Diane Dodds
West Belfast · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Minister, that is a brilliant segue into the question that I will ask. Just over 5% of women who are now seen within the 14-day target for a suspected breast cancer in Northern Ireland. That has happened since the list was regionalised. I get the fact that cancer cases are rising, but —”
“Minister, for Members and those who are listening to the debate, it is important that you tell us what "actively being considered" means on a day-to-day basis.”
“Thank you, Minister. The Muckamore inquiry report demonstrates a shameful period for our health service, and no one involved can, in any shape or form, come out of this with any kind of credibility.”
“Let me be clear: experimental treatment on children that can have lifelong implications is unconscionable. Children of 11 or 12 are in no position to give clear consent to the use of such drugs, especially when those administering the treatments had them banned because of the lack of evidence on their long-term impacts.”
“Once again, I will speak in the House about puberty blockers and the nationwide trial run by King's College. I now understand that the Government will issue new guidance that will allow such a trial to go ahead.”
“It is now anticipated that more than eight out of 10 couples in which the woman is under 40 will conceive naturally, but that leaves two out of 10 who will need additional interventions. Over a lifespan, that is a fairly substantial number of people.”
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“Economic recovery is not for just the Department for the Economy; it is for the Executive, and it will require cross-party and cross-departmental working in the Executive if we are to be effective with our economic recovery. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Committee for publishing the report. An effective Committee needs to strike a balance between supporting a Minister and holding a Minister to account for the decisions that they make. I trust that, as we plot our way through the coming months, the Committee will continue to play a constructive role and will work with the Department. We will get through this, and we will emerge more determined and more focused than ever before, and we will develop an economy that is fit for Northern Ireland's second century.”
“<BR /> <BR />We have secured an additional £12 million in funding in order to encourage consumer confidence and stimulate demand. That is an area that we intend to focus on in the new year in order to reboot and renew that really important part of the community. <BR /> <BR />The green recovery was mentioned. Many in the House will have heard me speak time and again of the importance of the green recovery to Northern Ireland, the economic opportunity that we will have in clean energy and the commitment to ensure that at least 70% of our electricity by 2030 is generated from renewables. That is a huge commitment, but it is a whole-Executive commitment because it will also require sensible planning decisions to allow those commitments to be fulfilled.”
“We want to invest in it, we are investing in it, and it is nobody's poor relation. <BR /> <BR />Connectivity was mentioned by many Members. I know that connectivity is key to economic success. I assure Members that I have been using my influence on it. I spoke recently to the people doing the Union connectivity review, and I have just secured £2 million to support connectivity and an air routes fund. <BR /> <BR />We had some observations about tourism and hospitality and how they have been so devastatingly impacted by COVID-19. Our tourism recovery steering group already has a draft report. I hope to work, as a matter of priority, with the sector as demand for travel returns and as we can see, with the roll-out of the vaccine, a more normal approach to our everyday life and to our holiday and tourism plans.”
“I want to address another remark that Mr O'Dowd made about the further education sector, which he said was perhaps the poor relation in the education sector. I just want to put on the record that, very shortly, I will open new further education colleges in Banbridge and Armagh. I look forward to opening the new further education college in Enniskillen as part of the South West College. Just last week, I announced an investment of £45 million in a new further education college in Coleraine and the tender for the contract for the new Ballymena further education college. I would like to think that, in Craigavon, after the legal case is settled, we will see the new £50 million further education college there. I hope that that demonstrates to the House that further education is something that we are incredibly proud of.”
“We need that kind of approach, which allows us to look at research and innovation as essential to the development of the economy.”
“I look forward to working with the Committee in addressing the skills gaps and, indeed, the gaps in skills funding. It would be a tremendous testimony to the work of the Minister and Committee if we could make sure that we restored skills funding in Northern Ireland to its 2012 levels. <BR /> <BR />In response to Mr O'Dowd's comment, I say that skills are about research and development. Yesterday, I was speaking to the vice chancellor of Queen's University, which is now noted as one of the best universities in the whole of the United Kingdom for its entrepreneurial activity. Investors tell me that that link between academia and industry is a reason to come and invest in Northern Ireland.”
“They will need our help to retrain and to develop new skills to maximise their exposure to the jobs market. Many Members have mentioned this impact of COVID, and we are working on a skills bridge programme for our manufacturing sector, as well as our apprenticeship programmes. <BR /> <BR />The Committee's report is correct in that a flexible, agile and skilled workforce will be essential to our economic recovery. As members of the Committee know, I am a firm supporter of investing in skills. I will very shortly be laying out our new approach to skills, a key element of which will be a skills system that addresses inequalities, providing everyone with access to education and training opportunities that will enable them to fulfil their potential.”
“Many of the contributions today have recognised the importance of that connectivity. It will transform the landscape for many of our citizens and businesses, but primarily across rural areas of Northern Ireland, and I welcome that. Broadband connectivity has always been important, but the pandemic and the restrictions that we have all had to live under have stressed its importance over and over again. The project is vital to our recovery and represents a considerable step towards bringing next-generation broadband services to the people who need them most. <BR /> <BR />Whilst working from home has been an option for many of us, for others it has not been possible. Restrictions have seen businesses closed to the public and staff furloughed. Many of these businesses have not been able to reopen, and employees will lose their jobs.”
“As the report points out, we are more reliant than ever on our technology infrastructure. Our everyday home lives have become intertwined with our work lives. We have all enjoyed watching our colleagues dealing with unruly children during important Zoom calls, delivering, perhaps, their most perceptive insights when they think that the mute button is still on. Thankfully, it is no longer seen as unprofessional but as part and parcel of how we work in 2020. <BR /> <BR />However, working from home has been extremely difficult for some, especially in rural areas, let down continuously by their broadband connections, creating stress and frustration. The House is aware that, only a matter of weeks ago, I announced the awarding of a £165 million contract to Fibrus Networks.”
“<BR /> <BR />I understand the Committee's concerns that sometimes the delivery of these schemes is slower than some of us would like, but the Chamber would rightly be the first to hold my Department to account when mistakes are made. I note that the report calls for decisions to be taken more quickly and the adoption of a less risk-averse approach. However, I caution that we are in charge of taxpayers' money, and it is important that reasonable requirements are in place to ensure that funding is directed to those who need it most and to safeguard against fraud and error. <BR /> <BR />The report makes a number of recommendations. While I cannot respond to them all now, I would like to address some of the key themes. The world of work has changed beyond recognition.”
“Considerable work has already been undertaken to assist businesses in their recovery. Earlier this year, I set out my vision for economic recovery in 'Rebuilding a Stronger Economy'. That paper sets out a short- to medium-term plan for recovery. I have also brought forward a number of initiatives. In addition to the various financial business support schemes, I have launched supports for digital capability and a scheme to keep apprentices in jobs, and I have announced financial planning grants and a high street stimulus plan to help us exit the period of restriction and deliver a shot in the arm for our economy as we firmly enter our recovery phase.”
“We must be very careful about which additional powers we seek and be clear on what we would do with such powers, if they were devolved. Devolving and using tax-raising powers would, as we all know, have to be offset against our significant subvention from Westminster. That would come at an enormous financial cost to the block grant. Anyone who thinks that now is the time to increase the level of taxation on hard-working families or struggling business is completely detached from the reality in our community across Northern Ireland.”
“I absolutely will. I commend that company, and I look forward to visiting it in the near future. It is a really classic example of entrepreneurship, innovation and support from our universities working together to create a new product for the time that we are in. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly is littered with long-term, glossy strategies that sit on a shelf only to be made redundant as they are overtaken by events. I must say that I favour shorter, more-focused plans that allow us to be more agile in our response. <BR /> <BR />I caution strongly against the Committee report's view that having greater tax-raising and revenue-raising powers would enable us to plan for the longer term, and with greater certainty.”
“The process of digitisation has proceeded at a pace that perhaps in other circumstances would have taken years, not months.”
“The Economic Advisory Group will continue to advise me and my officials on where else it sees opportunities for Northern Ireland in the global economy. <BR /> <BR />To capitalise on those opportunities, we need to be flexible and quick to respond. We must focus on the here and now but with an eye to the future. I understand the Committee's desire for a long-term economic strategy, but I question whether producing more long-term, strategic plans, stretching many, many years ahead, is the most sensible thing to do when technological advances are happening so quickly and changes to our way of life have accelerated so quickly. I have often said that COVID-19 is a clear demonstration of that. It has been both a disruptor and an accelerator for the economy.”
“Many Members indicated that we will need to stimulate the high street, and I am looking forward to rolling out in the new year the high street stimulus scheme, which I hope will support Northern Ireland shops, businesses and jobs. <BR /> <BR />The report quite rightly identifies Brexit as being a major challenge. Unfettered access to our biggest market and freedom to trade within the UK's internal market are hugely important. I note the agreement announced today, but I will resist comment until we see the details. <BR /> <BR />Throughout all of this during the past year, I have been hugely impressed by the resilience and determination of our tech sector. Northern Ireland is a global leader in cybersecurity, fintech and legal tech, but we can also lead the way in life and health sciences, advanced manufacturing and clean energy.”
“It has brought huge challenges to businesses and job losses for workers. That impact, unfortunately, is being felt most acutely by part-time workers, young workers and low-paid workers, many of whom are female. Again, that is why I have consistently warned of the impact of a cycle of restrictions and lockdowns and made it clear that, irrespective of what level of grant is available, it will not compensate for the loss of earnings or protect every job. <BR /> <BR />Recovering from the pandemic will require a Herculean effort, but I and my Department are determined to use the disruption as an opportunity to refocus and rebuild, concentrating on growth areas of the economy and on sectors in which new jobs will be created in the coming years.”
“Colleagues, I am grateful for the opportunity to respond to the debate, and I thank the Committee for this important work. <BR /> <BR />When devolution was restored earlier this year, many of us thought that the mandate would be dominated by the end of the transition period and establishing our new relationship with the EU and wider world. None of us could have predicted the enormous shock that would be delivered to our economy as a result of COVID-19. Since early in this pandemic, I have been warning that this was not only a health crisis but an economic one.”
“I have not spoken to the Minister of Education about that specific issue, but we all know that connectivity is key. It is king, and fibre is the new method of connectivity. Project Stratum will bring economic opportunity to your constituents in West Tyrone on an equal basis to those who live in larger urban settlements. That is a good thing for families, farms and jobs in the West Tyrone area. I look forward to seeing it roll out.”
“I have made my view very clear on that. The contract was awarded in such a way that the company that got it would be able to roll it out in a way that made most economic and technical sense. If we start to prioritise one area here, one area there and one area somewhere else, we will make the contract more expensive, and fewer homes and premises will then be included in the contract area. <BR /> <BR />Like you, I would like to see my constituents get broadband in their area as quickly as possible, and they would like to see me being able to chop and change things around, but that is not how it will work. We are rolling it out in the most economic and technically sensible way in order to get the most that we can from the contract and to include as many premises as we can in it.”
“Absolutely. It is really important to help businesses, and individuals as well. Perhaps the House, in the closing minutes of this Question Time, will want to know that part A of the COVID restrictions business support scheme has received 3,603 applications, of which, to date, support has been paid out to 2,544, with over £12 million being given to individuals in this period of restrictions. We hope to have all of part A of the scheme fully paid out by the end of the week, except for the one or two applications that are much more difficult to do. Part B of the COVID restrictions business support scheme will start paying out this week, with significant payments being made today and on Friday.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Much of what we do in the Department for the Economy is to support the broader economy and to support training and initiatives in the economy. That is why we launched our apprenticeship schemes, which are being received well by industry. We are creating new apprenticeships and supporting others. Kickstart is the Department for Communities' scheme, and I spoke with the Minister some months ago when Kickstart was announced for the rest of the United Kingdom. I understand that she is working up a scheme, and I encourage her to bring it forward as quickly as possible.”
“I sympathise with taxi drivers and coach operators. There already is a scheme for them, however. They have applied to it, and those applications have been verified, but if the Executive decide that there should be additional funding for that scheme to satisfy additional hardship payments, I will support that.”
“Of course, in the next year, one of our absolute priorities will be to restart and reboot the tourism economy so that we can see visitors coming back to Northern Ireland and ensure that jobs in that sector are secure for the future. Northern Ireland has a lot to offer tourists, and I look forward to working with the sector on that renewal. I hope to make announcements about that in the near future.”
“Of course, the Member will understand that the responsibility for looking after taxi drivers and the coach and haulage industries is with the Department for Infrastructure. It is the Department that regulates same and has brought forward the scheme in relation to same. <BR /> <BR />The COVID restrictions business support scheme is meant to look after the supply chain of businesses that are named in the restrictions. Therefore, they have to be named and be in the direct supply chain: they must have a contract with a named business. The best way in which to support taxi drivers is to have an open and free economy.”
“I absolutely will. What we might see from the discussions of the Joint Committee are high-level agreements coming out over the next number of days. Underneath those, however, will be a myriad of practical issues that the protocol has imposed upon us and which need to be resolved. I advise those in the House who call for full implementation of the protocol to step into my shoes for a brief period and listen to the difficulties of businesses that are struggling with the complexities of customs, export certificates and the cost to them. Another important issue for the House, and one that we need to keep reminding the Government of, is that cost to business and their promise to ensure that businesses do not have to bear it themselves.”
“Of course, we will reserve judgement on the agreement until we see the details.”
“I thank my colleague for his question. It is important that we reach a deal; I have said many times that that would be the best outcome for Northern Ireland. It is also important that we reach a conclusion on the issues that the protocol has thrown up for Northern Ireland. I do not support the protocol. I am not pretending about that to anyone in the House — everyone knows my view. However, we have practical issues to resolve for the good of the business community and economy in Northern Ireland, and to support jobs. That is important. <BR /> <BR />This morning, I spoke to my EU stakeholders group, which is made up of a wide range of businesses across Northern Ireland. We agreed with yesterday's statement from business leaders that a period to ease the adjustment is necessary given the late hour of the agreement.”
“I am completely aware of how difficult life has been over the last number of months. That is why, through the three support schemes that we brought out earlier this year, we paid out over £340 million to those who required help. I am also aware that that did not include everyone who needed help. That is why we have specifically targeted the self-employed who were unable to access the national self-employment income support scheme. That is a very important distinction. <BR /> <BR />The criteria for the new scheme were developed in line with those that the excluded group brought forward. They are also in line with those used in the Scottish and Welsh schemes of the same nature.”
“Of course, it will be up to the Executive to decide whether they want to include those people in the scheme. That would mean topping up national schemes, and the Executive would have to decide whether they want to do that and whether the Finance Minister has the funding for it.”
“I presume that the Member means the national self-employed income support scheme (SEISS). As I indicated, we have launched a scheme for the self-employed. That is for those who became self-employed after March 2019 and could not, therefore, have supplied a tax return to HMRC before we were struck by COVID in March 2020. The scheme that we have brought forward is broadly the same as the schemes that were developed in Scotland and Wales. I look forward to those who have been unable to access any support being able to access support through that scheme. <BR /> <BR />I presume that the Member is also asking about those who became self-employed, say, in 2018 or in late 2019, who have not had a particularly successful outcome through SEISS. Those people are not included in our scheme and would require a completely separate scheme.”
“It is important that we have access to the new trade deals that the United Kingdom will do. That is a huge issue for us. Of the 37 trade deals that the EU has, most, bar about three, have rolled over. As members of the United Kingdom, we will have automatic access to those rolled-over EU trade deals. We very much need to make sure that we have access to the new trade deals with the US, New Zealand and Australia on the same basis as every other part of the United Kingdom.”
“I will be very interested in the outcome of the discussions today and in the Minister's statement about the discussions to the House tomorrow.”
“The chief executive of Dairy UK will be very pleased that we were listening to him this morning. I, like you, will want to see the detail of what has been agreed. I have read the statement, which followed discussions that have been ongoing for a number of days. As I have said in the House on many occasions, for Northern Ireland and for the rest of the United Kingdom, it would be better if we were able to achieve that zero-tariff, zero-quota deal. We need the practical outcomes of the protocol to be agreed. As I said in an earlier answer, we can do that through either the Internal Market Bill or, with the agreement of the EU, the Joint Committee.”
“It is equally vital that we preserve the provenance of Northern Ireland goods so that Northern Ireland is not seen as a bit of a back door through which anybody and everybody can bring goods into the GB market. That would undermine us in the GB market and undermine the value and provenance of Northern Ireland goods. That is massively important as well.”
“As I said in my answer to the original question, the Government have said that they would bring in anti-avoidance measures. Those are likely to be measures around asking firms to prove that they are not using a particular route through Northern Ireland in order to avoid duty on the goods that they are bringing into the GB market. <BR /> <BR />A couple of things are massively important for Northern Ireland. We want to preserve our place within the United Kingdom's internal market. As I have said, it is the most important market for Northern Ireland. I know that the Member will be extremely interested in this. For agri-food in particular, it is absolutely vital that we preserve that place.”
“The Member will be glad to know that I spoke to the chief executive of Dairy UK on that very issue this morning. I assume that the Member refers to milk in Northern Ireland that may have been processed into cheese etc in the Republic of Ireland. We need a practical outcome to this so that, if it is done in that way, it is treated as a product of origin of one or the other. However, most importantly, what we need to ensure for all of our produce is that we have free access to the EU market in this respect and that we also have access to our biggest market. I will repeat this because it is worth repeating: Northern Ireland sells more in the Great Britain market than it does in the Republic of Ireland, the rest of Europe and the rest of the world all added together. That unfettered access to GB is absolutely vital.”
“The Executive have written to the Government supporting proposals from the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) that could act as an effective model for the agri-food sector in ensuring unfettered access.”
“<BR /> <BR />The SI covering goods from Northern Ireland into GB is too vague; it is not a comprehensive definition of a Northern Ireland-qualifying good. While international trade, including which measures will be taken to ensure that EU goods do not use Northern Ireland as a backdoor to the GB market, is a matter for the United Kingdom Government, it is important that the quality and provenance of Northern Ireland goods are preserved. The Government have yet to outline specific anti-avoidance measures that would be used against EU businesses attempting to avoid tariffs by bringing goods into Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the commitment to developing a sustainable longer-term definition of "qualifying", and anti-avoidance measures. Engagement with industry and the Executive on those is essential.”
“I thank the Member for her question. Given the tweets that we have just seen, and some of the issues that have been aired today, her question is timely. <BR /> <BR />Since taking office, my priority has been to ensure that Northern Ireland businesses continue to enjoy unfettered access to our largest market, Great Britain. I have engaged with our Government on a regular basis to ensure that, and I am pleased that those efforts are yielding results. <BR /> <BR />Unfettered access can be guaranteed by the United Kingdom through the Internal Market Bill by agreement in the Joint Committee. I note the latest reports. I also note, and the House should note, that I spoke to businesses this morning, and all agree that a pragmatic, practical outcome is desired.”
“I think that the Member knows well enough that I receive delegations from right across the spectrum of Northern Ireland, and I will treat their representations with respect and look at all suggestions that are put forward.”
“The Member, and Members across the House, will be in no doubt that a fully functioning economy is required to be open and devoid of restrictions. However, we are in the middle of difficult health circumstances, and, like my colleague Robin Swann, my advice to people is to be respectful of one another, remember the rules, wash your hands, keep your distance, and wear your face mask. If we do those things, we can have an economy that is freer and more open and able to trade. <BR /> <BR />I noticed today that the first woman in the world to receive the vaccine — although she lives in Coventry, and we will forgive her for that — is from Northern Ireland. I take that as a great sign of hope for the future, recognising that getting the vaccine rolled out is a mammoth challenge.”
“My Department is developing a scheme for limited companies. Again, we want to discuss the eligibility with the various business organisations that deal with those issues. We are doing that, and we will continue to work on it as quickly as we can. <BR /> <BR />I put on the record that we in my Department are managing parts A and B of the COVID restrictions schemes; we have launched the self-employment scheme; and we have almost finished working up the scheme for traditional pubs. We also have a scheme waiting for large hospitality, another for bed and breakfast businesses and we are working very hard on the high street stimulus scheme. I pay tribute to the officials from my Department for the work that they are doing in order to support businesses in Northern Ireland. That is an enormous workload on top of all the other day-to-day issues.”
“Details of the eligibility criteria, along with an eligibility checker, can be found on the NI Business Info website.”
“The Executive have agreed a funding allocation of £10 million to support the newly self-employed. The newly self-employed support scheme opened at 6.00 pm on 3 December and will provide financial support to those newly self-employed individuals whose business has been adversely impacted by COVID and who have not been able to access support from the UK Government's self-employment income support scheme. <BR /> <BR />The scheme will provide a one-off taxable grant of £3,500, enabling support for approximately 2,900 newly self-employed individuals. Invest Northern Ireland will deliver the scheme on behalf of the Department for the Economy, and the scheme will close to applications at 6.00 pm on 7 January 2021. <BR /> <BR />At scheme closure, any underspend will be considered and a top-up grant may be paid to eligible applicants.”
“Licensed premises that have been closed and that have been instructed to close will be able to apply for other grant schemes in the same way as others who have applied.”
“Mr Aiken is always willing to embarrass you at every opportunity, is he not?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I could not resist. I am not going to sing the happy birthday song, but I wish the Member a very happy birthday. Given all the challenges that he has been through, that is very welcome.”
“I am, of course, going to provide a full answer on the self-employed scheme. We launched that scheme to deal specifically with those who had no access to any interventions whatsoever. We have broadly employed the same criteria as the schemes in Scotland and Wales, and it is therefore in line with the criteria in the self-employment scheme (SES). That is why the scheme was designed and launched in the way that it was. <BR /> <BR />We are always willing to look at any of those issues, but we need to have the rationale. The reason for the 50% requirement is to protect those who are genuinely self-employed and to make sure that that is their main source of income.”
“I am on record many, many times in the House as saying that the best way to help the economy is to ensure that it is open and functioning and that people can go about their daily business. We are in the midst of a health pandemic. That, sadly, has brought great suffering to the hospitality sector, and particularly to those traditional pubs that have not been able to open for pretty much most of the year, maybe bar a week or two in late September/early October. That is why it is incumbent upon us to try to support them. I will bring forward the scheme to the Executive this week, hopefully. We are waiting on details of verification checks, and I know that the Member will appreciate that it will have to be done in such a way that we can authenticate and check applications.”