asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has obtained legal advice on the grant aiding of youth activities at voluntary maintained schools, particularly with regard to Sections 5 and 8 of the Government of Ireland Act 1920 as amended by the Northern Ireland Constitution Act; and what was the nature of this advice.

No. Youth activities are undertaken either as an extension of the normal work of a voluntary maintained school or by youth organisations using the school as a base for their activities. In the latter case the youth organisations are entitled to the levels of grant aid generally available to all youth organisations in the voluntary sector.