Mervyn Storey
North Antrim · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for his statement. It will be noted that there are those who cry much about the environment and purport to be the champions of the environment who did not have the courtesy to come to the House and be present when the statement was being made.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Clearly, there are some in the House who want to continue with the same old, same old and get the same outcomes at a huge cost to the public purse and to farms in Northern Ireland. The Minister is absolutely right: it is a scourge.”
“I am sure that the Minister will be aware, having listened to the Member who spoke before me, that the farmers of North Antrim will make an informed choice about who best supported farmers during this mandate of the Assembly.”
“A pilot scheme has been operating with the Education Authority, the PSNI and the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust across 60 schools in the south Down area since September 2021 and was extended to a further 77 schools in the Newry and south Armagh areas at the start of February 2022.”
“As Chair of the Justice Committee, I am pleased to welcome the motion. It implements the provisions taken forward by the Committee in the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland) 2021 to establish an Operation Encompass model in Northern Ireland, which is, as the Minister has outlined, a police and early intervention pa…”
“We had our final meeting of that Committee this morning, and I want to place on the public record our appreciation and thanks to our Committee staff of for all the work that they have done.”
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“I thank the Member for giving way. He will agree with me in finding it strange for the SDLP and the Ulster Unionists, to come to the House to talk about legislation and then, in the same vein, about treating everybody fairly. When they were in charge, they introduced article 64 of the Education Reform Order 1989, which we are now encumbered by and which places a duty on the Department to promote and facilitate Irish-medium and integrated schools. Therefore, when it comes to dealing with schools, the Minister cannot act because of how he is shackled by what those two parties signed up to in the Belfast Agreement.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. First, for clarification and for the record, it was not a DUP fundraising event. Secondly, will the Member, in light of all that he says, clarify to the House whether, when campaigning on the issue, he voted to leave the European Union or to remain? Clearly, that would give us an indication of where he is going with this.”
“I thank the Minister for his comments, particularly for placing on record our concerns on the apprenticeship levy. Will he outline to the House how much his Department invests annually in apprenticeships, given the important role that they play in the economy?”
“Will the Member accept that we had the evidence for a long time, when nurture was working successfully in places such as Ballysally Primary School, Coleraine, and Holy Family Primary and Nursery School, Londonderry? It took the Department a long time to recognise its value. Now, we have this report and a Minister who is being proactive on the issue.”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. I welcome the fact that he visited Harryville in my constituency with us last week. I was proud to be the person who opened the Harryville nurture unit a number of years ago. I pay tribute to his officials, one of whom, who is in the House today, has worked extremely hard on the issue. Will the Minister make sure that nurture becomes mainstream in the school and is not something that is looked on as an isolated class in an isolated classroom?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I would like to add that there are issues with procurement. The current Minister, who is, like me, a former Finance Minister, will recognise the challenges in the procurement process, which has become very bureaucratic and burdensome to small business in particular. There are serious issues with the procurement process, and it needs considerable work to make it fit for purpose.”
“We tried to avoid the situation where this became a debate about Brexit. Does the Member not also recognise that, if we want to dismantle the regulatory burden on our businesses, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do it in a way that would benefit them? One of the biggest problems we have had has been the imposition of European red tape?”
“— that has to come to an end. I commend the motion to the House, and I trust that Members will support small business.”
“— in Northern Ireland, told us recently at an event in the House that it has 700 homes in the planning process, with some having been in that process for between seven and nine years. I think, Mr Deputy Speaker —”
“Those documents gave us a concise view of the challenges, which include regulation, access to finance and planning. It is shameful that a large construction industry, a homebuilding organisation —”
“<BR /> <BR />While there has been much said about small businesses, we need to put it on record that help has been given. Sometimes we say we need more and more, and, yes, we could always do with more. However, help is being given to the sector by Invest NI, the Department, the new councils through the enterprise awareness that they are taking up, social entrepreneurship, Invest NI overseas events, the trade links the Minister for the Economy mentioned and the accelerator plan for trade and investment. All those things are important. <BR /> <BR />In the couple of minutes I have left, I want to say that there are also challenges. What are those challenges? Those challenges were clearly set out by the FSB when, over a period of time, it published a number of documents.”
“For a company based in Ballymoney that started out of a grooming business that looked after cattle going to the Balmoral show, it is something to see that business operate today. <BR /> <BR />Of course, we have McAuley Engineering as well. It started with a loan to Jonathan McAuley from his father of £1,800. His late father, whom I knew well, Albert McAuley, a man of huge integrity, said to Jonathan, "Now, see what you can do with that". Last year, Jonathan's company recorded a turnover in excess of £10 million. That is within a very short time, somewhere in the region of seven or eight years. That is an indication of the calibre of what we have in Northern Ireland and what we can do despite all the challenges. I put it on record for those companies — there are many others — that they are valued and that we appreciate them.”
“<BR /> <BR />Before I deal with the challenges — there are challenges — I take the opportunity to mention two companies in my constituency, which, given that they started with very small enterprise, deserve to be mentioned. I am referring to, as I have done previously in the House, Christies Direct in Ballymoney, which is now a global player in the dog-grooming industry. A statistic that blew my mind when we visited the company a few weeks ago was that the company, which is based in Ballymoney, was started by Colin Christie and his wife and now employs some 50 people, has the second most visited website in the world for those products. It is second only to Walmart.”
“<BR /> <BR />Obviously, the economic climate that our SMEs operate in is important. There have been encouraging elements, such as the improvement in the labour market, with over 41,000 net additional jobs created since 2012. There are now almost 30,000 fewer people claiming unemployment benefit compared with the previous peak in February 2013. The latest Northern Ireland composite economic index, which was released a few days ago on 13 October, shows that economic activity increased by 1% over the quarter to June 2016 and by 1·6% over the year. The top three SME industries by numbers of businesses in Northern Ireland were construction at 21%, agriculture at 15% and wholesale and retail at 10%.”
“That is another example of the way in which they make an invaluable contribution to our communities. The SME sector provides 81% of the private sector non-financial GVA or nearly half of the total GVA of Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Not only are SMEs economically important but it has been stated in some of the FSB documentation that, socially, they play an important role. They make a substantial contribution to the sociocultural fabric of our communities. As Members, we can all think of companies in our constituencies, and where would we be if we did not have those companies or the impact they have not only economically but socially through the employment of local staff and engaging with schools, engaging with colleges and engaging with community organisations?”
“Earlier, the Minister was able to confirm a 9·5% growth in exports — the largest in the United Kingdom. That says something about the resilience, tenacity and expertise of our business community. <BR /> <BR />The research that I mentioned, carried out by Ulster University on behalf of FSB, indicates that over 120,000 businesses in the SME sector currently operate in Northern Ireland. As I have already stated, they account for 75% of the turnover and employment in our private sector. That is significantly more than is the case for the UK as a whole, where the turnover share is less than 50% and the employment share is in the region of 60%. It was also interesting to note from the research that SMEs buy more of their labour and materials from the local economy than larger firms.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am glad that the House will not divide on the motion, which is welcome because it is important that we do not. We have often seen parties — we can be as guilty of it as any other party; we are not puerile about these things — take the opportunity to play politics. Today, however, we are talking about people's livelihoods, about businesses and about organisations that, day and daily, make a contribution to the society that we all value. <BR /> <BR />You might ask why the motion focuses specifically and exclusively on SMEs. The answer, in many ways, is simple yet challenging. Northern Ireland is a small-business economy, yet it is huge in its achievement and success. We have only to look at some of our successes as a small region of the United Kingdom.”
“The results and findings of research carried out by the Ulster University SME centre and the business school on behalf of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) make for interesting reading. Before I delve a little more into those figures, I want to place on record our appreciation and thanks for the work that the FSB carries out on our behalf and that of its members in Northern Ireland. We are pleased that representatives from the FSB have joined us in the Public Gallery today. For their work and representations on behalf of 6,000 local members — there are 170,000 across the UK — we owe them a debt of gratitude. We thank them for what they do, and we join them in their mission of supporting smaller businesses to achieve their ambitions, which is desirable.”
“They account for over 99% of private sector business in the UK and employ over 15 million people.”
“There can be no doubt that small and medium-sized enterprises make an invaluable contribution to the economic prosperity of Northern Ireland. SMEs, as they have become known — I include the self-employed in their number — provide 75% of employment and 75% of turnover through the way in which they operate in Northern Ireland. They also contribute 81% of gross value added (GVA) in Northern Ireland's private sector. They employ more people than Northern Ireland's large companies and the public sector combined. What we are discussing here this evening is, therefore, a very significant sector of employment in Northern Ireland. "The Times' business supplement recently said that the importance of SME business to the UK economy could not be overstated.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Given the fact that Northern Ireland was the only UK region to increase its exports last year and the information that the Minister has given to us today about the help and assistance for companies to access new markets, does the Minister envisage that growth continuing? Obviously, he has launched the accelerator plan, but will he ensure that it is given the widest possible exposure to companies that could have an uptake of that particular programme?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I have campaigned and continue to campaign for nurture units, so I am glad that there is an allocation of an additional £1 million in his statement. Given that Holy Family in Londonderry received the nurture quality mark just this week, it will be welcome news to those involved in nurture. <BR /> <BR />May I specifically ask the Minister about the planned investment fund and his request to the Chief Secretary for special dispensation? Will he consider widening the urban focus of the planned investment fund beyond the two cities of Belfast and Londonderry so that areas in my North Antrim constituency, such as Ballymena, Ballymoney and Ballycastle, could benefit?”
“Let us make Northern Ireland work. I believe that, unshackled from the European Union and given the negotiation of Her Majesty's Government, we have a bright future, a future that is to the benefit of all our citizens.”
“— and the farmers in North Antrim. At least, we have now raised the temperature of the debate in the House. Let us —”
“The Member misses the point that we limit our own ability in terms of bilateral trade agreements. It seems that you must always accept the lowest common denominator in planning for the future. There is no ambition or certainly very little ambition; I did not see much ambition in the 10-point plan that was produced by the Ulster Unionist Party. My other North Antrim colleague has left the Chamber: maybe he has left because he knows what his stance was in regard to the referendum and what he was telling the voters —”
“The Member makes the point, and he makes it well. Five per cent of companies export, but they have to be subject to 100% of the rules and regulations, therefore —”
“I will give way to my colleague from North Antrim. No, not the one from South Antrim.”
“We have never said that all regulation is bad, but we have talked about imposition by unaccountable bureaucrats in Brussels telling businesses in Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom how they should best operate when they are the worst. Let us remember that this is an organisation that cannot even balance its budget. This is an organisation that has the most bloated bureaucracy of any democratic — I would not even call it "democratic" —”
“Not many Members have reminded the House of the imposition of rules and regulations and red tape that have been a hindrance to business and that have, in fact, been an impediment to making progress.”
“There may be an element of that, but it is also a case of wanting to have the best of both worlds. The reality for us is that we will leave the European Union. That is the reality for us as a result of the decision. If you listen to the comments by Liam Fox, you will find that he is intimating that, while the negotiations have not yet started, there will be countries that want to come and do business with the United Kingdom. There are companies that want to ensure that the opportunity to do business with the United Kingdom is still in place and enhanced and can be benefited from. That is where we need to focus our attention. <BR /> <BR />Going back to what Dr Farry said about "dragging ourselves down", we have now unshackled ourselves.”
“Let me turn to some of the comments. Mr Farry referred to a number of comments, and he said that the referendum was frustrating. It may be frustrating, but that is what it is. He then went on to talk about us "dragging ourselves down". Who is it that is dragging us down? It is the constant, relentless naysayers and doom-and-glooom merchants who on the one hand say, "We have these wonderful companies. Look at what they do and how well they perform, and look at the great products they have", but it is all doom. They say, "We are all going to head into the abyss because of this awful decision". We have —”
“It is based in Ballymoney. That is a great credit to a local business that is taking on, on the world stage through the Internet, a very challenging set of circumstances.”
“— to a variety of other businesses. Members referred to Wrightbus in North Antrim, of which we are rightly proud across the world because of what it does for Northern Ireland's manufacturing and the reputation of manufacturing in the United Kingdom. Last week, I had a great opportunity to accompany the First Minister in visiting Christies Direct in Ballymoney. The company, based in Northern Ireland, is going beyond the bounds of its ability to sell its products and has become the second-most-visited website in the world after Walmart.”
“The products mentioned ranged from hairbrushes —my colleague Mr Dunne extolled the merits of the company in his constituency, and you can see by the look of him that he uses one pretty regularly —”
“Northern Ireland can clearly win on the pitch, and, as the Deputy Speaker said, we wish them well in their endeavours tomorrow night in Germany and trust that they has a good result. Saturday evening proved to us again that there is that competitive edge, drive and fervour in Northern Ireland companies. In the debate today, we heard a range of comments and views on where we are with our economy. <BR /> <BR />I commend my colleague Mr Gordon Lyons for opening the debate. He emphasised the commitment to growing the economy. That is what we all, collectively, want to see. If we are worth the salt of our occupations in the House, we all want to ensure that companies in our constituencies do well.”
“I am disappointed in a party that was once shackled to the Conservative Party and was quite happy to bring David Cameron here, and now, all of a sudden, it wants to distance itself from the current Conservative Government. However, whatever the politics of that may be, we must respect it. Other parties in the Chamber lectured us for many years about recognising the democratic process, then, all of a sudden, they lose the vote and say, "Oh no, but it was only Northern Ireland. We were talking only about Northern Ireland". When I went to vote, it was very clear that I was voting as a citizen of the United Kingdom. Let us ensure that that is said. <BR /> <BR />With regard to the competitive nature of Northern Ireland, let us be very clear that we saw that at the weekend.”
“I have never had an introduction like that before in the House. <BR /> <BR />I will start by saying a word of congratulations to all who took part in the debate this afternoon. It is about the tone and tenor of what we said, because let us remember that, while we clearly have our differences, the business community out there wants us, as its public representatives, to do the very best for it. It gets frustrated with cheap political point scoring and jibes. Sometimes, that masks for us all because we all have organisations, companies and families who are involved in these businesses, and they want us to do the very best. <BR /> <BR />Here is the starting point: the referendum clearly indicated the will of the British people.”
“I thank the Minister for her answers thus far. I also thank her for visiting my constituency at the weekend in relation to the agri-food industry by attending the Northern Ireland Potato Festival at the Giant's Causeway: a world-class venue to celebrate the humble spud. <BR /> <BR />Will the Minister give the House an update in relation to the agri-food processing investment grant scheme and how it will be processed in the future?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. I declare an interest as the chair of the Dark Hedges Preservation Trust. Given the strategic place that it has in tourism in the north Antrim area, will the Minister welcome the fact that the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has taken a very proactive role? I thank the Minister for his help in ensuring that Tourism NI was present at a recent meeting with the council. That will allow us to build on the success and deal with the challenges. The Minister will be aware that there are particular issues in relation to preserving the site, ensuring that locals have adequate and appropriate access, and having a system in place that manages the many hundreds, indeed thousands, of people who come to the Dark Hedges on a very regular basis.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. He will be well aware that independent research commissioned some time ago demonstrated that Supporting People produces £1·90 in net financial benefits for the Executive for every £1 spent on it. Will the Minister give an assurance, given the particular challenges in the budgetary process generally and the various demands on the budget, that the priority that has been given to Supporting People will continue so that we are able to see progress in relation to those who are the biggest beneficiaries of the programme?”
“The Member may be aware that the panel, particularly Professor Bengoa, visited the Causeway and I believe that was a very valuable visit. I trust that that, at least, gave some input to his thinking and on what the recommendations may or may not say.”
“We believe that the business case has now been completed and that progress is being made. Maybe the Minister will be able to tell us when that can be delivered in the Causeway Hospital. <BR /> <BR />I conclude by saying that these are only a small element of the provision of health in the North Antrim area, but they are key component parts, which I trust will continue to be delivered and built upon in the future.”
“<BR /> <BR />Obviously, health is very multifaceted and there are many elements to it, not least the fact that the issue of residential care is a particular challenge for the trusts. I want to make reference to the Roddens residential home. There has been a concern for some considerable time that there have been no admissions from the Robinson Hospital, despite requests having been made and despite circumstances where I believe people could have been admitted to the Roddens but were not. I ask the Minister to look at this issue, because it is unacceptable that people and families in my constituency have to travel long distances to get residential care. <BR /> <BR />I would appreciate it if the Minister could give us an update on the renal dialysis unit, which I have been campaigning for since I was elected to the House in 2003.”
“<BR /> <BR />I want to move to the Robinson Hospital in Ballymoney, which is a unique jewel in the Northern Trust's crown, given its history and the contribution that Samuel Robinson made, and which his trust continues to make, to health provision. I would appreciate it if the Minister could give us an update on where we are at with the proposed capital build at the Robinson Hospital. It plays a very important part. I pay tribute to the GPs in the health centre who work in conjunction with the Robinson Hospital. I believe that that particular community provision is an example of how community hospitals should be at the centre of our community and could help to alleviate the pressures at the Causeway, which they do.”
“Let me turn to Dalriada Hospital in the northern part of the Northern Trust area and of the North Antrim constituency. The previous Minister and others are well aware of the campaign that took place when there was a proposal to close Dalriada. The people in Ballycastle and the glens do feel a particular challenge in relation to isolation and distance, given that they gravitate towards Antrim Area Hospital or the Causeway Hospital. I lay on record our appreciation of the trust's commitment to the Dalriada pathfinder model. I believe that that is giving us an example of what can be done in terms of provision. I will leave that point there because I am well aware that my time is fast moving on.”
“I say that in recognition also of the concerns that have been raised even recently. I want to place on record the issue in regard to the continuance of the hospital. I think that the services that underpin it are vital. I want to ensure that we make progress in providing for our over-65s, our over-75s and the ever-increasing population in that part of the world.”
“It would be remiss of me if I did not say this, and I say it with all my sympathy to those families who, unfortunately, could not concur with my comments on the service that they believe was not provided when there were particular problems and issues that led to very sad circumstances, which have been highlighted recently in the media. I am referring, of course, to obstetrics. There are some 1,500 deliveries per annum in the Causeway, and there is a continual need for a consultant-led unit. Obviously, in view of the geographic isolation, it is a concern that that will be replaced by a midwife-based service. There is also a reasonable argument for the Causeway to be a major obstetric centre for the trust in view of the proximity of the Antrim Area Hospital to Belfast.”
“With an increasingly elderly population, there are the associated challenges that that brings. <BR /> <BR />That brings us to ensuring that the Causeway Hospital is given its place in regional services. I said just prior to the Minister coming into the Chamber that she will shortly be in receipt, if she is not already, of the Bengoa report. There will be talk of regional services. What we want to see at the Causeway, and what I want to see, is building upon the expertise that we do have, particularly around chronic pain and other services. <BR /> <BR />In recent days we had negative comment.”
“Elective admissions grew by 3% in 2014-15 and by 7% in 2015-16. That clearly demonstrates the need for the retention of services, particularly those focused on delivering for our senior citizens and A&E. <BR /> <BR />We need to tie that in with a comment by the Causeway support group in one of its publications recently:”
“The Causeway Coast and Glens has the highest projected rise in over-75s in the health service area, and the Causeway will have the fastest-growing elderly population in the region over the next 10 years. <BR /> <BR />As someone whose father spent most of last year in the Causeway Hospital, apart from a few months in the Royal Victoria, I know all too well the care and attention that is given by the staff in that hospital. I have no doubt that but for their care and attention my father's health today would be severely limited. <BR /> <BR />A&E is pivotal to the delivery of the service at the Causeway. Year on year, we have seen a rise of 2% to 4% in A&E attendance. However, attendance by the over-75s has grown by 4% to 6%. Again, that is an issue that needs to be taken into account.”