Robin Newton
East Belfast · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Member for giving way. The Member is aware that the Education Committee took on the very early role, as he requested. Mrs Dodds made the point that the Bill does not have a natural home, and that many suspect that its required budget will be much greater than that outlined in the Bill.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. She is absolutely right about how despicable a crime human trafficking is and about the attempt, via the Bill, to address it.”
“That is not the type of language that we expect to see from such respected bodies. Their overall concern is the education of our children. They represent schools, and they say that the Bill is "flawed" and "not fit for purpose", but it looks as though we will vote it through. <BR /> <BR />I move now to the history of the Bill.”
“Thank you. There seems to be a similar attitude to this legislation. We, on this side of the Chamber, and indeed others, have consistently argued that a private Member's Bill is not suitable for this type of legislation. The ramifications of the Bill are significant.”
“Again, it has been referred to that the chief executives of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools; the Controlled Schools' Support Council; the Governing Bodies Association, which is the body covering voluntary grammar schools; the Catholic Schools' Trustee Service; the Transferor Representatives' Council, which represents the Presb…”
“As we have done at every stage, we oppose the Bill. Mr McCrossan is not in the Chamber at the moment, but I am not unlike him in the sense that I believe in all our children being educated together.”
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“As a member of the Education Committee, I pay tribute to my party colleague Peter Weir as Minister. He has given generously of his time to attend the Committee and, indeed, to clarify, outline and detail actions, as well as answering questions from the Committee. <BR /> <BR />In speaking on education and the Budget Estimates, I want to dwell for a few moments on the value of education and what we are investing in.”
“As a member of Belfast City Council, I found that, in the rates-setting process, instead of looking a few months down the line when you have to set the rate, you look two or three years down the line and try to plan for what is coming. <BR /> <BR />Mr Girvan, in his wide-ranging remarks, seemed to touch a few nerves. I do not want to comment except on the education end. He spoke passionately about the need to educate our children, to invest in our children and to ensure that our children attend school. I think that that is what we all want to do, regardless of the situation that we find ourselves in: invest in our children at school. I agree with Mr Catney, although he took exception. He said that he wanted to be positive, and I agree that that is where we should go. We should be positive about how we handle our education system.”
“I speak as a member of the Education Committee and will make some remarks about my constituency. <BR /> <BR />The Budget (No. 3) Bill is coming forward in probably the most challenging and difficult economic circumstances that we have faced for many years — possibly for generations. The budget pressures that are on the Minister and the Executive are enormous. We do not know what is coming down the line to hit us, perhaps in the near future. In saying that, I understand the frustration of the Chair of the Finance Committee, who is not in the Chamber at the moment, in carrying out his responsibilities and his scrutiny of the work of the Finance Minister. I also understand Mr Matthew O'Toole's position on long-term budgeting and, indeed, financial planning. He described it as "multi-year budgeting". That seems to be just common sense.”
“I accept that that is not the Minister's responsibility, although he indicated that it would happen very quickly. Will the Minister give favourable consideration to supporting the suppliers of goods and services to those particular sectors?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. It is right that every Member in the House would obviously condemn modern slavery in all its forms. I ask this, as a rhetorical question: how many Members have used or will use the unregulated car washes where it is known that modern slavery has taken place?”
“Minister, recognising that these are extremely difficult days of the pandemic, will you comment on what progress Northern Ireland has made compared with the other jurisdictions of the UK and, perhaps, the Republic of Ireland?”
“Is it not really the case that that definition of terminal illness and the six-month measurement rule are unjust, rather than unfair, and playing on that injustice strengthens the hand of the Assembly in arguing for a change in the definition?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I want to indicate my support for the motion, but I want to pick up on a word that the Member used. It is in the last line of the motion:”
“That is, indeed, encouraging. I remind the Minister that Belfast City Council and Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council voted unanimously in favour of the development of that stretch of the Comber greenway. Will the Minister indicate when she might invest in that stretch?”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I welcome the Minister's words. Can she elaborate on one or two events that she might expect to come on our radar in the future?”
“<BR /> <BR />We are all the sadder in society for the loss of David Cook, not only in the political realm but in the community realm where he concentrated his efforts after his retirement from politics. <BR /> <BR />I will finish as I started by extending the sympathies of the Democratic Unionist Party to our colleagues in the Alliance Party and to the family circle.”
“I rise to speak on behalf of the Democratic Unionist Party and to extend my sympathy and that of the party to David Cook's wife, Fionnuala, and to the wider family circle. <BR /> <BR />As you mentioned, Mr Speaker, David Cook served on Belfast City Council. I did not have the opportunity to serve at a time when David was a public representative. He represented south Belfast in the Cromac ward, as it was known at that time. In my time, anything that I heard about David Cook was always extremely positive. He came into public service at a time when it was much more difficult and dangerous than perhaps it is today. He brought to civic life his particular skills, not only his personality but his legal mind, and applied those to problems.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am sorry that I have not got to everyone's comments, but most, if not all, Members made a very positive contribution, albeit that I might not agree with all that they said.”
“Yet, we have a big issue. It seems to me that we are actually all on the same page in addressing the issue of providing additional homes and, at the same time, regenerating our city centres. <BR /> <BR />I have already referred to Pat Catney, but he stressed the potential affordability of LOTS schemes and the potential to enhance areas. I assume that he is talking about the city of Lisburn in his constituency and what could happen there. He also indicated that professional experience needs to be brought into play. Mr John Stewart indicated that this would certainly contribute to the increasing of local rates and highlighted the social potential of the scheme.”
“Sinéad Ennis said that she would support only the Sinn Féin amendment. She stressed the need to address city centre development. <BR /> <BR />Now, when I look at the motion and the amendment, I am a bit flummoxed. The motion proposed by Mr Buckley states that we want to make:”
“Mr Mark Durkan highlighted the needs in his city and the problems in his constituency. He acknowledged that there was a need to address the issue. I know from my time on the Committee that this is an issue that is close to his heart as well. He said that we needed to learn from the failed schemes of the past, and I agree with him. We need to learn, where there have been failures in the past. Mr Beggs indicated a need for flexibility and the reuse of town centres. He also indicated that planning policies need to be refreshed in order that schemes such as this can go forward. He highlighted the homelessness problem in his constituency, which is something that affects all of us. I have already mentioned Kellie Armstrong. She highlighted that we cannot go forward without grant support.”
“There is always the fear that, if you are living above a restaurant or fast food outlet, the potential dangers are, perhaps, increased. Families, obviously, need facilities. They need play parks, doctors' surgeries and schools close by. Those are all factors that can be taken into consideration, Minister, as such a scheme makes its contribution to solving the housing problem. <BR /> <BR />I turn now to what others said. There was a variety of responses. Mr McCann, who is not in the Chamber, indicated that he would not support the motion but would support the amendment. He indicated that there was a need to deal with "the tangled web". He said that the Minister was willing to discuss all issues with the Committee. Well, the Minister is not willing to discuss this issue or this approach with the Committee.”
“<BR /> <BR />Such major schemes cannot go forward without specialist input from those experienced in town and country planning, experienced architects and those with imagination on how such a scheme can contribute. Kellie Armstrong indicated the need for play areas, green spaces and so on to make sure that it is an attractive area for families to live, work and play. Such schemes need to be considered with a holistic approach, a team approach and with everyone playing their part. We also need the potential for residents — tenants who may live in the properties — to have a need for security of tenure. That is where the Minister for Communities, whoever that may be, has a role. We need to make sure that the shops that exist in close proximity need responsible tenants.”
“<BR /> <BR />The need for a strategic approach to delivering such a scheme has been referred to by others. In proposing the scheme, Mr Buckley eloquently indicated that you would need the statutory bodies such as the councils on board. They have a major role to play in how this might be developed. I feel that you also need to have the arterial routes as suppliers for folk to live in the city and feed into the city. We also need to consider, as Mr Buckley indicated, the outlying towns and villages and how their high streets might benefit from such an initiative. That strategic approach, Minister, needs to be considered rather than just dismissed.”
“<BR /> <BR />Whether or not you like it or think it is appropriate for people to live in the city centre and contribute to the city centre, I was looking at the value of city centre living. In London, an area known as Beckenham, you can pay £240,000 to buy a flat above a shop. If you want to live close to Del Boy in Peckham, you can buy a two-bedroom flat for nearly £300,000, and, if you want to live above a fish and chip shop in Mayfair, you could pay £5 million for that privilege. That is successful use of housing in London. It is maybe not the intention or the area that we want to cover, but it indicates that it is possible to do the job of successfully living and that people will pay huge amounts of money to live there. Minister, we need to consider how we can make use of vacant space in city centres.”
“It certainly has not done him any great harm in his political career. <BR /> <BR />I was extremely disappointed by the Minister's response. I know that the Minister wants to provide housing for constituents — I know that — but I was extremely disappointed by her response. She just dismissed it; in fact, it was a forceful rejection of the scheme. Indeed, she said that she would not even consider such a scheme. No matter how good, how different, how it might be worked up, what the priorities were or where the finance comes from, she would not even consider such a scheme. Minister, I feel for all the people currently on the growing waiting list in their need for housing.”
“I thank my colleagues Mr Buckley and Paula Bradley for tabling the motion. Paula should have made the winding-up speech, but she has, unfortunately, had to go home because of some domestic problems. <BR /> <BR />When I was asked to make a winding-up speech, I tried to think of some introductory remarks on the motion and the issues in it, and it came to my mind that, when you think about who was the most famous politician ever to live above the shop, you come to the name Margaret Thatcher and her political career. Then, we were reminded, during the debate, that Pat Catney also lived above the shop”
“I thank the Minister for her offer of providing that table and look forward to receiving it. I wonder if the Minister accepts that great success has been achieved by the PSNI and the National Crime Agency (NCA) over recent months in their fight against very serious criminal activity. Is it the case that the technology that has been used in those successes could in fact be used in the fight against those who are engaged in fuel laundering activity?”
“I want to support your comments. Is it not always the case that we talk about the charges for and the cost of education rather than investment in education and the outworkings of that investment in education?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I agree with you about the need for the Health Minister to provide support where it is required. Will you also agree that, as we move forward and young people take up places in universities, the Minister for the Economy, Diane Dodds, will also need support and that there should be a collegiate approach from the Executive to address the issues?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. She rightly referred to the Minister for the Economy and the Minister of Health having important roles to play as we move forward. Would it be right to expect a collegiate approach from the Executive, from a Sinn Féin perspective at least, in addressing these issues?”
“There are those who have criticised the Minister in the debate. Ms Mullan, the Deputy Chair of the Education Committee called the situation a "debacle". She said that students were failed and deserved far better. Our students deserve the very best, but there are other people in society who also deserve the very best, and a judge made a decision on that yesterday.”
“That comment was followed by another educational professional, who tweeted:”
“We want the best examination results, and we want students to be tested against the best. We want that because we know that Northern Ireland students do extremely well. They have done extremely well this year and have done so in the past. I have no doubt that they will do extremely well in future. Their abilities compare very favourably with any other set of pupils. <BR /> <BR />As I said, Minister Weir has attended the Committee unstintingly, but we need to move on to where we go next. I welcome two comments that were made, one of which was by Mr Alan Hutchinson, the principal, I believe, of Glastry College, in today's 'Belfast Telegraph' today. Commenting on Mr Weir, he said:”
“Minister Weir characterises the Assembly's ambitions for our education system. He has recognised — this has already been paid tribute to — that many children and young people do not get the opportunities that they deserve and has taken action on it. He also acknowledges that there are many young people who do well, and he wants to support them so that they do even better. Minister Weir has made no comment about the campaign across Northern Ireland or across the UK. All he did was take action to make sure that Northern Ireland students were not disadvantaged in the UK. <BR /> <BR />We all want the best education system, the best opportunities, the best qualifications and the best skill sets for our children, our pupils, our students; indeed, that has characterised Minister Weir's tenure.”
“On that theme, last Friday's Committee meeting was telling in terms of its politics; not the issue of the meeting but the politics of the meeting. The Minister subjected himself to a grilling, and he is to be commended for his performance at that meeting. We had two members of CCEA sitting outside the door and were about to interview them when the Chair did not want to divide the Committee but wanted to take a vote before the Committee listened to what CCEA had to say. <BR /> <BR />Peter Weir's tenure in office has been characterised by his ability, his interest, his willingness and his giving of himself to attend Committee meetings. He has been unstinting in that. I have to say that I have often wondered why he has done it, considering what has happened at some of the Committee meetings.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Like others, I welcome you back to the Chair. <BR /> <BR />In my opening remarks, I pay tribute to the pupils, students and teaching professionals of Northern Ireland. I want to recognise that, however you measure it, our education system is second to none across the world. It provides opportunities for progress. It provides opportunities for those with ambition and supports those who need support. That is characteristic of what the Minister has tried to do in his tenure in office.”
“As we know, soldiers returning from war suffer from PTSD, and it is likely that many in the health service and other services who are fighting this battle will suffer from something similar. Should we not start thinking about what, at the end of this crisis, the outcomes will be for those who are fighting this battle on our behalf and how we are going to treat them?”
“I thank the First Minister and the deputy First Minister for the statement. It is, indeed, helpful and encouraging to see the actions that they are taking. Many points have been made in the Chamber and running through all of them is the concern for the individual, for society, for our health workers, for our teachers, for supermarket workers and for the people who run small food shops and chemists' shops. Those people are all on the front line of this crisis. <BR /> <BR />References have been made to the health crisis as it is, but are we not going to face another health crisis further down the line when this issue has been solved? There will be an impact on the health of those who have been serving on the front line.”
“The Minister has said that, in the event that schools may close, he will base that on the expert advice that is offered to him. In the context that the expert advice says, "Yes, close the schools", what will be the method of contacting the principal? What will he expect the principal to do with the information? How will he get it out to parents, and what will be the plan at that stage?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I strongly agree with the tenor of his speech. Does the Member agree that a failure to invest in childcare, children and young adults means that we store up greater costs down the line?”
“It has fallen behind Wales. We need to at least play catch-up and, hopefully, take a stride forward and even become the best in the United Kingdom.”
“I concur with what the Member said. What we have in this motion indicates that that holistic, joined-up and complete approach is necessary if we are to succeed. <BR /> <BR />We need to look at why change is needed. I go back to what was said about the other parts of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland has the lowest proportion of households receiving free childcare across the whole of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland has the second-lowest public spending on childcare provision in the United Kingdom.”
“We have tried to address it through community initiatives that rely on funding and have a set finish time. We have relied on schemes that can bring on board only limited numbers. We cannot continue in that vein if we believe that childcare is an important aspect of the development of the child and, indeed, society.”
“Too often in the past, we have been guilty of recognising the importance of childcare and the building block that it can be for the future of the child, the family and society, yet, at the same time, trying to address the issue through short-term project-funding.”
“As a result, all three- and four-year-olds are now entitled to a free part-time place, which is available for a minimum of 10 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year. The Welsh Government also plan to extend this offer so that, by September 2020, the entitlement for working parents will be 30 hours per week over 48 weeks, and parents can choose to pay for additional provision on top of the free part-time provision that they receive. <BR /> <BR />Back in 2015, the then First Minister, Peter Robinson, and deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, announced their 10-year strategy for affordable and integrated childcare. That strategy had seven key objectives. The then First Minister and deputy First Minister indicated that they wanted to support:”
“<BR /> <BR />The Scottish Government have since committed to almost doubling the number of funded early learning childcare (ELC) hours. From August 2020, all three- and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds will receive 1,140 hours of funded early learning childcare. Prior to August 2020, some children, especially those living in disadvantaged areas, will be able to access those extended hours as local authorities phase in the delivery of the 1,140 hours. They have recognised, through their work, that children living in disadvantaged areas need that level of support. <BR /> <BR />The Welsh Government have set targets to expand and develop government-funded early years education in childcare in recent years.”
“<BR /> <BR />In Scotland, the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 introduced the term "early learning and childcare" for provision for children up to school age. Beyond childcare, this recognises a child's preschool period as early education, where a child acquires the skills and knowledge required to succeed in primary school and beyond. It is, therefore, a building block. The Act increased the flexibility and amount of free early learning and childcare from 475 to 600 hours per year for all three- to four-year-olds. It also extended the entitlement to two-year-olds who are looked after under what is referred to as the kinship order or whose parents qualify for certain benefits. These children are entitled to free early learning and childcare from the first term after their second birthday.”
“I do not like the phrase the "cost of education". I like the phrase "investment in education". We are seeking, through the motion, investment in our children, families and wider society. The motion encapsulates the thinking of the Programme for Government in the New Decade, New Approach agreement's childcare strategy. <BR /> <BR />I want to make comparisons between Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK. In England, all three- to four-year-olds are entitled to 570 hours of free provision per year. That is typically taken as 15 hours per week over 38 weeks. In England, that is referred to as the universal entitlement. In addition, since September 2017, three- and four-year-olds with working parents are entitled to a free nursery place equivalent to 30 hours per week over 38 weeks. That is referred to as the extended entitlement.”
“It seeks to empower parents by allowing them to continue to work, and, therefore, to progress in their work. It:”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I greatly appreciate those words. <BR /> <BR />I hope that the motion can be accepted across the Chamber. It is a positive motion, drawn up to support parents, children and the economy. It is, therefore, holistic in its approach. <BR /> <BR />The motion has a number of key phrases that I draw to Members' attention. It calls for:”
“If you were looking for what might make up the essentials of —”
“When that was mooted in the Long Gallery a couple of Fridays ago, the reaction among about 80 headmasters was, "Not another report". We are calling for another report, but, if we are to have another report, we need to involve the skills and knowledge of existing principals. We need to take notice of what they say. We cannot have an independent coming from wherever and attempting to impose. We have much experience that needs to be enhanced, taken cognisance of and attended to.”
“There is not any doubt that we need to make changes. We may even need to make cultural changes in our schools, but there are many aspects that we should remember. We must remember that we are investing in our children, our young people, our society and our economy. We do not have the natural resources of some countries. Our only natural resource for the future of our economy is our people. <BR /> <BR />We need to look forward with confidence and build on the success of schools. We need consensus on a way forward, as has already been said. Some have complained about area planning, but I hope that, when we come to make the hard decisions, there will be around the Chamber the unanimity that is reflected today. <BR /> <BR />The words "external" and "independent" in the motion are lifted straight from the agreement.”
“I accept that there are problems and issues. I hope that we will make progress on addressing them in the next two years of this Assembly term. <BR /> <BR />Let me point out, however, that, when universities in Scotland are looking to attract students, Northern Ireland is one of the areas that they search. England's academic results fall far below those of Northern Ireland, so there is much to be proud of. <BR /> <BR />It was disappointing that, when the proposer was asked by Mr Allister not to quantify the motion but to define his vision, he was not able to answer in any meaningful way. <BR /> <BR />There can be no doubt that our schools face challenges. I accept that. Many aspects of our system need to be challenged. I do not like the term "underachievement", but we need to support pupils and give them a pathway to success.”