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Sewerage
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what improvements are planned for the sewerage infrastructure of the Laurelvale and Tandragee area. [10356]
Mr. Woodward: The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has been asked to write to the hon. Lady in response to this question.
Letter from Mrs. Katharine Bryan to Mrs. Iris Robinson dated 11 July 2005.
You recently tabled a Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what improvements are planned for the sewerage infrastructure of the Laurelvale and Tandragee area. (10356). I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Water Service.
The existing wastewater treatment works at Tandragee is overloaded and does not meet the regulatory discharge standard set by the Environment and Heritage Service. Water Service is therefore taking forward a major project to rationalise wastewater treatment in the Tandragee area. This includes the provision of a new wastewater treatment works at Tandragee and the closure of a number of smaller wastewater treatment works including Laurelvale. The wastewater from these smaller works will be pumped to the new Tandragee Works for treatment. The new treatment works has been designed to cater for future needs in the area up to the year 2028. Work on the project commenced in April 2005 and is due for completion in March 2007, at an estimated cost of £8.3 million.
Water Service is presently carrying out a Drainage Area Study on the Tandragee sewerage network to identify any improvements required to meet future capacity and environmental standards. The study is nearing completion and it is anticipated that it will recommend improvement works to the value of approximately £1 million. However, due to other priorities, arising mainly from the need to achieve compliance with EC Directives, it is unlikely that any improvement work on the sewerage network could commence before 2010.
Speech Therapy
Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the provision of speech therapy support to children with special educational needs at Belvoir Park Primary School in Belfast South; and if he will take steps to improve the provision of such support. [11280]
Angela E. Smith: Officials from the Department of Education have been in contact with the South Eastern Education and Library Board, in which area Belvoir Park Primary School is situated. The Board is aware of the problem and has written to the Eastern Health and Social Services Board, expressing deep concern and requesting an early meeting. I have asked to be informed of the outcome of that meeting.
Staff Development
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Department of Education has spent on implementing its policy of staff development and performance review. [11368]
Angela E. Smith:
My Department has spent £1.7k on implementing the Performance Review and Staff Development (PRSD) scheme which will apply to all teachers in grant-aided schools from the 1 September 2005. This covered the cost of training all principals,
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nominated school governors and the appointment, training and employment of the external advisors to provide quality, objective and focussed advice to school governors in the review of the principal.
Teachers
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many teachers are employed in (a) Catholic maintained schools and (b) non-Catholic maintained schools; and what the average gross salary paid to teachers in each category was for the last year for which figures are available. [11352]
Angela E. Smith: There are 7,063 permanent teachers currently employed in Catholic maintained schools and 10,142 in non-Catholic maintained schools. The average gross salary for each category for the 2004–05 financial year was £221,287,678.38 for Catholic maintained schools and £306,271,691.36 for the non-Catholic maintained schools.
Transfers Tourist Board
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to his response of 13 June 2005, Official Report, column 92W, on the Northern Ireland Transfers Tourist Board, if he will break down the totals by district council area. [11072]
Angela E. Smith: The following table gives the total Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) grant assistance paid to tourism related businesses in each Northern Ireland council area since 1999 (financial years).
It should also be noted that financial assistance was provided to accommodation projects by the NITB up until March 2002 however since April 2002 this assistance has been administered through Invest NI.
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