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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“Minister, does that refer to your entire approach to helping the excluded of Northern Ireland, and when you say that you are going to get information out on Wednesday, can you give a specific guarantee that that information will come out on Wednesday, and, if it does not, will you consider your position, as you should do?”
“I thank the Minister very much for her comments. In her dossier that my previous friend from South Belfast alluded to, one of her officials — I do not think that she would have let this go out if she was a Minister herself, but maybe she would — it states:”
“I thank the Minister for his comments so far. I speak as someone who has had the flu vaccine and as a cancer survivor. One of the issues mentioned at my local GP surgery is that quite a few people do not turn up at their allotted time. Will the Minister help me in getting out the message that, if you are allotted a slot for a flu vaccine, you should make every effort to be there for that vital health measure, if you can?”
“With the First Minister and the deputy First Minister here, I ask you both to make a commitment now that you will not use the cross-community vote mechanism, particularly on health issues and issues that are of vital interest to the people of Northern Ireland? You are both here: you can make that commitment.”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for her statement. I echo the thanks that all of us in the Assembly owe our health service workers in what they do. <BR /> <BR />In the light of the disastrous example of so-called leadership and management shown by the Northern Ireland Executive last week, in particular the divisive, significant and controversial use of the cross-community vote, will she highlight how decisions, which should be based on the science and medical advice, will now be debated and delivered cooperatively, rather than having decisions based on the narrowest of narrow political expediency, a political expediency that has already reduced the people of Northern Ireland's faith in our institutions to a new low that even I thought was impossible.”
“Is the Minister willing to join with the Finance Minister to work together to get a bespoke package for Belfast International Airport so that it can get back to 24-hour operation for the good of everybody in Northern Ireland as soon as possible?”
“I thank the Minister for her comments and, indeed, her support for the aviation sector in Northern Ireland. As she is aware, Belfast International Airport is the only 24-hour operational airport in Northern Ireland, and it is not just a question of commercial aviation but a question of general aviation. It is about fixed-wing air ambulance support, about the PSNI and it has been available as an alternative diversionary airfield along the edge of the Atlantic as well, so it has significant implications. The fact that Northern Ireland does will not have a 24-hour operational airport will have a considerable impact, not just on our international reputation but on our ability to grow and maintain business going forward.”
“Dredging has been permitted in a very limited area of Lough Neagh. Does the Minister accept that, were we to import sand from elsewhere, even more significant environmental and economic damage would occur and add significant costs to the construction and manufacturing industries here?”
“The First Minister and the deputy First Minister wrote, on 5 November, to the European Commission and received a reply that was — for the Europeans — prompt but not very forthcoming. Will the First Minister update us on any further steps that the Executive Office is taking to ensure that we have security of our food supply?”
“I thank the Minister for his answers so far. Can he update the House on whether the delay in the founding of the RHI committee and its work has led to the delay in recruitment to senior positions, such as head of the Civil Service? I understand that, at the moment, we are also still waiting for new permanent secretaries to be appointed or to go through the process for Justice, Education and Economy.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee is generally supportive of the Minister's approach of seeking further flexibility from HM Treasury. However, Committee members want to ensure that any flexibility is used appropriately and only where absolutely necessary. I would appreciate the Minister's undertaking to keep the Committee fully informed of any developments as soon as they are known and updating it on any proposals that he may have to avail himself of such flexibility when the time comes. In the meantime, on behalf of the Committee for Finance, I support the Bill.”
“However, that money needs to be spent before the end of the financial year, which is a significant challenge for our Departments. <BR /> <BR />The Committee would like there to be a focus on improving the Executive's utilisation of the allocation of financial transactions capital (FTC). As the Chairperson of the Committee for Communities said during the Second Stage debate, the reclassification of registered housing associations will provide a much-needed opportunity to utilise more of our allocation, which we must do. Whilst this is to be welcomed, we need to recognise the need for a more sustainable strategy to maximise the opportunities that FTC can bring in delivering positive outcomes for our society. We have had this opportunity for a considerable time but not managed to utilise it effectively, at any stage.”
“That is not acceptable, particularly when the extended response time is taken into account and when the requested information should be easy for departmental financial divisions to access and, therefore, readily available to the Committee. We must do better. <BR /> <BR />As we look ahead to the remainder of the financial year, a key challenge will be the effective deployment of all available resources received through our normal settlement and the additional COVID-19 funding to ensure that it is focused on the areas of most need and where it can bring the greatest benefit. We are aware of the additional £400 million of Barnett consequentials that came within the last two weeks and, added to likely outcomes, that shows the ability to have up to £0·5 billion available.”
“It is, therefore, disappointing to note that, to date, responses have been received from only five of our nine Departments. The remaining four Departments did not provide a suitable reason for the delay, request an extension or acknowledge that the deadline had been missed. <BR /> <BR />I take this opportunity to recognise the efforts of the Departments that have furnished the Committee with the information within the requested timescale. However, I will also highlight the Departments with outstanding responses. Whereas the Department of Health can be forgiven for not necessarily having its responses through in time, I cannot believe that the Executive Office, the Department for Communities and the Department of Justice have any excuse whatsoever.”
“We also need commitments from Departments, Committees, the Executive and the Assembly to adhere to that process to enable us to participate fully in providing a timely, open and transparent financial process that lends itself to full accountability for the expenditure of public finances. <BR /> <BR />The Committee is interested in the role of arm's-length bodies and their financial accountability, responsibility and reporting procedures. At the Committee's meeting on 7 October 2020, it agreed to seek details of all bids that had been submitted by Departments during this financial year. The response date was extended to four weeks to take account of the recess period, and Departments were asked to provide this information by 6 November — last Friday.”
“I note the First Minister's remarks today when she said that a paper on a fiscal council has not yet come before the Executive. <BR /> <BR />I will move to the outcome of the review of the financial process being conducted by the Department of Finance and the MOUs being developed between the Department and the Committee for Finance. That process seeks to provide a single consistent approach to requesting, presenting and analysing budgetary information to support the scrutiny role of the Assembly. Of course, a memorandum of understanding can be put in place only on an agreed process.”
“The review needs to be complemented by a memorandum of understanding (MOU), which aims to safeguard the information sought by the Assembly when undertaking its scrutiny. That work is continuing and will require consideration by the Executive and the Assembly once the draft procedures are developed, worked through and reflected in a draft version of the memorandum of understanding. <BR /> <BR />During the Second Stage debate, my Committee colleague Matthew O'Toole highlighted the need for long-term improvements to our Budget process, which should be underpinned by internationally recognised key principles. At various times, the Committee has heard about the need to move towards a fiscal council, and we need details about that sooner rather than later.”
“These are the now quite infamous black box items. Whilst acknowledging the Minister's recognition of the inconsistency during the debate, it serves as a reminder to us all that scrutiny adds real value and, therefore, requires all Committees to question, probe and challenge existing processes and practices to improve transparency and drive improvements to ensure high levels of accountability. <BR /> <BR />However, for that to be a continual process, reform of our existing systems needs to be delivered through initiatives such as the Department of Finance's current review of the financial process, which aims to provide a simplified read-across of the information in the Budget, Estimates and accounts.”
“I thank the Minister for his comments so far. As previously outlined, the Bill makes provision for the balance of cash and resources required to reflect the departmental spending plans in the 2020-21 Main Estimates. As I indicated during the previous debate, the Committee agreed, under Standing Order 42(2), to grant accelerated passage to the Budget Bill on the basis of having been consulted appropriately on the expenditure provisions in the Bill. As we progress through this mandate, it is important that all Departments engage constructively with the Assembly Committees, particularly in relation to budgetary matters. <BR /> <BR />As I alluded to during the Second Stage debate, the Committee identified an inconsistency of approach by the Department of Finance surrounding the approvals for spending under sole authority.”
“Did you raise that issue at the British-Irish Council?”
“I thank the First Minister for her remarks, particularly those on the British-Irish Council. Did she and the deputy First Minister take the opportunity to raise the implications of the withdrawal agreement and the letter that both Ministers sent to the vice president of the European Commission the day before? In particular, if I may quote:”
“Let us try to help them rather than hinder them. I commend the motion to the House.”
“<BR /> <BR />We are also proposing a new Programme for Government for next April — a programme that, at best, has a year to run. Anyone who believes that we should be advocating another tome of 42 outcomes and hundreds of subclauses does not think that that is a good idea. As we attempt to pull ourselves back together, as our companies come out of the furlough period, we need to be able to work on that. We should go back to creating and delivering a strategy that works. <BR /> <BR />Minister, let us commit to putting our economy, especially our workers, first. Let us create a Programme for Government that has two or three deliverables that work, particularly towards the economy. Let us listen to our businesses, workers and unions, and, where we can, let us get cash and resources to those who need them.”
“<BR /> <BR />We also need to change the culture of the Civil Service. The fact that the acting permanent secretary of the Economy Department thought that it is probably OK for some firms to fail because they would have failed anyway is beyond reprehensible. As we have said many times, right now, businesses need cash. They do not need more consultants to tell them the time with their own watch. They need help, and they need it now. <BR /> <BR />I also want to talk about the excluded and why it is important that we utilise some of the remaining half a billion pounds, which will go back to Treasury if we do not spend it, to help them. We all know who they are and why we need to help them. The question is this: what is holding the Department back? We have had eight months to build a support package for them, so why have we not done so?”
“<BR /> <BR />Regrettably, none of those objectives has been achieved, but we as a party would argue strongly that each of those issues remains germane, and, at the height of the COVID pandemic, even more appropriate. We are faced with a manufacturing industry that is disappearing, never to return, unless action is taken now. We need to take additional measures. <BR /> <BR />With the global downturn, we have to preserve as much as we can in some sectors, such as aerospace. That needs pressure from our Government to award contracts, especially from the Ministry of Defence, and to allow new and emerging areas of technology to be pushed ahead. We will also have to work closely with employers and unions to see if we can be more innovative in the use of business-support grants and loans.”
“Three years ago, in a cross-cutting manufacturing strategy, we asked for a commitment to provide investment funding for Northern Ireland companies rather than a focus on FDI; the creation of a strategic investment culture that wants to invest for the long and medium term, rather than short-termism or, worse, subsidy mining; competitive energy prices with efficient utilities and an electricity market and regulator that works for the customer; the nurturing of our education sector, particularly by building our R&D base through helping to promote STEM, and to stop disinvesting in our universities; a longer-term commitment on derating and the simplifying and speeding up of planning rules and regulations; and, above all, the placing of prosperity based on manufacturing at the centre of our Programme for Government.”
“The fact that companies have managed to do that in the face of what, over the past decade or so, has been a studied disinterest from government in much of what they do, a banking sector that is more interested in fuelling property speculation, and a rating system, coupled with a monopolistic energy supplier, that has sapped the desire for growth, is testament to what they could, and should, achieve. <BR /> <BR />In reviewing what we asked for three years ago, it is worth reiterating the main points and asking whether they are still appropriate.”
“While much has changed in manufacturing over the past 100 years, with reductions in shipbuilding and the development of man-made fibres, machinery and machine tools, elements of manufacturing have remained, and, indeed, thrived. They have done that by understanding fully their markets, finding niche technologies that they can utilise, building on a skilled and adaptable workforce and tapping into a higher and further education sector that can refresh ideas.”
“It came from those who were fully invested in what they were doing and were unafraid to make difficult choices and sacrifices. However, that spirit of entrepreneurship has been hindered rather than nurtured. With all the crises that our economy has faced, it has now been saddled with the twin impacts of COVID and an uncertain post-Brexit world.”
“For that, rather than disinvesting in the higher and further education sectors, we needed to join with them to create that spark, desire and ecosystem of entrepreneurship that we had here at the turn of the last century. <BR /> <BR />That was when Belfast and its surrounding areas were an industrial and technological powerhouse. We had the combined push of academia, banking, business and politicians, who joined together to make Ulster the economic hub that it was. It was that synergy, which, quite frankly, did not come from politicians, that created a successful economy.”
“<BR /> <BR />We first raised the issue three years ago, when, in the Assembly, we debated with the then Economy Minister, who has gone on to pastures new, that we needed to spend approximately 2% of R&D on manufacturing. We needed to seek angel seed funding, create a start-up nation culture and build on our acknowledged areas of global expertise; areas that we could help to nurture to get us to that goal of 20% manufacturing. We then wanted a change in the culture of how Invest Northern Ireland focused on bringing business in, but needed to shift towards incubating small and medium-sized sectors to allow them to grow. We also wanted the economy to be fully driven by our greatest natural resource: our people.”
“Before I enter into my remarks on the motion, I wish to express my sympathy with the 700 workers who will shortly lose their jobs with Caterpillar in Larne, and also those many manufacturing workers who have lost their jobs in the bus and coach building sector, aerospace, high-tech low-volume fabrication, the maritime outfitting and repair sectors, agribusiness support, and, indeed, all those who, until recently, supported what was a growing, agile and adaptive manufacturing base, which contributed about 14% of GDP and which has — I use the future tense — hopefully, to grow much larger, to 20% or even beyond, but can do so only if it is given the right support.”
“Thank you very much indeed, Minister. Will she, as part of the celebrations that will be undertaken next year for our 100th anniversary, encourage the university, as part of its badly needed outreach to the unionist community, to set up an endowed chair for the study of unionism and its contribution to Northern Ireland? It would be particularly apposite if it were named after Edgar Graham.”
“I thank the Minister for her answers. The Minister will be aware that one of the things that the Conference of Parties (COP) 26 later this month will look closely at is the move towards decarbonisation. What conversations has she had with the Welsh and Scottish Governments? This could be a great opportunity for all regional Governments in the United Kingdom to come together to ban fracking.”
“If anybody doubts that COVID is real or doubts the impact that it is having, they should try to get into A & E or try to talk to the 30 or 40, maybe more, people who are waiting to be admitted to wards. This is not a normal circumstance; this is not a normal situation. When we look at and talk about the regulations and about how we are trying to get them agreed, we listen to concerns about them not being laid in time, our having to wait for 28 days before we get them and all the rest of it. Let us take ourselves out of here and look at what is happening with the healthcare professionals and listen to them. Whatever we do, we must do it to help defeat COVID. <BR /> <BR />Mr Deputy Speaker, that takes me to 1.58 pm and one second.”
“That means that we should not be going to funerals that we should not be at, and our MPs should not be mouthing out behind the scenes and putting out falsehoods. We must get behind the advice of our Chief Scientific Officer, our Chief Medical Officer and our Health Minister, as well as the advice of the whole Executive. Things are not helped by poor messaging and leaking. Let us work closely together to sort this issue out and to make it happen. <BR /> <BR />Finally, but not least, I want to talk about our NHS. South Antrim has one of the best hospitals in Northern Ireland, and some of my constituents have been making sterling efforts to ensure that we are able to fight our way through the COVID pandemic.”
“If we add that to the potential projections that the Finance Minister has already looked at, it is half a billion of support from our country — from our Treasury — that we have to spend by the end of the financial year. What is our Economy Minister doing about that? We have already seen the Communities and Finance Departments make efforts to do something, but here we are, after close on eight months, and some of our excluded companies still have not had any financial support, even though it is there. What are we doing about it? <BR /> <BR />That is something that we need to address, because one of the things that we must do for all of the people in Northern Ireland, if we are to have an effective health message and an effective message for dealing with COVID, is to realise that we all need to be in it together.”
“I would also like the leaks to stop, because it seems a bit strange that I find out more from the BBC about what is going on in the Executive and what is likely to come out than from Ministers or, indeed, from our own processes. I would like the junior Minister to address that. To ensure that people are aware of it, I want to point out that I have also raised the matter at the party leaders' forum, because we must be able to have effective government. <BR /> <BR />The decisions are for the entire Executive. Some issues need to be addressed, particularly for the excluded and businesses. They must feel that they are being supported and that people are listening to them. Last week, we received Barnett consequentials of another £400 million.”
“<BR /> <BR />Here we are, being asked on behalf of the Executive — it is an Executive decision by all the Ministers round that table — for these rules and regulations to be brought in, even though most of them will be superseded fairly shortly. I would also like the junior Minister to update us — indeed, I agree with the Chairperson of the Committee for the Executive Office — because, due to the flow of messaging and information, we seem to find out more about it in the media. We have not quite got to the point where we hear about everything on Twitter, but, at the moment, as a Member, I would like to get information in the Assembly first.”
“Everybody wants to have at least 28 days to consider them. Indeed, as Chairperson of the Finance Committee, I can say that we would be delighted to get the information that comes to us ahead of time. Most of the Committee Chairpersons here would be delighted if we managed to get that information, did not have to push through with accelerated passage, and had a timely flow of information. For once, however, particularly in this area and in the rapidly changing environment, the Department of Health and the Executive have an excuse. We did not expect to have a second wave, even though we knew that, if we did not follow all the precautions, it could come back. Regrettably, it has.”
“I think that all Members would wish to welcome the opportunities that have come from the biotech industry and, in particular, our own pharma-sector and universities, which have been involved in many of those trials. We wish to support them fully so that they can succeed as quickly as possible. <BR /> <BR />The key issue about the regulations is that they are decided by the Executive. I am glad that the junior Minister is here, because it is up to all members of the Executive, collectively, to come together and make the best case that we can to defeat the virus. Despite the fact that there may be a vaccine on the way, we need to be in a position to defeat the virus and make that clear. <BR /> <BR />Nobody wants to see regulations coming before the Assembly that have already been passed.”
“Normally, I am accused of a degree of verbosity, but not on this occasion. <BR /> <BR />Right now, we have a serious situation in which more than 1,000 deaths from COVID-19 have been recorded in Northern Ireland. That is not a statistic; it is a tragedy. It is a tragedy for all those in Northern Ireland who have been affected by it. Often, we have been concerned about a lack of hope. However, with the results from the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine trials showing an effectiveness of, potentially, up to 90%, I do hope, as the Deputy Chairperson of the Committee said, that we have now reached a turning point. Equally, when we look at AstraZeneca and the other companies that are working on it, I hope that we can now begin to see light at the end of the tunnel.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I intend to finish by 2.00 pm, so you should not have that problem whatsoever.”
“We also believe that he needs to take strong leadership on COVID. Getting to the point where we are able to deal with COVID from an international perspective is one of the massive challenges and problems that the president-elect will have to deal with. <BR /> <BR />Finally, on behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party and, I hope, all Members, we wish the new president-elect the best. We are very pleased to see the new vice president-elect coming into position. Hopefully, she truly has managed to break through the glass ceiling, because it is well beyond time that that happened in the United States.”
“<BR /> <BR />We welcome the fact that, when the president-elect takes up his position, the United States will sign up to the Paris Accord again. Dealing with climate change is significant.”
“The United States has much to do to restore the faith of the international system in where it is coming from. He has significant challenges, and he needs friends in the international system to do that. Given the issues in Turkey, Armenia, Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Venezuela and Cuba, one of the most significant issues that he will have to deal with is that of security — even before he has to deal with Russia and China. He needs friends in the international system. He needs friends who bring real, hard power to the equation. We have to realise that the United States has a massive security challenge. What we, particularly in the United Kingdom, want to see is the United States renewing its commitment to NATO and renewing its commitment to security across the international system.”
“The Ulster Unionist Party welcomes the election of President-elect Biden and Kamala Harris. I need to start with a declaration of interest: 50% of my family are particularly happy that this result has come to the fore after three or four quite nervous days leading up to it. <BR /> <BR />This is a significant time for us in the Assembly as we look to a change of Administration in the United States. One thing that we know about the new president-elect is that he has at least read the Belfast Agreement. One of the most appropriate things is that he understands that not only do we not want a North/South border but we do not want an east-west border, which would undermine the Belfast Agreement just as much. <BR /> <BR />When Joe Biden takes over the presidency in January, he will have to lead a deeply divided nation.”
“That would cost a significant amount, however, bearing in mind that, according to the shared island unit, approximately €500 million is supposed to be available for North/South infrastructure, one of the things that we should be using some of that money for is a proper investment strategy to look at how we are able to develop our rail links and communication links along those lines. <BR /> <BR />I am about to finish my remarks, however, since we are talking about trains, somebody did say to me, rather unfairly, that I look a bit like the Fat Controller from 'Thomas the Tank Engine'. To Members from my party, I say that I have now won the bet. Thank you very much indeed. We do need the investment in rail.”
“Indeed, one of the things that we should be looking at is where we can get some kinds of synergy between the Northern Ireland rail network and the rest of the rail network on this island. <BR /> <BR />We should also be looking at our existing trackbed before it disappears completely, and we should look at the opportunities to open up to Armagh and, potentially, Dungannon. That would give us an increased link and improve commuter links in and out of Belfast. We need to be able to spread this about as much as we can. Indeed, that might be a better opportunity to open up to the west. <BR /> <BR />I am surprised that the Member from Foyle did not mention the opportunity of extending the rail link further out towards Letterkenny and the improvements that there might be if that were able to be done.”
“This might sound strange coming from the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, but I believe very strongly in all-islands communication. I also believe that considerable investment needs to be put into the Belfast to Dublin rail link, but the most important part of that investment needs to be put into the area south of Drogheda that goes into Dublin around the Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) line. We need to lay a new trackbed, and that new trackbed will be extremely expensive. That has to come on an all-island basis to look at how we get a proper and effective rail system. Many people think that Irish Rail, CIÉ and the rest of it are some kind of paragons of virtue, but they have significant infrastructure problems themselves.”