§ Mr. TrimbleTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list(a) the sources and (b) the amount of funding made available to the Flax Trust, Belfast in the current and previous financial year; and if any of these funds were (i) intended for and (ii) used by the Golden Thread Arts Theatre. [20005]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyThe Department of Health and Social Services provides funding towards the cost of a project run by the Flax Trust through the Community Volunteering Scheme, which is administered on behalf of the Department by the Northern Ireland Volunteer Development Agency. In 1996–97 this amounted to £28,506. The same amount has been set aside for the project in 1997–98, of which £21,380 has been paid to date. The Golden Thread Art Theatre does not receive any funding from the Community Volunteering Scheme.
T&EA Belfast Region has no direct contractural arrangements with the Flax Trust; however the Trust is an overarching organisation for a number of initiatives in the Ardoyne area, and two of these are directly involved with the Agency.
- (a) Brookfield Business School (BBS) is a Jobskills Training Organisation based in the Brookfield Mill complex. BBS offers training for young people and adults in Catering, Information Technology, Welding and Business Administration. T&EA provided funding of £347,081 in 1996–97 and £240,213 in the current financial year.
- (b) Community Aid is a 117 place ACE project in the Ardoyne area, offering employment in Environmental, Clerical, Computing, Welfare, Home Visitation and Creche work. T&EA provided funding of £712,857 in 1996–97 and £351,445 in the current financial year.