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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“There is simply far too much going on over the last year of the mandate to bring in a major piece of legislation such as that and to get it through all its stages and a full consultation in time for the election of May 2016. Equally, there is nothing to stop someone bringing a private Member's Bill at some stage, but that would not be successful within the time span either. However, that does not mean that we are not giving it very serious consideration. I could be swayed either way. I welcome Ms Keatinge's comments because I think they help to stimulate a debate that is needed. At the end of the day, whatever is best for the protection of the elderly people of Northern Ireland, that is the route that we will go down.”
“Greater training was requested, for example, but again, under the present policies, there is nothing to stop us introducing more effective training. <BR /> <BR />We had a very tight regulatory system. Many people mentioned Cherry Tree House and Ralph's Close, which, I understand, is in Londonderry in the Chairwoman's constituency. We had inspections and legislation in both cases, but, unfortunately, we also had neglect. There were certainly elements of care going on in both institutions that were clearly well below standard. <BR /> <BR />I could be convinced either way. I mentioned the mental health and incapacity Bill. It will certainly not be possible to introduce legislation in this mandate.”
“It also includes reviewing the contract management system for residential and nursing homes. <BR /> <BR />Throughout the debate, many Members called for the introduction of legislation. I have no hard and fast view on the matter, although it is important to realise that NIASP already covers some of what Members asked for and that the Department could introduce some of that without legislation. I think that there is a tendency to believe that the new legislation would be a panacea, but it would be effective only if it included measures such as effective enforcement and sentencing. It is wrong to think that simply adopting legislation will inevitably improve the situation considerably. I welcome some of the comments, as they help as an input to the policy.”
“We expect that legislation to come before the Assembly by 31 March this year, and it is essential that that happens in order to get it through in this mandate. That will be a crucial part of the Department's legislative programme. The aim is to introduce the Bill and to have it enacted in the current mandate. <BR /> <BR />NIASP, which the Health and Social Care Board leads, was established in 2010. It has been tasked with setting the strategic direction in Northern Ireland. In October 2013, it published its first strategic plan. NIASP is also leading on the implementation of a financial abuse action plan. Actions in the plan cover raising awareness at strategic and operational levels and agreeing regional standards for all agencies, including those involved in the management of clients' finances.”
“The definition is more extensive and reinforces the point that while adults may have characteristics or life circumstances that increase their exposure to risk, including age, those risks become real only when others abuse or exploit those characteristics or life circumstances or are neglectful of the needs that they may generate. The development of the policy is one of a number of safeguarding measures that are packaged in the Programme for Government commitment, the aim of which is to improve safeguarding outcomes for adults and children at risk. The package includes the Mental Capacity Bill, which will be put in place and will improve safeguards that go beyond those that are required under the law.”
“Therefore, I very much welcome the input of Claire Keatinge, the Commissioner for Older People. It has been timely and has encouraged further debate on the subject. Therefore, she has made an extremely important contribution to raising awareness of the issue. <BR /> <BR />The policy will provide a framework within which social workers, social care providers, health-care providers, police officers and those involved in the community can work to prevent harm from happening, to recognise it and respond to it when it happens, and, equally important, to help those affected to obtain the justice that they deserve. The draft policy includes the terminology "adult at risk" in place of "vulnerable adult".”
“<BR /> <BR />As we continue to raise public awareness of adult safeguarding, it is likely that referrals will continue to increase. That does not necessarily mean that adult abuse is more prevalent in Northern Ireland; it is more likely to mean that it is now recognised and that we are less willing to tolerate it. That has to be welcomed. However, it has to be said that, as we get an ageing population — Mr McCrea quoted the figure of a 25% increase in the over-65s coming along quite quickly — there will be more elderly people to abuse. Certainly, the amount of abuse may increase, if not the percentage. <BR /> <BR />My Department, jointly with the Department of Justice, has developed and is running a public consultation on a draft adult safeguarding policy.”
“<BR /> <BR />As I said earlier, it is not unreasonable to assume that the increase is due in part to increased awareness — it is a good thing that people are now aware of the problem and are reporting it — and the adult safeguarding developments more generally. Media reports of harm to adults may also be encouraging more referrals. We have been made very aware of that by undercover camera procedures in some care homes, in Northern Ireland and in the rest of the United Kingdom, and we have seen some shocking images on our television screens, and I think that that has also raised public awareness of the problem. When I was first elected to the Assembly in 1998, the issue was seldom mentioned; now it is more and more in the public domain.”
“By quoting those statistics, I am making three points: first, unfortunately, adult abuse extends beyond our adult population; secondly, not all elder abuse takes place in care homes; and, finally, not all adult safeguarding referrals require an adult protection response. <BR /> <BR />Members should note that the increase in adult safeguarding referrals coincided with increased awareness-raising of adult abuse by my Department and the Northern Ireland Office. It also coincided with increased investment in adult safeguarding and with the establishment of NIASP, the new regional adult safeguarding partnership, and the local adult safeguarding partnerships (LASPs).”
“I should point out that not every referral or allegation results in the implementation of a care and protection programme. Approximately 28% of total referrals in 2013-14 categorised under the older people's programme of care were screened out at different points in the process. Screening out can happen for a variety of reasons; for example, the matter can be addressed through an alternative process such as the complaints procedure or the allegation may be withdrawn. The latest available figures for April to September 2014 show that 33% — 529 of the referrals for older people — were screened out and 947 care and protection plans were implemented. Nine hundred and forty-seven is still a worrying figure, but it is in stark contrast to some of the figures quoted earlier.”
“During the same period, 33% of all referrals — some 1,493 — related to adults with a learning disability. The remainder related to the acute sector and the mental health, physical health and disability programmes of care.”
“<BR /> <BR />The NIASP report recorded a total of 7,782 referrals concerning potential adult harm for 2013, an increase of 36% on the previous year. Some 39% of those referrals — more than 3,000 — related to older people, 52% of which related to potential physical harm. The next most prevalent form of harm to older people was financial abuse, which accounted for 20% of all referrals. <BR /> <BR />The most recent available statistics are for April to September 2014. They show 4,500 referrals during that period, 1,596 of which — just over 35% — related to older people. Some 825 of the reported cases involved regulated facilities or services relating to older people's programmes of care. The most prevalent type of harm to older people continues to be physical abuse.”
“The NIASP annual report for 2013-14 shows that the majority of adult safeguarding investigations — some 70% and covering all programmes of care — did not take place in care home settings. It is, of course, highly probable that the true extent of harm that is caused to adults in their homes is unknown as a result of under-reporting. <BR /> <BR />Many Members quoted the dramatic statistical rise for abuse referrals. Whilst that rise is shocking and absolutely intolerable, I urge Members to exercise some caution. The issue has had a much higher public profile in recent years, and there is no doubt that many people are more aware of the subject and are also more aware of how to report it. To some extent, that explains the very significant increase in the figures, but the statistics are still very worrying indeed.”
“It is particularly abhorrent when it is perpetrated by individuals who are entrusted with their care or support needs, whether they are a carer, someone in a residential setting or a family member in the adult's home. <BR /> <BR />Statistics produced by the Health and Social Care Board-led Northern Ireland Adult Safeguarding Partnership (NIASP) show an increase in adult safeguarding referrals, not just in relation to older people but in general. Referrals were also received relating to adults who were experiencing mental health difficulties or adults with a learning disability. <BR /> <BR />The statistics also show that harm was perpetrated outside the care home system.”
“At the outset, may I say that it is remarkable that Mr Brady's mother is doing so well and is about to reach the ripe old age of 106? I am sure that he is aware that Mrs Brady is entitled to a telegram from Her Majesty The Queen, not only for her 100th birthday but for each subsequent year, so she could be owed seven telegrams. If he requires any assistance, I have quite a lot of experience of doing that and have a contact in the palace. I could arrange the seven telegrams that I am sure she is missing at the moment. <BR /> <BR />I listened to the debate carefully and am grateful for the opportunity to respond. Let me start by making my position very clear. As people like Mr Poots, Mr Givan and Mr McCarthy said, the abuse of any adult who cannot protect himself or herself is intolerable, no matter where it happens or who is responsible.”
“Just for clarification, the Father of the House is not the oldest Member but the longest-serving Member of the House. I think it is important that I emphasise that point to the honourable Member.”
“We also must ensure that we avoid any action that might promote a culture of fear, blame or defensiveness in reporting concerns about patient safety or reporting mistakes when they happen.”
“No retribution will be taken against anyone who comes forward with problems. Sometimes, the lessons that we learn from that openness are absolutely invaluable. People spot things on the ground or in the ward or clinic that, you would think, are blindingly obvious but are not until someone spots and reports them. Therefore, I want to instil the view that people will want to do it and do it regularly. I know that there will be the odd facetious or time-wasting complaint, but, on many occasions since I have come into this post, I have learnt enormously from people putting pen to paper, often through their MLA, to say that the service has fallen below that which is acceptable. We expect that the engagement will be based on the principles of openness and transparency.”
“— have this portfolio. Maybe, Mr Swann, you want it next time round. Be careful what you wish for, because it is indeed a very challenging position. The fact is that two of the largest parties have already had the opportunity of holding this post and there was not exactly a huge enthusiasm from those Ministers either to implement the inherent changes that Sir Liam mentioned. <BR /> <BR />The duty of candour, which I see as crucial, will apply to everybody at every level in the health service. We are talking literally from the cleaner who sees an unsafe practice in his or her ward right up to the thoracic surgeon — the eminent clinical expert — who might see something regarding radiography, anaesthetists or something that he or she has a duty to report. <BR />Equally, I want the public to feel absolutely safe.”
“First of all, I accept that, when Health was being selected under d'Hondt at the first Executive meeting after the election, I noticed that many parties in this room were not fighting their way to the front demanding that they —”
“<BR /> <BR />There is absolutely no indication in Sir Liam's report about what that will lead to on the ground. However, I know that whatever we decide will provoke a massive public reaction. Are we mature enough, as MLAs and as an Executive, to have that debate and to respond to that public reaction in a mature way? I do not know, but I think that Sir Liam is absolutely right to flag this up again as a very important issue that has to be tackled. That is because, eventually, as I said, the royal colleges and the BMA may make the decision for us that we simply will not be able to continue to spread the service as thinly as we have up to now.”
“Sir Liam was not asked to and did not identify any services that should be reduced, expanded or closed. However, he said that we — the "we" being the 108 MLAs in this Building — need that educated, coherent, sensible debate on what is the best way to deliver the services on the ground. Whatever the decision, it will be made following that debate and with the Assembly's agreement. We could not deliver it any other way. There has to be that mature debate. Once again, we are reminded that a debate that Developing Better Services prompted at least 10 or 12 years ago has not really matured into a decision-making process. We can do that only if the Assembly parties unite, have the debate and come to a common policy on it in conjunction with the Minister.”
“We are also receiving money through the change fund. We made a successful bid for additional money for medicines management through that fund. That was one of our four successes. I see this as a way of improving efficiency by using pharmacists and their skills better and by bringing the medicines budget under some form of control. At one stage, I thought that it was beginning to run out of control, but at least it has now been brought under some form of control. Again, Sir Liam spotted that and made specific recommendations on how we use pharmacists. We also have to keep the community pharmacists on board, and negotiations are going on at the moment that preclude me from going any further on that.”
“We have made considerable savings. When I first became the Chair of the Health Committee, the total community pharmacy drugs budget was £400 million, and I think that that is now down to £362 million. That has been achieved by driving up the generic prescription rate — I believe that the last rate that I saw was something like 72%. Every one percentage-point improvement in the generic rate saves us about £4 million. So, we are making progress. <BR /> <BR />We are also looking at proposals to reduce the number of smaller items that are available on prescription. It strikes me as strange that food supplements, suntan oil, Savlon and other potions and medicines available over the counter for a small price are still available on prescription. So, we are moving in the right direction as far as pharmacies are concerned.”
“However, that does not mean that should not have an informed debate about whether we are spreading our expertise and clinical excellence and services over far too many buildings. The answer from every world authority that has looked at Northern Ireland is that we are doing that. We cannot keep running away, for decade after decade, from the fact that our present system is not the one that we want but the one that we have. It is certainly not the one that we need.”
“Everybody supported reducing the number of buildings and structures in which we provide health care until it came to the structure or building in their area. Suddenly, they manned the barricades and said, "No"; we need to streamline but not in west Tyrone, north Antrim or north Down", or wherever else. The barricades were immediately manned on that issue. <BR /> <BR />What Sir Liam is saying is that we will come under huge political pressure to deal with that issue, and maybe the only way that we can deliver on it is to hand the decision to somebody else. I see that as a very controversial recommendation, and I give the commitment that decisions will be taken by elected representatives in the Assembly.”
“I detected a question in the previous statement. He is the first Member to have concentrated on recommendation 1. I will not abrogate my responsibility. Any decisions taken on the structure of the health service and provision in Northern Ireland rest with me and the Department, in conjunction and consultation with the Assembly and the Executive. <BR /> <BR />I think that where this is coming from is that Sir Liam has detected, quite rightly in my opinion, that we have looked at the issue through Developing Better Services and Transforming Your Care and will look at it again as a result of his report. We all understand the considerable pressures that MLAs come under when that is suggested. <BR /> <BR />Transforming Your Care was quite interesting.”
“I am glad that Sir Liam has pointed us in the direction of improving on that.”
“My Department has been working to develop a number of indicators and targets that can be used to monitor patient safety. Data relating to pressures, pressure ulcers, infections, falls in hospitals, weekend death rates and hospital mortality have all been developed within the last few years. We will continue to explore the development of further metrics as appropriate. Whilst metrics can be compared within and between trusts, we need to ensure that appropriate conclusions are reached. Any disaggregation of information has to be fit for purpose and applicable to Northern Ireland, rather than, of course, on the scale of North America. <BR /> <BR />So, that is a work in progress. We are already doing quite a bit on that statistical analysis, but it must ultimately lead to improved outcomes and better patient safety.”
“I do not want the public to come away with a negative impression of the quality of health care in Northern Ireland. The reality is that, in cold, hard statistics, in many aspects of care, we perform extremely well. In prostate cancer, breast cancer and cardiac surgery, Northern Ireland can hold its head up very high in the overall UK and European context. We gather a lot of statistics in Northern Ireland. We have a cancer register, for instance, which is a very modern tool to identify that acute condition. I do not want to indicate that Sir Liam is saying that we have a shortcoming. <BR /> <BR />I recognise the importance of ensuring that we can measure performance and patient safety and understand our progress in that area. Meaningful, relevant and timely information relating to safety and quality is essential.”
“I believe that a culture of transparency and candour will ensure that, when those unfortunate incidents happen — we need to put this in context, given that there are about 1·7 million procedures in hospitals every year — there will be immediate openness, and they will be reported. Basically, one common theme of Sir Liam's report is that you cannot be too open and honest with your clinicians, trusts and, most importantly, patients, so he is pushing on an open door.”
“Sir Liam has been very helpful in suggesting that we look at the English situation, where they do have never events. As a matter of urgency, we must devise a list of things that should never happen, and we can do that quite rapidly if we decide that it is the proper route to go down. Absolute basics such as a patient being treated in the wrong ward or given the wrong medication are never events that should not happen if there are proper procedures. Many of those will already fall under the SAI system, whereby, if things go badly wrong, they become serious adverse incidents. The duty of candour will be such that, if that occurs, people will have to be told immediately. We are talking about a tiny minority of cases. When it does happen, however, those can go disastrously wrong.”
“Do we simply try to make do or do we try to improve it? We may reach the stage, as we did with Downe and Lagan Valley, when the decision is taken out of our hands, and the royal colleges and the regulator will say that we have to close a service or reduce its hours because we simply do not have the staff. <BR /> <BR />I see signs of stress throughout the system, particularly at nights and weekends. It is two tier in the sense that you will still have a good outcome, but it is about how long we can sustain it, and I have my doubts. Sir Liam was absolutely right to raise the issue. It is coming to all the health authorities in the United Kingdom, but particularly so in Northern Ireland, given that, because of history and tradition, we spread our service over so many units in comparison with the rest of the UK.”
“Sir Liam has highlighted this issue. Whilst in most of our hospitals, during daylight hours, it is possible to provide a high-quality service, in the evenings and at weekends the system is under considerable stress. Whilst I believe that it is still safe and sustainable, if the workforce planning reviews are correct, we are going to find it more and more difficult, and expertise will be spread so thinly over so many units of care while expecting the same high standard 24/7. We are already finding it difficult to fill essential positions such as middle-grade doctors and consultants in many of our hospitals. I again come back to the fact that we would not start from where we are today; we would concentrate resources on a smaller number of sites. We have to initiate a very difficult debate in the Chamber: where do we take the structure?”
“If they see something wrong or something that can be improved, they have a duty to come forward and be honest and open, without it being held against them in any shape or form.”
“Equally, however, we have some absolutely first-rate senior managers in Northern Ireland. Every time I go round hospitals and clinics, I see their work in action; I see them working well beyond their contractual hours and absolutely dedicated to their role. We need to give those individuals the confidence to come forward when they see a role for improvement, and to welcome, encourage and nurture that, rather than this reticence that we still find in some aspects of the health-care system, where proposing change is seen as negative. That should not be occurring. Therefore, again, the duty of candour that will be given to senior clinicians and managers will encourage them to regard candour not as a nice add-on but as an imperative.”
“The honourable Member has raised a crucial issue, and it ties in clearly with the duty of candour. When all our senior staff are empowered and feel free to report all incidents, the standard of provision will be raised enormously. At the moment, 80,000 adverse incidents and 400 serious adverse incidents are reported every year. I do not see it as a bad thing if we increase that process, so that we can learn from where we are getting it wrong or getting it right. <BR /> <BR />We have also undertaken surveys, such as the 10,000 Voices project, to give patients the opportunity to use narrative to describe their experience of the health service, using their unique stories. Patients who share their story retain anonymity from the health-care provider, and I think that senior health professionals can learn from that.”
“Young people coming out of medical school do not see being a GP as an attractive career route. How we increase the number of young people who adopt the view that being a GP is the best career to follow is being regarded as a matter of urgency. So, whilst Sir Liam's report was comprehensive, it could not look into every aspect of health care in Northern Ireland. However, I am content that, were we able to implement fully most or all of his recommendations, many of the structural problems that face health in Northern Ireland would be resolved. I therefore welcome that, but, in the short period he had, he could not have carried out an all-encompassing review of the health service in Northern Ireland.”
“You will recall, Mr Byrne, that Sir Liam was originally brought in over specific problems regarding the Northern Trust and the Belfast Trust, particularly the reporting of serious adverse incidents and the openness and transparency within the system. In the course of his investigations, he realised that there were other major issues, such as TYC commissioning and the configuration of health provision, which were so important that they had to be mentioned in his report. He was not actually asked to look, per se, into GPs, pharmacy etc. <BR /> <BR />As I outlined yesterday, we are having real problems with workforce planning in health care, particularly at that level. We are 20% short of GPs. A quarter of GPs are over 55. We are having a workforce review to address that.”
“This offers not only a chance to deliver better medical services but an opportunity for really important secure jobs in the Northern Ireland economy. We have shown ourselves very capable of taking on new medical technology and using it to stimulate our economy and, in the case of Randox, make exports to over 140 countries. Sir Liam has come into the Northern Ireland context and recognised something that we had been concentrating on as well.”
“We should celebrate the fact that people from around the world have come to see and use that technology. We are consulting on a draft e-health and care strategy. That has just concluded, and the responses received will be evaluated to consider what steps need to be taken, including any steps necessary to ensure that Northern Ireland remains at the forefront of technological innovation. <BR /> <BR />Northern Ireland does this well not only in healthcare but in manufacturing. As I have mentioned before, the then Chair of the Health Committee and I were in Cuba two years ago and were very interested to see that a lot of the diagnostics being undertaken in Cuba were being down with equipment made by Randox in Crumlin. I had the pleasure of explaining to the people of Havana where Crumlin was.”
“Northern Ireland has shown itself to be adept in using new technology. I had the privilege of visiting Daisy Hill Hospital on Thursday to see the way that new technology is used there for speech and language therapy for stroke patients, and I was very impressed. A few years ago, the Southern Trust won the award for the best telemedicine service in the United Kingdom. That was a remarkable achievement, given the names of some of the other leading health trusts in the United Kingdom that the Southern Trust beat to win that award. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the fact that Sir Liam has mentioned this. Whilst we are not complacent, we see some very interesting ways forward. For instance, the regional radiology information service, known as NIPACS, is one of the largest systems of its type in the world.”
“This will require delicate negotiations with the organisations that represent pharmacists in Northern Ireland, and I am keen to take that forward.”
“All those roles align with wider transformational changes in the health service designed to bring care closer to the home. Pharmacists have already shown themselves to be very useful in the minor ailments programme, for instance. There is also a proposal under Transforming Your Care that pharmacists will play a more important role, with GPs forming confederations where they can employ a pharmacist to take on the heavy burden of administering prescriptions and repeat prescriptions in GP surgeries. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the fact that Sir Liam has raised an issue, as I highlighted at Question Time yesterday, that we had our concerns about, which is that pharmacists are underutilised and their skills could be better used in the community.”
“The Member for West Belfast has raised an issue, and I have to be a wee bit circumspect, because action may be taken by representatives of community pharmacists on the issue of payment. I do not know how far down the line that has gone, but I have to be relatively careful in what I say. <BR /> <BR />What I can say is that it is clear that pharmacy has so much more to offer than simply the administration and checking of prescriptions. The expertise that is so evident in that profession should be used to make certain that we deliver first-rate care. The strategy for the provision of pharmacy services in the community sets out an expanded role for pharmacists in medical organisation and public health targeted training, such as medicines adherence, brief interventions, self-care and the management of long-term conditions in the community.”
“<BR /> <BR />We need the media to give all of Sir Liam's recommendations widespread coverage, and we need to engage the entire community. I do not accept Mr McCarthy's view that this is one review too many. This one, because it is bespoke for Northern Ireland and deals with crucial issues, is complementary to other reviews such as the RQIA's review and the College of Emergency Medicine's review, which have achieved solid changes in how we deliver A&E and ED in Northern Ireland that patients have benefited from. Reviews are only mistaken if we do not act on them. Much of what Sir Liam has indicated in his report will be policy and will be enacted within this calendar year.”
“I have to resist the temptation. Sir Liam was quite critical of the influence of the media in his final report and throughout his review. Some may wish to use the report to engage in a witch-hunt against the media or elements of it, but let me be clear that that is not something that I advocate. I recognise that the media's job is difficult and complex, and my reading of the report is that there is food for thought for all of us in Northern Ireland: those who are in public life; those working in the health service; and members of the public, including the media. The media will give this report intense scrutiny and open up the debate, which I welcome. I noticed this morning that it was the first item of news on all the broadcasts, which was good.”
“We need an open and honest debate among all Members about the best way to provide a first-rate service.”
“I have no doubt that, if I have missed anything he said, I will get it in next week's 'Newtownards Chronicle' anyhow. I guarantee that much of this is for the benefit of the local media rather than me. <BR /> <BR />To be fair to Mr McCarthy, we simply have to look at the way we deliver our service. When he gets a chance to read the report in detail, particularly recommendation 1, and raise it with Sir Liam tomorrow at the Health Committee, he will see that he has expressed the same concerns as numerous experts about developing better services through TYC and said that we would not start from where we are today in Northern Ireland to provide a high-class sustainable and safe service. That is uncomfortable reading, but we cannot continue to run away from this.”
“First, Mr Allister raised a very valid point and so has the Member. I was given an assurance that the document would be in the hands of Members by 9.00 am. As soon as I leave the Chamber, I will investigate this, because this statement is far too important for Members to find themselves having it thrust into their hands five minutes before the debate on it. So, point taken. I will make certain, even if I have to go to the pigeonholes myself at 9.00 am, that the Member is not put in this position again. <BR /> <BR />The tough choices are alluded to in Sir Liam's report, where again he says that we are not where we should be in terms of provision in Northern Ireland. Our essential services and expertise are dissipated and spread too thinly over far too many buildings in Northern Ireland —”