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, many people are now calling out the establishment of this working group for what it was: a political whitewash that provided a convenient escape for the DUP when it needed one. Will the Minister try to restore some of the rapidly waning confidence in this report by, at least, giving us an anticipated timescale? How long will it take her and the Justice Minister and the Executive to be able to form an opinion? We are very interested to hear.”
“In view of the awful figures that we hear from Antrim Area Hospital, can the Minister — given the recent media reports on the lengthening of waiting list times — explain how massaging targets to match the poor performance of her Department is beneficial to the near quarter of a million cases on our waiting lists?”
“The Minister may wish to consider seeking a separate TEF panel for Northern Ireland — that has already been mentioned — to ensure the integrity of the devolved status of our higher education policy.”
“As a party, we will not be supporting the LCM. That is based on the work that we have already done in other places and other Houses on looking at this, specifically because of three key issues. I know that the Minister has gone a long way to trying to address the issues and provide clarity, but the Open University's concerns about the need for the Bill to work for students of all ages and backgrounds is the key issue that we need to look at. We also want the Minister to do more than just provide clarity and assurance that the participation of the local higher education institutions in taking the teaching excellence framework will not lead to award outcomes being linked to tuition fee levels. Again, that is of considerable concern to the university sector here.”
“I thank the Minister for his comments, but, of course, one of the big issues we have is that the grid at the moment can manage only 55% of synchronous electricity. Going forward, we would need to boost that to somewhere close to 75%, and there is no technology globally anywhere that can do that. Could the Minister comment on that?”
“I will be very brief. I ask the Member to reflect on the fact that some of our major energy users, including Michelin, cited high energy costs as one of the reasons for not being in Northern Ireland and on the fact that we now have major concerns about large energy users going off-grid.”
“What is your view, therefore, about being able to keep the necessary requirements to have green energy at the required levels, bearing in mind the potential of Brexit?”
“I thank the Member for her comments. One of the concerns that we have is that you have mentioned a lot of things about EU directives and directives to look at energy requirements and the rest of it, but your other party in Government is not committed to any of these EU directives going forward.”
“— storage projects. You need to ensure that there are no more examples of colossal renewables negligence. Above all, you need to maintain the security of supply, keep the cost down and provide export routes for our energy providers. <BR /> <BR />There is no doubt that, from whatever quarter, and from the Minister himself, there is a strong acknowledgement that our energy system is struggling. There is no clear direction, and it is beset by challenges — challenges that we as an Opposition understand that you are seeking to address, despite a lack of Executive unanimity of purpose. <BR /> <BR />We therefore call on the Assembly to support the motion and encourage the Minister to implement rapidly an energy policy that delivers for Northern Ireland, now and for the next 30 years.”
“<BR /> <BR />We as an Opposition are for renewables, especially those provided by our excellent local companies, but as part of an energy mix that supports energy efficiency, maintains security and delivers energy at a cost that sustains our economic growth rather than penalises energy users. <BR /> <BR />Finally, Minister, I do not envy you your task ahead. Above all else, for the future of Northern Ireland, you have to grasp hold of a Department that has proven to be unfit for purpose. You have to persuade your Sinn Féin colleagues that burying the North/South interconnector will kill the project stone dead and, in effect, make the I-SEM unworkable. You need to prevent your colleague the Minister of Agriculture supporting unrealistic economics. You need to avoid carrying the can for blue skies — should I say salty brine?”
“We would welcome from the Executive an early statement committing them to the commissioning of the interconnector by 2020. To echo the view of the Utility Regulator last week, there is no plan B. <BR /> <BR />Thirdly, the Executive must clearly signal to the regulator that we must drive our energy costs down — down towards the average level of that for all consumers in GB and the Republic of Ireland — and indicate clearly to our generators and renewal providers that we need to drive the cost of subsidy down and then, if possible, out. We need a Northern Ireland energy business that is not dependent on costly subsidy or Horizon 2020 grants or that is being forced to maintain a decarbonisation strategy out of step with the rest of the United Kingdom.”
“Given the amount of reports, papers from Committee meetings and Hansard transcripts we have, we could use them as an alternative fuel for all our biomass boilers, incidentally saving us several millions. We know what needs to be done. The Executive must affirm their commitment to the I-SEM and ensure that, post-Brexit, its provisions are maintained and that the model itself is instituted in 2017, as planned. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, in view of the importance of the I-SEM, and the critical importance of the interconnector, the lack of a clear and unambiguous message from the Minister, and the Minister for Infrastructure, on why the interconnector must be built, and on time, is a major worry — to energy suppliers and distributors as well as our economy.”
“Indeed, any delays to the North/South interconnector will put at risk our energy supply unless we make an expensive agreement with our conventional coal and gas generators. We have the majority of our conventional generating capacity being decommissioned by 2021, yet there is no urgency to make sure that we do not enter our second century in Northern Ireland with the real possibility that we will be suffering from brownouts or even worse. That is not the message any of us wish to send about Northern Ireland plc, especially to eventual investors, but it is more than an unfortunate or inconvenient truth. <BR /> <BR />What should be done? No more studies; it is time for action.”
“As I am sure the Minister is aware, wind energy is not free, and the costs of distribution and capacity baseload matching are significant and are often in considerable excess of the costs of conventional generation. The last thing we want, in addition to the DUP's annual £300 million lack-of-oversight own goal, is our consumers picking up renewable costs for the 45% of the energy that we cannot use. However, without a route to export in order to achieve any form of system balancing across Ireland, that is precisely what our Government will be doing. <BR /> <BR />That is why we need the 420kV North/South interconnector and the I-SEM to make it effective. That is critical.”
“That is all very laudable, but, bearing in mind that our total requirement is a maximum of 1,800MW and that our grid can only manage, with very judicious balancing, 55% capacity, many are perplexed by the rush towards wind energy installation and by how we can afford a system of generation that can only deliver just over half of its capacity. How, in view of that, can we help sustain our local renewable industry? <BR /> <BR />I was heartened to hear the Minister state in the Assembly that all of the renewable capacity that is due to be installed will be connected to the grid and that all its generation would be usable, although he was careful not to imply that it would be connected by 31 March or any other time.”
“We have a significant energy-from-waste scheme being proposed, the economics of which are, at best, uncertain. It should be a matter of concern that, despite the lessons from the renewable heat incentive scandal, we have the Agriculture Minister offering to recommend the provision of financial support to help offset additional costs potentially over the next quarter-century lifespan of the project. I am sure that we would all be interested in hearing the Minister for the Economy and the Minister of Finance's views on that. <BR /> <BR />In addition, we have a grid that is at capacity for renewable energy, which stands at 24%, or 846MW, of our energy mix. We are busily installing another 17·8%, 720MW, by the end of March next year, and we are looking to install another 500MW by 2020.”
“<BR /> <BR />Before we get into the detail, let us say up front that we need from the Executive an energy policy that delivers three practical things: the integrated single electricity market (I-SEM), the North/South interconnector and an effective delivery mechanism with no more renewable heat scandals. <BR /> <BR />It is also worth pointing out, for the record, some of the challenges. First, the Minister must acknowledge that his Department has failed spectacularly for every taxpayer in Northern Ireland. We have been witness to the renewable heat incentive scheme debacle, which will cost us £30 million a year and potentially over £1 billion in total. No Minister or civil servant is seemingly responsible for that. We may be about to repeat that debacle.”
“In the report's 24 recommendations, there is, in the carefully worded prose, an underlying and clear message that there are issues around cost, security of supply, the avoidance of excessive policy bill being attached to renewable targets and obligations, the need to build the North/South interconnector, the need for a plan to support the grid and future grid requirements, and uncertainty over the delivery of a secure and sustainable electricity system. <BR /> <BR />I am sure we all agree that, with their recommendation, the Executive should provide long-term policy certainty by developing a clear, consistent, long-term energy and decarbonisation strategy for Northern Ireland by 2030. Although the absence of any actions being taken by the Department and of a stand-alone outcome in the Programme for Government raises obvious concerns.”
“I rise to move the motion on one of the most important issues affecting all of us in Northern Ireland — our energy affordability and security. I welcome the Minister for the Economy's commitment yesterday to having an open discussion. Throughout the debate, I hope that we will be able to find a consensus view on the urgent need for a coherent energy policy that will set the agenda for the next decade and beyond. <BR /> <BR />Be in no doubt of this: there is no point in pretending that all is well with our energy situation. The report published by the Executive's ministerial energy and manufacturing advisory group, chaired by Dr David Dobbin, in March 2016, states that:”
“I thank the Minister for his comments. I would like him to outline what engagement he plans to have with the Minister for the Economy and the Minister of Finance, because there is a significant shortfall in funding in the area, and it is an area that we specifically need to look at.”
“Thank you very much indeed. <BR /> <BR />This is the question: how will we ensure that many of the Northern Ireland companies that will pay this tax, particularly the ones that have the majority of their business in Great Britain, will not decide to move their headquarters and training there because they see this as very much a case of double taxation?”
“Wait for it. How does he envisage that our companies will not be penalised —”
“Despite the considerable disquiet among Northern Ireland businesses about the shortfall in skills training —”
“I thank the Minister for his comments so far. A lot of the questions have been answered, but one of the things that many of the companies that I have been talking to and that you have been talking to —”
“Page 25 of the Programme for Government makes it clear that Northern Ireland goes into energy deficit by 2020. Is there any commitment to an early explicit statement by the Executive that the integrated single energy market is being pushed forward vigorously and the North/South interconnector will be built?”
“I thank the Minister for his comments so far. Thank you very much indeed for the U-turn; it is excellent. One of the issues that I would like to raise and ask a question on is that, obviously, the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, the CBI and virtually every business organisation in Northern Ireland see this as a vital piece of infrastructure. This is not a question of infrastructure for Belfast, it is for all of Northern Ireland and, indeed, all of Ireland north of Drogheda. Will the Minister, when he is putting together his priorities, ensure that the York Street interchange is up there with the A6, the A5 and the other priorities?”
“I apologise to the Minister; I meant eight large outdoor activity centres rather than the overall number. <BR /> <BR />With regard to your answer, one of the questions that we have to ask on the identified savings of £1·5 million is whether there are specific areas that you are looking to use those savings from. Like some of the other activities that we are doing, are you looking to use those for things like adventurous training, leadership and teamwork and how can we do that?”
“Thank you very much indeed. As we all know, the Atlantic stretches all the way to Ballycastle and Torr Head. That is what we should be doing; we should promote the extension of the Wild Atlantic Way along that way. <BR /> <BR />We should commend Tourism Northern Ireland's desire to increase the market to £1 billion per annum. If we are to do that and support that growing investment, we need to help Tourism Northern Ireland. As part of the strategy, we need to resource it adequately.”
“I too would be delighted if the Assembly formally recognised his fantastic success. <BR /> <BR />We also have to ensure that our cultural landscape is supportive and attracts major visitor numbers. I particularly note events such as the Belfast Tattoo, Ulster-Scots events in Glenarm, arts festivals, literary events and the great work that has gone on in Londonderry, as well as the new visitor centre celebrating Seamus Heaney in Bellaghy. We need to effectively promote all our sports and cultural events and tourism, so let us make sure that we appropriately invest in the promotion of brand Northern Ireland. It is noteworthy that the Irish tourism authorities spend many multiples of Tourism Northern Ireland's budget; indeed, the budget for the Wild Atlantic Way alone is much more than what we do to promote Northern Ireland tourism.”
“It would be remiss of me not to mention the great Mossley, Parkgate and Randalstown hockey teams of my constituency of South Antrim. Then there is the sporting prowess exemplified by our international sports stars, Olympians and Paralympians. This does not just imply the promotion and support of sports in schools and our communities but having the facilities for our sports, whether through our planners ensuring that globally significant road races such as the Ulster Grand Prix are not penalised by unwelcome graveyard developments or having suitable venues to attract major sporting events. <BR /> <BR />In mentioning the Ulster Grand Prix and as a proud Ballyclarian, I would also like to put on record again my delight in Jonathan Rea's being crowned World Superbike champion.”
“I support the motion and the amendment and add our support to Tourism Northern Ireland and to other bodies as we seek to grow Northern Ireland as one of the key niche sporting and cultural tourism destinations in the world. <BR /> <BR />Whether it is large, medium or small sporting events or cultural events, helping to promote those events or benefiting from the wider positive image these activities sell of Northern Ireland plc as a great place to visit, to invest and to live in, our brand is something that we must build up, cherish and guard from being undermined by other competitors, either here on this island or further afield. We have much to be proud of: our strong sporting links to golfing, motorcycling, cycling, equestrianism, rugby, football, GAA, sailing, swimming, athletics and hockey.”
“I thank the Minister for those comments. In the Ministry of Defence, there is normally a continuous attitudes survey that samples the views of key staff. Is there a continuous attitudes survey amongst prison officers, and, if so, as part of that, has there been any indication of how many staff are seeking early retirement?”
“I would like the Speaker to rule on whether the First Minister and the Economy Minister misled the House yesterday by their comments in which they stated that EU bureaucrats were responsible for the ending of the United flights from Belfast to the United States. However, it has now come to our attention that the EU Commission did not make any ruling on this issue and that it was the Executive and the airline that made the decision instead. I would like a ruling on that.”
“Will the Minister seek to publish the payment guidelines and the timing of major payments across government that are made within 30, 60 and 90 days? I understand that that is practice in GB, and it would go a long way to helping people to understand whether Government are making prompt payments and further payments downstream.”
“I thank the Minister for his comments. I am sure that the Minister, with me, would be considerably concerned about the impact that this is having on the airport and Northern Ireland's reputation. My specific question is around who raised the issue with the EU Commission. Going forward, one of the things that we have considerable concern about is what is increasingly being seen to be a Dublin Airport Authority cartel and the attempts to stifle Northern Ireland air traffic. Does the Minister agree with me that what we need to be looking at doing as part of a revised strategy is the removal of air passenger duty, improving the communication links to the airport and doing something about that unfair competition?”
“I thank the First Minister for her answers so far. What assessments have been made of how other non-EU countries engage with Brussels and the EU institutions, and what lessons is she drawing regarding our Brussels bureau post-March 2019?”
“I call on the Minister to publish all the payment guidelines for all our Departments and shame those that pay beyond the 30-day mark, and he should let us know how many of our companies are still waiting on payment 30, 60 and 90 days beyond. <BR /> <BR />I believe that, if we, in supporting this motion, were to follow the above three key points, we would be able to offer practical support for all our SMEs.”
“The Government must have a role in encouraging improved access to responsible borrowing, but they should also ensure that the SME sector is not penalised and disincentivised by some of the many predatory debt-recovery actions that are state subsidised and that largely state-owned banks have in the past followed. <BR /> <BR />Finally, it should be a matter of great regret for us to say this, but we should also take the lead in making sure that we encourage prompt payment to all our small and medium-sized businesses. It should be a matter of shame that some of the worst payers are our own Departments and councils. Indeed, whilst many companies have to build in 90-day payment receipts to large multinationals, it is ridiculous that we, including, I dare say, many of the Executive Departments, are taking more than 90 days to pay.”
“<BR /> <BR />We also urgently need to investigate the cost of logistics in Northern Ireland; the cost of sea freight, which is some of the most expensive in Europe; the cost of air travel and the state of our roads. I, along with the FSB, chambers of commerce, NIIRTA, the CBI and virtually everybody else, with the exception of the Infrastructure Minister, would like to see some of that £77·5 million that the Finance Minister identified today going towards the York Street interchange. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, we need to encourage our banks to pass on the quantitative easing that they have received and make bank lending affordable and accessible again to our SMEs.”
“First, taking a leaf out of the Economy Minister's Germany visit, let us listen to the sector, the unions, the key business groups and, indeed, the DUP's Conservative partners. Let us create an all-embracing manufacturing strategy that addresses the impediments to all businesses. Businesses that need a proper, cross-cutting government approach that cuts out red tape. Let us reduce the cost of doing business. Let us do things like protecting small business rates relief, and let us sort out, as Mr Storey said, once and for all, our sclerotic planning process. Our best should not be 54 weeks but, rather, the 11 to 12 weeks that the leading council areas in England have.”
“I rise, as every Member of this Assembly should, to support this motion. Northern Ireland is, above all, an economy built on our small and medium-sized companies, farms, independent traders and the self-employed. The SME sector, as has already been pointed out, employs more people than all the large firms and the public sector combined. SMEs comprise over three quarters of all public-sector turnover. The sector, above all, is innovative, is ambitious and has vision. According to a recent Federation of Small Business survey, 80% of SMEs are looking to grow. <BR /> <BR />So how can we help them to grow further? There are three key areas that we can put forward to help this vital sector.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer so far. Fujitsu is talked about, and he mentioned possible opportunity as well as challenge in its Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and UK operations. Will the Minister seek, along with Invest NI, to work closely with Fujitsu to grow specific sectors in Northern Ireland? I am thinking particularly about fintech and cybersecurity, which are areas that we have strength and resonance in.”
“I thank the Minister for her remarks so far. Is she aware that there is a great deal of anger amongst many young farmers about their applications and what they see as unwarranted checks on paperwork? Will she explain why her Department waited so long and so close to the issuing of this year's payments before contacting young farmers and asking them for the appropriate documentation?”
“I am sure, Minister, it is not down to your ignorance; I imagine that if it was brought before you, you would be fully aware of it. Will the Minister make representation to the Home Secretary to ascertain whether any of the £9 billion that belonged to the Libyan regime and is being sequestered in the UK can be used to compensate victims of IRA violence? The IRA used, and republican terrorists still are using, weapons and explosives provided by the Gaddafi regime.”
“I apologise for getting it slightly wrong earlier. <BR /> <BR />Given recent high-profile cases, including that of Hazel Stewart, in which, allegedly, over £600,000 has been spent on legal aid, does the Minister agree that more must be done to restore public confidence in the legal aid system?”
“May I ask the Minister of Justice for an update — sorry.”
“We cannot continue with the current failing approach; we need to evolve our cancer care rapidly. We encourage our Health Minister to adopt, at the earliest opportunity, our policies for cancer education and early cancer screening, which are set out in our cancer care document dated March 2016. As added benefits, they would also help boost the position of our great universities and companies and would be truly transformational for all our citizens by providing more effective treatment for patients already suffering from cancer and, more importantly, by enabling us to prevent cancers from presenting or reoccurring.”
“Furthermore — as an MLA for South Antrim I cannot resist it — in Randox we have a great company that is implementing testing procedures to identify people at risk and the early stages of the disease. It is significantly boosting our global exports while it is at it, especially to the US, where it has achieved over £1 billion in sales this year. Unbelievably, Randox cannot sell any of its services to the health services in Northern Ireland. Those testing approaches may result in real benefits but I and many in Northern Ireland cannot understand why, with globally leading research centres and one of the globally leading diagnostic companies based here, the Health Minister is reluctant to take the initiative and set up a properly resourced cross-Northern Ireland cancer education and early cancer screening process.”
“<BR /> <BR />As a party, we have called for a cancer strategy for Northern Ireland that is primarily based on prevention and on early diagnosis. The need for education and changes in people's lifestyles, with a healthier approach to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, is well recognised. However, it is to an approach to early detection that I wish to turn. <BR /> <BR />I welcome Mr Poots's earlier statements on Queen's University. Its Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology is a globally leading research centre. As well as looking at specific treatments for various cancers, it is also looking at how diagnostics can be improved. The Ulster University's globally leading Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, which is particularly looking at gene nutrient treatments, is similarly able to do diagnostics.”
“Indeed, I cannot praise the medical staff at my GP's surgery and Antrim Area Hospital, my consultant, Mr Burns, and my wife highly enough. <BR /> <BR />Based on feedback received from throughout my constituency, I am very conscious that many people feel that cancer care provision is not only limited in some areas but that there appears to be a postcode or even regional lottery in treatment and in the provision of drugs regimes. As British citizens, many people find it difficult to understand how medicines that are available in, say, Birmingham cannot be provided here. I am also concerned that levels of service between different trusts in Northern Ireland are demonstrably of concern. Indeed, some cancer sufferers living within 10 miles or so of two or three health trust areas will be even more frustrated.”