John Stewart
East Antrim · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Decisions taken over the next two months will determine whether Northern Ireland has a modern, responsive enterprise service or whether we simply roll forward a model that increasingly struggles to keep pace with the world around it.”
“<BR /> <BR />I understand that significant efforts have been made to bring the Department for the Economy, councils and Enterprise NI around a table to design collaboratively the modernised service for 2027, yet that meeting still has not happened. That is deeply disappointing.”
“<BR /> <BR />I thank Enterprise Northern Ireland and note the outstanding work of our local enterprise agencies, which go above and beyond, often in challenging financial circumstances, for our entrepreneurs and businesses.”
“I declare an interest as the chair of the all-party group on micro and small business, but I feel that I must highlight an issue that should concern every Member, regardless of party or constituency.”
“The infrastructure in Larne West is shambolic and fails residents and commuters daily. Minister, you will be aware of an ombudsman's investigation of the missing link road at Ballyloran that reported last February on the back of my office having brought the matter to it.”
“The Bill sends an important message that demonstrates confidence in the governance arrangements that are already in place and in the boards and management teams that have successfully led the organisations for many years.”
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“<BR /> <BR />Finally, the motion — we agree with this — calls for an update on phase 3 of the Derry to Coleraine feasibility study. We have no problem with that, and that will be vital in securing faster, more reliable journeys to the north-west. However, it would be remiss, as I pointed out, not to factor in the serious and concerning revelations from a recent assessment and report carried out for Translink. It says that seven areas, including the Carrickfergus to Larne line in my constituency and the Londonderry line, will, by 2040, be under water as a result of rising sea levels and coastal change.”
“I am not quite there yet. <BR /> <BR />I absolutely agree with the Member. Sustainability is key. Whatever we are looking at, but particularly the massive infrastructure projects over a number of years, we will undoubtedly need consistency and continuity of government, and that will be vital in achieving that. <BR /> <BR />Thirdly, as already mentioned, the absence of Fermanagh from the all-island rail review is totally unacceptable and needs to be corrected. The extension of a rail line to Fermanagh is imperative for sustained economic growth and connectivity and will be vital in alleviating congestion on Fermanagh roads, allowing fabricators and manufacturers to use rail freight instead of roads to aid in transportation. I would welcome a commitment from the Minister on that issue.”
“Thank you for that promotion, Mr Deputy Speaker; I will take the pay cheque as well, if I can have it.”
“I would also welcome input, as has already been said, regarding the Union connectivity review and input from His Majesty's Government, which has a key role to play. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, it is about deliverability. The entire project is likely to span in excess of 25 years, and, in order to do that, we need to see a commitment that extends over five mandates and at least five Ministers from several parties. We therefore need to see a maturity of government that we have struggled to find in the past, if we are to see truly transformative services. That is the same across all Departments. Whether it is the transformation of care in Health or the massive infrastructure projects, there needs to be a grown-up approach to how we do this over a series of years.”
“As part of the Union connectivity review, we might see additional routes to mainland UK. There might also be an all-island tourism benefit from that if people are able to travel up from Dublin and fly out from Belfast to further afield. That could be a game changer. <BR /> <BR />I want to touch on a few of the issues. Mrs Erskine talked about the cost of the proposals and how prohibitive that would be. At this stage, the assessment of the cost stands at £31 billion, with a contribution of upwards of 25% from the Executive. It is essential that the proposals are properly costed in order to assess their overall viability, particularly in light of the additional costs that were highlighted today by the Audit Office in relation to how infrastructure projects are run.”
“<BR /> <BR />The proposals for additional stations throughout the country, particularly in the west, could be a game changer for connectivity, tourism and economic development, as would the long-term proposals for a 125 mph line between Newry and Lisburn and the one-hourly service between Belfast and Dublin. As has been said, ultimately, were the proposals to be followed through, up to 700,000 people across Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic would live within 5 kilometres of a railway station. <BR /> <BR />The expansion, as I have said, would need to include access to our airports. The cost of airport car parking is significant and prohibitive, and a monopoly has been established because of the lack of connectivity, particularly to Belfast International Airport but also to Belfast City Airport.”
“<BR /> <BR />If delivered, the recommendations will help to achieve a greener economy, including a modal shift towards public and sustainable forms of transport. They will support decarbonisation of the rail network here, including a gradual shift to electrification of the network and the use of hydrogen-powered trains. I note that Northern Ireland is the only part of Europe without any form of electrification of its rail lines. That is something that we definitely need to look at. Further, the recommendations have the ability to deliver an accessible, efficient, safe and sustainable transport system that supports communities, households and businesses here.”
“I thank the proposers of the motion and the amendment. We will support both. <BR /> <BR />Our rail network has been the victim of chronic underinvestment over many years in terms of the existing infrastructure and diversification away from a carbon-emitting fleet but particularly in terms of a lack of network in the west of the Province. To be clear, the Ulster Unionist Party is fully supportive of the ambitious plans set out in the all-island strategic rail review, particularly on how the rail network can be developed sustainably to improve connectivity between major cities and towns, enhance regional accessibility, including to the north-west, enhance transport integration, reduce carbon emissions and support balanced economic growth and development.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. One of the key issues here is that we do not have connectivity to our airports. Rail could be a game changer: we could open up the International Airport, for example, and improve the tourism offering as a result.”
“On the extension of phase 3, do you share, as I do, the concerns raised in the Translink-commissioned report from EirGrid late last year about the rise in sea levels and the impact that that will have on not only the Derry line but the Carrickfergus to Larne line? By 2040, six locations on that line and my line will be under water due to rising sea levels. Should that be a priority for the Minister and Translink?”
“I hope that the strategic framework will be laid out as soon as possible, allowing us to tackle this hugely important issue.”
“<BR /> <BR />We must start as we mean to go on and ensure that our youth are educated to be respectful towards one another. Educating our youth is necessary from nursery school onwards. Young people must be encouraged to respect and listen to others and to accept that violence towards any person, regardless of gender, is totally unacceptable. Our society must be educated through awareness campaigns. There needs to be change in the long-established societal attitudes towards domestic and sexual violence until the statistics reflect respect towards women and girls. <BR /> <BR />I am encouraged that the Executive Office said that the strategy will be cross-departmental. It needs to straddle the Department of Justice, including probation services, the Department of Health, the Department of Education and the Department of Finance.”
“The statistics show how important it is to have emotional support, counselling and referral support, such as that provided by Women's Aid Federation Northern Ireland, but such organisations must be properly resourced and funded, as Members have said. Our party met the Women's Aid Federation Northern Ireland in September, after it had reached out with concerns that its local government funding was due to end that month. Since then, Women's Aid has lost significant funding that helped to support women and girls who were victims of domestic abuse, harm and violence. A consideration in the strategic framework must therefore be to improve the support available to victims and ensure that support networks are adequately funded.”
“Unfortunately, violence and domestic abuse towards our women and girls did not disappear or reduce; they increased. As we move into a post-pandemic society, we must reflect on the things that were said. <BR /> <BR />Statistics were quoted, and, regrettably, three years on, they are not the same but worse. We still have no strategy to end violence against women and girls. We have failed them. Between 2022 and 2023, the PSNI recorded 32,875 incidents of domestic violence here in Northern Ireland — an average of one every 16 minutes. Sadly, in 2021, when the issue was last discussed, the figure was one every 17 minutes. As we know, over one third of such incidents are not reported or recorded, which makes it even worse.”
“I also acknowledge the huge volume of work that has been carried out by Executive Office officials over many years. They have worked tirelessly to resolve the issue and put together a strategic framework, and they have brought forward all the responses that have been made to date. I look forward, as they do, I am sure, to seeing the strategic framework in place. <BR /> <BR />As I said, in March 2021, a similar motion was debated in the House, and there was unanimity in the responses that day. During the debate, many Members discussed the critical issues around the violence, harm and abuse that women and girls continued to face and the need for a strategy to ensure that we protect women and girls and eliminate gender-based violence in Northern Ireland. That motion was discussed during the COVID pandemic.”
“If any positive can be taken from not having a long-overdue strategy on tackling gender-based violence, it is that we can learn from models of best practice elsewhere, learning from what has worked badly, taking on board what has worked well across these isles and applying that to any strategy that we begin to roll out. We owe that to our women and girls. <BR /> <BR />In the absence of any live strategy or strategic framework, I acknowledge the tireless and invaluable work of organisations such as the Women's Policy Group, the Cithrah Foundation, Women's Aid, the White Ribbon project and the many other groups and organisations across the country that dedicate their time to supporting women and girls, striving to end violence and raising awareness of the issues at all levels of our society.”
“I commend that organisation and the many thousands of people who completed the survey and took part in the consultation that helped us to formulate the strategic framework. Motions were tabled in the House in 2017 and 2021, and there was unanimity in all the responses on both occasions about how we should go forward in tackling the issue. The sad reality is that, were it not for the five years out of seven of political vacuum in this place, a strategy not only would have been in place but would have been well advanced and tackling the issue. Sadly, we are where we are.”
“I congratulate you on your new role, Mr Deputy Speaker; I do not think that I have spoken with you since you took the Chair. I also congratulate the Member for North Down on her maiden speech — it was very well done — and echo her words about Rachel Woods, who is a sad loss to the Chamber. I wish her well too. <BR /> <BR />The Ulster Unionist Party supports the motion and the amendment. I thank everyone for bringing forward this important issue, which should have been tackled through a strategic framework before now. As we know and as has been mentioned, the process of setting out that strategic framework is well advanced. I chaired the TEO Committee during the last mandate. At one of the last meetings of that Committee, evidence was sought from the Women's Resource and Development Agency.”
“I thank the junior Minister for the update on the high street task force. Town centres and independent retailers are the backbone of our local economy. In my constituency of East Antrim, they face a 10% increase in their rates as a result of the striking of the rate. Will the Executive Office commit to looking at rebalancing how we tax and set rates for independent retailers so that they are not paying the full burden of the rates process?”
“I appreciate that, Mr Speaker, and I appreciate the motion.”
“Members of planning committees often lose large parts of their representative role and are meant to be strictly neutral, but I frequently observed councillors going straight from recommendations without proper questioning or debate, demonstrating predetermination, which is meant to be a cardinal sin. Councillors do not always have to fulfil the recommendations, but, if they do, they —.”
“When I went on to council in 2014, there was a programme from the then Department of the Environment in preparation for the devolvement of planning to councils. I remember, as part of that, observing a planning committee in Peterborough. I observed just how professionally its members went about their business. Subsequent to that, training has not been kept up to that standard. I have observed the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council planning committee in my constituency from time to time since then, and I have to say that, from a good start, standards have slipped. <BR /> <BR />It is not easy to fulfil a quasi-judicial role.”
“To focus on one issue for a moment, the Northern Ireland Audit Office report recommends greater transparency around council decision-making on planning, particularly the recording of why some applications that are normally delegated are referred to committee and the minuting of the reasons why the committee has overturned an officer recommendation. It also recommends appropriate training for councillors on planning committees, while the Department ensures regional consistency. <BR /> <BR />The PAC report also has 12 recommendations, and recommendation 5 emphasises that all those involved in decision-making should:”
“In addition, looking outside official government reports, the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce only last month produced a report detailing its position on planning improvement and reform. <BR /> <BR />A lot of similar themes emerge in the reports and their recommendations. The Audit Office report is critical of the disjointed approach to planning in Northern Ireland. Its 12 recommendations relate to plan-making, improving performance on the most important applications, enforcement, delegation and committee matters, review of planning fees, leadership of the planning system, skills, and environmental ammonia levels.”
“<BR /> <BR />I query whether the Minister needs to commission yet another review of the planning system. There is no shortage of them. The Department for Infrastructure's report on its review of the implementation of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 was published on 27 January 2022. The Northern Ireland Audit Office published its review of the planning system on 1 February 2022. The Public Accounts Committee published a report in response to the Audit Office report in March 2022. This institution went into deep sleep for two years, and it would be constructive, before we start to call for more reports, if the new Minister could check with his officials and tell us what consideration his Department has given to the three reports that I have just mentioned.”
“<BR /> <BR />Across Northern Ireland, the 11 district councils are producing their own development plans, and, in doing so, they have the power to produce their own bespoke policies for development in the countryside. That has the potential for mass inconsistencies across the country. Planning Policy Statement 21 (PPS 21) seemed to attract criticism from all quarters, but at least it was consistent across Northern Ireland in allowing for development in certain circumstances and was not a free-for-all. The issue is worthy of a separate motion and debate, but I caution Members not to use language loosely in a debate. It may get plaudits from planning consultants who design single dwellings in the countryside, but we need to factor in sustainability.”
“I thank the Member for her intervention. Absolutely, flexibility is key. I do not think that anyone wants — this is what I seek clarity on — a free-for-all as in County Donegal, where we see examples of building endlessly into the countryside. No one wants that, particularly if we are going to protect our rural and farm areas and our diversity and natural habitats. In that respect, we are in agreement. For example, in recent months, much has been made of Lough Neagh. No one could overestimate the impact of the number of large dwellings that are built on B roads, with septic tanks that have overflows and water flows leading into them, and the impact that they could have if we further opened rural development in those areas.”
“needs to be examined closely in order to understand how it fits with subsequent lines about our green solutions and sustainability.”
“The proposers seem to have thrown every planning buzzword into the motion in the hope that some of them will stick. I am sure that that was not the intention, and, hopefully, we will tease out some of it in the debate. <BR /> <BR />While there is much in the motion that no one could take umbrage at or disagree with, some aspects need to be teased out, particularly building in the countryside. The throwaway line about:”
“I congratulate the Member on his maiden speech and also congratulate my colleague on her rise to Chair of the Infrastructure Committee — I look forward to working with her. I look forward to working with everyone who contributed today, including my East Antrim colleague Cheryl Brownlee. It was a very-well-done speech, so congratulations on that. <BR /> <BR />Undoubtedly, the planning system in Northern Ireland is not fit for purpose and is stunting economic growth, international investment and our green agenda, and reform is required. While I do not disagree with anything that has been said by the three Members who have contributed so far, I think that the motion, to combine some culinary jargon, is a mixture of word salad and mom and apple pie.”
“I thank the Member for giving way, and I agree with much of what she has said. Does the Member agree that, for the public, openness and transparency are at the heart of this and that, to that end, any examples of predetermination in planning decisions from those elected onto planning committees need to be dealt with robustly?”
“As Deputy Chair of the Infrastructure Committee, I formally congratulate the Minister on his new role and wish him all the best. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the Minister's statement. He is very aware of the staggering numbers: there were more than 110,000 potholes in Northern Ireland last year — there was an increase of 34% in my constituency of East Antrim — and the average time taken for repair is four to six weeks. Can the Minister explain how the £1 million will be divvied up? Can East Antrim have all of it, please?”
“For example, Danske Bank, which has announced this closure, had a pre-tax profit of £103 million last year, and the banking industry has collectively netted profits of £17 billion since 2015. With such massive windfalls, surely the industry can afford to maintain a basic level of cash access network. <BR /> <BR />I have written to the Minister for the Economy to ask him to work with Ministers in Westminster to put more pressure on banks to stop the never-ending closures, starting with the Danske Bank in Carrickfergus. I also call on the Minister and everyone in the Chamber to support the volunteers who are ready and waiting to set up a series of community banks across our towns and villages. They are dedicated to providing sustainable, not-for-profit banking at the heart of our communities, even if the big institutions are not.”
“A recent report from Advice NI found that 90% of the population use a bank at some point in the year and that 40% use a local branch at least once a month, but, despite the assurances and platitudes from well-prepared PR teams, the reality is that the banking industry simply does not care about customers. If it did, it would not be closing branches at the speed that it is doing so. <BR /> <BR />We need an incentive and a legal requirement for a minimum level of local branch access for our banking customers. We all know the pre-rehearsed arguments that banks make. They say that cash use is significantly down since 2015 and that branches and ATMs are less profitable. However, banks are not charities. In fact, they are far from it; they are hugely profitable organisations.”
“When I pointed that out to him, I was told that customers could use post offices to make deposits and withdrawals, but he was clearly unaware that Carrickfergus town centre no longer has a post office since the last one closed over a year ago. <BR /> <BR />It is wholly unacceptable to assume or demand that every single banking customer will use online banking. Elderly and disabled customers, businesses, charities and many other organisations rely on branch access, yet branches are rapidly disappearing from our towns and villages. Last year, the UK Government passed the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, but that has failed to address bank closures across the UK — a number that totals hundreds each month.”
“On Friday, customers of the Carrickfergus branch of Danske Bank, and of branches in several other locations across Northern Ireland, received word that their branch will close in June. That is devastating news for Carrickfergus High Street and for retail banking throughout east Antrim. In the past five years, five high street bank branches have closed in Carrickfergus, as have 10 others across Larne and Newtownabbey collectively. <BR /> <BR />When I spoke to a representative of Danske Bank on Friday, he told me that customers should not worry and that their accounts would be seamlessly transferred to the Abbey Centre branch nine miles away. That is little comfort, I am sure, to the many elderly customers who rely on branch access for deposits and withdrawals on a daily basis.”
“I select the Department of Health and nominate Robin Swann MLA.”
“Mr Speaker, I congratulate you on your new role. As Chief Whip of the Ulster Unionist Party, I look forward to working with you through the Business Committee. <BR /> <BR />I nominate Dr Steve Aiken MLA.”
“On behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party, I nominate Dr Steve Aiken.”
“On behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party, I am very proud to nominate my friend and colleague Mike Nesbitt MLA.”
“Perhaps it would not have been possible in the past, but I am glad that, through cooperation and working with the sponsor and with other Members, we have been able to get here today. <BR /> <BR />I pay tribute, as others have, to the Member, not only for this Bill but for his dedicated service to the people of East Belfast and to the Assembly over a number of years. I wish him well. I am sure that we have not seen the last of you, Chris. Thank you for all your efforts to get us here. It would have been nice, I suppose, if we had been able to get this change through in other ways. He and I and others attempted, through many questions, motions and whatever else, over a number of years, to get movement from the Executive Office on this matter, but we are where we are. The failure there has become Chris's success in getting us to this stage.”
“I will be brief. On behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party, I support the Bill at Final Stage. I commend Chris Lyttle for all his work in getting us here. Three or four weeks ago, we probably thought that it might not be possible, but, as other Members have said, it just shows what is possible when we have a collective will, an efficient and effective scrutiny process through the Committee, and the collaboration of the various offices — the Bill Office and the Department — to get us to this stage. <BR /> <BR />The Bill is mercifully short, as I said at previous stages, but massively significant and symbolic. Mr Sheehan said, rightly, that it reflects a change in society and in where we are today.”
“I welcome the Minister's effort on contingency planning, which I hope will allow key services to continue, as well as further spend on waiting list initiatives. In particular, how is the Minister taking into account the unforeseen funding pressures as a result of increased energy costs, which could be up to £50 million across the trusts?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. I will move slightly further up the coast, to Larne. Last week's disgraceful actions by P&O shone a light on the questionable ownership of the port. We would not allow an airline company to own an airport in Northern Ireland — it would certainly raise eyebrows — but, in Northern Ireland, we have the Port of Larne being operated by the ferry owners. It does not seem right, or to be in the interests of fairness or delivering for the public. Will the Minister look into the option of a free port for Larne, and at the other options that may be available?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement today. I echo completely what he said about the deplorable way in which P&O has treated its customers and staff. It is absolutely disgraceful. <BR /> <BR />Minister, I do not think that any of us could understand the notion of Belfast City Airport being owned by Flybe or British Airways or Belfast Aldergrove being owned by easyJet. That is almost impossible to accept in the interests of competition and delivery for customers. Yet that is exactly what we see in the Port of Larne, where the owner/operator is the only company using it. That cannot be good for competition, and it is not good for delivery to the public. What conversations have you had about alternatives and the potential for a free port in Larne?”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thought that you had forgotten about me, but I am sure you will join me in welcoming the news for Belfast High School, Carrickfergus Academy, Larne Grammar School and Larne High School and in imploring the Minister and the Department to do all that they can to see those projects coming to fruition as quickly as possible. <BR /> <BR />Minister, what changes do you want to see to ensure that those projects are not plagued by the same delays experienced by Islandmagee Primary School in my constituency, which received a similar announcement over 10 years ago and still does not have the first sod dug?”
“Members will be all too aware of the challenges that we face in getting any kind of consensus on flying flags in Northern Ireland. Up to now, we have been subject to 18 days, as per the DCMS list, and, today, we are to lose seven of those, which is almost a third. <BR /> <BR />In that context, my party thinks that it is reasonable to look at adding some other days to mitigate that loss. There has already been a suggestion for that from a Member for East Belfast. Days such as St Patrick's Day, 1 July to mark the Battle of the Somme and, potentially, the Twelfth of July should also be considered by the Commission. That is a reasonable recommendation, so, hopefully, the Commission will look at it.”
“I think that originally I probably said that I was content with 12 months, as per the original drafting of the Bill, but, off the back of the evidence given by the Department of Education last week, when it requested 30 months, 24 months is probably a fair compromise. The Department should not look to use the full 24 months: there can be an optimistic approach to try to change any processes as quickly as possible. That is doable within the time frame. The Ulster Unionist Party supports this important piece of legislation. Thank you very much.”
“The ethos is generated by governors, parents, teachers, non-teaching staff, students and the surrounding community, not by barring employment to anyone on the grounds of their religious convictions. I again thank all Members who spoke today. There was agreement on the amendment across the board. <BR /> <BR />I will make a few comments about the amendment as an Ulster Unionist MLA. First, I thank the Bill sponsor for bringing this short but significant Bill here today and for the tenacity that he has shown on it. All being well, the Bill looks set to pass by the end of next week. I thank the members of the Committee for their input on the amendment during the discussions that we had last week.”
“I am pleased to make a winding-up speech on amendment No 1 on behalf of the Committee for the Executive Office. I thank all Members who contributed to the debate for their participation. I also thank those who provided evidence to the Committee to inform today's debate. I thank Members for their support for the amendment and, in particular, for bringing their perspectives to the debate. I acknowledge the concerns that were raised and hope that they will be allayed by the conversations that take place over the two years that follow the Bill becoming law. <BR /> <BR />The overriding interest to the Committee is that teachers can apply to any school without prejudice or discrimination. The Committee also saw from the evidence that that can take place without loss to the ethos of any particular school.”