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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“<BR /> <BR />I certainly encourage Invest Northern Ireland in all that it has done already in everything, aside from exports, in the job loans fund and research and development. It was asked to go for 25,000, and it delivered something like 37,222 over the last four-year period. I commend it for the excellent work that it has done, and I will raise the areas in which each Member would like to see an increase.”
“Invest Northern Ireland was set a task to promote 25,000 new jobs, and, because an extra year has been put on to our Assembly term, we can review where it is four years later, and it promoted 37,000 jobs. In addition to what I said to Mr Ramsey, when I look at the 1,123 locally owned business start initiatives that were offered support, I see that 58 were direct and over 1,065 were indirect in the regional start initiative, and 510 new jobs were promoted. What we are doing, not only for new business start-ups but for support to externally owned business in that area, is that there were 40 offers of support and £15·63 million of assistance that contributed towards £98·19 million investment; of those, 1,181 new jobs were promoted.”
“Again, let us be conscious of the fact that, as I understand it, 40% of the people are living outside the area in which they work. The view almost gets into the psyche that if investment goes to another parliamentary constituency area, those jobs are not available to the neighbour. We are a small place in Northern Ireland.”
“There were 35 offers of research and development support, which totalled £11·88 million of assistance and contributed towards £44·30 million of investment; and 48 offers for skills development in the area, which totalled £1·72 million of assistance and contributed just short of £6 million — I think it was £5·96 million — of investment. If we include the regional start initiatives, 2,646 new jobs were promoted and somewhere in the region of 122 jobs were safeguarded. So, that is what we are doing. I will certainly look towards how we can build upon what is a reasonably healthy set of figures to improve things for the area.”
“I can get the Member the exact details that he requests. However, it is important to consider that, when I was down there, I was with a major company that had invested in the heart of the city centre in the Foyle constituency, against stiff competition from Dublin and Galway. I also think that we should look towards the positives of that area. In the previous four years, Invest Northern Ireland gave out over 1,469 offers of support, which totalled something like £31·76 million of assistance. It contributed £156·49 million in investment.”
“So, just because jobs are not coming directly to any Member's constituency does not necessarily mean that people in that constituency are not getting the jobs, because the evidence indicates otherwise.”
“The reason they went there, as opposed to other areas, like Dublin and Galway, which were looking for them, was the work that Invest Northern Ireland did here; but, more importantly, in my view, the global reach of Invest NI and its office in the United States attracted those high-tech digital jobs into the centre. I have no doubt that the trajectory of the growing need in digital technology will lead to more jobs in that area. <BR /> <BR />I will certainly look to see what we can do. To be fair, 18 constituencies probably want me to have an individual sub-national plan for their area. I think we should also be aware, if I can remember the census figures correctly, that something like 40% of our people in Northern Ireland are working in a constituency that they do not live in.”
“I can understand the Member's desire for that. We will certainly do what we can in terms of what we can offer. It is also important to note that we provide the support but that it is the businesses that decide where they want to go. Metaverse, which has 100 new jobs, looked around, took the support of Invest Northern Ireland and looked at a number of areas. Mr Speaker, for your and my generation, the mod squad is probably The Jam and 'Going Underground', but, in the case of Metaverse Mod Squad, it is moderated communication. Metaverse Mod Squad, a US company, is providing 100 new jobs in the heart of the city centre in Foyle.”
“I thank the Member for the question. During the 2014-15 financial year, Invest Northern Ireland (INI) helped to create over 660 new jobs in the Foyle constituency area. During the year, 491 new jobs were promoted, contributing towards £52·8 million in investment in Foyle, including recent support for Convergys to promote 333 new jobs in the constituency.”
“— and it is very keen to see the campaign progressed.”
“More than 1,000 billboard ads were spread out across Metro stations in the French capital, which grabbed the attention of commuters with beautiful images of the Causeway coastal route and featured attractive offers to take a weekend break. <BR /> <BR />I spent some time with Tourism Ireland last week —”
“The Causeway coastal route features as part of that campaign, which also includes half-page advertorials, advertisements on 'The Daily Telegraph' website and articles in "Telegraph Travel" and the newspaper's midweek sections. Tourism Ireland's first-half promotional activity included TV advertising campaigns for Northern Ireland in the United States, Germany and France, and the Causeway coastal route was specifically highlighted in those campaigns. <BR /> <BR />I could talk for longer about this, Mr Speaker, but for pressures of time. In March, Tourism Ireland teamed up with one of the main online French travel agents, GO Voyages, for its largest ever joint promotional campaign in France.”
“I thank the Member for North Antrim for his question. He is absolutely right: we want to build on the success of the Causeway coastal route and the Mournes coastal route. Tourism NI, in conjunction with all the coastal councils, has appointed consultants to put in place the coastal route master plan, which will set out further strategic, tactical and clustering opportunities right along the coast and will scope out the further links with the Wild Atlantic Way to make sure that there is a coordinated plan for that. <BR /> <BR />Tourism Ireland's Live in the Now! campaign with the 'The Daily Telegraph' kicked off in February and will reach more than 8·3 million readers throughout 2015.”
“We are looking forward to the arrival of the Tall Ships later this week and to the 2017 women's World Cup. I spent quite a bit of time with Dick Spring, the former Tánaiste, to talk about bringing the World Cup to Ireland as part of a bid. We know that we will have the Irish Open again in 2017 and we hope to have the Open. I will take the Member's concerns on board. We need every Department to step up to the plate to make sure that when people come we have the capacity to give them the offering that we are capable of giving.”
“I am more than happy to work with the other Departments, as the Member suggests, and with their corresponding Committees. We have had a wonderful offering in the past but, because of difficulties with our history, people tended to come in, visit the Giant's Causeway and leave. Now, when I look at some of the research, which shows that people visit the Giant's Causeway, stay overnight and then visit Titanic Belfast, what I see is a tourism offering that will result in an increased need for overnight accommodation. <BR /> <BR />My Department and Invest NI are more than happy to work alongside hoteliers — and have been doing that — to see where the additional need can best be accommodated. We want to make sure that we do that in all the events that we have done; we have done them marvellously well.”
“We have people from all over the globe. I can quote figures into the millions of more people coming. Looking at the previous year, there was something like an 11% positive change and 4·5 million visitors. How can we make sure that they go back and advertise us to others?”
“The Member rightly poses a challenge, which I am more than happy to take on: how can we make sure that history from Carrickfergus Castle, through to the offering that the villages in that particular area have — I know that, any time I have stopped in Cushendall or Carnlough, the value of tourism has been in the quality of the people and the offering and support that they give to visitors. In that area, it is absolutely second to none. <BR /> <BR />The question comes: how do we do it? We will do it online and with our brochures. If people feel that there is a specific offering they have that is not being taken up, give it to us and we will share it with the councils and look at what Tourism NI and Tourism Ireland can do with it. We will try to make sure, because at the end of the day we have a huge tourism industry, which is growing.”
“I am more than happy to take up the concerns of Mr Dickson. People talk about a northern powerhouse in England, and I said to the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA) conference that I wanted to see 11 economic powerhouses. Equally, I want to see 11 tourism powerhouses. We will work with each area because each area, as the Member rightly points out, has a very distinctive offering. <BR /> <BR />I recently cycled out — given my level of fitness, I should have stopped at Jordanstown — past Carrickfergus and Eden, right through to Larne, and I have to say, just anecdotally, that it is outstandingly beautiful.”
“I know we have translations into other languages over the next number of weeks, which is very important. I more than welcome the Member's suggestions, and those of the industry and people in the local area. We will do that, and I will work alongside Tourism Ireland and Tourism NI to see how we can promote it. If the Member wants to give me a specific reference to what he said about self-catering accommodation, I will certainly look into that and make sure that we get that accommodated for him.”
“I welcome the ongoing communication that I have had from the Member on this area. It is a spectacularly beautiful area, one that I have been to many, many times. I will certainly look into how we can maximise all the areas, including Carnlough and Cushendall. I believe that a rising tides lifts all boats, and we want to see everything raised as we look towards how we promote the area in a range of media, particularly online, and promote the Causeway coast and the road map for the area. I know that itineraries have been posted on the website.”
“I note that 'Games of Thrones' is now, I think, the most successful HBO programme. There are other brilliant productions like 'The Sopranos', but 'Game of Thrones' has now become the most successful. Obviously, there is also the North West 200 and the Giro d'Italia.”
“Over the past five years, the Causeway coast and glens destination has seen significant investment in visitor infrastructure and in interpretation to the value of £13·4 million. The Causeway coastal route is a key focus for Tourism Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland advertising campaigns overseas and in the Republic of Ireland markets respectively. The Causeway coast and glens also features heavily in itineraries that are developed for international media that visit Northern Ireland. Both our tourism organisations work with the local authorities and tourism partners in the area to promote iconic visitor attractions, including the Giant's Causeway and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, as well as new products that we are all very excited about, such as the Gobbins cliff path and the hugely successful 'Game of Thrones' filming locations.”
“I thank the vice-Chair of the Committee. We spent some time last week discussing a number of issues. I am relatively new in office, but I appreciate the very positive contribution that the Chair and vice-Chair have made. I hope that that continues. I welcome the Committee's endorsement of what has been proposed. The proposed ROC banding changes strike the appropriate balance of continued support at least cost to the consumer. I think that that is the model that everybody in the House wants. I commend the motion to the House.”
“That will ensure the continued deployment under the NIRO at support levels, which will decrease in line with technology cost reductions. From 1 October 2015, the ROC banding level will reduce from four ROCs to three ROCs per MW hour, and will reduce again on 1 October 2016 to two ROCs per MW hour until the NIRO closes in 2017. The changes will apply only to new generating stations. Any generating station already accredited under the NIRO will continue to receive the ROC banding level at which it was originally accredited. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion — apologies for my late entry. I understand that business proceeded apace, but my apologies for that — the ROC levels introduced in this order are a sensible approach to small-scale renewables deployment under the NIRO.”
“The consultation proposed the retention of the existing levels of support for small-scale onshore wind, hydro and anaerobic digestion (AD) generating stations but proposed the reduction in support for solar photovoltaic (PV) stations up to 250 kW installed capacity. The majority of respondents agreed with the retention of existing ROC levels of support for onshore wind, hydro and AD. However, a large proportion disagreed with the proposed reductions for solar PV. It was argued that the proposals were too severe and could halt future levels of solar deployment in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The consultation process provided additional evidence to support a higher ROC level for solar PV from that originally proposed and also to introduce the reductions in a stepped manner rather than in one single reduction.”
“The underlying principle of the NIRO is to support deployment of renewables at least cost to the consumer, as it is the consumer who ultimately bears the cost of incentivising renewable electricity in Northern Ireland. Therefore, support needs to be reviewed periodically to ensure that it is as cost-effective as it possibly can be. <BR /> <BR />There is a statutory requirement for my Department to carry out a review of renewable obligation certificate bands before new bands are set. My Department undertook a small-scale banding review and public consultation in 2014.”
“This statutory rule is being made under powers contained in the Energy (Northern Ireland) Order 2003, which prescribes that this order must be laid in draft for approval by affirmative resolution of the Assembly. The changes that I bring forward in the draft order relate to the Renewables Obligation Order (Northern Ireland) 2009. The Northern Ireland renewables obligation, or the NIRO as it is better known, has been the main support mechanism for incentivising renewable electricity generation in Northern Ireland since 2005. Since its introduction in 2005, renewable consumption has increased from 3% to 20%, so it has been a great success. <BR /> <BR />This is the latest in a line of changes in recent years to adapt the NIRO to local, national and European developments.”
“As I understand it, the mechanisms put in place will have the same effect as a code of conduct and will require the bodies responsible for regulating the insolvency practitioners to do so in accordance with regulatory objectives designed to ensure that insolvency practitioners adhere to professional standards. Those are the same provisions as in the Westminster Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015.”
“<BR /> <BR />I will address some of the points that have been raised. I have already thanked the Chair, and I think that he has again demonstrated the competence that he, the Deputy Chair and the Committee have shown in these matters. I reiterate my attention to their detail and the support that they and Gordon Dunne, the Member for North Down, have given. I also put on record my thanks to the Member for North Antrim, Jim Allister. I have reviewed some of the correspondence that has been sent. I thank him for his involvement in applying his legal intelligence to the matter. He has queried me on a couple of points that I will try to address, although this will be an interesting experience as a psychologist attempts to address points of law to a learned QC. <BR /> <BR />I refer to amendment No 37.”
“I am grateful to Members who contributed to the debate on the group 2 amendments. The amendments are based on similar provisions in the GB Deregulation Bill and the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill. We are in the fortunate position that both pieces of legislation have completed their passage through Westminster and are now Acts, as that has allowed us to ensure that the corresponding provisions in our Bill are fully up to date. <BR /> <BR />The amendments will ensure that insolvency practitioners in Northern Ireland are authorised in the same manner and to the same standard as their counterparts in GB. The inclusion of the amendments to provide for a more rigorous regulatory regime for the bodies responsible for overseeing insolvency practitioners will be of benefit to those who rely on the services of that profession.”
“The Member makes an interesting point. What I intend to do is to hear the perspectives of all Members and then address them collectively when I conclude. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 45 is to clause 15. It requires my Department to have regard to the regulatory objectives set for the recognised professional bodies when making regulations dealing with insolvency practitioners and their qualification. Amendment No 46, which takes the form of a new schedule, sets out matters to be dealt with in regulations designating a single regulatory body to authorise and regulate insolvency practitioners. <BR /> <BR />Mr Speaker, that concludes what I have to say about the amendments.”
“Amendment No 43, which takes the form of new clause 14G, gives my Department power to either designate an existing body or establish a new one for the purpose of authorising and regulating insolvency practitioners. Amendment No 44, which takes the form of new clause 14H, sets out the circumstances in which an existing body may be designated for the purpose of authorising and regulating insolvency practitioners.”
“This gives the Department the right to seek a High Court order in cases where a recognised professional body is failing to comply with a requirement that it is under or where someone is failing to comply with a requirement to provide information.”
“Articles 350O and 350Q give my Department power to apply to the High Court for a direct sanctions order against an insolvency practitioner. Article 350R gives my Department power to give a direct sanctions direction to a recognised professional body in relation to an insolvency practitioner as an alternative to seeking a court order. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 41, which takes the form of new clause 14E, inserts new article 350S into the Insolvency Order. This article gives my Department power to obtain information needed in connection with its oversight and disciplinary functions in relation to recognised professional bodies. Amendment No. 42, which takes the form of new clause 14F, inserts new article 350T into the Insolvency Order.”
“Amendment No 39, which takes the form of new clause 14C, inserts new articles 350L to 350N into the Insolvency Order. Articles 350L and 350M give my Department power to revoke a professional body’s recognition to authorise insolvency practitioners. It also gives my Department the power to downgrade recognition to being able to provide only partial authorisation if the body is failing to meet its regulatory objectives. Partial authorisation is authorisation to act as an insolvency practitioner either in relation to corporate or individual insolvencies, but not both. Article 350N gives my Department similar powers to revoke or downgrade recognition at the request of a recognised professional body. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 40, which takes the form of new clause 14D, inserts new articles 350O to 350R into the Insolvency Order.”
“<BR /> <BR />Amendment No 36 also inserts new article 350A, which establishes a procedure for applying to my Department to become a recognised professional body. Amendment No 37, which takes the form of new clause14A, inserts two new articles into the Insolvency Order. New article 350B provides that bodies recognised for the purposes of authorising insolvency practitioners will have to discharge their regulatory functions in accordance with regulatory objectives. New article 350C sets out what is meant by regulatory functions and objectives. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 38, which takes the form of new clause 14B, inserts new articles 350D to 350K into the Insolvency Order. These give the Department power to impose penalties on recognised professional bodies for regulatory failures.”
“Amendment No 12 represents a change in policy. It removes from subsection (2) of clause 14 the reference to section 390A of the Insolvency Act 1986. This reference would have given insolvency practitioners authorised in Great Britain the automatic right to practise in Northern Ireland. It would have been appropriate for them to have had this right only if it had been reciprocated in Great Britain. The Insolvency Service in London has now advised that this will not happen. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 36 is also a significant change, as it replaces article 350 of the Insolvency Order, as substituted by clause 14, with a new version. The new version makes having rules and procedures to meet regulatory objectives a requirement for being recognised as a professional body capable of authorising insolvency practitioners.”
“The Member for North Down Gordon Dunne was right to say that insolvency is an unfortunate act. We have to deal with the consequences, and we want this to be as fair and efficient as possible. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, I thank Sandra Overend. She is right that there are a number of technicalities in the Bill, but the work is no less important because of the technicalities involved.”
“I thank the Chair and the Deputy Chair of the Committee for their competence, their attention to detail and the time that they gave to this series of pieces of work.”
“On this occasion, there were measures in the Deregulation Bill, in progress at Westminster, that could not wait, such as those relating to partial authorisation of insolvency practitioners. The fact that that Bill has become an Act gives us the opportunity to see those provisions in their final form. That enabled us to draft amendments to the corresponding provisions in our Bill to ensure that they are fully in accord with the Westminster Act. <BR /> <BR />I want to thank some of the Members who spoke. I appreciate the Chair's welcome and the quite distinguished work undertaken by my predecessor, the Finance and Personnel Minister, Arlene Foster. I join him in thanking officials for the work that they have done.”
“I am grateful to the Members who contributed to the debate on the group 1 amendments. <BR /> <BR />My Department operates on the principle that insolvency legislation should, as far as possible, be kept in parity with that in England and Wales. That ensures that those affected by insolvency are treated the same as they would be in England and Wales. It simplifies matters for creditors from outside Northern Ireland taking action over unpaid debt and saves insolvency practitioners in both jurisdictions from having to deal with different legislative codes. <BR /> <BR />To ensure that parity is maintained, it is normal practice to wait until after legislation for England and Wales is finalised before attempting to replicate it for Northern Ireland.”
“Amendment Nos 28 to 31 correct errors in clause 14 by recognising that article 143(5B) and article 276(2C) of the Insolvency Order do not apply in all cases where a company or an individual is a member of a partnership. <BR /> <BR />Amendment Nos 32 to 35 are consequential on amendment Nos 13 to 24. Amendment Nos 47 to 50 remove references in the Insolvency Order to being authorised to act as nominee or supervisor. These references need to be removed because article 348A of the Order, which provided for authorisation to act as a nominee or supervisor in relation to voluntary arrangements, is repealed by the Bill. <BR /> <BR />Mr Speaker, I am sure that you are glad to hear that this concludes what I have to say about the amendments in group 1.”
“Clause 14, as introduced, included a ban on a partially authorised insolvency practitioner acting in relation to members of a partnership. The amendments break the application of this ban down in terms of whether the practitioner is authorised to deal with company or individual cases. <BR /> <BR />Amendment Nos 13 to 24 bring provision restricting partially authorised insolvency practitioners from acting for individual or corporate members of a partnership into line with equivalent provisions applying in Great Britain. Amendment No 25 corrects a minor grammatical error in clause 14. Amendment Nos 26 and 27 are consequential on amendment Nos 13 to 24.”
“<BR /> <BR />Amendment No 11 clarifies that a trustee in bankruptcy is not to have any recourse against a bank that has made a payment out of a bankrupt’s account unless he had served notice on the bank, claiming the money before the bank paid it out. <BR /> <BR />Amendments Nos 13 to 36 are all to clause 14. They relate to restrictions on partially authorised insolvency practitioners acting for members of a partnership. They are required as a result of differences in the way they are set out between the initial drafts of the Westminster Bill, which became the Deregulation Act 2015, and in the Act itself. No changes to policy are involved. <BR /> <BR />Partially authorised insolvency practitioners are authorised to act in either corporate or individual insolvencies but not in both.”
“I thank the Committee for drawing the matter to the Department’s attention, and I also thank the Examiner of Statutory Rules for his suggestion, which I am happy to accept. <BR /> <BR />Amendment Nos 9, 10 and 11 are to clause 13. All three are required as a result of the minor differences that I mentioned between initial drafts of the Westminster Deregulation Bill and the resulting Act. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 9 relates to the service of a notice on a bankrupt claiming property. It clarifies that a trustee in bankruptcy does not have any rights against a third party who has bought the property for a fair price if they did not know about the bankruptcy. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 10 corrects a minor error by removing the word "the" where it had been incorrectly used in a new paragraph inserted into article 280.”
“Amendment Nos 5, 6 and 7 remove the words "at year’s end" from the description of offences relating to the failure of a liquidator to send progress reports. <BR /> <BR />The combined effect of those seven amendments is to remove any stipulation for when progress reports have to be issued in members’ and creditors’ voluntary liquidations, leaving it as a matter to be prescribed solely in subordinate legislation. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 8 is to clause 11. The amendment changes the type of Assembly control required for orders made under this provision, which amend or repeal provisions in subordinate legislation to negative resolution. I have agreed to that amendment as a consequence of a recommendation made to the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee by the Examiner of Statutory Rules.”
“<BR />As some of the amendments involve policy changes, Executive approval was sought to all 50. The Executive agreed them when they met on 28 May 2015. I will try to explain each of the amendments as briefly as possible. <BR /> <BR />Each of the 50 amendments amends the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, which I will hereafter refer to as "the Insolvency Order". There are a total of 27 amendments in group 1. There are seven amendments to clause 3, which, in turn, amends articles 79 and 91 of the Insolvency Order. <BR /> <BR />Amendments Nos 1 and 3 remove the words "at year’s end" from the title to each article. Amendments Nos 2 and 4 remove references in each article to the winding-up of a company continuing for more than one year.”
“There is provision for that in the Westminster Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, and it had originally been intended to include corresponding provision for Northern Ireland in a further Bill to amend insolvency law, to be made during the lifetime of the next Assembly. In view of the Member’s request, an amendment has been provided to provide for its inclusion in the current Bill instead. <BR /> <BR />The amendments to clauses 11, 13 and 15 and the amendments that insert new clauses 14A to 14H and schedule A1 have all been agreed by the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee. The other proposed amendments were considered by the Committee on 19 May 2015; the Committee had no comments on those. I thank the Committee Chair and members for their helpful and very thorough scrutiny of the Bill.”
“First, I will explain that there are an unusually large number of Government amendments — 50 in all — which extend over several pages. There are two main reasons for that. The first is that some of the Bill's provisions replicate provisions in the Deregulation Act 2015, made at Westminster in March. Amendments to those provisions are required as they were drafted using early versions of the Bill which became the Deregulation Act 2015, not the Act itself, and there are minor differences between the two. <BR /> <BR />The second reason is the request made during the Second Stage debate to have provision for more stringent regulation of insolvency practitioners included in this Bill.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, for those congratulations. I beg your indulgence to be associated with the sympathy that has been expressed in the House for Councillor John Hanna. I was with him on Thursday evening in Scarva. He had a love for the area that he had represented for over two decades and the people of the area had a love for him. He was a fine Christian man, and our deepest sympathy goes out to his family circle. <BR /> <BR />I beg to introduce the Credit Unions and Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Bill [NIA 56/11-16], which is a Bill to make provision about credit unions and cooperative and community benefit societies and for connected purposes.”