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.”
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“Arlene Foster, in her time, delivered on all the trade opportunities that I am now able to build on. All of us have the enormous prize of exporting to China next year products worth above the £100 million barrier.”
“Secondly, I congratulate the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Michelle O'Neill, who has given us some of the best news that has been heard in the period of this Assembly, which is that, subject to some qualifications for Karro and Dunbia, we will be able to export our pork product to China. The initial view feeding through to me is that it is an investment of somewhere in the region of £10 million. <BR /> <BR />I also want us to be able to develop our poultry, beef and lamb products. Manufacturing exports to China, including food — some people like to joke about international travel to China — have increased by 58% over the current Programme for Government. Exports rose from £60·3 million in 2010-11 to £95·5 million in 2014-15. We all have a job to do, and I will be happy to lead. Agriculture has certainly delivered on pork.”
“I congratulate two distinguished women for what they have achieved. First is my predecessor, Arlene Foster, who took a specific initiative for trade to lead a number of agrifood trade missions to China.”
“We will continue to exploit and deliver those links not just for education in Northern Ireland but for job creation here.”
“I have seen children from the west of the Province who went into school on Saturdays specifically to learn and to get their first HK qualification, and it was quite inspirational. <BR /> <BR />The Member's question was about second-tier cities. We have been following Vice Premier Liu Yandong's advice. In particular, we are looking very much at Shenyang in Liaoning province in the north-east. I travelled up there. We brought news of what companies here can offer. We were able to deliver the news about corporation tax, the talent of our people and the cost-efficiency of producing and creating jobs in Northern Ireland. The British Embassy is fully supportive of that link between Northern Ireland and the north-eastern part, Liaoning province and Shenyang and Yingkou in particular.”
“I fear that I should not interfere with private grief. <BR /> <BR />First, I congratulate the Member because she has led the all-party group on China hugely successfully. Secondly, she was instrumental from 2010 in ensuring that Northern Ireland got some £8 million investment into Ulster University, and today, through the work that she led on and the Confucius Institute, from Aquinas Grammar in Belfast to Bangor Academy in my area to the South West Regional College to Millburn Primary in Coleraine — I could go through the list of the eight hubs — we are delivering some £27 million of investment directly from the Chinese Government in children here learning Mandarin. This year alone, over 1,500 children qualified in Mandarin.”
“We want companies such as Moy Park, which has 6,000 employees, to grow in order for us to grow the economy and jobs in Northern Ireland.”
“Invest Northern Ireland supported 13 Northern Ireland companies to attend the Food Hotel China exhibition in Shanghai last month. It is the fourth year that Northern Ireland companies have exhibited at the event. Invest Northern Ireland has also supplemented its in-market China team and now has three trade advisers based in Shanghai and one in Beijing. The team works closely with our agrifood companies. Invest Northern Ireland also hosts visits from Chinese food buyers, which allows them to experience at first hand the quality of our food products and the security of our supply chain. I believe that there is significant potential in China for our agrifood industry, which Northern Ireland will continue to promote. We have a strong academic evidence base to show that Northern Ireland is producing the safest food in the world.”
“If we were able to pull that off, it would be a tremendous gift for Northern Ireland, because we have earned a reputation from the G8, the Giro d'Italia, the two successful Irish Opens, and, let us not forget, we will have the world's greatest golf tournament at Royal Portrush in 2019. We have an earned reputation for pulling off international events hugely successfully. I will do all in my power to back all that and drive our tourism beyond the £1 billion target by 2020.”
“It is important that we have the right stadia, but it is also important in the sense that some of the provisional figures say that we could attract somewhere in the region of 350,000 people to Ireland and that, in particular, Northern Ireland could play a key role in about eight rugby international matches and, perhaps, a quarter-final.”
“I congratulate the Member on acknowledging the work that the Department puts in. I have been in it for only six months, but my predecessor, Arlene Foster, did a tremendous job, particularly for the Member's constituency. The Irish Open has sold out only twice in its history — first, in Royal Portrush and, secondly, in Royal County Down. We celebrated over 107,000 paying spectators and wall-to-wall coverage. Not only did that boost our golf tourism strategy, but it also boosted our goal of delivering tourism as a £1 billion industry by 2020. This year, we are already over three quarters of a billion pounds en route to that target. I have been working with the Irish Government, particularly on getting the Rugby World Cup to Ireland in 2023.”
“Furthermore, Northern Ireland has had significantly lower levels of unemployment than the Republic of Ireland for the most of the last five years, and, for most of that period, it has been below the UK average. So, out there, people are delivering and they are delivering success. Let us utilise that success for the advantage of future generations.”
“I associate myself with the remarks of the late Harold McCusker, a person whom I had the privilege of knowing personally. He was a leader and a gentleman, and a fine man of the greatest integrity. He made an enormous contribution. I cannot say too much about Spain 1982. I can remember watching it very late at night. I was 12 years of age and was allowed to stay up on the Friday night as Gerry Armstrong scored that goal. I can tell the Member that my office is open to him and to anybody else to come and share ideas, look at what synergies we can get out of our collective wisdom and use them collectively. <BR /> <BR />The Northern Ireland team is delivering on the field, Northern Ireland's politicians have delivered by way of Fresh Start, and our young people are delivering with some of the best education results in Europe.”
“That is why I spoke with the IFA. We will ensure that a suitable date is found, hopefully around the time of the March international break. We will be here to honour the team. When I looked at Windsor Park, I saw that Northern Ireland was completely united behind the team. It was one of the best nights that I have ever enjoyed. It gave a huge lift not only to those who were there but to the country. I hope that we can all come together to celebrate that success.”
“Yes. I have already issued an invitation that I understand will be taken up by the Northern Ireland football team and their management. It is important for us to celebrate the huge success of the Northern Ireland team and what they have achieved. Even under the old rules of qualification for the Euros, Northern Ireland would have qualified this time. No play-off was required for the team; it delivered, and it delivered well and came in top of its group. The team deserves the support of all of us. <BR /> <BR />The success of our football team comes on the back of the success of Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell, Carl Frampton, A P McCoy, our Commonwealth Games team, our Olympians and the Ireland and Ulster rugby teams. It would be outrageous if the success of our football team was not recognised here in Stormont.”
“In terms of the European Championships 2016, Tourism Northern Ireland will work with its partners Tourism Ireland to exploit any potential destination marketing and PR opportunities to promote Northern Ireland in overseas markets.”
“I congratulate the Northern Ireland team on qualifying top of their group. It was a wonderful night to be at Windsor Park and witness it at first hand. The tremendous atmosphere of everybody celebrating Northern Ireland's success together is perhaps a lesson to all of us in the House. I want to wish the Northern Ireland team every success in the finals in France next summer. I should say, too, that my thoughts are very much with the people of France and Paris in particular. <BR /> <BR />In recent years, Tourism Northern Ireland has been working closely with various sporting organisations, such as the Irish Football Association, in developing marketing initiatives to promote Northern Ireland.”
“The interesting thing, particularly for his constituency, is that, to the best of my knowledge, I have spoken to every other party in the House. The only party that has never spoken to me directly about manufacturing is the Member's. Is it the case that the Member is the perfect embodiment of the hollow vessel from north Antrim sounding the loudest?”
“We have just had another prime example of a small person who needs to try to talk other people down and talk the manufacturing industry down in an attempt to make himself look big. I tell the Member that, contrary to what he would believe, he does not know it all; none of us does. The reality is that we got the figure of 30,000 jobs from Professor Neil Gibson. <BR /> <BR />I know that the Member believes himself to be an expert in everything, but he is not. We turned to the best evidence that we have. Here we have an opportunity to attract 30,000 jobs to Northern Ireland, and the small-minded and petty can just snarl. There is not a word about going out around the world trying to attract jobs. There is not a word about the manufacturing sector and the skills that we do have.”
“What all of us have to do is put our shoulders to the wheel. I do not think that any advantage will be given by people who seek to snipe and carp from the sidelines and to talk down people's jobs and the growth in manufacturing. We should be talking Northern Ireland up, because, despite the ignorance of what some Members will try to tell you, our people are delivering ahead of the UK averages, including in manufacturing.”
“I have talked to the trade unions, the CBI and the Chamber of Commerce, and the consistent message that they have been giving us is, "We want all the politicians in Northern Ireland to work together. We want the Executive to work together". There is now an onus on all of us because the business community thrives on confidence. What can we say? We can go to the rest of the world and say that Northern Ireland attracts more foreign direct investment than any other part of the United Kingdom thanks to the skills of its people, a low-cost operating base, the talent of its people and one of the best-educated workforces — a youth workforce — that Europe has.”
“It has been bought over in the same way that Moy Park was bought over, and that company still trades as Moy Park. So, your ignorance of your constituency appears to extend to your ignorance of company law.”
“I am more than happy to clarify that, because, unlike the Member, I will not talk manufacturing down in Northern Ireland. When manufacturing is growing in Northern Ireland, it does not serve any purpose for small people to try to make themselves look tall by talking about where jobs have been lost. If he had listened to what the workers at Michelin said, he would have heard them say, "We were beaten by a five million reduction in the European tyre market. There was nothing more that government or Invest Northern Ireland could've done." Their words, Mr Cochrane-Watson, not mine. <BR /> <BR />While I am on my feet, I should clarify something: you very foolishly attempted to introduce a point of accuracy into this House in relation to Schrader. From my conversations with the company during the week, it is still practising as Schrader.”
“Benchmarking Northern Ireland against other parts of our United Kingdom, manufacturing here accounts for 13·6% of GVA, whereas the UK average is 10%. Manufacturing accounts for 10% of our employment, whereas the UK average is 8%. <BR /> <BR />I pay tribute to people who are manufacturing, because we have a great manufacturing base. We have people who are working extremely hard, and we need to attract further manufacturing jobs to Northern Ireland on the basis of our lower corporation tax, the talent of our people and cost.”
“Manufacturing has faced significant challenges. I pay tribute to the men and women in Northern Ireland who have taken our manufacturing to new levels of growth and have added jobs to the manufacturing sector. <BR /> <BR />I want to cut through all the spin and go straight for the hard economic data on manufacturing. I refer to some words that were given to us by Professor Neil Gibson:”
“We want to make sure that we can drive down that 5·9%, which is too many. How do we do that? We do it by advertising the fact that Northern Ireland can lead on tax, talent and costs. Northern Ireland business operates at about 85% of the UK costs and 95% of the Republic of Ireland costs. We have a tremendous asset, and it behoves everyone in the Chamber to go out, sell it and bring jobs to Northern Ireland.”
“I think that the Member is not aware of the full scale of the facts of our discussions, and I will set those out a little better for him. We have ongoing discussions with DEL. Minister Farry has always made himself and his officials available and we constantly share the understanding and intelligence that we have, sometimes up to three times a day. This is particularly so when we are faced with major challenges, such as those we have been faced with in some areas of north Antrim, when we will meet throughout the day. So, I assure the Member that a series of constant discussions go on with DEL. <BR /> <BR />I have to praise DEL's input to this Department in making sure that we are fit for purpose. However, all of us around the Chamber are aware that our unemployment rate is 5·9%. The European Union average is 9·5%.”
“The results of this work will feed into its recently launched skills barometer, to help ensure that any expected skills shortages can be identified, planned for and addressed, so that companies have access to the right skills and talent that they need to make their operations here a success under a lower corporation tax regime.”
“With your permission, Mr Deputy Speaker, I will answer questions 1 and 10 together. <BR /> <BR />Reducing our corporation tax rate to 12·5%, which we have committed to do from 2018, will bring with it the potential to transform the local economy by creating well in excess of 30,000 additional jobs and boosting output by around a further 10% by 2033 when compared to a business-as-usual pathway. We have already begun planning so that we can maximise this potential. For example, work is under way around gaining insight into the new FDI markets that a lower rate will open doors to. We are also looking at the types and sectors of those investments and the parts of the world that we should be targeting. <BR /> <BR />We are doing this in collaboration with the Department for Employment and Learning.”
“I am committed to expanding opportunities to provide greater choice for consumers, promoting more sustainable technologies, and supporting those who wish to change from conventional fossil fuel heating. The development of the renewable heat sector promotes a more diverse and competitive heating market in Northern Ireland. It brings new jobs and businesses and contributes to our targets for cutting carbon emissions. I commend the motion to the House.”
“I thank the Chairman for those very constructive remarks. Energy matters are, obviously, a major issue for the Assembly, as they are for local households and businesses. I take on board what the Chairman said, and I accept that it is somewhat unusual for a motion to be debated on the same day as scrutiny by the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment. I know that he knows that my intention was to have the changes introduced from 4 November. However, due to the delay in progressing what were necessary legal and financial clearances, I was unable to bring it to the House earlier, but I wanted to do so as close to 4 November as possible.”
“Total applications for the Northern Ireland non-domestic scheme are now exceeding our highest estimates. Therefore, we need to look at the full range of cost-control measures that have been introduced in GB. Of necessity, that will include measures to curtail the scheme should Treasury funding be restricted. <BR /> <BR />I will take a decision in the light of any announcements in the spending review. However, those are matters for another day. At this time, I ask Members to support the regulator.”
“To give one example, extensive advertising campaigns were conducted during 2013-14 and 2014-15. These have resulted in increased scheme uptake over the last 12 months. The total number of renewable heating installations under the non-domestic scheme has increased from just over 250 to over 1,600 during the last 14 months. <BR /> <BR />Current estimates suggest that around 6% of our total heating needs in Northern Ireland are now met through renewable heating technologies. In addition to the reduction in CO2 emissions that that brings, the local Northern Ireland economy is benefiting from over £23 million of annual investment through the RHI schemes. That investment brings benefits in terms of job retention and creation in the energy services sector. Unfortunately, however, all that success comes at a cost.”
“That will incentivise single larger boilers, and it brings Northern Ireland into line with GB. Thirdly, a tiered tariff and cap are being introduced for new small and medium biomass installations to ensure value for money. <BR /> <BR />Just under £38 million of funding has been provided by Treasury for the Northern Ireland RHI schemes during the five-year period 2011-16. However, low levels of uptake generated an underspend of around £15 million during the first four years. My Department's focus over the past 12 months has been on trying to improve the performance of the RHI scheme to achieve the Executive's Programme for Government target and ensure that the renewable heating sector and the wider Northern Ireland economy benefit from the investment.”
“Following that, the domestic RHI scheme was introduced in December 2014, replacing the earlier renewable heat premium payment scheme. <BR /> <BR />It was always the intention to introduce changes to the non-domestic scheme to make tariff changes and introduce cost control measures. Those were consulted on in 2013, but since then implementation of the domestic scheme has been given priority. These regulations begin the process of introducing measures to update the non-domestic scheme. First, new tariffs are being introduced for combined heat and power (CHP). That is to allow CHP projects to claim for their renewable heat under the RHI and their renewable electricity under the NI renewables obligation. Secondly, the medium biomass tariffs are being extended to encompass larger boilers.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Executive's principal vehicle for promoting renewable heat is the renewable heat incentive (RHI). That is designed to deliver the Executive's Programme for Government renewable heat targets of 4% by 2015 and 10% by 2020. That will contribute to the UK's target of 15% renewable energy by 2020, as required by the EU renewables directive. The non-domestic RHI was introduced in 2012. It incentivises the uptake of renewable heat technologies, such as biomass, heat pumps and solar thermal installations. It provides payments for 20 years, based on heat energy generated. The level of tariff is dependent on the size and type of technology and is calculated to cover capital costs, operating costs and non-financial hassle costs over the lifetime of the technology.”
“This statutory rule is being made under powers contained in the Energy Act 2011, which prescribes that these regulations are laid in draft for approval by affirmative resolution of the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />In addressing sustainable energy, our focus often falls on renewable electricity, yet a greater proportion of our energy use is for heat. That includes domestic central heating, heating of commercial premises and heating for industrial processes such as poultry production. Northern Ireland's predominant form of heating fuel is oil, in contrast to GB, where it is gas, which is a much cleaner fuel. The Executive are supporting the extension of the gas network through a grant of £30 million for gas to the west, and we hope to see that progress over the next few years, along with the extension of gas to east Down.”
“Further to that point of order, it was Schrader itself that informed me that it wants to create 241 jobs with the support of Invest Northern Ireland, and it was Schrader itself that said that it is delighted with the fact that it has created 301. You do not seem to know very much about your constituency.”
“<BR /> <BR />So, we will look to build across, but we will also ensure, in opposing the motion, that we attract investment to Northern Ireland and do nothing to deter it.”
“<BR /> <BR />What we need to do collectively is look at where we are at. We are creating more jobs than we ever created before. Under the Ulster Unionist and Sinn Féin Executive, which we were a part of, we set a Programme for Government, and that Programme for Government asked Invest Northern Ireland to create 25,000 jobs. That was the target set. Unusually, we have had a chance to reflect on where we are. It had a target of 25,000, and it created 37,000. Foolish people who say, as Mr Flanagan did, "Only go for jobs above the private sector median average" have no idea that many young people in Fermanagh need to get on the job ladder and are not graduates. I make no apology for trying to get jobs for those people to get them on the employment ladder, given all the physical and mental health benefits that job creation can provide.”
“If somebody wants to come and invest in Belfast — I hope that Mr Ó Muilleoir refers to this when summing up — they will look at the success of areas such as south Belfast where jobs are accessible. I know that it is difficult to travel. I travelled for five years to a job in Omagh, but I travelled because there was a job there and I could take all the benefits from it. <BR /> <BR />So, while we will encourage people and will look in the round, we will never, ever say to a company, "Do not invest in Northern Ireland because that particular area has met its targets", because I do not want that company to go to Manchester or Liverpool; I want it in Northern Ireland. If it has to be Belfast, I want it in Belfast. Personally, I am with the Member who spoke earlier in wanting to have it in Strangford, but we want jobs in Northern Ireland.”
“In terms of Londonderry, I have met the Member of Parliament for that area, and, as the Member will know, that is a matter between us. It is also a matter that is reserved in parts to the UK Government, and we will try to progress that. Again, I think that we should talk up the skills of Londonderry. When I came to office — just to name two — Metaverse Mod Squad created 100 jobs and OneSource Virtual created 289 jobs. So, progress is being made in Northern Ireland. There is no party political advantage in trying to talk Northern Ireland down. <BR /> <BR />What we have to do in the future is bring jobs directly to Northern Ireland. It is difficult, and I understand that people want to be near an airport.”
“Let me make more progress on the issue of the Province. <BR /> <BR />There are undoubtedly subregional differences, but let me tell the House clearly that I will fight for a job anywhere in Northern Ireland; I make no exception. I will certainly not tell somebody in Northern Ireland that, because we do not have a little target here, I am not going to take their investment; I am going to take the investment because, according to the census, 40% of people in Northern Ireland operate outside their parliamentary constituency. So, every job brought to Northern Ireland means that we are one step further on the road to economic recovery.”
“Where have those Members been? Michelin was offered three quarters of a million pounds to do that.”
“It has just been announced this week that Bombardier, from the manufacturing sector, has, as a result of what I led with in the House, got all the finance stacked now for a project of over £100 million that could lead to its energy costs being brought down by a full quarter.”
“The words on corporation tax were the words of the deputy First Minister, which you are contradicting. Further to that, when I was saying that they were not my words, I was going to tell you that they are the words of Professor Neil Gibson of the Economic Policy Centre at Ulster University. He is rated in the top three economists in Northern Ireland. Is anybody in Northern Ireland going to listen to Mr Flanagan, or will people listen to the Economic Policy Centre at Ulster University? Of course regional disparities exist. They exist in all countries. They exist in London and in Dublin. In the UK, regional variations exist, despite, for the most part, economic and fiscal policies being identical. The Member put to me a direct challenge, asking what have we done on energy costs. I do not know where the Member has been.”
“Those are not my words but those of the Economic Policy Centre.”
“You have given us enough nonsense already. <BR /> <BR />Come with me on a journey, a journey that will lead us to 30,000 new jobs in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />I am sure that the deputy First Minister, when he has a chance to review the Mr Flanagan's comments on corporation tax, will be embarrassed to say the least, given that he as deputy First Minister stood on a platform in Belfast with me as Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment calling for corporation tax to be devolved to Northern Ireland. I have to say that the Speaker previously referred to Mr Flanagan as behaving like a child. His contribution this afternoon leads me not to depart from Mr McLaughlin's words, because it was the economics of a child. <BR /> <BR />Northern Ireland has a unique opportunity to create 30,000 new jobs.”
“When people ignorantly speak of hands on ears, or when they make up and fantasise words that I never said, I challenge them to come with me on a journey —”
“The service sector's output and number of jobs has grown. Service-sector job levels are now above their previous peak from 2008. Despite the recent bad news about Michelin, I say to Members who would seek to grandstand politically for their own narrow, sectional interests about Michelin, listen to what the company said. It said that there was nothing more that Invest Northern Ireland or DETI could have done. We faced a reduction in the market of five million truck tyres and competition from Asia caused by fluctuation in the euro. The company said that there was nothing more that could be done, and Unite the Union is on record as saying that there was nothing more that government could have done to save that particular factory.”