David Hilditch
East Antrim · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I certainly welcome the statement. I do not want to dilute Mr Givan's joy, but, as you know, East Antrim has four schools on the list compared with his three. It is certainly a good day for the education sector in my constituency of East Antrim in general and in Carrickfergus in particular.”
“<BR /> <BR />Crown Court cases take twice as long to complete in Northern Ireland as they do in England and Wales and at a much higher cost. One particular concern is the lack of effective partnership working among key organisations in the justice system despite numerous attempts to remedy that.”
“It is an honour to work with the Committee as it examines public spending with the benefit of hindsight. It allows us to highlight good practice and poor value for money and to recommend improvements to the stewardship of taxpayers' money.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Department of Justice accepted the Committee's recommendations with some qualifications, including a clear plan to reduce backlogs to the Crown Court, modelling the financial impacts of delaying cost savings from reform and a cross-agency strategy with long-term high-level performance standards.”
“<BR /> <BR />I will touch on some issues in the report on speeding up justice, which described a justice system that moves too slowly and is hindered by ineffectiveness and significant financial wastage. It is essential that all cases that enter the justice system are completed as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
“<BR /> <BR />One of the most worrying findings is that there has been little apparent effort to reliably establish the cost of processes in the justice system or the financial impact of delay and inefficiency.”
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“I appreciate the Minister's answer, and I am sure that she will appreciate that kids are now developing from around five or six years of age through to early teens before they go into the older age groups, so I am talking about that very young element, who have lost out so much this year. I am seeking the Minister's support for that to be looked into as quickly as possible and clarity sought.”
“Thank you, Minister, for your statement. Can you advise whether the recruitment competition for the chief executive post has begun? If so, when will it be concluded?”
“I thank the Minister for the optimism in her answer. Does the Minister see the report as having sidelined the Infrastructure Minister in any way, as the commission would report directly to the Executive? What takes place in other devolved situations?”
“I thank the junior Minister for his answers. Despite COVID-19, I know that those groups have gone well beyond their role, and I thank and congratulate them for their continuing work during the COVID-19 period. <BR />Can the junior Minister provide further detail on the work being done and the number of people being impacted upon in the four projects in the Carrickfergus and Larne areas?”
“I thank the Minister for her answers thus far. This is an unmitigated disaster for the workers' families and the people of Larne and east Antrim in general. There has been very poor communication from the company. If it had not been for the workers tipping us off as they came off night shift, or even slightly before that, it would have been on the news that morning before the area's elected members knew. That was very bad. It is down to reorganisation of the company but, without dressing it up, it is really about cheap labour. It is going to India and beyond and other places. There is no dressing it up. That drip, drip effect is now with us. Is the Minister confident that Caterpillar has a long-term future in Northern Ireland?”
“I welcome the Minister's answer. I understand, of course, that enforcement of such a wide-ranging Act falls to local government. That is where I believe that things fall down, however, so I would welcome anything coming forward by way of any new Act. Is there any way in which the Minister can see better working happening with councils, which are the enforcers? Their record on enforcement over the past couple of years has been very poor.”
“I welcome the statement from the Minister this morning. From the discussions on high-speed rail connectivity, it has been indicated that a high-level steering group will be established, comprised of departmental and maybe transport authority officials. I am concerned by the hames that is being made of a similar scheme across the water. Can the Minister guarantee that the steering group will have a very high level of expertise?”
“I thank the Minister for that explanation. It was very useful. Does he have any idea at this stage of how much financial help local government has received from the Executive?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. There appears to be a concerted effort to get staff in the Civil Service to take leave. I know that they can carry over only nine days a year. That is causing problems in the likes of MOT and driving test centres, in particular, where there is a backlog and the challenging situation of over 3,000 on waiting lists. Is it possible to adjust the number of days that can be carried over to lessen that impact on services, where it is agreed with the staff?”
“Further to that, have you had any discussions with the Minister of Finance or the Executive on that position?”
“I thank the Minister for her answers. A few weeks back, the Minister rejected a proposal on the Floor in relation to the Living Over the Shop (LOTS) scheme. Rightly or wrongly, that happened. The Minister is right — the issue affects all constituencies across Northern Ireland — and she is aware of the situation, as she said. How will we increase housing for those in housing stress?”
“I pay tribute to those who are working on the front line in a difficult situation. <BR /> <BR />Anyone who watched the local news last night will be aware of the specific difficulties that criminal gangs bring upon East Antrim. The area is currently awash with the drug MDMA. There have been serious incidents involving young people, and we are lucky that we have not had a fatality. If it had not been for the emergency services, there may well have been at least two fatalities. Will the Minister use whatever influence she can bring to bear to rid our communities of these criminal drug-dealing gangs?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. As he alluded to, it is one of a number of projects that have taken us to a new level of collaborative working between educators, local government, elected reps and other agencies, such as Sport NI, in my constituency. The project was due, of course, to the current pandemic, but does the Minister agree that those partnerships could really be the new norm, reflecting previous reports?”
“A one-size-fits-all approach is not suitable for moving forward. We have to do everything in our power to support these industries.”
“They included the medical licences and the suspension of MOTs etc. She spoke of the financial challenges facing the sectors mentioned in the motion, but outlined that she can make grants only on a regulatory basis. She outlined her communications with the Executive and individual Ministers. <BR /> <BR />Members, it is time for the Government to show leadership, when actions of certain Ministers and Members have undermined the authority of the Executive. We must lead and recognise that each and every industry will need tailored help, support and guidance.”
“She talked about a constituent who has not been able to get any support or work during this difficult time. She stated that the Minister needs to take the lead and bring forward costed proposals. <BR /> <BR />Daniel McCrossan agreed with the substance of the motion that the sectors need help. He said that they should not be subjected to a point-scoring exercise. Most of us believe that that is not what this is. He said that this is a matter for the Executive and pointed out that it is not the role of the DFI to develop grants. He said that money had been returned from grants and not been taken up. <BR /> <BR />The Minister wanted to clarify her powers, and some facts. She said that she had met with the sectors and had brought forward schemes. She outlined a range of schemes and mentioned those during her speech.”
“He made the point that some sectors had been affected to varying degrees and that, to avoid duplicating schemes, the Executive should introduce a well-coordinated scheme that will get the support of the Economy Minister and will be regulated correctly as it will impact on other parts of the economy. <BR /> <BR />Martina Anderson supported the motion. She pointed out that no scheme had been put in place for taxi drivers and that many had fallen through the cracks in the other schemes. She said that the Minister had a wider responsibility and that the Department for the Economy and the Department for Infrastructure were blaming each other. She also said that taxi drivers needed someone to take control and give leadership and that they were suffering, mentally and physically, due to the not knowing.”
“They look to her for answers and to bring forward proposals, and he said that the Committee for Infrastructure supports them in not just regulations. He called on the Minister to draw up proposals that might be discussed with the Executive and get the support of the Minister of Finance and the Minister for the Economy. He said that the Minister for Infrastructure had found time to work with airports. He noted that she had stated that her powers in respect of airports were limited but that she had managed to secure funding by working with the DFT. <BR /> <BR />Roy Beggs supported the amendment.”
“He asked where we would get food and medical supplies if it were not for the few drivers who are still working. Mr Frew said that, in the middle of the crisis, Ministers just cannot have a "can't-do" attitude; that was his catchline. He said that the Finance Minister had £59 million for transport, which was now £29 million, that he could not unlock, and that he was waiting for a bid. He asked why a bid had not come. Mr Allister questioned the £29 million and asked whether it had already been earmarked for something else. <BR /> <BR />Cathal Boylan made the point that, at the Committee meeting when the motion was agreed, there was a unanimous decision, in the absence of Mrs Kelly, and that Mr Beggs had voted in support of the motion. Mr Boylan noted that the industries mentioned look to the Infrastructure Minister as their Minister.”
“She said that it was unfair to say that the complaints had come from taxi companies in north and west Belfast, a point that I have already made. She said that haulage is haemorrhaging money when hundreds of vehicles are parked up each week, and that not all hauliers are in the same position. Indeed, it is costing some hauliers tens of thousands of pounds weekly for lorries to be parked up. She said that it is important to realise that it is not just up to the Minister for the Economy but the Minister for Infrastructure, too, to champion the cause. <BR /> <BR />Paul Frew said that he supports any Committee that identifies a problem and brings it to the Chamber. North Antrim haulage companies that he has spoken to have been left out.”
“He made the point that the Minister of Finance had not yet received any bids for support for the taxi industry from the Department for Infrastructure. He highlighted that the cancellation of coach holidays would mean that it would be difficult for some operators to survive, that operators are investing heavily in their operations, and that costs still need to be covered. He said that some driving instructors have six to eight hours of instruction booked without knowing when testing will recommence. He also said that the haulage industry is suffering totally. <BR /> <BR />Liz Kimmins, in support of the motion, asked the Minister for Infrastructure to lead on those issues and provide clear guidance.”
“He said that coach operators, often, rely on tourism, and that there needs to be coordinated help for the tourism sector. Hopefully, that is coming. He said that the motion would raise false hopes among those sectors. We do not see eye to eye on that. Mr Storey, in his intervention, made the observation that local coach operators to whom he has spoken are looking to DFI for regulation and, indeed, financial assistance. <BR /> <BR />Keith Buchanan supported the motion. He noted that the COVID-19 crisis has impacted massively on the activities of all those sectors. He said that there had been no clear guidance on PPE for taxi drivers, and that they had, very much, been left to their own devices. He said that it is difficult for taxi drivers to socially distance, they are self-employed and they need to work.”
“Dolores Kelly noted that the Minister wrote to the Minister of Finance and the Minister for the Economy, and wrote to the Executive to ask that financial support be made available. She finished by urging the Executive to fill the obvious gap in funding, and accepted Jim Allister's point that it is a problem for the Executive in their totality. <BR /> <BR />Andrew Muir supported the amendment. He noted that there were disparities across those industries and cited hauliers as a sector in which some have remained busy during the crisis. He asked for better coordination across Departments. Andrew noted that there is concern about the furlough scheme coming to an end, and that something needs to be done in that regard. He said that the situation is stark and that the Department for Infrastructure and HMT need to provide support.”
“Mrs Kelly outlined that she believed that the impetus for the motion came from the taxi industry in north and west Belfast, a point that I do not recognise as, indeed, I have been lobbied by local taxi drivers in my constituency. <BR /> <BR />She outlined that schemes are available, some industries have availed themselves of them, and that those schemes have been made available by the Department for the Economy and the Department of Finance. She supports the view of her party colleague, the Minister for Infrastructure, that the Department has no support or power to provide that financial package. She cast blame on the ferry companies for not sharing their support down to the hauliers — again, that should be looked at — and directed taxi drivers and driving instructors to the Department for the Economy's website if they need help.”
“Everyone here today recognises the concerns of the individuals and organisations involved and the impact on their lives, their families and the businesses that they have invested time, money and effort into building. Therefore, it is a good starting point that we all recognise the problems, and we know that support is needed. That is a good place to be. I thank all contributors to the debate for their words to that effect. <BR /> <BR />Dolores Kelly, who tabled the amendment, outlined that the Department for Infrastructure has, indeed, brought in a number of measures to assist those who are suffering from the economic fallout of the pandemic. She added that we all owe a debt of gratitude to the workers in those sectors, who have worked throughout the worst of the past few months.”
“I support the motion and thank the Members who took part in the debate for their contributions on what is, no doubt, a very important matter. This is an issue that has had a massive impact on the lives of individuals and businesses severely impacted by COVID-19. The Chair of the Committee and my party colleague Michelle McIlveen gave an overview of the Committee's consideration of the issues facing taxi, bus and coach hire, haulage and the driving instructor sectors. I will speak on a number of the issues that have come out of the debate before I summarise the views of other contributors. <BR /> <BR />The first thing to acknowledge is that, despite an amendment being laid to the Committee motion, it is clear that there is no disagreement about the dire situation facing these sectors.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer and for all the work that he done to date in the situation in which we find ourselves. <BR /> <BR />Constituents of mine were seeking clarification about the 34-week scan. They thought that it was not included in the new guidelines. The Minister might want to take that point away and find out the answer.”
“Over the past four months, the work of the Executive has been crucial, particularly the guidelines and legislation, which have been very helpful. However, the deputy First Minister and her party colleagues have driven a coach and horses through those guidelines and laws by their actions last Tuesday. Will the deputy First Minister do the right thing, give the public the apology that they are owed and stand aside or resign until a full investigation is conducted?”
“There is a need to address the social and economic factors that lead to mental illness. I support the motion, and I am happy to take on both amendments.”
“The same study found that 34% of unemployed people experienced mental distress, compared with 16% of those in employment. Importantly, the analysis showed that unemployment causes that distress. Research has constantly shown that unemployment has been associated with lower well-being. Furthermore, job insecurity and restructuring have negative impacts on employee well-being. <BR /> <BR />Unless action is taken to protect the economic security of vulnerable people and support them in dealing with the resulting stress, mental health inequalities are likely to increase as the pandemic and the economic downturn proceed. Thus, it is a necessity that a collaborative, cross-cutting, cross-departmental and cross-sectoral approach is created. No Department can tackle this alone.”
“<BR /> <BR />Studies have found that unemployment has a range of negative effects, including levels of poverty or a drop in standards of living for those who had a job, stresses associated with financial insecurity, the shame, sometimes, of being unemployed and in receipt of social welfare and the loss of vital social networks. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has described how loss has a traumatic and immediate negative impact on mental health and has noted that there is further damage where unemployment continues into the long term. A meta-analysis has shown that unemployment is associated with varieties of distress, including mixed symptoms of distress, depression, anxiety, psychosomatic symptoms and drops in subjective well-being and self-esteem.”
“The World Health Organization has determined that material disadvantage trumps emotional and intellectual advantages; in other words, people from poorer economic circumstances are more likely to have worse mental health, even if they have been supported to develop good personal coping and intellectual skills. People with an existing psychiatric diagnosis are also at greater risk of financial inequality and are less likely to be in employment, fuelling their experience of multiple disadvantage. Furthermore, debt itself is an issue. People in debt are more likely to have a common mental health problem, and the more debt people have, the greater that likelihood is. One in four people experiencing a mental health issue face a problem with debt, and people with mental health problems are three times more likely to be in financial difficulty.”
“The distribution of infections and deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, the lockdown, the associated measures and the longer-term socio-economic impact are likely to replicate and deepen the financial inequalities that contribute towards the increased prevalence and unequal distribution of mental ill health. Academic research has indicated that instances of mental illness in Northern Ireland during COVID-19 have continued to reflect the 25% higher prevalence than other parts of the UK. <BR /> <BR />The mental health risk from economic hardship starts early in life. Socioeconomically disadvantaged children and adolescents are two or three times more likely to develop mental health problems.”
“<BR /> <BR />The restrictions placed on personal freedoms and everyday social interaction during lockdown have had a profound effect on the emotional and psychological well-being of people in our community. We can all experience mental health problems, whatever our background or walk of life, but the risk of experiencing mental ill health is not equally distributed across society. Those who face the greatest disadvantages in life also face the greatest risk to their mental health. <BR /> <BR />A study by Ulster University and the University of Sheffield reported that those under the age of 35 living in a city, living alone or with children, with lower incomes, with health conditions and whose incomes have been hit by the pandemic have higher rates of anxiety and depression.”
“Thank you, Mr Temporary Speaker. I acknowledge your elevation from the Back Benches, even though it may be only temporary. Congratulations. <BR /> <BR />I support the motion and the positive merits of the amendments. The past few months have created a significant amount of fear, worry and concern among the population at large but particularly among certain groups, such as those with underlying conditions, older folk and care providers. We had already seen a significant psychological impact manifest itself in increasing levels of stress and anxiety pre-pandemic. However, after three months of lockdown, with changes to many people's usual activities, routines and livelihoods, the levels of loneliness, depression, harmful alcohol and drug use and self-harm or suicidal behaviour are also expected to rise.”
“I concur with much of what the Minister has outlined on the activities that are going on. The sites have opened up, and, for good reasons of exercise and mental health, they are being well used by a potential new audience. Does the Minister see a way forward to working with other Departments to potentially further develop the amenity sites so that people coming into the area put them to good use rather than for anything else?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement, which is fairly positive. Looking at the active travel element, we discussed these matters with our super cities, Londonderry, Belfast and Newry. Will the Minister give assurance that these schemes will also be rolled out to other provincial towns?”
“Mr Speaker, I do not require a supplementary question, thank you.”
“I thank the Minister for his visit to Carrick Academy in recent weeks. I acknowledge the money that has been made available to keep the school ticking over in the meantime through minor works. When does the Minister intend to make an announcement on Carrick Academy?”
“I thank the Minister for the information that she has imparted to the Assembly today. A scheme that was to take place in April 2020 at Bridewell Drive, Sunnylands Grove and Greenisland in Carrickfergus has now been pushed back, supposedly to September. We are always out to try to improve the stock. Can the Minister guarantee that that scheme will take place in September, as I think that the funding is already available?”
“This goes beyond the current relief that is available. Will the Minister make representations to her Executive colleagues about sports clubs that will be absolutely hammered by Reval2020, when, in reality, their clubhouses have limited opening hours and are operational purely to raise money to sustain the clubs and the sport? Reval2020 could sound the death knell for many clubs and sporting organisations.”
“I welcome the Minister to her first Question Time. There is a lot of concern about the process and the figures out there, including the up-to-date figures that we have just received. What steps are being taken to increase the low conviction rate, and how will the Department support victims going through the process, as that does not appear to happen now?”
“Having been part of the consultation process, along with other stakeholders, parents, teachers etc I know that a number of commitments were given by the Department. When does the Minister intend to give an updated position, or can the Minister guarantee that the needs of Carrickfergus Academy will be met in the meantime?”
“Minister, are there any plans to revise the criteria for preschool admission?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Does he see any flexibility to the entitlement framework under the new area plan?”
“The First Minister has already touched on some of this, but can she share any good examples of the positive impact that the SIF projects are having in these areas?”
“I welcome the Minister's statement. What advantage does the Minister see in cooperation in the area of educational underachievement?”
“What are the NSMC areas of cooperation within the education sector?”
“I thank the Minister for the detail that he has given us so far. Is addressing the defective cavity wall insulation a priority for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive?”
“I thank the Minister for his response. There is much concern in my constituency and beyond regarding the situation. Will the Minister give his assessment of Caterpillar's stability and, indeed, the position of Northern Ireland manufacturing in general?”