Jonathan Bell
Strangford · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I did so because terminally ill children were being prevented from getting a hospital place in my area. While attempts were being made to prevent me from coming to the Public Accounts Committee, a terminally ill child was told, after being seen by doctors, that they could not have a hospital place and that, if they needed one, they would…”
“The permanent secretary replied "No" and said that everybody would recognise that every government worked by and on collective responsibility. <BR /> <BR />We are in a mess, and somebody has to shine a light on that mess. It fell to me, and I do not know why. I did not seek it, nor did I want it. I did not want to do it.”
“Let me conclude, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. The regulations are necessary because of the extreme mess that we have found ourselves in. The points that I made when I had to shine a light on this devastating situation were not made in December. The points were made in writing to the then First Minister in March 2016.”
“The permanent secretary replied, "Well, that is right". <BR /> <BR />There were no regulations on the table when I spoke out. There was no suggestion that we could reduce to zero or even significantly reduce the costs, and we had no legal procedure, that I was aware of, that we could have followed.”
“But I cannot speak authoritatively because, even after the Public Accounts Committee meeting, when I asked the permanent secretary last week whether I could come and see the information that, I believe, legally should be made available to me, I got no reply. Nothing.”
“The second objective that I wanted to achieve was to stop the haemorrhage of public funds. Let us not pretend that the money is still to be spent: tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money has already been spent — £85,000 a day, day by day, as we go along.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,174 lines we hold for Jonathan Bell, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 12 of 24.
“The case studies have identified potential opportunities for cooperation for mutual benefit, particularly in areas such as research and clinical trial coordination; opening up opportunities to advanced training of staff on a cross-border basis; and widening sub supply goods and services markets. I will be discussing the report and its recommendations with my counterpart, Richard Bruton, at the next North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) meeting.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I welcome the publication, in November, of InterTradeIreland's 'Mapping the Potential for All-Island Sectoral Ecosystems'. I launched it with my fellow Enterprise Minister, Richard Bruton, at the North/South Ministerial Council on 2 December 2015. The detailed report, which is the first of its kind, maps geographic concentrations of firms in the same sector across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and it makes recommendations on how the full potential of these ecosystems can be realised through new cross-border initiatives. <BR /> <BR />To assess whether there are economic merits to developing sectoral ecosystems on a cross-border basis, InterTradeIreland carried out a more detailed case study analysis on three identified growth sectors: medical devices, pharmaceuticals and software.”
“The work of the House, the detailed scrutiny that we have given and the fact that the Bill has gone through every stage in a very cooperative and diligent way shows the respect that we, in turn, have paid to the credit unions.”
“You'll be regarded as an essential car user to undertake your work in the health service". I looked at the £50 Sunbeam that I had and reckoned that it probably would not make the grade for what would be needed, particularly carrying passengers. I remember going to the credit union and borrowing and being able to get the car that allowed me to do the job in the health service. It was a lifeline for me, as I know credit unions have been for many other families. <BR /> <BR />Our deepest thanks go to those who volunteer and to the people who, in many cases, as I know from personal experience in the Strangford constituency, go above and beyond the call of duty to help other people.”
“On the basis of the findings of that review, my Department will then consider whether there is a need to change the way in which group accounts will be managed by credit unions under the Bill. It is expected that any necessary change will be carried out through subordinate legislation via the Northern Ireland Assembly. <BR /> <BR />Mr Dunne referred to the vital role that credit unions undertook and the role of volunteers. Respect for credit unions was shown by Adrian Cochrane-Watson, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir and Steven Agnew throughout. I know personally the huge value that credit unions give to communities, particularly those that find themselves in difficult circumstances. In one of my first permanent jobs in the health service, they said to me, "You require a car.”
“<BR /> <BR />The consultation with the main credit unions and trade bodies that we undertook raised issues about how the new groups' accounts would be managed. My Department has agreed with the advice of the ETI Committee to include in the Bill the review clause that Mr McKinney and others spoke about. That commits the Department to reviewing the operation of clause 1, which covers group membership of credit unions, within two years of the Bill receiving Royal Assent. I take on board Mr McKinney's desire that that should take place early in the two years rather than being kept to the end of that period. I give the commitment that, within two years of the Bill receiving Royal Assent, we will undertake that work.”
“My Department will continue to review more generally the legislative framework underpinning the mutuals sector after the Bill is in place and whether further legislative change is appropriate. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Chair for his leadership of the Committee as it has gone through this point by point. He raised some issues to do with unincorporated associations. Unlike companies, which are corporate, unincorporated associations do not have a legal personality. That means that they cannot sue or be sued, which could result in a potential risk to credit unions if those organisations were to default on loans. It is for that reason that the Bill provides that those accounts should be held in the name of an individual or individuals. It offers a level of protection for the credit union, as there is a direct connection with the borrower.”
“I am grateful to the Chair and the Members who have contributed to today's debate. The amendments have emerged from what, I think, all the Members rightly described as a comprehensive period of scrutiny by the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment. That scrutiny was carried out in a very positive and helpful manner. It is clear to me, as Minister, that the Committee strove for the best possible positive legislative outcome for credit unions and registered societies. I thank it for its hard work in that regard. <BR /> <BR />The Bill represents the latest in a number of constructive reforms to the mutuals sector. Much has been achieved in recent years, but the Bill does not represent the conclusion of work in the area.”
“I propose to bring forward amendments to clause 15 that will give effect to the Examiner's recommendation. Amendment No 2 is new clause 15(3A), which will ensure that regulations amending primary legislation will be made subject to affirmative resolution. That is followed by consequential amendment No 3 — a minor change to clause 15(4) — which will ensure that other regulations remain subject to negative resolution.”
“I therefore propose to insert a new clause 13A. This obliges my Department to carry out a review of the operation of clause 1 as it relates to unincorporated associations, and to lay a report of that review before the Assembly. Work on the review must start by the end of a period of two years beginning with the day of Royal Assent. <BR /> <BR />I will talk briefly, if I may, about amendment Nos 2 and 3. Clause 15(2) grants my Department the power to make related secondary legislation, subject to negative resolution in the Assembly. However, the Examiner of Statutory Rules recommended to the Committee that, in the event that a regulation is made under clause 15(2) that amends primary legislation, that regulation should instead be made subject to affirmative resolution.”
“Clause 1 of this Bill will permit credit unions, for the first time, to admit as members companies and unincorporated associations, such as partnerships, clubs and societies. Credit union stakeholders have, however, expressed reservations about exactly how unincorporated associations will engage with credit unions as members. Those reservations were picked up by the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee, which suggested that my Department amended the Bill to provide for a review-and-report clause. <BR /> <BR />I remain content that the provisions of the Bill concerning corporate members give credit unions the greater freedom they desire, while at the same time seeking to minimise the prudential risk. However, I am content to bring forward an amendment in line with the Committee's proposal.”
“<BR /> <BR />You have a deep love for Northern Ireland, and I know that you have deep satisfaction that the leadership is being taken over by the safest of safe hands — someone who will progressively continue that legacy to take Northern Ireland forward. <BR /> <BR />Many want to thank you for running that race. You were not a shepherd who followed the sheep, but you were a shepherd who was able to stay in sight of the leadership that Northern Ireland needed to take it forward. You led to the primacy of politics and to a peaceful and economically successful Northern Ireland. More than anything, your legacy of excellence has defeated the previous maxim that all political careers end in failure.”
“When I look to where we are in the present, both socially and economically and with the structures of the Northern Ireland Assembly, I see the hope that we now have going into the future. You were a linchpin in establishing that present. Into the future, you have laid for us the foundations of a Northern Ireland with economic costs that are about 85% of those of the rest of the United Kingdom and 95% of those of the Republic of Ireland. Today, we are able to take around the world a message that Northern Ireland will have the lowest rate of corporation tax in the United Kingdom from 1 April 2018.”
“It led with a slide that said that United Nations figures show that Belfast is now the second-safest city in the world. We are second only to Tokyo. We see that Northern Ireland's unemployment levels are about one third less than the European Union average. That is a healthy unemployment rate. We compare over the past five years to both the rest of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. There is now immense interest in Northern Ireland into the future. We look to you, Peter, because you were a linchpin and foundation of that success. I almost said, Peter, that you were a rock. <BR /> <BR />We look to the past: a legacy of death, when people tried by means of violence to expel us from the United Kingdom. You were a rock against that.”
“May I begin by saying a sincerest word of thanks to Peter Robinson for the leadership that he gave? I thank him and his family for all of the sacrifices that they made over decades of politics to take us to the place we are in Northern Ireland. I will take some of the words, from a few moments ago, of Lord Morrow, our party chairman. Many of us echo these words, personally, as MLAs and as a political party. Peter, we and Northern Ireland owe to you a debt that we can never repay. In Peter Robinson, we had the best strategic thinker of unionism. He used his God-given forensic intelligence for the good of everyone, and I mean everyone, in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />I was recently at an international manufacturing conference at Queen's University.”
“I commend the Insolvency (Amendment) Bill to the House.”
“<BR /> <BR />I turn to the contribution made by Kieran McCarthy, not so much for what he said, excellent though it was, but for the point that he made that it was his last Christmas contribution. I have been privileged to know Mr McCarthy for a number of years. We both served on Ards borough Council, and it was with a certain sadness that I heard him say that this was his last contribution at Christmas. Anybody who knows Kieran knows that he is a gentleman of the highest integrity. He had huge support from right across all sections of my constituency. He worked extremely hard, from what I could see, in council and in the House. I thank him for his Christmas best wishes, and I assure him of the best wishes from all the House, and particularly from Strangford, for the excellent contribution that he has made.”
“Mr Dunne, in an excellent contribution, raised the point about safeguards, and I assure him that there will be safeguards to ensure that anyone who is unable to receive communications electronically will not be at a disadvantage. <BR /> <BR />I thank Mr Ó Muilleoir for another constructive contribution to the debate. He acknowledged the difficulties that many people found themselves in through a crash, in many cases through no fault of their own. The fact that we have proper legislation will be helpful in future. <BR /> <BR />I thank Mr Cochrane-Watson for a comprehensive contribution to the debate and for his party's support. He is my friend now; he will be my friend after Christmas, and I wish him a very happy Christmas and prosperous new year.”
“I think that, sometimes, people do not fully appreciate the work that Members undertake in Committees, but their work has been comprehensive and diligent, and they have done a huge amount. I think that they can take great credit for the way in which this Bill has gone through. My sincere thanks for that and for his words of commendation to Mrs Foster, to the officials for the comprehensive work that they undertook and to myself.”
“I am grateful to all Members who have contributed to the debate. I thank the Chair, Mr McGlone. I think that the reason that this debate has been so short is because of the work that was done in Committee.”
“There will be a range of penalties for bodies that fail to meet those objectives, up to and including having their recognition revoked. <BR /> <BR />In summary, the Bill is a mix of measures aimed at modernising and improving insolvency administration for the benefit of those who practice the profession and those who use it. I therefore commend the Insolvency (Amendment) Bill to the House.”
“At Second Stage, Mr Allister QC asked to have provision for a code of conduct for insolvency practitioners included in the Bill. My predecessor responded to that request by agreeing to an extensive additional provision being inserted by way of amendment at Consideration Stage. The result, while not a code of conduct as such, will achieve the same outcome. Insolvency practitioners can expect, therefore, to be subject to a much more rigorous regulatory regime in future. That is because the professional bodies responsible for regulating insolvency practitioners will now be required to carry out their functions in conformity with objectives aimed at ensuring that the insolvency practitioners are acting fairly and properly and providing a good service at reasonable cost.”
“The Bill addresses the problem by giving banks protection against claims by trustees.”
“They will, for example, need an account to receive payment of wages and benefits and to allow them to take advantage of electronic commerce such as the provision of direct debit payments and associated discounts.”
“Partial authorisation is being brought in for the rest of the UK, and the legal advice is that we, in Northern Ireland, are obliged to do the same. The Committee was satisfied that that is the case. <BR /> <BR />A measure aimed at encouraging banks to allow bankrupts to have bank accounts will be welcomed by bankrupts and their advice and support organisations. Banks have historically tended to be reluctant to allow bankrupts to have accounts. In doing so, they are potentially exposed to the risk of claims from trustees in bankruptcy in respect of money paid out of bankrupts' accounts. Not being able to have a bank account can cause serious problems for the individuals concerned, as it is difficult to operate in today's environment without one.”
“However, some bodies have expressed misgivings about the inclusion of provisions to allow insolvency practitioners to be partially authorised to take only individual or corporate cases. The Committee has looked into the matter in great depth and has taken oral evidence from insolvency practitioners as part of its deliberations. <BR /> <BR />It is important to note that it will remain possible to qualify and be authorised as an insolvency practitioner to deal with both individual and corporate cases. It is expected that the majority of those wishing to enter the profession will choose to do that. However, there will be instances where a practitioner who has chosen to specialise will be able to provide a more efficient and effective service to his or her clients. There is, however, a more fundamental issue.”
“I thank the Chair and members of the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment for their diligent scrutiny of the original Bill and the subsequent amendments to it. I am grateful for the work done by the Office of the Legislative Counsel and for its willingness to draft amendments to the Bill at short notice. <BR /> <BR />The Bill includes a range of measures. Some will be of benefit primarily to the insolvency practitioner profession, while others will mainly benefit bankrupts or their creditors. The insolvency practitioner profession will welcome the measures to enable the use of modern methods of electronic communications in insolvency proceedings, and I am aware that there is support for the ending of licensing of insolvency practitioners by my Department.”
“My understanding is that it is the wish of those whose job it is to deal with insolvency that that should remain the case, and Members have expressed the same view. <BR /> <BR />Insolvency legislation needs to be modernised and improved to keep pace with changes in wider society. That need for change resulted in a surge in insolvency legislation made at Westminster during the lifetime of the last Parliament. That has prompted the need for a Bill to amend insolvency law in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The Insolvency (Amendment) Bill has had a long gestation. At times, it has had to be stalled to allow it to be amended to take account of developments at Westminster. I pay tribute to the work done by my predecessor, Arlene Foster, in taking the Bill through from introduction on 7 October last year to the end of its Committee Stage.”
“For example, voluntary arrangements give individuals and companies an opportunity to pay their debts over time, and administration gives companies breathing space while attempts are made to put together a rescue package to secure their future. A further set of procedures is, however, needed to deal with situations where an individual or company is so hopelessly engulfed by debt that rescue is not feasible or possible. The procedures to deal with such cases comprise bankruptcy, debt relief, winding up by the court and creditors voluntarily winding up. In administering those procedures, insolvency practitioners and the official receiver rely on an extensive and detailed legislative framework. That framework is modelled on the one that operates in England and Wales.”
“Insolvency is an unfortunate but very real fact of life. Those who get into financial difficulties range from ordinary consumers who simply cannot pay their debts to large companies that are household names. To give you some idea of the scale of the problem, during 2014-15, in Northern Ireland alone, 1,358 individuals were declared bankrupt, 557 obtained debt relief orders and 1,444 entered into an individual voluntary arrangement. In the same period, 233 companies were compulsorily wound up by the courts. <BR /> <BR />Broadly speaking, there are two sets of procedures needed to deal with insolvency. The first set comprises the rescue procedures.”
“It has to be paid for somewhere along the line, and I would be loath to take on board an increase of up to £50 per household for the Northern Ireland domestic customer. The Member can come to me with specific details on Seagate, mindful that the economy in the west is doing well. In my first couple of weeks of office, I was delighted to announce hundreds of new jobs in that area, and that is a testament to the skills of the workforce and what it has to offer.”
“The Member makes the point very well for his constituency. That sort of thing has happened in other parts of Northern Ireland. For example, the House was very supportive of Bombardier in a project that is valued at up to somewhere in the region of £118 million to help it with its energy costs and potentially reduce those costs by 25%. For Michelin, there was an initiative on renewables and grant assistance for £750,000, but, unfortunately, due to other conditions beyond anybody's control in Northern Ireland, that could not be availed of. We will specifically look at that, but I advise the Member that there is no simple answer. If you take that energy cost away from the company, who pays for it?”
“I have asked an expert panel to seek best international practice, but energy is only one factor. Costs are a critical factor. We can all sell Northern Ireland as having 85% of the costs of the UK, 95% of the costs of the Republic and a lower rate of corporation tax.”
“The first thing that I have been doing — the Member will be aware of this — is pressing to get our North/South interconnector through its planning stages and fully operational. That is the first quick win because there is €20 million automatically there. Secondly, we will speak with DECC to see what individual advantages we can get to Northern Ireland for our renewables sector. However, I will caution the Member in the sense that I have had estimates for having to put up household bills ranging from £15 right up to £50. The consequences of that for industry are tens of thousands of pounds, and, for some of our big users, it is not an exaggeration to talk about millions. <BR /> <BR />We will work on energy. I do not believe that there will be any immediate quick fixes.”
“Energy costs are but one particular part of the difficulty that all of us in the House face. It is an energy "trilemma": it is not only the cost of energy but the security of our supply and the sustainability of that energy. We have to be very careful because, although it is a devolved matter and DETI can take a lead, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has informed us that, if we step outside its arrangements, domestic and business customers in Northern Ireland will bear the entire cost.”
“Until we have had that renegotiation and that evidence, I do not think that you can start to make decisions, because decisions made without evidence and knowledge are usually pretty poor decisions. There will be big outcomes, whatever decision we make. That is why the best thing for us all to do, in advance of hearing the question, is to look at the advantages and disadvantages of a complete Brexit and at the other opportunities so that the people of Northern Ireland can be best informed. I believe that, in its current form, the European Union needs to be renegotiated.”
“It is not my place to advise the Member, but if I may be so bold as to say that you should not say how you will answer the question until you know what the question actually is. <BR /> <BR />Northern Ireland has been a net beneficiary when it comes to moneys received from the EU. We do not know the referendum question, so I think that, in advance of knowing it, we have to be careful when trying to give answers. My position, which he knows, and which was so ably set out by our MEP Diane Dodds, is that I believe that the European Union needs to be renegotiated. We will then look at what comes out of that renegotiation to see what is in the best interests of Northern Ireland.”
“The reality is that there will not be a referendum tomorrow, and there is not likely to be a referendum until, I understand, 2017. So, what this Minister for Enterprise has done is to commission research from Oxford Economics, because I want our people to have the best and most informed knowledge when they make these critical decisions. I have commissioned research not only on a potential Brexit but also on taking a laissez-faire approach, keeping it as it is, and what that would mean and what it would cost. I have also asked Oxford Economics and others to look at some of the other measures out there. Norway, I understand, has its own arrangements. The Swiss have a different relationship. Turkey has a customs relationship. So, the point has to be this: let us get the best, informed analysis to make our decision when the referendum comes.”
“Crumlin Road Courthouse is an immense visitor experience. It is sometimes best not just to think of what we think about it but to actually go to hear what the industry is saying and what the people who experience it are saying about the Crumlin Road in your own constituency. The trajectory of the success of that particular tourism initiative has been huge. The feedback is huge. I am not sure if it still is — I have not checked recently — but I know that it was the leading attraction, particularly for Belfast. When you put together the quality from Titanic to Crumlin Road Courthouse through to, this morning, HMS Caroline and, on the back of that, new hotels and a new conference centre, you realise that Belfast is really on the move.”
“We fully support the reduction in the rate but it is not within our power to deliver it; it is a reserved matter. I spoke in London a couple of months ago at the British Hospitality Association and made the exact plea that you have made to allow our industry to be competitive. I have also spoken to the Secretary of State, Boris Johnson and others specifically in relation to trying to get VAT reduced. I fully support the work that Hospitality Ulster and the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation have done. <BR /> <BR />We will continue to push at that door. I am not being given any indication that we will be able to get it changed, but we will continue that push because the latest figures that we have show that our trajectory of tourist visitors to Northern Ireland is up. Belfast is thriving.”
“The Member raises a hugely valid question for tourism and our economy in Northern Ireland, because the award of those Michelin stars to Ox and Deane's Eipic puts Northern Ireland on a world food map for excellence. Many of us knew that excellence was there, but the award confirms it and elevates it to a number of websites and travel agencies as an additional offering in Belfast. I am a Belfast boy, born, bred and probably battered, but I have never been more optimistic for Belfast than I am today. Look at the number of hotels that there are coming in from Beannchor and Bill Wolsey, right through to the four- to five-star Hastings hotel. Hotels that closed in Belfast in the 1970s are now reopening in bigger and better premises right at the heart of what is a great city. The food offering will greatly complement that success.”
“<BR /> <BR />At the last event that we held at the Stormont Hotel, we had some of the Irish food critics up. We also had some of their award winners. We will share best practice and expertise because our agrifood industry over the last period has performed against some of the worst economic conditions that there have ever been for most of our lifetimes. That trajectory is going up, and all of us need to get behind them and support them.”
“Absolutely. Tourism Northern Ireland works very well with Tourism Ireland in terms of the product that we have to offer. I just came back from China last week, where there was representation by significant travel agencies from China. We understand that, in future, millions of people will travel because the economy is becoming so successful. At that event, the information was largely supported by the expertise of Tourism Northern Ireland but was delivered in that particular market by Tourism Ireland. I can tell you that there was a full room of people in the centre of a major Shanghai hotel who were looking to bring their travel companies and lead tours to Northern Ireland. The latest figure I have for the Giant's Causeway alone was 28,000 Chinese visitors.”
“<BR /> <BR />Most recently, I brought literally hundreds of people together from every county in Northern Ireland to the Stormont Hotel in Belfast. We set out stalls of our products and brought in some leading critics from 'MasterChef' and elsewhere. Other people are probably more expert on cookery programmes than I am, but some of the leading critics were there. It was an opportunity for us to bring buyers by the hundred through the hotel to let them see what Northern Ireland had to offer specifically. I should say that I was particularly delighted that Madam Wang, our new consul general in Northern Ireland from China, came along to look at the quality of the produce on offer. The knowledge base is saying that we have the safest food in the world, and the first criterion that the Asian markets in particular are looking for is safe food.”
“I and a very distinguished team with some key figures in it — Michele Shirlow, Howard Hastings and a number of others — have been conducting preparations. We are also cooperating with Minister's O'Neill's Department, DARD. First, we launched the programme in Amsterdam. We took a Dutch chef who is based in Bangor in County Down across to Amsterdam to some of the leading travel and food critics in Europe. We were able to host some specific produce that we had taken forward. <BR /> <BR />Furthermore, we held a number of festivals; for example, the Comber Potato Festival, which was hugely successful. A number of producers with bespoke products were able to bring those to market. We then did an event in the Titanic building, at which we showcased all the specific Northern Ireland foods.”
“To answer her question, that at the minute excludes self-catering accommodation, as that is not recorded. There are about 4,288 bed spaces. Anybody who has had the privilege, as I have had at different times, to be at the Slieve Donard Hotel, the Burrendale Hotel, the Donard Hotel, the Enniskeen Country House Hotel or the Canal Court Hotel and Spa in Newry will know that not only do you get a wonderful tourism offering — with the heritage on offer, the world's best golf courses and some of the best shopping and leisure opportunities — but you get some of the best-quality hotel and B&B accommodation in Northern Ireland.”
“What I want to see are projects coming forward from the area that look at our criteria. I have laid out the criteria for accessing support. I could go through thousands of offers, and not just for the tourism offering, that we have given to locally owned businesses in the South Down parliamentary constituency. The Member is right, and I mentioned this earlier when I was speaking to Mrs McKevitt about what south Down has to offer. Not only was there the success of 107,000 paying spectators at the most recent Irish Open but there was the success of television companies such as the Golf Channel broadcasting the sheer geographical beauty of south Down for dozens of hours back to back. <BR /> <BR />I can say to the Member that, in the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area, there are 312 premises and 1,200 rooms.”
“Invest Northern Ireland continues to offer support for the development of new tourism accommodation projects in south Down. Support is aimed at encouraging the development of new accommodation in line with forecast future demand. New accommodation developments may benefit from capital support from Invest Northern Ireland, if the promoter can demonstrate that the project is market-driven; is capable of attracting visitors from outside Northern Ireland; and is not displacing people from similar projects. Invest Northern Ireland is happy to engage with any promoter who may meet the criteria for support.”
“For Northern Ireland's industry, the announcement on pork adds value to the carcass for producers and processors. Only when the pork processing plants are formally listed on the Chinese Government websites can those exports can begin. <BR /> <BR />It has taken a number of years to get to this point. It would be remiss of me not to congratulate the agrifood industry for its patience and its commitment to achieving the result, which is, as I said, worth in the region of £10 million in additional export sales. I believe that to be a conservative estimate, given the size of the market, a population of almost 1·4 billion people and the appetite for the pork, chicken and beef dishes that we do so safely and so well in Northern Ireland.”
“DARD and DETI will work together to deliver our agrifood product into China because the market is so huge. The sky is the limit for the number of jobs that we could, collectively, create if we get those licences through. Michelle O'Neill pioneered enormously successful work to get licensing to get the product in. That was built on a background of Arlene Foster creating numerous opportunities for our businesses. Now that they have the licence, they can take the full advantage of that into the markets with the relevant distributors. <BR /> <BR />Export certification is a reserved matter. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in Westminster has taken the lead, with us, in opening up exports of pork. I want to continue to work very closely with DEFRA to achieve the same result for chicken, beef and lamb.”