Peter Weir
Strangford · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Funding was secured for that scheme, and we have been able to take further steps on it. As highlighted by my colleague Diane Dodds, we have seen my successor, the current Minister, be able to implement it at the beginning of September 2021 and funding be made available for it.”
“One of the great fears — I saw it particularly, as Education Minister, from the point of view of children and the domestic setting between partners — was what was going to happen in families when the doors closed and the locks went on. What was happening behind closed doors?”
“There is another significant element of the Bill. I have spoken about it in the Chamber on a couple of occasions. There is always a slight danger that we, as legislators, see legislation as being the end of a process and think that we can pack it away, put it on the shelf and forget about the problem because it has been solved.”
“I welcome the passage of the Bill's Final Stage and commend all the campaigners who have pressed so hard for it and the Bill sponsor. For Pat Catney, hearing some of the tributes must be like hearing eulogies at your funeral, without having to go through the indignity of dying, which is always a double advantage.”
“As highlighted by a number of Members, the impact of period poverty, though not confined to it, has been particularly acute in young women's education. We know that the impact can lead to the missing of education and constraints within education, and that it does so in a disproportionate way.”
“I support the Bill's Final Stage, and I commend the Bill's sponsor for introducing it. I thank the Minister and the Department for the positive attitude that they have taken towards it.”
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“That approach will ensure that schools that are subject to area planning considerations will be better placed to apply under the next major capital works call for projects. <BR /> <BR />Finally, I reaffirm that my Department's strategy for capital investment in the coming years will continue to be shaped by the outworking of area planning and the delivery of a modern, fit-for-purpose estate of viable and sustainable schools.”
“Focusing on area planning and investing in schools that are viable and sustainable will help us all in this endeavour. The schools that have been announced today have met these criteria. In making this announcement today, it is my intention that these projects will be taken through to construction. However, I stress that authorisation to proceed to construction on any individual project will be based on the level of capital funding available at the point when the design is complete and all necessary approvals have been secured. <BR /> <BR />I recognise that today's announcement will be good news for some and disappointing for many others. For those who have not been successful in their application, I advise that it is my intention to make smaller, more frequent announcements of major capital projects.”
“The list comprises three primary schools and six post-primary schools. The three primary schools to be brought forward in design are Holy Trinity Primary, Enniskillen, St Catherine's Primary, Strabane and St Mary's Primary School, Craigavon. The six post-primary schools to be brought forward in design are All Saints College, Belfast, Blessed Trinity College, Belfast, St Conor's College, Kilrea, St Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel, St Patrick's College, Maghera and Tandragee Junior High School, Tandragee. <BR /> <BR />It is important to recognise that many schools in the estate are old and are costly to maintain, and others are not operating with sufficient pupil numbers to provide the optimum learning environment as recommended by Bain. There must be careful consideration as to how the available funding is invested.”
“However, it is important to look to the future and give some much-needed good news not just for schools and the wider school communities but for the contractors, the professionals in the construction industry and the wider economy that will benefit financially from the announcement. Whilst construction spend on these projects is not likely to commence until the 2024-25 financial year, making this announcement today will ensure a steady pipeline of projects in design that, in turn, will ensure the continued modernisation of the schools estate in future years as these projects move to construction. <BR /> <BR />Now, I wish to turn to the list of major works projects to be advanced in design. Today, I am announcing nine projects to advance in design. These schools will benefit from a total estimated capital investment of £156 million.”
“The gateway check resulted in 21 schools being ruled out from further consideration. The remaining 68 schools were ranked on merit based on a scoring system, which was detailed in the protocol, and separate prioritised lists were drawn up for primary schools and post-primary schools. <BR /> <BR />In deciding the number of schools to announce under the major capital programme, I considered the capital budget required to build these schools, the Department's current capital works programme and the capacity of the resources required to develop and deliver the projects. I understand that there are many competing budget pressures at this time, and the current COVID-19 outbreak has had a significant impact on resource budgets.”
“However, in brief, Mr Derek Baker, the Department's permanent secretary, launched a call for major works projects in September 2019 for primary and post-primary schools. By the closing date, 31 October 2019, a total of 89 eligible applications were lodged by school management authorities and sectoral bodies. The applications lodged were assessed in line with the 'Protocol for 2019/20 Major Works Call for Projects', which was agreed and published on the Department's website in advance of the launch of the call. A gateway check was undertaken to ensure that schools considered for major capital investment were viable, sustainable, had certainty about their development and had not been announced to receive major capital funding under the second school enhancement programme.”
“An announcement on this scale means that there is sufficient delivery capacity to ensure that work can continue on previously announced projects while also allowing these additional projects to be moved forward at pace. <BR /> <BR />I take the selection of major capital works projects to advance in design very seriously as, effectively, it is a competitive process. It is, therefore, critical that the process used to select projects is documented and, more importantly, followed. In the last number of years, this has been achieved through the development of a protocol for the selection of projects to advance in design, and the same process has been utilised on this occasion. I do not intend to go into the protocol in great detail.”
“Therefore, following my announcement today, I intend to ask my officials to commence preparation for a further call for project nominations later in the year to facilitate a further announcement in 2021. This will facilitate schools that need major capital works but have either not scored highly enough on this occasion to feature in this announcement or did not satisfy the gateway requirements but shall do so in the future following, for example, the outworking of a statutory development proposal to either rationalise or amalgamate. For that reason, I have decided to announce nine new major capital projects, with estimated capital in the region of £156 million.”
“However, the time required to develop any major capital project from concept through to actual build means that sufficient projects must be advanced to the point where they could effectively utilise funds that may be available in the future. Therefore, in addressing the need for much greater capital investment across the schools estate, I must ensure that I have sufficient announced projects at an early development stage to ensure that capital budget available to me can be utilised to the greatest extent. <BR /> <BR />Rather than congest the early stage delivery pipeline with a large number of projects, it is my intention to make modest but more frequent announcements on capital to ensure that those projects announced have gained real traction before the next announcement is made.”
“I also continue to recognise the much-valued education and development of our young people being delivered in non-school settings through youth programmes throughout the country and have ring-fenced a budget of £10 million for capital works for youth centres. <BR /> <BR />In delivering across those programmes, I am also conscious of my Department's wider environmental responsibilities. I am aware of the emerging regulations aimed at bringing our public buildings to near-zero emissions, and accordingly, following my statement today, I shall instruct my officials to examine how best practice in that regard can be reflected in the design and delivery of the projects that I will announce shortly. <BR /> <BR />My delivery teams in the Department and its arm's-length bodies continue to work hard to progress projects across all those programmes.”
“In addition, 76 projects are being progressed under the school enhancement programme, and a further 27 major capital projects are being progressed under the Fresh Start programme. <BR /> <BR />In terms of capital budget, I have agreed a provisional budget of £40 million for the major capital works programme and the school enhancement programme in the current financial year, with a further budget of Fresh Start funding of £19·1 million for the Strule shared education campus and agreed shared and integrated school projects. Smaller investment at a larger number of schools continues to be delivered through the minor works capital programme, for which I have agreed a budget of £64 million in this financial year.”
“The schools estate is wide and diverse, spread across five sectors, with an even broader management authority base. There are many challenges in managing such an estate, not least of which is the need to balance the limited capital resources that I have available to me against the much-needed capital investment in our schools. It is, therefore, essential that any capital investment is targeted at supporting the delivery of modern, fit-for-purpose schools that are viable and sustainable into the future. <BR /> <BR />Since 2012, 66 projects have been announced under the major capital works programme. Twenty-six of those projects are now complete, eight are currently on site, 20 are in the design phase, 11 are at business case preparation stage and one is on hold.”
“I want to make a statement to the Assembly regarding my major capital works investment plans in the coming period. In my statement to the House on 5 May 2020, I announced investment of around £40 million, across 16 schools, under the school enhancement programme. My focus today is on major capital works projects that I have approved to advance in design. Before I announce those projects, I would like to provide the House with a brief update on the Department's current capital works programme. <BR /> <BR />My Department is responsible for the planning, management and delivery of a fit-for-purpose schools estate that will provide a first-class educational experience for pupils, staff and wider school communities and help our young people to fulfil their potential.”
“The other thing with minor works, as a number of Members will be aware, is that, to some extent, there is an analogy with the Housing Executive list. You can be in a particular place on the list, but if something is then identified as an emergency situation — particularly a health and safety issue — which was not previously part of the call but needs to be dealt with urgently, then that urgency may supersede the list. There is a continual flow of minor works. Allied to that, although it is not a capital issue, is school maintenance. To some extent, if maintenance can take place, it can obviate the need for particular capital actions to be taken. I would not say that there is blurring of the lines, but there is a level of interaction between minor works and maintenance as well.”
“Obviously, again, there was a minor works call a considerable time ago. The volume of minor works identified was massively more than could be met.”
“There is always a flow between minor works and other works. I indicated that we are looking at a timescale of design teams starting to look at some of the issues within about a year. Certainly, there is no immediate impact. Indeed, consistently, over the last number of years, there has been a flow between the major capital works, the SEP projects and the minor works. Depending on circumstances, there may well be movements between budgets. Some of that will be on the basis of how much can be delivered in some of the major works and the knock-on that quite often happens. It is undoubtedly the case that, because they tend to be more agile in nature, minor works can sometimes fill a void, when some of the major works are not able to progress as quickly as possible.”
“Even if the option of doing it on the current site exists, there has to be consideration of other locations, and it may well be that the school, in doing major works, will have to move to a different location or premises. That, in and of itself — the scale and the fact that that adds a layer of complexity and time — means that, generally speaking, a major works project is not only much more substantial in terms of money but will, quite often, tend to take considerably longer than an SEP one. There may be a certain level of disruption for SEP projects due to COVID, and we fitted in as many as we could, but, generally speaking, they will be delivered more quickly than would be the case for a major capital build.”
“It may be, as we have seen in the past, that a post-primary school gets a science block, a sports hall or something of that nature. <BR /> <BR />Essentially, for anything to be major works, it is required to be, at a minimum, above £4 million. Quite often, particularly in post-primary schools, that could stretch to £20/25/30 million; it can be quite large. It will take a lot longer, because it is entirely a new build, and a site search will be part of the process. That will apply, for example, in a number of the Fresh Start cases. Part of that will be an examination of what land is available and a range of options, and then there will be a business case.”
“The detail on that has still to be brought to a point of fruition. The two principal differences are, first, on the grounds of what constitutes major works. In the system, things are graded into three categories. Anything below £0·5 million will be counted as minor works, and that is particularly driven by health and safety issues. A project in the school enhancement programme is projected to be between a minimum of £0·5 million and £4 million. The other principal difference between the school enhancement programme and major works is that a project in the school enhancement programme is always a change to the school on its existing site. It might be, as mentioned in a number of the cases, the rebuild of some classrooms or the provision of additional classrooms to replace temporary facilities.”
“As I indicated in my previous answer, there is a separate section of the school enhancement programme for special schools in order to address their particular needs. As with all things, if actions can be taken — there is a differentiation here — where a school has an SEP, that means that, effectively, it will not get a full rebuild. To some extent, it is an either/or situation. In the meantime, however, it does not disqualify a school from carrying on with minor works where they are required or where particular individual actions are required to facilitate them.”
“It also has traffic management issues and a lack of play facilities. <BR /> <BR />Special schools have particular challenges, which is why there has always been a three-stage division of SEPs between primary, post-primary and special schools. Different levels of assessment are required at each level. As part of the process, while Clifton Special School has identified its key priorities, a sequence of work will go on between officials and representatives of the school to scope out what needs to be done. That will be agreed, and the project will move to the design stage.”
“I will come to the specific issue of Clifton Special School in a moment. The Member will be aware that the Priory Integrated College project is one of those that is moving ahead under Fresh Start. Things may be moving a little slower because of the COVID-19 situation, but that is guaranteed. <BR /> <BR />Broadly, there has been a level of investment in special schools. Although Clifton Special School is one of the newer special schools in Northern Ireland, the uptake of places has increased significantly in recent years. Again, Clifton Special School has identified deficiencies according to the building handbook; for instance, it has undersized classrooms and it has issues with its library. There are inadequate toilet facilities and there is a lack of mobility bays and storage for heavy equipment.”
“A lot of schools are in a similar situation; there are many issues with undersized classrooms. At the moment, Clounagh Junior High School does not have a sports hall or fitness suites. There is a lack of sports pitches and, again, it has traffic management and car parking issues. A lot of schools will also be looking at pupil and staff safety, so they will have to consider not just what work can be done to the school buildings but what needs to be done externally.”
“I thank the Member and I know that he has been assiduous in his support for those schools. At present, as I indicated, schools outline what they see as their priorities. Therefore, there is a caveat to be added to anything that I say on the grounds that the next stage will be a meeting between departmental officials and the schools to scope out what needs to be done. <BR /> <BR />Hart Memorial Primary School lacks the required accommodation for a 14-class-based primary school. A number of its classrooms are undersized, there is no resource area, there is a lack of storage and there are traffic management issues. Those are what the school sees as its priorities. Clounagh Junior High School in Portadown is aiming to look at deficiencies with regard to the DE handbook.”
“<BR /> <BR />Although there will be individual action taken in each school, for quite a number of the schools, there is a common factor, which is that they were built at a stage when classroom size was below that suggested in the current handbook. Part of this is about providing expanded classrooms and expanded space, which, from a design point of view, can create light and good feeling. There is much wider recognition within schools and society, as the Member is obviously acutely aware, of the need to tackle issues of mental health. If, albeit in a small way, school design can help as part of a broader, holistic process, I think that it is something that people will bear in mind when it comes to the detailed design work that goes into schools.”
“Look, along with a level of success for particular schools, there is always a level of disappointment for schools that do not get anything, and I appreciate that. There will be further opportunities through major capital build and future school enhancement programmes. One of the things to note is that anyone who visits schools, particularly those that were built over the past 10 or 15 years, will notice some of the impact on design that has been made, in part to try to create that positive environment. Some of it is about use of space and light, for instance. I think that incorporating some of that thinking can be quite useful.”
“While there is no bar on any school applying for a second SEP project — some may need it and may get it — in many cases that will mean that schools that were ahead of those on the list will, effectively, have moved out of the way, so that will provide greater opportunity.”
“Initially there were, I think, 59 in total, but that shrank to 58 as one withdrew to be part of a wider capital project, and there are 16 more today. Therefore, 74 schools are benefiting through the SEP. Other schools will be assessed when there is a call for a new SEP. However, some of those may be seeking a full capital build, and they would be part of that overall situation. <BR /> <BR />I suppose while it is the case that there is no guarantee of any school getting anything from a fresh call, the fact that schools have been getting improvements means the chances for other schools will increase also. There is a knock-on effect.”
“On the first question, the aim is that those projects would be initiated in the 2021-22 financial year, with detailed design work probably taking place the following year. We are talking about, probably, four years before there will be boots on the ground for construction. There are other projects ahead of them in the pipeline. However, they will move as quickly as possible. Again, if additional capital resources are available, things can move quickly. This is, ultimately, about trying to give certainty to those schools. Completion will be a little way off in that particular case, but it will be quicker than a full capital build. <BR /> <BR />The Member mentioned other schools. The current assessment of bids under SEP effectively ended this week.”
“Anything that has been announced is likely to take time, but it can be guaranteed that it will happen and there will be, therefore, money in the budget for it.”
“Yes. As I indicated on the cost, an SEP project is effectively a mid-range project that runs between a minimum of £0·5 million and a maximum of £4 million. There will then be a scoping exercise, and the Department will ensure that the agreed projects provide value for money. It should be remembered that there is a assumption of, broadly speaking, a capital budget moving forward. The timescales are such that, even at the design stage, it is doubtful whether anything will directly happen as a result of today's announcement in this year's budget. So, there will be a level of disruption from the COVID-19 situation, but there is an ongoing budget and there is an opportunity for variation between SEP projects, minor works and major capital works. Part of that is to ensure, then, that we have flow as we move forward.”
“It is important that the work on Strule happens as quickly as possible. I have signed off on a range of things in relation to that project and will get back to the Member with the details. There are particular time frames, given that the Strule project is tied in with Fresh Start money and that the longer the delay, the more likely it is that construction inflation will happen, which will impact on spend on the ground. This is the biggest education project undertaken in the history of the state, so there is a level of priority. There will be delays because of the COVID-19 situation, but I am happy to get back to the Member with the detail as soon as possible.”
“The number of pupils in a school who take free school meals will also impact on the broad level of assessment.”
“Those that pass that check — there were 165 applications — will also have had issues around split-site operations and the condition of their existing accommodation considered. Officials will then — this dates back two or three years — do an assessment in each of the three categories — primary, post-primary and special — and rank each of the schools. There is a scoring mechanism. The schools are scored individually and ranked within their category so that, if you like, a primary school is competing against other primary schools. As each tranche has been released, a combination of schools from each of the three categories have fulfilled part of that. Social issues also impact on the process, such as the number of children in a school who are on the SEN register.”
“I am not aware of the exact details of the Omagh Academy issue. They say that all politics is local, and, when you get a school enhancement programme announcement, that is particularly the case. <BR /> <BR />As indicated, a major capital build clearly goes beyond SEPs, and there will be an announcement in the forthcoming months. Those will be assessed against that. The Member asks about the process side of that. The process is fairly lengthy. A call was put out, effectively, to advance with design. It is judged against the protocol and the criteria, which, for example, deal with issues such as area planning, meeting unmet need and where it is essential to address significant and substandard accommodation. There is then what is called the "gateway check" to ensure that the school is sustainable.”
“Across the Executive, we are all acutely aware, particularly in the education sector, of the extent to which the broad construction industry not only is a major employer in Northern Ireland but acts as an engine for overall growth, stimulating the economy. The Executive as a whole are acutely aware of that, and they want to respond positively.”
“With this year's budget, there will be some level of impact because of the level of disruption that has taken place already. There will be ongoing disruption, as construction firms comply with social distancing regulations. We should realise that the announcement today will be something for the future. It should not be particularly impacted, other than the pipeline being slightly slowed in the short-term. As much as possible, we are looking at what can be done directly in Northern Ireland and at international examples to see whether there are any areas that can be expedited; for instance, issues around procurement that could be made easier.”
“In all seriousness, yes, the work will be ongoing. The next stage of the process is discussion between officials and the schools. Obviously, there will be a bit of delay because of the COVID situation. The school makes an assessment of its needs and is scored against that. In most cases, that is what happens, but, in all cases, when that discussion takes place, it is not necessarily what the school puts as its priorities that are considered objectively as such. A little work needs to go on there. <BR /> <BR />The Executive, as a whole — I am not breaching confidentiality — are looking to see how they can support the construction industry and align its priorities with the capital budget. They recognise, as well, the particular short-term pressures from a capital point of view.”
“Obviously, in making the announcement, I had the Member very much in mind”
“It is a work in progress, an ongoing issue.”
“Therefore, there may be an examination of whether there is any need for a small amount of reprofiling of the capital budget this year to provide that. I know that the Member is aware of that. What we are experiencing is less frequently a situation where, "There is nothing at all in the house"; it is the fact that you get pressure of competing demands for kit. There is an onus on schools to identify technical difficulties, because there are locations — the Member, being from West Tyrone, will be well aware of this — where, with the best will in the world, you can provide all the kit that you want and, because of the issues around the roll-out of broadband, a piece of IT equipment will be of no benefit. Where there is a substitute situation, for instance, providing paper copies of things, that will be factored into remote learning.”
“I will take it in the generosity of spirit of the question. In enhancing every experience in the school, obviously, we want to ensure that all children are given levels of access. There is ongoing work, and I know there will some degree of update tomorrow. One of the areas is working with the EA. There has been a level of misconception that, for example, although school IT equipment is compatible with C2k, it is not limited to what can happen in the school, and EA will clarify that with schools. There is an opportunity to use existing kit. <BR /> <BR />There is a wider context that will need to be looked at for the capital budget. Depending on how this rolls out over time, there may need to be a level of investment and procurement for kit, which, in the grand scheme of things, should not be overly expensive.”
“I thank the Member for her comments. I do not have an exact time frame. I suspect that I will want to liaise with officials. I suspect that we are probably looking at an announcement in the autumn. Obviously, we have less than two months of the summer term to go, and where we are has got to be factored in. I know that the Executive, as a whole, are looking at how they can help the construction industry and profile capital. That said, major capital spend tends to take quite a long time; for example, if there was a capital announcement for a range of schools, it would be a number of years before they were in a position to progress. I hope to make that announcement as soon as possible, but I will liaise with officials on the timing, the detail and what is available within that.”
“For the last number of years, the school enhancement programme has worked reasonably well for schools across the board. Therefore, it is a tool to which I or my successors will want to bear in mind. It can deliver very effectively for schools.”
“I am aware of the Member's particular commitment to Belfast Royal Academy and, indeed, to the other schools in his constituency. <BR /> <BR />On a third call, there will, as I said, be a review of progress. To some extent we are in quite a fluid situation, and that can have a good side to it and a bad side to it. Education spend on capital is a mixture of minor works, SEP and major works, which means that there can be a level of movement between that side of it. We have, obviously, completed this bit, and there is ongoing work in relation to that. I want to make sure that the flow of projects is kept sufficient. It is unlikely that there will be a third call before 2022, but we will keep the issue under review and, indeed, periodically.”
“The problem is that, if I were to bring it to a conclusion immediately without any assistance from outside, it would be a smaller package and a smaller level of support than it would be if assistance could be provided from beyond the Department.”
“In England, the Department for Education is not directly involved in any payment, but, because a lot of the teachers work through agencies, the agency can furlough, and the same is true in Wales. That is not an option that is within the ambit of the Department of Education. In Scotland, there is provision. However, we should note that the levels of pay there for substitute teachers are massively less than what is available in Northern Ireland, to the extent that the overall bill for substitute teachers in Scotland is less than Northern Ireland despite the fact that they teach more than twice the number of children. That also needs to be borne in mind when we look at comparators, but there is ongoing work. <BR /> <BR />I would like to bring this to a conclusion as quickly as possible.”
“I appreciate that a bit of latitude is being given, as this is an announcement on the school enhancement programme. <BR /> <BR />In respect of substitute teachers, we continue to work with the Department of Finance. As indicated, we want to get the best possible package, and, if that is to be achieved, it requires something beyond what is available in the Department of Education. There is ongoing work, and I appreciate the frustrations and concerns. We find ourselves in a difficult position. As far as I am aware, in the Republic of Ireland, no particular provision has been given for casual substitute teachers, other than simply to say that, if there is a situation in which a school needs a substitute — it is the same as here — they can use a substitute.”
“My Department’s capital programme aims to ensure that all our children and young people are educated in school facilities that are safe, secure and fit for purpose, enabling them to receive the quality education experience required to help them to fulfil their potential. <BR /> <BR />This announcement today represents another strand of the overall capital programme and, indeed, marks the last announcement of SEP2 projects. Over my term as Education Minister, I will review progress on the 74 announced projects, and, subject to satisfactory progress and available budget, I will consider whether there should be a third call for applications to SEP — that would be SEP3 — as part of the overall capital investment strategy.”
“<BR /> <BR />While 74 schools will receive SEP funding, I am aware that many other schools across the diverse schools estate are in need of capital investment. Officials are continuing to undertake preparatory work in advance of an announcement of new major works projects to advance in design, and I hope to return to the Assembly to make that announcement in the coming months. The minor works programme will also continue to progress the highest priority schemes. <BR /> <BR />Improving the schools estate is one of my priorities, and, in the current, unprecedented and difficult times, I hope that this announcement will send a strong signal to the local construction industry that the Department of Education is planning for the future and is committed to supporting the local economy through the delivery of my Department’s capital programme.”