Tom Buchanan
West Tyrone · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“However, the Bill must give hydro operators clarity and confidence, through a sustainable licensing framework with long-term regulatory certainty, to enable them to invest and upgrade, modernise and improve fish pass technology.”
“I note that quite a bit of work in the Bill falls to the Department with regard to monitoring, enforcement and scientific assessment, which will require adequate resourcing. <BR /> <BR />The Bill must strike the right balance between encouraging investment and protecting sensitive freshwater habitats.”
“I welcome the opportunity to say a few words at Second Stage of the Fisheries, Aquaculture and Water Environment Bill. It is overdue legislation, which touches on three interlinked systems: commercial fisheries; growing the aquaculture sector; and the wider water environment, with an ambition to modernise regulation while supporting susta…”
“<BR /> <BR />Hydro schemes and hydropower to produce clean energy that will contribute to decarbonisation targets must be catered for in the Bill, with a clear vision for their future expansion. Those are not abstract infrastructure projects but local assets that generate clean renewable energy while supporting employment in rural areas.”
“Minister, under your watch, many miles of posts and wire fencing were put up along the A5 western transport corridor. However, in the past few weeks, a good bit of that has been removed by a mechanical digger and pushed into a pile for dumping.”
“In reality, however, every notice, every new form and every new administrative step will be another cost to councils. We simply cannot keep relying on councils to pick up the cost. We cannot pretend that council budgets are elastic, with plenty of stretch left in them. As is the case in many other sectors, councils are under pressure.”
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“That is why the new acute mental health facility in Omagh is urgently needed so that people suffering from mental health problems can access the right specialist treatment in a timely and effective manner. <BR /> <BR />Strabane has been reported as being disproportionately affected by suicide. Most of those who die are aged between 25 and 35. Alarm bells should be ringing that young people — our next generation — feel so despondent and hopeless about the state of their lives and clearly see no help being available to them. <BR /> <BR />In the New Decade, New Approach agreement, an emphasis was placed on a greater focus on mental health and well-being, and delivering lasting changes and improvements to such services.”
“People who live in urban areas have easier access to mental health services. In West Tyrone, many of those struggling with their mental health do not know where to turn. Only 29% of people in Northern Ireland have contact with a secondary mental health service before death, whereas the figure in England is 91%. <BR /> <BR />The dearth of mental health services in rural communities has been highlighted and researched by Ulster University. It shows that there has been a particular reliance on general practitioners for mental health promotion and treatment. While GPs have knowledge of mental health conditions and diagnoses, it is not their specialist field.”
“It is a sad reality that, across the United Kingdom, one farmer takes their own life every week. The Farm Safety Foundation suggests that 81% of young farmers believe that mental health issues are the biggest hidden problem facing farmers today. In too many cases, the issues that they struggle with go undetected and undiagnosed for far too long.”
“Multiple factors contribute to that in rural communities: poor access to services; unemployment; welfare reform; hidden rural poverty; and an ageing population. It is an inequality in the health service that those living in urban areas are 74% more likely to receive medication for anxiety and 65% more likely to have received medication for depression than those, such as the people whom we represent in West Tyrone, who live in rural communities. In rural areas, families of those who have committed suicide have shared the distress of trying to get appropriate help but feel impeded by a combination of stigma and failure of services. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for farmers and those who live in isolated communities to struggle with their mental health.”
“The demand for mental health services is increasing, and our health service is not prepared to cope with it. Figures show that Northern Ireland is reported to have a 25% higher rate of mental health problems than England and significantly higher rates of depression than the rest of the United Kingdom. Mental illness affects one in four people at some point in their life, causing major changes to their thinking, behaviour and physical and emotional feelings, affecting their ability to work and to have healthy relationships with others. Almost 50% of long-term absence from employment is due to mental health issues. <BR /> <BR />There is a great need for the acute mental health facility in west Tyrone. Statistics prove that the rate of diagnostics and treatment of mental health problems is lower in rural areas than in urban areas.”
“It was to be developed in two phases: the local enhanced hospital and primary care complex in phase 1; and the acute mental health unit in phase 2. The Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex opened on 20 June 2017, but, as of today, no movement has taken place on the development of the acute mental health unit. In 2018, the Developing Better Services project team, tasked with the development of the mental health unit, was redeployed and the project team stood down. At present, the business case for the facility is with the Department of Health for approval. However, every time we have asked about where it is, we are told that it is subject to future budget availability. <BR /> <BR />No one is immune from poor mental health. It is no respecter of persons.”
“<BR /> <BR />Under the Department's Developing Better Services programme, the Western Trust embarked on a programme of works aimed at delivering the best possible service for the people in the south-west quarter of Northern Ireland and further afield, taking into account the vast rural nature of the area. That entailed the development of the new South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen, the new local enhanced hospital in Omagh and further development at Altnagelvin Area Hospital. <BR /> <BR />The new local enhanced hospital consisted of a three-pronged development. The hospital was to have palliative care, rehabilitation, day-care services; a primary care complex for GPs; and an acute mental health unit.”
“I thank all of the Members who have come to the Chamber for the debate this evening. I thank the Minister for coming along to listen to the debate, and I trust that, following the debate, we will have some positive news coming out of it. <BR /> <BR />Since the late 19th century, Omagh, the county town of Tyrone, has been known for providing a hospital facility for patients suffering from a mental illness. The Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital, as it has been known since 1930, was opened in 1853 to accommodate 300 patients. The east and west wings were extended in the 1860s to accommodate more patients. Over the years, fortunately, great strides have been made in the medical profession so that patients with a mental illness can be treated in a much different setting.”
“— I thank everyone for contributing to today's debate. Mr Allister had his opportunity to speak, and everyone has heard what everyone else had to say. I commend the motion to the House.”
“Finally, the New Decade, New Approach agreement is the basis under which all parties came back into the restored institutions. We need to try to move forward with the agreement. All parties have differences, and we will not agree with everything that is in New Decade, New Approach, but we have to collectively seek to try to take that forward. Today, the Committee and this House can lead by example and start to move forward. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion —”
“It is not that the Assembly or this change is against anything to do with an opposition; far from it. It is to set out the timeline for opposition. Surely if a party, for two years following an election, is not able to make up its mind on whether it wants to go into opposition, it is a matter for that party.”
“That was the response that was received when the Committee asked for the reason for the two-year period. That was the response from the Minister of State for Northern Ireland. That is the response that was received. <BR /> <BR />We have listened to the folk in the House today who have spoken on this. Sinéad Bradley spoke of the Committee being tasked with this issue as part of NDNA. As a Committee, we honoured our part in seeking to bring this issue forward. Kellie Armstrong also supported the change. Gerry Carroll outlined the concerns around the two-year rule, as he did in Committee, as did Jim Allister. However, I feel that, following an election, if parties within the Executive do not know after two years whether they want to go into opposition, it is a matter for them . They have a two-year space and a two-year opportunity.”
“If we had been in different circumstances than we find ourselves in today, the Committee would have brought these proposals to the House within the time frame of three months from the formation of the Executive in January 2020. <BR /> <BR />The Committee expedited the issue when it returned to normal proceedings in September and has fully considered the legal advice that it received. There was some opposition in the Committee to the amendment, and we have heard those concerns expressed in the House today. In particular, the political rationale behind the two-year period. However, in his response to the Committee, the Minister of State for Northern Ireland fully explained how that was determined.”
“I welcome the opportunity to conclude today's debate on the motion to amend the Standing Order. First, I would like to thank the Members who contributed and expressed concerns on this. As outlined, the amendment has come to the House today as the New Decade, New Approach agreement contemplates an amendment to the Assembly and Executive Reform (Assembly Opposition) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 to provide that a party can enter the official Opposition under the Act up to two years following the formation of the Executive. We have heard concerns about the two years part of it in the Chamber today. The Chairperson began by setting out the time frame of the Committee's consideration and explained the reason why the deadline of three months, as set out in New Decade, New Approach, was not able to be met.”
“Let us hope that, after this debate, we will see a change of attitude and that the Minister will be more determined to work proactively with the Minister of Finance and others to honour, by the end of the Assembly mandate, the commitment to implement enhanced police numbers in 'New Decade, New Approach'.”
“Thank you. That is a good point, and it is one that the Minister needs to take on board. <BR /> <BR />If I remember correctly, the Minister, in an interview shortly after taking up her post, indicated that she could not commit to an increase in police numbers. As my colleague Mr Clarke said in his opening remarks, the Minister, in response to Mervyn Storey, stated that this was not a priority for her. I wonder what message of confidence that sent to the rank and file of serving police officers. Those officers continually stand on the front line, and, because of the lack of numbers, they are continually asked to provide extra services and to do overtime in order to fill the gap. <BR /> <BR />Does the Justice Minister doubt the Chief Constable's evidence of need and demand?”
“Therefore, it is important that the delivery of enhanced numbers should go in tandem with making sure that budget arrangements are strategic and sustainable and meet the recurring cost of the additional manpower. <BR /> <BR />Let us not be distracted by the amendment, which calls for more funding from the British Government and takes away from the core issue. Policing and justice is a devolved matter. Therefore, we cannot lose sight of the pivotal role that the Justice Minister, working proactively with the Finance Minister, has in progressing the matter. I hope that, in responding to the debate, she will be so kind as to inform the House what progress she has made since taking up office to champion the cause of adequate police numbers as brought forward in the 'New Decade, New Approach' document.”
“It is important to point out that Patten recommended not only that the numbers should not go below 7,500 but that the number of part-time Reserve officers should be increased to 2,500. I wonder where that has got to and what work the Minister has been doing on that. Perhaps she will tell us in her response. <BR /> <BR />For the Police Service to be sustainable and effective, funding needs to be made available to recruit additional officers, and the required mentoring must be made available, as stated in 'New Decade, New Approach'. Patten made it clear that the figure of 7,500 officers:”
“Nobody in the Chamber today can put their hand on their heart and say that we are living in a Northern Ireland that is a "permanently peaceful society". We have recently seen reports about the New IRA recruiting significant numbers of young people. Its operations are still being uncovered by MI5, and we welcome that. MI5 itself has said that the threat presented by dissident republicans still exists and is still dangerous in Northern Ireland. The Police Service faces many issues, with COVID and all the other pressures, and it has to deal with the dissident republican threat, yet its numbers are not where they ought to be.”
“<BR /> <BR />Investigations and reports into the running of the PSNI have found a consistent theme, with difficulties for long-term planning because of the short-term nature of the funding that is provided for the service. Patten has been mentioned today but it bears repetition. The Patten report recommended that the number of police officers should not be reduced below 7,500:”
“I declare an interest as a member of the Policing Board. It is fair to say that there is consensus across the board that the PSNI is not the fully representative organisation that it ought to be, despite the huge demand on its services, which is more far-reaching and demanding than that of any other police service throughout the UK. The police have faced budget cuts year after year, which have consequently forced them to curtail the number of officers and police staff. With fewer numbers, it is inevitable that the same quality of service simply cannot be provided to the community. It should not come as any surprise to us that, as the level of overtime has gone up and the level of sickness and absence from work has increased, morale levels in the PSNI have gone down.”
“Minister, over recent days, there has been much media coverage of a potential circuit breaker across the UK and, indeed, across the Irish Republic. If that were to be the case, how would you see the Executive providing financial support to those who are unable to get to their place of work?”
“— who, as a result, will lose their life.”
“I thank the Minister for his response. That is not the first such incident that we have witnessed; indeed, only two weeks ago, my colleague Keith Buchanan raised a similar incident with you in the House. Do you agree that, although the GAA has now put some sanctions in place, it is a matter of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted? The players and supporters may well be guilty of passing on the virus to some vulnerable people in our society —”
“<BR /> <BR />I thank everyone who took part in the debate for their contribution, and I look forward to their support. I trust that the House will support the motion.”
“<BR /> <BR />A few people spoke during the debate, and I want to thank them for their support. The Chair of the Committee set out the overview, outlined the reasons for this being brought forward and talked about the things that can be learned. If the pandemic has taught us one thing, it is this: things can be done in a different way over a very short period. It did not take months to put in place some of the provisions that we are now using for our meetings, for voting arrangements and for all other things in the House. It shows that, where there is a will, there is always a way. Maybe that could apply in a lot of other areas in the House. Where there is a will, there is always a way forward, and we have seen that during this pandemic.”
“<BR /> <BR />Over the last few weeks, we have seen a rise in the number of people being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospital admissions are on the increase and further restrictions have been made to our everyday lives. Therefore, it is important that we make decisions, especially in this Chamber, that will protect life and protect the people. <BR /> <BR />The motion amends Standing Order 110 to allow the provisions in Standing Orders 110 to 116 to be temporarily extended until January 2021. We all hope, trust and pray that this virus is also only temporary. and that, one day, we will get back to the position where we no longer need to have these temporary provisions in place. It is essential, therefore, that we, as an Assembly, do all that we can to protect one another, to protect the staff and to protect the Building users.”
“I welcome the opportunity to conclude the debate on the motion to amend Standing Orders. I thank everyone who took part in the debate. As outlined, the amendment comes to the House as the current temporary provisions cease from tomorrow, 30 September. The provisions were originally agreed by the Assembly on 27 March. They were introduced not only to keep Assembly business and Committee operations running but to keep everyone safe during the pandemic. <BR /> <BR />I acknowledge that it has already been placed on record, but I would again like to commend the Business Committee, the Chairpersons' Liaison Group, Legal Services and the officials for reacting so quickly and bringing forward the solutions back in March this year.”
“What role does she believe the US can usefully play in helping to build sustainability in Northern Ireland?”
“Does the First Minister accept that there is much more to the north-west than the maiden city? Are Ministers open to the wider hinterland and areas that extend out further than the maiden city also benefiting from the funding?”
“Minister, thank you for being here this evening to discuss the issue. You place a lot of blame on landlords. They may have some responsibility, but surely the bulk of responsibility lies with the tenant who signed the tenancy agreement and signed up to all the issues relating to that agreement. Therefore the responsibility is on the tenant more than the landlord. It is the tenant's responsibility to adhere to what is on the tenancy agreement, and to the COVID regulations.”
“Will the Minister accept that it was totally absurd for his party to seek to block the scheme, resulting in a court case? Will he give the House a commitment that he will now do all that he can in his position to secure the funding for the scheme so that there are no further delays?”
“Thank you, Minister. Have you any plans for further tranches of tier 1?”
“I have listened to you, deputy First Minister. How do you expect the public to have any confidence in the Executive's response to COVID-19 in the future, following the developments of last Tuesday when you and a number of your MLAs blatantly broke the legislation that you were involved in making? Is it time to do the honourable thing: apologise to the people for the wrongdoing and step aside until a full investigation is carried out?”
“At this stage, can the Minister give any details of the powers that the commissioner will have? Will the commissioner have a legal background or any legal qualifications?”
“When churches can open and funerals can be held in them and other aspects, surely to goodness we can get them opened up for people who want to get married in a church setting and in a church building? We know what marriage is. It is between a man and a woman. It is traditional, and people want to hold on to it. They want to get married, but they are being held back from doing that. It is time that the Executive took the matter seriously, looked at it and made a decision for people to get married in their own church.”
“On the issue of marriage, the churches are opened up for people to meet, as Mr Allister said. You say that you are keeping this under review: when will the Executive look at the issue? Constituents have got on to me because they have had to cancel or postpone their wedding. They wonder whether the Executive have forgotten about them. They are still looking to get married and wonder when they will get married. There is little guidance for them, apart from, as has been said in the House, a fair-weather wedding. That is simply not good enough, when we have moved on to seeking to get reopened and to a more normal type of society, albeit with all the restrictions that we have to keep in place.”
“I thank the Minister for his response. It is disappointing that the money still has not been delivered to increase police numbers, as is in 'New Decade, New Approach'. Will the Minister give any indication or timeline for when he intends to come to the House with a more positive response, to say that the money has now been delivered to deliver on the commitment in 'New Decade, New Approach' to bring the police up to the quota that they are looking for?”
“I thank the Minister for his wide-ranging statement, and the vision and opportunities presented within the green growth strategy. Minister, you touched on this earlier, but would you agree that in the context of producing environmentally sustainable food, that Northern Ireland, and, indeed, the UK, are well-placed, and that, therefore, we should reduce our reliance on imported food that we have little or no control over how it is produced?”
“How will the Minister ensure that Tourism Ireland's priorities and resources are sufficiently focused on Northern Ireland for the next crucial period for our tourism sector?”
“Thank you, Minister, for the statement. Perhaps you can clarify how the schools included in your speech were selected. I will push the boat out a little bit: Omagh High School is awaiting an enhancement programme for a new school on the campus site in Omagh. Maybe you can give us some indication of when that will commence.”
“Thank you, Minister, for your statement to the House. I have one focused question for you. Car driving tests have been suspended for a number of weeks, and rightly so, but has any consideration been given to those who want to do their motorcycle test? They are prepared and ready to do it, and the motorcycle is a one-man/one-woman vehicle. The gear that people wear for the motorcycle indicates that it is safe enough and safe from a virus point of view, and there is social distancing. Has any consideration been given to looking at opening up that aspect of the testing so that somebody who is ready to do their motorcycle test can get it done?”
“In concluding its deliberations, the Committee agreed to introduce the new temporary Standing Orders and committed to working with the Speaker in future to facilitate any further measures. Incidentally, the Committee also agreed to write to the Assembly Commission to ask it to explore the facilitation of videoconferencing in all conference rooms. The measures in the motion will apply only until 30 September 2020 and can be reviewed, if necessary, prior to that date. On that basis and on behalf of the Committee on Procedures, I commend the motion to the House.”
“Discussions were also held around whether there should be more than two named persons when it comes to proxy voting — whether it should be two, three or more.”
“<BR /> <BR />During its deliberation of these proposals, members of the Committee on Procedures were generally content. There was some discussion around how proxy voting would work for smaller parties or independent Members who wished to show their opposition to a particular Question in the Chamber. Members also queried whether it would be possible to designate the named person only once, and not before every plenary sitting throughout the current situation, which would, in turn, be much more efficient for the Business Committee.”
“However, the proposed new Standing Orders allow for any member of a Committee, including the Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson, to attend a meeting remotely, by either video-link or telephone, and still contribute to quorum. The proposals also allow for a member of a Committee to vote by video-link or telephone. Further to this, the proposed Standing Orders provide for any member who is not able to attend a meeting in person, to delegate authority to another member of the Committee to vote on their behalf. <BR /> <BR />Finally, regarding decision-making, the proposed Standing Orders provide for a Committee to make decisions without meeting at all, using a procedure whereby the Chairperson could provide members with the detail surrounding the issue, and then gather views and seek consensus from members via correspondence.”
“The same applies for the collection of smaller parties and independent Members. <BR /> <BR />The proposed Standing Order 115 provides for a similar model for plenary sittings. Notice must be given in writing to the Speaker where a Member allows their vote to be made by another Member. This should result in a much smaller number of Members being present in the Chamber, and also for fewer Members to pass through the Lobbies. <BR /> <BR />I will briefly cover the proposed changes to Committee business. The proposed Standing Orders 115 and 116 cover Statutory and Standing Committee business. In relation to Committee quorum, the Chairpersons' Liaison Group agreed that it would remain at five when a decision needs to be taken.”
“Consideration has been given to whether that principle could also be applied in the current circumstances to allow votes to be cast on behalf of Members so they do not have to physically be in the Chamber to go through the Lobbies. Currently, Standing Order 55(7) provides for each party delegation present at the Business Committee:”
“That is extremely problematic in the current circumstances and the situation we find ourselves in. However, the Assembly already has limited provision for proxy voting under Standing Order 27(11), which provides that:”
“<BR /> <BR />That provides a short background to these amendments, and I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Speaker, the Business Committee and the Chairpersons' Liaison Group for bringing these changes to the Committee on Procedures at such a crucial time. <BR /> <BR />I will briefly cover what these proposed changes will mean for ongoing Assembly and Committee business. Regarding plenary sessions and Assembly business, it is imperative that Members maintain social distancing at all times during the current period. That includes in the Assembly Chamber and especially during Divisions. Social distancing cannot be maintained should a Division be called. We are all aware that under current Standing Orders, all Members who wish to vote must pass through at least one of the Lobbies in the Chamber.”