Jim Wells
South Down · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. In November 1982, I made my maiden speech in the Chamber, and, here we are, 40 years later, and I am making my last speech in the Chamber as a DUP MLA. I was the last person in the Public Gallery when the Assembly collapsed in 1976.”
“<BR /> <BR />Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank you for your indulgence and for your patience with me over many years. Unfortunately, Mr McGlone has just left the Chamber; I was about to thank him. I have enjoyed my 27 and a half years in this Building.”
“I wish that I could, but I have only five minutes. <BR /> <BR />That was so that a very small number of Irish language zealots could go in and register their marriage or civil partnership in Irish or in dual language: £261,000. Did anybody stop to think about whether there was a more cost-effective way of doing that?”
“We are all perfectly happy with a genuine expression of people's culture. That is fine. However, when the language is so cynically used by militant republicanism, unionism has difficulties. Why, for instance, is there no translation into Irish of the words, "United Kingdom", "Londonderry", "Northern Ireland" or "Her Majesty The Queen"?”
“The Member has made the point for me. The official who came to the Committee made it absolutely clear that £261,000 had been spent already. It was farcical to bring that before either the Finance Committee or the Assembly, because the money had been spent and the processes had been set up.”
“If they want the unionist community to accept the Irish language as a genuine cultural expression, they should get rid of the political baggage and extremism, and stop using the Irish language as a political weapon to try to subjugate unionism.”
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“We are going to have to do something that we have not done in 21 years: we are going to have to start taking some difficult decisions in this House. We have not taken one, in my experience. Not only was I here from 1998, but I was here in 1982 in the old Assembly, and I did not see any difficult decisions taken there. There is only one survivor, and that is Mr Allister. We are the only ones who have survived all that time to have sat in both Assemblies.”
“You're useless. You're only in it for the money. You're no good in running our services". That went on all night. At the end of it, Eamonn Mallie asked, "How many people think that having an Assembly is a good thing?". Every hand in the room went up. Mr Mallie said, "Well, you've spent the entire night calling these people a bunch of wasters. Why do you think an Assembly is a good thing?". Somebody stood up and said, "They might be a bunch of wasters, but they're our wasters". <BR /> <BR />For a very long time, we have played upon the patience of our people, and there is not much evidence to show that we are good custodians of the money that is given to us either by our own taxpayers or by the Exchequer through the block grant in London.”
“I am talking about the ability of the 90 people in the Chamber to prove that we are fit to run Northern Ireland plc. I am one of the very few, along with Mr Beggs — I cannot see any others — who were elected here in 1998. There are probably Members here who were not born in 1998 when the Assembly was established. We have had many false dawns; we have had many failures. Can anyone honestly say that the people of Northern Ireland are any further on in trusting us with their Budget, their expenditure and their services than they were 21 years ago? If you had an opinion poll out on the street, you might find that we are not popular. <BR /> <BR />About 15 years ago, I attended an Assembly roadshow that was chaired by Eamonn Mallie. All six South Down MLAs were present in Downpatrick. Throughout the night, people shouted, "You're wasters.”
“I suppose it could be worse. I am glad that there are so many here, because I hold the record in the House for the smallest turnout. Twenty years ago, I had a private Member's motion on the Ballynahinch bypass, to which a grand total of four MLAs turned up: the Speaker, who had to be there; the Minister, who had to be there; the late and much-missed P J Bradley, the wonderful Member for South Down; and myself. I asked myself how I would report that expenditure motion to the people of South Down through the local paper, and it came up with the line, "Mr Wells speaking to a hushed Assembly". It was hushed because there were only four people here. <BR /> <BR />We are the last chance saloon as far as the future of the Assembly is concerned. I am not talking about our political differences; I am not talking about a mandatory coalition.”
“I never expected someday to be speaking from this part of the House. I am reminded of the famous line in the song:”
“He has reminded me of that. Of course, I would not necessarily be the last Member to speak on the last day of the Assembly because he, as Minister, of course has that position. It would be remiss of me at this point if I did not pay tribute to the outgoing Speaker, Mr Newton, who I think has served the Assembly very well in very difficult situations and to the outgoing Principal Deputy Speaker, Ms Ruane, who will return and who is not going off into the jungle forever. She will return either at Wimbledon or in some other Chamber, maybe Leinster House. I also pay tribute to the two outgoing Deputy Speakers, Mr Beggs and, of course, the honourable Member for Mid Ulster.”
“Yes, I will return to the topic of broadband. I really do hope that it is not 12 years before we are back to deal with this crucial issue, which rarely features in debate in this Chamber. I congratulate the honourable Member for Newry and Armagh, on the basis that he will not use the fact that he has raised this important issue in his election publications to garner votes from his constituents. Once again, it has been a privilege to be the last Member to speak on the last day as the bona fide, real father of the House.”
“Therefore, I think it is highly appropriate; Mr Kennedy has indeed raised a very important issue. <BR /> <BR />I just wonder how long it will be before any of us are back in this Chamber to see what the results of this Adjournment debate are. It could be weeks, months or years. I do not know. I have made this speech many times. Sometimes we have come back much more quickly than I expected. When I made this speech in 1986, it was 12 years before we were back — 26 June 1986 to 26 June 1998.”
“<BR /> <BR />I understand that funding is being provided by the Minister's Department to assist BT in carrying out extensions to its cabling in rural areas, but we still have a long way to go. Now, the adverts tell us that 88% of the population in Northern Ireland is serviced by high-speed broadband, or even higher. However, they do that on the basis of population rather than area, and that leaves large swathes of the countryside where provision is extremely slow, particularly in households where there may be three or four people who need to use broadband. Maybe the father is a businessman, architect or accountant who needs broadband in his office, and the older children in the house may need broadband for homework tasks. That puts further pressure on the very limited broadband width that is available.”
“Secondly, there is often a limit on the amount of data that can be downloaded on a satellite system and, once you pass that threshold, the cost of downloading becomes horrendously expensive. Thirdly, for some reason, which I do not understand, the quality of the signal is always much poorer than that available from a landline broadband connection. Until the satellite system is up to the same standard as landlines, I do not think that that would be seen as an option for the people of rural areas in Northern Ireland. Broadband has become such an essential part of provision, in the same way as electricity, water etc, that our rural communities will be left behind if we cannot deal with the system.”
“Of course, I moved from a rural area to an urban area and in urban areas of Northern Ireland there really is no problem at all. <BR /> <BR />Should we not be encouraging people not to commute or undertake needless journeys by working from home and using the connectivity that we now mostly enjoy in order to cut down the number of miles travelled and the congestion in our towns and cities? Of course, the problem is that this is simply not an option for the individuals concerned in many parts of Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />When I have raised this with BT, it has told me that there is satellite provision. I have to say that almost everybody whom I have dealt with as far as satellite provision is concerned has not been happy with the product. First, the cost can sometimes be considerably higher than that which is relevant to landline users.”
“They have explained to me that there may only be six potential customers on the road and, with the cost of bringing the fibre-optic cable up that road being tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of pounds, they would not see any return on that investment. The problem is that, often, many of those roads have people on them who are businessmen and students, those who require broadband. The honourable Member for Newry and Armagh summed it up: in rural areas today, broadband has gone from being a luxury to an absolute necessity. As one who lived in an area of poor broadband coverage and who has now moved to one that has a very good connection, I can certainly understand the frustration felt by the Members present.”
“After I had recounted the frequency with which I was the last person to speak, he stood up and said, "Would he reassure us that he was not the last passenger on the Titanic?" Well, I was not, although, at times, I feel like it. <BR /> <BR />It is appropriate that the issue of broadband is raised in this forum. Although I do not represent Newry and Armagh — I represent South Down along with you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker — I have found that there is incredibly poor broadband, particularly in two areas. Those are the Dunmore Road area of Spa just south of Ballynahinch and what you would know as the Yellow Road area around Hilltown, Mayobridge and Rathfriland, where there is also a chronic under-provision of broadband. <BR /> <BR />I have frequently contacted BT about that problem.”
“It is normal for the Father of the House to be the last Member to speak in the last debate on the last day. As one who is truly the Father of the House, unlike the imposter, the young Lord Morrow, it is the appropriate time for me to speak. <BR /> <BR />I was the last person in the Public Gallery when the Assembly fell in 1976, I was the last person speaking when the Assembly fell in 1986, I was the last person in the Chamber before it burned down in 1995 and I was frequently the last person speaking in various debates in the Assembly before it collapsed. Indeed, it led the honourable Member for Newry and Armagh to come out with the most wonderful one-liner that I have ever heard in the Chamber.”
“I had the benefit of sitting on the Justice Committee for two years. Is the Member telling me that, on no occasion in those 24 months, did a Member of his party not use the opportunity at that Committee to ask planted questions designed to protect him as Minister?”
“Like many other Members, I welcome this announcement, but I think out there amongst the public there will be several questions. First, can the Minister give us a ballpark estimate about the cost of the inquiry? Secondly, can he give us an indication of where it will be physically held?”
“On a point of order, I understand that the honourable Member for South Antrim is new to this Chamber, but could he please refrain from referring to Members as "Doug" or "Robbie"? He should address them either by their proper title — the Member for whatever constituency — or their full name.”
“I had the opportunity, along with Mr Girvan, to sit through most of the PAC hearing in the Public Gallery on Wednesday. He will note that, on at least three occasions, various members of that Committee asked the permanent secretary, Mr McCormick, "Did Mrs Foster act honourably, or did she do anything untoward throughout this entire process?". His reply was that she did not do anything untoward; she acted honourably throughout the entire process. How does that tie in with the accusations he is making at the moment?”
“Will the Member indicate what concessions the present First Minister has made to Sinn Féin in the last 12 months?”
“If we stepped out of line and paid our staff a higher increase, people would make the obvious accusation and say, "Oh yes, they are quite happy to look after their own staff, but what about us?" That is the difficulty we face: it would set a precedent for the rest of Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />That is where the negotiations are at the moment. Without betraying any confidence of the Commission, Mr Attwood took a different view — he is perfectly entitled to do so — and that was fed into the overall decision-making process, which has not yet concluded. Those are the constraints that we are acting under.”
“The submission was made on behalf of the SDLP by Mr Alex Attwood MLA, who outlined what had occurred in other devolved institutions, particularly Scotland and Wales. At the Commission meeting, Mr Attwood very eloquently put forward his view that we should follow a similar pattern to the other institutions. <BR /> <BR />What I would say is that we should remember that, in the wider sphere — in health, education, agriculture etc — we are generally imposing a 1% pay rise. Whilst the Assembly is a totally different entity — the Assembly Commission is not a branch of the Civil Service — the rest of our community will obviously be watching to see what we do with pay rises for our staff.”
“As part of that consideration, the Commission took into account a submission on secretariat pay rises from a political party that is represented on the Commission.”
“Annual pay awards are negotiated with NIPSA, which is the Assembly Commission’s recognised trade union. The negotiations are managed through a pay subgroup of the employee relations group, which is a joint industrial relations forum that has been established by the Commission in conjunction with NIPSA. <BR /> <BR />The pay claim for 2016 comprises a number of parts, including a claim for a consolidated percentage increase on all pay points, the reduction of pay points across all grades of staff and enhanced leave entitlements. Negotiations on the 2016 pay award are at an advanced stage, and the details of the award were considered at the Commission's meetings of 15 and 24 November.”
“There is more to be done, but I certainly think that the fact that such a large number of our staff have a registered disability indicates that we are taking this very seriously.”
“As far as I am aware, we have not done so, but what I can report is that 9% of staff — 29 members — currently employed by the Assembly have declared a disability. I think that that indicates that we are taking this seriously. <BR /> <BR />Let me go back to my previous answer because I may well have misled the Member. The guaranteed interview applies only if you meet the selection criteria. I may have indicated that there is a special dispensation; there is not. <BR /> <BR />I think that the Assembly is clearly trying to facilitate those with a genuine disability to get to the table, as it were, for an interview. We will make all reasonable adjustments for someone who is successful in securing employment. The Assembly is making headway.”
“— during their employment, the Commission will review that and make reasonable adjustments.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Member may also be interested to note that the Commission conducts an annual audit of disability for secretariat staff. If a member of staff declares a disability —”
“I should stress that the guaranteed interview scheme can apply only if the shortlisting criteria are met. It cannot guarantee an interview if an applicant does not meet the essential criteria for the post. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly Commission is also mindful that some groups of applicants, including those with disabilities, may have differing educational experiences, so, where appropriate, the essential criteria for a post will include two options: one will relate to specific qualifications; and the alternative will be a minimum period of experience in the area of work relevant to the post being advertised. Applicants with a disability can also indicate whether they feel that they require any reasonable adjustments to enable participation in the selection process.”
“The Assembly Commission operates a guaranteed interview scheme for internal and external recruitment competitions which offers a guaranteed interview to applicants with a disability. The scheme covers applicants with disabilities or those with long-term impairments or health conditions that are expected to last at least 12 months. This means that they may not meet all of the shortlisting criteria, but they will get an interview. In these circumstances, if the applicant can demonstrate that he or she has a long-term illness, that statement will ensure an interview. <BR /> <BR />The application form includes a section on disability, and an applicant can indicate whether they wish to apply under the scheme and the basis on which they qualify.”
“That is new to me as a Commission Member and I do not think it actually falls within the remit of the gender action plan, but it is an issue worth considering.”
“I have only been a member of the Commission since May 2016, but I have not heard that issue being raised. There are Committee days as well as sitting days, which also place a burden on staff. I am certain that the Business Committee, which is the body that makes decisions on when we meet and at what time, would take that issue on board.”
“The Assembly is nowhere near the position that the Royal Ulster Constabulary was in at the time that quotas were implemented when it became the PSNI. It has always been the case that a very large proportion of our staff, albeit still a minority, have been female. Quite frankly, I think that many of the female members of staff in this Building would like to think that they had been appointed entirely on merit rather than because of quotas. Equally, if they are promoted, they would like to think that it came about entirely on merit, as it does. I keep emphasising the point that our most senior member of staff and one of our top four staff are females. That is a very welcome trend, but it has come about entirely because of the ability of the applicants rather than any fixed quotas or set targets.”
“Therefore, we cannot define or have quotas for those positions on the basis of sex, religion, community background, race or sexual orientation.”
“The ultimate aim of the plan is to ensure that we have gender balance in the Assembly. The fact that two such important senior posts have recently been taken, on merit, by women indicates that we are moving in the right direction. Some of the problems regarding gender in the Assembly are skewed by the fact that most ushers and security staff are male. That, undoubtedly, will skew the overall balance between males and females in the Assembly. However, at many levels in this Building, women are coming forward for senior positions and the balance is a good one. We have decided against any form of quotas. We considered it, but when it comes to recruitment it is unlawful to reserve a quota of jobs for members of a particular under-represented or disadvantaged group.”
“This included an update on the Commission’s participation in Business in the Community’s gender project, which includes areas such as equality, organisational policy and personnel issues and participation by Assembly Commission staff in the Women in Public Life programme. Further actions will be rolled out over the lifetime of the plan. It is worth noting that — I am sure that the honourable Member for North Belfast is aware of this — two out of the five senior posts in the Assembly secretariat are held by women, including, of course, our chief executive. There were no females at this level of leadership one year ago.”
“The gender action plan 2016-18 was approved by the Assembly Commission in March 2016 following staff consultation. It sets out actions and measures to promote gender equality in the Assembly secretariat and is broken down into three themes: leadership and development; communication and engagement; and life balance, health and well-being. A gender action plan implementation group, which comprises staff from across the secretariat, has been established to oversee the implementation of the plan. The group reports to the Commission every six months on progress against targets. <BR /> <BR />An update was presented to the Commission at its November meeting, highlighting progress made since March 2016.”
“Will the Minister outline what plans she has to bring that figure down to the UK average?”
“Those figures are quite shocking because they indicate that it costs 40% more to house a prisoner in Northern Ireland than in Scotland, where economies of scale must also prevail.”
“Sadly, some of them may be campaigning for abortion on demand. There is an irony, because they would not be here to campaign on the issue had there been abortion on demand. <BR /> <BR />Mr Speaker, this is only one box of 57 that are coming your way. Rather than bringing all of them into the Chamber, I have brought just this one as a representation of the huge petition that I am about to present you with. I know that you will note it and pass it on to the relevant bodies.”
“<BR /> <BR />Because we have the legislation we have in Northern Ireland and because our forefathers in this Chamber had the wisdom to prevent the introduction of the Abortion Act 1967, the statisticians tell us that 91,000 people in Northern Ireland are alive today who would not be if we had abortion on demand. They are farmers, solicitors and doctors; they are making a contribution to society. They may even be MLAs.”
“<BR /> <BR />The petition Ms Bailey presented last week calls for legislation similar to that that pertains in the rest of the United Kingdom, where eight million — eight million — unborn children have been aborted since 1967. I am absolutely convinced the people of Northern Ireland do not want that law to extend to this part of the United Kingdom. In the time it has taken to make this short speech and to present this petition to you, Mr Speaker, another child will have been aborted. One child is aborted every five minutes in the rest of the United Kingdom. I think that is an awful stain on the character of our nation. Some 98·9% of those children are totally well, fit and able. They were aborted on many occasions because it was simply not convenient for them to be born.”
“Last week, the Member for Belfast South Clare Bailey presented the Assembly with a petition containing 45,000 signatures seeking a relaxation of the present law on abortion in Northern Ireland. I will add, however, that that petition was done online, and there was no check whatsoever on where the people who signed it live; many may, indeed, be from outside Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Today, Mr Speaker, I am presenting you with what I believe to be the largest petition ever received by the Northern Ireland Assembly. It has 300,000 signatures, not 45,000, calling for the protection of the unborn child in Northern Ireland. It has been signed by Northern Ireland residents who have given their address so that where they live can be verified. Therefore, I believe this petition is indeed authentic.”
“First of all, I suggest to the Minister that he is going to have trouble with his decision to scrap the cap on domestic rates. He also made a very significant comment in his statement. He said that he is abolishing the industrial derating of vacant factory premises. He will know that there are many factories in Northern Ireland where genuine attempts have been made to rent or sell the property but that for various reasons — sometimes the property is at an interface or the industry is simply not viable — it cannot be done. If the individual owner of that property can show that he or she has made every attempt to sell or rent the property, will they still have a large rate bill landing on their desk?”
“I am sure that the Minister is not having sleepless nights about the issue, but it is serious in the sense that the species is causing severe damage to forestry and farmland in the rest of the United Kingdom. Has he any idea or can the Northern Ireland Environment Agency give us any indication of how many Reeves's muntjac there are in Northern Ireland?”
“I note that the Minister is quoting from legislation that was drafted before she was born, but I was in the Assembly in 1985 when that article on spartina was drafted and implemented. She outlined why it is illegal to import spartina, but can her Department give grant aid to landowners who wish to take their own action — for instance, the National Trust in the case of Strangford lough or the Commissioners of Irish Lights in the case of Carlingford lough — in order to encourage private landowners to eradicate this invasive and damaging species?”
“Is the Minister aware of the exciting proposals for the improvement of the port and harbour in Kilkeel? What can his Department do to assist with that very interesting suggestion, which would completely revolutionise fishing and the fish processing industry in that part of South Down?”
“Does the Minister agree that there is a danger that, in all the rush, projects that are not properly thought out and planned for may be accepted in a vain attempt to try to get the remaining funds before the shutters come down? What steps is his Department taking to ensure that the quality standards remain as high as before?”
“He, of all Ministers, knows the importance of the Ballynahinch bypass. Like me, he has been stuck in Ballynahinch far too many times. Can he give the House a commitment that he will cut the ribbon to open the Ballynahinch bypass within his five-year term?”
“And I will go and rebuild my life. I welcome the Minister's answer. Does she feel that the range of policies that are in position in DAERA are sufficient to meet the need for increased deciduous woodland planting in Northern Ireland?”
“— the Finance Minister. It will be interesting to see how he reacts when the boot is on the other foot.”