that will be implemented.

Similarly, we have an emerging strategy at Executive level around economic inactivity. That has its genesis outside welfare reform because we understand that this is a deep, structural problem within our economy that needs to be addressed. Indeed, we are the only part of the UK that is adopting an innovative approach in seeking to address that. Again, the crossover with welfare reform will have an influence on how we design the detail of that strategy and the way forward.

Jonathan Craig (DUP, Lagan Valley)

3. asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to outline what action his Department is taking to encourage the uptake of apprenticeships in further education colleges. (AQO 6426/11-15)

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

Apprentices are employed through the ApprenticeshipsNI programme. My Department supports the cost of the off-the-job training required for achievement of qualifications set out in apprenticeship frameworks. Off-the-job training is delivered by further education colleges and other contracted training providers.

In addition to training, an employer receives a payment when the apprentice successfully completes the ApprenticeshipsNI programme. The incentive ranges from £250 to £1,500, depending on the complexity and level of apprenticeship undertaken.

In January 2014, my Department published its interim report on the review of apprenticeships. Today, we published the fresh Northern Ireland strategy on apprenticeships. One of the proposals is the introduction of a central service to promote and support apprenticeship provision for employers and participants that will advertise centrally apprenticeship vacancies and provide a matching service between employers and prospective apprentices. The central service will signpost employers to approved providers of off-the-job training, including further education colleges. It will also provide advice and guidance for employers and potential apprentices on the support and training available.

Jonathan Craig (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Minister for his complete announcement to the House on the back of this question. I declare an interest as my son is one of four apprentices appointed to BT this year.

Does the Minister agree with the concept of apprenticeships being a way for even government Departments to ensure that they have certain expertise and a minimum period of employment, such as is used by the armed forces? In some fields, like IT, Departments have great difficulty competing with the private sector.

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

I thank the Member for his comments. Indeed, it was his question today that led us to ensure that we delivered the strategy this morning. We wish your son every success with his apprenticeship with BT, which is an excellent company with a great presence in Northern Ireland.

In the public sector, we already have a pilot private/public ICT apprenticeship at level 3. That is, in part, working through NI Direct. That is of benefit and working successfully. One of the policy commitments in the new strategy is to engage with the public sector on public sector apprenticeships. I wrote to my ministerial colleagues earlier this year and received a large number of favourable responses. We are doing detailed work with different Departments in relation to that. So, there is definitely scope for pilots in terms of professional technical aspects of the public sector in Northern Ireland. We hope to be making announcements in this regard in the near future.

Fra McCann (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

I thank the Minister for his statement this afternoon, but in light of his statement this morning on apprenticeships, could he say whether further education colleges can play an important role in the creation and promotion of apprenticeships within their own field?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

We view the further education sector as a key delivery partner with respect to apprenticeships.

We also have private sector training providers. In particular, as we look to move the apprenticeship model up the skills ladder and offer a greater number of higher-level apprenticeships, the role of the further education colleges becomes even more critical.

Further education will also offer a logical progression route for people who are on apprenticeships, including higher-level apprenticeships. In particular, I highlight the opportunity of foundation degrees. Over the past while, Members have stressed the theme of higher and further education, and we are seeking to build on that. We are also developing a further education strategy. FE Means Business goes back to 2004, so it needs to be refreshed. The new policy context for apprenticeships and a revised offer for youth training will be two key drivers that will shape the future provision of further education. The principals of the six colleges are enthusiastic about the way forward for apprenticeships and are keen to become involved and, indeed, build on their existing involvement.

Mike Nesbitt (UUP, Strangford)

In the Minister's announcement this morning, he talked about apprenticeships at levels 7 and 8, which are the equivalent of a master's and a doctorate. What uptake does he anticipate at those levels, and what resource and strategy will he deploy to secure the uptake?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

Today, we are launching the high-level policy framework for apprenticeships and making a major switch from apprenticeships being primarily offered at level 2 and level 3, with the dominance being at level 2. We have a fresh youth training offer, which will address the level 2 issue, to be published for consultation in the autumn, and our new model of apprenticeships will run from level 3 to level 8. It is very much in the hands of the sectoral partnerships to develop new apprenticeship frameworks, so we are in the hands of the business community, employers and other organisations. We have set out the guidelines and frameworks in which we will support the decisions of those partnerships. We are already piloting apprenticeships at level 4 and are set to pilot at level 5, so good progress has been made. As we have seen in other parts of the world, it is possible for apprenticeships to be delivered at the equivalent of higher-level skills at levels 7 and 8, and we want to make sure that Northern Ireland is part of that. It is very much in the hands of the business community, however, to come forward with relevant proposals, and my Department will be more than happy to facilitate them.

Jim Wells (DUP, South Down)

4. asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to outline the assistance his Department has given to B/E Aerospace, Kilkeel. (AQO 6427/11-15)

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

B/E Aerospace has been an important contributor to the local economy in Kilkeel since operations commenced there in 1993. It employs 800 people in that location. Its business is the manufacture of aircraft cabin interiors, particularly seating, in which the company is an acknowledged world leader. Whilst B/E Aerospace has not sought any assistance from my Department, any request for help or advice on skills development or recruitment issues will be welcome. My Department has much to offer businesses through its wide range of programmes on, for example, management and leadership, apprenticeships and Bridge to Employment on recruitment. Many of those include attractive financial support. Advisers from the Department's skills solutions service would be happy to meet B/E Aerospace to provide further information, if that would be helpful.

Jim Wells (DUP, South Down)

Is the Minister aware that 40% of all aircraft seats made in the world by value are made in Kilkeel and that, as he jets off on his first-class travels throughout the world, he will undoubtedly be sitting on one of those seats? Is he also aware that there are some doubts about the future of the aircraft factory in Kilkeel and that the company has indicated that it will be split in two into a service division and a manufacturing division?

Roy Beggs (UUP, East Antrim)

Could we have a question, please?

Jim Wells (DUP, South Down)

Will he join the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to do all that is possible to retain that employment in Kilkeel?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

Not only will I say that we are a world leader in the provision of aircraft seating but I will go off topic slightly and say that Northern Ireland cows are probably the most-prized cows for providing the leather for those seats. I had the pleasure of visiting one of the main leather suppliers in Scotland recently, and they commented that, because we do not have the same amount of barbed wire as they have in Scotland, Northern Ireland cows provide a far superior quality of cow skin to make the seats. So, we are world leaders in more than one way.

I am more than happy to give an assurance. I understand the Member's concerns. Clearly, B/E Aerospace is a major employer not just in Kilkeel but in Northern Ireland. It is something that we wish to retain. I appreciate people's unease about the announcements that have been made, and I am more than happy to work in conjunction with the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister to ensure that we can keep this in Northern Ireland. In particular, we are more than happy to contribute on the skills side of the equation.

Roy Beggs (UUP, East Antrim)

I call Phil Flanagan to ask a question about B/E Aerospace in Kilkeel. [Laughter.]

Phil Flanagan (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

Dead on. Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. The Minister will be aware that major engineering companies like B/E Aerospace offer day opportunities for students across the North to sample what it is like to work in such an environment. Will the Minister tell the House how his Department supports such initiatives involving schools, colleges and major employers like B/E Aerospace?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

Obviously, the issue of engagement between companies and schools and colleges cuts across my Department and the Department of Education. Though there are examples of very good practice already, unfortunately they are few and far between. The Member will be aware that my Department and the Department of Education have launched a joint review of careers policy. Indeed, the issue of placements, how we can encourage more engagement between schools and colleges and businesses so that people can understand the opportunities that are out there for them and how we can encourage careers teachers and advisers to spend time in industry as well so that they, too, can fully understand such opportunities are all key things that we wish to build on and develop.

Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

5. asked the Minister for Employment and Learning why a £10m bid from the University of Ulster for a new teaching block at the Magee campus was rejected. (AQO 6428/11-15)

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

Members will be aware of the additional capital funding available to the Executive from the UK Government under the economic pact to support specific shared housing and education projects. The Magee teaching block bid was one of those put forward by my Department and subsequently submitted by the Department of Finance and Personnel to HM Treasury for consideration under that initiative. The Magee project was not agreed by HM Treasury for inclusion in the package of shared education and housing projects. The Treasury felt that it did not meet the criteria of being a shared education project.

Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

It is disappointing to hear that another piece of infrastructure for Derry has been turned down by whoever has turned it down. Will the Minister recommit to what was a commitment in the One Plan, which the First Minister and deputy First Minister came to launch in the city of Derry? Will he recommit to the target of 9,400 students for Magee by 2020, given the fact that there is an ongoing consultation on the business case around that? If that business case says what we all think it will say, will the Minister recommit to that and work with his Executive colleagues to bring that about?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

Let me say several things to the Member. First, we are not walking away from the capital bid in relation to Magee. It did not meet the particular criteria around shared education set by the Treasury for this funding opportunity. It is still premature, in terms of formal business case approval and, indeed, planning permission, for a bid to be made during this financial year for capital funds, but I certainly intend — subject to the various approvals being in place — to make a bid at the earliest opportunity for the investment in the teaching block at Magee.

We also have made significant interventions to meet the One Plan objectives. We have 650 places delivered already in that regard. When I assumed office, there was zero funding available for expansion of the numbers of university places anywhere in Northern Ireland, and, through different means, we have managed to secure the funding to allow us to expand the number of university places.

I also have to say to the Member that, much as I share his aspiration to see Magee develop further, for me to commit at this stage to additional places at the university would be folly. In doing that, I have to baseline a commitment for at least three years, and, in practice, once you announce these places, you cannot simply turn the tap off afterwards. Until we sort out the current impasse around welfare reform and Budget uncertainty, we are in no position to make any further announcements of expansion of the university or, indeed, anything that requires a baseline commitment into the future. We have to get past the current discussions that we are having before any of these discussions can be advanced further.

Raymond McCartney (Sinn Féin, Foyle)

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for a very detailed answer. I welcome the fact that he is committed to the expansion of Magee. In relation to the points raised by Mr Eastwood, what plans have you to go back to the British Treasury to highlight the case for the shared campus at Magee and ensure that we get the money for the teaching block?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

Part of the issue was that there was uncertainty around the criteria for the shared education bids. We took the decision to go ahead and pitch for the Magee campus to see what would happen in that regard. One of the critical issues is the added value that will come from the project. As the Member knows, further education and higher education are already shared, so we needed to demonstrate how we were providing additional value. However, we did not get that one across the line.

There may be other opportunities from special capital programmes to bid again. Equally, there may be another capital reallocation in the Executive due to underspends in other areas that we could take advantage of. Indeed, we can bid for mainstream funding on the capital front as part of the next comprehensive spending review (CSR) period. I am open to looking at all those options. There is no question in my mind that I am committed to moving ahead, subject to the approval of the economic appraisal of the Magee teaching block capital investment. At the earliest opportunity to do that we will take advantage of whatever funds may be available.

George Robinson (DUP, East Londonderry)

6. asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to outline the steps his Department is taking to maximise the number of working people taking night classes. (AQO 6429/11-15)

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

My Department is committed to widening access and promoting educational opportunities for all individuals across Northern Ireland. Further education colleges offer a variety of courses throughout their main campuses and a network of approximately 500 community outreach centres. In 2012-13 there were 130,000 part-time enrolments on regulated qualifications in the sector and 33,000 part-time enrolments for recreational courses. Those figures include people attending night classes. This is, therefore, a significant area of college activity.

Further education curriculum policy has been developed to ensure that colleges achieve an appropriate balance between provision that strengthens economic and workforce development, enhances social cohesion and advances the individual’s skills and learning. My Department sets the strategic direction for the further education sector, and individual colleges are responsible for designing a curriculum offer to meet the needs of learners and employers in their area, including the delivery of night classes.

Students who require financial assistance to meet the costs associated with learning and who are undertaking accredited courses leading to regulated qualifications at FE colleges, including night classes, can apply for help through further education awards and/or college hardship funds. The support available from both those sources for eligible students is means-tested on the basis of household income and is dependent on individual circumstances. Income-based concessionary fees are also available at each college.

My Department has also supported the colleges’ advertising and marketing working group to promote the full range of further education provision, including night classes, through their prospectuses, online promotions and links to NI Direct.

George Robinson (DUP, East Londonderry)

Does the Minister agree that night classes can provide a cost-effective and valuable mechanism for gaining and updating qualifications that can enhance promotion and job security in areas of high unemployment such as Limavady?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

I agree with the Member. His comment applies not only to Limavady but across all of Northern Ireland. We stress the importance of lifelong learning and of people constantly investing in their skills. We live in a much more volatile economic situation with a much more changeable labour market, and it is likely that people will change jobs more frequently than in the past. Therefore we want to encourage people to keep their skills as fresh as possible and to think about how they can progress their skills. The role of FE colleges is vital in that regard, whether we are talking about daytime activity or night classes.

Patsy McGlone (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Mid Ulster)

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I heard the Minister's response about people taking night classes and the funding that might be available to them. I am not specifically talking about means-tested benefits, because he has already outlined that, but does that funding apply to people who may be in part-time work and in receipt of working tax credits and other lower-income means of support?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

I want to be careful not to give the Member an inaccurate answer in this regard. It is best that we judge each situation on the case that is put forward to us.

If the Member has any particular cases in mind, I am happy to look at them in greater detail and see whether any eligible support is available. We need to look at an individual's circumstances in the round before we can give a definitive answer to any particular situation that arises.

Roy Beggs (UUP, East Antrim)

That is the end of the period for listed questions. We now move on to topical questions.

Mike Nesbitt (UUP, Strangford)

1. asked the Minister for Employment and Learning for an update on the sale of the Belfast Metropolitan College-owned property in College Square East. (AQT 1321/11-15)

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

I would love to be in a position to give the Member a fuller answer today, but that transaction, while it is very well advanced and there may well be speculation in the media, is yet to be formally concluded. Until that point, the matter must remain commercial in confidence. It would be inappropriate for me to comment any further on that. Suffice it to say that, when the transaction has been fully cleared, an announcement can be made.

Mike Nesbitt (UUP, Strangford)

I thank the Minister. I suspect that we are into the area of technicalities. Perhaps he can update the House on where the moneys raised by the sale will be utilised.

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

Obviously, it is a capital receipt. It will be reinvested back into the further education estate. No doubt, it has already been accounted for in business cases that have gone through, particularly in relation to other redevelopments that have occurred in relation to the expansion of Belfast Metropolitan College.

Rosaleen McCorley (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

3. asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to expand on his statement this morning in which he said that mechanisms would be put in place to widen access to apprenticeships for people with disabilities. (AQT 1323/11-15)

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

I am grateful to the Member for her question. We are looking at the expansion of participation in apprenticeships. That includes the overall figure of people who take advantage of such opportunities. We also want to look at any particular barriers that exist. We have raised issues about some of the gender imbalances that exist already and have highlighted the point about people with disabilities. That will then be cross-referenced with work that we are doing through our disability employment service. We are developing a disability employment strategy that will be subject to public consultation in the autumn. Access to apprenticeships and, indeed, other training schemes will be one aspect of that strategy.

Rosaleen McCorley (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

Go raibh maith agat. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for his answer. Can he outline the timeline within which we can expect to see significant changes to access to apprenticeships for people with disabilities?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

The first thing to say is that, today, there should not really be any barriers to people's participating in apprenticeships if they have a disability. The point is that, while people may have a range of disabilities, many of them are not work-limiting disabilities. Where people have a disability that restricts their ability to engage with work, we have existing schemes that will allow for adaptations to be made in that regard.

The main challenge that we have is probably one of promotional work, first of all to encourage people with disabilities to explore new options and to encourage employers to create opportunities and not to see disability as a barrier. Obviously, people should not discriminate on the basis of disability anyway. It is important that we address people's mindsets in this area, ensure that everyone has the opportunity to engage in employment and bring the full range of talents to bear to ensure that the economy grows to its maximum potential.

Sydney Anderson (DUP, Upper Bann)

4. asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to outline his Department’s strategic approach to helping those who have had the misfortune of being made redundant to reskill and retrain to assist them back into employment. (AQT 1324/11-15)

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

Again, I am grateful to the Member for the question. First, we have the Department's redundancy service, which is available to help people in the immediate situation in which they find themselves. Indeed, we offer clinics in that regard when we come across major redundancies. We work in partnership with other agencies to provide a rounded set of services to deal with the different complexities that people find themselves having to deal with.

In retraining, we can offer a range of programmes. Indeed, when we come across major redundancies, we may make some very particular interventions to capture an entire cohort of people who require retraining and look to see whether we can put in place some specific programmes. We explored that on the back of the F G Wilson redundancies that were announced in autumn 2012. I am glad to say that, since then, Caterpillar has been flourishing; indeed, it has expanded to new product lines. Again, that is a success of the Executive's outreach work to get more inward investment.

We also have available our general programmes. Those include things such as apprenticeships, which can be an all-age intervention. They are not restricted to people between the ages of 18 and 24. We also have the Bridge to Employment scheme, which is there to work with employers who wish to avail themselves of opportunities to work with unemployed people. Indeed, the mainstream Steps to Work programme, which will shortly be replaced by Steps 2 Success, is there to help people who are long-term unemployed.

Sydney Anderson (DUP, Upper Bann)

I thank the Minister for that response. Minister, you touched on the all-age aspect. I am sure that you will accept that those aged 40 and over who have been made redundant can find it more difficult to find employment. Will you tell us what specific action you are taking to help those in that age bracket?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

The Member is right to highlight the particular problem of older workers re-engaging with the labour market. In our unemployment profile, we have particular pressure points at either end of the age spectrum — for young people and older workers. The Steps 2 Success programme will be for all ages. Within that, the new contractors will be encouraged to be flexible in their approach and, in doing that, to tailor responses to the needs of workers. People who may have fewer qualifications because they went through school and training in a different time may expect to see different interventions from perhaps younger workers who have the qualifications but, in turn, lack experience. We can see a differentiation in that regard.

I also wish to highlight the Step Ahead 50+ initiative, which provides placements for older workers in the community and voluntary sector. That has proved to be very successful and very popular.

Kieran McCarthy (Alliance, Strangford)

5. asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to comment on the latest unemployment figures, given that he will be aware that Northern Ireland has always had an unfortunately high number of people who are unemployed. (AQT 1325/11-15)

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

The issue of unemployment is highly relevant to us all, and it is an ongoing matter of concern. We are pleased, however, that we are seeing a sustained fall in unemployment; indeed, the current claimant count stands at 55,500, which is 6·3% of the workforce. That is down 500 from the previous month. We have now seen the claimant count decrease consistently for 17 months. That is the most sustained fall in unemployment since June 1995. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is now at 6·9%, which, again, is a decrease from the previous figure. That said, we appreciate that we are moving from what has been a very high unemployment figure, so there is a lot of work still to be done to bring the figure down even further. Within that, we have particular problems with youth unemployment and long-term unemployment, and we have specific interventions to address both aspects.

Kieran McCarthy (Alliance, Strangford)

I thank the Minister for his answer and his positive response. Will there be some cross-departmental cooperation between his Department and the Department of Education, given this morning's announcement about newbuilds? Will the two Departments jointly seize any opportunities to get our unemployment figures down further?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

We are obviously keen to promote social clauses across government, and they are now mainstreamed. Indeed, Departments have the option of going further. I have no doubt that the Minister of Education will be very committed to ensuring that social clauses are deployed to the maximum in the programmes that he takes forward. All my ministerial colleagues, I believe, share the same outlook.

There is a lot that we can do to address unemployment. We have the more immediate interventions to address people who find themselves in unemployment, through, for example, the youth employment scheme for young people, Steps 2 Success and some other interventions that we have. We also have to look at some of the structural issues that we have to address in our economy to make sure that we try to remove unemployment at source. That involves things such as better careers advice, which is why we are doing the review of careers. It also means the promotion of vocational training, including apprenticeships. I have made reference to the fact that many other countries across Europe that have stronger footprints in vocational training have much lower levels of unemployment, including youth unemployment. There is a clear lesson for us in that regard. That is why we are putting such a focus on the importance of vocational training as a means not only of supplying the right skills for our economy but of reducing unemployment.

Alban Maginness (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast North)

6. asked the Minister for Employment and Learning, given that an expert group has been set up as part of the economic inactivity framework, to outline the progress that has been made on economic inactivity, which is one of the most intractable problems in our economy and seems to be stubbornly ingrained in our society. (AQT 1326/11-15)

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

I am happy to do that. I concur with the Member that this is a deep structural problem in our economy. It has been with us for at least 30 years and has survived the ups and downs of the economic cycle, and that points to the fact that it is a deeply embedded problem. The Member will know that we launched a joint consultation, devised by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment on behalf of the Executive. That also involved support from other Departments. That consultation has closed, and we have published a summary of responses to it. A paper is set to be brought to the economic subcommittee of the Executive next week, discussing the way forward in that regard, and, shortly thereafter, the Departments involved will bring a report to the Executive with a view to finalising a strategy. In many respects, the hard work then begins of trying to tackle the issue, which is deeply embedded. We are looking to a series of pilot programmes and proposals coming forward, including those from the community and voluntary sector, about innovative means that we can experiment with to see how we can address the issue, particularly in relation to people who are long-term sick or disabled and those with family commitments who have been excluded from the labour market as a consequence of those.

Alban Maginness (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast North)

I thank the Minister for his answer and welcome the work that is being done in relation to economic inactivity and that particular segment. A subset of that is people who suffer from disability. Is there any one person or expert represented in the group who might advise the group on dealing with the problems that beset people who suffer from disability?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

The work is being advanced by officials from my Department, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and other Departments. However, we have a wide-ranging engagement with key stakeholders. For example, Minister Foster, Minister McCausland and I met a range of businesses and other organisations last Tuesday to discuss aspects of the emerging strategy, and there were people from disability organisations at the table. We have also had stakeholder engagement events, and, again, they heavily featured organisations that work in the disability sector. We have a commitment to ongoing engagement with all those stakeholders, including the disability sector, so I have confidence that those voices will be very much at the table and will be influential in shaping future policy.

Jo-Anne Dobson (UUP, Upper Bann)

7. asked the Minister for Employment and Learning for an update on the steps that are being taken to increase retention rates amongst students undertaking further and higher education courses. (AQT 1327/11-15)

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

I am pleased to say to the Member that we are seeing improvements in attainment and retention levels across the further education sector. It is something that the colleges are driving under strategic direction from the Department. Indeed, as we look to the development of a revised further education strategy later this year, the issues around retention and attainment will be core features of that discussion.

Jo-Anne Dobson (UUP, Upper Bann)

I thank the Minister for his answer. I was privileged to support pupils recently at Banbridge campus of the Southern Regional College, who, as part of their public service course, undertook a charity skydive. I am not asking the Minister to undertake a charity skydive, but — [Interruption.] Well, maybe you should.

What plans does the Minister have to look at best practice examples like that and to roll them out across the other colleges?

Stephen Farry (Alliance, North Down)

Before I take any skydive, I want a firm assurance that I will be provided with a parachute. [Interruption.] Who knows?

We are keen to ensure that best practice is applied across the colleges. Colleges NI is the umbrella organisation for the sector, and, in many ways, the people in that organisation are best placed to spread the news of successful interventions. By the same token, I do not want all six colleges to be mirror images of one another. We want them to experiment, to innovate and to have their own specialisms on behalf of the economy as a whole. It is appropriate to find the right balance. I have no doubt that they will be keen to hear the lessons of what has happened in Banbridge.

Michaela Boyle (Sinn Féin, West Tyrone)

1. asked the Minister for Social Development for an update on the Building Successful Communities programme. (AQO 6439/11-15)

Nelson McCausland (DUP, Belfast North)

Members will recall that my colleague the Minister of Finance and Personnel provided an update on the Building Successful Communities programme in response to a question from David McIlveen on 27 May. I do not propose to cover the same ground because, obviously, the answer is available in Hansard. However, I am glad to have the opportunity to respond personally and to reaffirm my complete commitment to the objectives of this ambitious pilot. Those objectives spring directly from the vision of housing-led community regeneration, which I outlined in my Department's housing strategy. That vision is focused on ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to access good housing at a reasonable cost.

Recently, officials from my Department's housing division had the opportunity to brief the Social Development Committee on progress to date. It has been requested that a further update be made after the Building Successful Communities seminar, which will be held in September.

Staffing levels in the programme took a number of months to bring to full complement. As a result, while some forums are already established, and the forums have met, others are still in the process of finalising their membership.

The forums that are established are in Lenadoon and Glencolin, the Doury Road and the lower Falls. All of them have held initial meetings, which have been positive, constructive and, even at this early stage, hugely helpful in setting out the priorities for each pilot area.

The other three regeneration forums are almost complete and will be meeting very soon. The key thing is that we have a wide range of skilled, dedicated and innovative people across all six forums. It is important that we have a good complement of people with a range of skills and from a range of backgrounds. I look forward to the seminar in September, which will give us an opportunity to learn about best practice in housing-led regeneration and explore potential solutions to meet the particular needs of pilot areas.

Michaela Boyle (Sinn Féin, West Tyrone)

Go raibh maith agat. I thank the Minister for his response. Will he clarify whether all the MLAs in each pilot project area were invited to sit on the forums? Will objective need play a central role in the programmes?

Nelson McCausland (DUP, Belfast North)

I am not absolutely clear on the details of who sits on the forums. Some people responded that they were interested in being on them, and some did not. I do not have the details of each one.

Trevor Clarke (DUP, South Antrim)

What does the Minister see as being the legacy of the Building Successful Communities programme?

Nelson McCausland (DUP, Belfast North)

I thank the Member for his question, because it is getting to the heart of the matter. I think that it is about ensuring that we have communities that are successful, sustainable and strong. It is about bringing together the two elements of the Department's remit: regeneration and housing. We should not take things forward in silos and should try to get a broad-based approach. There has been a high level of dereliction in some communities, particularly in inner city areas. People should not be condemned to living in those areas of dereliction for the rest of their lives. That is simply unacceptable. We want strong, vibrant and successful communities. The Member asked about the legacy. In the end, I hope that those communities will become vibrant again, that they are regenerated and are places where people want to live and will enjoy living, working and socialising.

Pat Ramsey (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

To follow Ms Boyle's question, what is the Minister's assessment of the equality impact assessment of these programmes or pilot projects?

Nelson McCausland (DUP, Belfast North)

They are pilots. They are moving into an area that I think has been somewhat neglected in the past. The Department for Social Development has the remit for housing and regeneration. Those two need to be brought together. Work is ongoing in regard to the issue of equality. It is important that we bear in mind that equality extends to communities that have in the past been neglected and condemned to dereliction. They deserve an equal chance with everybody else. I hope that it will address that issue and ensure that they are given equality.

An equality screening exercise and, if necessary, equality impact assessment will be undertaken for the Building Successful Communities programme. Work on the equality screening commenced when I announced the programme, and it is ongoing. In the meantime, my Department will continue with that work.

Robin Swann (UUP, North Antrim)

The Minister said that one of the legacies of the programme will be a strong, vibrant community. The Doury Road in my constituency of North Antrim is one of the pilot projects. It already has a strong, vibrant community. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive's (NIHE) proposal was to demolish the houses in that community. That was stopped by DSD at one stage. Will the Minister give an update on whether that is still the situation? Will DSD prevent NIHE demolishing those houses until there is a way forward?

Nelson McCausland (DUP, Belfast North)

The Member has raised this previously. I have spoken about it, and I have written to the Housing Executive about it. It is important that anything done in that area is done in the context of Building Successful Communities, where there is strong community buy-in.

Robin Newton (DUP, Belfast East)

2. asked the Minister for Social Development what progress has been made on welfare reform. (AQO 6440/11-15)

Nelson McCausland (DUP, Belfast North)

The Member will be aware that I have been seeking to have the Executive discuss the Welfare Reform Bill since the beginning of 2014. I wanted the discussions to not only reach agreement as to when the Bill would come back to the Assembly but consider the package of measures I have developed to help to shape how welfare reform is implemented in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to secure agreement on these matters with a number of the parties in the Executive. Northern Ireland is now having to deal with the financial and service consequences of their failure to agree on how we can move forward.

The continued delay in securing agreement on progressing welfare reform is increasingly putting at risk the delivery of critical social security benefits and tax credit payments for over 400,000 people and families in Northern Ireland. That is because the failure to pass the legislation will mean that the legislative frameworks for social security in Northern Ireland and Great Britain will increasingly diverge, coupled with the fact that the IT systems that currently enable the Social Security Agency to process and pay the existing payments will be replaced by the Department for Work and Pensions with new systems to support the new benefits.

There are also financial consequences for the Northern Ireland block grant. Mr Hamilton has already indicated that, unless there is agreement on welfare reform, he will have to preside over a cuts exercise in the 2014-15 June monitoring round to fund financial penalties of £13 million for 2013-14 and £87 million for 2014-15. There is also the risk of a further financial penalty of £114 million for 2015-16. The situation will be exacerbated the longer the delay. The application of those financial penalties will have a negative impact on spending on other public services, such as health and education, and measures to improve and grow the Northern Ireland economy.

Robin Newton (DUP, Belfast East)

I thank the Minister for his very extensive answer. In the event of there being a failure around the Executive table to get agreement, what might be the implications for jobs in his Department?

Nelson McCausland (DUP, Belfast North)

I thank the Member for that important supplementary question. I have raised this on a number of occasions, and it is important to spell out the implications very clearly. Around 664 staff are currently employed in the Belfast benefits centre, which also includes the Lisahally processing unit up in the north-west. It provides processing for a number of working-age benefits in the south-east of England, London and the Home Counties. That work is done on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. There are also 800 staff employed in the child maintenance service providing services to the eastern region of England on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. The total number of staff providing services to regions in Great Britain is over 1,464.

Following a meeting with Iain Duncan Smith, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in March 2012, I highlighted my concerns to the Assembly on a number of occasions that those jobs will be at risk if Northern Ireland does not progress with welfare reform. That is because many of the competitive advantages that Northern Ireland offers the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will disappear as staff will no longer be operating the same social security systems.

In recent months, we have seen the announcement of the closure of the Driver and Vehicle Agency DVA offices in Northern Ireland and the centralisation of those functions to Swansea. The 1,400 jobs in my Department providing services to DWP have to compete for services in order to keep the jobs in Northern Ireland. Breaking parity, and therefore not operating the same processes and systems, would make those services uncompetitive and more expensive. Surely our job in this House is to protect jobs rather than put barriers in place that would result in the loss of jobs. The total number of jobs is 1,400, including 664 at Lisahally outside Londonderry.

Phil Flanagan (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I thank the Minister for his answer. Will the Minister update the House on whether the issue of welfare reform and the removal of up to £750 million from our local economy was raised at a recent garden party in Downing Street, which was attended by his party leadership, senior members of the British Government and some of their children?

Nelson McCausland (DUP, Belfast North)

I was not there.

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

In an earlier answer, the Minister referred to what he hoped to be his "legacy". Would he give any thought to his legacy being a champion for those who are hardest hit by welfare reform? Does he agree that the highest levels of poverty are experienced by people here in the North of Ireland, and can he therefore outline to the House how he has championed their cause and what representation he has made to the Department for Work and Pensions?

Nelson McCausland (DUP, Belfast North)

I think that the Member's understanding of the thing is very simplistic and superficial, to say the least. I am surprised that any member of the Social Development Committee is not aware of the extensive work that we have done and the arrangements that we have negotiated with Westminster's Department for Work and Pensions on flexibilities for Northern Ireland and the package of differentials in terms of doing things somewhat differently in Northern Ireland. That is well known; it has been stated on a number of occasions. Those are things that I have developed and negotiated. It took a lot of effort and endeavour and quite a number of meetings with Iain Duncan Smith, David Freud and others to secure those; it also required a lot of work by my officials on an ongoing basis with officials in DWP. It is disappointing that the Member is not aware of the wide range of those and that, when they have been mentioned in public, they have been welcomed by the vast majority of people.

Stewart Dickson (Alliance, East Antrim)

While I share some of the Minister's frustrations with the introduction of welfare reform to Northern Ireland, can he tell the House when he last meaningfully engaged with any of the political parties in the Chamber in order to progress that matter or whether he has actually been doing nothing?

Nelson McCausland (DUP, Belfast North)

That matter is brought up regularly, on many occasions, around the Executive table, and that is where it sits at the moment. I hope that the Member would also be aware, from his party colleague, that a ministerial subcommittee has been working on this for some time. We got to the point quite some time ago where everything possible that could be done to extract agreements from Westminster to get a reasonable package of flexibilities and differentials in Northern Ireland had been done. We have been sitting at that point for some time; that is basically as far as it goes.

I met the Secretary of State the other day and was told again, very plainly, that there is nothing more to come from Westminster. I think that some people hold out a vague hope that, if they keep on stalling and standing around doing nothing, eventually, somehow or other, DWP and the Treasury will become super-generous and start lavishing more things on us. That is not the case. The work has been done well and thoroughly. A great deal of time, energy and effort has been put into it. I encourage the Member to speak to his party colleague who is on the subcommittee.

David Hilditch (DUP, East Antrim)

3. asked the Minister for Social Development for an update on the Housing Executive's window replacement scheme for East Antrim. (AQO 6441/11-15)

Nelson McCausland (DUP, Belfast North)

The Housing Executive has advised me that the following schemes are due to start in the East Antrim constituency: Larne phase 2 for 283 dwellings is due to start this month; in Greenisland, 343 dwellings are due to start in August; in Carrickfergus phase 3, 177 dwellings are due to start in September; and in Monkstown and New Mossley, 272 dwellings are due to start in November. There are quite a number of schemes in the East Antrim constituency. I can understand the Member's interest in that, because, of all of the constituencies, that is the one where there was the most need. I think, over the period of 2012-13 and 2014-15, in the region of 1,500 houses and homes have had or will have double glazing installed.

David Hilditch (DUP, East Antrim)

I thank the Minister for his detailed answer. Will he tell us what the current position is in relation to the Programme for Government target to have all Housing Executive homes double-glazed by March 2015?

Nelson McCausland (DUP, Belfast North)

The Housing Executive's estimate of the number of dwellings still to have full double glazing installed has been constantly updated as more detailed information has become available from surveys. It advised that the revised required total programme figure is 16,665. In 2012-13 it started 8,856 and in 2014-15 it intends to start the 7,809 that are currently outstanding. That will bring us to the position where it will have achieved its target by March 2015.

The other good news is that, because of the way that the contracts have been handled, the overall value of the contracts is £23 million. That combined cost, following the secondary compensations, represents an average saving of around 21·5% when compared to the average costs in the previous contract. I am sure the Member and other Members will welcome the 21·5% saving on cost.

Stewart Dickson (Alliance, East Antrim)

Minister, while I clearly welcome the particular programme that you have outlined and the number of properties that are to be provided with double glazing, can you tell the House which particular methodology will be adopted: that of non-redecoration grant or redecoration grant?

Nelson McCausland (DUP, Belfast North)

That is not the methodology. The methodology is how the windows are fitted, not whether or not a grant is paid. The position is that, because of the way in which the windows are now fitted — which is the normal way that they are fitted in almost all houses, including in the private sector — in most cases there is now no need for a redecoration grant. I know that many years ago, when I had windows fitted in my own home, the work was done in a way that did not require major redecoration, whereas previously, as I saw on many occasions when I visited schemes, the work was being done in a way that left houses extremely defective and in need of redecoration. The fact is that there is now a significant saving, and that is good. That is sensible use of public money.