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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“Committee members expressed their concerns that councils in the north-west would be hit disproportionately by budget cuts and forced either to reduce their service delivery or to increase rates. A balance of £1·2 million still had to be allocated. The Committee was extremely concerned that road safety education be deemed a priority, particularly in view of the rising level of road fatalities and the imminent implementation of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill. <BR /> <BR />Members were also concerned to learn that no match funding for future EU programmes has been provided in the draft Budget. The Committee has been urging the Department to maximise its update of funding opportunities, and match funding is an essential element of the effective use of such opportunities.”
“The Committee also considered the wider implications for the economy of the loss of those public-sector posts, particularly at a time when there are not yet sufficient private-sector posts available to compensate for the job losses. Some Committee members suggested that there should be a more gradual reduction in staff numbers rather than an immediate and widespread cut. <BR /> <BR />On the impact on local government, departmental officials indicated that the application of the 15·1% reduction in the draft Budget proposals will result in a shortfall of £3·9 million in the derating grant to local councils and of £2·8 million in rate support grants to less-well-off councils.”
“The proposed exit scheme will not be targeted at specific grades or posts, so the Committee believes that that may result in a disproportionate loss of more experienced staff, particularly as DOE has a large number of staff at professional and technical grades, rather than general administrative staff. Such a policy may prove more costly in the longer term if that expertise is lost to the Department and has to be bought in subsequently. It was suggested to officials that a strategic review should be undertaken first to identify essential areas of business and that, as far as possible, the Department should prioritise the delivery of front-line services.”
“I welcome the opportunity to outline the views of the Environment Committee on the draft Budget for 2015-16. I will refer to the information provided by departmental officials when they briefed the Committee on 27 November 2014 on the possible impact on the DOE budget since the Committee has not yet had any details on the more recent Budget agreement. <BR /> <BR />The Committee raised concerns about a number of issues. Most significantly, officials indicated that at least 500 staff, representing around one third of the workforce, would need to be released to stabilise the Department's medium-term financial position.”
“However, officials indicated that this represented a tiny percentage of the gross operating surplus. The Committee was content that long-term savings could arise from the legislation. The Committee agreed to recommend that the motion be affirmed by the Assembly as drafted.”
“<BR /> <BR />Members were made aware that the rule stems from a European Commission directive and that the Department is obliged to transpose the requirements into this subordinate legislation, but some members of the Committee queried whether there should be an EU subsidy to assist with the costs of conducting the analysis, given that it is a directive driven by the EU. It is an issue that the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment may wish to consider. <BR /> <BR />Concerns were also raised by some members about the initial costs to businesses associated with the introduction of the rule, which can range from £10,000 to £40,000 to carry out a cost-benefit analysis. Many businesses and public-sector organisations are already under severe financial pressure.”
“Excuse me for being a bit breathless from rushing down here. Things are moving fast this morning. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Minister for his explanation of the background and purpose of the draft affirmative statutory rule. The Committee was briefed by departmental officials on the content of the rule on Thursday 20 November 2014. Officials explained that the regulations would impact only on large heat users, such as dairies, power stations, hospitals and universities. As the Minister said, only around 22 installations are likely to be affected over the 10-year period from 2014 to 2024.”
“The Minister mentioned that the meeting received a presentation from Co-operation Ireland on its recent scoping study outlining the opportunities for greater North/South cooperation on waste management. Obviously, it is a very important issue, particularly now with the continuing constraints on the DOE budget. Can the Minister elaborate a bit on the study? What sort of work does Co-operation Ireland hope to explore?”
“Whilst it is important to have enforcement and increasing fines as deterrents, the most important thing is prevention, although it is very difficult to have preventative measures. What preventative measures is the NIEA taking to prevent these very serious damaging events?”
“<BR /> <BR />I support the Bill, not just because it has been brought to the House by an Alliance Minister but because it will benefit parents in so many ways, will help businesses to retain and progress talented individuals, particularly women, and will enhance the flexibility of Northern Ireland's labour market.”
“<BR /> <BR />As we know, talent is not gender-biased, and we should be moving towards a greater maximisation of our talent pool. A female employee may take maternity leave for a number of months and sometimes up to a year. If she and her partner shared parental leave entitlement, she could return sooner if she so wished. In cases like that, companies could see key personnel returning to work earlier. It benefits employers to retain and build on the skills and talents that women bring to the workplace and also works towards removing some of the structural barriers to career progression.”
“The Bill also extends the adoption and parental leave and pay provisions to cover surrogacy arrangements and entitles intended parents to take unpaid leave to attend up to two antenatal appointments. Those measures are all most welcome. <BR /> <BR />The Bill is about facilitating choice, not about dictating how parents must take their leave. While it is likely that mothers will continue to take the majority of the leave, as the Minister pointed out in previous debates, if we can enable change in our society so that shared parenting is embraced, it will be good for us all. That does not mean that giving employees more choice will disadvantage businesses. The Bill will make changes that will have the effect of creating a more inclusive workforce.”
“All families are different, and households face different pressure whether in work, at home, in caring aspects and in the economic need perhaps to bring income into the household. The realities of modern-day society should be reflected in the law. It is true that sharing entitlements will not suit everyone, but, if the Assembly can allow flexibility in that area, we must do so. <BR /> <BR />The Bill recognises the role of adoptive parents as equally important. Currently, an employee qualifies for adoptive leave only if he or she has 26 weeks' service. The Bill makes adoption leave a right from the first day. The enhancement of statutory adoption pay to 90% of the adopter's salary for the first six weeks brings it into line with statutory maternity pay.”
“The Work and Families Bill gives new parents greater flexibility in their parental leave and gives equal rights to adoptive parents. This is progressive legislation, and I commend the Minister for bringing it to the House. <BR /> <BR />I am relatively new to the Employment and Learning Committee, but I understand that the Bill has gone through the various stages in a non-contentious way. That is obviously down to the open engagement and good cooperation between the Minister, departmental officials and the Committee. It is good to see legislation passing through the Assembly so smoothly. <BR /> <BR />It is important that we create a culture of shared parenting and recognise the inequality that many women face in the workplace.”
“The proposed cuts to the Minister's Department are really severe. If he needs to make cuts in the further education sector, what difficulties will he face?”
“Northern Ireland already gets much less public arts funding per head compared with the rest of the UK. There is clear evidence of the economic benefit of investing in the arts sector. Has the Minister done any assessment of what negative impact any further cuts in the arts sector may have on our population?”
“<BR /> <BR />It is important that the Public Accounts Committee does not let these reports gather dust but sees that the recommendations are implemented. I believe that there should be follow-up debates to monitor progress on the recommendations in the reports to see whether lessons have been learned to improve practices.”
“It is worth noting that the Lyric has the smallest proportion of public funding amongst all the other arts projects but has produced a world-class, award-winning building, having been named building of the year by the Royal Society of Ulster Architects. <BR /> <BR />The follow-up report on improving pupil attendance recommends that the Department of Education develop and implement an attendance strategy and encourage all schools to actively engage with parents and the community. As a governor of Cranmore Integrated Primary School, I am aware of the good work of the school in keeping parents on board using conventional and digital media — texting parents all the time, and I think that parents do not mind that — so that there is instant and effective communication between the school and the home.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee was also critical of the unrealistic cost estimates in business cases for projects and the Department's failure to seek timely technical advice and giving grant recipients too much autonomy in making major decisions. <BR /> <BR />A damning criticism of the Department was on the awarding of the Lyric rebuild contract. The Committee found a number of discrepancies regarding adjustments and payments. The report also referred to a substantial donation to the Lyric by the preferred bidder, which gave the Committee the impression that the outcome of the tender process was both "rigged and manipulated". However, the Lyric refutes the claims of the PAC's report, stating that the project was delivered on time, within budget and to specification.”
“I am a frequent visitor of all those enhanced or new venues, except PRONI, and I appreciate how the facilities have greatly improved the arts and leisure provision in Northern Ireland. However, the PAC was quite right to criticise the overall project cost overshooting 32% of its original estimated cost of £78·5 million, ending up costing £103·4 million. <BR /> <BR />The projects also encountered significant delays, one of which was a delay of 31 months in the delivery of the Crescent Arts Centre in my constituency of South Belfast. The building badly needed upgrading for many years, and I am sure that the long delay in getting the work done contributed to its deterioration and the eventual additional costs for renovation. That said, the Crescent is now a very popular venue for performing arts, exhibitions, classes and workshops.”
“As the report clearly states, if delivered well, arts and leisure infrastructure can enhance the lives of and services for the public as well as improving productivity for the region. If delivered poorly, potential benefits are not fully realised and the taxpayer has to meet significant additional costs. <BR /> <BR />In the period 2008-2011, DCAL had an enviable budget to deliver over £200 million capital investment in the Northern Ireland culture, arts and leisure infrastructure. We saw the wonderful renovations of the Grand Opera House, the Ulster Museum and the Crescent Arts Centre and the new buildings for the Public Record Office, Tollymore National Outdoor Centre, the Lyric and the MAC.”
“We have talked a lot in the House about the importance of Departments not working in silos but working together to solve problems and share best practice. It is clear that those external to central government must also be included, where appropriate. <BR /> <BR />The 'Report on NI Water's Response to a Suspected Fraud & DRD: Review of an Investigation of a Whistleblower Complaint' only adds to my initial point. The Committee is to be commended for the reports, which bring further transparency, but it would be much better if transparency had always been there in the first place. <BR /> <BR />As not only the Alliance Party's spokesperson on culture, arts and leisure but also a passionate supporter of the arts, I was interested to read the 'Report on DCAL: Management of Major Capital Projects'.”
“Linda Ford's suspension after she alleged financial wrongdoing in the organisation was reprehensible. I agree with the Committee's desire to see the Department, the NIFRS board and senior management work together to move the service to a position in which its main focus can be on improving performance rather than on dealing with the legacy of past mismanagement.”
“I thank the Public Accounts Committee for bringing forward the many important issues that were examined by the Committee, the reports of which are before us today. Given the time constraints, I will not be commenting on all the reports. However, if there is one lesson to be learned from them, it is the need for greater openness and transparency. It is imperative for us to ensure that information is released to the public on where money is spent and on how well public services are performing. Not only does it let people hold government to account but it can help to improve efficiency, give people choice in using public services and contribute to economic growth. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the recommendations in the report on the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS).”
“Obviously, road safety is a big issue for the Committee, and it is always very concerned about fatalities and injuries. There have been joint advertising campaigns between the two jurisdictions and sharing of production costs. Given the financial restraints, North and South, was coordination and sharing in these expensive advertising campaigns discussed?”
“Better training facilities, quality full-time coaches and travelling to international competitions are all very expensive, but they make a huge difference. With the fantastic successes of the Giro d'Italia, the World Police and Fire Games and the Irish Open, we know that we are more than capable of hosting world-class international events. Let us be ambitious. Investing in sport is worthwhile for not just the development of our athletes but the economic benefits. It would also showcase the many wonderful things about Northern Ireland.”
“Sporting activity increases confidence, empathy and a sense of community. Of course, it is not about just talent; it is about discipline, training, coaching, resources and a positive mental attitude. When we debated the success of the Commonwealth Games, I mentioned that perhaps one of the most endearing qualities about Northern Ireland is that we are self-deprecating. The problem is when that translates to sport. We tend to see ourselves as the underdog. At times, we assume that we will never be the best. That is a shame when you consider that there are many sports in Britain where athletes are some of the best in the world. <BR /> <BR />Part of the problem, as with most things, comes down to money.”
“That is not just a theory; Michael Conlon, who won a bronze medal in the bantamweight division in the India youth games in 2008, went on to win a gold medal in Glasgow this year. The Commonwealth Youth Games provides the perfect dry run for athletes, coaches and support staff. It is the nearest thing to the real thing that those young athletes can get. They experience the build-up, the pressure and the excitement that is all part of a large multi-sport event.”
“First, I thank the Members who tabled the motion; it certainly has the Alliance Party's support. <BR /> <BR />Last month, the House congratulated all our athletes who competed in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow over the summer. I asked the Minister then whether a feasibility study could be carried out to see whether a future Commonwealth Games could be hosted in Belfast. We saw how successful the World Police and Fire Games were; it would be brilliant to build on that. I agree that hosting the Commonwealth Youth Games would be an appropriate step to encourage more international events to be held in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The Commonwealth Youth Games is the biggest multi-sport event for the 14-18 age group and is a stepping stone for athletes who aspire to win medals at future Commonwealth Games.”
“I thank the Minister, particularly for his commitment for targeted support for young people leaving care. As a new Committee member, I recently met Include Youth and heard about the comparatively high drop-out rate of those young people from FE colleges. Will the Minister encourage the FE colleges to roll out the Buttle quality mark approach for care leavers in Training for Success to monitor and track their outcome in FE colleges?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. He is probably aware that the Committee for the Environment, together with Belfast City Council councillors, went to VITO and Metabolon in Germany and Brussels to look at waste sites. It is very much about the circular economy. I am very surprised that the participating Ministers at the summit did not include much on the economic development aspect of waste. All of it, from our experience of visiting the two sites, is very much about seeing waste as a resource and tying it in with research and economic development. What steps will the Minister take here in Northern Ireland to improve the partnership between his Department, perhaps Invest NI, DETI, our universities and the private sector in promoting the circular economy? Sorry for the long question.”
“Yes, it is on the same question about lowering the age of learner drivers. What will the impact be on insurance premiums?”
“The Minister said that the rationale for this legislation is to improve road safety and that it particularly targets young people. Some organisations, when giving evidence, question the Minister's logic for lowering the age of learner drivers to 16 and a half. I would like to hear his comment on that. Also, there is a question about our being out of sync with the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland for a younger learner driver when they drive across the border or to other parts of the UK. Also, there is the fact that —”
“I will not speculate on which agency DfT would employ to enforce it, but it will not be one in the Department of the Environment. It would not give DVA staff the potential to make available that additional funding. <BR /> <BR />On behalf of my party and in line with what I said as Chair of the Committee for the Environment, I oppose the motions. I believe that the current and previous Environment Ministers made reasonable efforts to argue our case for more exemptions, but, ultimately, the decision lay with DfT. The fact is that the longer we fall out of step with UK-wide legislation, the more we lose out on additional funding to improve road safety.”
“The majority of members also accepted that the result of refusing to agree these statutory rules would be that DfT would put in place its own enforcement measures, as it is legally bound to do, and that the Department would lose out both on this additional funding and on the opportunity to carry out wider compliance tests. <BR /> <BR />For the reasons I have outlined and after detailed and lengthy scrutiny, the Committee for the Environment agreed that it was content for the rules to be made. <BR /> <BR />Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, if I may say a few words as a member of the Alliance Party —”
“This is likely to take the form of checkpoints, both random and intelligence-led, and, although it will be cost-neutral, it will offer DVA officials the opportunity to widen compliance checks to include all aspects of road traffic law, such as roadworthiness and drivers' hours. The Committee believed that that was a positive aspect and welcomed any measures that would result in improved safety on Northern Ireland's roads. <BR /> <BR />With the exception of the three members who have proposed the prayers of annulment today, the Committee accepted that the Minister had no real choice in this matter and that he had strenuously put the case for a wider exemption for cross-border roads, but to no avail.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee raised the issue of the impact of the levy on small businesses close to the border. Officials explained that the current Minister and his predecessor had made repeated representations to DfT to extend the exemptions for Northern Ireland roads and, in particular, to include the A5, but those had been unsuccessful. Officials also indicated that the costs of paying the levy were unlikely to be unduly punitive, even for small businesses, with the annual cost likely to be around £85 for vehicles up to 25 tons. <BR /> <BR />The Committee asked officials for further information on the Department's planned approach to enforcement.”
“<BR /> <BR />Departmental officials returned to brief the Committee on 11 September. They emphasised that the levy itself is a tax and, as such, is an excepted matter outside the powers of the Assembly. The Committee had no role in scrutinising either the scope or the amount to be charged. They highlighted how the Eurovignette directive requires that, if any such levy is in place, compliance must be enforced throughout the UK by the Department of the Environment directly or by agents of the Department for Transport. DfT is prepared to fund the cost of enforcement by paying for equipment and additional personnel. The Committee believes that this would mitigate, albeit to a very small extent, the recent job losses suffered by the DVA.”
“It also confirmed that all Northern Ireland hauliers had been paying the levy, as it was being collected in combination with vehicle excise duty, and that significant numbers of Irish hauliers had paid the levy via the online payment scheme. Nonetheless, members felt that departmental officials were in a somewhat invidious position as it appeared that they were able to draw drivers’ attention to the levy but not to enforce penalties for non-payment. <BR /> <BR />When the Department initially brought forward SL1 proposals for the rules in June 2014, the Committee agreed that there were still issues to be resolved before the legislation was put in place and, accordingly, deferred further consideration until the commencement of the new session in September 2014.”
“He confirmed that he did not intend to move the secondary legislation until he had received and considered the reply to his most recent correspondence. The Committee asked to be kept updated on the outcome of that correspondence and on his discussions with the Irish Minister for Transport on the same issue. The Committee also sought clarification on how the HGV road user levy is being implemented, including any provisions being made for exemptions, and on the danger of infraction of the Eurovignette directive. <BR /> <BR />The Department’s reply, which was considered at the Committee meeting of 6 May 2014, stated that it did not consider that its position put the UK at any significant risk of infraction.”
“I agree with you. Essentially, it is about creating a level playing field for everyone. <BR /> <BR />As I said, the two associations were broadly supportive of the Department's proposals. However, other respondents objected to the level of enforcement proposed against hauliers from the Republic of Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The Committee was subsequently contacted by the Donegal Truckers, who believed that the levy would adversely impact on the high level of business that takes place between North and South. Members agreed to pass the correspondence to the Department for its comments on the issues raised by the truckers. In his response, the Minister stated that, although the levy is an excepted matter, he had made robust representations to the UK Department for Transport about increasing the extent of exempted routes in Northern Ireland.”
“The Committee was aware that the key objective of the levy is to ensure a fairer arrangement for UK hauliers, who have to pay charges or tolls in most European countries while non-UK registered HGVs had not, until the introduction of the levy, paid to use the road network in the UK. The Committee also understood that the DVA was to act as the primary enforcement agency in Northern Ireland and, alongside the PSNI, would enforce the charge and penalties for non-payment. <BR /> <BR />On 20 February 2014, departmental officials briefed the Committee on the responses they had received to the consultation. They advised the Committee that the Freight Transport Association and the Road Haulage Association — organisations representing the majority of Northern Ireland’s hauliers — were broadly supportive of the Department’s proposals but that —”
“As Chairperson of the Committee for the Environment, I wish to set out the views of the majority of the members of the Committee. I would like to outline the work that we have carried out that has led us to form these views and resulted in agreement, by a majority vote, that this subordinate legislation should be added to the statute books of the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />Earlier this year, the Committee noted that the Department was consulting on proposals to introduce secondary legislation in relation to the UK HGV Road User Levy Act 2013, and we requested an oral briefing when that consultation exercise had been completed.”
“Can the Minister give an assessment on how the budget cut for next year for his Department may affect his efforts in skills training in order to meet the skills shortage in Northern Ireland?”
“It is very useful for all Departments. What other Departments do you think should be involved in overall strategic land-use discussions?”
“Following on from Mr Maginness's question and the Minister's answer, has she any plans to work with my party colleague the Minister for Employment and Learning to see how we can help people to reskill or upskill in order for them to seek employment between now and the closure in 2017?”
“There was a recent cut to the road safety grants programme for the voluntary and community sector, even though letters of offer had been sent out to recipients. That grant has been stopped. Does the Minister recognise that his party's position on welfare reform is leading to cuts in vital services such as road safety?”
“We have the talent and the passion — there is no doubt about that. We now need to focus on how we nurture that so that athletes like Peter receive all the support they deserve.”
“Investment in sport is hard to come by, and I am interested to know what actions the Minister has taken or will take to help our athletes to get to a position where they can concentrate on their sport without having to work part-time. Peter also believes that more should be done to allow athletes to travel to compete against international opposition as that would allow them to get used to competing on the bigger stage. It can also show them that the gap between where they are and where they need to be is often not as big as they think. In an email to me, Peter wrote:”
“A constituent, Peter Hawkins, a professional cyclist who competed for Team Northern Ireland in Glasgow, told me that this is partly down to mentality but is also due to the fact that so many other countries have better support and facilities for their athletes. This, however, comes down to money: better training facilities, good quality full-time coaches and travel to international competitions are all very expensive. In Peter's opinion, however, they make a huge difference. <BR /> <BR />The ability to make a living as a full-time athlete is rare, and most athletes would need additional financial support in order to focus on their sport.”