To ask the Minister of Education whether he undertook an assessment of the extent to which the Loyalist Communities Council represents the views of proscribed organisations in advance of him accepting their invitation to meet.

I accepted the invitation to meet the Loyalist Communities Council because they wished to discuss educational underachievement in loyalist communities. This is a subject of interest to any Minister of Education and was highlighted in "New Decade New Approach" and reflected in the report "A Fair Start". I will continue to work in the best interests of children and young people in everything I do.