Anna Lo
South Belfast · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“In 2007, when I decided to run for election, it was an exciting time filled with a promise of change to a better, more inclusive and progressive society. I have seen change, though, borrowing a line from Yeats, "peace comes dropping slow". More still needs to be done.”
“As one of the few pro-choice MLAs, I was naturally disappointed that the two amendments to the Justice Bill, one tabled by colleagues and one by me, to allow abortion in very limited circumstances did not pass. We cannot afford to ignore the issue; women need our help. <BR /> <BR />I want to thank my constituents.”
“I also pay tribute to the environment sector whose expertise and commitment have been invaluable to us. <BR /> <BR />As the only ever MLA from an ethnic minority background, I was glad to be in a position to set up the all-party group on ethnic minorities and human trafficking, as well as to lobby extensively with the voluntary sector for…”
“I thank the Minister for his kind words. I want to thank him too for his always very valuable contribution to the Environment Committee. We definitely had a very good working relationship. <BR /> <BR />When the voluntary sector is being cut, I think that the role of volunteers is more important than ever before.”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. The higher and further education sectors have suffered severe cuts to their budgets, so much so that the University of Ulster had to axe the whole of its languages department. How can the Minister justify the economic case for the creation of the two academies?”
“The Committee was advised that the Minister intended to discuss the matter at the Executive with a view to gaining colleagues' agreement to develop a community planning engagement protocol that clearly establishes the nature of the relationship between Departments and local government.”
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“Research and development in higher education has led to many spin-out companies, generating thousands of high-value jobs. <BR /> <BR />The six further education colleges offer a wide range of vocational and other courses for our young people to become skilled employees in many different fields. They also have strong links with local firms and are sensitive to gaps and new trends in the job market, as the Environment Committee saw during a visit to the environmental skills centre in the South Eastern Regional College. <BR />It is imperative that we provide adequate funding for further and higher education to ensure that our workforce has the knowledge, skills and confidence to meet the demands of a growing economy. Funding cuts to HE and FE are short-sighted and have dire consequences for the vision of a vibrant and progressive economy.”
“A knowledge-based economy needs a highly educated, creative and skilled workforce, capable of reacting to new ideas and challenges in a fast-changing world. Foreign investors are not just attracted by subsidies or low taxation offered by government; they want staff with the right know-how and ambition for success. <BR /> <BR />Our three universities — Queen's, Ulster University and the Open University — are excellent institutions, providing quality tuition to undergraduates and postgraduates. Their research outcomes are also recognised in the recent Research Excellence Framework 2014. The universities have a proven track record of strong partnerships with local business and industry, enabling them to innovate and improve performance for increased profitability.”
“I support the motion but oppose the amendment. The Programme for Government's top priority is to expand our economy. Corporation tax varying power is coming down the line in two to three years to attract more foreign investment and boost our local businesses. Invest NI has shown a record level of inward investment over the last two years. Clearly, we are seeing steady growth in our economy. <BR /> <BR />We realised a long time ago that we can no longer compete with other countries, such as China or India, in manufacturing goods dependent on cheaper labour. We have therefore adapted and moved to a knowledge-based economy: Northern Ireland is the region with the second fastest growing knowledge economy in the UK in recent years, according to the knowledge economy index.”
“I am really pleased to hear about the two agencies collaborating to look at different aspects of Irish and Ulster-Scots culture in four integrated schools. That is precisely where that should take place, so that our young people can learn from each other. What is the next step, given that it is just a pilot programme?”
“The Minister mentioned EU funding opportunities. Will she elaborate further on the possibilities of North/South proposals for funding?”
“I know that the Minister for Employment and Learning is considering how we can best facilitate the continuation of higher education in west Belfast, perhaps using the facilities of St Mary's.”
“We are giving them no other option but to source a career outside Northern Ireland. We need to be realistic about the opportunities available in the future economy and give advice that will set young people up for success — success in our economy. <BR /> <BR />The status quo is not sustainable. We do not need four separate institutions to train teachers from a population of 1·8 million. That is absurd. We want to facilitate teacher training for a diverse, pluralist education system. That does, of course, include faith-based schools, but the Alliance Party believes that that can be implemented in a single system. There are models as to how that can be done through reforms in Glasgow and Dublin.”
“No, I am sorry. <BR /> <BR />However, being the only premia paid to the teacher training institutions in the UK, it is hard to justify that luxury at the best of times, but certainly not in times of pressures on budgets when front-line services are being cut. With a fixed budget, there is a stark choice between maintaining the premia and passing those cuts on to the rest of the higher education sector, potentially removing several hundred places and escalating our brain drain. <BR /> <BR />Apart from the financial implications, the fact is that we are training too many teachers when there is not the demand for them. It is unfair to lead such high volumes of our young people towards an unstable sector, which is contemplating making thousands of teachers redundant.”
“The premia act as a subsidy to the teacher training colleges in recognition of their smaller size. However, being the only premia paid —”
“First, I want to make it clear that the Alliance Party is not trying to close down St Mary's or Stranmillis, which Members may know is also facing cuts; rather, our aim is to find agreement on a new model. It is quite odd that the MP and an MLA for South Belfast went to protest in west Belfast for St Mary's but not for Stranmillis in their own constituency. <BR /> <BR />Our current system is fragmented and not cost-effective. We now have an opportunity to create a structure that is financially stable, efficient and simply more realistic in the current economic situation. In Northern Ireland, it costs more to train a teacher in a teacher training college than in a university by 32%, and it costs more to train a teacher in Northern Ireland compared to GB by 40%.”
“However, if people want standardisation across the UK, I look forward to the DUP changing its stance on issues such as the gay blood ban, equal marriage and the Climate Change Act, which, so far, it has rejected on the basis that we are different.”
“As a result, my view is that the Assembly's time could be better spent debating other, more pressing issues. We are tasked with great responsibility as a legislature, and I resent motions being tabled with the sole intent of political point scoring. Nevertheless, we have to respond to the motion and take a decision. <BR /> <BR />Members may have their own views on the wisdom or otherwise of the need for flags on driving licences, but once other parts of the UK take that decision, Northern Ireland must respond. Ultimately, the deployment of the Union flag in these circumstances is an expression of sovereignty. So far, no compelling case has been made for Northern Ireland to be treated differently that breaches that position. <BR /> <BR />The Alliance Party will support the motion, as a standard UK-wide licence could be acceptable.”
“Secondly, in matters of nationality and culture, we have divided and overlapping identities, and finally, in matters of esteem, all must be treated with dignity and in the spirit of equality. However, it is also worth noting that what the public might care about most where driving licences are concerned is that we will have to pay twice as much as our GB counterparts for a provisional or a renewal of licence. The public might prefer us to discuss, among other matters, improving health services, the creation of more jobs, housing issues, racism, water supplies, the arts and the huge cuts to public services. There is plenty more for us to discuss. <BR /> <BR />The point is not that flags do not matter but that attitudes and feelings are strong. For that reason, there is now a commission to deal with them.”
“At that point, he had the opportunity to consult on the matter, and he did not. Furthermore, when Minister Durkan received a letter from the Minister for Transport in December 2014 regarding the plans for the GB licences, he could have requested time to consult, but he did not. <BR /> <BR />Flags are an incredibly sensitive issue in most societies, especially Northern Ireland. The Minister should have known that that approach could be controversial. There are a good number of reasons why the matter should have been a subject for consultation. First, as part of the Good Friday Agreement, all parties now support the principle of consent that says that Northern Ireland is and remains part of the United Kingdom until or unless the people decide otherwise.”
“As other Members alluded to earlier, during last week's Environment Question Time, the Minister was asked to explain his decision not to include the flag of the United Kingdom on Northern Ireland driving licences and to explain why it had not been consulted on. The Minister's convoluted response suggested to me that he was trying to shift the blame on to the Minister for Transport. The Minister's argument was that, in 2012, his SDLP predecessor saw no need to consult, as driver licensing is a transferred matter and the Department of the Environment is responsible for it. As no change of policy was proposed, he felt that consultation with anyone was not necessary. However, when the Minister for Transport advised Minister Attwood that he would be putting the UK flag on licences in England, he asked for his view on that.”
“— how disastrous that will be. The Stormont House Agreement committed to a Budget, but I cannot support this Budget when so much about our environment is at risk.”
“<BR /> <BR />After paying staff salaries, the Department of the Environment is left with a meagre £1·2 million to run all its services. It is incredible that public funds, which protect our environment for now and for many future generations, will be cut. I cannot stress —”
“<BR /> <BR />The Alliance Party fears the consequences of the Department failing to promote road safety education efficiently, particularly in view of the rising level of road fatalities and the imminent implementation of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, which will require publicity to raise awareness about the many changes to driving. The Department relies on the voluntary and community sector to carry out many projects on the ground on its behalf, and it is expected that a number of grants programmes will be cut. Such cuts will be a false economy, as so many of the organisations deploy volunteers and are great value for money. We will also see job losses in the sector when funding is withdrawn from existing projects.”
“I am gravely concerned as to how the Department will be able to carry out all its functions if cutting one third of its workforce is necessary to balance the books. <BR /> <BR />I am deeply worried about the workings of the proposed voluntary exit scheme, which is open to all posts. Given that the majority of the staff in the Department are in professional or technical grades, that could result in a disproportionate loss of such staff, depleting the Department of its knowledge-based expertise. That could have additional long-term costs if such expertise had to be bought in later on. Furthermore, the redundancy scheme is unlikely to be operational immediately; it will take time to achieve savings. There is no guarantee that sufficient numbers will opt for redundancy, especially given the lack of available jobs elsewhere.”
“We are confident that we can reduce the NIAO’s estimate next year, subject to the provision of a voluntary exit scheme using the restructuring funds available to the Executive. <BR /> <BR />The Audit Office provides us with a vital service that saves all of us millions. In demanding that this service be delivered as efficiently as possible, we must not lose sight of what we would lose if we failed to provide it with adequate resources. <BR /> <BR />I will now speak as the Alliance Party's environment spokesperson. As we know, the Department of the Environment is getting the biggest cut of all. Since the last budget proposal, the only reprieve is the £1·9 million derating grant, which will go directly to local government. The Department gets no additional finance.”
“We will, of course, have regard to the advice of DFP and PAC in carrying out that function, but, ultimately, we will have to decide how much that estimate should be. We do not intend to agree an estimate that will damage the crucial service that the office provides. Now, more than ever, we need its expertise in identifying efficiencies. <BR /> <BR />The Audit Office's value-for-money programme saves the public purse over £20 million every year. Does anybody think that our public finances would be better off if we stopped funding this work? Of course not. The Audit Office is re-evaluating all its budget lines. We will look carefully at its proposals, and we shall ensure that all realistic and sensible efficiencies are realised.”
“Secondly, the Committee has made it perfectly clear that the Audit Office should continue to pursue efficiencies and cost reductions wherever possible. Likewise, the Audit Office has said that it, too, wishes to build on the savings that it has achieved over the past five years. <BR /> <BR />However, it describes the cuts set out in the Executive Budget as unmanageable in 2015-16. Finally, the Executive’s Budget does not and cannot pre-empt the Committee’s role of agreeing the estimate for the Audit Office. The Audit Office is entirely independent of DFP, the Executive and their Ministers. Therefore, we, the Audit Committee, will agree its estimate, just as we do every year. In doing so, we will explore every avenue for achieving further savings.”
“I will make some comments on behalf of the Audit Committee. It is important that we clarify the position in respect of the provision for the Audit Office, which, according to the Executive's Budget, has been reduced by 5%. No one should be in any doubt about the role that the Audit Office has played and continues to play in making efficiencies. First, it has already made substantial savings. Since 2009-2010, the Audit Committee has reduced the Audit Office requirement by 14·5% in cash terms and 25% in real terms. How many Departments have made such savings? The Audit Office has been ahead of the game in making efficiencies. If the Minister now wants to compare the Audit Office to Departments, he needs to acknowledge what has already been done.”
“Members agreed to make the commencement of Part 3, on planning control, subject to draft affirmative procedure, and for that reason this commencement order has come before the present Committee. <BR /> <BR />After taking into account the mandatory code of conduct, which will specify how councillors will be expected to address planning matters, and the level of capacity-building that is still being delivered by the Department, the Committee believes that adequate systems of control and councillor confidence will enable those provisions of the Bill to be appropriately delivered. Accordingly, the Environment Committee has agreed to recommend that the motion is affirmed by the Assembly.”
“The previous Committee sought and received reassurance from the Minister that the planning functions of the Bill would not be devolved to local councils until governance structures were in place. Members welcomed that, but, mindful that responsibility for such a decision was on the verge of potential change, sought the reassurance of a legislative mechanism to prevent functions transferring to councils too soon. <BR /> <BR />Ideally, the Committee wanted to link the commencement of the Bill to that of the local government reform Bill. However, it was advised that this was not technically possible. The next best alternative was deemed to be to ensure that none of the commencement orders passing the responsibility of planning functions to councils could take place without the approval of the Assembly.”
“<BR /> <BR />The timing of the commencement of that element of the Planning Bill was something that caused the previous Environment Committee a high level of concern because the governance arrangements for ensuring equality and fairness in council decisions were not yet in place. That Committee drew the Department's attention to the equality impact assessment carried out at a strategic level on the reform of the planning system. An assessment of potential section 75 impacts indicated:”
“I thank the Minister for his explanation of the background and purpose of the draft affirmative statutory rule and for the progress made to ensure a smooth transfer of the planning function to the new councils. <BR /> <BR />The Committee was briefed by departmental officials on the SL1 proposal on 11 December 2014 and on the content of the rule at its meeting on 15 January 2015. Officials outlined how the Planning Act 2011 will introduce the framework for processing and determining applications for planning permission. They also described the range of additional governance procedures that will be put in place by the Local Government Act 2014 to ensure the effective implementation of that aspect by the 11 new councils.”
“The smokeless coal is the smaller, round coal. They have been treated. The ordinary coal is big lumps of any size, and you burn it in the open fire. That is my understanding of it.”
“We were suggesting that it not just be cut, cut, cut. We want to think of revenue increases and of getting income from different streams, rather than just having 100% cuts.”
“I am fine; thank you. I am running out of time.”
“Professor Alan Lockwood from the State University of New York at Buffalo, who has written extensively on the issue and is an expert in nuclear medicine, said that up to 490 lives could be saved in Northern Ireland each year by the move. The Asthma Society of Ireland also estimates that up to 500 lives could be saved annually as a result of such a ban. <BR /> <BR />I recently met a representative from the coal industry. Whilst I understand that smokeless fuel is more expensive, I believe it is around £1 per 25 kg bag, which is perhaps a price worth paying to obtain better air quality for all. <BR /> <BR />It is worth noting that the carbon tax in the Republic —”
“Alternatively, they can install an exempted fireplace, such as a stove, heater or boiler that has been tested to show that it can be used for burning fuel other than authorised fuels without producing any smoke or a substantial quantity of smoke. The Environment Committee has approved a number of these exemptions in the past year. <BR /> <BR />The Republic's Environmental Protection Agency stated in an all-island report:”
“As a result, we no longer experience the appalling smog of the 1950s and 1960s, but it is a frequent occurrence in cities like Shanghai and Beijing. I have seen it. <BR /> <BR />Under the Clean Air (Northern Ireland) Order 1981, district councils may make all or part of their district a smoke-control area. There are currently 16 district councils in Northern Ireland with smoke-control areas in operation. Since 1966, approximately 120 smoke-control areas have been declared. In smoke-control areas, residents are required to use authorised smokeless fuel. This means that it must produce less smoke than ordinary fuels when burned.”
“All the same, smoky fuel plays a major part in contributing to air pollution. <BR /> <BR />The ban on the marketing, selling and distribution of smoky coal was first introduced in Dublin in 1990 in response to severe episodes of winter smog, which resulted from the widespread use of smoky coal for home heating. The ban proved effective in reducing smoke and sulphur dioxide levels, so it was extended to other areas, including Cork City, in 1995. Interestingly, research has since shown that air quality in smaller towns in the Republic is worse than in major cities because of the burning of coal. <BR /> <BR />There have been dramatic improvements over the years in urban air quality through the introduction of smoke-control programmes.”
“Places regularly deemed as having high pollution, or that are under air-quality management regimes as a result of particulates, include Derry, Strabane, Newry and Ballymena. Levels in Derry sometimes reach six times the limit, and Ballymena 10 times. <BR /> <BR />The ban on the marketing, selling and distribution of smoky coal was first introduced —”
“EU directives limit particulate matter; in fact, recent evidence has suggested that health problems occur even below the directive levels. Smoky coal also includes roughly 10 times as many various particulates as smokeless fuel.”
“In May 2013, Ministers Attwood and Hogan, the Environment Ministers of Northern Ireland and Ireland respectively, commissioned a joint research study of the problem of emissions to air from solid fuel combustion, particularly from smoky coal. As the report has not been published and the Committee has not seen it, I shall speak as the Alliance environment spokesperson only. <BR /> <BR />Smoky coal is a significant source of particulate matter, which is microscopic solid or liquid matter suspended in the earth's atmosphere, and can adversely affect human health.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer and for turning up at the event after a last-minute request. I am speechless about this, Minister. As you know, as a Committee we are very concerned about the potential loss of staff. Some 500 posts will go: how will you manage this? That is about one third of your workforce, many of whom are professional and technical staff. How will you function with one third of your staff leaving?”
“I thank the Minister for her response. It is a great idea for councils to work together. The Ramblers Association has always said that there is huge potential for Northern Ireland to develop walking tours, except that various councils do not work together to promote a joined-up approach so that we can walk around the coastline of Northern Ireland. Will the Minister commit to looking at this?”
“— would cost £800 million. Given financial constraints, that will not be easily achieved. Economic inactivity in the north-west has the potential to impact on the rest of Northern Ireland.”
“I understand that a particular item on the agenda was the stalled upgrade of the A5 and a commitment to the upgrade of the A6, as well as ongoing issues regarding the rail network between Derry/Londonderry and Belfast. As I said, those concerns are understandable. However, given our current very worrying financial situation, any decisions must be grounded firmly in reality. The A5 dualling, even if you stopped at Ballygawley —”
“According to Invest NI, since 2011, the jobs fund has promoted 783 jobs in the north-west, and 578 of those had already been created by 30 September 2014. <BR /> <BR />I will not deny that our roads connectivity is very poor; I struggle to think of any country that does not have a motorway connecting its two major cities. There is a very strong argument for improvement in that area. However, we must assess that practically. I believe that Minister Kennedy was recently lobbied by politicians on both sides of the border to put in place a bespoke investment plan to tackle economic deprivation and unemployment in the north-west.”
“I am sure that part of that is down to the jobs fairs and the help available for unemployed people in the north-west, such as job clubs and initiatives such as First Start, the youth employment scheme, Steps to Success and apprenticeships. <BR /> <BR />I understand that Minister Farry and his officials are looking at the business case for the expansion of the Magee campus. <BR /> <BR />Decentralising public-sector jobs to the north-west is not the same as creating jobs. We must focus on finding opportunities that will bring more employment to those areas. Since 2009, Invest NI has provided £44·8 million worth of assistance in the Derry and Strabane district council areas. That has contributed towards £208 million of investment.”
“The employment service has an employer engagement team in place in Derry, Limavady and Strabane, which works with employers to provide opportunities for the unemployed. Programmes such as Bridge to Employment provide active support to help employers to provide unemployed people with the fresh start that they need. DEL is also funding an employment and skills liaison officer post through Ilex, which promotes understanding of skills development, employment opportunities and support available in the north-west. <BR /> <BR />Between November 2013 and November 2014, there was an 8·1% drop in the number of those claiming benefits in the north-west.”
“The motion draws attention to the low levels of employment in the north-west and rightly points out that investment in infrastructure and skills has been neglected. In his introduction, Mr Ramsey was very passionate in advocating economic growth for the north-west, and urged the Executive to work together to improve transport links and expand the University of Ulster Magee campus. Whilst the Alliance Party will support the motion, there are some issues that we need to look at. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the formation of the ministerial subgroup to deal with the economic situation in the north-west. I understand from my party colleague Minister Farry that the group met for the first time last week and that all opportunities for growth will be examined. <BR /> <BR />That is not to say that work is not being done.”
“Given what the Minister said about the financial constraints and the interests of everybody, what is his vision for teacher training in Northern Ireland?”
“— that the Executive acknowledge the cost of division.”
“However, Alliance is concerned at the absence of a sufficiently strategic approach to the draft Budget and that allocations have been made based more on historical spending measures than any objective assessment of need. A key challenge is the cost of division. There are the direct costs of policing riots, civil disturbances and parades, the distortions to policing that arise from the security threat and the cost to a wide range of agencies in repairing damaged buildings and facilities. There are the indirect costs of providing duplicate goods, facilities and services for separate sections of the community, costs that are borne by the public sector and the private sector. There are also opportunities lost from inward investment and tourism. It is essential —”
“<BR /> <BR />Moving on to capital funding, Committee members expressed some reservations regarding the proposed use of financial transactions capital for the Arc21 development since this project has not yet received planning permission. Officials were clear that this funding allocation would not influence the outcome of the planning application, but members believed that there was an element of presumption in such a specific allocation of funding by the Executive. <BR /> <BR />I now wish to say a few words on behalf of the Alliance Party. My party colleague Mrs Cochrane will speak more comprehensively on this issue later on. Northern Ireland's public finances are currently unsustainable. We recognise that some cuts to public spending are necessary as our block grant is reduced.”
“This may also impact on environmental research posts, such as those in the ReNEW project, and on jobs in the community and voluntary sector. The Committee is very much aware of the Department's reliance on community and voluntary organisations and believes that this partnership results in a more effective use of the available funding. <BR /> <BR />Committee members were particularly concerned that rural areas may suffer a disproportionate impact from proposed budget cuts. The Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, when enacted, will have a greater impact on rural young people than those who can avail themselves of public transport in urban areas, and the dangers of rural roads may increase through a reduction in road safety advertisements.”