Paul Givan
Lagan Valley · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“The EA's enhanced support model has been out for consultation. The Member's party is the largest political grouping on the Education Authority, so his party supported the model's being consulted on.”
“Protections around strike action and action short of strike are firmly established in statute for all workers, including teachers. If the Member is referring to the Education Inspections Bill, let me be clear: nothing in that legislation removes or undermines that right.”
“The issue was covered at length at the Education Committee. The position is still not where it ought to be. When I came into office, the position that I inherited was much worse than it is today.”
“It is an area that I have had to navigate, as have many previous Education Ministers. Industrial relations is an area that needs ongoing work. I have outlined how we can address it, but I come back to saying that, when workload was undefined, trade unions struggled to specify the challenge.”
“That is not a fair characterisation. In fact, I was with Justin McCamphill, the leader of NASUWT, at the launch of the curriculum reform, at which he commended me for it and said that he thought that it was good. I have sat in many a meeting with trade union representatives during which they have said, "This is a good initiative.”
“That is exactly why there is a 16-week consultation period, rather than the normal 12 weeks or the minimum eight weeks; to allow the public and teaching profession to very much engage in that curriculum, which I commend to all Members.”
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“Creating false hope would be particularly unfair, given the vulnerability of the people involved.”
“Departments have not released significant amounts of funding in the October monitoring round; indeed, the amounts are negligible. The Department of Health has bid for £240 million. Through the Barnett consequential, we are due to get funding of £180 million that flowed from the additional spend on the health service in England. Given that the Department of Health has bid for £240 million and that we will receive £180 million, the question is this: will the finances will be there? Even if they are, it will be challenging for the Executive to have a mechanism for paying the money. <BR /> <BR />We need to be honest with the people who receive that money. It is vital for them. Nobody underestimates the harm that its removal will do to those people, but we should not make false promises or raise hopes.”
“The Member raises a very important point, and, if we were able to find the additional funding that would be required through October monitoring, that would indeed be the mechanism. The payment was made through the Department for Work and Pensions. Northern Ireland does not have the systems to do that. The Member is right to ask what the mechanism would be.”
“The Executive discussed that issue, and the deputy First Minister and I have taken action on it by joining our counterparts in Scotland and Wales in asking the UK Government to reverse their decision. On the back of the most recent Executive meeting, we will be corresponding on behalf of all Ministers in the Executive to communicate that the withdrawal of the £20 uplift is unacceptable; it should not have happened. We want the uplift to be reinstated. That is the position that we will articulate to the Treasury.”
“My party is very focused on resolving the issues that have created that impasse: the protocol and the undermining of our east-west relationship and the interconnection with various bodies that flow from the Belfast Agreement, including the North/South bodies. I want to see those issues resolved; that is what our party is focused on.”
“I thank the Member for her question. Obviously, we will read through the judgement that has been passed in the courts and provide a more detailed response to that in due course. I will make the point that, when it comes to the working of the North/South institutions, my party has made clear that we wish to see all parts of the Belfast Agreement upheld, but they are interdependent and interlinked, and the east-west dimension has been trashed as a result of the protocol. It is regrettable that that is having a knock-on effect on the North/South institutions. My focus is on having those issues resolved so that all parts of those institutions can function normally. However, the protocol has fundamentally undermined the basis on which the Belfast Agreement set up those various strands.”
“At that stage, my party will make an assessment of the outworkings of those negotiations as to what is in the interests of Northern Ireland, but we are fundamentally of the position that the New Decade, New Approach commitment entered into by the UK Government on Northern Ireland's place in the internal market must be fully respected. That means removing the barriers created by the protocol on an east-west dimension.”
“Mr Allister has been reading my leader's speeches very well when it comes to wanting to address these issues. <BR /> <BR />We are clear: the UK Government Command Paper set out the issues that the protocol has now inflicted upon the people here in Northern Ireland. That has been reiterated lately in Lord Frost's contributions. I recognise the European Union and acknowledge its recognition of the harm that that is causing. We await the detail of its proposals and the outcomes of the negotiations between the UK Government and the European Union.”
“The Member will be aware that there are differing views across all parties on the Executive on the merits of EU exit and the protocol. However, we are united in our desire to seek the best possible outcome for our citizens and businesses. As an Executive, we continue to regularly discuss issues relating to European Union exit and to represent our positions in our engagement with the United Kingdom's Government and the European Union.”
“I agree with the Member about the vital contribution that they make to our society and, indeed, our economy. It should be noted that while the applications of citizens who applied to continue to live in Northern Ireland are under consideration, their rights are fully protected.”
“The EU settlement scheme is an excepted matter. However, we recognise the valuable contribution that EEA citizens living here make to our economy, culture and wider society. We know that the situation with status can be confusing for EEA citizens, employers and service providers alike. It is essential that those citizens can demonstrate their status easily when necessary. We wrote, with Ministers from Scotland and Wales, to Kevin Foster, a Minister at the Home Office, to urge that the current digital-only proof of status be supplemented with a form of physical proof. We await a response.”
“During the development of the scheme, there was extensive work with a wide range of organisations representing victims and survivors. That was a key part in how the scheme was set up. The Department of Justice carried out the administrative work of establishing the panels. A lot of information that we were able to glean through the work of the victims and survivors informed that process. <BR /> <BR />The Member makes a critical point: when government is developing such a scheme, it needs to be victim-centred. The victims need to have a key role in developing that process. Ultimately, we are seeking to provide the best possible support for them, so their voice must be heard.”
“The costing of the scheme was calculated through the pension system that exists around any assessment. The estimated total cost of payments ranges from £600 million to £1·2 billion, the central estimate being £248 million before administration costs are added. We will not know the cost for certain until we have received all the applications. At this stage, these are estimates, but the figures should crystallise when there is a much clearer understanding of the volume of applications.”
“The Member raises an issue that many of the groups involved in the development of the scheme have raised with our office. When people present for the medical assessment to establish the need that exists, it is vital that that be done with sympathetic understanding. People should not have to go through a process when it is absolutely clear that their need is obvious. The Member has raised an important issue to which we have been very much alerted.”
“First, I reiterate that we are pleased that the scheme has now opened for applications. It is hoped that the opening of the scheme will have a positive impact on all who have suffered permanent disablement. As of 10 October this year, I can confirm that there have been 691 applications received to the victims' payments scheme for permanent disablement since it opened for applications on 31 August this year.”
“Mr Speaker, with your permission, junior Minister Middleton will answer the question.”
“The Member will know more than most about the important work of the forum. Appointments can be made only by a commissioner. Under previous commissioners, an action plan had been established for the replenishment exercise to take place. That could be used, if it is acceptable to the new commissioner. Obviously, that will be an issue that the commissioner, on appointment, will want to take forward.”
“What is critical is that the functions of the office have continued to be discharged. We have a process now in place to fill the vacancy that has been there, but, in the absence of having a Victims' Commissioner in place, important work has continued to be developed. It is vital that victims get that support. I am pleased that we have now been able to provide support through the payments. I will update the House on that: by 10 October, 691 applications had been received. Whilst I accept that there has been an absence of a Victims' Commissioner, that in no way has prevented the functions of that office from carrying on.”
“The Member raises a very important point, one that, I know, she has campaigned on for many years and on which she recently led a debate in the Assembly. It is right that, in providing access to truth for victims, the Republic of Ireland Government need to ensure that information that they hold — information that has been sought by victims and their families — should be provided. Indeed, we have had evidence, not least in the Smithwick tribunal, that spoke of the collusion that took place between gardaí and the Provisional IRA in those incidences. The Republic of Ireland are not bystanders when it comes to dealing with the past. There are very much people who were engaged in it and who need to provide information to the victims who require it.”
“Given that that is a financial matter, the Finance Minister has been leading on it on behalf of the Executive. He continues to engage with the Treasury and make the case for contributions to be made from there, as a result of the outworkings of the scheme. Undoubtedly, the changes made the scope of the scheme much wider than had been initially envisaged. I do not disagree with that decision. Decisions were taken by the Secretary of State and passed by Westminster, and that has enlarged the scope of the scheme. It is right that London makes a contribution towards making those payments. I welcome the court ruling that made it clear that payments need to be made to victims. That money is being paid and will continue to be paid, in line with that ruling.”
“The deputy First Minister and I were pleased to announce the launch of the recruitment competition for the post of Commissioner for Victims and Survivors on Monday 27 September. The closing date for applications is noon on Friday 15 October. The commissioner will have an important role in ensuring that victims and survivors are supported. We encourage all those who have the relevant skills and experience to apply. We expect the interviews to take place during the week commencing 15 November and the new commissioner to be in post by early 2022.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I ask junior Minister Middleton to answer this question.”
“The Member knows that, as a result of actions taken by the Democratic Unionist Party, we have now got to a place where the European Union recognises the harm that is being done by the rigorous implementation of the protocol that most of the parties in the Assembly called for. I welcome the fact that people recognise that the protocol is not working and that change needs to be made. Of course, some people's assessment of change will likely differ from the assessment that my party will take of what comes forward. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to the proposals from the European Union later this week and to seeing how the United Kingdom Government respond to them. Let us get to a place where there are no longer any east-west barriers. That is interdependent with the North/South relationship, and I look forward to us getting to that place.”
“The additional £2·5 million enabled the recruitment of 100 more officers. That is a step forward in reaching the NDNA target of 7,500. To get us to that target, this party will want to see that reflected in the budget for the following three years.”
“I, too, welcome Deborah, the new Member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, to the House. Deborah is a good friend of the family, and I am delighted that she has taken up the role of serving the people of the great constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone. My family are more from the south Tyrone end of that constituency, but it is a pleasure to have Deborah here, taking up her role in this House. I welcome her. <BR /> <BR />The Member is right that the commitments on policing, which were put forward by my party, are a key part of NDNA. In respect of their implementation, in order to get us back up to 7,500 police officers, the budget had an in-year allocation of £12·3 million, £9·8 million of which will enable the police to retain their numbers at the current level of 7,000.”
“The Finance Minister provided a written statement to the Assembly outlining the Executive's response to the RHI inquiry report. Also in response to the report, the Assembly took forward the Functioning of Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, which was led by the Member for North Antrim and supported by my party. The Assembly and the Executive have been responding to the findings in the report on the RHI inquiry.”
“When we look at all the NDNA commitments, we see that one that is critically important is the recognition and implementation of Northern Ireland as an integral part of the internal market. That is one of the commitments the United Kingdom Government entered into and was the basis on which my party entered into these institutions. That needs to be put right, so I agree that all of NDNA needs to be implemented.”
“The Executive Office has been incredibly busy making sure that all the Departments that the First Minister and deputy First Minister have to oversee in their role on the Executive unlocked a whole series of legislation on a range of issues at the end of June, not least of which were the Criminal Justice (Committal Reform) Bill, for which the Minister from the Member's party is responsible, and the Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill. The Executive are taking forward many other Bills. If any Member looks at the Assembly's legislative programme, they will see that it is overwhelmingly led by the Executive. Of course, I also welcome private Members' Bills, not least my own, for which Christopher Stalford has taken on responsibility.”
“We are committed to delivering all the Executive Office's NDNA commitments and to moving on those things that have been delayed. Our Department has made good progress in a number of areas, including provision of support for victims and survivors of historical abuse, the conduct of Executive business and the European Union's exit subcommittee.”
“I welcome the fact that those payments are being paid and at pace. The panels that are carrying out the assessments continue to expedite that as quickly as they can. The payments that are associated with this redress scheme are being paid. We are having discussions with the institutions later this week about their contribution. In the next phase, the expert panel will look at the mother-and-baby homes and the Magdalene laundries, but the issue of redress is one that we need to address. The Member's point about the institutions is well made.”
“The deputy First Minister and I, along with the Health Minister, met the expert panel and that work is being analysed by the interdepartmental working group, which is chaired by Judith Gillespie, who is independent of government. That work is being taken forward, and we discussed it at the Executive last week. We have asked for the assessment to be brought forward to Ministers and for the Executive to urgently look at the next steps in the process. I hope that we will be able to do that some time in November.”
“Later this week, on Thursday, we will meet with representatives of six of those institutions, and we will have exactly those discussions.”
“By the end of September, 2,006 applications had been received by the redress board. Determinations totalling £28·1 million have been made, and £24·1 million has been paid out in redress.”
“Officials are engaging with victims and survivors groups on the terms of reference for the review of the historical institutional abuse (HIA) redress process. The junior Ministers met two of the victims and survivors groups recently and reassured them that the forthcoming review would be victim-centred. We have given an undertaking that the victims and survivors representative groups will have an opportunity to see and comment on the proposed terms of reference before they are put to us for approval later this month.”
“I will need to come back to the Member with specific answers on what the DUP position is on the Specialised Committee.”
“In terms of the DUP's position, we have outlined that the North/South aspects of the institutions are an area that we will now not be providing Ministers to partake in.”
“Therefore, we should not limit activity where there is clearly a link. <BR /> <BR />For that reason, we have been looking at trying to provide a modest sum for areas of influence where there is growing evidence that activity in an area of influence can have a positive impact. This activity will be aimed at building relationships, raising awareness of the Communities in Transition project and supporting enabling work to build resilience in these areas. Officials are currently considering how these sums could be administered to ensure that needs are met. Options may include developing a small grants scheme, for example. Any more significant expansion of project interventions into these communities would require additional funding, but that is something that we would be willing to look at.”
“I know that the Member does extensive work in her constituency, not just in north Lurgan but in south Lurgan, in making representation for them, and has done so on this issue. I recognise that the Member and her colleagues are making the case in areas such as south Lurgan. Unfortunately, at present, we have not received as much funding as we would have liked to allow us to extend the programme to new areas. However, "an area of influence" has been articulated in our policy as an area that is not within the core area of intervention, though may be a near neighbour of or adjacent to it and have a significant impact on the core area of intervention. This policy recognises that the paramilitary or criminal organisations do not limit their activity to postcodes or electoral wards.”
“I thank the Member for that question. On 16 February, the Secretary of State wrote to the Justice Minister to confirm that £10 million over three years was being made available from NDNA to support delivery of the Communities in Transition project over three years. The Northern Ireland Secretary of State further confirmed that Her Majesty's Treasury was to provide £5 million of funding to support the wider programme for the 2021-22 year.”
“Thank you to the Member. I have formally communicated the position of the party within the Executive Office in respect of the answer that I just gave. I touched upon this at the Executive meeting, and I trust that that will allow an appropriate paper to be brought forward now by the Communities Minister. <BR /> <BR />Ministers will, of course, look at closing any loopholes in the welfare framework that are not entirely new policy proposals beyond what has previously been agreed.”
“From my party's perspective, we fully support that. Indeed, we have committed to mitigations not just being extended but rolled over for an additional three years. The current position, where the mitigations are not clearly provided for in legislation, is far from satisfactory. In Northern Ireland, we already offer a much more extensive welfare support than other parts of the United Kingdom or, indeed, Ireland. We believe that measures should be subject to review at regular stages to ensure that Northern Ireland is offering the most appropriate and effective support possible.”
“The Member has engaged on that issue for a long time and particularly in her role as Chair of the Communities Committee. Yes, there is support from all the Ministers in the Executive Office for the mitigations to be extended. The 'New Decade, New Approach' document states:”
“Making sure that we have an integrated society where people feel welcome is not without challenges. I make it clear that, in Northern Ireland, our strength is our diversity and the fact that we are a multicultural society. That ought not to be feared; it should be welcomed. We should be able to respect and celebrate people and their differences.”
“The Member makes the point very well, and I agree with her. If anything, there is huge demand for jobs in Northern Ireland and a shortage of labour supply, so some people's argument that refugees are taking our jobs does not stand when it is tested against job criteria and the number of jobs that need to be filled. <BR /> <BR />I referred to this issue during Question Time. When people seek asylum and refuge in Northern Ireland, they do so because they have come from a position of distress. It is vital that we give them support. The Home Office administers the process and considers applications for citizenship, and ultimately it is not a devolved issue, but we have a responsibility to provide support for people who are here in Northern Ireland and to find ways in which they can be part of our society.”
“Of course the Member exists, and she makes her voice heard, loud and clear. The term "both communities" is used in the Belfast Agreement, which her party supported and which brought about the designation of nationalist, unionist and "other". If the Member has a problem with how she is designated, its origins are in the 1998 Belfast Agreement, which her party championed.”
“<BR /> <BR />On the other Executive Office commitments that result from New Decade, New Approach, the Executive Office continues to work to bring them forward.”
“In meetings with Maroš Šefcovic that junior Minister Kearney attended with me, I made it clear that I want both communities — our whole community — to be in the best of both worlds, where you have unfettered access to the European single market and to Great Britain's market. We do not have that, because of the barriers created for goods and services going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland — to the tune of some £850 million a year, based on the assessment of a leading economist, Esmond Birnie. That causes harm, not just to unionists politically, but to everybody. The Member's nationalist and republican constituents are not able to get the type of goods and services that they should be able to get. The issue transcends unionists and nationalists when it comes to the practical implications.”
“When it comes to the issue of "Where did it all go wrong in respect of Brexit?", it was in the outworking and implementation of that by the UK Government. We were very clear that Northern Ireland should be treated just like the rest of the United Kingdom. The Belfast Agreement makes provision for a change to the constitutional arrangements, but there needs to be approval by the people. There was no approval by anybody in Northern Ireland for the changes that flowed from the Northern Ireland protocol. We did not consent to it. The unionist representatives of the Assembly did not consent to it. It is vital that, when those types of changes are made, it is done in a way that has consensus. The protocol does not. I want to have it resolved and to see a solution.”
“When the east-west relationship is harmed, which it has been by the Northern Ireland protocol, that has an impact when it comes to North/South. I want to see those issues resolved. I want to see the institutions working, because I believe that we are best placed to represent the people who elected us to run the country and that we can do that better than other jurisdictions. However, we have to address the fundamental problems that have now occurred as a result of the Northern Ireland protocol. I hope that the UK Government and the European Union seize the window of opportunity that exists, but that window of opportunity is closing.”
“The Member is right about NDNA being the basis on which all the parties entered into reforming the institutions after a prolonged period of them being in a state of suspension. In it, there is a commitment by the United Kingdom Government to ensuring that Northern Ireland is an integral part of the internal market. The Northern Ireland protocol, however, has caused damage economically and to wider society, and it has created political tension. Those issues have to be addressed. That was the basis on which my party re-engaged in the institutions, so that area has to be respected. <BR /> <BR />The Member will know that the Belfast Agreement is very clear on where the delicate balance was struck when it comes to unionists, nationalists and, indeed, others. When one aspect of that is damaged, it causes harm across all others.”