§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many temporary classrooms there were in each Education and Library Board area in each of the last three years. [128286]
§ Jane KennedyThe number of temporary classrooms in controlled schools1 in each Education and Library Board area in each of the last three years is as follows: 829W
Education and Library Board 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 Belfast 119 119 103 Western 172 177 172 North-Eastern 325 343 358 South-Eastern 509 452 394 Southern 262 252 240 1Information on temporary classrooms in other sectors is not currently available. However, the Department of Education will be carrying out a survey of maintained, voluntary grammar and grant maintained integrated schools before the end of the financial year to ascertain the exact number of temporary classrooms in these sectors. This information will be supplied to you when the results of the survey are available.
The increased investment in new schools, together with a £25 million programme specifically to remove temporary classrooms, spanning the financial years 2002–03 to 2005–06, should result in a substantial reduction in these classrooms over the next 3 years.
§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many schools requiring(a) high priority maintenance work and (b) major works there were in each Education and Library Board area in each of the last three years. [128287]
§ Jane KennedyThe information requested is as follows:
(a) Number of schools requiring high priority maintenance work1 Education and Library Board Area 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 Belfast 156 155 163 Western 238 215 188 North-Eastern 139 157 127 South-Eastern 222 207 184 Southern 240 262 234 1Figures cover controlled, maintained and Irish-medium schools. Maintenance work in voluntary grammar grant maintained integrated schools is met by the schools themselves from their annual LMS budgets. Data is held centrally by the Department on the extent of the maintenance requirements in these schools.
(b) Number of schools requiring major works2 Education and Library Board Area 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 Belfast 16 15 28 Western 22 20 29 North-Eastern 26 28 37 South-Eastern 14 13 14 Southern 29 32 30 2Figures cover all schools included in the Department's Schools' Capital Priorities list as published on its website.