Patsy McGlone
Mid Ulster · Social Democratic and Labour Party · Northern Ireland
“Limiting the power to dismiss charges involving the death of or serious physical harm to a vulnerable person will enhance the fairness and integrity of those criminal proceedings.”
“The SDLP welcomes the provisions for the long-overdue establishment of a statutory Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses of Crime. That is a significant step forward in the development of our justice system.”
“Putting the office on a statutory footing will ensure that the commissioner's role is legally recognised and accountable to the public and the justice system. The Minister outlined a number of the measures in the process of accountability.”
“OK. I thank my colleague — indeed, the Minister — for responding. It is, as the Minister said and my colleague highlighted, a sensitive area. People who are approached to give a reference should think long and hard about the implications of the references that they give: where they might wind up; the circumstances in which they give them;…”
“The SDLP welcomes the Victims and Witnesses of Crime Bill and the opportunity to debate it, alongside the Chairperson — or should I say, "Mr Amendment" — at its Second Stage.”
“I accept that the Minister's Department, as she has stated repeatedly, does not have the capacity or resources to develop those legislative provisions during this mandate.”
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“Under this set of proposals, we have small quarry air rifles, small quarry rim fire rifles, medium quarry centre fire rifles and large quarry centre fire rifles. The idea is that, within those bands, you can pay your fee and walk out the door with that firearm, and, indeed, air arms are referred to as firearms in the legislation. That, in itself, will make it a lot easier for people. We hear quite often from firearms dealers that the delay in processing that — something that should be a relatively simple issue — is costing them money because they do not have the turnaround time that they should have. Of course, in all of that, safety and security must be paramount, but, having had discussions with the Minister and, more recently, his officials, I feel that we have come to a conclusion on a methodology of working that system.”
“When people pay for something, they expect an efficient service without elongated delays. That is an important factor. If extra fees are to be paid, people will expect a good, efficient service. <BR /> <BR />The banding system is very important, and, indeed, it is good that we are moving into the realm of common sense because, up until now, a banding system — you could loosely call it that — one-off, one-on existed for shotguns of whatever calibre. That has been extended. So that people understand what that is about, you could have a situation whereby you retained an air rifle of.177 calibre. If you wanted to replace that with an air rifle of .22 calibre, you had to go into a shop, do all the paperwork and apply to PSNI headquarters, firearms and explosives licensing branch, for a variation. A fee was associated with that.”
“They provided us with invaluable guidance and information throughout and proved very helpful, including more recently, as we move towards a resolution of the issue. <BR /> <BR />As Mr Frew mentioned, we are dealing with a number of issues, particularly a revised fees structure, to deliver an efficient and effective service, which is very important. Through our constituency offices, many of us pick up on issues, probably because of our association with, and the acknowledged fact that we participate in, country sports. Those could be variations or re-grants and the amount of time taken to do that. When you make further enquiries of some of the staff, whom I always find to be efficient in their dealings with me, sometimes things have been forgotten about or delayed, so efficiency is required.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Mo bhuíochas as ucht an seans labhairt ar an Bhille seo. Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to speak on this legislation. <BR /> <BR />Mr Frew covered a lot of ground, and I do not intend to go over all that again, other than to say that I have been on the Justice Committee for quite a while, as the Chair said. I have to say that there were times when you felt like going ballistic. Eventually, as he referred to the book, I did. <BR /> <BR />A number of people have been extremely helpful, which should be publicly placed on the record. The organisations are the Gun Trade Guild, BASC and the Countryside Alliance. I will go as far as naming the individuals: David Robinson, Tommy Mayne, Laura Morrison and, indeed, Lyall Plant.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I hear entirely what the general thrust of the amendment is about. I think that Members will recognise this, as they have sat through the evidence-taking sessions on the Mental Capacity Bill and heard of the frailties and vulnerabilities of people who find themselves in those situations. They could equally be regarded as vulnerable and as subject and more susceptible to violent acts, and, indeed, as people on whom others prey. While I hear the general thrust of what you are saying, and I agree with it up to a point, you have to say that there are others who would equally fit the bill of being prone, vulnerable and susceptible to violent acts.”
“<BR /> <BR />In conclusion, the SDLP is broadly supportive of the Bill and thanks those who initiated it and brought it before us for our consideration. We are broadly supportive of what the legislation seeks to achieve. However, we need to consider some of the issues that I highlighted — I am sure that there is a multiplicity of others — before the Bill's provisions can become operational here.”
“Those people may find that they have slipped through the net because of the incapability of the system, through Transforming Your Care, to deliver support for them. They may well be the exact same people who come through the system's revolving door and wind up in difficult circumstances. I am very well aware of a case in which the police were the first port of call and had to deal with the situation until they eventually got the person to the safe place, which was a local hospital. That safe place had been got as a result of the forward thinking and planning of the people associated with the hospital. <BR /> <BR />I hope that the Department of Health and the Department of Justice are examining their budgets against the contents of the Bill so that, when the time comes, the money and manpower will be available to deliver.”
“That is important to know if we are to get it right, and get it right in the interests of all parties, particularly those who have fallen into difficult health circumstances at that moment in their life. <BR /> <BR />From the reduction in the Budget for 2011 onwards and in the current financial context, we have seen that, quite often, plausible initiatives fall by the wayside owing to the necessity to save money and a climate of cuts. A good example of that is Transforming Your Care. We have to look at the issue in the round, because some of the people at whom Transforming Your Care was directed were people who had been in long-term institutional care, particularly in some of our mental health hospitals.”
“That might create difficulties for both parties — the individual who is mentally distraught and those who are in A&E awaiting attention and treatment. This is something to be worked out with DOJ and the Department of Health, but I think that the safe place should be a convenient and calming environment in a hospital. Such a place could be made available to individuals for their treatment, to bring them down and to help calm them as much as possible in such circumstances. <BR /> <BR />At this stage, we do not know how much that might cost, but we can infer from the work carried out by the Committee that there should be, and will be, an additional cost. How much consideration has been given by both Departments to the funding of the implementation of the Mental Capacity Bill?”
“At this stage, it is merely a cautionary note, but the principles and associated actions contained in the Bill will no doubt place greater financial burdens on DHSSPS and DOJ, particularly, as I raised the other day, around what is determined to be a place of safety for someone. If we are saying that police stations may not be the best place to which to take people who are frail or vulnerable on the mental health front, should it be determined that that safe place is in a hospital? Some of us might view a hospital as being a safe place, but I do not think that A&E is a safe place to which people who may be very distraught should be brought. They would be being brought somewhere where there are other people suffering from physical disabilities and physical health problems.”
“Often, the difficulties arise when people are not known to police or anyone around and may well not have been reported as being missing from a social services location or, indeed, a mental health hospital. They just pop up, and the police are placed in the invidious and very difficult position of trying to make the call about how to deal with the situation. There should be a code of practice for police officers who find themselves in such situations, as was referred to on Monday at the Ad Hoc Committee. There should be automatic routine practice for police to follow when faced with those situations and when dealing with all the sensitivities that have to faced at the time. <BR /> <BR />That brings me on to my next point.”
“I thank the Chair for that intervention. As I talk, I am trying to get my own head around these matters. Is that person competent to take and accept legal advice? It is an obvious requirement, as is an automatic medical intervention if the person has been determined to be incapacitated.”
“The police are doing their job and are trying to protect the individual, but, with the best will in the world, they are not the people best placed to make the call as to that person's state of mind.”
“I am thinking particularly of vulnerable young people. To my mind, it could exacerbate their fragile state of mind if they feel they are being arrested or detained. All the stress that can build up, and goes with that, in a normal situation where a person is in good health can be compounded where the person is in difficult and fraught circumstances and has very fragile mental health. <BR /> <BR />As a result, it may be instructive to create a code of good practice for the police when carrying out detention orders to ensure the best care of the person concerned; that the best interests of the person suffering from poor mental health can be protected; and that they can be treated through a proper practice that is universal for the police, who find themselves in these difficult situations.”
“Compulsory detention, for example, is often essentially a "must do" under very extenuating, difficult and fraught circumstances. Quite often, due to convenience, a person may be detained under the 1986 Order and subsequently brought to a police station. I made it clear, and I make it clear again today, that I find absolutely no fault whatsoever with the authorities on that point. Very often, it is the police who have to deal with the very tricky, delicate and difficult situations of trying to bring in a person who is in a very fraught and fragile mental state and deal with all their sensitivities. <BR /> <BR />Due to the sensitivities often involved in such cases, I throw out this question: is it reasonable to suggest that a police station is the appropriate place to take a person who is in such a frail and fragile mental state?”
“The assets may continue to be in different jurisdictions, and how the mental capacity legislation is applied, or otherwise, to access those assets can lead to difficult situations, as quite often others can emerge from the woodwork. Will it negate any prior arrangements that have been made here if, for example, the person moves to another jurisdiction? I look forward to some clarification around that because it is clearly an issue that has to be worked through in the best interests of the individual who may be determined as being incapacitated at that time. <BR /> <BR />Whilst we are dealing primarily with the principles of the Bill today, we must keep one eye on how each of these principles will be delivered in practice.”
“One further consideration that I brought to the attention of the Committee and other stakeholders is based around the law as applied or as it may apply. At the Ad Hoc Committee on Monday — and I see some of the officials here — I raised the issue of how the law on mental capacity may apply and be interpreted in different jurisdictions. It is my understanding, subject to further clarification, that the Bill proposed here may differ slightly to the Mental Capacity Act in England. What considerations have the responsible Departments and others given to the regulations around capacity if a person moves between jurisdictions?”
“For example, the cost of making an LPA, based on figures in England and Wales, can be up to three times the amount of making an EPA: £500 plus VAT, with a further court fee of £110. However, some believe that the introduction of an LPA can provide further safeguards for individuals from fraud than an EPA can do. <BR /> <BR />The question for the House and the relevant Departments is whether both versions of powers of attorney need to be mutually exclusive. Perhaps a system can be incorporated where choice is available to an individual and either EPA or LPA can be used to best suit the needs of the particular case. I remain to be persuaded one way or the other as to what options may be operable.”
“Instead of safeguarding children in a legislatively binding fashion, we are relying on a 20-year-old piece of legislation that we may have to refine to bring it up date in any case. At the same time, obviously a balance must be achieved, as there are delicate considerations when probing the issue of parental consent and, especially, the vulnerability of the child. In many cases, they are frail and vulnerable, and we are dealing with very sensitive mental health issues and the protection of individuals. <BR /> <BR />The Committee has touched on and has received briefings on the proposal in the Bill to remove enduring powers of attorney (EPA) and replace them with lasting powers of attorney (LPA). I have spoken to the Law Society of Northern Ireland around the potential merits and detriments of both.”
“I look forward to hearing more evidence from stakeholders such as the Children's Law Centre and MindWise pointing to the fact that there are further considerations around the issue of under-16s when we look to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, particularly article 2, which concerns non-discrimination; article 3 — the best interests of the child; article 6 — the right to survival and maximum development; article 12 — the right to be heard and have views taken into account; article 23 — the right of a disabled child to a full and decent life; and article 24 — the highest attainable standard of healthcare. <BR /> <BR />A reasonable argument may be made that the exclusion of those under the age of 16 from the Bill goes against the very ethos of the Bamford review.”
“Instead, it has been suggested that the Mental Health Order 1986 be retained, possibly with an amendment of some sort, as an interim measure to cover mental capacity issues for those under the age of 16, until a new legislative solution can be found, possibly through an adjustment of the Children (NI) Order 1995. <BR /> <BR />The House must ask itself today whether that is an acceptable state of affairs and whether the Bill as presented is the appropriate vehicle for dealing with capacity issues for those under the age of 16. The Ad Hoc Committee has reflected on the matter.”
“In that context, I am glad that we have reached the Second Stage of the Bill today, but it is clear that a number of areas require closer scrutiny and clarification before the Bill can become law. I intend to discuss a few of these today, namely the issue of children under the age of 16, issues around powers of attorney, possible jurisdictional considerations and the practicalities of implementing the legislation. <BR /> <BR />The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and the Department of Justice have excluded under-16s from the Mental Capacity Bill. The rationale behind that decision is based around the fact that, due to their developmental stage, children under the age of 16 cannot be subjected to the same tests included in the Bill as adults.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this very important Second Stage debate on the Mental Capacity Bill. I do so as a member of the Ad Hoc Committee formed to consider the Bill and as a member of the Justice Committee. <BR /> <BR />The Bamford review of 2007 highlighted the need for change in this area. Mental capacity here is governed largely by common law, which involves an incapacity test and the application of a reasonableness principle. Collectively, that has been referred to as the common law doctrine of necessity. However, it is now clear that that alone is not enough. We have seen that Scotland, Wales and England have all moved to legislate for mental capacity.”
“<BR />I will conclude at that, Mr Deputy Speaker. Thank you very much for the opportunity to put that on record.”
“<BR /> <BR />As my colleague Fearghal McKinney mentioned, we in the SDLP welcome the Supply resolution for 2013-14 Excess Vote, which provides further funding for the Department of Education and the Department of Health. The Main Estimates for DFP state that it will be unable to quantify the liability faced due the voluntary exit scheme and that it will become clear only in-year. I am concerned that that will affect the ability of not only the Department of Finance and Personnel but other Departments to work effectively. It appears that the Departments have not yet been able to forward plan to deal with that. I know that many civil servants are looking ahead, trying to plan ahead and trying to work their way through this, so it is important that they, too, have clarity on what their circumstances will be.”
“We need to move the focus of our debate from welfare reform to welfare and work reform, especially when those high childcare costs mean that one in five parents are considering either reducing their hours or giving up work altogether, thereby depriving the labour market of key people at a time when we are talking about investing in skills for our young people and reskilling people of a more advanced age. As a consequence of lack of proper investment in childcare, that key element of the skills sector is being withdrawn from the labour market. We talked about corporation tax. I think that a big attraction for any FDI coming here — yes, reduced taxation levels helps — is to come to a society that is caring and supportive towards its employees.”
“Those exorbitant costs are providing a barrier to employment, especially for young mums, and that deprives the labour market of key and very well-educated people with skills, who are being forced because of those pressures and the costs of childcare to remove themselves from the labour market. Childcare is also ultimately a key element in the development of the academic and intellectual skills of the child. We need to identify early on whether there are any shortcomings or problems that might need to be addressed in the development of the child. It has huge, huge social and economic value. <BR /> <BR />We have had a debate in the last while on welfare reform. I think that it is time we moved the focus. It needs to be on people who face difficulty.”
“I have been out and about quite a bit in the last while, and a key issue that has been raised with me by members of the community, particularly young families, is childcare. I know that my colleague Seán Rogers has raised that on a number of occasions. The costs of childcare are exorbitant, and it is essential that I put this on the record. Aviva did a survey at the tail end of last year into childcare costs for parents of children up to five years of age. Many of them are working for less than £100 a month after childcare costs are paid. That is the situation that many people are facing. Indeed, many of them, mostly but not exclusively young mums, are having to face choices about whether they should or should not work.”
“There are so many things that we could be discussing, as well as legislation and allocation of funds that we could be bringing forward.”
“Again, that is an important construction project that will bring jobs in itself but also provide long-term economic benefits. <BR /> <BR />I will now speak for a moment in my capacity as a member of the SDLP. I wish to discuss the processes around the Northern Ireland Executive Budget. The most recent Assembly Budget Bill debate was only four months ago. I will reiterate a point that my SDLP colleagues have made many times. <BR /> <BR />An annual budgetary process used in other jurisdictions causes participation and robust process and brings ideas to the forefront. We in the Northern Ireland Assembly should and could have a significant budgetary process to discuss, but this is simply a financial management process — or mismanagement, as some might argue.”
“The Health and Safety Executive plays an extremely important role in ensuring and promoting health and safety in the workplace, not least with its recent advertising campaign for farm safety, which resonates very sadly and soundly with us all. <BR /> <BR />The Committee asked what impact the voluntary exit scheme will have on the most vital HSENI services — including, of course, farm safety — considering that, just over 18 months ago, the Health and Safety Executive appointed eight trainee inspectors to address a shortage in staff and bring the organisation up to full complement. The Committee has noted a reduction of half a million pounds owing to construction work not commencing on the gas extension project to the west and north-west until later in 2015.”
“<BR /> <BR />There is slippage on the Waterfront convention centre, the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland and the SS Nomadic. The £1 million for that will be met by reallocation of funds. The Committee recognises the importance of those projects, not least the benefits of the Waterfront convention centre to visitor numbers and to putting Belfast on the map as a major conference destination. <BR /> <BR />The Committee is awaiting further information from the Department on the voluntary exit scheme for the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI). DETI core has registered £2·4 million and HSENI £0·5 million of requirements for the voluntary exit scheme. Those were considered in the first tranche of bids under the scheme.”
“<BR /> <BR />Invest NI bid for £4·3 million in capital for Seagate Technology (Ireland) for R&D assistance into leading-edge technology. That will be an important project for the site in Derry, with the company itself spending £34·7 million on it. <BR /> <BR />The Committee welcomes the initiatives in the June monitoring round that aim to maximise on money already spent by the Department. A bid of £1 million by Tourism NI for feasibility studies includes exploring the potential for future spin-offs from the high-profile 'Game of Thrones' and further footfall opportunities for the Gobbins path. The Committee looks forward to reviewing the results of the feasibility studies and any future work on the projects. It will continue to scrutinise the benefits, and whether they outweigh any spending.”
“The Department outlined key monitoring round bids of £4 million to Invest NI for the Bombardier nacelles project and £1 million to Tourism NI for feasibility studies around maximising current tourism initiatives. The economy is the Executive’s number one priority, and the Committee has always believed that it is important that Invest NI be resourced to meet current commitments, and to deliver for future opportunities that present themselves. The Bombardier nacelles project is a high-value research and development project. That DETI's GB counterparts are also topping up the £110 million project shows its significance, with an estimated 115 R&D jobs, 168 production jobs and the potential for subsequent work to emanate from the project.”
“Northern Ireland has a small internal market; therefore, the growth in exports is essential to economic growth. <BR /> <BR />Assurance provided previously that no worthwhile inward investment for job creation will be rejected owing to budgetary constraints remains in place. The Committee sought and received an assurance from the former Minister of Finance and Personnel that that remains the case. However, reduced activity by Invest NI will undoubtedly result in fewer opportunities being identified, leading to fewer worthwhile proposals for inward investment and, as such, fewer jobs being created. At a time when we are looking to reduce corporation tax and promote the North as a place to do business, that has to be a concern for the Executive. <BR /> <BR />DETI officials briefed the Committee on the June monitoring round on 2 June 2015.”
“More than 90% of Invest NI's budget for 2015-16 was already committed when the Committee was briefed in February. DETI officials informed the Committee that that meant that Invest NI would be unable to support its current level of activity, resulting in fewer jobs being promoted, and presumably leading to fewer jobs being created. On a future Programme for Government (PFG) and economic strategy, officials stated that Invest NI would have to scale back its targets. That is of considerable concern to the Committee, especially at a time when Invest NI is performing very well against most of its PFG targets. The growth of Northern Ireland's export base is the one key area in which Invest NI has not met its targets, yet there seems to be no provision in the Budget to address it.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I welcome the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment on the Main Estimates. The former Minister briefed the Committee on 10 February 2015 on the draft Budget proposals. <BR /> <BR />DETI’s baseline position consisted of an overall 15·1% reduction distributed pro rata across the Department and its arm's-length bodies. The Committee noted that the assessment provided little indication of any prioritisation of expenditure in DETI. The Committee would like to have seen further analysis to ensure that the impact of reductions is lessened on areas of strategic priority for the Executive. Unfortunately, that does not seem to have occurred.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a fhreagra. I thank the Minister for his answers up to this point. <BR /> <BR />Has any valuation been done of the potential detrimental impact of the financial cutbacks in his Department on key stakeholder organisations such as NIACRO and on its programmes to help reduce offending?”
“<BR /> <BR />At this time, it is over to the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and the Minister of Finance and Personnel to come together and undertake a report into the benefits that such a reduction in VAT could reap for the North and to bring that to the Treasury's attention. They must lobby the Treasury on that as a matter of urgency if we are to grow our economy and move beyond austerity and into the prosperity that many of us seek to achieve. On that point, I will conclude.”
“The Northern Ireland Hotels Federation estimates that a failure to lower the rate of VAT could cost our economy nearly £130 million over the next few years. Before the election, the Prime Minister pledged that his Government would not increase VAT rates. On the contrary, it is time for him to lower the VAT on tourism and hospitality to give a much-needed boost to tourism and hospitality in the North. Whilst a reduced level of corporation tax is aimed at attracting FDI, we already have an excellent tourism and hospitality base here that could grow and develop.”
“Such employment involves various skills and ranges from entry-level, part-time work to highly skilled and well-paid roles that require greater levels of experience, be they in marketing, management or other aspects that are required by the tourism industry. <BR /> <BR />The nature of tourism across the North also means that the border and rural areas could benefit massively where other forms of employment are not always readily available as a result of the recession or other factors. Tourism is one of the bedrocks of our local economy, and more needs to be done to stimulate growth in the sector. The lower VAT rate in the Republic must be replicated here if we are to give our tourism industry and hospitality sectors a fighting chance. <BR /> <BR />It is not a case of simply standing still and failing to reap the benefits.”
“It impacts visitors from the UK, Europe and the Republic, and tourism figures for 2014 show that 64,000 fewer overnight trips were taken by Northern Ireland residents, with fewer people enjoying staycations, as they are referred to. <BR /> <BR />Our tourism and hospitality industries play a massive role in our local economy, but they are being threatened by the failure to support them with a reduction in the VAT rate. The lesson from the South is that visitors respond to reduced rates of VAT, which increases demand and stimulates the industry. In turn, the industry can expand and grow and create further employment opportunities.”
“<BR /> <BR />The South's Finance Minister, Michael Noonan, announced that he has no plans to end what was originally to have been a temporary reduction in the VAT rate. The Republic recognised the importance of tourism to its economy, and it has experienced a very significant rise in visitors, who are coming there to spend time and money following a reduction in tourism VAT. <BR /> <BR />A report on the impact of VAT rate reductions for the tourism sector in the Republic indicated that the aims of stimulating and driving employment have been achieved whilst avoiding a burden on the Irish Exchequer. The rate disparity gives businesses in the South a major competitive advantage over local tourist enterprises and means that we are always struggling to compete on a level footing.”
“<BR /> <BR />Having hosted events such as the Irish Open, the British Open, the Giro d'Italia and the World Police and Fire Games, our tourism and hospitality industries have shown that they can compete extremely well on the global stage with the best of them. They add to Northern Ireland's vibrancy by attracting visitors and creating employment in local communities. One in 10 of the workforce in Northern Ireland works in the tourism and hospitality sector. The industries manage that despite there being a highly competitive VAT rate south of the border and a rate of 20% here, which is the third highest in Europe. The challenge for the sector here is even greater than for the sectors across the water because of the stiff competition that it faces.”
“<BR /> <BR />A reduction of the rate to 5% in the North would create 3,300 jobs and contribute to achieving the target for tourism set out in the Programme for Government and the economic strategy. Using HM Treasury's economic model, a VAT cut would have massive benefits, driving the economy by bringing £4 billion in new revenue into the UK. Northern Ireland loses many tourists to more competitive rates south of the border. We must do something to encourage more people to cross the border. That does not apply just to tourism; it applies to social occasions and weddings. When young people, and, indeed, not so young people, are thinking about their big day, they look at the competitive rates just a few miles down the road. Add to that the current currency fluctuations, and that can mean quite a bit in savings for many.”
“For several years, Pubs of Ulster has spearheaded the campaign calling for a reduction in the VAT rate for businesses in the tourism sector. Tourism in Northern Ireland is worth over £720 million to the local economy and is responsible for 43,000 jobs. Thirteen EU member states, including the Republic, have reduced their VAT rate in a bid to boost their tourism sector and create jobs. Northern Ireland is at a worse disadvantage because it shares a land border with the rest of the island, where the rate is 9%. A reduced rate in the Republic has helped to create, depending on which figures you look at, up to 30,000 jobs since the reduction in the VAT rate in July 2011.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Mo bhuíochas chomh maith as ucht an seans a thabhairt domh an rún seo a chur os comhair an Tionóil. I welcome the opportunity to introduce to the House a motion that calls upon the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and the Minister of Finance and Personnel to conduct a report on the potential benefits of reducing tourism and hospitality VAT. The SDLP has called for this reduction in the Assembly and at Westminster on numerous occasions, voicing its support for the campaign that has been led by Pubs of Ulster since 2012. It is time for the tourism sector to be allowed to unleash its full potential. <BR /> <BR />I would like to put on record a number of factual issues that have been drawn to my attention.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Mo bhuíochas leis an Aire as a fhreagraí go dtí seo. I thank the Minister for his answers up to this point. Dealing with and expanding on Mr Lunn's theme, particularly in relation to legacy and historical inquiry issues, is the Minister satisfied that there will be enough funding to deal with those important matters?”
“On a point of order, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. I apologise to the House for missing my question earlier. There was no deliberate intent or slight to the House on my part; it entirely slipped my mind.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. I congratulate the Minister, if congratulations are appropriate, on her appointment to the Finance Ministry. I am sure that DETI's loss will be Finance's gain. I want to continue on the review of non-domestic rates on the small business sector. I am aware, and it has been quite public, that some of the elevated rates have been very pronounced — some almost 300%. Will the Minister or, more importantly, her Department, carry out any analysis of how those have gone up so substantially in a number of cases, if, indeed, there is a reason behind it, or what support can be put in place for those who have taken such a substantial hike?”