Steve Aiken
South Antrim · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Minister, as well as the move to reduce the cost to the Assembly of vacant non-domestic properties and to increase liability so that we will not have so many vacant properties, you will be aware of the Dilapidation Bill and of the conversations that have been taking place in Wales and Scotland about…”
“Instead, that most dysfunctional Department, under the most inept Sinn Féin Minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly and a series of grossly over-superannuated permanent secretaries, gave the money back.”
“We know that her Department spends more on legal cases, fighting judicial reviews and being chastised by judges for legal ineptitude and on vesting land and ripping out hedges and fencing and then trying to unvest it and paying even more money to put back the fences and hedges that it took out.”
“We can hardly blame the current permanent secretary, as she has just taken up her post, but, surely, her predecessors must bear some accountability or responsibility, especially considering the senior civil servants' salary scale of between £146,000 and £163,000, with, of course, their taxpayer-funded pension contribution of 34·2% — £218,…”
“It must be said that £181·3 million is a lot of taxpayers' hard-earned money. It is money that is raised from local commuters, vehicle owners, farmers, local businesses, logistics companies and, above all, our constituents — those vital people whom we are elected to represent.”
“The Minister will be aware that, under the public appointments guide published by the Executive Office, it is clear that she is supposed to take independent advice before appointing board members. What independent advice did she receive, particularly about the board members selected?”
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“I am glad to see that the Minister is pushing ahead with the idea of putting the Fiscal Council on a proper statutory footing, but that has to be expedited, because we cannot afford to be in the situation again in which we wait seven to eight years to pass the Estimates. <BR /> <BR />I will go on to talk about some other issues, but there is another thing that concerns me. I would never want to give a boost to my learned friend the Chair of the Finance Committee, who is also the leader of the Opposition, but there is something off about having the June monitoring round at this stage, when a delay of three to four days would not have made much difference.”
“We need to understand, however, how we have got to the point at which we are now trying to ask Westminster to be allowed more opportunities for the devolution of fiscal powers, when this is the first time since 2016 that we are in a position to approve the Main Estimates. That is something that we all should be concerned about. <BR /> <BR />The point that I now make is not a political one but a point of scrutiny, and other Members have alluded to it. The lack of information and the lack of a flow of reliable data will make it remarkably difficult for us as Members to provide appropriate scrutiny of any of the processes going forward.”
“Members who have been here for a bit longer and have been scrutinising our finances for some time as part of the Finance Committee will look at the motions before us with interest. One of the most interesting things is that we are talking about the Northern Ireland Main Estimates and the Excess Votes from 2016-17 on. If there is anything to indicate how badly we have got things wrong since then, it should be that. We are being asked to approve Excess Votes from 2016-17 to 2022-23. There is no doubt that we will, because this is money spent and money gone. There will not be a Division on that.”
“The Northern Ireland Government invested around £520 million in what was then Bombardier. What guarantees do we have from Airbus that the manufacturing, the intellectual property and the R&D facilities will remain in Belfast, and will that be written into any agreement with Airbus?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. The Member has brought up an interesting point about the black box. I am glad to see that that has reduced significantly from the £1 billion that it used to be to a much lower figure. However, I remind the Minister and, indeed, everybody else on the Finance Committee that the figure should be less than £1 million.”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. The allocation of an additional £122 million to the Department of Health is very welcome and demonstrates that the Ulster Unionist Party was entirely correct in its stance that the allocation for this year was well below what was required. Unfortunately, however, although the allocation narrows the budget deficit for patient-facing services, it does not close the gap. Can the Minister therefore give us a commitment that, when further funding becomes available, particularly to deal with the health service's financial pressures, we will be given appropriate prioritisation, because we need it by need and not by apportionment?”
“The member of the Assembly Commission will be aware that many of our staff have expressed a large degree of disquiet, particularly with the recent briefings. I make a declaration of interest: my office has been threatened by paramilitaries. We have had the PSNI come to our office. It has made recommendations similar to those for a Westminster MP, and those recommendations far outstrip the amount of money or consideration of support that is likely to be available. When will the Commission get serious about this?”
“Obviously, the Minister has been doing a lot of detailed work on the closure of the RHI scheme. What quantum of funds is likely to be required for the closure of the scheme?”
“I declare an interest: of course, I sit on the Finance Committee, so I am fully aware of what is available in our departmental expenditure limit and the capital that is due to come through. Minister, time is running out for the allocation of those funds to vital public services. What will your combined office do to expedite that process, given that, as you said, we have only a week left before the Assembly breaks for the summer?”
“She is an outstanding example of a Northern Irish sporting superstar. I declare an interest, because she is one of the lead coaches at Larne Swimming Club and is very much to the fore of Team Larne. Indeed, my daughter has taken considerable inspiration from her, as have many young people in the area. <BR /> <BR />This is a great opportunity for the Assembly to recognise the hard work of Fairview Primary School in Ballyclare and the great work of Danielle Hill and all the team at Larne Swimming Club.”
“I welcome two outstanding results for people in my constituency and the wider Antrim area. First, I congratulate Fairview Primary School in Ballyclare for being awarded for its work on promoting mental health, particularly in a primary school setting. It has been recognised as the best school across the entire United Kingdom at doing so. Anybody who understands Fairview and knows the pupils and teachers there will stand with me and say that that is an outstanding result. Congratulations to Fairview Primary School in Ballyclare. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, I congratulate the great Danielle Hill, whom I mentioned to the Minister for Communities last week. Over the weekend, Danielle won the gold medal in the 50-metre backstroke and the silver medal in the 100-metre backstroke at the European Aquatics Championships.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. The Member may or may not be aware that the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA) did considerable work on the ETA and the issues surrounding it. Will the Minister comment on whether he has received that report from BIPA? The British Government — as they are, until their time runs out in a few days' time — indicated that they would look favourably at derogations for the ETA. It would be useful if they could do that. Sorry.”
“Minister, one of the issues that we have with promoting excellence in swimming across Northern Ireland is the lack of facilities. We have had real difficulties in getting a 50-metre pool, which, for some particular reason, has been stuck in the permanently down position. Will you ask your officials to look at how we can ensure that, at least in Northern Ireland, we can have the facilities to support our Olympians?”
“<BR /> <BR />Although we welcome any further improvements that can be made through working on an all-island basis, as well as on the vital east-west basis, the reality is that the greatest potential for reform and improvement still sits with what is available on our own doorstep. To do that, we require a collective willingness.”
“Unfortunately, however, the recent Budget, which was agreed by Sinn Féin, DUP and Alliance Ministers, in which the Health budget was cut by 2·3%, will greatly impact on the ability to drive through further improvements. MLAs need to be aware that, as it stands, the Executive have not provided a single penny of targeted funding to spend on tackling waiting lists. It is, therefore, totally incoherent for the Executive to try to claim, as the DUP, Sinn Féin and the Alliance Party still do, that tackling waiting lists is a priority for them. Quite frankly, it is not. At the same time, the Budget did not even meet the Department of Health's basic plea just to keep up with red-flag cancer and other time-critical treatments.”
“In reality, never mind not keeping up with pay in the Republic of Ireland because of the failure of the previous Executive to agree a Budget, and then the absence of Ministers even in post, our health workers have too often had to watch their pay falling well behind that of their counterparts, even in the rest of the UK. Thankfully, however, due to the work of the previous Minister of Health in January 2020, and again in February of this year, parity has largely been restored. It is essential that the Executive give a commitment to fund and maintain that. Without a stable workforce, the improvements that we want to make simply will not be possible. <BR /> <BR />Progress needs to be accelerated even further. I welcome the publication of the updated elective care framework only a few weeks ago.”
“We know that there are areas of such cooperation that currently work well and that, similarly, there are other areas that could work better. We need to recognise that it is not a panacea. There are major pressures in the Republic's health service also. It is grappling with the very same challenges that we are: poor waiting times, changing demography and the rising costs of care and treatment. <BR /> <BR />We acknowledge that a gap in pay is developing on the island of Ireland, which will raise particular challenges locally. It is not just the health service that is being impacted; it is education, a slate of other public services and private commerce.”
“Of course, we absolutely accept that we were starting from an appalling position and that overall waiting times are still far too long, but it is worth noting that, for those waiting for treatments, in the space of 12 months, the number has reduced by 15,000, by over 12% overall. Some very positive progress has been made for those waiting for inpatient day-case treatment in areas such as general surgery, which has seen the waiting list fall by over 20%. Similarly, progress has been made in cutting waiting times in ENT, gynaecology and urology. That shows that, where there is a clear focus and political will, any kind of progress can be made. <BR /> <BR />My party will always stand ready to utilise any and all opportunities to help patients and staff. That includes working on an all-Ireland basis when beneficial.”
“There is no doubt that our health service is facing some unprecedented challenges. Our overall waiting times position remains wholly unacceptable, and our health workers are operating under huge pressure. Similarly, major demands remain on services such as primary care, social care, dental and pharmacy. <BR /> <BR />It might seem easy to say that our health service is sliding in only one direction and that turning it around is beyond us, but neither I nor my party share that view. Even though the likes of the elective care framework has never been fully funded by the Executive, not least because of the repeated stop/start nature of this place, there has still been some notable transformation and progress made. For instance, thanks to decisions made in 2021, treatment waiting times, at least, have been falling steadily.”
“I think that anybody who talks to industry and businesses across Northern Ireland will know that there is a universal theme: Invest NI is not fit for purpose. We need to invest properly in Invest NI so that it is capable of undertaking its role most effectively. If that means improving relationships and getting much better at working with the Department for Business and Trade and other groups, as well as the likes of IDA Ireland, it is important that we do that. However, we should also be cautious, because, having worked many times with the IDA, I assure you that its interests are not for Northern Ireland; they are for the Irish Republic. We need to have in Invest NI an organisation that is match fit enough to deal with that across the board.”
“If we are to support Northern Ireland businesses to get the most out of that dual market access, we have to remove whatever tinted glasses we have, look at the issues critically and put the interests of Northern Ireland first. There are many issues that need to be dealt with effectively. <BR /> <BR />As we, hopefully, move into a new period post 5 July, the United Kingdom will move closer towards the European Union, particularly in the areas of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regulations, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, research and development, and some services. Northern Ireland needs to remain agile and effective enough to make proper use of that dual market access. <BR /> <BR />I am glad that the Minister is here. One of the questions that we have to ask is whether Invest NI is fit for purpose.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am a member of the Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee. We in the Chamber need to make sure that any rules and regulations that come from the European Union are fit for purpose. We, as a Committee, have to take our responsibilities seriously and scrutinise those rules and regulations. If some of them will undermine significantly that dual market access by distorting the market, it is our duty to do something about it. Regrettably, as I have said in a Member's statement, the Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee is not being particularly democratic; it is definitely not doing a lot of scrutiny; and I assure you that it is not acting well as a Committee. That needs to change.”
“It is vital that the United Kingdom is part of the response to all the challenges that face everybody across Europe at the moment, whether that is through providing security or because of our strengths in research and development, industrial capacity and manufacturing, of which Northern Ireland is very much a key part. <BR /> <BR />There are many advantages to Northern Ireland's dual market access. I note the need to work more closely across this island, these islands and Europe to make that happen. I thank the Member for raising the issue of Intertrade UK and the importance of east-west links. That is also vital. If Northern Ireland is going to properly fulfil its role, it will need the linkages with the rest of our nation to be just as strong as those with the European Union. They will need to be made to work.”
“The Ulster Unionist Party will support the motion. The issue is dual market access, but we have to consider it in the wider context. We are at a juxtaposition at the moment: we are potentially looking at a new United Kingdom Government who, if Labour, are already seeking a new approach to Europe. Many of us who have spent a lot of time in Brussels and a lot of time talking to our European friends in Brussels, Dublin and other capital cities across Europe will know that there is very much a wish to have the United Kingdom much more closely associated with Europe. The reason for that is clear: we have a war in Europe right now, and the indications are that it will get significantly worse.”
“For clarification, the ombudsman is on sick leave and is currently under investigation. The chief executive is currently absent, and a recruitment process has been started. The person responsible for the chief executive's post has been delegated to it. Who gave the authority for someone to be delegated to such a senior position? Where is the oversight of the ombudsman's department? There seems to be no oversight at all.”
“First, I apologise for not being in my seat when my question to the Minister of Justice was called. Secondly, as a person who looks after a dog — I am not a dog owner; I look after a dog, but it is very much my wife's dog — how do we define "unnecessary suffering" and how can this legislation be enforced? Without the definition and definitive act of banning the use of shock collars as soon as possible, how can we get away from the confusion in the law? Most people are confused about what the law is and how it will be applied.”
“Minister, I have mentioned before that we need to consider reviewing the integrated single electricity market (ISEM). Is it fit for purpose? Will it be able to deliver for the people in Northern Ireland and get us to where we need to be when it comes to our goal of net zero carbon? The climate emergency is getting worse. We have gone beyond the time of sitting and talking about it. We need to engage and get moving now. We have had the warnings: it is warming up. We are not in a position to hold back any further. The changes that we need to make need to be made now. We cannot sit around and wait any longer. <BR /> <BR />As I said, we will support the motion and the amendment.”
“Ofgem has an important role. It has managed to transform the GB market. Scotland and Wales come under Ofgem. There are many things that the industry is doing there right now that we should be doing here and, indeed, across all these islands. Our Utility Regulator and our regulations need to ensure that we are adaptive to what is happening in GB. It is vital, through interconnection, that we have that link to Ofgem. The links that we have with the rest of this island are also vital, but it is not going to work unless we build a North/South interconnector. That needs to be moved on at pace.”
“One of the big issues with offshore wind providers — this is the reason that we do not have offshore wind in Northern Ireland — is that the likes of SONI and NIE would not let them connect to the grid when that was first proposed nearly a decade ago. Here we are, a decade on, in a situation in which we are not able to benefit from offshore wind. There has to be substantial change, and the Utility Regulator has an important job to do. <BR /> <BR />As has been said, however, it is not just an all-island issue but an all-islands one.”
“<BR /> <BR />We have to be aware of other significant issues, such as what is going on in the energy market in Northern Ireland. We have talked about the Utility Regulator, which has a vital role to play. As I have mentioned on numerous occasions, one of the biggest problems that we have is a near-monopoly that has been supported by EirGrid and the Electricity Supply Board (ESB), aka the System Operator for Northern Ireland (SONI) and Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE). A lot of the things that they have been doing in the market have been, to be frank, uncompetitive, forcing many in the renewable energy sector to move out of Northern Ireland and not invest here. It is not just a planning issue but about grid connection and how that is managed. <BR /> <BR />On many occasions, we have heard stories about onshore wind.”
“<BR /> <BR />One of the major things that we need to look at as we move towards a just transition and rapidly towards net zero carbon — something that we have to do — is to make sure that we deal with the potential problems of fuel poverty. Some think about how they will manage themselves out of this problem. They talk about solutions that include heat pumps, photovoltaic (PV) panels and extra insulation. Some will find those easier to do than others, but a lot of the housing stock across Northern Ireland needs to be retrofitted, There needs to be support in order to do that, because, if there is not, we will never achieve it. The return on such investment may, in some cases, take 10, 20 or 30 years to materialise, and we need to make sure that our most vulnerable are not left out.”
“The Ulster Unionist Party will support the motion and the amendment. <BR /> <BR />The climate emergency is an accelerating problem, and it is not just to do with the environment, as we have seen recently with high temperatures and high seawater temperatures and the impact that both are having on our climate as we speak. It is also about what is happening internationally: what is going on in Russia and its attacks on the Ukraine; and what is happening in the Middle East as a result of destabilisation and attacks by Iran. It is about the implications that those situations are likely to have on the supply of energy, not just across the world but in Northern Ireland. As has been said on several occasions, Northern Ireland is particularly susceptible to problems with fuel oil and its uses, particularly for heating.”
“Well, we are all here to be supportive. The Member will be aware, of course, that because the Health budget has been cut by 2·3%, it will be increasingly difficult for any Health Minister to be able to deliver what is required. Indeed, many Members throughout the House will agree that cutting the Health budget by 2·3% is not what we should be doing, particularly given the approaching crisis.”
“<BR /> <BR />For any legislation that comes through the Assembly, we must look at it appropriately, give it the due diligence and scrutiny that it requires and look at it dispassionately across the Chamber to make sure that we provide good legislation that works for the people of Northern Ireland.”
“That is a substantive issue, and it is something that we, as Members, need to be cognisant of to ensure that we are capable of carrying out our roles. Effective scrutiny is vital, and we need to be able to manage that effectively. <BR /> <BR />There are other Bills, but, again, the question needs to be about how quickly we can start the process. Again, I put it to the First Minister and the deputy First Minister that the people of Northern Ireland want to see a Programme for Government. We need to get moving. To be quite honest with you, from being out there, knocking on doors and getting ready for the Westminster election, people do not understand why we are delaying. Will you address those issues in your comments?”
“Indeed, my party is particularly interested in looking at the future status of Northern Ireland Water and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, because they are vital for building social housing and making sure we have water and waste water infrastructure that is capable of doing what we need it to do. <BR /> <BR />We also need to be aware of some previous issues with ill-thought-out legislation coming before the House and being pushed through. I refer in particular to issues with legislation related to the justice sector and RHI. Such legislation needs to be scrutinised effectively and properly, and we cannot be in a position where our judicial process is questioning the validity of some of the legislation that the Northern Ireland Assembly has passed.”
“<BR /> <BR />Our party particularly welcomes the legislation concerning the Utility Regulator. Many Members will know that there are many concerns out there about how the Northern Ireland energy market works — or, indeed, does not work. Giving more powers to the Utility Regulator will be vital to supporting and improving that. <BR /> <BR />I join with my friend across the Floor in welcoming the Fiscal Council Bill. That is a much-needed piece of legislation, and putting the Fiscal Council on a statutory footing should be progressed and welcomed by all. <BR /> <BR />I notice that some things are not in the legislative programme.”
“Thank you very much, indeed. <BR /> <BR />I just wanted to get some clarity as we go forward with the debate. Some people may think that the Ulster Unionist Party is also heading in that direction, but I can assure you that we endorse the legislative programme. <BR /> <BR />Deputy First Minister, in your summing up, will you clarify the issue with a Programme for Government? Many people in Northern Ireland will be concerned by, what seems to be, a fairly light legislative programme. Comments have been made on several occasions that that is due to a Programme for Government not being able go forward because of what is going on in Westminster. Many people have pointed out that the Assembly has been back for well over 100 days. Maybe there will be a degree of clarification on that.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am willing to accept an intervention right now from our friends in the SDLP in order to clarify the question of what was actually said and whether the SDLP will vote for the motion.”
“If the majority of the Committee members continue on the course that they have clearly set for themselves, it will be clear that that safeguard is not democratic, nor does it provide any scrutiny. We all deserve better.”
“It was "unable to reach" a decision, despite the clear evidence. Furthermore, the Alliance and Sinn Féin members have refused to allow dissenting opinions to be raised in the report, instead saying that, for any contrary views, reference will have to be made to Hansard. <BR /> <BR />One of the primary roles of the Assembly must be to scrutinise legislation effectively. The renewable heat incentive debacle and the recent decision of the High Court, with its references to ill-thought-out legislation, should have taught us that we can ill afford to ignore real challenges to our constituents when problems have been so clearly highlighted. The Windsor Framework Committee is supposed to act as a dispassionate safeguard against EU regulations interfering significantly with Northern Ireland in comparison with the rest of our nation.”
“Given those two very real flags that there could be a significant impact on everyday life in Northern Ireland, how do you think the Democratic Scrutiny Committee acted? The report agreed by the Alliance and Sinn Féin members stated that the Committee:”
“answered yes. Its explanation included the comment:”
“Then, in its published response, Recycle NI, the trade association for waste management companies in Northern Ireland, when asked:”
“The regulations refer to waste management in Northern Ireland. In the report are two comments — one from our legal advice and the second from industry — that Members who believe in effective scrutiny should consider. First, paragraph 32 of the report states:”
“Last Thursday, the Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee considered, and its Alliance Party and Sinn Féin members approved, a report on regulation (EU) 2024/1157 and associated amending regulations.”
“Would you care to thank the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy for the excellent job that they are doing in defending this island, bearing in mind that they are not being paid for it by the Irish Government?”
“First Minister, you will be aware of the fact that the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy are, at present, busy defending the sea lanes all the way around our island. In particular, the Royal Air Force has been doing search-and-rescue work and has been hunting for submarines. I thank the Member who raised the tangential matter of submarines and people who were delivering fascism coming to the island of Ireland. First Minister, bearing in mind the importance of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force to the continuing security of this island, would it not have been better for you to have attended the D-Day events and represent everybody in Northern Ireland as the First Minister for all?”
“Will the Minister provide an insight into what is behind the significant growth in the number of people who live with type 2 diabetes?”
“Ach, come on. Sorry. <BR /> <BR />Some details have kindly been provided by our friend Mr Clarke. As I said before, can somebody please explain to me the methodology? If this was based on a funding level set for 2016, and it has been revised over a period of time to 2024 by looking at the overall inflation rates and the rest of it, how did we come to the figures that we did? I cannot get the maths to work, and I would like somebody to explain to me how we got to this position. Quite frankly, I cannot see how we have.”