QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Oral Answers
The Education Minister tackled several questions about everyone’s favourite subject, academic selection, producing the usual grumpy exchanges which we’ve all come to know and love – at one stage Basil McCrea (UUP, Lagan Valley) accused her of being “sectarian” and trying to destroy Northern Ireland.
DEL questions were sedate, covering off issues such as the merger of Stranmillis College and QUB, and assistance for small manufacturers. For her part, the DETI Minister stuck the boot into recent SDLP proposals to utilize Invest NI’s ‘cash reserves’ and noted that nanotechnology and cleantech sectors have been identified as potential growth spots.
Written Answers
Very quiet week – MLAs still getting their thoughts together after the Easter recess. OFMDFM, however, plans to create a development corporation to take forward the development of the 360 acre Maze site. There’s still no date though for the publication of its Cohesion, Sharing & Integration strategy.
DCAL believes that the local film industry employs 2,437, DoE confirmed that local councils are the lead agencies when it comes to managing ’11th Night’ bonfires and DFP revealed that 5,848 civil servants have been provided with work related mobiles. DRD is hopeful that work on dualling the A8 from Belfast to Larne will begin in 2012.
