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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“Minister, thank you for your statement. I welcome it very much as the way forward for our new green growth strategy. What way do you intend to work in the future with machinery producers in relation to their energy efficiency? Our tractors, as you know, guzzle up so much oil and diesel etc.”
“The Minister will be aware that the market for the wool harvest has collapsed since COVID-19, and that the cost of harvesting wool is greater than the farmers will get for it. Has he anything in mind to support that?”
“— will be distributed in a fair and equitable manner.”
“— the Finance Minister gave to the Rural Needs Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 when deciding on grants and financial support. Therefore, I hope that the £25 million of support for the agriculture industry —”
“I would be interested to know what weight the Executive and, in particular —”
“I seek assurance from the sponsors of the motion that their plan is not just to provide support to these two sectors. I fully appreciate that those two sectors have suffered financially due to COVID-19, but I am also aware that sectors such as dairy farmers have also suffered a significant downturn in their market returns. Their return is probably now below the cost of production. Support should go wherever a need is demonstrated in the agriculture world. The Sinn Féin motion raises concerns about farming in ANC areas, but the payment to farmers in those areas was ended when a consultation in 2016 on the future of the ANC scheme was carried out. That consultation was ordered on the watch of a Sinn Féin Agriculture Minister and decided on by a DUP Agriculture Minister.”
“With the removal of the areas of natural constraint payments, it is estimated that around 10,000 farms have been impacted on, with a very large of percentage of them in my constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone. On hill farms, there are very limited options for crops, with grass being the only feasible option, and a wide range of livestock farming therefore takes place. <BR /> <BR />In considering my support or not for the motion, I note the line:”
“Thankfully, in Northern Ireland, the family-based farming enterprises are a very important part of our community, unlike in other parts of the UK, in sections of the Republic of Ireland and Europe, and, indeed, throughout the world, where large factory-farming techniques have been established, which churn out agriculture products without the same consideration for or management of quality and without the same level of protection of the environment. <BR /> <BR />There has long been support for local hill farmers. For those who farm in what are termed severely disadvantaged areas, which were previously referred to as areas of natural constraint, the less-favoured area (LFA) compensatory allowance was in place. DAERA's own figures highlight the fact that SDA farms are well over £100 an acre worse off in income terms than lowland farms.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs' recent significant bid for £105 million from the Department of Finance for agriculture has, I assume, been rejected. A £25 million fund for farmers and the horticulture industry been allocated. That is just 24% of the original bid. <BR /> <BR />These are stressful times for all businesses, including agriculture businesses. They cannot and must not be the forgotten element of the coronavirus pandemic. They must receive due and reasonable support to ensure that there is a food supply beyond the crisis.”
“I welcome the opportunity to take part in the debate, particularly as the agriculture sector has been offered very limited support through the various COVID-19 pandemic schemes. Businesses in other sectors have received, or are going to receive, lump sums of financial assistance through the business support grant or the hospitality, tourism and retail grant, yet, throughout the whole crisis, the farming community has continued to produce its products and has managed to play its vital role in the food supply chain. That supply has been seamless in a situation in which the livestock marts were closed for a period. Beef and lamb prices tumbled. Milk prices are steadily reducing, and, to add insult to injury, we hear of processors bringing in Polish beef to supply a UK supermarket.”
“<BR /> <BR />Before I conclude, it is important to make the point that we have to remember the health workers who work with these people. They may have an issue of conscience with the law. Finally, it is important to remember that one cannot tolerate and promote disabled babies having less protection in law than babies who are not disabled. All humans should be valued and protected equally. Therefore, I welcome the intervention of disability campaigner Heidi Crowter and support the motion.”
“How could that young person be denied his opportunity? A young lady whom I know who also has Down's syndrome leads a full and busy life helping in the kitchen of her local school, preparing and serving lunches, the very school where she was once a pupil. <BR /> <BR />Both of those young people are evidence of how important their individual roles in society are, no matter how minor or major their limitations. Think of how much they have enriched the lives of their parents, siblings and wider family and how much society has learned and gained from them. Yes, having a disabled baby may be a challenge, but who has not been challenged by a baby, be it restlessness at night due to colic or just not wanting to sleep? How many of us are not challenged by our children's behaviour, whether they are able-bodied or not?”
“Last year, I had the pleasure of being invited by a young man with Down's syndrome to watch him participate in the qualifying rounds for the Special Olympics football team. What a joy it was for his parents and me. How wonderful it was to see him taking part in a team sport, passing the ball, listening to the pep talk at half-time and going on to score the winning goal. How proud were his parents, like the other parents who had come to stand on the sidelines to encourage and cheer on their sons? That same young man had been away from his parents for a week, training for his matches, leading a life in many ways similar to those of our household names who represent their country at sporting events. When not playing sport, he was helping out on the family farm. Who can say that that young man was not leading a fulfilling, independent life?”
“Everyone has a right to life; those who are disabled and those who are not must be treated and valued equally. All life is sacred. <BR /> <BR />Not one of us in this Chamber is perfect: we are either too tall or too short, too small or too large. The list is endless, yet, because of this new legislation, the helpless in the womb, because of their imperfections, such as a cleft palate, a club foot or Down's syndrome, may have their lives terminated on the basis of their non-fatal impairment. How diabolical.”
“I take part in this debate with a sense of bewilderment and irony. Over the past three months, the country has listened to accounts of individuals who have been striving to live, and our medical profession has been doing all in its power to save lives in the face of COVID. Yet, we are here to reject discriminatory abortion legislation that extends to all non-fatal disabilities. <BR /> <BR />As a result of both Houses of Parliament supporting a change in the law on abortion in Northern Ireland and ignoring the rights of the unborn child, one finds oneself having to defend those rights; the rights of the baby in the womb. We are debating the imposition of abortion legislation that treats children in the womb with non-fatal disabilities differently from those who do not have a disability. Is that not discrimination?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. She talked about looking forward to economic recovery etc and, obviously, that would include capital projects. There are a number of projects that I have heard spoken about, particularly in the east of the Province. What plans does she have to bring forward some of the projects in the west, particularly the south-west, such as the Enniskillen bypass?”
“It, therefore, became impossible for the farmers to adhere to the greening requirements under the CAP and comply with the two-crop diversification rule, resulting in them being non-compliant and needing a complete derogation from the crop diversification requirements for the 2020 scheme. The regulations will give farmers certainty and permit them to grow only one arable crop that has a later planting time and is exempt from the crop diversification regulations introduced in 2015. The Ulster Unionist Party supports the motion.”
“"What a wet day", "There was a lot of rain last night": those are statements that we are all too familiar with in Northern Ireland, a country where the weather has a great impact on our lives and on our economy, including agriculture, which is, perhaps, the most weather-dependent sector of the economy. The land conditions determine when cattle can be released out to grass after winter housing. The seasonal warming in spring determines when one shears the sheep and the condition of the soil determines the sowing of crops. This winter, especially in February, the weather was particularly adverse, presenting huge problems for arable farmers working the soil, due to the waterlogged conditions when the crops should have been planted.”
“I thank the Minister for her answers so far. I am glad to see that you are looking at pathways and ways of improving exercise for people. In rural areas, we have many villages that have footpaths along the outskirts and main routes etc. Over the years, these have become totally neglected because of budgetary pressures and they tend to be the last thing that is looked at. Many have grass growing through them and although some of them have what used to be lights along them, they have been switched off and are not used anymore. Can you give an assurance that, with your new thoughts and new look at these pathways for walking and exercise, perhaps, there will be a reassessment, with some of these footpaths made better again for people to walk on?”
“Therefore, they should be able to vote without the need for proxies. Were we not all elected to speak and cast our votes for our constituents? The method proposed in Standing Order 112 certainly does not allow for that. Therefore, I suggest that an alternative method for Members to cast their vote in person needs to be further investigated. <BR /> <BR />Through the Committee on Procedures, the Ulster Unionist Party will proactively seek to amend today's motion. We seek confirmation that the proposals are agile enough to embed improvements and a robust mechanism to protect an individual's mandate vote. Having assessed the voices in the Chamber today, we do not support the motion but will not force a Division.”
“While the motion on Standing Orders is temporary and applies from 31 March to 30 September, the Ulster Unionist Party has reservations about some of the measures contained in it. Because of the health crisis that we are in, the House has already consented to emergency legislation that undermines democracy and reduces scrutiny. While, indeed, given the present situation with COVID-19 and the reduction in the number of Members permitted in the Chamber, an alternative method of voting must be found for all Members to register their vote, one cannot have voters lining up in the Lobbies and, at the same time, observing social distancing. <BR /> <BR />With regard to Standing Order 112, on sitting days one would expect that the great majority of Assembly Members would be here in their offices in the Building.”
“<BR /> <BR />There will be much more scrutiny and debate when the future policy and direction is brought forward to this place, whether that is direct support to farmers, changes to EU regulations like the nitrate action plan, required standards for imported products or anything else. I support this legislative consent motion and look forward to our discussions on the future plans for the industry.”
“We must ensure that our farmers and producers can continue to provide a high quality product to the marketplace. <BR /> <BR />Much of the Agriculture Bill is for England only or is UK-wide legislation, and none of that needs approval from the Assembly. It is mainly the Northern Ireland provisions that we need to deal with. The Bill will give us the powers to support farmers when the current EU mechanisms come to an end. This is an important element in that it gives farmers support to produce a quality base product that continues to be affordable for the consumer. The Bill does not provide any policy or long-term strategy for the agricultural industry; it is merely enabling legislation to allow for further provisions to be made.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate on the legislative consent motion for the UK Agriculture Bill. The national, indeed world, crisis that we are in demonstrates the importance of the agricultural sector from the farmer, who is the primary producer, right through the processing aspects and to the retailer. It highlights the need for a successful agri-food sector. I certainly hope that we do not have food shortages before this crisis is over. We have heard terrible stories in the past of dairy farmers pouring the milk from their tanks down drains due to quota restrictions. We hear of the burying alive of chickens and ducks in other countries due to a movement ban. We need to ensure that unnecessary restrictions do not create situations in which perfectly good food is destroyed.”
“I thank the Minister for coming to the Chamber to update the House. It is very much appreciated. My question relates to students. As the Minister will be aware, I represent Fermanagh and South Tyrone. Many of the students from my constituency have now come home because of the situation. Many second- and third-year students live in private rental accommodation. They are expected to continue to pay their rent until the end of their contracts, which is in August. Has the Minister thought about any support for those students, who are now living at home and still have to pay their rent? Many of them would have had jobs to help them to pay that rent.”
“Mine is not a speech. Being mindful of the extraordinary times in which we meet in the Chamber today, I will not reiterate what my colleague Tom said. However, I wish to express the Ulster Unionist Party's support for the amendments to the Standing Orders.”
“The certainty that the 2020 scheme will provide crucial comfort for farm businesses will continue to support the production of the high-quality, affordable food that many of our consumers demand. That can only be welcomed. The regulations are welcomed by the Ulster Unionist Party.”
“The welcome confirmation of direct payments for 2020 will be good news for the farming community, which has faced uncertain times in recent years and has seen its income reduced by 25%. Further, the clarity that it provides in the form of the exchange rate remaining similar to that of the last year and the fact that 100% of the direct payments will be paid in October is most beneficial, particularly when farmers are trying to plan ahead for farm improvements for the forthcoming year. <BR /> <BR />The full payment of direct payments, not the 70% initial payment that happened in October 2019 with the remainder paid in December 2019, has also signalled that, as a country, Northern Ireland is now moving towards taking control to regionalise a Northern Ireland-tailored scheme for our Northern Ireland farmers.”
“Does the Minister accept that it is her responsibility and that of the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that there is sufficient capital investment to enable Northern Ireland Water to treat waste water and protect the environment and that it is not enough for some Ministers to say what they would not do, without offering a solution to the problem?”
“You spoke, Minister, of villages with fewer than 1,000 people being targeted for this broadband, which is excellent. However, you also talked about value for money. Once again, that seems to avoid the most rural areas that still will not have broadband at the end of the roll-out. In rural areas, you do not get value for money if you target those who are most isolated.”
“Unsurprisingly, I want to speak about yet more flooding in Fermanagh. We have had prolonged periods of rain. Some of our roads have been flooded, and vehicles have had difficulty getting through to farms. Can the Minister tell me if compensation is possible for dairy farmers where, for example, the milk tanker has not been able to get to the farm for a number of days?”
“<BR /> <BR />I hope that a new, equivalent scheme will be developed and that hill payments will be reinstated. Not only would that assist the farmers of severely disadvantaged land but most of the money would go back into the community.”
“The consultation was ordered on the watch of a Sinn Féin ARD Minister and decided on by a DUP AERA Minister. It was that same AERA Minister who, in December 2016, announced that 2018 would be the final year of the ANC scheme and that, even then, it was to have a budget of only £8 million compared with the previous budget of £20 million. The Ulster Unionist Party wanted funding for the scheme to be kept in place. We believed that there was sufficient scope in the overall Executive funds to pay for it. The last Executive squandered hundreds of millions of pounds, not least on pet projects such as the extravagant new DAERA offices at Ballykelly, but, still, many staff are retained in Dundonald House. It was simply not true that continuing to fund the scheme from Executive funds was impossible.”
“Previous to areas of natural constraint, the less-favoured area compensatory allowance was in place. DAERA's figures highlight that farms in severely disadvantaged areas are well over £100 per hectare worse off than lowland farms. With the removal of areas of natural constraint payments, it is estimated, around 10,000 farms will be impacted. <BR /> <BR />A very large percentage of land in my constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone falls within the severely disadvantaged area standards. On hill farms, there are limited options for crops, with grass the only feasible option. <BR /> <BR />The Sinn Féin motion raises concerns that the areas of natural constraint payments were ended, but the reality is that a consultation on the future of the ANC scheme was carried out in 2016.”
“In Northern Ireland, family-based farming enterprises are an important part of our community. Northern Ireland is unlike other parts of the United Kingdom, Europe and, indeed, the world, where large factory-farming techniques have been established and agricultural products are churned out without the same consideration or management of the excellent quality products and protection of the environment that we have here. <BR /> <BR />Farming on poorer land has always been a challenge, irrespective of where you farm. In Northern Ireland, there has always been the persistent and perpetual farming mentality that, despite not making a profit, the individual farmer will stick with it and continue their quality production. <BR /> <BR />There has long been support for local hill farmers or those who farm severely disadvantaged areas.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is essential that our elderly population, who have still so much to offer their families and society, be treated with dignity, listened to and protected. A renewed effort must be made to keep them safe.”
“With the fear of crime increasing and the number of solved crimes well below acceptable levels, something must be done to reassure our elderly. Measures must be taken to lessen their chance of falling victim. They must feel safe in their home, whether from thugs who enter their home to commit violent attacks, to steal or to commit sexual assaults; from so-called trusted friends responsible for financial abuse; from fraudsters calling at their home and charging exorbitant fees for minor repair work; or from someone preying on them through threatening phone calls or internet scams. All those crimes can have a devastating impact, be it financial loss, physical scars or the effect on emotional well-being. Sadly, others choose to try to forget the experience because of the embarrassment of admitting that they were a victim of crime.”
“Unfortunately, a lack of confidence in the statutory agencies, including the Public Prosecution Service, has done little to allay the fear of crime among those people. The length of time that a case can take to get to court and the types and lengths of sentencing that are imposed in cases of burglary and assault on our vulnerable population must be reviewed to gain back the confidence of elderly people. <BR /> <BR />In trying to assist with bringing the perpetrators to account, many older people claimed that they found the experience of appearing in court daunting, while the progression of failing physical health and memory recall cause problems in trying to bring about prosecutions, especially if the case was taking too long to progress.”
“Yes, I agree; that intergenerational work is excellent and works well. We see it happening in schools at the moment between older and younger people. <BR /> <BR />Half of the older people in Northern Ireland have become more fearful, as they grow older, of falling victim to crime. Burglary is of particular concern, with one in six adults worrying about being the victim of that crime, and 13% expressing concern about violent crime. Many claimed that that high level of fear of crime impacted detrimentally on their quality of life. They imagined that they were being watched when they were leaving their home and feared returning home, not knowing what one would discover. <BR /> <BR />While society totally condemns crime against older people, each incident further traumatises the victim and increases fear among the wider population.”
“<BR /> <BR />From a survey conducted by Age Sector Platform two years ago, the Northern Ireland Pensioners Parliament found that the fear of crime was a major concern for two out of three people surveyed — 64%.”
“Being the victim of crime can be a disturbing and distressing experience for any person, particularly if it impacts on their health, either emotionally or physically, with the dreadful experience being compounded if the victim, perhaps, is from an older age group or is a more vulnerable person. <BR /> <BR />We have all watched and listened to many elderly people who have been subjected to crime. Who will ever forget the elderly lady from Aughnacloy, in my constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone, who jumped from an upstairs window after her home was broken into? Crime comes in many different guises. We have crime that involves violence against the person; crimes of property, including theft and burglary; cybercrime; telephone scams and Internet scams.”
“Minister, we have an inadequate infrastructure maintenance budget for roads and street lighting and insufficient funds to provide a sewerage system that meets the current demand. Of course, public transport is, as you know, also under stress. Do you accept that it is irresponsible of politicians to make flagship capital commitments whilst failing to ensure that the basic infrastructure needs are addressed?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. He quoted that £60 million to £80 million is generated in the local economy from forest-based recreation and tourism. Where did he get those figures? Have they been tested for accuracy?”
“Is it likely, if trade deals are agreed by the UK for the import of agri-food products from countries with lower quality standards, that those deals will include a requirement for Northern Ireland to be part of them?”
“Minister, I look forward to further developments on your cancer strategy. Can you confirm whether patients in Northern Ireland now have the same access to cancer drugs as those across the rest of the United Kingdom?”
“Since the publicity on the dormant accounts, how many customer account holders have come out of the woodwork to lay claim to them?”
“People here expect and deserve nothing less.”
“There are a significant number of areas in my constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone — I am sure, in many others as well — where broadband speeds are very poor and, in some cases, there is no broadband accessibility or even mobile phone signal. It is unfair to expect the rural community, and particularly farm businesses, to manage by digital methods if the core infrastructure is not available. It is like expecting to travel to London at short notice from Northern Ireland, but all the airports are closed. <BR /> <BR />It is vital that the agricultural economy has stability as Brexit continues to be implemented. There is a major onus on the Northern Ireland Executive to be proactive and robust in any negotiations or discussions with either the UK or the EU about the future of the Northern Ireland agri-food economy.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Department has a very high staffing level in its resource costs, with 71% of the departmental budget going on staffing. While I fully understand the need for staff and the work they carry out, as they are largely a front-line service, it is vital that the level of staffing undergoes a detailed review, including assessments made on the balance of staff between senior management and those in the front line. <BR /> <BR />I note that the Department of Finance approved the business case for the expenditure of £44 million of capital and £27 million resource for a DAERA digital transformation programme. While I support progress towards online services, it needs to be carried out in conjunction with more widespread improvements on delivering rural high-speed broadband.”
“I welcome the opportunity to address some of the budgetary issues in the spring Supplementary Estimates, particularly for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, for which I am party spokesperson. <BR /> <BR />It is interesting to note that the overall financial trend from the present net provision in DAERA is downwards. There are reduced budgets for flood prevention, farming, veterinary services, animal health, the environment, the marine environment, fisheries and forestry. The only significant budgetary increase is going to the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute. It is unusual that areas in which we assume there should be attempts made to improve and increase input, such as forestry, animal health and the environment, are all on reduced budgets.”