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The MLA said: “Water Service is consulting on rationalisation proposals to close seven local offices and depots in a bid to save £1.2 million over the next five years.

“While the Service claims that no jobs will be lost, 75 people will face relocation which will not be acceptable to some. The rights of these employees must be protected.

”The proposed depots for closure by this summer include Limavady, Ballycastle and Ballymoney which means there are few choices for transferring to nearby work locations for those affected by the moves.

“While I welcome efficiency measures, including a rationalisation of work centres, to streamline the service and reduce costs, it must not disadvantage staff who will be asked to relocate.”

Mr. Hillis also expressed the hope that customers would not be inconvenienced by the changes.

Dr Birnie voiced his concerns following Ruth Kelly’s comments today backing faith schools. This stands in stark contrast to the Secretary of State’s recent comments on the costs of segregation, he said.

In a statement, the South Belfast MLA said: “Ruth Kelly believes in the high value of faith-based schooling, whereas Peter Hain is merely interested in the ‘high price’ of such a system.

“Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has said that ‘the best faith schools, through their lessons and ethos, promote greater inclusion and better understanding and appreciation of other faiths. This is part of the vital role that faith schools have played in education in this country’.

“She also referred to the ‘myth that faith schools encourage segregation among communities’. Yet last month Secretary of State Peter Hain preferred solely to focus on the ‘costs that come from segregation’. Maybe Mr Hain believes in money more than the ‘vital role’ and values of faith groups.”

He added: “Labour Ministers in Scotland support faith-based schooling, as do Labour Ministers in England and Wales. Indeed, one third of primary schools in England are faith based, as are one in six of secondary level schools. But in Northern Ireland Labour Ministers dismiss this as costly segregation.

“The values framework promoted by faith-based schools are just as relevant and applicable to Northern Ireland as anywhere else in the United Kingdom. But regrettably the benefits seem well known to all but Peter Hain.

“By hyping the ‘costs of segregation’, Peter Hain threatens to reduce parental choice, devalues the input of faith-based groups and undermines the founding pillars of schooling here.

Commenting on the visit Mr Cree said, “ It is important that the people of Northern Ireland visit this fine building and learn something of its colourful history. I am especially pleased that community groups from my Constituency have taken the time and interest to come here and gain an insight into the background of Central Government and how it works.”

In a statement, Mr Armstrong said: “Like the vast majority of the Mid-Ulster public I am concerned at plans to remove maternity services and 24-hour accident and emergency from the Mid-Ulster Hospital.

“My concern is rooted in a knowledge that there are no replacement facilities catering for those who would have used these services. I’m all for lessening bureaucracy but what I’m firmly against is removing services when there are no visible replacements in place.

“I encourage the public to respond to the consultation which is open for 12 weeks. Once again health services in this sub-Region are being pressurised. I will not accept that the people of this part of the Province should be treated to a standard of health service which is not comparable to other parts of the Province and indeed, other Regions of the United Kingdom.

“I will continue to lobby vigorously for the retention of appropriate services for people at a localised level.

In a speech to members Sir Reg spelt out the dilemma that Unionists find themselves in and called on the DUP to confront Sinn Fein instead of running away from them.

In a statement Sir Reg said,

“Unionism is in a dilemma at the moment. Currently we are ringside spectators as Direct Rule Ministers make woeful decisions on education, water charges, rates increases and a number of side-deals with Republicans that Unionism had no knowledge of are played out before our eyes.

Additionally it seems that the Secretary of State has indicated a likely increase in North-Southery. In this context it is vital that we get the Assembly functioning so we can exert real influence over our own affairs.

On the other hand, we are confronted by a republican movement that represents a majority of nationalists and is not yet committed to exclusively peaceful and democratic means. We also have a government that has proved itself unwilling to enforce its own policy when it said that it would not allow anybody not committed to these basic principles to exercise power.

This is Unionism’s collective dilemma. We need to have a debate within Unionism on how we move forward with regard to Sinn Fein. Unionism started off with a ‘Smash Sinn Fein’ policy. This has been a failure. We cannot allow Sinn Fein to hold the keys to Stormont.

Speaking from Brussels Mr Nicholson said,

“While no one wishes to stoke unnecessary fears, the latest outbreak in France, brings the threat ever – closer to these shores.

“Given the seriousness of the situation in some Member States we must all maintain a high degree of vigilance in the coming weeks. Early detection and maintaining bio – security will be the key to reducing the spread and extent of the disease should it reach Northern Ireland.

“In the event of an outbreak in Northern Ireland public communication will be essential to dealing with the problem. Information must be given to the public promptly, efficiently and in an easily accesible manner. Lack of information from the Government on what to do would be a disaster.”

Mr Nicholson continued,

“Watching the weather in continental Europe will be crucial in the weeks ahead. If it stays cold then migratory birds, who could be potentially carrying the disease may move westward increasing the chances of the disease becoming more widespread.

“Bird flu is not, as some have suggested, a narrow North – South issue alone. Bird flu does not respect borders and the Trans - national nature of it means that Member States across the European Union must work together to combat it.

“If an outbreak of Avian Flu were to break out in Northern Ireland it would spell disaster for the Province’s poultry industry, which is of immense importance to Northern Ireland and we must never forget the potential public health implications.

“Lead government departments must keep their risk assessment and Avian Influenza contingency plans under constant review and updated as further information becomes available.

The aim of the meeting was to support a press launch against water charges and the negative effect it will have on all of society including the business world.

Whilst the concern about the Governments proposals and the effect it will have on Water Service staff is readily understood and must be resisted it is the general population and businesses that will be most affected by this further taxation.

In Northern Ireland 98% of all business can be described as small but they make a huge contribution in the provision of jobs and investment throughout the economy and every part of the community.

The Governments proposals are a double tap tax because business owners will have to pay both at their home and at their place of work.

Water charges will add to the problems of our already overtaxed and heavily burdened small businesses.

Mr Roberts from the Federation stated, “ Our members are paying the highest insurance, energy, transport and banking costs in the United Kingdom.”

The cost of running a business in Northern Ireland is the highest in the UK. In addition a recent survey carried out by the Federation discovered that 2 out of every 3 small business owners had been the victim of crime within the last two years.”

Mr Cree added, “ The Governments proposals for the introduction of water charges is a direct result of successive governments failing to invest in our water infrastructure. Consumers in Northern Ireland have always been paying for water through their regional rates.”

Government have succeeded in one sense in that for the first time they had managed to unite all of the political parties, trade unions, community groups and business organisations. They should listen when everyone is telling them that their proposals for water charges are unacceptable.”

“Government proposals to take a slice from profits made by building homes on new sites will place upward, inflationary pressures on Northern Ireland house prices at a time when many young couples are finding it difficult to purchase their first home and get a step on the first rung of the housing ladder,” said Mr Bell.

“All that will happen is that developers will be forced to pass this increased cost on to the house purchasers and that will put the price of new homes up still further.”

“Reports suggest that the new tax will be 20%. That is a hefty slice of anyone’s profits. It’s all very well to slag off developers and make out that they are well off already. But no new homes would be built without them. It is facile to suggest that this additional cost will not end up by putting house prices up still further. I speak as the MLA for an area – Lisburn - where house prices are already far above the Northern Ireland average.” .

“The Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin showed that the average selling price of an NHBC-registered house in Northern Ireland was £134,000. This is an increase of £18,000 (15.5%) on the same quarter in 2004. Lisburn and Hillsborough are well in excess of that. This will push up prices still further at a time when, according to the Alliance & Leicester Building Society, a quarter of young married couples want to buy their own home but cannot afford to do so and only 13% are actually in a position to buy a home.”

The recommendation includes eight key competencies which the Commission believed should be instilled into young people throughout Europe from an early age.

In a statement, the East Londonderry MLA said: “It is important that countries across the EU encourage their young people to develop skills such as taking initiatives, being responsible, accepting risk and achieving one’s own objectives. If the European Union is to sustain its economic model it needs more economic growth, more new firms, more entrepreneurial ventures and more high growth SMEs.

“Education is positively linked with higher entrepreneurial activity. For example, some evidence shows that around 20% of participants in mini-company activities in secondary school go on to create their own company after their studies.

“There are already examples from several countries in the EU which include entrepreneurship in education. For example the ‘Young Inventors Competition’ targets children from 6-16 and encourages them to be creative with ideas. In Luxembourg they have a programme aimed at 11 to 12 year olds which is devoted to children learning to exploit a simple business idea.

“Those are just a few examples. Throughout the education system, from primary to university, there are programmes to encourage entrepreneurship.