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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“Members initially struggled to appreciate the material differences between such a school and a controlled integrated school. The Committee agreed, however, that the Department should consider amending its home-to-school transport policy to ensure equality of access for children attending jointly managed Church schools as compared with the integrated sector. <BR /> <BR />This was a lengthy inquiry. The report includes three volumes of evidence. I understand that this will be the last occasion in the Assembly when we have a fully printed copy available to us as opposed to the more environmentally friendly email versions. If this is the swansong of the printed page in relation to inquiries, it is a substantive swansong, with three volumes of evidence.”
“We can think of examples in different constituencies where children attend a school whose parents would not necessarily identify with that sector. There is in my constituency, for example, the situation of St Columbanus, where many Protestant children attend a Catholic maintained school, or Methodist College, where Catholic children attend a school with a Methodist ethos or interdenominational schools. <BR /> <BR />These are sometimes referred to as super-mixed schools, and there are relatively few examples of them in Northern Ireland. The Committee was surprised that the Department had not studied in detail the motivation behind that practice or how it might encourage more mixing. <BR /> <BR />During the inquiry, the Department produced a circular relating to jointly managed Church schools.”
“In that regard, the Committee noted practices whereby a growing number of parents designate their children as neither Protestant nor Catholic. If true, that would seem to support at least a re-examination of the rules regarding the definition of an integrated school. <BR /> <BR />The House will not be surprised to learn that the Education Committee could not resolve all the issues relating to integrated education. Given that, members wisely agreed that more thought was needed and recommended a strategic departmental review, setting out the suggested terms of reference accordingly. <BR /> <BR />Members also noted with interest the level of what might be described as natural mixing in our schools.”
“Quite a lot of sound, heat and newsprint was generated, but, as is sometimes the case, not a lot of light was shed on the subject. <BR /> <BR />Clearly, there is a demand for this form of education, but the extent of that demand and the reasons underpinning it are disputed by stakeholders. The extent to which the Department lives up to its legal obligations in this regard was also disputed. There is equal disagreement about how and whether integrated education might be facilitated and encouraged. <BR /> <BR />The sector itself challenged what it felt was the narrow definition of an integrated school, calling into question the validity of the measurement of the minority community representation in the school.”
“The Committee hopes that the Department will do more to disseminate this good practice in all our schools. There is an interesting contrast between the tolerant attitudes, openness and obvious intelligence of our teachers and principals — and even of our schoolchildren — and some of the exchanges between some of the representative groups that gave evidence to the inquiry. I think that members drew from that an important conclusion about where barriers to greater cooperation in our school system may occur. <BR /> <BR />I would like to turn to the last few recommendations in the report, which deal with integrated education. As the House is aware, the Department has long-standing legal obligations in respect of integrated education. Notwithstanding that, uptake remains low. The reasons for that sparked an energetic debate among stakeholders.”
“The Committee felt that there should be more consistent support for innovative cooperation between schools in rural and other areas. <BR /> <BR />During the inquiry, there appeared to be some wrangling among stakeholders about which sector was the best, which was the most open and inclusive and which was the most inclined to respect a Christian ethos etc. The Committee was impressed by examples of an inclusive and welcoming ethos, by the respect for diversity and religious tolerance in a wide range of schools and by every teacher, principal and schoolchild whom we met. I felt that this was particularly evident in our special schools. Other members identified equally good measures in other sectors and phases, and I am sure that they will say that today and bring more detail to the debate on that front.”
“Members noted what might be termed a certain coyness from officials when witnesses raised concerns about cultural certainty or equality of identity. The Committee felt that addressing the concerns of communities was essential in order to support the involvement of all schools in meaningful, non-tokenistic shared education, particularly in the 25% or so of schools that are not directly involved in sharing at present. <BR /> <BR />The Committee visited Moy and heard from schools in Brookeborough that are engaged in sharing projects and are planning closer alignment between their schools. The Committee felt that, although there might be other more cost-effective solutions for these communities, the actions taken in both instances were very positive, would improve community relations and had been badly misrepresented by some stakeholders.”
“That said, the Committee also felt that shared education should, of course, promote attitudinal improvement and meaningful contact involving children and young people from different section 75 groups. Here, Members noted recent reviews that showed the very positive impact of the community relations, equality and diversity (CRED) policy on attitudes among children and young people. <BR /> <BR />The Committee has been asked on a number of occasions to support statutory obligations in respect of shared education. We have always demurred a little in the past, but, as a Committee, we are generally happy to do so now on the basis of the clear definitions that we have set out in the report. The Committee agreed with the Department about the importance of strong connections between schools and their communities.”
“What is missing from this picture, which is dealt with in the report, is, of course, a definition of shared education. The Committee agreed that policy clarity is always a good idea and that for this policy area it was of particular importance. <BR /> <BR />Members were impressed by the experience of the centre for shared education at Queen's University and its argument that the focus should be on educational improvement for the pupils of the participating schools. The Committee felt that important though societal or reconciliation objectives are — everyone would agree that they are very important — shared education should be primarily about improving attainment and the life chances of all our children.”
“We are used to terse exchanges across the Chamber, but, on this occasion, it was generally between stakeholders rather than between Committee members, and, more often than not, in the press as well. <BR /> <BR />The education of our children is an important subject, and it touches on issues of identity that can be sensitive for all communities in Northern Ireland. The Committee recognised this in its evidence-taking and in its recommendations and report, and, hopefully, the rest of the House will be cognisant of this in today’s debate. <BR /> <BR />I want to deal first with shared education, but the question is this: where to begin? There are a very large number of programmes and initiatives with shared education in the title, and there are lots of sharing activities across our schools, some of which appear to date back for decades.”
“At the start of the debate, I would like to take time to thank sincerely the schools that hosted our meetings and the teachers and principals who took time out to attend our evidence sessions. In particular, I thank the schoolchildren who participated in our focus groups and the other informal evidence events. <BR /> <BR />The Committee values and enjoys its interactions with representative groups. These are generally very useful and provide an invaluable perspective for the Committee’s deliberations. In respect of this inquiry, I would like to thank the very large number of organisations, totalling over 80, that responded and provided their views. It is also worth mentioning that the subject of the inquiry provoked some strong feelings and terse exchanges.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is the case that Education Committee members always enjoy visiting schools, listening to teachers and finding out at first hand what is happening at what used to be called the chalkface but, I suppose, is more an interactive white board nowadays. This inquiry was no exception.”
“I was briefly worried that the Minister might be playing truant, but I see that he has arrived for the start of the debate. <BR /> <BR />The Committee began its inquiry into shared and integrated education over one year ago. That was two Chairpersons and one Deputy Chairperson ago. Unlike with the previous report, I have at least been the Chair for the latter stages of this one. It sometimes feels as though I am taking credit for another colleague's homework, but at least I had the opportunity to write a few notes in the margin for this report. <BR /> <BR />I begin by thanking my Committee colleagues, past and present, for their contribution to this important work, particularly my two predecessors as Chair, Mervyn Storey and Michelle McIlveen.”
“I know that a number of Members here have made their offices available for food and clothes. That is the real contribution that can be made. Let us, as a people, channel that and play our role in helping to alleviate a great human tragedy.”
“I think the Prime Minister will outline a response from the United Kingdom later today. Northern Ireland has always had a generosity of spirit. I am sure that, whatever response there is from the United Kingdom as a whole, Northern Ireland will play its part. <BR /> <BR />One of the great human reactions that has been mentioned is a sense of helplessness for ordinary people at times, but there is a message that people can make a direct contribution. They can contribute to the various aid charities and those who are helping to deliver on a front-line basis.”
“It has been the so-called Islamic State that has terrorised those in Syria and Iraq, beheaded people, treated women in particular appallingly, and wreaked havoc on Christian communities and non-Christian communities, which has meant that human families have been fleeing for their lives. That is the heart of the tragedy. It is a terrorist- and extremist-related tragedy, but, at the end of it, the victims of that are the ordinary people in Syria, Iraq and other places. That is where the focus has to be. <BR /> <BR />There are many things that need to be done. A response is required from European Governments in particular, and that has to be coordinated between those Governments. There are actions that ultimately need to be taken within the Middle East to try to solve those issues and prevent this from happening in the future.”
“on a global scale, with a humanitarian crisis of enormous proportions. There is no doubt in connection with that. For many of us, obviously, the recent photographs have, on a very personal basis, brought that home. The question is in how many cases there have been deaths where the camera was not there. How many things have a blind eye been turned to, in many ways, because they were not in visual focus? <BR /> <BR />Let us be clear in relation to this. This is where I slightly depart from the Member who previously spoke. It is very much a human catastrophe. It is a man-made human catastrophe, and we need to ensure that we put the blame where it squarely lies. While there is work to be done by Western Governments, it has not been through the Western Governments. It has been through the evil and extremism of terrorism.”
“I thank the Member for raising the issue of lighting. He mentioned linear parks, and there is a linear park in Bangor. It is vital to get the lighting correct, not just for the safety of people travelling on the route. If you leave things too dark, at some stage in the development of a linear-type park there is a danger that it will become a haven for antisocial behaviour. It is important that we preserve the best of the Comber greenway to ensure that nothing of that nature happens there. Lighting is a crucial element.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. He has raised the issue of the rates cap. Even if we were to follow the Member's advice on that, it would raise perhaps £7·5 million; yet the Member is talking about an extra £150 million, in addition to the £600 million that will not be available if we do not implement the Stormont House Agreement. On my reckoning, and roughly speaking, the Member has filled 1% of the gap. Where will he raise the revenue to fill the other 99%? He has mentioned one particular policy. Where else does he see revenue raising coming in? I think he needs to be quite specific on that.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Given the fact that, for instance, for corporation tax, and let us leave that debate aside for the moment, those are projections for future years and that, presumably, the Member would put this additional money in this year — because we are talking about the Budget as we project forward, not actually the impact at a future year of corporation tax — which Departments would the Member cut, which schools would he close and which hospitals would he close to make way for the additional money that he would say is needed, on top of what has been agreed in the Stormont House Agreement?”
“Will the Minister outline what he hopes the new funding scheme will be able to achieve?”
“I thank the Minister for his response. Albeit somewhat belatedly, there has, at least, been some progress on this front. How many groups did not receive funding, and how many potentially face removal of their activities as a result?”
“Although money will help, a lot of this is not about money but about changing attitudes, informing people and having better practices. Consequently, I believe that we have reached that consensus, and I commend the motion to the House.”
“I suppose that, if we are trying to put the counterargument, the person who would certainly claim to be most versed in science in the Chamber, Mr Basil McCrea, is a science graduate, so there are downsides to pushing any particular subject. <BR /> <BR />All joking aside, I think that today we have had a debate in which there has been a considerable level of consensus. We have to be fair and acknowledge the good work not only that has been done but that is being done. If we can use this debate as an opportunity to encourage the refreshing of the approach, as the Minister indicated, we will have done a good day's work. It is a recognition that STEM subjects, on a holistic level, with cooperation between the different Departments, have to be given a greater level of emphasis and a greater level of encouragement.”
“I think that, similarly, the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party comes from a humanities background, as does Mr Bell from our party. All five of them, had they gone down the STEM route, may not be in the Assembly today, so the case for greater emphasis on STEM subjects becomes more and more compelling by the minute.”
“Perhaps the more appropriate choice from a careers point of view, particularly at university, was to move to some of the professions, the humanities or the social sciences. I give myself as an example. Three out of my four A levels were in STEM subjects, but I ended up doing a degree in the social sciences. There may even be an accusation levelled that, had I gone down the STEM route, I would not be in the Assembly today, and there are many other good reasons why we should be backing the motion. I look around the Chamber, and I am struck by the number of our MLAs who are graduates whose background is in the humanities or social sciences. I believe that Mr McElduff fits into that category, as do Mr Attwood and Mr Farry.”
“I think that some of this is about changing the broad cultural aspect and, indeed, the valuation of science degrees. Recently, a survey was done across the UK that indicated that around 44% of students who had gone to university felt that it was almost a bit of a waste of time and that they would not necessarily do it again. However, a message to be got out, particularly from a careers point of view, is that it was very noticeable that the satisfaction levels among those who had done STEM subjects was much, much higher. Around 66% of students were very pleased with their choice, so I think that we have to think a bit more widely about how we sell the message. <BR /> <BR />Many of us in the Chamber have been faced with that choice in our own life.”
“I saw one good example, which is not particularly financially driven, when I visited Stranmillis University College recently. Student teachers from Stranmillis with a particular science background were targeted and paired up in schools with experienced teachers who did not have a science background. The student teacher with a science background was able to learn the experience of teaching from a much more experienced teacher, while the teacher who had plenty of experience but little knowledge of science was gaining from the scientific knowledge and, indeed, from working as a team. That strikes me as being something that is not massively financially driven but that seems to be a common-sense approach. <BR /> <BR />The Minister mentioned careers advice.”
“That was not because there is a lack of ability amongst teachers, but a lack of confidence. Teachers often had a greater level of confidence on the history and geography sides and, consequently, the desire to go into areas in which they feel a greater degree of understanding and confidence was important. Therefore, that is an issue that we need to address. <BR /> <BR />We need to see whether, — for example, through CCEA — there can be additional templates and materials; whether we can look at increased professional development in that area; and whether we need to think more radically and look at a review of STEM to say whether we need to separate some of the sciences from The World Around Us and have a two-tier approach. There is a range of things that need to be considered as part of that. Again, good work is going on in that field.”
“Without doubt — it was mentioned by a number of Members who spoke — one of the key issues is very early interventions in science teaching. Particular mention has been made of the need to inspire young people at primary-school level. Indeed, if you look at the decisions that people make in life, particularly from academic or work points of view, you see that their first interest in what they later pursue in life is quite often sparked at a primary level. <BR /> <BR />One of the areas that we need to look at are some of the criticisms that have been made and the opportunities for improvement on the current delivery of The World Around Us. The recent ETI report on the addition of science with history and geography in The World Around Us indicated that the weak link was the teaching of science.”
“While we have a dispute with the Department of Education on the reduction to its funding, we look to Sentinus, which was mentioned by a number of the Members who spoke. It is doing very good additional work in our schools, and one of the pities is that it received such a steep cut in funding. <BR /> <BR />While we can identify areas where we would like to see additional spend, much of it is not about additional spend but looking at the structures we have and how, for example, we can adopt strategies that try to close the gender gap and looking at the way we do things. <BR /> <BR />We are obviously looking for a holistic solution that involves the good work that is happening in DEL, the Department of Education, DETI and other institutions.”
“<BR /> <BR />We see the great opportunities that are there with the investment in and support for science. I am sure that the Minister will concur with me when I say that, today, we have seen the announcement of 32 new jobs in Denroy Plastics in our constituency. Those jobs are based particularly in the new aerospace industries, Denroy's contribution to that and the aeronautics that it is providing. Therefore, there is a very positive reason for us to back STEM. <BR /> <BR />Also in the spirit of positivity, it is important to acknowledge that a lot of good work has been done in this field. As has been highlighted, there are a lot of good projects, for example on the gender issue, and I know that Mrs Overend referred to a number of things that she has been involved in and has seen happening.”
“<BR /> <BR />I welcome all the contributions from around the Assembly, and it was good that we found ourselves in vigorous agreement, particularly on the significance of STEM as we move forward. Mr Buchanan referred to the very proud tradition that we have on STEM subjects in Northern Ireland. He mentioned, for example, the invention of the mobile defibrillator by Professor Frank Pantridge. As an invention, that is possibly the single greatest contribution to saving lives that anyone in Northern Ireland has produced. As we move forward, it is important that we do not simply rely on past triumphs but that we look to the future. As Seán Rogers said, it is important, particularly from educational and training points of view, that we stay ahead of the curve ball when it comes to developments in science.”
“At the outset, I would like to highlight the final remarks that the Minister made. As many Members who spoke said, this subject has come up before — we have had a number of debates on it. The intention today was not to reinvent the wheel or, indeed, to try to produce something that was very much out of kilter with what has been done before. Much good work has been done. I particularly welcome the remarks of the Minister in indicating that what we were driving at was a refresher approach to make sure that what we had was fit for purpose. Indeed, the study that was indicated by the Minister on the concentration of some of those areas is the sort of thing that is very much in the spirit of the motion.”
“All were aged 21 or 22 and had potentially great lives ahead of them, which were sadly cut short. <BR /> <BR />It is also right that we recognise the appalling murderous events in Charleston, South Carolina, where someone motivated by racism murdered nine innocent people in their church. Some of the expressions of forgiveness and love that have come from members of that church have been truly heartbreaking. This is a day when we will unite to acknowledge both those tragedies, stand with those who are injured and hope that they make a good recovery and send out a clear message of sympathy, particularly to the families, because, above all else, this is a human tragedy, and it is one for which we have every sympathy with those families.”
“All of us have relatives and friends who have gone on holiday, gone on gap years, gone to study or gone to work abroad. Most of us do not have to face the tragedy of the tearful departure at the airport being the last time that we see those people alive. The tragedy is in even greater focus as a result of that, because it brings a sense of helplessness to the family. One can only imagine the pain and frustration of the families, as they endured that long flight to America, from not being able to see their loved ones. <BR /> <BR />I am Chair of the Education Committee, and we discussed this at our meeting on Wednesday. As a Committee, we have written to Berkeley to express our sorrow at the tragic loss of these young people, and I am sure that that reflects the sentiments of the Assembly.”
“I join others in the Chamber in expressing sympathy, particularly to the families, after this terribly tragic loss of six young lives. I suspect that all of us in the Chamber have lost loved ones and that is probably particularly poignant for a lot of us as we emerge from Father's Day. Many of us have had family members die and experienced the pain of bereavement, but there is something particularly acute for any family when a parent has to bury their child. It is not simply the bereavement itself; in many ways, it seems to go against the natural order of things when a child dies ahead of his or her parents. We can only imagine the level of grief amongst the six families. <BR /> <BR />Similarly, what has exacerbated the situation is that, at the time of this dreadful accident, those children were so far away.”
“This is not some long-term issue that is going to be faced, as the situation in 2016-17 is going to be; it is about what is happening now and what is going to happen in the next couple of months if things are not got right. It will have real impact on the vulnerable in our society. It will destroy life chances. It will destroy schools. It will destroy children's lives. That is what we are faced with. The Minister has brought this forward to try to protect front-line services and do what she can to bring the matter to a head in a sensible fashion. That is why I support the proposal that has been put forward by the Minister and reject the proposal that Mr Allister put forward to cut £600 million from the Budget.”
“We are going to be left with a situation where, if we do not get this correct, or people do not allow us to get it correct, instead of the nightmare scenario that was painted a year ago of the implications for teachers of redundancies and the failure to provide levels of education, it will be greater than double that, because that is £114 million in-year. That is the abyss into which we are staring. <BR /> <BR />I believe in the positive value of education. I believe that it provides opportunities to be a life changer or game changer for many individuals. However, if some people in the House get their way, that game will be changed for people massively to their detriment. We will have a meltdown of the education system and that is the stark reality that needs to be faced up to in the wider context.”
“We were staring at a reduction in the aggregated schools budget of something in the region of £78 million. The reality is that if there is an in-year gap of £114 million, that will, largely speaking, be faced directly by schools. Sixty per cent of the expenditure goes directly to schools and a lot of other areas are things that, in a very short-term context, cannot be adjusted. This will be an in-year cut. We are not debating next year's Budget today; we are debating the Supply resolution for money going directly into this year's Budget.”
“That is not what the Minister is doing. She will be able to respond to that in greater detail. This did not need to be illustrated because it has already been fairly heavily illustrated. In the Department of Education, the implications of a failure to grasp this issue will, pro rata, be about £114 million. Before and since I became Chair of the Committee for Education, I have met representatives of a wide range of groups who put forward very good cases for a lot of the good work that is being done in education. I do not doubt that for a moment, and I want to see that work supported. The implication, if we ignore the elephant in the room of the £600 million, will be devastating to education. <BR /> <BR />A year ago, when we had the draft Budget, changes were made by the Department of Education and the Department of Finance and Personnel.”
“The Department of Finance and Personnel has already produced illustrative figures, so, quite frankly, why he has a desire to act as a sort of catch-up with the Minister a month later is slightly beyond me. The cynic might say that, as he is not advocating £600 million in cuts, he put down his amendment simply to gain additional speaking time.”
“We have heard, particularly from the previous contributor, about a number of areas where there should be a shift in spending in the education sector. Although I would not share his concerns over Europe, I would broadly share a lot of his concerns about education. There has been, for instance, a lack of strategic direction in early years provision to ensure that there is that level of intervention. <BR /> <BR />The only problem with that is that while we agree on all those things, unless we get the broader picture right — there are certain parties here that would take us down a different road — dealing with the margins in education will be very much dwarfed by the £600 million black hole that potentially is there in the Budget. Are we to take the advice of Mr Allister, who has, at least, indicated that these are illustrative figures?”
“It is, therefore, important that spending is planned and scrutinised and that, perhaps, mitigation measures are included against inevitable additional challenges. At the risk of understatement, I suspect that this may be a very difficult year for budgets, even in the best case scenario. By that I mean that there are a few unwelcome surprises, followed by unpopular revisions. We can all agree that what will be required by schools and the education-related public sector is the minimisation of risk to services. <BR /> <BR />Having made those remarks as Chair of the Committee for Education, I will move on to some remarks in my capacity as a DUP Member, but I will concentrate on the broader level of education.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee was also surprised to learn of possible additional voluntary exits from the Education Authority. The Department has yet to clarify how many of those posts will be non-school based. I mention that, as the business case for the Education Authority indicated that the resource and staffing depletion had been such that the predecessor organisations, the education and library boards, had been operating at "the extremities of corporate risk". It therefore seems strange that we seem to be contemplating reducing non-school-based staffing at all. From that point of view, I suppose the issue is also whether the figures were got right by the education and library boards in the first place. <BR /> <BR />In these times of constrained budgets, an important consideration will be the impact not only on services but on risk.”
“Notwithstanding the unusual semantics of redundancy, suppression and voluntary exit schemes, it appears that the failure to meet the imaginary target, or the "extrapolation" as the Department would call it, will lead to real pressures on school budgets. Indeed, the failure to meet that extrapolation is by a considerable margin; it is not something that is relatively minor. <BR /> <BR />The Department has prudently planned to make additional savings in other areas. However, it is not clear what will happen to individual schools if they do not take proper advantage of the exit scheme — indeed, if they are not given the opportunity — and consequently significantly overspend their budget. It is also not clear what the implications for school transport, school meals and other issues might be if the planned salary savings are not achieved.”
“While the Committee welcomes support for schools, it is concerned about a number of significant funding cutbacks, including, as mentioned by the Member who spoke previously, the early years fund, as well as the Sentinus STEM promotion programmes, the primary-school modern languages programme, the Book Trust Bookstart scheme and the community education initiatives. In addition, there are other challenges to the Education budget in 2015-16 and beyond. <BR /> <BR />The Committee expects that the level of uptake for teaching and non-teaching voluntary exit will be considerably lower than the target. The Department recently helpfully clarified that it never actually had a target for voluntary exit and that it was, in fact, simply "an extrapolation", as it called it.”
“I understand that the new controls are operating well. We are obviously now also into a new scenario with the Education Authority. <BR /> <BR />Although £6·28 million is a very small amount when compared with the overall Budget or even with the £2 billion budget for Education, it is nonetheless very important that excesses of that type are avoided. I believe that the Education Committee is generally content that matters are now appropriately under control and that it will support the relevant Supply resolution. <BR /> <BR />Turning to the Main Estimates for 2015-16, the Committee has studied the budget for Education and appreciates the difficult choices that the Minister has had to make.”
“I will begin with a few remarks in my capacity as Chair of the Education Committee. The two votes on the Supply resolution for the Excess Votes for 2013-14 and the Supply resolution for the Main Estimates for 2015-16 are obviously interlinked. <BR /> <BR />I will first address the Excess Vote. Most of the excess — £6·28 million — is associated with the Department of Education and refers to a larger than expected cash drawdown in 2013-14. As the House is aware, the Public Accounts Committee has produced a useful summary report of all the excesses. The Education Committee questioned the Department on that in September 2014. The problem in question occurred in the education and library boards, and the Department has subsequently instituted an enhanced control framework to prevent reoccurrence.”
“I thank the Minister for her responses so far. Does she expect further significant cuts to be announced in July?”