Stephen Moutray
Upper Bann · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Given the recent figures published by the National Pig Association that indicate that, typically, only 30% of the gammons consumed in the United Kingdom at Christmas are of British origin, do you feel that your Department could do more to help to exploit this area?”
“As provided for in Standing Order 33(1), on 12 October 2015, the Assembly and Executive Reform (Assembly Opposition) Bill was referred to the AERC for Committee Stage. The Committee was asked to consider and report to the Assembly no later than 30 November 2015.”
“At its meeting on 13 October, the Assembly and Executive Review Committee agreed to issue a call for evidence to invite interested parties to submit their views on the Bill.”
“I thank the Minister for his response. He will be aware, no doubt, of the angst that often comes to families of children with special needs when they turn 19 and have to leave their special school. Has he consulted schools such as Ceara in Lurgan and Donard in Banbridge, both in my Upper Bann constituency, on issues like that?”
“I rise on behalf of the DUP to support the Final Stage of the Children's Services Co-operation Bill as introduced and brought to the House by Mr Steven Agnew and the subsequent changes at each stage throughout the process.”
“I believe that, with the amendments and the reworking of the Bill since its initial form, we have been able to ensure that we, too, in Northern Ireland are able, like our Scottish counterparts, to connect sector providers with government so that people work collaboratively to deliver.”
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“I thank the Minister for his very positive answer. Can I further press him and ask what difference the new rate of corporation tax will make to attracting foreign direct investment?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Given the recent figures published by the National Pig Association that indicate that, typically, only 30% of the gammons consumed in the United Kingdom at Christmas are of British origin, do you feel that your Department could do more to help to exploit this area?”
“The Committee therefore asks that, in accordance with Standing Order 33(4), the period referred to in Standing Order 33(2) be extended to 26 January 2016 for the Committee Stage of the Assembly and Executive Reform (Assembly Opposition) Bill.”
“At its meeting on 13 October, the Assembly and Executive Review Committee agreed to issue a call for evidence to invite interested parties to submit their views on the Bill. The Committee considered an extension to the Bill's Committee Stage necessary in order to give stakeholders adequate time to respond and to enable the Committee to reflect on the evidence received. <BR /> <BR />The Committee believes that, to do justice to the Bill and the matters that must be considered, additional time is required before reporting to the Assembly. To date, the Committee has heard oral evidence from legislative experts and leading academics, and the call for evidence is due to close tomorrow. Further oral evidence sessions are planned for the weeks ahead.”
“As provided for in Standing Order 33(1), on 12 October 2015, the Assembly and Executive Reform (Assembly Opposition) Bill was referred to the AERC for Committee Stage. The Committee was asked to consider and report to the Assembly no later than 30 November 2015. The Bill contains nine parts, 24 clauses and a schedule, which sets out 10 areas that may, subject to the approval of the Assembly, be included in an Assembly and Executive reform motion. The purpose of the Bill is to provide for the formation of an Assembly opposition, with certain rights and benefits, and, in the words of the Bill itself, "to promote constitutional change" and "reform the Executive." <BR /> <BR />It goes without saying that any Bill that seeks to change the constitutional arrangements of the Assembly merits careful consideration.”
“I thank the Minister for his response. He will be aware, no doubt, of the angst that often comes to families of children with special needs when they turn 19 and have to leave their special school. Has he consulted schools such as Ceara in Lurgan and Donard in Banbridge, both in my Upper Bann constituency, on issues like that?”
“Any Syrian refugees who come here will find a country with a very different culture to the one that they left behind. What help will be given to them to adapt in that respect?”
“I thank the Minister for his response. To some extent, I agree with him. However, the recent Equality Commission report was quite damming. It said that standards are worse now than they were in 2007. Will he work with the other Departments and bring it to the Executive to ensure that the issue is addressed with a sense with urgency?”
“I want every child and young person, as it says in the Bill, to be healthy; to enjoy learning and achieving; to be able to live in a society with stability; to experience economic and environmental well-being; to contribute positively to a community and society; and to live in a society that respects their rights. I support the Bill.”
“I believe that, with the amendments and the reworking of the Bill since its initial form, we have been able to ensure that we, too, in Northern Ireland are able, like our Scottish counterparts, to connect sector providers with government so that people work collaboratively to deliver. Our aim, as a Government, should be to help children and young people reach their full potential. Some will travel through life with little or no issues; others will experience challenges; and, indeed, some will experience very complex issues. We must not be found wanting in our attempts to assist them come what may.”
“There is a duty on Departments to cooperate with each other in the planning, commissioning and delivery of the children's services, and it will enhance the ability of pooled budgets, which ultimately allow for a resource-efficient way of delivering shared aims and outcomes. <BR /> <BR />I spoke on the Bill some time ago in the House and highlighted the Scottish model, Getting it Right for Every Child, which was aimed at promoting and coordinating across organisational and departmental boundaries to put children and young people at the heart of decision-making and give them the best start in life.”
“I rise on behalf of the DUP to support the Final Stage of the Children's Services Co-operation Bill as introduced and brought to the House by Mr Steven Agnew and the subsequent changes at each stage throughout the process. At the outset, I commend the Member for his work, and I am happy to say that the DUP supports the policy intention behind the Bill. <BR /> <BR />We all want our children and young people to be involved in decision-making and want there to be a statutory duty on government and its Departments and agencies to cooperate in the planning, commissioning and delivery of children's services.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. She indicated that she wants to increase the number of inspections carried out by remote sensing. What methods are you using to do that?”
“I thank the Minister for his response. What sites in Upper Bann are currently under construction?”
“and given that the junior Minister has just said that she is sensitive to those who have suffered abuse, what would her comments be to the family of Bernard Teggart, given that she was also a member of the IRA in the past?”
“Given that last week the murder of Bernard Teggart was described as:”
“I thank the Minister for her response. Will she encourage the Regional Development Minister to prioritise his resources in a way that will once again make Northern Ireland an attractive place to live, to work in and to visit?”
“It is a move that could trigger the collapse of this institution, stripping us all of a chance to make a real difference to our constituents. <BR /> <BR />This Budget is based on the Stormont House deal being implemented. Welfare reform has to happen to make the Budget balance. On that basis, I commend the Budget to the House and ask that common sense prevail. I support the Minister.”
“Without childcare, our working population may not be able to continue furthering their careers and there will be no chance of using childcare as a catalyst to get people back to work and out of the benefits trap in some of the most disadvantaged areas. <BR /> <BR />All of those OFMDFM initiatives work towards the Executive's Programme for Government and the need to economically and socially enhance and improve the Northern Ireland economy. A £600 million gap exists. It is time for some politicians to get real, swallow their pride and think about the people they represent. If the Budget does not complete its legislative passage by the end of July, a senior civil servant may take over the control of Stormont's purse strings.”
“We all know the impact for good that the social investment fund can and will have on society. However, it is vital to ensure that work on the ground is not hampered by the grinding to a halt of the Government's financial wheels. The Budget for 2015-16 sets an allocation of £11 million resource and £15 million capital for the social investment fund. That is required. <BR /> <BR />Childcare is an issue that goes to the heart of our constituents. I listen day and daily to complaints from families about the cost of childcare and the difficulties in obtaining it. We, as a Government, must step up to the mark. Clearly, the Budget for 2011-15 did that, with over £12 million allocated. The 2015-16 Budget seeks to allocate £3 million, which will go to much-needed childcare and will allow for schemes such as Bright Start.”
“It has done work in my constituency and is aimed at examining whether there were systemic failings by the state or institutions towards children under 18 in care between 1922 and 1995. We are all aware that the inquiry has been extended, with a report expected in January 2017. We believe that the cost of the report will be just under £18 million, with some vital work done and harrowing stories uncovered. If there is no money to complete the process, we will see the victims further traumatised and feeling let down by a Government that pledged to help. That is a harsh reality that lies at the feet of those who are not man enough to honour an agreement. <BR /> <BR />We are aware of the budgetary requirements for moving on the community-led social investment fund project.”
“<BR /> <BR />There will also be an impact on the planned services for people with dementia, their families and carers; early intervention services for young people in need of support, with the establishment of 10 family support hubs and the roll-out of the positive parenting programme; expansion of shared education, driving improvements in educational standards with the numeracy and literacy commitments and programme; and the nurture units. I come from the Craigavon area, where we experience high levels of deprivation. Without agreement, those initiatives cannot and will not proceed, and people will be plunged into further deprivation and hardship, with no hope of breaking the trend. <BR /> <BR />There will also be an impact on the historical abuse inquiry if no agreement is reached.”
“Funding of £400,000 is required to fulfil the commitment to co-fund the DSC/Atlantic Philanthropies signature project announced last year: a programme that will attract in excess of £58 million, with some £24 million from Atlantic Philanthropies, £11 million from Departments and £22 million from the Delivering Social Change fund. If it is not funded, OFMDFM will not have honoured their commitment to Atlantic Philanthropies, and they may withdraw funding, impacting on the signature programmes. Lead Departments may be unable to meet contractual commitments associated with the implementation of the programmes. Atlantic Philanthropies have already withheld £400,000 of funding until the bid is met by the Northern Ireland Executive, putting further pressure on the Health budget.”
“It was also planning to focus on post-19 provision and the need that exists around that. <BR /> <BR />Many of the capital spends were committed, and the outlook is stark without the agreement of this Budget and the honouring of the Stormont House Agreement. If funding is not to be provided, lead Departments may be unable to meet contractual agreements on the implementation of programmes. The projects therefore cannot proceed beyond preparation of the economic appraisal until capital funding is allocated. So, with the T:BUC commitments hanging in the balance, the work that the Assembly has done to grow the economy, tackle disadvantage and build a shared, inclusive and sustainable community could be a distant pipe dream. <BR /> <BR />We have only to think of the Delivering Social Change (DSC) fund.”
“<BR /> <BR />From an OFMDFM perspective, we only have to think of the dire effect on T:BUC. Together: Building a United Community was aimed at building a prosperous, peaceful and safe society that is focused on diversity and is welcoming to all, with a focus also on our children and young people. I think of Upper Bann and the fact that a promised new build for the Southern Regional College at Craigavon via T:BUC may be in jeopardy because of the financial situation. That would deny the young people a facility that would create a more united and shared society and an environment and facility where young and older can continue with lifelong learning and obtain skills and qualifications suitable to their capability and to the needs of the businesses locally.”
“Even in my constituency, we can see very clearly that Sinn Féin is starting to haemorrhage support because of its backward-looking tactics. I say to it today: listen to your electorate. It is sick, sore and tired of your disgraceful politics and your attempts to break this country financially. You need to get real and recognise that your actions are causing financial hardship. Your wrecking-ball tactics for Northern Ireland will leave people vulnerable and financially worse off. As a result of your tactics, we will have less money for health, education, childcare, job creation and the lowering of corporation tax — all issues that you and I are elected to take decisions on. Three years of wrangling has resulted in a financial precipice for the Assembly and for the electorate.”
“The Assembly, in the form of the Stormont House Agreement, had a chance to make history and a chance to do what is right by the electorate and not subject it to the types of front-line cuts that it is currently suffering and will suffer as a result of dishonourable politics on the part of a party that knew exactly what it was signing up to in the Stormont House Agreement. Sinn Féin, backed by the SDLP, has, on this occasion, managed to plunge its electorate into what could be the darkest financial crisis that this country will witness, causing people to end up, without question, on the breadline. That is how stark it is. <BR /> <BR />I believe that it is important, at this juncture, to take stock of the most recent Westminster and council election results, particularly the results experienced by Sinn Féin.”
“Will the Minister outline how much funding is allocated to Orangefest across Northern Ireland? Given that hundreds of thousands of people attend Orange events annually, what more can the Minister do to allocate proportionate and appropriate levels of funding?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer, but I am going to press her. Who is responsible for abandoned horses on private land when animal welfare is not the issue?”
“The deputy First Minister is no doubt aware that many of those involved in fuel smuggling, especially along the south Armagh border, are former IRA members. Many, like me, believe that they act with relative impunity to this day. What tougher measures would the deputy First Minister like to see introduced to help tackle this crime, given that, to date, no one has served a custodial sentence for it?”
“I thank the Minister for that very positive answer. What plans are in place to improve further the uptake of benefits in this financial year?”
“It is imperative that the Minister seriously reconsider as a matter of urgency the funding that his Department provides to Disability Action and the community transport network across Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />I feel that the Department should be seeking to invest in support for the community sector, not seeking to reduce its services, particularly when community transport will plug the gaps made by the withdrawal of some Translink bus routes from rural towns and villages across the country. Moreover, public transport is not a viable option for many elderly and disabled people who avail themselves of these services because the bus stop is too much of a distance to walk and the public transport that is available does not then meet their mobility requirements. <BR /> <BR />I understand that the Department's budget is under significant pressures for 2015-16, but the way the Minister has allocated his budget has, in my opinion, impacted harshly on vulnerable communities and individuals who cannot afford to be impacted in such a way.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is a major concern that, because of the harsh cuts to Disability Action's funding, many disabled people across Northern Ireland may now have to face a situation where their personal mobility is greatly reduced, as well as their ability to lead independent lives. That is distressing not only for individuals concerned but for their families and friends. <BR /> <BR />In my constituency, the Down and Armagh Rural Transport (DART) partnership is facing a 28% reduction in the funding that it receives. I am particularly concerned about that development, because I know the work that DART does in our constituency under Mr Ian Wilson. Lives are going to be impacted by the cuts in the Craigavon and Banbridge area.”
“My colleagues and I are also concerned at the disproportionate way those cuts have been implemented, with cutbacks ranging from a 25% reduction in funding for transport partnerships to a 40% reduction for others. <BR /> <BR />Furthermore, the Disability Action transport scheme has witnessed its funding being slashed by over £630,000, or 21%, by the Department for the year ahead. Consequently, Disability Action has been forced to increase fares and has had to decrease the hours that transport services are available. It is unfortunate that that may lead to increased isolation, particularly in rural communities.”
“Thank you, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, although I think that most of it has been used up by now. I thank my colleague for his intervention, lengthy though it was. <BR /> <BR />There is now widespread anger and hurt in the community, which is felt by many, due to the severe reductions to those services in the year ahead. The grant available to partnerships to provide Dial a Lift services in rural areas has decreased in real terms by £1·4 million — from £3·6 million to £2·4 million — for 2015-16. In real terms, therefore, partnerships have endured a substantial reduction of 33% in the grant funding available to them to deliver these services for the year beginning 1 April 2015 compared with the funding that was available to them.”
“I support the motion. Disability Action and the range of rural community transport partnerships that exist in Northern Ireland provide a vital service to many people. That can be partly highlighted by the fact that 4,500 people regularly use the services of rural community transport partnerships. Moreover, recent figures released by the Department highlighted that, in 2014-15, the partnership network delivered almost 240,000 trips right across Northern Ireland. The services provided by Disability Action and by community transport play a pivotal role in society today. Those groups enable people to live independently, to play an active role in their local community and to access vital services such as education, employment and healthcare.”
“I thank the Minister for at least part of his response, but I remain unconvinced that he realises the depth of feeling on the ground about the criteria that are enforced on schools, leaving working families disadvantaged compared with those on benefits. Will he confirm that, given the increase in the birth rate and its impact on already overstretched provision, he will consider extending the provision that currently operates on a part-time basis, especially in places such as Waringstown, where there is considerable oversubscription?”
“I thank the Minister for her response. Given that the demonstration on 13 July in Scarva is one of the largest one-day cultural events in Northern Ireland, attracting some 100,000 visitors annually, and given its contribution not only to the local economy but to the preservation of culture and heritage, does the Minister not believe that there should be a joined-up approach to funding?”
“I thank the Minister for her response. Would she be open to giving consideration to making mandatory the freeze branding of the last three digits of ID numbers on cattle?”
“That was testimony to the extensive scrutiny that the Committee undertook to ensure that the parties represented on it were fully informed of the complexities of implementing institutional reform in Northern Ireland and were aware of models of best practice nationally and internationally. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly and Executive Review Committee requests that the Assembly notes its report on the operation of the provisions of Parts 3 and 4 of the 1998 Act to the Secretary of State, the Assembly and the Executive Committee.”
“<BR /> <BR />Preparing this report was an opportunity to reflect on the number of issues the Assembly and Executive Review Committee took forward. However, it is equally important to recognise the complexity and depth of some of those reviews — such as policing and justice — including reviewing the arrangements for the appointment of a Justice Minister, the establishment of an opposition, a review of the petition of concern mechanism and the reduction in the number of Departments and Members of this Assembly. <BR /> <BR />It is worth noting that the Committee commissioned 53 Assembly research papers as part of its inquiries.”
“<BR /> <BR />While the Committee did not always reach consensus on the issues considered in the 10 reports, it did set out in detail options for how they could be taken forward, with individual party positions on each issue. The outcomes from these reports recently proved useful in the negotiations leading to the Stormont House Agreement. For example, the Committee's views on how the number of Northern Ireland Departments could be reduced have been broadly reflected in the nine future Departments as announced by OFMDFM in March. Similarly, the extensive consultation and analysis undertaken as part of the Committee's reviews of d'Hondt, community designation, provisions for opposition and petitions of concern provided a useful foundation for the corresponding provisions in the Stormont House Agreement.”
“Since its establishment in May 2007, the AERC has reviewed and produced 10 reports, all of which are outlined in this report. In its approach to each of the reviews, the Committee has sought and considered the views of political parties in identifying what issues to review. Among those that it was asked to consider were the size of the Assembly; the number of Departments; the appointment of the Minister of Justice; the petition of concern mechanism; a review of d'Hondt and the introduction of an official opposition; and gender equality. All those issues were covered in the reports produced by the Committee. There were a number of additional issues that the Committee was asked to consider but they did not fall under its remit and were, therefore, not selected for review.”
“The context to this report is that the Northern Ireland Act 2006 inserted section 29A into the Northern Ireland Act 1998, which provided for the establishment and function of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee. Section 29A(3) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 provides that the Assembly and Executive Review Committee:”
“I am rather disappointed but not surprised that the Minister gave a very party political answer. He will know that I and many others, as well as Mr Gardiner and Mrs Dobson, have lobbied, had meetings and raised questions about this issue. The scheme will cost about £7 million. When will it be delivered? It has been on the books for approximately 40 years.”
“I thank the Minister for her response. It is encouraging to know that we are on a par with other regions of the United Kingdom. Will the Minister expand on that? Is she aware what the take-up in Southern Ireland is?”
“<BR /> <BR />In Lurgan, we still have a very serious dissident republican threat, and Mrs Dobson outlined how police have to travel around in armoured cars. In Banbridge, as my colleague Sydney Anderson said, we have a massive drugs problem, with several deaths over the past few years. There are other problems with Portadown and with the new communities that have come to live there. I hope that the police will listen, even if Members and the Justice Minister are not here today to listen, and that they will back off on this move.”
“<BR /> <BR />Last week, our MP, David Simpson, Sydney Anderson and I met senior police officers at Knock and expressed our concerns. We were not convinced by what we were told. I believe that this is a budgetary exercise, and that is the only thing that is driving it. I know from police officers on the ground that they also have concerns and are not one bit happy about this moving forward. We will all be the worse for it. I believe that this is probably the most retrograde step in policing since the Patten reforms in the early 2000s, and we know the impact that those had for many years. I appeal to the Justice Minister to use whatever persuasive power he has, and I appeal to senior police officers to do it before they make a decision that will impact on the lives of people.”
“I will be brief. I also congratulate Mrs Dobson on bringing this important matter to the House. It is very sad that the Justice Minister and three MLAs from our constituency have not found the time to come to the Chamber for this debate. <BR /> <BR />If the decision goes ahead, it will impact many people across Upper Bann. Like my colleague, I sat on the DPP in Craigavon council from its inception, and I saw the good that was done by community policing across the borough of Craigavon. I saw the police interact with people and communities whom they never could have interacted with before, and, slowly but surely, relationships were built up. I fear that, if the mooted proposals go ahead, we will seriously lose out. Relationships will not be there, and trust will not be there to the same extent.”