§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many times the principal private public partnerships officer with the South Eastern Education and Library Board (SEELB) met the Chief Executive of the SEELB over the past year to brief him on the development of negotiations in relation to the private public partnership scheme involving Comber 353W High School and Bangor Academy; what matters were discussed on each occasion; and for what reasons the Chief Executive of the SEELB did not inform staff in March that jobs would be transferred from the Board to the preferred bidder in January 2006. [174009]
§ Mr. GardinerI have been informed that the Chief Executive of the South Eastern Education and Library Board met with the Head of the PPP Education Service/ Project Manager for the Bangor and Comber Project on 35 occasions since 17 May 2003 to brief him on the Bangor and Comber Project. All aspects of the project were discussed including those relating to legal, financial, technical, facilities management, staffing and consortia/bids.
On 26 March 2002, meetings were held with caretaking, cleaning and catering staff in both Bangor Academy and Sixth Form College and Comber High School. Staff were informed that transfers were likely.
School based staff were kept informed throughout the process through their line managers; line managers were kept informed through monthly briefing meetings chaired by a senior officer of the SEELB.
On 15 January, 2004 meetings were held in both Bangor Academy and Sixth Form College and Comber High School. Staff were informed that transfers were likely.
On 4 February, 2004 meetings were held in both Bangor Academy and Sixth Form College and Comber High School to allow staff to meet representatives of Jarvis. The caretakers of both schools attended; other staff did not.
Pre-school providers in the Dundonald area Places available Number of applicants with Dundonald addresses at first preference King's Road Nursery School 52 full-time places 24 Brooklands Nursery Unit 26 full-time places, 52 part-time places 79 Ballybeen Women's Centre Playgroup 16 12 The pre-school admissions process was completed on 31 March. At that date 17 children from the Dundonald area did not gain a place in one of their preferred settings. The local Education and Library Board has provided the parents of these children with details of unfilled pre-school places in the wider area.
There were no places awarded to children under the age of three in 2004—05.