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 declare an interest as a member of the IFA council. Wearing a number of hats, I welcome the statement and the substantial investment that is being announced today. There is, however, a bit of an anomaly whereby some championship clubs are designated grounds, and, vice versa, some clubs are playing in the premiership and are not designated grounds, which falls between the two. Potentially, Larne Football Club is an example of a championship club that is designated, and Warrenpoint Town Football Club is a premiership club that is not designated. Who will make that call? There is a grey area in the middle.”
“I thank Mrs Cochrane for her detailed answer. Can she tell me what is currently outsourced?”
“I thank the Minister for the information supplied. The work of those who manage the facilities at Down Royal and Downpatrick is to be acknowledged and congratulated. Does the Minister value that as part of the rural economy? Can she help to progress and support those venues as a matter of urgency?”
“I thank the Minister for her answers so far. The infrastructure in East Antrim, including the A8, is a great example of how devolution can work. Will the Minister indicate the economic benefits to the area, including journey times?”
“I and some of my colleagues met the Northern Ireland Federation of Clubs, which expressed some disappointment at the lack of consultation on the previous process. Can the Minister ensure that the likes of those people will have the opportunity to fully engage in any new process?”
“Now, as the Executive attempt to revitalise the economy and boost the private sector, the supply of skilled students is crucial in sustaining and expanding the companies that make Northern Ireland an attractive location for investors. <BR /> <BR />It is key that the Executive investigate innovative, career-guided and STEM-based initiatives as a matter of importance. I look forward to the Minister's response.”
“<BR /> <BR />Back in March, I highlighted a number of initiatives that not only encouraged many students in my constituency to take an interest in science subjects but brought national and international recognition to their schools by highlighting the talent that exists here in Northern Ireland. Hopefully, together, the stakeholders can change the mindset. Prompt actions and collaboration can promote how financially rewarding a life-changing STEM career can be. <BR /> <BR />Finally, the Executive must encourage young talent to remain in Northern Ireland post-degree. That, in itself, is a cross-cutting challenge for Departments and, indeed, society. Over the last couple of decades, Northern Ireland has certainly become a changed place, and many career opportunities exist that were lost to previous generations.”
“<BR /> <BR />Can more be done at nursery age to convince parents that these subjects are no longer unattractive as they help to map their children's future? Places like W5 go some way to breaking down the barriers. They provide a unique experience in proving that learning about science can be educational and fun in the early years. It is that type of initiative and innovative project that the Executive should look to and support. It is, I believe, a case of concentrating on teaching self-worth, instilling confidence in students and allowing them to map their future realistically as they move forward in life.”
“Ultimately, the motion wants to encourage young talent to remain in Northern Ireland post-degree, but the Executive need to drive the consideration of greater emphasis on STEM subjects in the education system. <BR /> <BR />It is my opinion that we will have to drill down into the grass roots before we can begin to initiate change. The interest in STEM subjects must be instilled at a very early age, even as young as the formative primary-school years, with parents having a vital role to play at home as well. There has to be an integrated approach. Let us be mindful that STEM subjects, in the main, are still considered by many as unattractive subjects to choose. Parents are the strongest role models for their children, so they must have an input. Education cannot be left solely to teachers.”
“I, too, support this evening's motion, which is the latest in a number of motions relating to STEM. As recently as March, we looked to address the gap in the number of males and females enrolling in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. During that debate, we acknowledged much of the work being done and efforts made by the Departments and various stakeholders, not only in bridging the gender gap but in making general progress: the number of students enrolling on STEM coursed has already increased. However, is it enough? In reality, the answer is probably no. In recent days and weeks, we have listened to many of the big players in Northern Ireland — the movers and shakers of our economy — tell us, repeatedly, about the shortage of software skills, and skills in science and engineering.”
“I thank the Minister for the update. It should be acknowledged that the scheme has been managed very well during the two years, with minimal disruption and upset to the vast majority of users. Tribute should be paid to all those involved. Has the scheme come in within budget and have some of the minor issues regarding cyclists and bus lanes been sorted out as well?”
“I thank the Minister for his detailed answer. I am glad to hear that the Department will continue to liaise with councils. Can he give us an overview of how the financial allocation to each council was determined?”
“<BR /> <BR />The Audit Office has made significant savings in recent years, and it must continue to pursue efficiencies and cost reductions when possible, including through restructuring and reducing its permanent staff numbers. The Estimate that the Audit Committee has agreed reflects that. However, should it not prove possible to make sufficient savings from the voluntary exit scheme, it is crucial that the Audit Office receive the shortfall at the monitoring rounds. The Committee believes that we must not lose sight of what could be lost were the Audit Office not to be provided with adequate resources to serve the Assembly properly.”
“However, the Committee also recognises, particularly in light of the significant savings that the Audit Office identifies across the public sector every year, that our public finances would be worse off if the NIAO had to scale back its value for money work. <BR /> <BR />The Committee has been assured that the Executive respect the independence of the Audit Office. In order to give effect to that assurance, the Committee expects that, should a shortfall arise as a result of savings not being made from a voluntary exit scheme, the Finance Minister and the Executive will ensure that this is addressed during monitoring rounds. The funds required to do that would be relatively minimal but could have a significant impact.”
“However, given the risks that the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) has identified, it is vital that the Audit Office receives sufficient funding from the Executive’s transformation fund at the earliest opportunity to allow it to reduce its number of permanent staff by 10% and make the savings required by the Estimate. <BR /> <BR />It may be the case that there will not be a voluntary exit scheme or that it does not allow the Audit Office to make the savings necessary to live within the Estimate. If so, there will be a funding deficit and a gap between the work that the Committee wants the Audit Office to carry out and the resources that it has to make that happen. Understandably, the C&AG prioritises avoiding a situation in which the Audit Office has an Excess Vote, and the Committee respects that position.”
“The Committee recognises, and the Assembly should be aware, that the reduction to the Audit Office’s budget has the potential to impact the services that it delivers. <BR /> <BR />The Committee does not want to see a situation in which the Audit Office lacks the necessary resources to provide effective backup to the Assembly in its task of holding Departments and others to account for the use of public money. That would not be in the public interest. However, the reality of the current financial position must not be overlooked. Cuts are being made across the public sector, and the Audit Office needs to accept its fair share of those. <BR /> <BR />The Committee wants the Audit Office to sustain, as far as possible, a similar service to that provided at present through continued efficiencies in its audit methodologies.”
“I will be very brief. On behalf of the Audit Committee, I wish to confirm that the provision for the Northern Ireland Audit Office in the Main Estimates corresponds with the amount agreed by the Audit Committee and laid before the Assembly earlier this year. The Estimate, therefore, provides for a net resource requirement of £7·686 million, which is a 6·3% reduction from the agreed net resource requirement of £8.2 million for 2014-15. The reduction is consistent with the figures for the Audit Office in the Executive’s Budget for 2015-16. The Committee expressed its unease in agreeing the Estimate. It would much prefer to be in a position in which the reduction was significantly less.”
“I thank the Minister for her answers so far. With the potential for further cuts in the public sector, does she accept that the argument for rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy by supporting more jobs in the private sector has never been stronger?”
“Thank you. In closing, I appeal for the Minister to have a look at the decision, and I look forward to her response.”
“Obviously, the majority are Protestant, which is the single hardest demographic for statutory bodies to engage with. For that community, musical instruments, such as accordions and pipes, can cost up to £2,500 each. You buy two instruments every seven years, which, from a band's perspective, does not suffice. To encourage and engage participants in the working-class community, more equipment needs to be purchased and needs to be available, because most working-class people just cannot afford that sort of money to pay for the instruments that they rely heavily on. <BR /> <BR />Finally, we look at the evidence that was provided to the Committee and consider that the band movement in Northern Ireland addresses many of the key government commitments in relation to accessibility of the arts to working-class communities.”
“They can still be involved in the community and can get involved in organising committees and marshalling groups to assist active bands. We also have a great deal of evidence that bands can re-engage young people who have become disaffected and disengaged from school. They experience a high level of enjoyment in a band, increase their interpersonal skills, improve their relationship development and increase their awareness of their cultural and moral responsibilities. Consequently, there is a reduction in the pull towards antisocial behaviour among the young people involved. <BR /> <BR />William Bradshaw from the Confederation of Ulster Bands confirmed at the CAL Committee meeting in January that approximately 50% to 60% of marching band participants are under 20 and male.”
“<BR /> <BR />We have already established the contribution that marching bands make to the arts community in Northern Ireland, but let us also be mindful of the social benefits and the fact that they are proving to have a large effect on the mental health of their participants. For spectators, loneliness is reduced and community cohesion is improved even by just attending a parade or event. For the elderly, attending a band parade or event during the week is sometimes their only communication with other people: they live on their own, so it is a chance to get out and about and meet other people. <BR /> <BR />There are other benefits to consider, such as when people decide that they no longer want to be in a marching band.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Belfast Tattoo, which is in its third year, has shown its huge potential. Its roots lie in the tradition of Ulster Scots, yet it has also been able to reach out in its formative years by showcasing many other talents relating to music and dance that Ulster-Scots people have come into contact with as they travelled around the world. Over 200 tickets for this year's event, in September, have already been sold to a southern Irish tour operator. The net has been spread far and wide to bring many bands and artists to perform each year in the various sections of the show. Each year, bandsmen and bandswomen from across the world bring new, innovative and exciting ideas to their performances.”
“What a start for a CV, and what a confidence booster for life? <BR /> <BR />The Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure is scrutinising the monitoring round with departmental officials. It is a bit disappointing that, even with the success of the arts infrastructure and the funding for bands scheme, it did not rank as important enough to make it into the inescapable pressures section, though I appreciate that it remains a high priority commitment for the Minister. <BR /> <BR />When we consider the success of the many well-established competitions, outdoor and indoor, the concerts and the tattoos, it is clear that these festivals are about much more than just music and parading. They bring economic benefit to many communities and attract visitors to Northern Ireland as well as domestic tourists.”
“I would like to make you aware of one such young man, Jonathan Wilson, from Larne, who has been a member of the Killyglen Accordion Orchestra and the East Antrim Accordion School since he was nine years old, neither of which have received any funding. He has won a Northern Ireland title every year since he started playing. He also won the intermediate all-Ireland championship in 2014; the all-Ireland duet in 2014; and the United Kingdom championship in 2013 and 2014. He was runner-up in this year's competition as well being the duet champion. He is now 17 years of age and has travelled widely throughout the United Kingdom to compete. Jonathan Wilson is only one example of the young musical talent in Northern Ireland, and I congratulate all such young people on their tremendous achievements.”
“In supporting the motion, I declare an interest as the vice president of the Carrick, Whitehouse and Agnes Street brass band and a patron of Sir Henry Ingleby's Fife and Drum Corps. <BR /> <BR />Back in January this year, the Confederation of Ulster Bands presented to the Committee, and I found it very interesting, as did other members, that, week in, week out, almost 30,000 people now perform music to a very high standard in our communities. We have Irish champions, Ulster champions, British champions and world champions, all of whom are generally unrecognised by the wider community in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Every constituency represented in the Assembly probably has a role model.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer so far. Will he update the House specifically on the most recent figures for 2014-15?”
“I appreciate the Minister's answer. On a general issue, what steps is the Department taking to address antisocial behaviour in areas of social housing?”
“There is no need to ask one, Mr Deputy Speaker. I welcome the Minister's answers; I do not need a supplementary.”
“The name of the first point of contact, their details, telephone number, the times they work and their availability will all need to be logged and properly looked after. <BR /> <BR />I support the motion and the amendment and look forward to the Minister's response.”
“Most countries include the good faith use of the automated external defibrillator (AED) by any person under the Good Samaritan laws. Good faith protection under Good Samaritan laws means that a volunteer responder not acting as part of one's occupation cannot be held civilly liable for the harm to or death of a victim by providing improper or inadequate care, given that the harm or death was not intentional and the responder was acting within the limits of their training and in good faith. AEDs create little liability if used correctly. <BR /> <BR />The last point that I will raise relates to the administration side of the register. Updating the database of contact details will need tight controls. Who will have overall responsibility for it? Will the position be potentially tendered out? How will it be allocated?”
“People must be educated on using the equipment with competence, confidence and assurance, while communicating with the right people at the time of an urgent incident. To date, the strategy implementation group's work has recognised that and has supported the current community CPR training initiatives, particularly in schools. We appreciate that funding has been secured throughout 2015-16. Let us hope that future funding can be awarded for this and for the training of community resuscitation development officers. <BR /> <BR />With regard to the insurance side of things, we need to consider what safeguards will be put in place to indemnify those prepared to act beyond their planned or insured remit to extend their duty of care.”
“She has experienced many situations where she has gone out to complete first aid training, and brand new defibrillators were sitting in back stores still in their boxes covered in the original polystyrene, but there was no intention of them being used. I have no doubt that the majority of us here today, as Anna Lo said, would be nervous about using a defibrillator because of our apprehension about not being able to help the victim or because we are aware of even being sued for not being able to help or for using the defibrillator wrongly. That is despite the fact that most automated external defibrillators are now easy enough to use. <BR /> <BR />The new register cannot simply be a tick-box exercise that organisations complete.”
“<BR /> <BR />There is no doubt that available defibrillators are located in organisations and public bodies that are under DCAL's remit, but local communities maybe just do not know of their whereabouts. A DCAL feasibility study for a defibrillator register will aim to rectify that by informing the public of the exact locations where the equipment can be found in an area, whether it be in the local theatre, sports grounds or wherever. <BR /> <BR />Nevertheless, before an effective register can go ahead, some major difficulties need to be addressed during a feasibility study. Recently, I heard from Janice Bisp from Bisp Training, who runs a very successful first aid and training consultancy throughout Northern Ireland. She highlighted some of the hurdles to me. She informed me that this simply cannot be a paper exercise.”
“We thank the Minister and his Department for that work, which was completed in July 2014. I understand that, since then, subgroups have been formed, with membership from the trusts, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke and the British Heart Foundation, to name but a few. The group met in February and is progressing work streams and structures. We look forward to the new Minister's update from its next meeting, which, I believe, is due to take place in early June. <BR /> <BR />Let us hope that the new strategy implementation group, along with the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, can help to connect the gap that exists between what resources are needed and what is already out there and, at the same time, ensure compatibility with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.”
“I support the motion as amended. Members have certainly been doing their research, as we heard on a number of occasions about the 1,400 cardiac arrests each year and the poor 10% survival rate for those who, unfortunately, have taken ill outside the hospital. Therefore, it is important that the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure proceeds with a feasibility study. Those are quite shocking figures, which, I guess, the public are not totally aware of. I hope that the first step is to raise awareness in our communities about the victims and the importance of saving lives through resuscitation training and about how defibrillators have the potential to make a huge difference. <BR /> <BR />Back in 2013, when Mr Poots was Minister, he announced the development of the regional Northern Ireland community resuscitation strategy.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. I suppose the crux of the question is all about efficiencies and improvements to service. It appears that there are quite lengthy turnaround periods at times. I have been quoted several months. Has the Minister had any discussions on how that could be improved?”
“I thank the Minister for his response. However, I know that in my own area of Mid and East Antrim council, there are site visits that are three to four months outstanding at this stage. Will the Minister take an opportunity to look at the situation?”
“My having declared the relevant interest at question 6, there is a slight concern in the football fraternity in relation to cost, moving forward. If extra money is required for Windsor Park, can the Minister guarantee that the remainder of the regional stadium money is still available and will not be touched?”
“Thank you, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to the formation of the new ministerial Departments of Education and the Economy. Hopefully, we can move the subject forward. I support the motion.”
“<BR /> <BR />Students see scientific subjects as academically challenging, but some students are aware that they can lead to innovations, such as in medicine, that change the world and people's lives. Let us also be mindful of the shift in the economic balance of power. Not only is China following America in terms of STEM publication output; it is set to surpass it in the near future. It is also producing high rates of STEM graduates, with 41% of all university graduates completing a degree in a science-, technology-, engineering- or maths-related subject. There seems to be a greater drive among international students, specifically Asian students, who venture abroad to study STEM subjects. The UK and America report that the number of foreign students enrolling in those subjects has risen sharply —”
“Nevertheless, I question whether our society will ever be able to change social norms to achieve gender equality when choosing subjects at school. The motion states that men outnumber women by three to one in STEM posts. I am sure that the same could be said for women who choose nursing or teaching careers. Maybe the onus lies more with the student at times to take in the information. Worryingly, young people are still not seeing the benefits of choosing a STEM subject, but, hopefully, our schools and colleges can change their mindset and actions, and, in collaboration with others, they can learn how financially rewarding and life-changing those careers can be.”
“Employers' attitudes are changing, and our education system is slowly moving away from gender stereotyping.”
“<BR /> <BR />However, we have to ensure that parents and influencers recognise the importance of STEM subjects as a career choice. The choice of subjects must mirror the employment opportunities in Northern Ireland. If we are to reduce the detrimental brain drain, we must ensure we develop a knowledge-based economy to compete for inward investment in the future. Our greatest resource and economic driver is our skilled and talented people, and we must ensure that they are made aware of the opportunities available in Northern Ireland with STEM subjects in order to tackle that unconscious bias. <BR /> <BR />To achieve more equal numbers of male and female students, it is necessary for social norms to evolve. However, things are changing, albeit slowly.”
“<BR /> <BR />There have been a number of suggestions of causes for those gender imbalances, including stereotypes in the education system; a lack of female role models to aspire to be like; norms governing gender roles in the household that constrain a woman's choice of occupation; and employers' attitudes to family formation and childbearing. In short, progress on reducing the gender gap in some subjects has been slow because there are those multiple barriers to challenge. <BR /> <BR />We must ensure that we break down those barriers and incite social change, as increasing female participation drives up skill levels, produces a wider talent pool and empowers women to ensure that Northern Ireland can compete in the highly competitive global economy.”
“Linn Primary School was awarded third prize overall at the NEC in Birmingham just two weeks ago. Further to that, Carrickfergus Grammar School is going to Japan to represent Northern Ireland in the world finals. I congratulate and praise all those pupils on their achievements and their hard work that has paid off, which demonstrates some of the talent that exists in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />It is those types of initiatives that are encouraging young people into the science subjects, and it is clear, when we look at the ratio of males to females in the teams that entered and won their category, that those types of events and competitions are making headway on bridging the gender gap in the STEM sector.”
“Hopefully, it will continue despite some doubts, as it provides the Insight into Engineering programme, which is specifically designed for girls, utilises female role models to help dispel misconceptions regarding engineering careers for females and helps bridge the gender gap. <BR /> <BR />I congratulate some local schools in my constituency for the work that they have been doing to encourage more young people to take an interest in the science subjects. In January, St Killian's College just outside Carnlough won three awards in the BT Young Scientist competition in Dublin. Three other schools in the Larne borough — St John's Primary School, Larne High School and Linn Primary School — celebrated their success in this year's prestigious F1 in Schools challenge.”
“In supporting the motion, I acknowledge the Minister, his Department and other relevant Departments that have contributed to the progress that has been made in recent years to increase the overall number of males and females studying the STEM subjects and the work that they have done to help bridge the gender imbalance. However, there is a lot of work to be done, as we have heard. <BR /> <BR />Sentinus, the Department's front-line STEM delivery partner should also be commended. It has secured in excess of 57,000 primary and post-primary pupil engagements annually across a portfolio of STEM enhancements and enrichment programmes.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. What is the Minister's view on recommendation 3, which is that careers should become a compulsory subject on the curriculum?”
“While we can cite the well-placed position of the constituency to the Province's airports and sea ports and look with enthusiasm at the developing road infrastructure via the A2 and A8 projects, the one necessity is a better broadband service. I would certainly join with other colleagues who have raised that matter previously. While it is usually envisaged as a rural problem, the east Antrim coastal area is not without its problems with broadband. <BR /> <BR />I acknowledge the Member for securing the Adjournment debate. It has been a tremendous advert for east Antrim, and I look forward to the Minister's response.”