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?”
The complete record
Every one of 2,489 lines we hold for Steve Aiken, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 7 of 50.
“What lessons have the Executive taken from the process and what we are trying to do? What lessons are we taking on investment in the grid? The questions that we have to ask are fundamental. We need to undertake an independent investigation into the costs of doing those things. We hear you say, quite rightly, that we need to invest heavily in our housing stock in order to bring it up to net zero standards, but why would a contractor do that in Northern Ireland when, with the same materials, planning constraints and contractors, it costs two to three times as much in Northern Ireland as it does in Scotland, England and Wales? Why are we not investigating that? That is a part of our amendment. Do you not think that that is germane to what we are discussing in this debate? It is fundamental to what we are trying to do.”
“We need to understand that it is well beyond time that we had an independent review of the System Operator for Northern Ireland (SONI) and NIE Networks's failure to invest properly in our grid. We talk time and again about small-level electricity and the ability to use, in particular, photovoltaics (PV) and other technologies to make things work. However, we cannot do that if we do not have a grid that is capable of withstanding the amount of PV energy that is likely to go on it. Equally, we cannot do that with a grid that has extremely large connection charges to meet up with it in order to try to make it work. <BR /> <BR />Pardon the pun: this is not rocket science. It has been done successfully in Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Devon and the Republic of Ireland.”
“Very much to the fore in the main motion and what the Alliance Party has brought forward before is the fact that all Ministers had to agree to a significant increase in the amount of carbon derogations just to keep the lights on. If that is not germane to this debate, I have absolutely no idea what is.”
“<BR /> <BR />We keep on talking about this, but we are missing some of the fundamental points, because we get to a point where we have electricity grids that are ready to fail because there are too many single points of failure in the system, including Coolkeeragh, which is owned by the NIE parent company ESB and always seems to be down for maintenance. You would wonder why nobody is taking any particular interest in this. We know that what we need to do is sort out these cross-cutting problems, but we also know that the Executive recently had an emergency meeting — or should I call it an urgent meeting? — to deal with the fact that the lights were about to go out.”
“There is considerable vulnerability in our grid infrastructure, and, on several occasions, our party has written to the Economy Minister and stated that these are problems that need to be resolved if we are to sort out or move towards a more electric economy. Unbelievably, the Economy Minister has written back to me on several occasions, stating that there were no problems, yet we have the example of what happened when the permanent secretary went in front of the Economy Committee and identified the fact that we nearly reached a "dark amber" condition for our electricity market. That sounds like "red" to me, which means that we are about to have systemic failure.”
“Thank you very much indeed. The importance of this amendment is to talk to the cross-cutting example of the issues that we have before us. I welcome the Minister's being here, but the main issues will also refer to the Minister for the Economy, the Minister for Infrastructure and the Executive. These are all cross-cutting issues, and if we are to be able to deliver what we need to for the people of Northern Ireland, we need to work across Departments. <BR /> <BR />We cannot talk about energy at home without identifying the interconnectivity of all these issues, and we need to be able to recognise some very significant points that, unless we deal with them, we are never going to get there, as Ms Armstrong kindly pointed out.”
“There are a few of us here, so, in accordance with Jewish tradition, I ask you to bow your heads and join me in prayer, commemorating the victims of 7 October and asking for a more tolerant nation:”
“Day in, day out, however, we still hear calls for support for the global intifada, and how often do we see and hear on our streets, "From the river to the sea"? Both mean death to all Jews everywhere. The fact that that barbarity can occur in the 21st century is not a surprise. Similar horrors, including actual genocides, are happening in Darfur, Myanmar, Sudan and Syria to the Yazidis and the Druze, as well as in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Equally appalling acts of humanity have occurred and are occurring there. There is, however, never a cheep or even a tweet from the anti-Israeli brigade at any cost to them. Remember that if it is not about Jews, it does not count. <BR /> <BR />There is a prayer that our Jewish friends say for the dead called the Kaddish.”
“On 7 October 2023, 1,189 Israelis and people of other nationalities were murdered by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorists. A further 251 were taken hostage in Gaza. The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which could hardly be credibly described as being supportive of Israel in any way, reported that there was considerable evidence of murder; torture; sexual violence; the rape of men, women and children; mutilation; beheading; burning to death of children, of old and young and of men and women alike; and other horrors that are too graphic to relate to the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />There is no justification under any terms for such attacks, none that even the most anti-Israeli or antisemitic of commentators could justify having read the UN report.”
“I hope for all our sakes that everybody takes heed, especially on this island, where the scourge of antisemitism is among the vilest anywhere. May we also never again have to hear the Jewish prayer of Kaddish, which is the prayer of the dead, said in our nation for the murder of our Jewish friends. However, until we recognise the disease of antisemitism that is endemic across these islands and take action to do something about it, I fear for the future, not just for the Jewish community but for all of us. Shalom.”
“It is because of the oldest hatred, that most insidious example of racism: the evil of antisemitism. It is the oldest sectarian trope in the world, and it has been given agency by those who march shouting support for a global intifada, the literal translation of which means the murder of all Jews everywhere. What does "from the river to the sea" mean, if it does not mean the death of every Jew in Israel? <BR /> <BR />If you will not listen to my reason, listen to the words of the Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, about the Heaton Park synagogue attack:”
“I will try to make sure that I stick strictly to the horrific attack in Manchester. <BR /> <BR />Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar: the day of atonement, when members of the Jewish faith fast from sunset to sunset, pray, repent, reflect and seek closeness to God. Last Thursday, that holy day was desecrated by a vile antisemitic attack in Manchester. There is no context, hand-wringing, whataboutery or claim that "It is part of a justified resistance" or whatever to explain those antisemitic murders. The Heaton Park synagogue was attacked simply because it contained Jews at worship. Why did it occur? That is the question that we should all ask. Why is our much-valued Jewish community on the island of Ireland and elsewhere in our nation in so much fear?”
“Maritime law is exactly what it is about, because that is what the Israeli Navy followed. I accept your judgement. I will sit down, because it cannot be appropriate to talk about the matter without talking about international maritime law. That does not make any sense.”
“Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, this is relevant to the Gaza debate.”
“For the blockaded territory, crucially, enforcement focuses on vessels' destination, not their cargo. If a vessel breaches or attempts to breach a blockade, that is enough to make that vessel liable to capture. The law on blockade is generally considered to reflect customary international law. Its landmark text, the London declaration of 1909, contains several provisions that help define the law, which is mostly contained in maritime military manuals, maritime law and soft law instruments. It states that a maritime blockade is established lawfully if the following requirements are met:”
“I make a declaration of interest as someone who has conducted maritime blockades in several places around the world. <BR /> <BR />The Gaza Mediterranean maritime blockade is recognised as a method of warfare that has developed in the context of international armed conflict legislation, which states:”
“Minister, the FTC is not to be repaid to the Treasury as a loan, so will it be treated as a loan in your accounting processes? How will we account for it?”
“I thank the Member very much for giving way. He will note the debate about the Knockmore line that we had in here not so long ago. The Ulster Unionist Party fully supports the circle line — the Knockmore line — and wants to see as much sustainable connectivity across these islands and beyond as possible, hence my mentioning of sustainable aviation fuel.”
“Using the large amount of ramp space on both the civilian and military sides of the airfield and proactively marking it as a secure cargo trans-shipment space would pay considerable dividends. <BR /> <BR />There have been many debates in the Chamber about improving access to the airport by upgrading the road and rail links, but, by using the site to build additional warehousing and add to the ramp space in hard standing, we could attract much more cargo activity. As some of our Members are fond of saying, the unique access of the Windsor framework, coupled with the UK's advantageous trading relationships with the United States, should help expand the scope of our aviation strategy considerably. It is time for us to think broadly; it is time for us to take the advantages that we have been given; and it is time to move on those issues.”
“Those could be used to offset our 2050 carbon obligations, and, if properly marketed, Belfast could become a sustainable aviation fuel hub for transatlantic aviation: general and private aviation. Sustainable aviation fuel can achieve up to a 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional aviation fuel, and it would definitely put us at the cutting edge of reaching net zero carbon. <BR /> <BR />Our airports, especially Aldergrove, are geographically well placed as logistics hubs. With the current global uncertainty only growing, the secure runways, large fuel stocks and location in the United Kingdom on the west of Europe and in NATO's secure airspace — unlike the Irish Republic — means that we should expand our role, particularly with the United States.”
“Having it would then enable Belfast International to become a narrow-body transfer hub for transatlantic routes and the Middle East, with significant opportunities to build inward tourism and build business. As my friend pointed out, we are doing a good job of attracting FDI, but people need to be able to travel directly into Northern Ireland. Arriving somewhere and then spending the better part of four or five hours getting here is not any form of direct route, and it is not useful. <BR /> <BR />Belfast City Airport and Belfast International could also become centres for sustainable aviation fuel, and the Department for the Economy and DAERA could bid for green energy credits from our national Government.”
“<BR /> <BR />Given the UK's improved relationships with the United States and particularly given the ever-chilling relations between the EU in general and Dublin in particular and Washington, it would now be advantageous for US pre-customs clearance to be facilitated at Belfast International Airport. Given the high level of data and security information sharing between the UK and the US and the easing of restrictions between us in comparison with the EU, it now makes strong sense to be calling for a US pre-clearance facility here; indeed, moving the Shannon facility or even the Dublin one to Belfast would be an easy option for the US Administration. Our Executive should call loudly for that facility.”
“At the moment, passengers on international routes to the United States, other parts of North America or the Middle East either fly via Heathrow or Amsterdam or make the two-hour journey down the motorway. They spend one hour, if they are lucky, trying to find a parking space in the car park and get wet, as I do considerably often, as they wait for a bus, which, if they are lucky, takes about 10 to 15 minutes. They move in traffic for about 20 minutes, stand in the airline queue for about one hour and 30 minutes, spend 30 to 45 minutes in security, if they are lucky, and then stand for two and half hours if they are trying to get pre-clearance for travelling to the United States. That makes it a seven-hour journey before they start their seven-hour journey. There have to be better options.”
“<BR /> <BR />The revolution in the aviation industry is now in long-range, narrow-body aircraft, such as the Airbus 321XLR, with a range of up to 4,700 miles and 244 seats. Those allow airlines to serve point-to-point routes at much-reduced costs. The Airbus 321XLR or similar Boeing aircraft from Belfast can easily serve most of North America; indeed, they can reach well into existing Middle Eastern hubs. On the basis of the traffic numbers that already exist, there is more than enough business and tourist traffic to support those flights directly from Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />It also will not have escaped the notice of the majority of Members that Airbus is a major stakeholder in our considerable aerospace manufacturing sector and that, hopefully, Boeing soon will be.”
“Globally, Tourism Ireland markets Dublin as the gateway to Ireland. As a consequence, much of the inward tourism and business market flows through Dublin Airport. That needs to stop, because we pay a third of the bill. Our airports therefore must be promoted at least one third of the time. Many airlines would find attractive the available ramp space; the airports' 24-hour availability; the secure fuel supplies; the all-weather options, with east-west and north-south runways at Belfast International; the good UK connections at Belfast International; and the move towards having an expanded Belfast City Airport. Airlines, however, find it puzzling that the only real marketing done by Tourism Ireland and Ministers at aviation industry events is focused wholly on Dublin Airport.”
“Furthermore, Dublin Airport is heavily subsidised by the Irish state, with, as some in the industry would say, sweeteners provided for long-haul aviation to use that airport. The Irish Government have also underwritten the cost of the new runway at the airport. All those issues combined add to what is a considerable state-aid advantage for the Southern airport, an advantage that should run counter to the trade diversion rules in the Northern Ireland protocol. Regrettably, neither the Minister for the Economy nor the Secretary of State has so far sought mitigations from that obvious distortion from the EU-UK Joint Committee. <BR /> <BR />What can we do to establish at least a level playing field for aviation on this island? Our Minister provides approximately a third of Tourism Ireland's budget.”
“I will start by making a declaration of interest as chair of the all-party group on aerospace. Our amendment would enhance the motion by focusing on three key areas of what should be in an aviation strategy for Northern Ireland that I will shortly outline. <BR /> <BR />It is worth noting that we are at a considerable disadvantage compared with our friends in the South. As Members will be aware, the Republic of Ireland has so far benefited from a long-term tourism VAT rate of 9%. It has been recently increased to 13·9% but is highly likely to go back to 9% next year. In contrast, we are saddled with a VAT rate of 20% and, in addition, an air passenger duty (APD) tax of £13 a person.”
“towards Russia. She also compared Germany's move to increase its defence spending as something akin to the 1930s and the rise of Hitler. That is from somebody who visited President Assad's Syria in 2018 at the height of his murderous campaign. In light of what is happening across Europe, Lenin's phrases of "useful idiot" and "fellow traveller" very clearly come to mind. While it is up to the Irish people to decide their next president, Ireland and Europe deserve better than that apologist for totalitarianism.”
“<BR /> <BR />The common denominator is Russia, which is playing its hybrid warfare card, trying to impose its will on Europe and to push Putin's desire of nationalistic totalitarianism everywhere. Europe's leaders, or nearly all its leaders, are standing firm against that onslaught. However, there are a few exceptions: Viktor Orbán for one; the AfD in Germany; Slovakia; and, believe it or not, Sinn Féin's candidate for the forthcoming Irish presidency, Catherine Connolly. <BR /> <BR />She recently remarked:”
“Airport check-ins, including in Dublin, Berlin and Heathrow, have been cyberattacked with malware. Our media point to the suspicious activity of the Russian research ship Yantar, which has been visiting nodes of key cables off our coasts as well as the coasts of Ireland and Norway over the past few months. The recent elections in Moldova have been plagued by interference, with fake news and false flag, social media and tear-gas attacks at polling stations and outright attempts to ballot-rig being played out. Nightly, hundreds of drone and air attacks are made against Ukraine. Those attacks are not against military targets but are designed to undermine the civilian population and terrorise.”
“Last week, Denmark had to consider declaring a state of emergency as drones closed airspace and airports across the country, causing millions of kroner worth of disruption. In Sweden, drones flew over the Karlskrona naval base. In Norway, drones interrupted flights at Bardufoss and Oslo. Cyberattacks have been occurring across the continent, with Jaguar Land Rover having to receive a £1·5 billion loan to stop vital supply chain suppliers going bust. Many other companies have been targeted and quietly decided to pay a ransom in Bitcoin to cyberterrorists, many of whom are based in St Petersburg, rather than admit that they have lost control of their systems. <BR /> <BR />Factories in several places across Europe, including in our nation, have been subject to arson attacks.”
“About 20 minutes after she came off the air, the Cabinet Office and the Prime Minister's Office came out and said, "It will be mandatory". Go and talk to Labour MPs: none of them was told. This is just a blatant attempt by Keir Starmer to grab headlines. Like most of the things that our Prime Minister has done recently, it is badly and poorly thought-out. I think I speak for every Member of the Assembly when I say this is not a good idea. It should be buried as quickly as possible.”
“<BR /> <BR />The scheme will also — if it comes into force, which I do not think it will — create a digital passport border in the Irish Sea. That will add to the internal trade border that was created in the Irish Sea by the Windsor framework. That is completely unacceptable. It is unacceptable to me as a unionist; it should be unacceptable to anybody who believes in the United Kingdom; and it should be unacceptable to anybody who believes in the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. <BR /> <BR />Finally, let us be honest: this is blatant political posturing by the Prime Minister. He did not even give the message to his own Ministers. Anybody who listened to the Minister on the 'Today' programme will have heard her say, "No, this will not be a mandatory issue".”
“The Ulster Unionist Party, not surprisingly, vehemently opposes any attempt to introduce digital ID. Far from being the "bedrock of the modern state", as Labour's new enforcer in the Cabinet Office, Darren Jones, called it, it is designed to act as a control mechanism, and it is fundamentally un-British. However, knowing how our Government manage to do contracts and things with IT — I am glad to see that Mr Carroll is here — they will probably give the contract to Fujitsu, so it will cost billions and not work. <BR /> <BR />As to employers and employment, it will not stop employers on the grey and black employment trail. They will still employ workers without looking at the right digitisation or documentation. We know that; they do it now. That will not change, so it is a red herring.”
“With the First Minister's complaining about selling your soul for a sip of champagne with POTUS, how can you sell your soul and that of your party to Catherine Connolly? The question is whether you endorse or condemn her remarks. If, of course, you agree with her and believe that Hamas is to be rewarded by being given power in the future, that is a damning indictment of your support for the causes of peace and reconciliation here and everywhere else.”
“<BR /> <BR />You may also note that the leader of Sinn Féin, Mary Lou McDonald, and, indeed, our First Minister called it a "game changer" when they endorsed Catherine Connolly for the Áras. The question for the Assembly is this: do Sinn Féin and People Before Profit support Connolly's assertions about Hamas? If they do, they should come to the Assembly and correct the record, as both parties have asserted regularly that they do not support Hamas and condemn unreservedly the violence of 7 October as war crimes and attempts to commit genocide on the Jewish people, the aim that has been stated clearly by the Hamas leadership. Which is it, Michelle, Declan and Gerry? How do Connolly's assertions match what you have said in the Assembly?”
“Yesterday was such a busy day that, unfortunately, I had not heard the interview with the Sinn Féin and People Before Profit Irish presidential pick, Catherine Connolly, with William Crawley on 'Talkback' and nor had our Fine Gael guests. I have now. I encourage everyone in the Assembly to listen to it as well. You will note Connolly's reluctance to unequivocally condemn the 7 October attacks; her remarks that Keir Starmer should have no say about Hamas and that it should be up to the Palestinian people; that she does not believe that the murder, rape, torture and infanticide by Hamas of 1,195 people on that infamous day in October was genocidal; and that Hamas is part of the fabric of the Palestinian people and it is not up to us to dictate to them, though, hypocritically, she has no problem dictating to the people of Israel.”
“Yesterday, in the Northern Ireland Assembly, I joined others in meeting the Fine Gael Oireachtas team, led by Emer Currie and Frank Feighan. As is always the case with good friends and colleagues, we had a full and frank discussion, about everything from legacy and Ireland's lack of defence spending to the Windsor framework, the stability of the Assembly and migration issues. Finally, we had quite an animated discussion about the Irish presidential election and the relative merits of the candidates.”
“The Prime Minister's approach has been recognised not just by Hamas but by every other terrorist group or dictatorship, as showing that, under his leadership, our nation has lost its moral compass.”
“To say that the Prime Minister's decision is a historic error is an understatement. It was a cynical attempt by the leader of the Labour Party to shore up his ever-weakening electoral position. Doing that, whilst ignoring calls from the United States, Germany — it should know — and Italy, which have all stood firm against terrorism, is worse than expediency. <BR /> <BR />Mr Starmer has now secured his place in history for all the wrong reasons. There were at least 48 reasons to stand firm. Every one of those hostages who is still alive and the families of those who were murdered need to be on the Prime Minister's conscience. His approach is not leadership but appeasement. I had hoped that our Prime Ministers had learned from the hard lessons of history 87 years ago in Munich.”
“However, the Prime Minister's remarks have been warmly welcomed by none other than Hamas and its fellow travellers, who said that the result was:”
“First of all, I wish the Speaker a speedy recovery, and I wish our many Jewish friends and colleagues a happy Rosh Hashana. <BR /> <BR />On 21 September, the Prime Minister announced the recognition of the Palestinian state. He did so without preconditions, and his remarks have been severely criticised, not least by our Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, who stated that the British Government's recognition was:”
“The issue in Dublin that has been mentioned is that the Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) takes priority over the North/South Belfast to Dublin line. We cannot increase the speed or flexibility on that line until we take the DART off it. Even though a lot of investment has been put into that, it is not the right investment for North/South connectivity. If you are talking to your cohort, please try to get us some access on that line; it would be very useful.”
“Will the Minister give way on a serious point?”
“We would be delighted to invite you, Minister.”
“Thank you very much, Minister. You mentioned the magic word: budget. As you will be aware, you are looking for three-year Budgets and looking at future developments. There is a difference between city deals and the all-union interconnectivity deal — I think that that is what it is called — which is one of the things that they are working on in the UK at the moment. It is looking at investment, and it is going out to 100 years potentially. Therefore, going for a long-term investment bond to do this is a very low-cost way of gobbling up financial transactions capital (FTC) in a way that will deliver something other than just a new university building. This would build something that would be useful to everybody across Northern Ireland. That would be a worthy conversation to have with the Finance Minister, particularly, and officials.”
“You talked about the all-island rail strategy. One of the big issues has to be that most of the rail link for Iarnród Éireann will have to be replaced anyhow. Considerable investment has to go into the ballast and all the bits and pieces that one puts the tracks on. The tracks will have to be improved to make them high-speed tracks. I say to the Minister that there is an opportunity to do that on an all-island basis, which we will have to in order to upgrade it all at the same time, rather than faff around.”
“What the Member has said is obvious because it is God's own country. Don't we all agree? Excellent.”
“<BR /> <BR />Minister, can you take the opportunity to talk with us about what we can do at Belfast International Airport, particularly to improve the road network? There are solutions out there. Indeed, if the airport, much like Belfast City Airport, is willing to pay most of the costs, there are opportunities. Through a partnership agreement between the great Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, your Department and the airport, we could demonstrate that we can get stuff done. <BR /> <BR />Mr Speaker, I did not even make any Thomas the Tank Engine allusions. There is real opportunity here, and, Minister, there is a good opportunity for you to make a difference without having to spend a fortune.”
“<BR /> <BR />If we are therefore to look at this strategically, given that we are going to have spend a lot of the money anyhow, there is a great opportunity here, Minister. I would be delighted if you were to join us MLAs — I am sure that Declan can arrange that — to go out and walk the patch so that you can see how little would be required. By being strategic about it, we could achieve quite a lot for the area. The single most important thing that we want to see is for the facilities that we have to be used. Bearing in mind that we have already invested significantly, we should add that extra bit of investment, which, as I keep saying, we are going to have to spend anyhow. Earlier today in the Chamber, somebody said that we need to spend to save and get value for money. Both things that I have suggested would achieve that.”