Samuel Gardiner
Upper Bann · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank Mrs Overend for her question. The Assembly Commission recognises the car-parking problems experienced by users of Parliament Buildings. The Commission is aware that some users of Parliament Buildings have experienced difficulty parking on busier days.”
“I thank Mr Buchanan for his question. Between May 2011 and the present, 36 school groups from the West Tyrone constituency, with 900 participants, have availed themselves of the Assembly's Education Service programme through visiting Parliament Buildings.”
“<BR /> <BR />Assembly senior management has already been involved in discussions with DFP to look at the possibility of obtaining further car-parking provision for users of Parliament Buildings. Unfortunately, at this time, DFP reports that there is little prospect of obtaining further spaces in the Stormont estate.”
“I thank Mrs Overend for her further comments. I support her sentiments and thank her for her supplementary. The Commission is aware of the ongoing and often serious parking difficulties at Parliament Buildings. I hope that the next Commission will identify it as an area for consideration with all speed.”
“Thank you for your supplementary. The main Assembly website and the dedicated Education Service website contain all the relevant information for groups wishing to take part in the education programme in Parliament Buildings. The Education Service also has a specific Twitter feed to raise awareness of the service.”
“I thank the Minister for her reply thus far. Can the Minister provide us with an update on the legal complaint from the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY), complaining about the way OFMDFM has conducted the consultation process?”
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“Thank you for your supplementary. The main Assembly website and the dedicated Education Service website contain all the relevant information for groups wishing to take part in the education programme in Parliament Buildings. The Education Service also has a specific Twitter feed to raise awareness of the service.”
“One such event has been held in the West Tyrone constituency in each of the past three years, with an average of 34 pupils attending each event. Six of the 11 post-primary schools in the area have participated in at least one event.”
“I thank Mr Buchanan for his question. Between May 2011 and the present, 36 school groups from the West Tyrone constituency, with 900 participants, have availed themselves of the Assembly's Education Service programme through visiting Parliament Buildings. In that same period, the Assembly's Education Service has delivered outreach programmes to six groups in the West Tyrone constituency, involving a total of 768 participants. The Education Service also facilitates Let's Talk events in each constituency on a regular basis. Those events afford an opportunity to older school pupils to question and debate with local politicians at constituency level. You will pleased at that. All post-primary schools in a constituency are invited.”
“I thank Mrs Overend for her further comments. I support her sentiments and thank her for her supplementary. The Commission is aware of the ongoing and often serious parking difficulties at Parliament Buildings. I hope that the next Commission will identify it as an area for consideration with all speed. I hope that that is acceptable to Mrs Overend.”
“<BR /> <BR />Assembly senior management has already been involved in discussions with DFP to look at the possibility of obtaining further car-parking provision for users of Parliament Buildings. Unfortunately, at this time, DFP reports that there is little prospect of obtaining further spaces in the Stormont estate. However, facilities management will continue to monitor the situation.”
“I thank Mrs Overend for her question. The Assembly Commission recognises the car-parking problems experienced by users of Parliament Buildings. The Commission is aware that some users of Parliament Buildings have experienced difficulty parking on busier days. Facilities directorate has, however, been able to ease the pressure on parking through staffing, some physical realignment of the lower east car park and by virtue of the provision of the overspill car park that came into service in 2011. Those measures provided the Assembly with an additional 40 spaces and have been well received by many car-park users. A further 35 parking spaces, including two for charging electric vehicles, are now available for upper car park users at the rear of Parliament Buildings.”
“I thank the Minister for her reply thus far. Can the Minister provide us with an update on the legal complaint from the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY), complaining about the way OFMDFM has conducted the consultation process?”
“I thank the Minister for her concerns and the interest that she is taking in the situation. However, many farmers in Upper Bann had land that was under water for weeks. It was recently announced that farmers in England would be given support payments worth up to £20,000. Does she think that farmers here are less deserving? What action will she take to assist them financially?”
“I thank the Minister for her reply. Does she agree that, as the Library Service is vital, it must have a secure base in this time of change in government?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer thus far. Is she aware, however, that the proposed new framework includes no mention of the previous support for Protestant and unionist communities to apply for rural development funding despite it being known that they need additional support? Will the Minister now consider that?”
“That will be a matter for the Commission to look at. Hopefully, it will meet with your requirements.”
“In line with the policy, only events organised at Parliament Buildings or DFP-approved events within the Stormont Estate have access to the lighting system. Only charitable community or non-profit organisations that are based in or have a significant connection to Northern Ireland and are celebrating a significant anniversary, such as their first, fifth, tenth, twenty-fifth or fiftieth, may, on occasions, be permitted to have Parliament Buildings illuminated in a special colour.”
“In line with the policy, the Assembly Commission also allows its charity of the year up to five days during its 12-month term, as well as granting up to a further eight days for other events during the calendar year.”
“I thank the Member for his question. At the meeting on 11 November 2014, the Assembly Commission agreed the policy for the external lighting of Parliament Buildings in order to manage the lighting of the Building on designated occasions whilst preserving the dignity of Parliament Buildings. <BR /> <BR />In line with the policy, the Commission scheduled up to four days during the calendar year for events of its choice. The four days chosen by the Assembly Commission for 2015 were Monday 9 March, International Women's Day, when the Building was purple; on Tuesday 17 March, St Patrick's Day, it was green; on Sunday 12 July, it was orange; and, on Wednesday 11 November, Remembrance Day, it was red.”
“I thank the Member for her question. To date, there has been no request to use defibrillators in Parliament Buildings. They are, however, tested weekly to ensure that they are fully operational.”
“I thank Mrs Dobson for her question. There are no plans to train any additional secretariat staff in the use of defibrillators, as the number of fully trained operatives is considered sufficient for the number of defibrillators in the Building.”
“The Assembly Commission is committed to ensuring that there is a positive health and safety culture throughout the organisation, and there are 18 staff trained in the use of defibrillators.”
“I thank Mr Robinson for his question. There are five defibrillators in Parliament Buildings located in the following areas: the front reception, the control room, the Blue Flax, the Long Gallery and the fourth floor, south corridor. Information on the location of defibrillators is provided on AssISt.”
“I thank the Minister for her response. Does she intend to extend all those schemes into the next financial year?”
“I thank the Minister for her information. She has even replied to what I was going to put to her in my supplementary question, so I do thank the Minister for that.”
“I will fill you in on this one anyway. Given the delay in deciding the June monitoring round, how does the Minister intend to prioritise her spending for the rest of the year?”
“Minister, is it possible for the Executive to survive this financial year without an agreement on welfare reform?”
“Does the Minister agree that, if we are to make meaningful progress in shared education, he needs to ensure that the restrictive barriers to fair employment across the sectors, such as the RE certificates, are removed?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Does the Minister agree with the recent report from the British Medical Association (BMA) that recommends that schools in Northern Ireland start offering free school meals to all pupils from the age of four to seven?”
“I thank the Minister for her response. Can the Minister provide some comfort for farmers that, if the Assembly were to be suspended, the farm business improvement scheme would still be available? Is she confident of that?”
“I thank the Minister for the information thus far. Does he believe that the Southern Trust will be able to deliver its share of the overall £113 million planned trust cuts without seeing a decline in the safety and quality of care offered to patients?”
“I thank the Minister thus far. Can the Minister give her assessment of the problem of the illegal meat trade in Northern Ireland? In particular, what is she doing to clamp down on it in border areas, where the problem is especially rife?”
“Will the Minister outline the Department's approach to Japanese knotweed and other invasive species?”
“I hope so. The Minister needs to accept some accountability for this: he works with the PSNI daily. Does the Minister accept that neighbourhood policing connects the police with the population on the ground and that his decision has only put greater distance between the police officers and the community that they are here to serve?”
“I thank the Minister very much for that report, and I am warmly encouraged to hear that the residents will be compensated. Have you any idea what the figure is likely to be, Minister?”
“Does the Minister agree that attracting inward investment should remain primarily an Invest Northern Ireland role but that the new super-councils, with their enhanced economic development role, can make their areas more attractive places in which to do business?”
“Like two of my colleagues who have already spoken, I am fully in support of this. It has been gone through in detail. It is just a pity that the Member who is opposing the motion before us was not in attendance that day. I fully support the motion before the House and support my two colleagues who have already spoken in favour of it.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. What criteria will he establish across the whole of Northern Ireland to make teaching staff redundant? Will he guarantee that the redundancies will be evenly applied across all schools and sectors?”
“That was looked at before, and applications are accepted during February and March; that is slightly changed. This is the first time that it has been changed. If you bear with us, you will probably see the change coming about.”
“I thank Mr Clarke for his question. There is currently a review of this aspect of the scheme which is coming to a close. Members will be informed of the outcome of this review shortly.”
“It can be as simple as a manufacturer not making packaging that older people, with reduced strength in their hands, can open. That may seem trivial to some, but it betrays the underlying attitude that what older people do is of no value compared with what younger people do. I remind everyone in the Chamber that older people have a vote that is equal to the vote of younger people and that, as a rule, older people cast their vote, while younger people do not bother. So, at the very lowest level of self-interest, every Member should seek to legislate fairly and considerately for older people. I support the motion.”
“It is important that the legislation contains provisions to allow a properly trained professional — a social worker, for example — the right to speak to an older person alone without members of the family present. Sadly, abuse is often carried out by those closest to an older person. That is particularly true of the financial abuse of vulnerable older people. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the motion and thank the Members who tabled it. The issue needs to be framed in the wider context of the general attitude to older people. I have commented on that issue many times. As Father of the House, I feel that I have a right and duty to speak up for senior citizens. We have a society that does not value age and experience sufficiently, and we are all the poorer for it. It is an attitude that shows itself in many ways.”
“I am impressed by the Older People's Commissioner's analysis of the treatment of older people. The commissioner listed the main types of abuse of the elderly as physical, emotional, sexual or financial abuse and neglect. Her proposal for an Act of the Assembly — an adult safeguarding Bill — is one that I believe would find widespread support in the Chamber. As of June 2014, abuse referrals in Northern Ireland had risen by 76% in three years. Clearly, there is a good reason to legislate. Older people in Northern Ireland who may be vulnerable or at risk of abuse do not have the same legal protection as their counterparts in England, Scotland and Wales. I call on the Executive and the responsible Minister to frame the legislation and bring it before the Assembly as soon as the legislative timetable allows.”
“I am sure that the Minister will be pleased that I will not be putting a question to him because he has already answered it. Thank you, Minister.”
“I thank the Minister for her reply thus far. As the Minister will know, Lurgan has Northern Ireland's largest and most beautiful urban park, and the only outdoor ski slopes at Silverwood. Are those really being promoted as well as they could be, Minister?”
“I thank the Minister thus far. Recent Oxford University research shows that half of all occupations existing today will be redundant by 2025. What advice has the Minister sought on that matter, and what action does he propose to take?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. In my constituency, there are 13,400 people working in the Civil Service and public service. Will he assure me that the interests of local towns like Lurgan, Portadown and Banbridge will be protected in any redundancy situations that he develops?”
“I note the Minister's comments and accept that he will write to me to put me in the picture. Thank you.”
“I thank the Minister very much for her information thus far. Has she considered outsourcing special functions involving the administration of EU funding, for example, to units that could serve Scotland and Wales as well as provide money for three other places?”
“I thank the First Minister thus far. Will he outline the main arguments that he will use to keep Northern Ireland's block grant at the current level in the event of a redistribution of finance following the Scottish referendum?”
“The Commission’s commitment is evidenced by the significant resources currently devoted to supporting the development of increasing numbers of Members’ Bills proposals and providing professional drafting services by way of an external contract. The Member will appreciate the difficulty of obtaining any further resources for private Member's Bills in the current financial climate.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The Assembly Commission has not given specific consideration to providing additional resources to allow Members to bring forward private Members' Bills. Additional temporary resource has been allocated to provide support for the development of the Committee Bill being promoted by the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister to reform and update the role and powers of the Assembly Ombudsman. <BR /> <BR />However, the Assembly Commission seeks to ensure that adequate resources are available to support the work of the Assembly, including Members’ Bills.”
“That has not been the case. At the moment, as there is no Speaker a member of the Commission will preside.”
“I thank the Member for asking the question. To ensure continuity during this period, the Commission agreed on the 17 September 2014 that meetings that occur in the absence of a Speaker would be chaired by a temporary Chairperson from within the Commission membership on a rotational basis, as far as is reasonably practical, in the order of party strength. The temporary Chair for each meeting will be involved in the preparations and follow-up actions from the meeting that he or she is chairing. It was also agreed that the Clerk/Chief Executive would keep all Members briefed on any significant emerging issues and seek informal advice via email or by convening short, additional briefings of the Commission. <BR /> <BR />The Commission will continue to keep the matter under close review and looks forward to the appointment of a new Speaker.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I am sure that he will appreciate that not having a Speaker in place has been a matter of concern for the Commission. The vacancy has led to some disconnect between the Speaker's procedural, corporate and representational roles. Providing guidance and support to officials between Commission meetings is more difficult than when there was a permanent Chair of the Commission. However, just as the Deputy Speakers have agreed arrangements to ensure that disruption to the business of the House is minimised, the Commission, too, has put measures in place to maintain the operation of the corporate body in those circumstances.”