| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Free School Transport
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the costs of free school transport in Northern Ireland; what assessment he has made of the research; and what policy proposals he has on free school transport. [15463]
Mr. Ancram: No independent research has been commissioned. In 1992 the Department of Education established a joint Department/education and library board working party to review the arrangements for the provision of assisted home-to-school transport in Northern Ireland and, as a result of this, arrangements were put in place to monitor on-going costs. A consultation paper outlining a number of options for reducing the escalating costs of transport was issued in December 1995.
This consultation is on-going. In the interim, the existing arrangements remain unchanged.
Pupil Performance
Mr. Ian Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what comparison he has made of the relative performance of pupils studying GCSEs and A-levels in Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. [15028]
Mr. Ancram: Annual comparisons are made between pupil performance in Northern Ireland and England and Wales. Latest available comparison shows 87 per cent. of A-level pupils in Northern Ireland achieving at least two A-levels compared with 81 per cent. in England and 76 per cent. in Wales, and 51 per cent. of Northern Ireland pupils achieving five or more good GCSE grades compared with 44 per cent. in England and 41 per cent. in Wales.
Public Bodies
Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department which (a) have a statutory base, (b) admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings and (c) hold open meetings for the public; and if in each case this is (i) under a statutory requirement or (ii) voluntarily.[16180]
Sir John Wheeler: The information requested is as follows:
(The Pig Production Development Committee is no longer considered to be an executive body. Its status will be amended in the "Public Bodies" publication at the next opportunity).
22 Feb 1996 : Column: 247
22 Feb 1996 : Column: 247
(3) Questions (b) and (c) are not relevant to the Commissioners above as they are both sole appointments with no board involvement.
22 Feb 1996 : Column: 247
| (a) | (b) | (c) | (i) | (ii) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOE NDPBs which have a statutory base | Admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings | Hold open meetings for the public | Statutory requirement | Voluntarily |
| Fire Authority for Northern Ireland | Yes | No | n/a | -- |
| Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) | No | Yes (specific area or proposal) | n/a | -- |
| Laganside Corporation | No | Yes (specific area or proposal) | n/a | -- |
| Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC) | No | No | n/a | -- |
| Local Government Staff Commission (LGSC) | No | No | n/a | -- |
22 Feb 1996 : Column: 249
| (a) | (b) | (c) | (i) | (ii) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DHSS NDPBs which have a statutory base | Admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings | Hold open meetings for the public | Statutory requirement | Voluntarily |
| Mental Health Commission | No | No | n/a | -- |
| National Board for Nursing Midwifery and Health Visiting for Northern Ireland | No | No | n/a | -- |
| Northern Ireland Council for Post-Graduate Medical and Dental Education | No | No | n/a | -- |
In respect of all other executive non-departmental public bodies in Northern Ireland, the answer is nil.
22 Feb 1996 : Column: 249
Secondary School Pupils
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of secondary school children in Northern Ireland attend grammar schools.[15026]
Mr. Ancram: Forty per cent. of secondary age pupils attend grammar schools.
All-party Negotiations
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress towards all-party negotiations on Northern Ireland. [15033]
Sir Patrick Mayhew: The Government have been engaged in a series of intensive meetings with all the relevant parties to discuss their ideas on the way forward. Our aim is to achieve all-party negotiations leading to a comprehensive and widely acceptable political settlement in relation to Northern Ireland. These discussions are continuing.
Registration of Clubs Order
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received regarding article 43 of the Registration of Clubs (Northern Ireland) Order 1996. [15017]
Mr. Moss: Up to 13 February, eight letters of complaint had been received.
Ordnance Survey
Mr. Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has commenced his review of the Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland. [17299]
Mr. Moss: The civil service White Paper, "Continuity and Change", published in 1994, introduced five-yearly reviews for next steps agencies such as the Ordnance Survey for Northern Ireland, OSNI. The first such review of the agency by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland has now begun.
The review process will entail a thorough evaluation of the performance of the agency since its launch and a reappraisal of the various prior options, that is, abolition, privatisation, contractorisation, market testing and opportunities for rationalisation and merger.
Comments and contributions will be sought from those with an interest in OSNI and its work by 12 April 1996.
22 Feb 1996 : Column: 250
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |