§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they intend to improve co-ordination between departments in Northern Ireland concerning unemployment, job creation, community development and the delivery of services to those most in need; and whether they will consult the voluntary sector on these matters.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office (Baroness Denton of Wakefield)All Northern Ireland departments work with each other and continually seek to improve co-ordination with both the public and voluntary sectors on a wide range of issues including unemployment, job creation, community development and targeting social need. Examples of such co-ordination include Making Belfast Work; the Londonderry Initiative; Voluntary Activity Unit; Rural Development Programme; Strategy & Policy Co-ordination Group (vocational education and training); Inter-Departmental Group dealing with social marginalisation among young people, and Tourism Taskforce.
There is also currently a Training & Employment review of long-term unemployment involving all six Northern Ireland Departments.
In the criminal justice field there is already machinery in place to ensure co-ordination between departments on a wide range of issues, which include crime prevention; tackling drugs; marginalised youth; and domestic violence. The views of the voluntary sector are sought frequently.