Page 5382 - Week 17 - Tuesday, 3 December 1991

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MR BERRY: Would you like the names and addresses of the people who wrote the thing? I will get you a copy of the business rules and you will be able to work it out for yourself, Mr Stefaniak.

Noah's Ark Toy Library

MRS NOLAN: My question is to Mr Wood in his capacity as Minister for Education. I refer Mr Wood to the Noah's Ark toy library. What is happening in relation to that library and its current location in Yarralumla, given that to date no further written communication has been received by the library since 4 October? In fact, the library wrote a letter to the Education Department on 17 October and they still have not received a reply.

MR WOOD: Mr Speaker, I will see that they get a reply. My understanding - I have not checked recently - is that that space is needed at Yarralumla. It is necessary for Noah's Ark to relocate. I regret that that happens. It happened about 10 or 11 years ago when they relocated from the old Ainslie Infants School. The primary use of schools is for school purposes, and I guess that any tenant of an unused part of a government school must always expect that at some stage or other it may need to be recalled for school purposes. That is what has happened on this occasion. It is my expectation that that requirement holds and the need to move is still there. I will confirm that for you.

MRS NOLAN: I ask a supplementary question. Could you confirm when they are supposed to be moving? The library now has all its equipment back from all schools, given that it is the end of the year, and it would be a very much more costly exercise.

MR WOOD: I will check that out for you. It was my understanding that it was to be from the commencement of the school year next year, in 1992. I will double-check it for you.

Hospital Bed Numbers

MR DUBY: My question is to Mr Berry as Minister for Health. I refer to an article in today's newspaper which discusses bed capacity and bed numbers in the ACT. The article quotes from a letter from Mr Berry to the Belconnen Community Council, dated 29 November, in which he is alleged to have said that bed capacity had fallen from 952 in August 1989 to 821 in November this year. I ask the Minister: Are those figures accurate, and can he provide any further light on those rather alarming figures?

MR BERRY: The figures which are used there are very selective and of course - - -


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