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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“As required under the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008, my Department will now direct the Big Lottery to develop a strategic plan for the utilisation of the funds in Northern Ireland. The strategic plan will be laid before the Assembly, and the fund will be distributed by a third party appointed by the Big Lottery. However, it should be noted that the dormant accounts funding is separate and distinct from Big Lottery funding. I expect the fund to be operational by late 2016. <BR /> <BR />I want to pick up on that point in relation to the use of the Big Lottery. There are many organisations that, in the past, have felt that, for the right reasons, they could not access lottery funding.”
“Through the creation of a community finance fund, I believe that the Northern Ireland Executive can improve access to finance for a range of organisations across the third sector, including social enterprises, church groups and smaller community-based organisations to make further investment in their activities, grow their organisations and, more importantly, become self-sustaining. The investment will enable such organisations to increase their relevance, revenue and capability of resource, as well as the level of social benefit that they deliver to their communities.”
“I wish to inform the House and the Member that I have written to Executive colleagues, advising that I will now publish a Northern Ireland community finance fund. The fund will utilise moneys made available to Northern Ireland from the UK-wide reclaim fund and will be utilised and distributed as set out in the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008. The intention to establish a fund was announced as part of the Budget in 2015-16 under the working title of the social innovation fund.”
“I thank the Member. The issue has been raised in the House in the past. The name will change. It was originally known as the dormant bank accounts scheme, but it will become the community finance fund. I think that that is the trajectory that we are setting for ourselves.”
“Well, they say that all politics is local. The two major elements of the road project to improve the A6 are the Randalstown to Castledawson section and the Londonderry to Dungiven section. The A6 Randalstown to Castledawson dualling scheme is a significant project and will help to remove a major bottleneck, improving safety and journey times on that strategically important route. The development of the A6 Londonderry to Dungiven section, which includes a bypass at Dungiven, is well advanced. It has been through a public inquiry, and the inspector has produced a report embracing various recommendations. DRD has prepared a report addressing those recommendations, and the Minister for Regional Development is considering them in full and will then take a decision on how the scheme should proceed.”
“I think that that gives a clear commitment to capital investment and shows how the Executive will spend capital money in a planned and focused way.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The Budget, which is still going through the House, sets out a number of elements in relation to spending plans for 2016-17. The nature of some capital projects means that it is important to provide funding certainty to Departments. I think that that may have been an issue of concern in the past. The seven projects and the amounts to be allocated over five years are as follows: £229 million for the A5; £258 million for the A6; £59 million for the Belfast rapid transit project; £122 million for the Belfast transport hub; £243 million for the mother and children's hospital; £79 million for Desertcreat training college; and £91 million for regional and subregional stadia.”
“I am glad that it is a colleague asking that question and not one of my political opponents. I can say without fear, favour or contradiction that, as far as we are concerned, there are no plans to remove that support, which I see as being key; I can confirm that. I underscore this: industrial derating is a key element in sustaining our manufacturing base in Northern Ireland. I have no doubt that, should there be any move to remove it, there would rightly be opposition from many in the manufacturing sector. I want to allay any concerns, doubts or fears: there are no plans to remove that support.”
“I thank the Member for his question, and he is right. I have already alluded to that in an earlier answer. The Member will also be aware that my predecessor previously stated on a number of occasions that industrial derating will continue and that there are no plans to remove that support for manufacturing. That support provides a valuable boost to manufacturing; a sector that, while growing in Northern Ireland, has had its particular problems and difficulties in the past. To put it into some context, the relief is of the magnitude of some £58 million a year, helping some 4,300 businesses a year, and is already committed to in the 2016-17 Budget.”
“It is an issue that is associated with projects such as this, and, as Minister with responsibility for Land and Property Services, I want to ensure that this is done in an effective and efficient way and that landowners' rights are protected under statute when property is vested and they will receive full compensation for their loss based on the principles that are set out in those documents. I encourage Members to become aware of those and to make them available to landowners in the area and to the general public who have an interest in this issue. I trust that we will continue to see progress on what is an important infrastructure project for Northern Ireland.”
“We have to get the current process under way. This is important, so I want to place it on the record of the House, and I am quite happy to make this available to Members: Land and Property Services has published three very helpful booklets on compensation in regard to domestic, agricultural and other classes of property. These are available online via my Department's website or in hard copies that can be obtained by contacting LPS. I am sure that the Member, like other Members in the locality, will be asked questions around the issue, particularly regarding compensation.”
“We also have identified this particular route in relation to one of the flagships, and we have profiled the capital over the next number of years. Am I satisfied? As the Member will know, there were particular problems that were outside of our control, however we have now given a commencement and, I believe, the green light to this process. I think that that is evidence that, when you have a DUP Minister in charge of the roads, there is progress.”
“I thank the Member for his question, and he is right. The Minister for Regional Development announced the start of the consultations on the new draft statutory orders and a new environmental statement for the A5 western transport corridor dual carriageway scheme just a few days ago. Subject to successful completion of the statutory procedures, construction work is due to commence next year on the £150 million Newbuildings to north of Strabane section of the road. I think that that is a clear indication. The Executive and Assembly have been criticised in the past for not making decisions, and we are criticised when we make decisions. However, here is a clear example of a considerable degree of investment that is being made.”
“Yes, some relief is given. The Member will be glad to know that, later this afternoon, I am meeting a variety of clubs and organisations that want to talk to us specifically about this issue. As soon as you move to look at a particular element of the rating system, you can be absolutely sure, as the Member knows from his colleagues in the pigeon fraternity, that a gathering, a collective or a flock will circle you and ask, "What does this mean for us? Why are we not included?". I want to ensure that we listen to the consultation. I will, I trust, be able to give the Member a more informed answer after my meeting with clubs and federations this afternoon and, ultimately, when we get the consultation responses.”
“Those strongly held views were largely omitted from the private Member's Bill consultation, so I want to ensure that this consultation is as wide and as informed as possible. That will give us the opportunity to ensure that we get the right outcome.”
“Members and, maybe, the general public are always suspicious and sceptical of consultations because they believe that we have a predetermined outcome and are only ticking a box. In the Departments that I have had responsibility for, I have always believed that a consultation should be just that: genuinely listening to views and then evaluating the response. <BR /> <BR />The consultation will seek views on my preferred policy and aim to address the gaps in the consultation on the private Member's Bill. There were gaps — the Member is well aware of the process that we had to engage in — and they included seeking views from the wider business community, such as the hospitality sector.”
“In such cases, that element of the NAV will be treated as de minimis and relief will be awarded on that area. In very general terms, it would be rare for unlicensed clubs to exceed that threshold. These issues will be outlined in greater detail in the Department's forthcoming consultation.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Exemption from rates under the legislation would apply only to the parts valued as sporting facilities and used by persons engaged in a prescribed recreation. That is set out in primary legislation and cannot be adjusted through the new regulations being made by my Department in the area. That principle applies to the existing level of relief and to the proposed enhancement under my preferred policy of using the new enabling power in the Rates (Amendment) Bill. <BR /> <BR />It has been noted in exchanges with the Committee that the term "sports facilities" was unlikely to include stands. There is an exemption to that general rule where areas other than sporting facilities make up less than 20% of the total NAV.”
“I thank the Member. He raises a valid point about how we tackle the issue. We all know of locations in our constituencies where there are problems. The difficulty that we face and that the incoming Executive will face is that, as soon as you make a proposal to deal with it, there will be those who will be very inventive in finding a way around it. We have to give a broader view of the way in which that could be done so that we do not introduce a policy that has the right intent but ends up with unintended consequences. We saw that with vacant properties, when some went to extreme lengths to avoid paying the revenue due on those properties. It is a valid point and should be given consideration, but, as I said about charity shops, we have to deal with it sensitively and wisely so that the outcome reflects the intended policy.”
“Part of the reason for that was the long time it took us to get to a revaluation. We have to now look at whether three years is the proper time. Is four years? Those are the things that are now all part of the mix when we look at our rating system. I will give serious thought to how it is done in other jurisdictions, but I will make the caveat that it has to be suitable to the needs of the people of Northern Ireland.”
“In making decisions on our system, we have to make them fit the circumstances in Northern Ireland. While there are many occasions when it is right to look at exemptions in other jurisdictions for certain reasons, I still think that we always need to remember that, in Northern Ireland, we are still, per head of population, in a better position with regard to the overall taxation of our people than other parts of the United Kingdom. However, that brings challenges. There are those who argue that we should maybe increase that burden. My party has taken the view that we are a low-taxation party, and we want to find a way — I underscore this — that is fair. It has to be fair. <BR /> <BR />There are many who came out of the revaluation recently who raised serious concerns about the way it was done.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Let me say that we have to deal with the issue sensitively. I am well aware of correspondence that I have had and of the lobbying that there has been. When you come to this issue and begin to change the rules that govern rating, in particular, there is always the tendency to in some way go after one element that seems to be the easiest. However, my approach to this will be cautious and equitable. I have listened to the concerns of other retailers who have said that there are undoubtedly disparities and differences that need to be addressed. My commitment to the House today is that this will be looked at sensitively, given the nature of what we are dealing with in relation to charity shops.”
“At the moment, I am reading my way through the responses. If you saw a particular file that sits on my desk with 113 tabs on it, you would know that that is my nightly homework.”
“The review of the non-domestic rating system consultation exercise officially closed on 25 January. The Department did, however, allow respondents until the end of January, with the final response accepted by 5 February. The Department considers the consultation process to have gone well, with some 113 responses from organisations and individual ratepayers presenting a good outcome in the level of engagement. <BR /> <BR />DFP officials have also participated in a series of events organised by NICVA, NILGA and the Federation of Small Businesses. Officials have also held a number of individual meetings with key stakeholders throughout the consultation period. The Department is compiling a consultation report, summarising the responses. The report will be independently validated by the economic policy centre at the Ulster University.”
“He heard the concerns that were raised. We will continue to listen to the construction industry and others to see whether we have the right models in place and what else could be done to help that particular sector.”
“When you look at the financial resource that is available to us, you see that there will always be a challenge for the Executive and Assembly around maximising what is available and getting the best possible outcome. Clearly, FTC has come at a time when we are able to capitalise on it and use it. The investment fund and the work that we are doing with the European Bank to have that fund established will give us somewhere in the region of £100 million and will, I believe, focus specifically on the delivery of grade-A property in cities such as Belfast and other parts of Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Those two financial tools are not the only ones. We should not restrict ourselves solely to two particular funds. We need to be innovative and look at what else we could do. The Member was present at the meeting earlier.”
“Clearly, I, along with my colleague Lord Morrow, will want to deal sensitively with that issue, but that is a reality that we will have to face, amongst many others, when it comes to the challenging environment that housing brings in Northern Ireland.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Obviously, there are a number of schemes. I almost sound as though I have resorted to type here and am now the Minister for Social Development again. However, if you look at co-ownership, you will see that we used FTC money extensively to support that sector because that was the right thing to do. It was the right financial vehicle that we were able to use. I would, however, reiterate my concern. It really follows on from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), given what has happened on the mainland in relation to reclassification. That will bring a particular challenge to bear over the next number of months, as I believe that it is the intention of ONS to come to Northern Ireland as its first port of call when looking at the devolved regions.”
“The focus needs to remain on trying to make legislation, EU rules and the rest of the suite of legislation for the sector as simple as possible, recognising the challenges that are out there. As we know, the construction industry has undoubtedly seen a particular challenge over the last number of years because of the downturn. It is not my place, nor do I think that it is the place of government, to put any more impediments in the sector's way. Rather, we need to continue to work with it and get positive outcomes that will help to sustain and grow what is a vital industry for Northern Ireland.”
“I thank the Member for his question. In consultation with the construction industry, through the Construction Industry Forum for Northern Ireland (CIFNI), my Department has implemented a range of measures to promote access to small- and medium-sized government opportunities. Those include breaking larger contracts into lots to bring them within the scope of smaller businesses; requiring contracts that have a value above the EU threshold to have a procurement strategy that includes engagement with the supply base; increasing the opportunities for SMEs to bid for government contracts by setting proportionate minimum standards; and accommodating applications from consortia. We are doing a number of things. <BR /> <BR />I take the Member's point. As I reiterated today at the all-party working group, we can always do more.”
“Housing is still under consideration in the context that the Executive are already providing significant support through the Department for Social Development's social and affordable housing schemes.”
“In how we envisage this being rolled out, the Member will be aware that, when I was in DSD, I gave a commitment to ensuring that we would keep our focus clearly and specifically on the benefits that we would generate as a result of housing. Indeed, I was at the meeting of the all-party working group on construction today, at which I reiterated my personal view — in fact, I think that it needs to become a collective view of the Assembly — that, if we could unlock the potential that there is for housing, social and in the private sector, across Northern Ireland, we would make an invaluable contribution to our communities and to the construction sector. <BR /> <BR />The Member also asked about investment fund support for private housing.”
“It is also expected that the fund's initial focus will be on urban regeneration projects, including grade A property, but energy efficiency and housing projects are also under consideration.”
“The Department for Social Development plans to deliver some 1,500 social homes in this financial year, at a cost to the public purse of £101 million. That funding is expected to lever in around £80 million of private sector funding. Support for affordable homes is also provided, primarily through the co-ownership scheme, with £95 million of financial transactions capital (FTC) being allocated in this financial year. That is expected to support up to 700 homes in each of the next four years. <BR /> <BR />As the Member will be aware, my officials are in the process of establishing an investment fund. The overall aim of the proposed fund is to promote investment, economic growth and jobs in Northern Ireland. The fund will seek to address access to finance markets where there has been failure.”
“I always want to ensure that I tread carefully when dealing with the Treasury. Of course, your colleague from west Belfast always reminded me, when I was at DSD, that I was an employee of DWP, and I am sure that I do not want now to be accused of being a member of, or associated with, the Treasury in London. The serious point is this: now is the time for us to look at how we can make improvements, but it will depend on the commitment of all those parties that will be in the Executive post the election on 5 May.”
“There may be some who will say that the Member should go to Specsavers, and then he might be able to have a bit more transparency. Maybe our budgetary process is a bit like the advert where the person responsible for clipping the sheep ends up clipping the dogs. However, I do agree, and I genuinely take the point. I saw this question when it was tabled, and it does raise serious issues about the entire process that we use. It has been raised, as I said, in terms of the budgetary process. <BR /> <BR />I came into post four weeks ago, and the way that we have to work through the budgetary process, as well as having all the arrangements with regard to the financial situation, is extremely challenging. I would say, however, that much of that is governed, of course, by Treasury rules.”
“Ministers who come to the Executive table should come with the attitude that we need to change the processes that we have and that we need more transparency across all Departments on how those financial processes operate, as that will give great confidence not only to the House but, more importantly, to the people who elect us to serve in this Chamber.”
“I thank the Member. Obviously, that will require not only myself as Finance Minister but also Members and the parties in the Executive to take collective responsibility, so that if the paper was to be put back to the Executive it would be given the due consideration that I believe it deserves. However, I take the view that, before that happens, we need to look at it again to see how it can be refined and how we can give the assurance, or at least the commitment, that we are creating a process that is transparent, gives us accountability, and delivers for us in the way that we have intended. <BR /> <BR />I also have to say that I do not want in any way to bring forward something that Ministers in the new Executive feel is an interference; I think that that may have been one of the issues that was to the fore in the past.”
“However, as we discussed regarding the Budget process, I want to see, in my time in office — and I trust that it would be the same for my predecessor — that we have a budgetary and financial process in the Assembly that is fit for purpose and gives us an overall view of what is going on in each Department in a way that gives us, as I said to the Member who asked the first question, efficient and effective delivery of government. <BR /> <BR />When I came into post, I was made aware that this issue had been around, as the Member rightly said, for a number of years. I would like to see progress on it, but I have to re-evaluate what has been done to date and see how best we can, if necessary, salvage many of the points raised when the issue was first brought to the House.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. When the House debated the Committee for Finance and Personnel motion on the review of the financial process some time ago, there was widespread support for the overall aims of the review, as the Member alluded to. That included Members from all the main political parties in the House. <BR /> <BR />As for the way in which we move this issue forward, some of that has been superseded by the creation of the new nine Departments.”
“The report on the review of financial processes in Northern Ireland has not been discussed by the Executive, and without the Executive's agreement the proposals it contains cannot be implemented. Of course, one of the proposals in the paper related to departmental structures and, with the move to a nine-Department structure, this will have to be revisited.”
“It is about ensuring that we have a streamlined system and that delivery of public services across a range of issues is done in a way that is efficient, effective and gives us the best possible value for money.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. He asks a valid question. Since I came into post, while I was making myself aware of all the various elements of the reform division, I certainly became aware that its work is wide and varied. In fact, I just got some information, for example, in relation to the cross-cutting reform programme and the summary of projects involved in that. I am quite happy to share that with the Member. What needs to be done in the ongoing work of the division and the Executive is the point that he makes; that there is no duplication and that they are working together for the same objective. What is that objective?”
“The work of the strategic policy and reform directorate is very wide and varied. The directorate comprises four divisions. Some of the key work areas that have recently been progressed include the following: preparations for the transfer of corporation tax powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly from April 2018; finalisation of the OECD review; a review of the non-domestic rating system; implementation of the Peace IV and INTERREG Va programmes; and leading on public-sector reform, including delivery of innovation labs and implementation of the cross-cutting review programme.”
“I would like to express a word of appreciation to my officials for the work that they brought to the Committee and for doing all the preparation necessary to bring the Bill to the House. I personally thank them for their work. I thank all concerned and commend the Bill to the House.”
“I would like to express a word of appreciation and thanks to the Committee members who contributed to the debate this afternoon. I also thank, in particular, the Chair and members for the work that they have done, alongside my officials, which ensured that the legislation reached this stage today. <BR /> <BR />It is an example — I have said this on other occasions when we set ourselves to legislate — of the relationship between the Department and the Committee in ensuring that we have an outcome. I take Mr Cree's point that this is not root-and-branch reform, but it is a good start. We have commenced at the right place in relation to what was needed, and I look forward to the Bill being given Royal Assent and becoming law.”
“At times, the process has been lengthy and frustrating, but the journey has, nonetheless, been worthwhile. Its final destination will see it become what the Member for North Belfast Alban Maginess described at an earlier stage as a good piece of law. It will lead to an improved complaints handling regime for lawyers, bring more openness and transparency and deliver a proportionate and fair outcome to all involved in the process. Accordingly, I commend the Bill to the Assembly.”
“The work of the Committee led to a number of amendments that I was content to bring forward at Consideration Stage and which have helped to improve the Bill. With those additions, we will have an Act that is strong and fair and will greatly assist anyone who has a problem with their lawyer and help them to get a satisfactory resolution. The Committee came back to the issue of first-tier complaints. The Bill, as amended, has reflected on that issue and will lead to improved outcomes in that area. I commend the work of the Committee and the interaction it has had with my Department, which serves as another good example of how a Department and a Committee can work together in a constructive manner in the delivery of good legislation. <BR /> <BR />I draw my comments to a close by welcoming the Bill.”
“I am pleased that we have arrived today at a stage where that journey has almost ended and that we have a statute that is appropriate, proportionate and has our stamp on it. <BR /> <BR />It was the now First Minister, my colleague Arlene Foster, who introduced the Bill in the Assembly in June of last year. At the time, she indicated that the Bill would help to raise the profile of regulation and enhance how complaints are handled. The Bill was referred to the Committee, and I place on record again my thanks to its members for their work on the Bill. The Committee Chair welcomed the Bill at its Second Stage but indicated that the Committee would look closely at how it could be improved. That proces-+s, which was undertaken mainly in the autumn, was a very constructive one, and it has led to the Bill we have in front of us today.”
“That group found that the system here was working quite well but that it would benefit from a copper-bottoming of various aspects, most particularly in relation to complaints. In doing so, the group, and, with the Bill, we, as lawmakers in the Assembly, have recognised that devolved Administrations are best placed to make decisions about issues at a local level. Bain could have easily followed the recommendations and reforms that were occurring elsewhere but instead adopted proposals that he considered to be tailored for the issues arising here. That approach has been commended by many in the Assembly throughout the progress of the Bill. I, once again, place on record my thanks to Professor Bain and his team for that work. It has, as has been noted at various junctures, been a long wait for the proposals to be enshrined in law.”