§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Catholic and Protestant schools have applied during the last six months for grants for specific joint projects; how many have been accepted; how many rejected; on what grounds these rejections have been made; how many are still awaiting consideration; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. MawhinneySince the introduction of the cross-community contact scheme in September last year, 103 school-based projects have applied for grant support, involving 242 schools drawn equally from the two communities. Of the 103 applications, 79 have been accepted, 12 rejected and 12 await a final decision.
Projects have been rejected for a variety of reasons: a number included proposals for capital expenditure which is not eligible for assistance under the scheme; others lacked a sufficient programme of ongoing contact.
I am greatly encouraged that the scheme has succeeded in stimulating and encouraging cross-community activities not only in schools but also in youth and community organisations.