Rosemary Barton
Fermanagh and South Tyrone · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Unfortunately, I see nothing about women in agriculture in your statement. You talked about succession, for example. Will there be extra support to allow women to succeed to the family farm? Many women have caring responsibilities.”
“My question leads on from Mr McGlone's. You talked about responsibility for the environment, but everybody has to take responsibility for their local environment, and that is the aspect at which I want to look. What conversations have you had with councils about how they will be able to help you meet the strategy's challenges?”
“Thank you, Minister, for that comprehensive answer. Those investments are all very fine and are very welcome in Fermanagh and South Tyrone. We still have a communication problem owing to the mobile network coverage, however. Can you think of any way in which to put further investment into Fermanagh to try to alleviate that problem?”
“When there is an issue involving devolved matters, it is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Assembly to legislate on those matters. The UK Parliament retains the power to legislate on them, however.”
“<BR /> <BR />A number of strengthening arrangements therefore needed to be considered. There must be an assurance that the Assembly is made aware in a timely manner of those Westminster Bills that require an LCM. There needs to be improved communication from Ministers to the Assembly if normal timescales cannot be met.”
“The amendment that we are debating is to Standing Order 3, and it covers what happens in the event that a Member cannot attend, whether through illness or for another reason, the first meeting of the Assembly following a dissolution. That Member, therefore, would not be able to declare his or her political designation.”
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“If a licence is granted, it entitles the holder to undertake exploitation, drilling and extraction processes, subject to the regulatory permissions, for a period of not one year but up to 30 years. Yes, there is an expectation that licence holders should review the potential of resources when evaluating the overall prospect of their licence. Who is going to check that? <BR /> <BR />The argument about the economy suffering if a moratorium was granted on petroleum licences does not hold. In Fermanagh, which has some of the most beautiful areas of karst scenery, it would be totally destroyed. At present, our tourism industry flourishes in parallel with our agricultural industry and the limited manufacturing companies in the area.”
“Therefore, I see the motion as extremely important. We must continue our work towards protecting our environment and, even more importantly, protecting public health. In doing so, we must reject anything that would negate our efforts so far towards improving our environment and would destroy our air and water quality, which would have a profound effect on our health. <BR /> <BR />In response to a question for written answer from me, the Minister for the Economy confirmed that there are no active petroleum licences in Northern Ireland for exploitation, drilling and extraction. It gives no guarantees about the fact that, in the near future, there may be applications for such a licence or even applications already waiting to be processed.”
“I am participating in the debate as a person who lives, I believe, in one of the most beautiful constituencies of Northern Ireland, part of which, County Fermanagh, has been under threat for some time from the exploitation of gas by the fracking method. If a licence for that had been granted, it had the potential to destroy the health of the people and the beauty and economy of the area. <BR /> <BR />As the United Kingdom is committed through its Climate Change Act 2008 and the Paris agreement to limit its warming to below 2°C while aiming for 0°C by 2050, over the past few years we in Northern Ireland have made a concerted effort to support that Act by looking at alternative sources of energy and encouraging the use of sustainable materials with a shift away from, for example, our one-use plastics.”
“My question is about BTEC qualifications. BTEC qualifications are quite often compared to A levels. Has any thought been given to work being done on them?”
“The Minister talked about North/South connectivity: has any thought been given to east-west connectivity and, perhaps, an investigation of rail transport towards Dungannon and on to Enniskillen?”
“Minister, will you outline the close cooperation that you have had with the Department of Health in working to deliver the badly needed facilities in Fermanagh? Do you agree that, under his stewardship, Robin Swann is driving through much-needed enhancements in Fermanagh?”
“My comments will be very brief. Mr Deputy Speaker, as you know, we are in unprecedented times. Coronavirus knows no bounds and, unfortunately, appears to be here in a second wave, which is why Standing Order 110 now needs to be amended to allow Committee business to proceed over the coming months. <BR /> <BR />Initially, the temporary provisions under Standing Order 110 were agreed by the Assembly for a period up to 30 September. Being mindful of the continuing pandemic, it is essential that Standing Order 110 be amended and extended to 31 January 2021. The Ulster Unionist Party supports the motion.”
“Those initial amendments were supported by the Northern Ireland Marine Task Force but opposed by fishing industry bodies. <BR /> <BR />While the Fisheries Bill is a legislative framework, it is very necessary to put practical and administrative aspects in place following the UK's decision to leave the European Union. It also has the environmental sustainability of the fishing industry at its core, which will deliver a positive future for fishing and conservation. The sector, over the years, has been key to environmental sustainability in our waters; indeed, if it had not been for its management in conjunction with the authorities, the marine environment would be in a much worse place. With the framework outlined in the Fisheries Bill, I urge Members to support the legislative consent motion.”
“As 31 December approaches, there is an expectation that, when the UK exits the EU, the UK, including Northern Ireland, will be able to regulate fishing in its offshore regions again. The EU has stated that its position is to maintain as far as is possible the existing traditional arrangements for EU boats to access the fish in UK waters. However, the UK position is that it will control its own waters and that fishing opportunities will primarily be for British boats. There is considerable speculation that there could be trade-offs between EU access to UK fishing waters and access by UK financial services to EU markets. <BR /> <BR />There are a number of government amendments to the Bill at this stage that are general practical amendments. Other amendments were agreed in the Lords but were removed by the House of Commons.”
“One of the criticisms of the common fisheries policy by the fishing industry is that other EU fishing boats land more fish from UK waters than UK boats. A House of Lords Library briefing on the Fisheries Bill noted:”
“Many in the House will recall the sector eagerly awaiting the announcement from the EU Fisheries Council each December to see what further changes in the fishing quota would be implemented in the following year.”
“The fishing industry was one part of our economy that always appeared to have a strained relationship with the European Union. The common fisheries policy was, of course, the structure that regulated and controlled our fishing industry. Indeed, it has been claimed that this same policy ended many a family fishing business in Northern Ireland and livelihood in the industry.”
“Minister, can you please detail what action the Department is taking to address the invasion of zebra mussels in our inland waterways, particularly Lough Erne?”
“Does the Minister accept that the A5 has been specified at a level above what the traffic volume normally justifies, which means that a new route is being adopted and existing roads are largely being disregarded? Therefore, with the growing cost estimates and the absence of the promised £400 million from the Republic, can it now proceed only with the loss of many other infrastructure projects, such as other roads, cycle routes and upgrading projects?”
“Given the spike in COVID-19 cases in the border counties of the Republic of Ireland, which is leading to a spillover into Northern Ireland, how valuable is it that the Northern Ireland app is interoperable with the Republic of Ireland version?”
“They can even come to Enniskillen to socialise. What discussions have there been about cooperation and coordination on issues that could result in the spread of COVID or endanger people?”
“Deputy First Minister, in your statement, you affirmed that everything possible would be done in coordination and cooperation between the Northern Ireland Executive and the Government of the Republic of Ireland to tackle the latest outbreak of COVID. I represent a border constituency, and it is often the situation that neighbours from either side of the border find themselves going on the same holiday abroad together. When they return, those living in the Fermanagh/Tyrone area have to self-isolate for two weeks. If this is violated, they suffer the full rigour of the law, while those living in the Cavan/Monaghan area are free to socialise and mix and even come to Enniskillen.”
“First, I send my party's best wishes Christopher and Daniel and wish them both a full recovery. <BR /> <BR />On behalf of the party, I extend our condolences to Mr Cook's family and his wife on their recent bereavement. While I did not know Mr Cook, I understand that he was a great community person, great company and a gentleman. Although in politics we do have our differences, I think that, at this time particularly, we should put those differences aside. <BR /> <BR />I also express our greatest sympathies to the Alliance Party.”
“Thank you for your answer. It is in the best interests of children to find a way forward that is inclusive for all children. If a single test were eventually established, do you envisage that that would be cost neutral to parents?”
“Minister, thank you very much for answers so far. Do you accept that agricultural development has been restricted significantly in recent years, particularly in County Fermanagh, due to policy implementation of Shared Environmental Services (SES) and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency? Have these directives been based on Northern Ireland, UK or EU legislation?”
“Minister, can you confirm that people who were injured as a result of their own malicious actions will not receive the victims' payment?”
“Minister, thank you for that clarification. I urge you and the Minister for the Economy to get going post-haste and make sure that there is no more damage done to our young people.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am aware of some universities that have particularly popular courses, such as medicine, that have already raised concerns about the lack of capacity, staffing, accommodation and facilities if numbers are increased, especially when they are also trying to ensure that staff and students are kept safe as they reopen and need to continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. <BR /> <BR />While most of the debate today has been around A-level results, and rightly so, we must not forget about those still waiting to receive their BTEC grades. To date, there has been no clarity about how those students will be affected. With universities filling up, there is growing anxiety among those students. I appeal to you, Minister, to try and resolve this situation post-haste.”
“Yes, indeed. I agree that there must be a collegiate approach, and I will deal with that in a few moments. With the larger numbers now having the opportunity to take up a university place, funding must immediately be sourced by the Minister for the Economy and be put in place to resource the universities for not only next year but the next three to four years, which is the average length of a university course that many of those extra students will be allocated to.”
“Now, a U-turn has taken place and teacher-predicted grades have been accepted as an option for the final grade. There must be a concerted effort to ensure that our A-level students are not disadvantaged further, in any way. First, there must be an assurance that help will be available through our health service and our mental health agencies to support those who have really suffered as a result of the fiasco and who may continue to suffer. Secondly, those frustrated young people must be given the opportunity to accept their places on their original first choice of course, whether those are in further education colleges or universities, and be permitted to start immediately. Those students must not be asked to defer until next year. This situation is not of their making.”
“Yes, I do. I would have liked to see the algorithm. I think that we need to see it to —.”
“Last Thursday brought about nothing but disappointment for our young people, their parents and their hard-working teachers, particularly as the day advanced and they learned that the results that they were awarded had nothing to do with the work that the teachers had done in assessing their grades. No consideration was given to the long and tedious task that teachers had in putting together evidence to support their predicted grades for each pupil.”
“Mr Speaker, I also welcome you back. Having listened to the debate in the Chamber this afternoon, I feel that it is paramount that we move forward to try to mitigate any fallout that there has been from the issuing last Thursday of the so-called results using an unseen algorithm, an unseen algorithm that obviously had not been trialled previously. <BR /> <BR />Receiving results of any kind is particularly stressful, but that is even more the case when our future careers depend on those results. This year, our young people, along with their parents and teachers, have had a particularly stressful time since the abrupt ending of the school year and the worries that lockdown imposed on their education. They have now had to deal with another stressful situation.”
“Many of the issues in relation to underachievement in rural areas are very different from those in urban areas. Will the Minister consider making an additional appointment to his panel, perhaps someone from a rural area or someone who was previously a principal of a rural school?”
“Minister, I welcome your statement on the formation of the panel. Representing the west of Northern Ireland, I note that, on your panel, there is a distinct lack of expertise from the west of the Province. Often, children in rural areas also have issues of underachievement.”
“<BR /> <BR />In his statement to the House last month on the green growth approach and strategy, Minister Poots said that he had set out a road map and would consult across the entire waste, agriculture, energy, environment and public and private sectors to get a well-rounded view as soon as possible. That is similar to what should happen in the development of a climate change Act. Some groundwork has been done with the 2015 discussion paper, and now we need to put some details and specifics behind it. <BR /> <BR />I do not want the consultation to act as a barrier to further progress; I want it to better inform the creation of legislation and produce an Act that will serve the people of Northern Ireland for this and future generations.”
“The DOE discussion paper from 2015-16 is a good base for preparing the consultation. That was more of an overview, but we require more specific targets that are backed by proper research and analysis to enable a planned way forward for our Act in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />I appeal for people to stop knocking the agricultural and farming industry over climate change. There is a much bigger picture that needs to be considered with regard to making a difference to climate change issues. Those are the issues that need detailed consideration in this consultation.”
“There is no joined-up strategic approach to that attempt at supporting green energy.”
“For example, the UK legislation and the action towards 2050 means that reduction in emissions is regularised and controlled and ensures that there is not an overly rapid movement towards, for example, the scrappage of vehicles before their time, which could lead to expensive and more costly solutions that may be less expensive as time progresses towards 2050. A common strategic approach is a necessity in reducing emissions, but it must be informed by data and consultation to enable the right decisions to be taken and to allow the proper strategic approach to be implemented with the use of evidence. <BR /> <BR />Look at the situation at present. Our grid cannot cope with the amount of wind energy that is being supplied, yet our electricity prices increase, as producers have to receive fair payment for their investment.”
“We need a consultation period to establish what best meets the requirements of made-in-Northern-Ireland legislation, which will include its own unique local circumstances. <BR /> <BR />The consultation should cover areas like what is good in other climate change Acts, whether it is the UK Act or others, and whether we can put it into our Act. It should also identify gaps and ensure that they are addressed in any new Northern Ireland legislation. That would allow the Northern Ireland Executive to undertake the appropriate degree of research, have greater autonomy over planning for home-grown climate change initiatives and set appropriate targets.”
“At no time has it been more important for all Departments to work together in a combined effort to reduce emissions and move towards a zero-carbon society for the benefit of our climate and biodiversity and, ultimately, our environment. <BR /> <BR />While a mix of European, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland Executive legislation currently governs greenhouse gas emissions, including the Climate Change Act 2008 in England, which has set targets to cut emissions by 80% by 2050, it is clear that Northern Ireland needs its own climate change Act, through the green growth strategy, to work towards a number of Northern Ireland-set targets. While we have broad national climate change legislation, Northern Ireland-specific climate change concerns need to be addressed.”
“Today, however, meteorologists, through the data collected, suggest that the current changes are the result of increasing human populations and activities that cause a build-up of man-made gases in the atmosphere that trap the sun's heat and cause changes in weather patterns around the world. That is the concern that we are addressing. <BR /> <BR />We all value the environment, and that has been particularly evident in recent months, when so many people longed to get a walk in the countryside to escape the confines imposed by the COVID lockdown. In these most challenging times, a sustainable and affordable way forward must be explored to curb and reduce our unnecessary emissions for the benefit of the generations to come and to preserve the environment that we enjoy so much.”
“I welcome the opportunity to reiterate support for a renewed commitment to deliver a climate change Act. With the recovery from COVID-19 and the introduction of the green growth strategy, this is an ideal time for all Departments to take the opportunity, through a consultation, to work together to bring forward plans for a climate change Act. <BR /> <BR />Climate change is nothing new. Fifty million years ago, there was no ice at either the North or South Poles. Eighteen thousand years ago, most of Britain was covered in ice and glaciers. The Earth's climate has seen many changes in its 4·5 billion years.”
“<BR /> <BR />With the gradual opening up of restaurants and hotels again, hopefully the financial package claimed by approximately 109 vessels will be timely for the recovery of the sea fishing industry. I, therefore, support both motions.”
“The markets for shellfish, including that for prawns, which was one of the higher-value catches and was in high demand in the Far East, closed down virtually overnight. Then there was the collapse of the white fish market due to the closure of the hospitality and catering sectors, along with the carry-out food outlets here in the United Kingdom, which further compounded a difficult time for the sea fishing industry. However, meanwhile, cost to the fishermen continued. All of that together resulted in an industry that, if it were to survive, needed financial support. That financial support was determined on several conditions, including the length of the fishing vessel; thus the need for the second motion.”
“I too thank the Minister for moving today's motion to retrospectively put in place the provision of financial support to those from the sea fishing sector, which, I understand, is in the process of being administered, while the second motion serves to determine the length of the fishing vessels that would define the amount of financial support payable to those vessels. <BR /> <BR />As no one here needs to be reminded, those working in our sea fishing industry do so in challenging and dangerous conditions that are often weather-dependent. It is an industry that has suffered greatly in human loss over the years and an industry that makes a very valuable contribution to the economy of Northern Ireland, particularly in County Down. The industry, since the COVID-19-enforced lockdown, has seen its income plummet.”
“The Bill contains a further number of clauses specifically addressing waste and resource efficiency in Northern Ireland. Those clauses are welcome. They include provisions on electronic waste tracking, the shipping of waste and enforcement powers to discourage waste littering. There are also number of recyclable and reusable clauses applicable to plastics. Furthermore, there are a number of clauses that relate to air quality through the Clean Air Act, with clauses setting out requirements for the need to maintain and improve water quality standards. While there are some issues that may be of concern, the majority of the provisions are welcome, so the Ulster Unionist Party will be supporting the Bill.”
“It is because of those issues that it may be necessary in the future to bring forward a bespoke Northern Ireland environmental Bill, something that Scotland and Wales are working towards presently.”
“There is also no reference to the potential overlap of those organisations and the overlap of the enforcement bodies such as the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA). There is a need for clarification around the roles of those organisations and their recognition.”
“<BR /> <BR />There are also uncertainties around the Northern Ireland protocol. There are concerns that the Bill makes no specific reference to the protocol, which may have implications for Northern Ireland in terms of environmental standards and in relation to accessing the EU single market, for example, for our agri-food sector. Another source of unease is that the governance gaps can still prevail because of exit from Europe. While the Environment Bill attempts to prevent those gaps from arising through the development of an environmental plan for Northern Ireland, there are still many unknowns. <BR /> <BR />With regard to the establishment of an office for environmental protection, there is no reference to the independent environmental protection agency proposed in New Decade, New Approach.”
“The second part of the Bill also recognises the need for biodiversity conservation to keep our natural ecosystems functioning and healthy. <BR /> <BR />The original Bill was introduced at Westminster in 2019 as UK legislation and had Northern Ireland provisions added because, at the time, Stormont was not operational. As a result, there are several issues in the Bill that may cause concern for Northern Ireland as it works towards a cleaner, brighter environment. There is concern that the Bill may bring about a weakening of environmental protection, leaving the UK with less protection than that provided by the EU. However, with environmental improvement plans and the importance of maintaining and protecting the environment, hopefully it will reflect that we do not need to be concerned.”
“While we debate the extension of the provisions of the Environment Bill to Northern Ireland, let us not forget that the Bill before us is a complex one with very limited scrutiny time. There are 57 of its 133 provisions that apply to Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The Bill is in two parts. The first is a legal framework for the new environmental governance and accountability that, it is hoped, will address any environmental governance details that have been excluded as a result of exiting Europe. In general, the second part concentrates on improvement of the overall quality of our environment, such as providing for a cleaner environment through better waste and resource management, leading to greater efficiency and an improvement in air and water quality through education and individual and collective responsibility.”
“Minister, you spoke earlier about a number of schools that are in the process of getting money for various improvements. Can you give me an update on the new build for Enniskillen Royal Grammar School?”
“Thank you for your answer, Minister. Some who were eligible for food parcels did not get them. With the service continuing, will there be a guarantee that those people will be considered second time around, if you understand what I mean, starting from July?”
“Thank you very much, Minister, for your statement. On the subject of new builds and new schools, I welcome the news about Holy Trinity Primary School in Enniskillen. I also welcome the £19 million for the new integrated school project in Omagh, because a lot of pupils from Fermanagh and South Tyrone are educated in Omagh. I thank you for both. <BR /> <BR />We have gone through a pandemic with COVID-19. To follow on from Mr McCrossan's question, I would like to know what planning there is for future classroom sizes etc. I know that there are specific instructions when plans are being drawn up for new-build schools. What does the future hold? Are you intending to have classrooms made larger to accommodate social distancing, if it has to be in place in the future?”