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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“These recommendations, which came into operation on 30 June 2014, allow my Department to close down the 1993 and the 2003 child maintenance schemes. Any parents who choose to use statutory schemes can apply to the Child Maintenance Service's 2012 scheme. The 2012 scheme provides a more efficient and fairer child maintenance system, delivering more money to children, as I said, and a better value-for-money service to the taxpayer.”
“<BR /> <BR />In conclusion, I am certain that we all want to ensure that all steps possible are taken to assist parents to work together in the best interests of their children. Obviously, the circumstances that face some families are difficult. I know too well just how difficult that can be and the pressures that it can bring to bear on families. I trust that this process will be an advantage to the Child Maintenance Service. I therefore commend the motion to the House.”
“You can have a policy intent, but if the implementation of that policy intent is haphazard or far from fit for purpose, you lose the focus of the policy intent. I do not think that anybody disagrees that the reasons set in the new scheme need to be achieved and are the right parameters to operate in, but it is how it is implemented and operated. That is why, with the way that the scheme is operating, progress is being made. I hope that, as it rolls out, it will continue to be a success. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, just last week a senior official in my Department received national recognition for the work that was carried out in the reorganisation in the Child Maintenance Service. I am very proud that that official from Northern Ireland was given recognition for the work being done in that organisation.”
“Look at the satisfaction rate that I referred to earlier. I suppose that you have to take any survey with a degree of caution, but moving from 55% to 73% shows that it is working in the right way. Given what is happening across the water, clearly the introduction of the application fee, which we decided here in Northern Ireland not to do, has encouraged those who, for a variety of reasons, some very complex, have not felt it necessary to become involved in the scheme. I think that we have demonstrated that what is being delivered here in Northern Ireland is immensely better than what is in the rest of the United Kingdom. <BR /> <BR />There is a lesson for us to learn. I have had this discussion with my officials. It goes right across every part of the Administration and Executive.”
“I thank the Deputy Chair of the Committee for Social Development, Mr Brady, for his comments and for the work of the Committee in relation to the issue. Turning to the comments of my colleague Mr Wilson, I think that we all need to set it in the context of the concern that we have all had, as public representatives who, in time past, have had to deal with the child maintenance service. In the past we clearly saw a system that was not fit for purpose for either component part of what is always a very difficult situation. It is not a process that is devoid of dealing with realities; we are dealing with families, children and very challenging circumstances. <BR /> <BR />I am conscious, and have been since taking office, that there was a good-news story about the progress that has been made in the child maintenance service.”
“<BR /> <BR />Although the introduction of fees for child maintenance is a significant change, the aim of these reforms is to promote collaboration between separated parents to ensure that their children achieve the best outcomes in life.”
“The introduction of enforcement fees is intended to act as a deterrent to encourage non-resident parents to comply with their commitments, and I think that it will also help to offset the cost of administrative action to enforce compliance. <BR /> <BR />The enforcement fees are as follows: deduction from earnings order, £50; regular deduction order, £50; lump sum deduction order, £200; and liability order, £300. It is estimated that the collection and enforcement fees will generate a revenue of about £1 million a year. That will provide a financial contribution towards the cost of the Child Maintenance Service, which will continue to remain heavily subsidised by the taxpayer.”
“Staff in the Child Maintenance Service have been working hard to ensure that parents are aware of the introduction of fees as well as how to avoid them. <BR /> <BR />The regulations also include a safeguard to prevent non-resident parents being forced onto the chargeable collect and pay service by the parent with care and also allows the Department to deduct fees from benefits in the same way that it can deduct maintenance owed. In addition, the regulations make provision for the payment of an enforcement charge by a non-resident parent when the Department makes a deduction from earnings order, a regular deduction order, a lump sum deduction order or an application for a liability order. Before the regulations came into operation, there was no financial incentive for non-resident parents to pay maintenance in full and on time.”
“That is a difference between the scheme that currently operates in the rest of the United Kingdom and here in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Direct pay is when the Child Maintenance Service calculates the amount of maintenance payable, and the non-resident parent then makes payments directly to the parent with care. That provides a way for parents to access the statutory service in a way that can help to rebuild trust between them. <BR /> <BR />Before fees were introduced, 24% of cases on the 2012 scheme used direct pay. Since the introduction of fees, the percentage of cases using direct pay has more than doubled to almost 60%. That shows that collection fees are having the desired effect in encouraging more parents to work together.”
“The fee payable by a person with care is 4% of the maintenance collected by the Department. It is only fair that both parents should make a financial contribution towards the cost of the service that both are using. <BR /> <BR />I must emphasise that fees are charged only on money actually collected by the Department. Non-resident parents face by far the highest charges, reflecting the fact that they have greater control over whether they use the collection service. There is no collection fee for parents who make their own family-based arrangement or who use the direct pay service provided by the child maintenance service. The decision not to introduce application fees in Northern Ireland has ensured that the statutory scheme remains open and accessible to those who cannot make their own family-based arrangements.”
“Customer satisfaction is at 73% compared with 55% on the older schemes. Anyone making an application to the 2012 statutory scheme must go through the child maintenance choices service. This provides free, impartial information and support on the various ways to set up maintenance arrangements, and it gives parents the information that they need to consider what arrangements are best for them. <BR /> <BR />The regulations introduce collection fees for any parents using the statutory collect and pay service. Sir David Henshaw’s report recommended fees as a balanced incentive to encourage parents to consider whether the statutory service is necessary for them. <BR /> <BR />The collection fee payable by non-resident parents is 20% of the daily amount of child support maintenance that they are liable to pay.”
“<BR /> <BR />First, parents are supported to work together, not only on child maintenance but through the whole range of issues faced following a separation. Secondly, fees will act as an incentive for parents to consider whether they could set up a more collaborative family-based child arrangement without automatically turning to the statutory scheme. The new 2012 statutory scheme was introduced using a phased approach from December 2012. Following assurances that the processes, procedures and client interfaces were working well, the scheme was opened to all applicants in November 2013. The 2012 scheme operates alongside the two earlier child maintenance schemes, which have been in place since 1993 and 2003. <BR /> <BR />Initial reports are that the 2012 scheme is a great improvement on previous schemes.”
“<BR /> <BR />Since then, as part of the reform programme, parents on benefits are no longer compelled to apply to the Department to pursue maintenance payments. It is also worth noting that, since 2010, child maintenance has been fully disregarded for the purposes of assessing benefit entitlement. The 2008 Child Maintenance Act provided the powers to introduce the 2012 child maintenance scheme. <BR /> <BR />The reforms are designed to incentivise parents to take financial responsibility for their children and to encourage them to collaborate in the best interests of their children. Evidence suggests that children do better when their parents work together. A dual approach is being followed to increase the number of parents who work together to agree child maintenance rather than relying on intervention by the Department.”
“The regulations form part of the wider reforms to rebalance child maintenance policy. The aims of the reforms are to support parents to collaborate and work together; and to create a more efficient and fairer child maintenance system that delivers more money to children and a better value-for-money service to taxpayers. <BR /> <BR />Before addressing the detail of the regulations, I should perhaps state that the programme of reform began in 2006 when Sir David Henshaw delivered an independent report on the future of child maintenance. His report recommended that the Child Support Agency no longer be the default option for parents. The introduction of fees was also recommended in order to provide both parents with an incentive to collaborate.”
“The regulations, which came into operation in June 2014, enable my Department to charge collection and enforcement fees for using the statutory child maintenance scheme introduced in 2012 under powers contained in the Child Maintenance Act (Northern Ireland) 2008. The 2012 scheme is delivered by the Child Maintenance Service.”
“Further to that point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker, does the Deputy Speaker think that, in the contribution that has been made by the Member, she is challenging the authority and actions of the Deputy Speaker when he was in the Chair?”
“I know that engagement with the Committee will commence very soon. It is now over to the Committee to take the Bill and to have its proper legislative scrutiny of it. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, the Bill aims to create a pensions system that is financially sustainable in the light of demographic, social and economic challenges. In the future, all the years that are spent contributing to society, whether through paid work or caring responsibilities, will be of equal value. I trust that I have dealt with the issues that Members raised. However, if I have inadvertently failed so to do, I am quite happy to write to Members. Members know that, at any stage, I am happy for them to raise specific issues with me as the process continues.”
“While they are not inextricably linked, I think that they are component parts of an overall process and system being put in place. <BR /> <BR />When we look at the overall National Insurance contribution that Northern Ireland makes, we see that it is somewhere in the region of £1·7 billion. We needed an annual subvention to that particular pot somewhere in the region of £334 million in 2012-13. That bears the point that we are beneficiaries of being part of the United Kingdom. Being part of the United Kingdom brings to Northern Ireland considerable financial advantage. It is clear that, in this process and given the amount of money that is involved in the provision of the state pension, that will continue to be the case. <BR /> <BR />I thank Members for their contributions.”
“I do not think that anyone could stand here and say that the state pension will not increase in the future. Indeed, the Westminster Government propose a review of the state pension every five years. It has been an issue. When I met my officials on the issue, I was reminded that, over a number of years, there have been ongoing reviews of the state pension age. I do not think that we are any different in that cycle. <BR /> <BR />Mr Stewart Dickson referenced a number of things, including longer-term help for the bereaved. That will be provided for through a wider social security system. The intention is that financial help for children will be provided through universal credit. I look forward to us moving forward with that legislation. I do not think it is a case of having one piece of legislation and not another.”
“Someone once said that life expectancy is longer in Ballymoney, or that it at least seems that way. I do not know whether that is the case, but, as someone who is proud to live in the town, I say that you can come to Ballymoney and your life expectancy will be extended.”
“<BR /> <BR />Mr Kinahan referred to life expectancy. Let us face it: this is a good news story.”
“That is an important point for us to bear in mind. <BR /> <BR />I will comment on Dolores Kelly's contribution. The SDLP, of course, never fails to have a memory loss when it comes to some things. I reminded the Member that her colleague Ms Ritchie introduced the increase in the pension age. On that issue, all good accounting should start at home. We currently spend around £37 million a week on state pensions, which is undoubtedly a considerable amount of money. It is not the case that we are trying to do it on the cheap. I take the Member's points about specific groups of people. During the Bill's progress here and in Committee — she is a member of the Social Development Committee — Members will have every opportunity specifically to scrutinise the provisions and how they will impact on people in the years to come.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister is developing the new Active Ageing strategy to consider issues such as poverty, housing, transport, health and social care and education. The strategy proposes a number of cross-departmental initiatives. Along with OFMDFM, the Department will develop projects to improve the uptake of benefits by older people, as we heard in Question Time, and of the warm homes scheme, which will then be part of the Active Ageing strategy. <BR /> <BR />Mr Brady made other points to which I want to refer before I move on. Someone with 30 qualifying years will get significantly more under the scheme: £127 a week as opposed to £113 under the current scheme. We also want to make it clear that the proposed amount of £148·40 will be uprated in line with earnings.”
“That is the lowest point in the time series and six percentage points lower than the series high of 20%. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation's 'Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion 2013' found that the proportion of UK pensioners in poverty was at its lowest for almost 30 years. <BR /> <BR />You could ask what measures are in place to address pensioner poverty. No one would want to treat poverty just as a statistical issue; it is a real issue that is relevant to people in Northern Ireland. Pensioner poverty is monitored through a range of national statistics, such as the annual 'Households Below Average Income' report, which provides a full analysis of the levels of relative and absolute poverty for pensioners and of pensioner material deprivation.”
“The percentage of pensioners in relative poverty after housing costs is lower than the percentage of pensioners in relative poverty in the before housing costs category. That is due to pensioners having lower housing costs compared with the population as a whole, with approximately two thirds owning their own home in 2011 and 2012. <BR /> <BR />In 2012-13 in Northern Ireland, 20% of pensioners were in relative poverty before housing costs, which represents some 58,000 pensioners. That figure decreased by four percentage points from last year. In 2011-12 and 2012-13, relative poverty for pensioners was at its lowest over the period. In 2012-13, the percentage of pensioners in relative poverty after housing costs was 14%, which is one percentage point lower than in 2011-12.”
“That issue has repeatedly been raised, and Members can easily make comments that cause concern to those who take the time to listen to the issues, particularly pensioners who are listening to us even this evening. I want to make a number of comments in relation to pensioner poverty in Northern Ireland and the way it compares with the rest of the United Kingdom. Pensioner poverty is in decline across the United Kingdom. Levels of poverty can be considered before housing costs or after housing costs. After housing costs analysis for Northern Ireland is comparable with the rest of the United Kingdom, and before housing costs analysis is not. That is due to the difference in the way in which. in particular, water charges are collected.”
“<BR /> <BR />The new scheme merges two schemes: the basic state pension, which involves qualification after 30 years, and the state second pension, which is up to 32 years. Thirty-five years strikes a balance, and we need to remember that. <BR /> <BR />The Member also raises the issue of life expectancy. Life expectancy in Northern Ireland at the age of 65 is broadly comparable with the north of England and Wales and is higher than in Scotland. Whilst healthy life expectancy for men here is lower than the UK average, it is higher than Scotland, and, for women, it is the same as Scotland and higher than Wales. <BR /> <BR />I want to refer to the Member's point about pensioners and the suggestion that, in Northern Ireland, we have some sort of mean deal for our pensioners.”
“I thank him for the interest that he takes, on a personal basis, in the issues, given his history and the work that he has done in the community in giving advice to people on a range of issues, not least this type of issue. <BR /> <BR />I should point out that the new state pension is part of the wider pension provision, and automatic enrolment is being rolled out, which will ensure that most workers will be building up a private pension at the same time. Whilst the rate of the new pension will be above the rate of pension credit, pension credit will remain, so that those not entitled to a full pension will have access to pension credit. The safeguards remain, which is an important point.”
“I will put an updated version of that in the Library, so that Members will have access to it. That will be helpful and, I trust, useful, particularly for Members who will be asked about it by their constituents, because that will become an issue and relevant questions will be asked. <BR /> <BR />Let me turn to the comments of the Deputy Chair of the Committee. I thank him for his comments. I also thank him for the commitment that he has given in relation to working with the Committee. That is certainly my intention. That has already been the case for my officials, and they will continue to engage with the Committee and provide whatever relevant information is necessary. <BR /> <BR />Mr Brady covered a wide range of issues.”
“At the outset, I thank the Members who participated in the debate this afternoon. I want to make a few comments as we bring this stage of the Bill to a conclusion. Before I go to Members' contributions, I will say that I intend to put in the Assembly Library a ready reckoner, and I think that most Members, if they have not already seen it, will want to look at the dates to see exactly when their retirement date is. A number of Members have sort of made declarations of interest about when they are retiring or the longevity that they want to attain. Self-interest, of course, goes no further than me, and I looked at that. I fall between 6 March 1961 and 5 April 1977, and so I will receive my pension on my 67th birthday. Therefore, it applies to the Minister just the same as anyone else.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Maybe she has lost sight of something, so I remind her where we started this process. It was her colleague Margaret Ritchie, now the MP for South Down, who put forward the proposal to increase the state pension age to 66, 67 and then 68. Maybe that will tone down the Member's contribution, rather than her just making a political point in the House.”
“In conclusion, the Bill introduces significant reforms to both state and private pensions. The central issue is about ensuring the financial stability of the state pension system for the future. Expenditure on state retirement pension in Northern Ireland in 2012-13 was more than £1·9 billion, which equates to just under £37 million a week. I accept that some parts of the Bill, such as the accelerated timetable for increasing state pension age, may not be universally popular. I would be the first to say that, in an ideal world, we would not want to increase state pension age. Equally, however, I think that there is a consensus that pensions must be sustainable and fair across the generations. We cannot leave a legacy of unsustainable pension costs to be picked up by the current younger generation. I commend the Bill to the Assembly.”
“In addition, the Bill contains a number of measures to clarify and strengthen existing private pensions legislation, including a power to prohibit the offering of incentives to transfer pension rights. The Bill gives the Pensions Regulator a new objective to minimise the impact on the sustainable growth of an employer when regulating defined benefit pension scheme funding. It also makes changes to the calculation of the pension protection fund’s compensation cap to reflect long service.”
“The Bill, therefore, contains powers to introduce a pot-follows-member system of automatic transfers of small pension pots. That will help people to keep track of their pension savings and ensure that they reap the intended benefits of automatic enrolment. <BR /> <BR />The Bill extends powers to set minimum quality requirements for workplace pension schemes and limit or prohibit charges to ensure that such schemes are well governed and administered.”
“The bereavement support payment will not be payable to anyone over pension age. If a person is entitled when reaching pension age, entitlement will cease. Current beneficiaries will retain their rights under the existing scheme. That is an important point to underline. <BR /> <BR />Finally, the Bill contains a number of private pensions measures. Some of the provisions are designed to build on earlier reforms, such as the introduction of automatic enrolment, and to encourage private pension saving, while others are purely technical in nature. Under the current system, every time someone moves to a new job, there is the potential for them to leave behind a small pension pot that they may lose track of over the years. However, knowing the Members of the House, I suspect that some have kept a very close eye on those pension pots.”
“Whilst the precise amount will be determined nearer to introduction, indicative values are in the region of a £5,000 lump sum and £400 a month for 12 months for those with dependent children. Those without children will receive a £2,500 lump sum and £150 a month for 12 months. <BR /> <BR />Bereavement support will do a number of things. First, it will provide additional upfront help in the year after bereavement, when it is needed most. Secondly, it will be available to childless people under the age of 45 who would not have been entitled to bereavement allowance or widowed parent's allowance. Thirdly, it will be disregarded from capital and income calculations for entitlement to other benefits. Longer-term support will be provided through other benefits as appropriate.”
“Older claimants will be protected through the continuation of the existing indefinite assessed income period for those aged over 75. <BR /> <BR />I will move on from state pensions. The Bill contains measures to replace the current bereavement benefits with a new bereavement support payment. Bereavement benefits form an important part of the state safety net. However, the current system is based on a complicated system of payments and contributions to determine eligibility. A single bereavement payment with a simplified contribution condition should reduce complexity in the system. The new benefit will focus support on the period immediately after bereavement and will consist of a lump sum with instalments over 12 months.”
“That was based on the assumption that pensioners were more likely to have relatively stable incomes with fewer changes in their circumstances, and so a lighter-touch maintenance and review regime was deemed to be appropriate. However, it has proved more complex than originally anticipated. It has allowed inaccuracies to build up in the system. As claimants with an assessed income period do not need to inform the Department if they experience changes in their capital or the make-up of their retirement income, an increase can legitimately be ignored until the end of the period. In future, any change in circumstances should be reported when it occurs, and a review of the benefit award will be conducted at that point. That will ensure that people get the benefit they need when they need it.”
“The 2010-based projections have since revised the cohort life expectancy for those reaching the age of 66 in 2027 upwards by 1·5 years for men and 1·6 years for women. The Pensions Bill implements a revised timetable for bringing forward the increase to 67 by eight years to between 2026 and 2028. No one will experience a rise in state pension age of more than one year compared with the original timetable that was set by the Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2008. <BR /> <BR />I turn now to Part 4, which provides for the abolition of the assessed income period in pension credit. The assessed income period was introduced as part of pension credit in 2003. It was a new approach to case maintenance for claimants aged 65 and over.”
“In reality, people in Northern Ireland will not be able to avail themselves of the scheme until the Bill has been enacted by the Assembly. It is important that we move ahead with the Bill to ensure that people here can take advantage of the scheme if they wish to do so. <BR /> <BR />Part 3 provides for accelerating the increase in state pension age to 67. Despite previous increases in the state pension age and a programme for further increases, the Government are concerned that life expectancy is increasing faster than projected. Under the current law, state pension age is due to increase to 67 between 2034 and 2036 and to 68 between 2044 and 2046. However, the existing timetable for increasing the state pension age to 67 was determined using 2004-based projections by the Office for National Statistics.”
“The Pensions Act 2014 introduced a new class of voluntary National Insurance contributions, class 3A. The relevant provisions in the Act extend to Northern Ireland, as National Insurance contributions are an excepted matter. The state pension top-up scheme would allow people who reach or are due to reach state pension age before 6 April 2016 to boost their retirement income by gaining extra additional state pension by making class 3A contributions. As the state pension is a devolved matter, the Bill contains provision for the additional state pension entitlement that will arise as a result of paying class 3A contributions. The Government have advised that the facility to pay class 3A contributions will be available from October 2015 until April 2017.”
“The current provisions that allow a spouse or civil partner to boost their state pension on the basis of the record of their spouse or civil partner or ex-spouse or ex-civil partner will end. Those provisions, introduced in the 1940s, no longer reflect today's society, in which the vast majority of men and women receive a full basic state pension in their own right. <BR /> <BR />Furthermore, the introduction of the new state pension will reduce the inequalities faced by low earners, in particular women and carers who are unable to accrue large sums of additional state pension under the current system. It will also benefit the self-employed, who will be treated in the same way as employees for pension purposes. <BR /> <BR />Part 2 makes provision for increasing additional state pension under the current scheme.”
“Integral to the reforms is the closure of the additional state pension for people reaching state pension age on or after 6 April 2016. Contracting out of the additional state pension will therefore come to an end in April 2016, and all employees will pay the same rate of National Insurance and become entitled to the state pension in the same way. <BR /> <BR />Transitional arrangements will be put in place to ensure that the contributions that people have made in the current system will be recognised in the state provision. If someone has earned a higher pension, the excess will be payable over and above the new state pension. <BR /> <BR />As part of the simplification of the system, entitlement will be based on an individual's own National Insurance record.”
“This will be set out in regulations and will be not more than 10 years.”
“At the core of the Bill, therefore, is the provision for a new state pension that will simplify the system and provide a firm foundation for pension saving. The current two-tiered system of the basic state pension and the additional state pension will be replaced with a simpler, single-tier state pension for all those who reach state pension age on or after 6 April 2016. <BR /> <BR />The full rate of the new state pension will be set above the pension credit minimum guarantee level, currently £148·35, which means that fewer people will have to rely on means-tested benefits for their needs. The full-rate new state pension will therefore be no less than £148·40 a week. However, the actual amount will be set in autumn 2015. There will be a minimum qualifying period for entitlement to the new state pension.”
“The Bill follows on from the Pensions Act 2014, recently enacted by the Westminster Parliament. The Bill introduces a new state pension system from April 2016, as well as a number of changes to private pension provision and bereavement benefits. The aim of the Bill is to put in place a pension system that not only reflects the reality of our society now but ensures the sustainability of state pension provision for years to come. To help the House understand what the Bill aims to achieve, I will endeavour to outline its main provisions. <BR /> <BR />The initial provisions in the Bill relate to the introduction of a new state pension for future pensioners. Considerable complexity has built up in the state pension system over time.”
“— we are adequately addressing the needs of the constituency that he refers to.”
“— between the Executive, my Department and the community and voluntary organisations to ensure that —”
“We sometimes come to dealing with very difficult situations that families face, and a lot of the figures are based on break ups of a family and the family unit, and particular domestic situations. We need to ensure that the appropriate location is being offered to people who present themselves as homeless and that we are not allowing the system to be abused in such a way that people get into the system because they have been inventive. I am committed to ensuring that we address the need, but it will take a collective approach —”
“In fact, last week, I met representatives from the Simon Community to discuss a number of those issues, including how they make an application, how they are assessed, what really is their need and, of course, the vexed question of location.”