§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are employed in further education colleges (a) as ancillary staff, (b) as teachers and (c) as administrative staff in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. ScottThe information is as follows:
Numbers Ancillary staff 887 Administrative staff 540 Teachers full-time (except substitutes) 2,127 Part-time *2,000 * Approximately. Note: Ancillary staff include cleaners, caretakers, groundsmen and kitchen staff.
Adminstrative staff also include clerical, secretarial and technical staff.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provision is made for inspection of further education colleges in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. ScottThe 26 colleges of further education are inspected by the Department of Education for Northern Ireland on a seven to eight-year cycle. Three or four colleges receive a full inspection each year, and, in94W addition, some of the larger departments in the major colleges receive an inspection separate from that in the college as a whole.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what safety regulations apply to colleges of further education; what safety provisions are made; and if regular safety inspections and reports are made;
(2) if he will list his responsibilities for safety in further education colleges in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. ScottHealth and safety in colleges of further education in Northern Ireland are governed by the following statutory provisions
The Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978The Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1979The Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1981The Safety Signs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1981The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1982Each education and library board is required to secure in colleges such safety provisions as are consistent with meeting its obligations under the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978, and the Health and Safety Inspectorate of the Department of Economic Development has a programme of inspection for colleges; reports of inspections indicating where remedial or other action is required are forwarded to the chief officer of the appropriate education and library board to the Department of Education for Northern Ireland and to the college principal.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has as to fires, accidents or safety deficiencies over the past three years occurring in further education colleges in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. ScottSeven fires in colleges of further education were reported to education and library boards between 1981 and 1983.
In 1982 and 1983 43 accidents or dangerous occurrences were reported by boards to the Health and Safety Inspectorate of the Department of Economic Development under the provisions of the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1982.
Information on safety deficiencies is contained in the reports on particular institutions by the Health and Safely Inspectorate and by the Inspectorate of the Department of Education for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hume asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to improve the provision of further education in Belfast with regard to demand in West Belfast and conditions in existing centres of further education.
§ Mr. ScottIn order to relieve pressure on existing further education provision in Belfast, the Belfast education and library board has recently put forward proposals for the establishment of a fourth further education college which would give greater access to students, particularly from the west and north of the city. These proposals are under consideration.