Philip Smith
Strangford · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I welcome this public inquiry and thank the Minister for his consultation on the process. Unfortunately, this is yet another failure of this dysfunctional Executive — that the Northern Ireland electorate will go to the polls without an output from this inquiry, due to the failure to set up an inquiry well over a month ago when we first ca…”
“Why has the Minister not insisted on a preliminary report so that the Northern Ireland electorate can go to the polls with some relevant information on the scandal? Why has he not confirmed a timeline for publication and outlined a process for the independent appointment of the two panel members referred to in the report?”
“I have to say, though, that, in most people's eyes now, having the fingerprints of a SpAd on anything will not be seen as much of an endorsement. <BR /> <BR />I have questions that, I hope, the Minister will reflect on and address when he gets an opportunity to make his comments on the regulations.”
“First, why did it need the threat of an election to generate a response to mitigate the impact of the scheme on the public purse? The Minister, as we all know, has had the Northern Ireland Audit Office report since July. Lack of action to date has already cost taxpayers over £16 million since then.”
“Have we not learned the hard lessons from the failures of the scheme?The question is raised in the report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules of whether this instrument is intra vires under section 24 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 because of its incompatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights, specifically article 1 of prot…”
“Like Mr Bell, I sincerely hope that these proposals end the £85,000 per day cost of the RHI scheme, but the proposals must be more than a pre-election panic measure in the hope that the public will forget the incompetence and the arrogant response to the scandal.”
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“I thank Linda Dillon for bringing this important issue to the House. I might be an interloper from Strangford, given that this is an issue affecting Cookstown, but, as the proposer said in her opening comments, whilst this is focused on Cookstown, there are two other offices involved: Ballynahinch, in my constituency, and Newcastle. The three of them have been grouped together and looked at as a package. Similar issues have been consulted on, and they face the same problems. <BR /> <BR />Members have talked about the two major issues, the primary one being the impact on claimants. Travel time is the key issue for people in rural areas.”
“I thank the Minister for his update. Will he, with his responsibilities for local government, support and champion the devolution of powers to local councils from all Stormont Departments? Will he ensure that, if and when these powers are devolved, an adequate budget goes with them?”
“Does the Minister agree with me that decisions relating to parking are best decided at a local level, and does he therefore support the devolution of those powers to councils?”
“I thank the Minister for her clarification of mileage rates for domiciliary care staff, and I welcome the fact that a review is under way. Can the Minister confirm that she supports domiciliary care staff being reimbursed for mileage? Can she also confirm that she has lobbied hard, and will she tell me what she has put in place to ensure that contractors are forced to reimburse their staff fairly?”
“I thank the Minister for his initial answer. Officials recently before the Finance Committee indicated the Executive Budget would face a further reduction or pressure of 4·4% next year. Is there any provisional indication of what impact this, along with, presumably, additional spending for the Health Department on the back of Bengoa, will have on other Departments' baselines?”
“I am holding a copy of a press release dated 15 March 2016 from the then Minister for Regional Development, Michelle McIlveen, in which she explicitly states that construction will commence in 2017. Will the Minister tell me whom I should believe — the Treasury or the Executive — as both cannot be right on the funding of the York Street interchange scheme?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. As recently as 25 October, James Brokenshire said that the Treasury will:”
“Following the disclosure by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive that, in the last year alone, over 400 people who claimed homelessness cited paramilitary activity, how does the First Minister think that the Executive's strategy will deal with this behaviour, given that the first draft has already been rejected by the Government as falling short?”
“I am finishing now. I am sorry. <BR /> <BR />I would support a full review of on-street car parking by the Minister for Infrastructure. I hope that the Minister can outline his proposals to do this in his response to the debate.”
“This solution is supported by NILGA, NIIRTA and, as I have noticed in previous debates, many in the Chamber. The proposal for the first 30 minutes to be free affects only, as many have said, Lisburn, Newry and Belfast. I think that that further illustrates the need for local solutions to local problems. Until that long-term solution can be implemented, I would support —”
“Both companies have similar turnovers — £716 million for Harrods compared with £769 million for ASOS — but Harrods pays rates of £11·5 million per year while ASOS pays less than £1 million. I appreciate that these are not on the same scale as Northern Ireland, but the example effectively illustrates the problem. <BR /> <BR />Therefore, there needs to be a holistic approach to town centre development and car parking. While car parking plays a significant role, it is only one factor in a range of many. If we really want to localise on-street car parking and provide a tailored solution to each town and area across Northern Ireland, we need to devolve the power to local government. Councils will then be able to provide a bespoke service that suits the requirements of the town centres in their areas.”
“If the disincentive to park badly, causing inconvenience and potentially danger to others, is reduced, what would be the negative impact on town centres resulting from this proposal? What package of improvements is needed to incentivise retailers and traders to locate in town centres with the ongoing growth in online sales in so many sectors? I know that the Finance Minister is reviewing non-domestic rates and the issue is a priority for the Committee for Finance as well. At one of our recent meetings, the research pack highlighted the difference in rates bills of a traditional retailer and an online trader with similar turnovers. The example that it used, which is maybe not a great one for Northern Ireland, was Harrods versus the online retailer ASOS.”
“Duly noted, Principal Deputy Speaker. I take Mr Stalford's point. Certainly, there needs to be flexibility in the system. That is why a review is required. I am sure that the Minister will weave that into his proposals. The bottom line is that the £90 fine is paid only by a very small minority. I am not sure how the reduction to the headline rate would improve the situation. There is no doubt that a lack of free and accessible car parking is an issue for shoppers and traders, but, as I said earlier, this needs to be looked at strategically. <BR /> <BR />What role can improved public transport, for example, play in bringing shoppers into town centres and making towns more attractive by reducing traffic congestion?”
“Sixty-seven per cent, two thirds, paid the discounted fine of £45 for payment made within 14 days of the PCN being issued. The remainder of those who were fined were either in the process of challenging the fine, and many of them managed to evade it, or were part of a small 5% who were in various stages of debt recovery.”
“My colleagues Jenny Palmer and Danny Kennedy submitted an amendment calling for on-street car parking to be included within a comprehensive set of measures to encourage greater trade in our cities, towns and villages, but unfortunately it was not taken. The motion calls for a review, which we are happy to support. However, we have issues with some aspects of the motion and believe that the amendment provides a more rounded and practical way forward. <BR /> <BR />The motion proposes that the £90 car parking fine should be significantly reduced, but figures released by the Department last year showed that only 7% of penalty charge notices were paid at the full £90 rate, with a further 3% paying an additional penalty to make a headline cost of £135.”
“The motion calls for tactical changes to address what is a strategic problem. Of course, the lack of free car parking is a source of competitive disadvantage for our town centres as compared with out-of-town shopping centres with plenty of free parking. However, if the objective of the motion is to encourage trade across Northern Ireland, it is very one-dimensional in its approach.”
“My colleague outlined a key option for taking this forward and ensuring that secondary provision can be secured for the town. I agree with him. It needs to be something that guarantees provision for pupils in the key stages from 11 to 16. I certainly support the school. My experience of it has been very positive. There is an ongoing need for a secondary school in the town, and I look forward to hearing what the Minister has to say to see what actions we can put in place to support that school as it grows in the future.”
“The challenge, of course, is to help Movilla High School grow and attract more pupils. I hope that that journey, with the recent appointments and some of the positive news about exams, for example, has now started.”
“It showed that the old Ards Borough Council area had a net loss of over 2,000 pupils leaving the area every morning to travel to schools in Belfast, Bangor or even the old Down District Council area. Of those, 1,700 were from the controlled sector. There is therefore a massive latent demand for secondary school provision in the area. The challenge is obviously to get people to go to the local school. The same report also projected that pupil numbers were due to rise at secondary level by over 5% in the next decade. More importantly, there is a massive growth in the requirement for sixth-form provision in the area. At the time, it was estimated at 35% growth in the controlled sector over the next decade. There is a need for provision in the town, and that has been undoubtedly proven by the Members who have spoken.”
“That provides the school with undoubted challenges, but, as has been mentioned, as the only secondary school in a town of nearly 30,000 people, it needs help to grow and flourish. As Mr Nesbitt said, a new head has been appointed, and there are exciting projects in development, such as the proposal for Ards Football Club to develop a new ground on the site that could be used by the school as well. There are a number of positives. <BR /> <BR />My concern is for the school and its future and for the town, but it is also for the wider area. I recall, when I was on council, the SEELB, as it then was, produced a draft area plan for post-primary schools.”
“Where else would you get a teacher using the production of a school Lambeg drum decorated with a famous Ards man who served in the SAS in the Second World War to gain children's interest in both history and music? Undoubtedly, the passion and creativity is there in the staff to engage the young people. <BR /> <BR />I have to say that the catchment area for Movilla High School is not the best set against the performance of the super output areas. A number of the areas in its catchment fall into the bottom 10% of deprived areas for education and skills in Northern Ireland — places such as Glen and Scrabo 1 and 2 — and there are other areas, such as central Ards, that are not much higher in the league table.”
“I thank my colleague for bringing forward the topic for debate this evening. It is an important debate about an institution that is crucial to the town of Newtownards. As Mr Hamilton said, Movilla High School has had a difficult time in recent years, with falling rolls and some difficult issues played out, unfortunately, in the media. I have to say, however, that my experience of the school has been very positive. When I was the Mayor of Ards a couple of years ago, I attended a number of events at the school, including its prize distribution evening, and I was always impressed by the efforts of the pupils and the creativity and enthusiasm of the teachers.”
“I welcome the rates reduction. Thank you, Minister, for taking it forward. When it came in front of the Finance Committee, as the Chair commented, it was universally supported. The only concern, and the Chair mentioned this, was the issue around the growing list of reliefs. I know that you are taking that forward now in terms of looking at the non-domestic rate in the round. That will be an opportunity to look at all reliefs and make a judgement on them in terms of what we need to bring in to fund government services here. <BR /> <BR />I think that there is universal support for this issue. I add my support to it.”
“Has the Minister been able to identify any additional export opportunities during his discussions with Liam Fox? Will he seek to improve cooperation between Invest NI and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), particularly in the aerospace and defence sectors?”
“Minister, you mentioned in a previous answer fixed penalties for littering. As two councils seem to account for 67% of all fixed penalties and with the bill for street cleaning topping £40 million for the first time, what plans do you have to encourage other councils to use their fixed penalty powers more?”
“Thank you, and I thank the Minister for his statement. I appreciate that, from the Minister's perspective, this new monitoring round process may well be more efficient, if not open and transparent. To aid transparency, will the Minister detail what other pressures were identified in discussions between Departments and his officials and have not been addressed in this allocation? Without this clarity, would it be fair to assume that all other budgets, including that for Health, are adequate?”
“With Brexit likely to be implemented in 2019, has the Minister received any advice on whether the Azores ruling now even remains applicable? Will he give us a commitment that he will push to ensure that the £275 million cost to the Northern Ireland block grant in 2020, for instance, can be avoided?”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for his answer. Following recent media revelations and allegations about organisations in receipt of major Executive funding, what actions are you putting in place to ensure that funding is not given to those involved in criminality and paramilitarism?”
“We need both action and leadership from the Executive, and to date we have had neither.”
“I appreciate what the Member has said and I look forward to seeing whatever that is. The difficulty at the moment is that we have seen absolutely nothing, and that is the challenge. Until the Executive come out with their plans, proposals and solutions, we are all working in the dark. I look forward to when the Executive produce that information. <BR /> <BR />By all means, we will work with our neighbours across the border to hopefully achieve a win-win solution, but that does not require a constitutionally questionable legal recognition. What is critical is that the Executive get over their policy stalemate and produce a plan. I look forward to seeing this plan and negotiation strategy to ensure that Northern Ireland is not destabilised economically and politically by Brexit.”
“Our Government must ensure that, whatever Brexit becomes, we continue to have single market access, that there is no change to the existing Irish border arrangements, that our agri-food industry is sustained and that current EU funding is at least replaced like for like. I agree with much of the motion's sentiment and many of its goals. <BR /> <BR />However, I believe that there are better ways to achieve similar outcomes. We require a clear voice for Northern Ireland at the UK's negotiating table, as opposed to trying to create barriers between ourselves and the rest of the UK. By all means —”
“As even today's debate shows, the EU referendum has the potential to change that, with many from a traditionally nationalist community feeling unsettled and angry at the referendum result. <BR /> <BR />My party has, uniquely, produced an initial post-Brexit analysis, vision and plan. The Executive, to date, have produced a letter. I sincerely hope that more is happening behind the scenes, but experience to date makes me fearful. <BR /> <BR />Everyone now accepts that Northern Ireland is the region in the UK most impacted by Brexit. We also appear to be the least prepared. We are in a unique situation, which is why it is doubly frustrating that our divided Executive appear to be paralysed by this issue, like a rabbit transfixed by the headlights of an oncoming truck. <BR /> <BR />There is much in the motion that I can support.”
“With Brent crude at $51 per barrel I suspect that the SNP will not proceed with the second referendum, but if it does I trust a pro-union majority will prevail once again. However, as forecast, the Brexit decision has let this genie out of the bottle once again, with all the potential for destabilising Northern Ireland politically, socially and economically. While some may welcome that outcome, I do not. <BR /> <BR />Thirdly, all evidence shows that the vast majority, from all communities, were content with Northern Ireland and the status quo. OK, everyone has their issues, their gripes and their agenda for change, but it was all within the current Belfast Agreement settlement.”
“First, the economy. The impact of Brexit on our local economy will be immense if we do not get this right, and not in a good way. While we do have some great companies who sell goods and services to the world, our economy is primarily an inter-UK economy, with most of our exports going to the Republic of Ireland and the rest of the EU. The two competing fantasies that, on the one hand, we can place barriers between ourselves and the rest of the UK, which provides us with the lion's share of our trade as well as our £9·8 billion subvention, or alternatively we can become buccaneer traders with the world on WTO tariffs, are both at odds with reality. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, we feared that significant change to the UK constitution could destabilise the post-Scottish independence referendum settlement.”
“We based our decision to support the "Remain" campaign on three key issues: the economy, the UK's constitutional future and the contentment of the majority of people in Northern Ireland with Northern Ireland.”
“Whilst I share my opposition colleagues' frustration at the lack of action and leadership from the Executive on Brexit, I believe that neither High Court actions nor the development of a special legal status for Northern Ireland is the best way forward. <BR /> <BR />The Ulster Unionist Party, as has already been mentioned, campaigned for the UK to remain in the EU, but, as Mr Stalford said, that was not the unanimous view of our members; we allowed our members to vote with their conscience, as we do on a number of key issues. We do democracy, even if some parties in the Assembly do not. In our opinion, the result of the referendum is the result. While the majority in Northern Ireland supported "Remain", it was a national poll, and that decision must be respected.”
“Eighteen million pounds is certainly a start, but we need to commit to at least one hour's exercise per day for each child, drastically improve our diets, particularly in our most deprived areas, and at last halve the number of obese and overweight children by 2022. I call on the Health and Education Ministers to use this funding as a stimulus to develop a strategy that will transform our performance on those issues. This is too important to be left to what is essentially a budget that will, by design, reduce as the consumption of sugary drinks falls. I support the amended motion but as a first step rather than a destination.”
“To provide proper context, let me indulge in a few sums. There are 1,180 schools in Northern Ireland serving just over 328,000 pupils. That large figure of £18 million becomes just £15,254 per school. In fact, it would probably fund a third of a PE teacher. That is good, and I welcome the opportunity it brings, but I just seek to put it all in context. <BR /> <BR />What we need, as ever in Northern Ireland, is to be more radical, set more challenging targets and move that bar higher and quicker. This is about the future of our children, our health service and our public finances.”
“Less than a quarter of five- to 12-year-olds in Northern Ireland achieve that target. We all know that poor diet and a lack of exercise amongst children builds up future health problems for the child and, in turn, wider society. We also know that Northern Ireland is especially struggling to improve its performance in these areas. <BR /> <BR />It is welcome that we have the opportunity to invest £18 million in awareness and physical education programmes, and I support the motion, in as far as it goes. It is good to see that the DUP sees the value of hypothecation now that it has given control of finance over to Sinn Féin but, frankly, this £18 million is a drop in the ocean. Public health awareness is very much the poor relation, and we fail to invest significant funding in prevention programmes.”
“The Northern Ireland social care inequalities monitoring system showed that the number of P1 children classified as obese rose from 3·1% for boys and 4·5% for girls in the least deprived areas to 5% for boys and 6·3% for girls in the most deprived areas. <BR /> <BR />Diet obviously plays a key role, and the national diet and nutrition survey showed that 96% of 11- to 18-year-olds in Northern Ireland did not meet the five-a-day recommendation for fruit and vegetable consumption. The other key element, of course, is exercise. Northern Ireland schools, as has been said, have a target of providing at least two hours of PE per week, yet the NHS recommends at least 60 minutes of moderate exercise each day for children and young people between the ages of five and 18.”
“Eighty per cent of children who are obese between the ages of 10 and 14 will become obese adults, with all the resulting societal impacts. Twenty-five per cent of children in Northern Ireland are classified as overweight or obese, with 21% of girls and 15% of boys overweight and 7% of both genders obese. According to the health survey in Northern Ireland in 2014, there has been no change in these figures since 2005. The Department of Health's 'A Fitter Future for All' has set targets for reducing childhood obesity by 3%, with a 2% reduction in overweight children and obesity by 2022. While there has been marginal improvement in recent years, a target of having 25% of our children overweight or obese is unacceptable. The number of children classed as obese or overweight is also related to deprivation.”
“While the Ulster Unionist Party welcomes the development of economically relevant courses, does the Minister not agree that we need a fit-for-purpose curriculum that allows for more flexibility in its implementation?”
“Yet all studies show that our migrant worker community makes a significant positive contribution to our economy and society. <BR /> <BR />The cause of racial equality and the development of a diverse and vibrant society has taken a knock post-referendum. I call on the Executive Office to include in an action plan tasks that will help instil confidence in the migrant worker community. A good start would be to send out a clear message today to migrant workers, their families, their employers and the wider Northern Ireland community.”
“The latest figures show that Northern Ireland has a net 1·2 migrants per 1,000 population, compared with 4·5 in England, 1·9 in Wales and 1·5 in Scotland.”
“Some asked whether they should proceed with their house purchase. Some asked whether they should start to look for work outside Northern Ireland. They were all very concerned for their future, and they were not alone. The business owners were equally concerned for the future of their company and about access to labour, skills and markets. <BR /> <BR />Our migrant labour community needs to hear from the House. A loud, unified voice needs to come from here to say that that community is welcome and valued and will continue to be so, no matter the outworkings of Brexit. I understand that some people are concerned by migration. Indeed, it was said to be one of the main drivers for the Brexit vote. I say to the people who are genuinely concerned that Northern Ireland is the UK region least affected by migration.”
“They came from a wide variety of EU states, such as Slovakia, Poland, the Baltic states and Portugal, to name but a few. All those people had long service with the company; I think that, on average, it was nine years. Most had been promoted during their service in tribute to their skills, motivation and contribution. Many had married while living in Northern Ireland, some to locals and some to other migrants not necessarily from their own country. They are all bringing up their children in Northern Ireland, putting down roots and making a valuable contribution to our economy and society. During the next hour or so of the meeting, the managers detailed to me their fears and concerns, which were amplified by the Brexit decision. Some asked about what would happen to their children, as their children had UK passports and they did not.”
“I support the amendment. The First Ministers made a short statement on 27 June, after the EU referendum result, in the context of increased attacks on migrants in Great Britain. They reassured local migrant communities that they were welcome and valued in Northern Ireland. That statement needs to be echoed and amplified once again. I call on the Executive Office to reiterate that statement today with greater volume and more repetition. <BR /> <BR />A few days after the referendum, I was invited to one of the larger and more successful agri-food businesses in my constituency to speak with the company's management team. From memory, about 18 people were part of the management team, the vast majority of whom were from other countries; they were not originally from the UK or Ireland.”
“There are still the strong protections around the reinvestment capital grant of £2·3 billion that is being invested by the Northern Ireland Executive in housing association assets. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, we need to see quick action from both relevant Departments to drive forward the changes needed to reverse this ONS classification, otherwise our ability to borrow to invest will be stymied, and we will be unable to build the thousands of social and affordable homes that Northern Ireland desperately needs. I urge Members to support the motion and amendment.”
“I totally agree with the Member. It would have been nice to have heard some positivity at least from the Minister rather than just the diatribe that we have had to endure. <BR /> <BR />There has been mention of the potential for a coordinated approach with colleagues in Scotland and Wales, if required, to secure the Treasury derogation for the three devolved institutions. If that needs to be done, so be it. Again, we need to progress that without delay. The legislative changes that are required will not drastically deregulate the housing association sector, so I do not believe that Members should be overly concerned about the change that is needed. Housing associations will still be regulated by the Department. They will still be regulated charities with charitable controls.”
“I believe that the Treasury is being robust on this. We will need to agree a window of at least 18 months in which to pass the required legislation, so the first action for the Minister for Communities and the Minister of Finance is to convince the Treasury that we have developed a tight timetable and credible plan to reverse the situation and are thereby deserving of the time and space to deliver the required changes.”