Michelle Gildernew
Fermanagh and South Tyrone · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“Does the Member agree with me that, while the situation in the tower blocks is dire, many homes in rural areas are solid wall with no cavity wall insulation — indeed, no insulation at all — and that something needs to be done to rectify that, especially given that COPD, asthma and other respiratory conditions can result from it?”
“The Committee noted that the most substantive amendments are made to provisions in the Social Security Administration Act 1992, and those relate to the uprating process, whereby income-related benefits are adjusted automatically when another income-related benefit is uprated — in this case, the state pension.”
“The Committee for Communities considered the SL1 relating to the proposed order at its meeting on 15 September 2016 and was content with the proposals. Subsequently, the proposed order was brought before the Committee on 27 October 2016, and the Committee recommended that it be confirmed by the Assembly.”
“<BR /> <BR />In spite of all that, the Housing Executive, a major landlord in the North of Ireland, currently has only approximately 14,000 dwellings available to rent in rural areas. We are still not building enough homes, and that is even starker in rural areas.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. Given that the focus so far on housing in general tends to be on urban areas, I will make particular reference to housing need in rural areas. At the moment, NISRA classifies all settlements below a population of 5,000 inhabitants as rural.”
“<BR /> <BR />While we are waiting to add to our social housing stock, we must in the meantime stop selling off the assets that we have. Young people find it increasingly difficult to get onto the housing ladder, and uncertainty in the job market means that, for many young families, a Housing Executive home with some security of tenure and…”
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Every one of 105 lines we hold for Michelle Gildernew, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 3.
“Has the Minister raised the concerns of the agri-food industry with the British and Irish Governments around the issues of exports and the workforce?”
“OK. Local programming is also important to people, whether that be stories about our communities, local sports programming or a locally produced series with wider appeal, such as 'The Fall'. The Committee has received an offer —”
“The Secretary of State must then lay the group accounts and the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General before Parliament, and these must be subsequently published by the BBC. Similarly, they have to be laid before our Assembly on the same day as, or as soon as possible after, they have been laid before Parliament in Westminster. This should afford transparency on the organisation's expenditure activities. <BR /> <BR />Turning to the local, as well as to the "big ticket" programmes that have proved popular —”
“In principle, most of us support the idea of external, independent regulation, but it will be important to see to what extent the new arrangements restrict the BBC’s commercial activity. That will be important in the context of section 13 of the charter, which seeks to promote and establish creative partnerships with other organisations where they would be in the public interest. We have seen the growth of the creative industries here over a number of years. According to the Department, 36,000 people — 4·6% of the workforce — are employed in the creative industries or creative occupations. We do not want to see the potential of the BBC to assist with that burgeoning industry curtailed by regulation. <BR /> <BR />In addition, the National Audit Office will report on the group accounts.”
“Of particular interest are the powers of Ofcom to determine whether the BBC’s commercial activities, because of their link to public services, give it an unfair competitive advantage. An operating framework will be produced in which Ofcom will set requirements that define what the relationship between the BBC and its commercial activities should be. This will be crucial, given that Ofcom's powers in relation to the BBC are extensive. They include the power to order the BBC to cease activity that Ofcom judges to be anti-competitive.”
“The role of the board will be extensive, but it is important to highlight the requirement for transparency in the workings of the board and the independence from Government of each member. It is to be noted that the Government will directly appoint five of the 14-strong board, including a new chair and the four national directors for the North of Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. That leaves the BBC able to appoint four executive members of the board alongside another five independent members. This should provide some assurance that the board is independent. <BR /> <BR />The change to the regulation of the BBC is a fundamental one. Currently, the BBC is self-regulating, but from next year Ofcom will take on the responsibility, and it will have extensive powers.”
“I think that it is broadly accepted that the new arrangements go some way to embedding processes within the structures of the BBC that seek to achieve those objectives. <BR /> <BR />As mentioned, a key issue for the BBC throughout the charter discussions was certainty about funding. The renewal of the charter is for a further 11 years and should provide stable funding for the organisation. Arguments over the continuation of the licence fee have been put to bed, and the BBC should be able to get on with its mandate of providing broadcasting to the public that will educate, inform and entertain. <BR /> <BR />It is also important to note the change in governance arrangements, with the establishment of a new board rather than the current system of trustees.”
“That argument has been settled, at least for the next 11 years, given that the charter lasts until 2027. <BR /> <BR />I respectfully suggest that the details of the charter and draft agreement are of little relevance or interest to the ordinary person in the street. Of course, there are issues that do generate interest, such as the requirement to name people in the organisation who earn over £150,000, including the people who think of themselves as big stars. In the overall scheme of things, however, that is not important. What is, or should be, important to us all is that we have the confidence that the BBC here is well governed and managed; that the licence fee is value for money; and that the BBC maintains its independence from Government.”
“The Committee received and noted copies of the draft charter and the draft agreement that the House is being asked to take note of today. The Committee has been offered a briefing by the current BBC Trust member and will decide at its meeting on Thursday whether that is required on foot of today’s debate. <BR /> <BR />The future of the BBC has been much debated by the media over recent months, but I suspect that much of the detail of the debate has been of real concern only to those in the media. There seemed to be a question at certain points in the charter discussions whether the BBC would survive at all as a public broadcaster, given what appeared to be ideological opposition to public-sector broadcasting from the two previous Conservative Culture Secretaries, Sajid Javid and John Whittingdale.”
“In the context of the Bill, it might be considered a vastly overrated virtue; one that is a poor substitute for creative thinking and ambitious proposals for the modernisation of licensing laws and, therefore, the hospitality industry. I also need to point out the importance of the pub industry to our tourism sector. I am sure that other Members will refer to that in their contributions. <BR /> <BR />If we have a vision of what we want our society to become, and if that is an outward-looking and progressive society framed by legislation that encourages its development, the legislation, if we get it right, can, in a small way, send out that message. Hopefully, the Minister will work with the Committee, if we believe that changes should be made to strengthen the Bill and make it appropriate for a 21st-century society.”
“However, I suggest that the vast majority of people who drink alcohol do so responsibly. Should we not seek to facilitate good behaviour as well as address the bad? Following that logic, we will need to consider whether we are doing enough via the Bill to support the hospitality industry. By limiting the proposals in the Bill that, in general, may be seen as liberalising our current laws, are we, in fact, inadvertently penalising the hospitality industry because of an erroneous perception of where the alcohol problem lies? <BR /> <BR />The Committee has been advised by officials that the measures proposed in the Bill are modest. Modesty is often said to be a virtue.”
“If 1,500 jobs are at risk in the hospitality sector, should we not be making as big a hue and cry as was made in February? Should we not seek to ensure that the sector has the best operating environment in which to survive? Not a penny of Executive financial assistance has been called for. We need to see what is achievable and what is necessary to support the industry. I am sure that, with appropriate counsel, we can do that without contributing to the already significant burdens on the health sector or to the moral degradation of our society, as some might suggest. <BR /> <BR />Of course, pictures on the TV of antisocial behaviour in town centres as a result of excessive alcohol consumption fan the flames of the negative stereotypes associated with alcohol.”
“In fact, a report carried out this year by the insolvency practitioner Begbies Traynor revealed that one in four pubs in the North were operating under significant financial distress and struggling to remain open. There are roughly 2,000 licence holders here. On that calculation, 500 of them are struggling to remain open. Even taking just three employees per licence holder, which is not unreasonable, that is 1,500 jobs at risk. In February this year, Bombardier announced that 1,000 jobs were to go, and there was absolute uproar. Ministerial statements and calls for action were flying right, left and centre, and this was for a company that, according to then Minister Bell, received £75 million of Executive assistance between 2002 and 2015.”
“Indeed, we will need to consider whether this Bill is even the proper legislative vehicle to do anything about that. On the basis of where people who drink say they consume alcohol, we should at least recognise that the greater problem is more likely to be as a result of home drinking and drinking alone and not necessarily as a result of drinking in the local pub. <BR /> <BR />As a resident in and representative of a rural constituency, I know that the local pub is often the centre of social gatherings and is used for meetings of local community groups. It often has a significance to the community that perhaps an urban pub does not have because there does not tend to be any other option in rural areas if the local pub closes. These pubs are under severe pressure.”
“<BR /> <BR />It has also been clear for at least a decade that the number of people drinking in pubs has been falling. In fact, the same report notes that there was about a 40% reduction in the number of males drinking in pubs between 1999 and 2013 and a reduction of almost 50% in females drinking in pubs during the same period. The industry is now in a position where only 26% of men and 12% of women who drink do so in pubs. The figures on drinking at home also go some way to explaining the increase in solitary drinking from 17% in 1999 to 22% in 2013. One can only guess at the potential mental health issues that that may contribute to. <BR /> <BR />The question that the Committee will have to ask is this: is the Bill doing enough to address excessive drinking where most drinking actually takes place — in the home?”
“This is important so that we do not end up taking action through the Bill that neither addresses the negative aspects of alcohol consumption nor supports the hospitality industry; in effect, giving the perception of real reform on both key issues when nothing of actual substance has been achieved on either. That is why reference to evidence is so important. For example, in regard to addressing excessive alcohol consumption, the DHSSPS report 'Adult Drinking Patterns in NI 2013' asked people where they consumed alcohol. Around two thirds of respondents who drank said that they did so in their own home — 65% — while around 20% drank in the pub, 17% in a restaurant and 16% in someone else's home. So, over 80% of people drank in either their own home or someone else's home.”
“It is my opinion, and I hope others share it, that while those personal views should inform our consideration of the Bill, they should not direct it. We are here to legislate for all of society, not just a narrow section of it that may share our beliefs. The Committee acknowledges that it is not easy to strike the right balance between proposals to assist our hospitality industry and the public health concerns about the impact of alcohol. Therefore, a mature, informed discussion is called for, particularly given that the public consultation on the Bill took place four years ago. <BR /> <BR />If public health concerns are to be addressed, it is important to consider drinking patterns and where people are consuming alcohol.”
“Clearly, industry sources already feel that the aspects of the Bill that seek to liberalise our licensing laws do not go far enough. Others, who may be concerned with the negative impact of alcohol on health and society in general, might feel that they go too far. We do, of course, have a responsibility to ensure that the legislation does not provide the framework for harm to be visited on society, but neither do we want to be accused of presiding over a nanny state. It will be the job of the Committee to consider these arguments and, on the evidence presented, advise the House accordingly. <BR /> <BR />All of us will have personal views about alcohol based on experience or perhaps even moral or religious beliefs.”
“However, during Committee Stage, we will seek to establish whether the Bill strikes the appropriate balance between these apparently competing objectives.”
“Many of us in the House and many more outside have been waiting in anticipation for a large number of years for a Bill to address licensing reform. It has been a bit like 'Waiting for Godot' but with less expectation that the Bill will actually arrive first. However, it has arrived, so the Minister deserves credit for that at least. As Members will know, Second Stage is not about discussing the details of the Bill; rather, it is about the principles of the Bill. <BR /> <BR />The principles are relatively straightforward and easy to agree on. They relate to bringing forward measures that seek to address excessive alcohol consumption and support the hospitality sector. The Committee supports this principle.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement and apologise for missing the start of it. May I seek an assurance from the Minister that, following on from his participation in this NSMC meeting, he has a positive agenda for the promotion of the Irish language and Ulster Scots? Also, does he share my concerns that any future withdrawal from EU membership could have a negative impact on the promotion and protection of regional and minority languages, as referred to in the European charter?”
“I thank the Minister for her very full reply. I ask her for a progress report on the autism strategy. What are the next steps?”
“— when their parent is no longer able to provide it.”
“The fear and worry among parents of children with learning disabilities, when they do not know what kind of care their child is going to get after they pass away, eats them up. <BR /> <BR />Like others, I ask the Minister to carry out a very thorough investigation into how this happened and see what can be done to support those families, perhaps, by bringing in some creative and innovative ideas to help them to cope with this news and give them some succour for the future that their needs will be met in a more timely fashion. That might mean procuring extra respite beds to give people a break and enable them to continue the fight and ensure that they are giving their child the best support they can now, but also that their child has the best and most dignified care that they need —”
“They have found out that that money was available and was spent on other things, and it is a massive blow to families who are, as we have heard today, supporting adults. Thankfully, those are adults who are living much longer. I can remember when, probably a generation ago, the life expectancy of adults with conditions such as Down's syndrome was very poor. It is much better now, but, as a result, if we have adults who are living into their 40s and 50s and even, in some cases, into their 60s, their parents are getting older and much less capable of providing care. The parents are also dealing with their own health issues, including their mental health, their ability to care for a child and the uncertainty around who is going to pick up when they are no longer able to do it or no longer here.”
“Like others, I welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter, and I thank the Member for bringing it to the House. I do not disagree with anything that has been said either. These families are genuinely bereft at all that they have gone through and the experiences that they have had. The care and support that they needed was not forthcoming. At the meeting on 20 May, the trust made it very clear to us that it would not be seeking additional resources from the Minister and that the situation would have to be managed from the budget allocation. <BR /> <BR />There are families out there, however, who are treating this almost as a bereavement. All the things that they have been asking for have not been forthcoming for years because of budgetary issues.”
“Can the Minister give us examples of how the voluntary and community sector has been supported in helping people to find employment?”
“— it is important that we recognise that. I also ask the Minister to be cognisant of the needs of our prison population and the high issues of mental health within it.”
“The Minister has been very supportive of rural transport in the past. I hope that she will continue to be and can talk to the Infrastructure Minister about extending schemes and ensuring that people have the opportunity to get out and about, not just to health appointments but to visit friends or to go to the hairdresser, because loneliness can impact so badly on your mental health. <BR /> <BR />A lot of women are diagnosed with poor mental health during pregnancy, and we need to support women in particular. They often share the brunt of the caring responsibilities, and — this is in our amendment — it is women who suffer the worst effects of austerity and who are often trying to raise children in poverty, so —”
“It is important that all those strands of health policy be interwoven to ensure that we get the best treatment for all our people. Bamford has not been fully implemented. It is a big ask of our new Minister — I wish her well in her post — but mental health has to be up there as a priority. <BR /> <BR />It is often very hard for people in rural areas not just to access services but to accept that there is an issue. I will continue to say to people that they need to seek help from their GP in the first instance, but it is sometimes very hard to get big, stoic farmers to recognise that they are having problems with their mental health. I want to see the Minister talking to the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister for Infrastructure. Social isolation was mentioned earlier. Loneliness is a massive problem in isolated rural communities.”
“Although that is absolutely crucial, I often feel very sorry for young people who have left school and do not have that support. They may have suffered a bereavement or a family breakdown and do not have the same access to counselling services. I want to see counselling made available to all in their own area or community and ensure that people have access to it. <BR /> <BR />I want to speak too about the difficulties for carers and how their mental health can be impacted on by some of the problems that they face daily. I am speaking at an ADHD event in the Long Gallery later today. I know that young people who do not have a diagnosis of ADHD, autism or other conditions can have a massive impact on the mental health of their parents and carers.”
“<BR /> <BR />I do not want to repeat things that other Members have said, but there are a few areas that I would like to draw the House's attention to. My colleague Catherine Seeley talked about the impact on children and young people. It is hugely important that we get that right. I am very proud of the fact that the Western Trust was the first trust to bring forward an infant mental health strategy, and that has now been adopted by the Department. There is a recognition there that, for a number of reasons, even babies can suffer from poor mental health. It is important that we recognise that poor mental health can affect all of us at one stage or another. I am also very familiar with the hugely important child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). Catherine made a point about counselling in schools.”
“I am delighted to be able to speak to the motion. I welcome the fact that it was tabled, and I support our amendment. As someone who has been affected by poor mental health and diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, I can assure Members that it is not just combatants who suffer and that many of us were seriously affected by the conflict. The amendment is a very important one. <BR /> <BR />I want to make a point about charitable and philanthropic — I think that we are all having difficulty saying that word — contributions. Like many others in the House, I have worked with groups and organisations that are doing sterling work. I want to mention Niamh and PIPS in particular. It is hugely important that a mental health champion be properly funded through mainstream funding and that we are not robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
“The regulations accordingly amend the 2015 regulations to set the full rate of the new state pension at £155·65 per week. <BR /> <BR />The Occupational Pension Schemes (Scheme Administration) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2016 amend the Occupational Pension Schemes (Scheme Administration) Regulations (NI) 1997 on the governance provisions for multi-employer schemes to ensure that they apply to the relevant schemes. They also make other technical amendments to ensure that the governance provisions work as intended. <BR /> <BR />On behalf of the Committee for Communities, I recommend that the order and regulations be approved by the Assembly.”
“Very generous: you are coming near it yourself, a Cheann Comhairle, so I am sure that you are worried.”
“The regulations make provision for the calculation of increments following a period of deferral of state pension where there has been a change in the rate of the new state pension other than uprating; inheritance of graduated retirement benefit by survivors whose deceased spouse or civil partner was in the pre-2016 state pension scheme; and entitlement to the new state pension for people resident overseas. As is the case in the current scheme, people living in certain countries — non-EEA states with which Britain does not have a relevant reciprocal agreement — will be precluded from receiving uprating increases. <BR /> <BR />On the State Pension (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (NI) 2016, in his autumn statement, the British Chancellor announced that the full rate of the new state pension will be £155·65 a week.”
“The remaining provisions made by the order are mainly consequential amendments that extend various existing arrangements to the new state pension; for example, the calculation of the starting amount, the equal treatment rule and the award of National Insurance credits. <BR /> <BR />I will move on to the State Pension (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2016. The proposals set out a second tranche of regulations, which are necessary to give effect to Part 1 of the Pensions Act. They amend the State Pension Regulations (NI) 2015 to ensure that all key provisions relating to the structure of the new scheme are contained in one set of regulations.”
“<BR /> <BR />On the Pensions (2015 Act) (Consequential and Supplementary Amendments) Order (NI) 2016, the Pensions Act 2015 introduced a new state pension for people reaching state pension age on or after 6 April 2016. People who reached state pension age before 6 April 2016 will continue to receive their state pension under the old state pension. The order makes non-contentious, mainly technical, consequential amendments to extend various existing arrangements to the new state pension. The order will make a number of amendments linked to the old state pension system, primarily relating to the revaluation of the inheritable additional pension.”
“I inform the House that the order and regulations relating to state pensions were considered by the former Committee for Social Development. For the record, the Committee had no objections to the rules. The Occupational Pension Schemes Regulations were considered by the Committee for Communities, and it also had no objections. Furthermore, the Assembly's Examiner of Statutory Rules scrutinised the statutory rules and did not require them to be drawn to the Committee's attention. The order and regulations are already in operation, from April 2016, and today we are being asked to approve them. The Minister provided the detail of the regulations, so I will speak very briefly on each motion.”
“I thank the Minister for bringing these motions to the House today. The order and regulations were made as a consequence of the Pensions Act (NI) 2015 and, as the Minister said, are mainly technical and consequential amendments.”
“<BR /> <BR />The amendment is important. We need to ensure that we are not back here again, in five, 10 or 15 years, debating the same thing. We need those functions to be transferred to the Assembly to protect the future of rural constituents.”
“<BR /> <BR />The amendment is important, and, while we can call on the NIO to do more, the NIO, really and truly, is not that bothered about whether somebody from Garrison gets their postal vote. We need these services to be transferred to the Executive to enable people to have the ability to run these offices in a very fair, impartial and accountable way and to bring the decision-making back into the North of Ireland and outside the NIO. <BR /> <BR />I am very agitated and anxious about the motion. I spoke about the issue when we were returned as MLAs in Omagh. Like others, the Omagh staff made the point that Omagh council had offered them the use of its premises if that would help to save money. Those are the kind of creative ideas that we need to look at. We need to ensure that the offices remain open.”
“<BR /> <BR />Many Members will remember a very infamous previous British Secretary of State by the name of Jeff Rooker, who brought in PPS 14, which then became PPS 21. I would say that Theresa Villiers knows as much about rural Ireland as Jeff Rooker and cares even less than he did. I do not believe that this is an improvement in the service. I believe that we absolutely need to ensure that we have local accountability. Having people working in local offices and having the ability to access a service locally is crucial to our ability to cast our vote and use our democratic right. We have a very short space of time to be involved in the consultation and we need to ensure that our voices are heard across the board.”
“With those who leave school at 16 or 17, there is always a flurry, when they turn 18 and 19, to get registered because they realise weeks or days before an election that they are not registered to vote and that they will miss out. Those two groups are very strong users of the service. <BR /> <BR />Like many others, I was on the picket line in Omagh. I want to bring to Members' attention that the Omagh office services, as others have said, Fermanagh and South Tyrone and West Tyrone. People from Blacklion and Garrison will not go to Belfast to leave in a postal or proxy vote form, and they will not go to Belfast for an electoral ID card. Those people will end up not getting the opportunity to vote.”
“First, we have a very vibrant foreign national community in and around south Tyrone and, this year, an individual from the South Tyrone Empowerment programme was up every day with busloads of people to get them registered to vote and to get their electoral ID. Portuguese people do not need a passport to travel within the EU. They have an ID card that allows them to do that, but they cannot use that ID card to vote with. They all have the ID card but they cannot use it to vote with and we have put that issue to the ambassador. They do not have passports, so they absolutely need electoral ID. So, there is a very vibrant foreign national community that needs to have access to those offices to get their electoral ID. <BR /> <BR />Many of you talked about schools outreach, but young people who leave school at 16 are not part of that.”
“I thank the Members for a very robust debate. I have taken down a few notes but I have only five minutes and I want to make my own points as well. <BR /> <BR />Sinn Féin decided to table the amendment because it believes that the Executive could carry out the functions of the Electoral Office. This would ensure the local accountability, integrity and independence that we need for the provision of electoral services. I am deeply concerned by the thought that we could lose our franchise in rural constituencies. If anybody thinks for a minute that this move will make it easier for people to vote, they are very misguided. <BR /> <BR />Points have been made about electoral ID clinics, schools outreach and postal and proxy votes. I will mention two groups that have not been mentioned.”
“It all has to be kept under review. Obviously, we have to have proper regulation. Energy is such an important thing. If you spend more than 50% of your income on heating your home, there are other areas that you absolutely cannot afford to cover. We have to ensure that all the certifications and regulations are robust and meet the needs of our families and people living in the private rented sector.”
“I disagree with comments made by Christopher Stalford: cost is a prohibitive factor for a lot of people going into private rented, especially if you are in full-time work on the minimum wage and are not entitled to top-up benefits. The gentleman whom I am talking about could not get a house that his children wanted to visit him in. That is so sad. We are talking about a man in a marriage break-up whose children did not want to visit him in the temporary accommodation that he lived in. We worked hard to get him a house that his children would call home as well and where he was able to fulfil his duties as a dad. He loves his children; he wanted them to be able to spend part of the week with him. That was very difficult for him. <BR /> <BR />I will give way very quickly —”
“Probably more seriously, there is proof of the link between inadequate housing and the risk of ill health and disability. There are also links to poor mental health, lower educational attainment, unemployment and poverty. We recognise that there is a need for a quality standard in our private rented sector to ensure that landlords meet the needs of the people to whom they rent properties. <BR /> <BR />I also recognise how hard it is at times to get a house. I supported a family recently in a marital break-up, where the mother lived with the children in the family home and the father could not get a house for love or money in the town that he was from. He did not have anywhere near enough points to get onto the social housing ladder; the private rented sector was his only option.”
“I will keep an eye on the time. Come back to me in a minute or two. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the fact that we have the energy performance certificate, but I cannot understand why we do not have an unfitness certificate. That was talked about, and there was a decision to prioritise the properties in the poorest condition with a date being kept under review. Unfortunately, we can see the dampness in many new builds as we walk past them, and we know that those houses are not necessarily well ventilated or dry. We also know about the problems that come from that. If you live in a property that has a problem with damp, it is in your clothes and is on you. It is hard to live an active and full life if you are embarrassed by the state of your house and what that entails.”