Keith Buchanan
Mid Ulster · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Minister, we watched a gentleman having his head nearly removed on the street. That is a problem, whether you think so or not. I referred to it as being like something that I witnessed in the slaughterhouse in my previous job. We have to address it. I am not radical; I am just a normal MLA who talks to normal people in the street.”
“It is always a privilege to celebrate sporting success in mid-Ulster. Today, we congratulate Nigel Davidson, a proud Cookstown businessman, on his outstanding achievement at the Hyrox world championships in Stockholm. To see him compete and succeed on the world stage is an achievement that makes all of us in Cookstown incredibly proud.”
“Minister, I was contacted on Friday by a lady whose brother was in Muckamore — a lady who did not tell her story. Now the report has come out and sparked a degree of need for her to speak. I use the word "need", but that is maybe not the best word. What can that lady do now?”
“I thank the Minister for that answer. We are starting to see the impact of investment into local communities through funds from the Ulster-Scots Agency and the Arts Council. In the past, Sinn Féin has been critical about your priorities, complaining recently that consistent funding for Ulster Scots and bands was for "vanity projects".”
“Last Friday, I had the privilege of walking alongside the Veterans Commissioner for Northern Ireland, his dedicated team and veterans as they completed a six-day journey: the Somme 110 walk. The final day coincided with the 82nd anniversary of D-Day.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Battle of the Somme is not just a story from the past but one that lives on in families, regiments and the hearts of those who continue to serve. It stands as a stark reminder of the sacrifice, suffering and bravery of those who fell and fought. Those men faced unimaginable conditions so that others might know freedom.”
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“That is very welcome news, especially to many in Magherafelt, which is local to me, who have raised particular concerns about parking on the pavement in the vicinity of Greenvale Leisure Centre. Those attending to exercise want to park right beside the building, which is somewhat strange when there is a car park right beside it. They want to park right beside it, on the pavement, and then go in to exercise. <BR /> <BR />A report by the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People said that parents, children and young people voiced their concerns about traffic congestion close to schools and how that has an impact on the safety of students who are walking and cycling.”
“In a recent response to a question tabled by my Committee colleague and Chair of the Infrastructure Committee, Michelle McIlveen, the Minister for Infrastructure stated that her Department:”
“Parking on pavements is an important issue to consider. Let us look at that from a child's perspective. A child's-eye view is much lower than that of an adult. Children's height already restricts their view. Add a parked car or other vehicle to that, and one can appreciate how limited their awareness is. Pavement parking not only restricts children's vision but hinders those with a pram, pushchair or wheelchair and, indeed, those who are visually impaired. Everyone needs to practise and consider responsible parking.”
“The 2020 edition of 'School Site Road Safety' by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) states the following:”
“In general, they include the speed of traffic; road layout; the need for additional safety and road awareness; traffic overtaking near schools; parking; school entrances and exits; unsafe crossing facilities; inadequate or poorly designed drop-off/parking areas, especially at rural schools; lack of cycleways and footpaths; unsafe pedestrian activity to and from school buses; unsafe bus-stopping locations, again especially at rural schools; and speed indicator devices (SIDs), to which I will refer later. <BR /> <BR />During schools' drop-off and pick-up times, roads in their immediate vicinity are especially busy. On a number of occasions, constituents have expressed their frustration with the congestion and parking in and around schools.”
“Sadly, 56 fatalities were recorded and 774 people were seriously injured. Seventy-one children under the age of 16 were killed or seriously injured during the period. That number had risen by eight children from the previous year. Any death on our roads is a tragedy, and we must do all that we can to prevent further death or injury because of road traffic collisions. Seven districts showed an increase in overall casualties between 2018 and 2019, most notably in my own constituency of Mid Ulster, which increased from 598 to 704 casualties overall. That shows the need for this timely debate. <BR /> <BR />When we talk about road safety at schools, a number of key issues need to be considered.”
“Road safety affects everyone. Communities are very sensitive to road safety and related issues, such as speeding and heavy vehicles. Road safety, especially the safety of children outside schools, is one of the frequent concerns received by my constituency office. By maintaining children's safety outside schools and exercising a little extra care and caution, drivers and pedestrians can coexist safely in and around our schools. <BR /> <BR />There are approximately 120 preschool, nursery, primary and post-primary schools in Mid Ulster registered with the Education Authority (EA). Some of them are on shared campuses and some are in large towns, but many are in rural locations. Statistics for the 2019 calendar year, published on 27 March 2020 by the PSNI, showed that there was a total of 5,676 injuries as a result of road traffic collisions.”
“I thank the Member for her question. My understanding is that the 90 members will have it very much in their own destinies. Ultimately, the 90 young people will be a young persons' assembly. Out of that, there will be up to four Committees, and the young people will agree which Assembly Committees they will, for want of a better word, shadow. <BR /> <BR />Effectively, there will be a two-year test phase, with the young people heading in whatever direction they see fit and "shadowing" — we will use that word — whatever Assembly Committees they want to follow. It will be a two-year programme. Depending on how well that goes, it will be developed, and it will be up to future Commission members to see how far it goes. The Youth Assembly will very much be driven by those within it.”
“For example, if Mid Ulster had three female members in the initial 54 members, the selection process to incorporate the remaining 36 members would counterbalance that, if you understand the point that I am getting at. I assure the Member that the membership will cover all section 75 aspects.”
“If I may, I will take your second question on technology first. The aim is for the Youth Assembly to be operating prior to the summer. Restrictions will obviously need to have eased to allow 90 young people to be in the Chamber, so I suspect that technology will be used at that stage, purely for social-distancing reasons. <BR /> <BR />I assure the Member that all section 75 groupings will be included. The method of selection will be, first, three members from the 18 constituencies. That gives 54 members, which will provide a broad spectrum of members from across Northern Ireland. We will ensure that the remaining 36 members reflect all section 75 groupings. It is important that that happens. A random selection approach will be used.”
“That is a challenging timescale, not least because of the current public health situation, but we are committed to doing all that we can to meet that aim. <BR /> <BR />Finally, it is worth emphasising that the work and proceedings of the Youth Assembly will not be party political and that its members will represent their lived experiences and the views of young people in general.”
“The recruitment proposals developed by officials were presented to and considered by the advisory group at the start of this month. The group very much welcomed the engagement with young people and the co-design panel report. The group also provided useful and practical advice and endorsed the concept of the recruitment proposals. Officials subsequently considered the group’s advice, refined the proposals and presented them to the Commission at a meeting last Thursday. The Commission is now considering them, and a decision will be taken soon. <BR /> <BR />As we look ahead, subject to agreement, it is anticipated that the recruitment of members of the Youth Assembly will take place during April and May, in the hope that it will be able to meet for the first time before the summer.”
“Based on the panel's findings, officials have subsequently designed and developed proposals for the recruitment of the members of the Youth Assembly. <BR /> <BR />In addition, the Speaker established a Youth Assembly advisory group to provide the Commission with advice and guidance from the youth sector and other relevant stakeholders in relation to establishing, implementing and reviewing the operation of the Youth Assembly during its two-year pioneer phase. The group comprises the Speaker; senior Assembly officials; Professor Laura Lundy from the Centre for Children's Rights at Queen's University; the Children's Commissioner, Koulla Yiasouma; and adults and young people from the Northern Ireland Youth Forum, YouthAction and the Education Authority.”
“With your permission, Mr Deputy Speaker, I will group questions 6 and 15, so I may need a few extra seconds to give my response. I thank both Members for their questions. <BR /> <BR />As Members may recall, the House was last updated on the Youth Assembly on 8 December. Since then, a number of important developments have occurred, and I will outline some of those for Members. Assembly officials have continued their work to develop the practicalities and arrangements needed to enable the Youth Assembly to start its work. In particular, a co-design panel of young people was established to help to shape the principles and best approach to recruitment for the Youth Assembly. The panel met during December and January and produced and agreed its report at the end of January.”
“Yes. In the past, the Commission looked at that, and there was a paper approximately two meetings back. I will ask the director to bring that to the Commission again. From memory, that was looked at. We are still waiting for additional information, but I will get a full and detailed response to the Member on that point.”
“As I outlined in my response, our next meeting will probably be within the next four to five weeks, and we will have a paper at that meeting indicating what the Commission can do as its responsibility. We have just over 30 female Members out of 90 Members in total, and that paper will include all options, including maternity, paternity and adoption issues. It is not just a female having a baby; there can be other adoption issues. That paper will be broad. I assure the Member that all issues will be looked at.”
“However, the Member can be assured that the Commission will give full consideration to any aspects under the Commission’s remit. I encourage all Members to pass their views on the matter to their Commission member.”
“However, the Commission is aware that Members have asked about what may be done to assist a Member with her representational duties when she is having a baby, and that is one of the issues that will be discussed by the Assembly Commission at its next meeting in the context of the matters within its responsibilities. Clearly, the Commission cannot alter any matters that fall outside its remit — for example, the co-option of a replacement Member during a period of maternity — but the Commission will consider the matters that fall within its responsibilities. <BR /> <BR />The Commission is also aware that there are likely to be issues related to a Member's work in Parliament Buildings and the provisions of Standing Orders; for example, participating in debates or voting. Those would be for the Committee on Procedures to address.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I am very mindful of the recent debate that the Assembly had on International Women's Day on promoting a gender-sensitive Assembly and improving the gender balance in the Assembly. I can inform the Member that the Commission has asked for a paper on those issues to be brought to its next full meeting. <BR /> <BR />The Commission will have to take account of the fact that maternity provisions, because they relate to a Member's salary, are set independently and not by the Assembly Commission. The salary that a Member is entitled to receive under the determination made by the Independent Financial Review Panel (IFRP) in March 2016 is not affected by the fact that the Member is having a baby.”
“I thank the First Minister for her answers. There are bereaved families across Northern Ireland who have an empty chair that will never be filled. What communication has the First Minister had with them or groups that represent them since the recent court case? What has been the First Minister's most recent correspondence with them?”
“Can the Minister outline the background to the Urban Villages programme?”
“Minister, the first scheme had a reach-out to 67% of people in the industry who were eligible. Do you think that that is high enough? Will the second scheme bring in more people? As my colleague across the way said, do you intend to have more dialogue with operators in the next week or two, before the second scheme is launched, to make sure that the eligible percentage rises?”
“I thank the Minister for his response. Minister, can you confirm whether the Northern Trust is aware of that information? I received a communication from a constituent that was based on the 18 June email, which stated that the Department of Health was giving that support to people who work in the Northern Trust. As of yet, that lady has not been communicated with, and, indeed, the trust is not aware of that. I have had several communications with the trust.”
“Did the Chief Constable come under pressure, perhaps from the party opposite, to take such swift action against these police officers without due process being followed? That is a concern. We do not know, but we will be following that up with the Chief Constable. Where is the protection for those officers? Where is the protection for police officers who go out to do a job that they have been trained to do and then, when they do it, are brought under scrutiny and subject to trial by social media? It is totally unacceptable and is something that we will follow up with the Chief Constable.”
“What we witnessed following that event raises a number of grave concerns. We saw the trial of two police officers by social media. That is no way to carry out law and order in Northern Ireland to have police officers being tried under social media. It is no way to operate, and questions have to be answered around why due process was not followed. We have due process in this country to follow in a situation like this. If I recall correctly, it was the party opposite that called, on numerous occasions, for all these processes to be put in place. Let us follow the due process that is in place rather than having two young officers brought into a situation like this and now being made scapegoats by the Chief Constable. <BR /> <BR />That is not acceptable, and questions have to be answered.”
“This morning, we all have to remember that the police have a very difficult role in policing the COVID regulations. Questions need to be asked around why the police were on the Ormeau Road on that evening. Was it because there was a gathering of people who were in blatant breach of the COVID regulations? In situations like that, the police have a responsibility to intervene when someone is breaking the regulations. These people were well aware of the regulations. They would have known what the regulations were but were still in blatant breach of them. I understand that the restrictions allow for up to six people at such events. It has been well reported that there were in excess of 40 people at this event. <BR /> <BR />We have to remember that we are all equal to the law and are all equal subjects under the law.”
“Individual drivers may well be able to tap into that but not the people who own the vehicles. For example, someone in my constituency owns six or eight of those vehicles, and there seems to be no support for them. As Minister, why have you not thought about bringing forward some type of scheme to help those people, who are also suffering substantial losses as a result of COVID-19? The Finance Minister has quite a bit of money that he is looking to be spent. Do you think that it is time that you looked at bringing forward a scheme, specifically, for those people?”
“I thank the Member for his question. I am not actually sure of the answer. However, I have no doubt that my colleagues in the Box will take note of the question and write to the Member on that. If he is happy with that, we will get clarity for the Member.”
“The matter is in hand at the Business Committee and not the Commission.”
“I thank the Member for her question. She is more than welcome as a new Member to the Chamber. Indeed — in her words, not mine — some Members may take the long road round, or, as the Speaker said previously, they take the detour. That having been said, two weeks ago, I believe, the issue was discussed at a meeting of the Business Committee, of which I am a member. We do not want to deter or stifle debate. However, sometimes, some Members — and I would not dare to look around the Chamber to indicate who — may use an extremely long sentence when a short sentence would do. The Business Committee has discussed the issue and the Speaker is going to look at it with regard to controlling debate. I appreciate that, when it goes on until 2.00 am or 3.00 am, it is not family-friendly in any way.”
“I am aware, however, that the Speaker has agreed to come back to the Business Committee with a range of options for how business might be better managed, given the heavy programme of legislation that is expected towards the end of the mandate. <BR /> <BR />Although the Commission has no role in setting the working hours of the Assembly, it has a range of policies and procedures in place, including a staff-hours-at-work policy and a flexible working policy that have enabled approximately a quarter of all staff to utilise flexible working patterns to facilitate better family-friendly or carer-friendly working patterns.”
“The working hours for most staff employed by the Assembly Commission will therefore be directly related to the working hours of the Assembly. A notable exception to that requirement is the working hours for staff who maintain a 24-hour security presence in Parliament Buildings. <BR /> <BR />For the vast majority of staff, working hours are dictated by the working hours of the Assembly. Those working hours, most notably the duration of sitting days or the scheduling of Committee meetings, are not in the gift of the Assembly Commission. Sitting times are the preserve of the Business Committee, while the scheduling of Committee meetings falls to each Committee.”
“I thank the Member for her question. The function of the Assembly Commission, as set out in section 40(4) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, is to:”
“I will need to get written clarity on some parts of that for the Member. If you are happy, the Commission will write to you to give you more information.”
“Yes, I agree that the Commission has a duty of care to its members and, moving on from the staff in the Building, to the personal staff of MLAs, whether they are in the Building, working remotely or in constituency offices. The Member might be interested to hear that the Clerking and Member Support Office is exploring the delivery of electronic courses on mental health awareness through the Northern Ireland Civil Service online training platform. These short training courses will be available to all Members and their staff. So, it will be available not only for Members in the Building but all staff, whether they are employees of the Commission or our own direct employees.”
“Under that programme, staff can avail themselves of 24/7 counselling, online training, and access to a range of electronic resources covering health and well-being topics. The Commission has 18 staff trained as mental health first-aiders, and our learning and development team regularly promote activities to assist staff with managing their health and well-being. The Commission will continue to support and promote the good mental health of its staff throughout the pandemic and beyond.”
“I thank the Member for her question. The Assembly Commission has a strong focus on the health and well-being of staff, and that is a key aspect of the Commission's corporate strategy and corporate plan. The Commission also has a health and well-being framework and a wide range of health and well-being resources on the Assembly's intranet. <BR /> <BR />During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission issued three regular weekly communications to keep in touch with staff, as many were working some or all of the time from home. Each week, "Well-being Wednesday" communications were issued to promote a wide range of resources on health and well-being topics. <BR /> <BR />The Commission’s employee assistance programme continued to be available throughout the pandemic.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Given how difficult it has been this year with regard to digital learning, online learning etc, what is the Minister's opinion of the TIMSS findings on learning by digital means?”
“What is Project Stratum going to do for the average homeowner, pupil and student in Mid Ulster?”
“I welcome the Minister's work in getting this rolled out. We are now indeed seeing confidence and supply money rolling into Northern Ireland, and we will now see confidence in and supply of our broadband, and to all communities, I might add. At the very start, some were very negative in their comments about the project, but it is going to be rolled out across all communities and will support all of them. There are 18 constituencies in Northern Ireland, but obviously there is only one, Minister, and it is the most important one: Mid Ulster.”
“Minister, I have a rundown of every culvert and pipe in all the counties throughout Ireland, and I appreciate the work that is going on down there. However, can you confirm what the priorities are for Waterways Ireland here in Northern Ireland in 2021 and beyond?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. With regard to powers, or to his influence over councils, some councils have a power or a regime with regard to fining people for littering. I am going to name my own council: Mid Ulster District Council had, in a period of one year about two years ago, eight fines, which I think is unacceptable and does not send out the correct signal. What influence can the Minister put on councils across Northern Ireland to take littering and waste disposal more seriously at a local level?”
“One or two more people will not do it; we need a massive increase in the percentage to address the backlog.”
“I thank the Minister for her answers so far. Minister, I have concerns about how you are going to address the backlog. I appreciate that, for car MOTs, you can issue a temporary exemption certificate (TEC), which will let people drive on. I have concerns about that as well because of the amount of work that garages are not doing; there are cars on the road that are not safe, although it is up to the individual to ensure that their car is safe. How are you going to increase the percentage and numbers? A rate of 100% means that driving test numbers will just sit still; you need to increase that by another 100% to address the backlog. Many young people have contacted my office because they have been turned down when they try to get a test date; they cannot get one.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. The focus is currently on COVID and rightly so. However, the strains on other conditions and the pressures on people's personal lives are putting pressure on the mental health of the population across Northern Ireland. Is the attention to the pandemic outweighing attention to other conditions and putting strains on people's mental health?”
“Thank you, Minister, for your answer. Obviously, there will be a lead-in time with regard to getting that implemented. Have you had conversations, or are there any ongoing, with providers to boost what we have at the moment to get an initial better speed for some places? That would be an easy, quick win.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. He indicated that the Department intends to roll that out in future years. Does he envisage that there will be more of a financial increase per year? Obviously, a lot of the equipment on farms is tired — I will use that terminology — and not up to modern standards. Therefore, does he see that figure increasing yearly?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. She indicated that the Department would do a feasibility study on the North/South high-speed rail line, and the Narrow Water bridge was mentioned in her statement. Can the Minister give us a high-level budget figure for the rail link? Will she carry out a feasibility study on a bridge to link with our neighbours to the east in Scotland? Will she give that more consideration than she has in the past?”
“The Minister has the power to make significant improvements, but that will require a long-term vision and investment. I look forward to hearing what the Minister has to say.”
“<BR /> <BR />As an MLA for Mid Ulster, I also recognise that there are wider issues with transport links in the west of the Province. I urge the Infrastructure Minister to ensure that she lives up to the commitments in 'New Decade, New Approach' to address regional imbalance and the infrastructure deficits in the west. Of course, that extends beyond rail: we need delivery on our road infrastructure as well. I note that the Minister has announced a feasibility study for a high-speed Londonderry to Cork rail link. Despite the Minster's knee-jerk dismissal of the Northern Ireland to Scotland bridge link, I will await the findings of that feasibility study. <BR /> <BR />Improvements to our infrastructure in Northern Ireland must, however, be our priority.”