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 thank the Member for his intervention. HGV drivers and their licensing has been flagged up as an issue for some time. We knew we would have difficulties with that because of COVID, and it would have been apposite if the Infrastructure Minister had introduced such measures. <BR /> <BR />To slightly digress — of course, I have an extra minute — we are talking about trying to manoeuvre and move articulated lorries. One of my concerns is that a piece of legislation is being forced on us that means that people from GB may not be able to come to Northern Ireland to do that work. We need to seriously ask ourselves what we are looking at. <BR /> <BR />Very clearly, we need to get to the point where we have proper wages for our agricultural workers and those in the logistics industry. They need proper terms and conditions of service.”
“<BR /> <BR />I move on now to the issue that is really having an impact on the situation. I made my declaration as a member of the trade union Unite. It is clear to me that the terms and conditions for workers, particularly those in the haulage and agriculture sectors, are not what they should be.”
“Furthermore, there is a shortage of 200,000 agriculture workers in France. Those are the EU's own statistics. They are not from some sort of Tory version of 'The Daily Telegraph' view of the world. It is clear that COVID has had a huge effect on the movement of labour across the whole of the European continent. <BR /> <BR />It would not be right of us not to point out the fact that many of our skilled migrant labour comes from outside Europe. I am talking about our workers who come from the Philippines in particular. The ability to attract those workers and to retain them is vital. We, as an Assembly, should be reaching out the hand of friendship to enable that to be done. I welcome Northern Ireland's being an open place for workers, and we need to do all that we can to improve the opportunities for workers in Northern Ireland.”
“Every Member will welcome those 86,000 new Northern Ireland citizens coming in and the great contribution that they are going to make to our fantastic country. Each Member will welcome not only the contribution that they have made but the contribution that such people will make for the next 100 years of Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />We have already heard figures, and we have heard about labour shortages in Poland, Germany, France and Italy, and all the rest of it. There are labour shortages across the globe. Let us concentrate on the EU. We have already heard about the shortfall of close to 124,000 haulage and logistics drivers in Poland, and we have heard that there is a shortage of 45,000 HGV and lorry drivers in Germany. There is a similar figure of around 45,000 in France, and, in Italy and Spain, there is a shortfall of 15,000.”
“I declare an interest as a member of Unite the union. That will become germane as I go on. We will not be supporting the motion. It is always a pleasure to listen to the Chair of the Economy Committee, but it is wrong to say that the shortages are a direct consequence of Brexit. To say that they are does much to undermine the view of what is happening in the global economy at the moment. <BR /> <BR />Before I continue, I take the opportunity to welcome the fact that 86,000 — I repeat, 86,000 — EU citizens have applied for leave to remain in our nation of the United Kingdom and to stay, particularly, in Northern Ireland. That should be not only a vote of confidence for the future of Northern Ireland but something that we should all welcome.”
“As part of our strategy, we have to consider how we can ensure that equal value is given to those areas of education, not instead of but with an increasing emphasis on science, technology, engineering and maths. I commend the motion to the House.”
“The fact that some of our great success stories seem to have been developed without the hand of government might point to keeping the Executive out of interfering, but, as we have all heard today, the sector has been starved of resources. Reduction in support for the Arts Council over the last few years is a case in point. The arts translate to a richer, more diverse, agile and innovative community. <BR /> <BR />I would also like to speak about improving the creative opportunities in our education sector — adding art to make STEAM from STEM, so to speak. Music, drama, creative writing, literature and dance are clearly recognised and have value as skills that improve children's brain development and build new skills in creative thinking, the ability to improve concentration and, perhaps more importantly, build self-esteem.”
“That is a development that we can and should support by helping to equip our further and higher education facilities so that they can upskill and provide the necessary skills for those doing what they do. That means not just those in the arts and creative sector but those who see that as an opportunity for future growth. There is potential for at least an extra 1,000 jobs, and that should be the way ahead and what we are looking to.”
“<BR /> <BR />My party's motion calls for the Executive to create a long-term strategy to build on that organic success that, in many ways, has been able to grow and innovate so far, quite frankly, with limited understanding and support from government. Indeed, from talking to many people in the industry, it is clear that trying to get organisations like Invest NI to understand the potential to generate new and sustainable high-value jobs, against what they see as its being wedded to FDI rather than to organic growth, is the frustration of many people. It is pleasing to note, as stated by my party's great North Belfast representative Julie-Anne Corr-Johnston, the recent investment by the Belfast Harbour Commissioners in the North Foreshore Studios.”
“<BR /> <BR />We are all aware of how Northern Ireland has become a centre for the film and screen industry, creating, in a few short years, an entirely new segment of the economy, providing employment for everybody from the part-time extras sporting Viking-length beards — I have never quite managed to do that — to artificial-intelligence researchers building virtual worlds and entire digital environments that have spin-offs not just in the entertainment fields, but in such areas as medicine, aerospace and civil engineering, among others. The translatability of skills from the creative industries sector is, in many ways, another unique set of skills that allows those in the arts, music and other industries to respond flexibly to the rapidly changing technological scene.”
“I rise to talk specifically about the economic impact of our creative industries, and how they have been a driver not just in providing and improving jobs but in fostering the new and dynamic sectors of society and an opportunity to empower, enthuse and provide that spark of creative genius that has been the ability to channel many talented people into transformational positions. At this stage, I declare an interest as chairperson of the all-party group on science, technology, engineering and mathematics and as advocate for the digital innovation sector in Northern Ireland.”
“I noticed that an NDNA commitment was about a lot of issues to do with dealing with the challenges identified by the renewable heat incentive (RHI) inquiry. I also noticed that, in his written statement last week, the Finance Minister referred to a lot of the things that are to be implemented, yet we have already seen correspondence from senior civil servants from as far back as December 2018, saying that actions were to be taken. Is that acceptable? <BR /> <BR />Also, I welcome the new Member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone. I have just seen you. You are very welcome to the House.”
“I note that you talk about the €3 million that the Irish Government have committed to the Narrow Water bridge project before it goes to the tender process. Have the First Minister and deputy First Minister asked whether there has been a proper investment appraisal of that project, bearing in mind the significant increase in the cost of raw materials and the fact that what the people of Newry really want is a relief road?”
“I want to make a brief point as, indeed, the Minister is here. I understand that the Minister of Finance has been looking at a whole raft of issues, particularly through the fiscal commission. Maybe there is an opportunity now for the Executive parties to ask the fiscal commission to look urgently at Northern Ireland Water and its move towards mutualisation, because I understand that that is part of the work stream.”
“On a point of order, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. I could not possibly call the esteemed Member for East Antrim a main sewer. That is very unparliamentary language.”
“It seems strange that Sinn Féin never seems to mention the fact that the £15·6 billion that we got last year came from our nation's Exchequer.”
“We have an opportunity for the Assembly to say very clearly, "Let us set up a decent company around Northern Ireland Water". We have a model, and, if we are going to be radical, why do we not look towards a synergy or even a cooperation agreement with Welsh Water to make it work? How about that for all-islands cooperation and something that could work?”
“Thank you very much for pointing out the fact that it needs to be a mutualised company. It needs to be a company that is capable of borrowing off its asset base. We have the ludicrous thing, seen by anyone who has been to a waste water treatment plant in Northern Ireland, of every one of them having an anaerobic digester that it is not allowed to use to make electricity that it could sell. It is not allowed to do it because it is a Go-co; that is absolutely ridiculous. I cannot understand how we cannot see the ridiculousness of that.”
“If we did so, particularly using the Welsh Water model — it is a not-for-profit company and all the money that it makes is reinvested in the company — that would give us a good opportunity to transform Northern Ireland Water. I look across at the Minister and say this: it is not just an opportunity for Northern Ireland Water; it would create a model for other utilities in Northern Ireland or transport companies or other areas that are having real difficulty.”
“I know that the Minister's party and other parties are not advocating water charges or any of the other things mentioned, but that report demonstrates the funding that could be there. Paul Johnson also reports that, if we were taxed at the same level as people in the Republic of Ireland, we could be looking at significantly more than £600 million. I do not think that any of us wants to go in that direction either. <BR /> <BR />The key to this is the mutualisation of Northern Ireland Water. In a uniquely Northern Ireland situation, we have turned what should be a Government-owned and commercially operated company into a hybrid that is neither. We need to be able to take its shackles off and make it a properly mutualised company.”
“I note with interest the number of times that we have heard about — allow me to get this right — Dwr Cymru, Welsh Water, which is managed by Glas Cymru. Members will be aware that, as part of the funding mechanism in Wales, consumers pay up to about £300 a year for domestic water. In Scotland, people pay up to £375 for water as part of the council tax bill. We do not know, because it has not been fully desegregated, how much of our rates bill goes towards water. That might be a useful starting point from which to go forward. <BR /> <BR />We have heard quite a lot about the Finance Minister and the fact that he has asked the fiscal commission for a report. Paul Johnson has already done an interim report saying that levelling up with the rest of the United Kingdom could bring in an extra £600 million across the board to Northern Ireland.”
“The Ulster Unionist Party will support the motion, as my esteemed colleague Mr Beggs has already outlined. I thank the Minister's staff and, indeed, Northern Ireland Water for coming to meet me in Ballyclare last week. The discussions that we had there epitomised the problems that we have with infrastructure in Northern Ireland. We are dealing with 100-year events every year. What is more, we are getting 100 years of rain — or one month's rain in one hour. No infrastructure anywhere in Northern Ireland can cope with that. Indeed, no infrastructure anywhere in the world can deal with that. We are dealing with a climate emergency right now. <BR /> <BR />There is a solution, however, in how we fund Northern Ireland Water.”
“On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I apologise for chuntering from a sedentary position, which I should not have done. I was just a bit confused, because the Member was talking about the Government, of which, of course, his party is the key part and, indeed, the First Minister —”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Now that the First Minister is in the Assembly, does the Member think it appropriate that he makes a statement in full support of the Health Minister and the health regulations? Would that be an appropriate message for the Assembly to send out today?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. He is aware that, this week alone, the death toll in the United States has risen above 700,000. The United States now has a greater death toll through COVID than as a result of the Spanish flu. I cannot think of any legislature in the world that has been able to bring in legislation ahead of what has happened with COVID. I would be very interested to discover whether that is, in fact, the case. We should congratulate the Minister and, indeed, the Executive for getting this legislation through, even at this stage.”
“I thank my friend from North Antrim for his comments. He talks about "when" there was an emergency. As far as I am aware and everybody across the nation is aware, not only has COVID not gone away but we are still dealing with significant issues to do with it. Does my friend accept that the reason why we have to do this is that the ongoing pandemic has not gone away yet?”
“I thank the Justice Minister for her comments so far, but, as she is aware, any significant changes, including the number of significant changes in the PSNI, will have a worrying effect on morale. As the Justice Minister, she must be aware of the impact the changes are having on PSNI morale at the moment. Has she taken the opportunity to assess that morale, or is that just an operational matter or a matter for the Policing Board?”
“I thank the Minister for his remarks so far. Minister, what you describe sounds very much like a diversion of trade. Will you explain how that could possibly be seen by anybody in the House as the best of both worlds?”
“I thank the Member very much for giving way. In his remarks, will he address the fact that his deputy leader called for the full implementation of the protocol? Has his party's stance now changed?”
“I thank the Member very much for raising the trading issues. When we look at the statistics on the diversion of trade that came from Wales to the Republic of Ireland and on the diversion of trade that now comes to Northern Ireland, we have to be very cautious about quoting those figures in the Assembly. We need to have more detail and a greater understanding of what is happening. The idea of the diversion of trade, again, reads to the question of triggering article 16.”
“As an Assembly, will you join us, support the amendment and call for a properly thought-out, risk-based SPS — one that is not designed to penalise Northern Ireland consumers, but which seeks to prevent further trade diversion — an agreement that is grounded in the practicalities of our existing markets and logistic systems, and which allows for no or, at best, minimal barriers, North/South as well as east-west? We have a choice today; let us make it.”
“It is as absurd as having to have Northern Ireland treated as a foreign country within our own nation by an external organisation that has demonstrated that it is more interested in restricting our access to medicines, controlling our state aid rules and making orders about machinery standards, all the while pontificating that it is, somehow, beneficial and supportive of the Belfast Agreement, when it clearly is not.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. The question of "goods at risk" applies to all goods. This the issue: where is the risk now? Where is the risk to Northern Ireland sheep in Scotland? Where is the risk to pedigree cattle in Scotland going for market? Where is the risk of having multiple tags on ears or whatever it happens to be? Where is that risk? I see that the Agriculture Minister is here, and, no doubt, he will talk about this later. Where is the risk? Quite simply, there is not any. <BR /> <BR />Let me continue with my remarks. I was about to ask, "How absurd is that?". I say it again: how absurd, indeed, is the idea that there is any risk?”
“Not just at the moment. <BR /> <BR />Will Frontex, the EU frontier force, be stopping every Republic of Ireland-registered car at the border to check that their sausages and M&S fish pies are EU-compliant? <BR /> <BR />Yes, please.”
“It is not; it is part of the United Kingdom. To ease EU concerns, we would also like to see an indemnity for a breach of the single market, where the UK could undertake to indemnify the EU if it were found that Northern Ireland had been used to export non-compliant goods via the land border on the island of Ireland into the EU single market. These are sensible and limited measures that we should all be calling for. Are we really saying that cross-border shoppers from Sligo, Letterkenny and Dublin buying their groceries in Newry and Belfast threatens the very existence and integrity of the European Union? Of course not.”
“We propose that, based on risk, a bespoke SPS treaty between the UK and the European Union be created. A bespoke arrangement could eliminate much of the friction currently being experienced and include a labelling programme for goods coming from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, if the European Union is really so scared of cross-contamination. Quite simply, this would mean labelling products that are bound only for Northern Ireland and not for the EU single market as being, "For UK sale only". <BR /> <BR />We would create a specific criminal offence to knowingly export goods designed for the UK internal market into the EU single market. This would get us beyond the absurdity of the likes of Sainsbury's, which has no stores in the Irish Republic, having to apply rules and regulations as if Northern Ireland were a foreign country.”
“We achieve less than 0·02% of that combined GDP, which should show any unbiased or objective observer that the risk of goods, particularly agricultural goods, of any sort contaminating the single market was and is minute. <BR /> <BR />Furthermore, unlike food products coming from third countries such as in the Middle East and North Africa or Thailand or Kenya, these food products are coming from our own nation, a nation that has standards at the same level or, indeed, has better standards, especially in areas such as animal welfare and environmental standards, than much of the rest of the European Union. That is why we, as a party, urge that the principle of risk, rather than political ideology, be the foundation stone of whatever revised agreement comes after the protocol is confined to the very large dustbin of failed treaties.”
“The pernicious "best of both worlds" mantra that is used time and again does no one in Northern Ireland any good. The protocol is not sustainable and is not durable. <BR /> <BR />Our party has, time and time again, put forward practical solutions for how we deal with maintaining open borders across these islands. That, until recently, our proposals have been ignored and denigrated by the EU in general, and by Dublin in particular, has given us no pleasure. That many of our ideas have now worked their way into the UK Government's Command Paper and mirror thinking such as that of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) should, again, come as no surprise to those who want to see Northern Ireland work. Our proposals are based on the size of the Northern Ireland economy in relation to the total size of EU and UK GDP.”
“At the heart of the matter is a very simple premise. If Northern Ireland and the Belfast Agreement are truly the reason for the protocol, all the provisions of the 1998 agreement, North/South, and, particularly, east-west, must be met. The east-west dimension is not a "nice to have", an adjunct or an afterthought. For those of us who have been steadfast in our support of the Belfast Agreement and the institutions, it is the critical element that holds our support, and, above all, it is the core of the consent mechanism. <BR /> <BR />As Lord Trimble, architect of the peace agreement we now have, said today, there are times when Governments have to repudiate agreements that have been made — when they do not work. This is one of them. The fact that the protocol is not working should not be in any doubt to anyone.”
“I urge the Assembly to accept our amendment and to send a strong message to Brussels, London, Manchester and other European capitals that Northern Ireland should not continue to be used as a bargaining chip. As we heard elsewhere today, time is rapidly running out. Some 10 months after the imposition of the protocol on the people of Northern Ireland, it is well beyond the point that action should be taken. As stated today in another place, the protocol is:”
“Thank you very much indeed for those comments. The Economy Department, the Minister and the Committee should consider investigating the very high cost of connection in Northern Ireland. I do not think that anybody who is listening to this debate will be unaware of the differential in costings for that. The Economy Committee and, potentially, the Northern Ireland Audit Office should look at that. It is, quite frankly, uncompetitive. It will act as a drag to any efforts that we make to improve our green energy strategy.”
“Thank you very much indeed. My honourable friend from North Antrim is fully aware that the issue with battery storage is not necessarily that, but one of the problems is the stability of the grid. Producing battery storage, and the ability for microgeneration and the combined units to work together to provide that degree of stability, is a valuable addition to the grid and the system. You are paying not just for generation but for the stability of the system. Indeed, that is one of the most valuable lessons that we have learned from what is happening in the rest of the world. That could be a real role not only for microgeneration but for micro stability, which is part and parcel of the process and could be incentivised.”
“Thank you very much indeed for raising those points. I think that the answer is micro integration rather than microgeneration. Integrating the power supply with the storage capability as well as the generating capacity is — I hate to use the word holistic — a holistic approach. That is the direction in which the Danes in particular have gone, and I think that we should emulate that. Indeed, I hope that the Economy Committee will look on that approach very favourably when it looks at the clauses.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. It is also important that the Member recognises the importance of interconnectors, as, I am sure, many Members in the Chamber do. The interconnector between Wales and the Irish Republic is one of the reasons that the lights on the island have remained on. I am sure that the Member also welcomes the fact that, on 1 October, a new interconnector will be introduced, connecting Norway directly to the GB market. That shows that an all-islands approach to energy security is vital.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. He raises an interesting point about grid connection. Of course, there was a report by the Utility Regulator, particularly about SONI, that raised real concerns about the governance of how the major grid connector and part of that system works. Does the Member agree that, again, one of the things that we should urgently look at is the monopolistic position that NIE and SONI have?”
“If those things are incorporated — I see the Economy Minister listening — and elements of them get into the strategy and we start thinking seriously about how we regulate the energy system in Northern Ireland as we deal with the challenges of the climate emergency, we could be in a good place. Again, I thank Mr O'Dowd for bringing the Bill to the Floor.”
“If we have significant numbers of electric vehicles, we can plug ourselves in. However, NIE does not allow us to do that. We cannot turn our own cars into battery storage facilities to regenerate on the grid, because that is stopped by the monopoly supplier. It is absolutely ludicrous to be in the position of having technology ready but not doing anything about it. <BR /> <BR />This is very important legislation, and there are more aspects that we need to link into it. I encourage my friend the Chair of the Economy Committee to look specifically at the grid, grid connection, security of supply, synchronicity and how we can bring the storage element into the Bill.”
“We have had issues with wind turbines that have been operating with no load because there is no market for their energy. There is not a properly working integrated system. The Utility Regulator does not have the capacity to address that. <BR /> <BR />I support the Bill — and I am glad that Mr O'Dowd has brought it before the House — because it raises some very significant issues. It is not just about guaranteeing microgeneration and supply on the grid. It is about guaranteeing access to the grid. However, it is also about looking at where future technologies are taking us. It is about how, if necessary, we look at improvement of storage. My friend here has talked about electric vehicles. One of the easiest ways of storing renewable energy is, of course, on electric vehicles.”
“We can be certain that, when the sun is shining in the south-east of England, we will be under some kind of cloud. We need that degree of interconnectivity. One of the questions that we will have to ask is this: is the regulation system in Northern Ireland fit for purpose? Is it ready for the real challenges of the 21st century? Is it ready to deal with the very significant issues that we have? That has to be addressed in the Bill. <BR /> <BR />We cannot have microgeneration in a stovepipe. It must be interconnected with a smart-grid system that is effective enough to deal with the challenge of peaks and troughs of supply. If it is not, microgeneration will do no more than, in effect, go back into the area of subsidy-mining. We need to get away from that. We have had years of the impacts of subsidy mining.”
“The reason why the Danish system works effectively is because it has interconnection with a much wider system; it is not a market of six million people, but a market of between 30 million and 40 million people, including in particular Sweden, Norway, northern Germany and the Netherlands. <BR /> <BR />In fact, we have to also ask an important question about regulation in Northern Ireland. I am looking at the Minister here as well, because this is quite an important piece. Northern Ireland, in many respects, is too small to be able to effectively manage renewables and microgeneration. It has to be done on a sufficient scale to allow us to maintain the integrity of the grid. Put simply, if the wind is not blowing in the west of Ireland, you can be pretty sure it is blowing at the North Sea.”