§ 17. Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on the development of after-school homework clubs and literacy and numeracy clubs in Northern Ireland. [32146]
§ 23. Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans she has for the expansion of health and education services outside school hours for young people in Northern Ireland. [32152]
§ Mr. WorthingtonPeople's Lottery Funding will be used to support a range of initiatives in education, health and the environment. This will be managed by a new body called the New Opportunities Fund which is due to be created during 1998 to support a range of after school activities under the heading of the Out of School Activities Initiative.
The New Opportunities Fund will receive a share of People's Lottery funding for the period 1999 to 2001 to support projects which offer out of school hours activities which have a learning focus, with funding likely to be available for project applications from April 1999. The arrangements for the operation of the New Opportunities Fund, Out of School Activities Initiative are still at an early stage of development; however, it has been agreed that Northern Ireland will receive 4.5 per cent. of the £200 million allocated to support projects across the United Kingdom.