Roy Beggs
East Antrim · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I declare an interest as owner of 25 acres of agricultural land; also, my parents run a small agricultural business. <BR /> <BR />There is a shortage of fertiliser, and the Minister has referred to the present difficulties in Ukraine that are contributing to that. That shortage exists even at the exorbitant cost of £1,000 per ton.”
“of public bodies in Northern Ireland. That is vital in order to reassure the public that money is being spent appropriately. That is to be done independently.”
“There has been a very close working relationship and a close partnership. Where issues needed highlighted and where the Assembly, through its scrutiny mechanisms, needed to dig deeper to get better value and better accountability, that occurred.”
“<BR /> <BR />I also want to reflect on the close working relationship that there has been between the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Northern Ireland Audit Office, which the C&AG oversees and manages, and the Assembly, particularly the Public Accounts Committee.”
“As we consider this motion to nominate a new Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland, it is important that we reflect on the importance that the role has in any democracy. The C&AG in Northern Ireland is the head of the Northern Ireland Audit Office.”
“P&O has brutally cast its workforce aside in a Dickensian fashion. There was no consultation or notice, and the company delivered a live message by video link. Will the Minister clarify whether the P&O redundancy announcement is covered by maritime law, Northern Ireland employment law or GB employment law?”
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“There are lots of questions that remain unanswered. It appears that there was a lack of focus on value for money. The assumption was, "Don't worry about it, because Westminster's picking up the bill". It is all taxpayers' money. Minister Foster, you were and are responsible —”
“The Northern Ireland Audit Office report states that a poultry industry boiler used 24 hours a day would give an 82% annual return on investment at public expense. Outrageous. <BR /> <BR />Minister, you then became Finance Minister. I agree with the comments from my colleague: a rugby hospital pass was given to Minister Bell. Alarm bells must have been ringing in May 2015 when DETI sought reapproval of the renewable heat incentive with the Finance Department at a very senior level. How was that handled from then on? Assembly Member Bell's evidence tells of the DUP's OFMDFM SpAds — gatekeepers — causing delays in facing the problem. Why are there delays in publishing the details of the companies and charities involved? Can we have them? How is it a data protection issue? Who benefited during that critical period?”
“<BR /> <BR />As others have said, when Mr Robinson's actions became the political focus, he voluntarily stood aside for an investigation to be completed and allowed government to function. I suggest that you should do the same. The renewable heat incentive was introduced in late 2012, when you were the ETI Minister — the Minister responsible. A short time later, in 2013, further protections were added in GB. There is tiering in GB, which greatly reduces the payment after a certain number of hours' usage. There is also degression, which is quarterly changes in the level of support offered depending on the demand. You, Minister, took the policy decision not to introduce either of those protections. For that, you are answerable. A vote was not put to the Assembly on that: you took that decision.”
“'The Nolan Show' this morning revealed that Minister Foster received a personal email directly from the whistle-blower in September 2013, in which the specific warnings were detailed, but they were not acted on. Explain. <BR /> <BR />The Northern Ireland Executive are in a state of turmoil. The attention of DUP Ministers is not on the well-being of the people of Northern Ireland but on continuing personal power. Today was pencilled in for the draft Budget originally. There has been no talk of it. Without proper, advance planning for all the Departments and agencies and the community and voluntary sector, poor decision-making will result. The Executive are in disarray. Rather than talking about a Budget, the focus is on the renewable heat incentive scheme and the losses incurred.”
“I rise in support of the motion. First Minister, as a result of your flawed renewable heat scheme some £485 million of taxpayer funds have been committed wastefully from future Budgets. That is a big number. Unused barns are being heated while many struggle to heat their homes. Inspections have been inadequate. These are all facts. I acknowledge that many businesses were attracted to the scheme, particularly in the early days, for sound environmental reasons rather than as a means of generating profit. Clearly, that changed. The integrity of this institution is at stake. Who is accountable for these hundreds of millions of pounds in costs and losses?”
“Does the Member agree with me that a lot of this is about judgement, and that is where there is a big question mark over the actions of the Minister?”
“I understand that, in June 2015, only a third of newly qualified teachers gained employment after one year. All newly qualified teachers will have incurred significant student debt. Has the Minister considered altering the number of places for teacher training at our universities in Northern Ireland, rather than having to introduce one-off schemes that are not sustainable in the long term?”
“Minister, an answer to a question for written answer from my colleague Andy Allen stated that some 2,423 planning applications for wind turbines and farms were approved between May 2007 and March 2016. Can the Minister give me an assurance that those that have been built are all connected to the grid?”
“The Member indicated that, on some projects, local councils acted as lead bodies. Why has that process not been followed everywhere? How can you justify £200,000 being paid to one lead body, and the project that is actually delivering the funding and helping people on the ground has, I understand, an additional £300,000 of public funding for administration? Almost a third of the project funding went on administration, and fewer people were helped on the ground than should have been.”
“In my constituency, there was to be a scheme to address fuel poverty. Is the Member surprised to learn that funding has only recently been allocated? I am unaware of how much money, if any, has been spent on upgrading properties.”
“That whole process is flawed, which is why we need an independent review. At the very least, the Audit Office should look at it and learn lessons so that it never happens again.”
“I agree entirely with the Member. When there are short-term schemes, there is a danger of not leaving an ongoing legacy behind. <BR /> <BR />There have been training and employment schemes in most areas. I am certainly aware of the scheme in the east Antrim area and have heard positive news from individuals who have been involved in it. In the training and employment project in east Belfast, £1·7 million was allocated to the lead party, Charter NI, but OFMDFM said that only £1·5 million is handed on to deliver the service. What I have not heard is what happens to the £200,000 that is creamed off by Charter NI. How does it justify the £200,000 expenditure that it receives? It would be much better if that £200,000 was spent directly on providing additional training and services for communities in need.”
“Others have spotted that there is something wrong here. Where is the value —”
“Sir Alistair Graham, the former chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, stated that the social investment fund:”
“If that advice had been followed, we would not be in the mess that we are in today. <BR /> <BR />There are really good schemes in the middle of this. In particular, I pick up on the capital improvements to Sure Start programmes. I am involved in Sure Start, and I know that the money will be very well spent in improving the lot of young children. Therefore, there are many laudable schemes. The trouble is that there are flawed processes. The fund could have been even better.”
“It was revealed by 'The Detail' that that was because there was a dispute between the DUP and Sinn Féin. Another year later, in October 2014, the then OFMDFM Committee was advised that, three and a half years after the fund's inception, £34·4 million had finally been allocated, but the expenditure had to be re-profiled from the initial period up to 2015 to a new period from 2014 to 2018. That means that there was at least a three-year delay, and, in that period, disadvantaged communities were not assisted. That needs to be reviewed. What was going wrong? That is worthy of a review in itself. <BR /> <BR />Commenting on the themes of poverty, unemployment and physical deterioration, my party, in its response to the consultation, said:”
“<BR /> <BR />Of course, there was also the peace process model, through which we had local strategic partnerships between councils and the community and voluntary sector. Expertise had been built up in that area, and processes that had been built up were rigorous. Why was that model not considered? <BR /> <BR />The reform of local government was also starting to take place. Such a fund could easily have been passed to the existing councils, empowering councillors moving forward. Why therefore were some of the existing processes and expertise not used instead of the scheme that we are discussing today? That is a big question that has to be answered. <BR /> <BR />Two years later, in 2013, some £389,000 had been spent, largely on administration, but no schemes had been delivered.”
“<BR /> <BR />At that time, however, the former Department for Social Development had responsibility for the neighbourhood renewal programme — indeed, the Department for Communities continues to provide that — helping many of the disadvantaged areas that we are talking about. Of course, the programme's remit could have been widened and new criteria could have been set down so that it could have administered such a fund, but, perhaps for political reasons, Sinn Féin and the DUP did not want to give that responsibility and funding to an SDLP Minister, who was the person in charge of the Department at that time. That should not be the reason that public money is directed one way or the other. Rather, it should be used in a way that is based on probity and models of good practice.”
“I support the motion, which calls for an independent review of the social investment fund and, in particular, scrutiny of the role of the lead partners. <BR /> <BR />I want to look at the timeline of the social investment fund. It was first announced in March 2011, shortly before an election. I have to be cynical about the timing of that. Was that to try to affect a political process? Right from the outset, it was not a good start. Between 2011-12 and 2014-15, the plan was to spend £40 million in resource and £40 million in capital expenditure to improve deprived communities by addressing poverty, unemployment and physical deterioration — all very laudable objectives.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Will the Minister accept that it is damaging to our environment and increasing unnecessarily CO2 emissions? Worst of all, the public are paying for all of this to happen. It is costing us in our pockets, yet we are damaging the environment. Why is public money being used to damage the environment?”
“— which are sectarian hate-crime attacks?”
“Will she ensure that there is greater recognition for what these are —”
“First, I declare an interest as an officer in my local lodge and of Larne district. Between 2011 and 2016, there have been 132 attacks on Orange halls. Does the Minister accept that, if there had been 132 attacks on synagogues, GAA halls, mosques, chapels or the buildings of other denominations, there would have been a much stronger, cross-departmental response to address the causes of the sectarian hate attacks? Will she ensure —”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Does she acknowledge that having a wide range of bodies for Together: Building a United Community — the social investment fund (SIF), the small pockets of deprivation programme (SPOD), neighbourhood renewal funding, the Housing Executive and councils — means there is a danger of overlapping and duplicating services? Yet there are areas in my constituency, such as Craigy Hill and Antiville, where there is very weak community support and they seem to have missed out. What are the First Minister and deputy First Minister doing to ensure that areas are not missing out on support and that where there is a need it is addressed?”
“I thank the First Minister for her statement, in which she mentioned the free movement of goods and people and the common travel area. Was there any discussion with the various members of the Council on the attitude that they are picking up from the other 27 members of the European Union to the issue of passport control at the future border with the European Union, which will be between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, and possibly at the Larne to Cairnryan connection with the rest of the United Kingdom? Can she assure me that I will not have to show my passport to visit Scotland?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer and, indeed, for piloting further 20 mph schemes outside schools. Can he give an indication on when the pilot scheme for the Model Primary School in Carrickfergus will be delivered? How soon thereafter will other schools, such as Eden Primary School on the busy A2 road or Toreagh Primary School, where there is a 40 mph limit outside the school door, be able to apply —”
“It is important that there is clarity, so can the Minister say definitively, once and for all, whether the commitment by the Treasury that it would guarantee funding for structural and investment fund projects signed before the UK leaves the EU, even where projects continue after we have left, applies to the York Street interchange? There has been a lot of discussion about that. Does he accept there is a divergence between what he and the Infrastructure Minister have been saying and what the Treasury has said? Can he explain?”
“Will he accept that the process has been fatally flawed and that there are inappropriate processes and a lack of accountability for the decision-making that went along with it?”
“The deputy First Minister alluded to the many, many years that it has taken for the funding to reach the ground, and he again says that it is important to get things right. This is language that we have heard before.”
“The recent Prisoner Ombudsman's report indicated that drug misuse has been a factor; indeed, that is an issue that officials highlighted at the Justice Committee on Thursday as inhibiting clinicians and mental health professionals in treating prisoners. Does the Minister recognise that there are regional variations in preferences for drugs? We apparently have a regime that follows the model in Scotland, where cocaine and opiates are preferred. There have been trends in drug misuse in our prisons with psychoactive substances, in particular, becoming more prominent. Will she ensure that we have modern technology with appropriate testing for the drugs that cause the problem?”
“Can the Minister assure us that the split site on which the school is now operating will increase the priority with which funding will actually be allocated and that there will be no further delays? Given that planning permission has now been delivered for Woodburn Primary School, when will both schools actually be built?”
“The development of Islandmagee Primary School has been rather torturous, in that it began in the early 2000s and has taken more than a decade.”
“The problem of violence and drugs in English prisons has been highlighted recently; indeed, there was an announcement of 2,500 additional officers. Given that the problem also exists in Northern Ireland, whether in Hydebank Wood Secure College or in other prisons, are there plans to employ additional prison officers and to support staff members in the difficult task that they have to carry out?”
“I urge Members to ensure that it will be delivered and not just talked about, as previous schemes were. We need delivery, not just strategies and consultations.”
“I suspect that is largely because of the funding arrangements, whether imposed directly by the Department or ignored, which are unable to attract new staff into the agencies that provide that support. <BR /> <BR />In my constituency of East Antrim, we are, to a degree, bereft of secondary care. We do not have the support that exists in many other locations. East Antrim does not have an accident and emergency unit, a minor injuries unit or any of the new all-singing, all-dancing health and well-being centres. There is a need for investment in capital and resource to ensure that the new multidisciplinary teams that are being talked about can be delivered locally so that all health professionals can work closely together and improve the service. I hope that that will be delivered as a result of the proposal, but we need the detailed plan.”
“The Member is right: Michael McGimpsey warned that, when the Executive were inadequately funding our health service, there would be problems. Exactly as he indicated, in the latter part of the last Assembly in particular, there were difficulties, and that is exactly when the waiting lists got out of control. The Member is right: it was predictable, and the Executive were warned about it by Michael McGimpsey. <BR /> <BR />I am aware that the Bengoa report aims to look at new models of care, and we eagerly await further details. Clearly, there is a need to improve local care in the community. Certainly, I am aware of difficulties with the current funding arrangement, with constituents frequently having difficulty getting support to allow their loved ones to live safely in their own home.”
“There was a significant proposal through invest to save to make new money from the Department of Finance available for improvements, but under former Ministers Edwin Poots and Simon Hamilton that money was diverted from those improvement schemes into the normal, run-of-the-mill activity. I want to know what the detailed action plan is. How can we ensure that, unlike Transforming Your Care, the improvements are deliverable and this is not just another high-level strategy?”
“She is living life in pain, and, instead of contributing to our society, she is on a 111-week waiting list. That is unacceptable. <BR /> <BR />Going forward, we must learn from previous strategies. I look back in particular to the period 2011-15, when Minister Poots led with the Transforming Your Care proposal. I can see much of the content of that running over into the new document, which has the same general ideas. However, Transforming Your Care did not materialise in the way that was envisaged. New and improved services were often not supported and delivered.”
“Why have our Executive allowed our waiting lists to deteriorate to such an extent? Totally unacceptably long waiting lists are causing stress and anxiety to constituents. Undue delays in patient treatment can sometimes mean greater likelihood of an individual coming to harm, with many facing a short-term adverse impact on the quality of their life, and there may even be longer-term impacts because of delays in treatment. There are additional visits to A&E and costly unplanned admissions to hospital. I can think in particular of one constituent who recently contacted me about her 111-week waiting time. She is a relatively young person who was working successfully and saving a little money, but, as a result of waiting for an operation, she has had to stop working and is unemployed.”
“I, too, support the motion in the name of my colleague Jo-Anne Dobson and others and, indeed, the amendment proposed by the Alliance Party. <BR /> <BR />Health is not just about statistics; it is about real people's lives and how we must act to improve the quality of those lives. There are recommendations in the Health and Wellbeing 2026 report that are aimed at helping to stabilise, reconfigure, improve and transform the health service, but what we need is a much more detailed action plan on how that will be delivered and improved rather than just this high-level strategy. Until that is seen, there will not be a clear picture that will give the public the confidence that it will be followed. <BR /> <BR />The very first recommendation is to develop a comprehensive approach to addressing waiting lists.”
“Why can we not agree a way forward that will meet the needs of all families rather than focus on a small number of families?”
“Let us remember that 10% of Troubles-related deaths were a result of state forces. There is almost an implication that some are trying to minimise the impact of the 90% of deaths that were caused by republican and loyalist terrorist groups. It is important that there is justice for all of the other 90% who suffered as a result of terrorism and that there is a process for them to seek justice as they would wish. That was highlighted in particular by Jim Allister and Paul Frew. My colleague Danny Kennedy highlighted the issue of the Kingsmills families and the palm print that was known about but not progressed, and he stated his concerns about undue delays. <BR /> <BR />Many valid points have been made, but why can we not listen to what has been said?”
“It is important that there is a detailed and deliverable plan that deals with all aspects of justice. <BR /> <BR />As has been highlighted by a number of Members, Declan Kearney strangely directed all his fire at the British Government. Obviously, that was the non-aggression pact in action again. He failed to recognise that the Secretary of State has said that, if the Executive can agree, he will give the money. So, why is Declan Kearney not saying that the difficulty is with the Executive and ensuring that there is resolution there? He urged that the legacy inquests should be treated as a freestanding issue, but there is a real danger that we could end up creating a process that focuses on a relatively small number of Troubles deaths, tragic as each of those are for each of the families.”
“He said that he was present when the Secretary of State indicated that, if the Executive collectively called for the release of money, he would give it to them. What he wants and what we want is fairness for everyone. If we can get that agreement, there is the potential of moving this forward for the benefit of all victims. That is certainly what the Ulster Unionists want. The power is with our Executive in that. If you think of others as you argue your separate corner and reach agreement, there is the potential to move forward. <BR /> <BR />Doug also highlighted the danger of the five-year plan, the lack of detail and the cost. Legal cases are renowned for exceeding their time and their costs. What is important for justice in Northern Ireland is that other forms of justice do not suffer because of what might commence.”
“There are many, many victims, and it is important in going forward that we do not create a hierarchy of victims. That is the reason behind the amendment to the motion in the name of Doug Beattie and my colleagues. <BR /> <BR />Going forward, we need a widespread agreement in a way that can gain support from everyone and take all victims forward. Doug Beattie touched briefly on the issue that information that might be released could lead to deaths, and this is not hypothetical but has happened in Northern Ireland. He is right to say that there are occasions when information should not be disclosed. He is also right to say that, if it is just about saving somebody's blushes, that is not due reason and it should be disclosed.”
“I rise in support of the amendment in the name of my colleague Doug Beattie and others. I am conscious that I am thinking of the many victims in Northern Ireland as a result of terrorism over many years. Three and a half thousand people were murdered, and many were maimed, with the difficulties that that has caused for their families. Many have spoken of the legacy inquests, but I think that it is important that we also remember that there are many who have yet to have their case even reviewed since the end of the Historical Enquiries Team's activity. I am also conscious that many, many victims' families suffered loss and no one was ever brought before the courts. They have suffered loss quietly. The families have had to get on with life.”
“The report also highlighted the need to enable GPs and other healthcare professionals to provide additional services locally. Does the Minister recognise the benefits of developing modern healthcare and well-being centres in areas such as Larne and Carrickfergus? What capital and resources are going to be committed to enable local GPs and other healthcare practitioners to deliver that?”
“— has as many as 37% of patients who were not seen within four hours.”
“The Northern Ireland Audit Office published a report today on emergency hospital administration. It indicates that some 1,700 patients remained in hospital for more than a week when they were ready for home. It also highlighted that Antrim hospital —”
“— the Churches and members of the local community to address the needs of those communities, so that no one group controls any community, we draw everyone together to address the needs of the community, and we remove the paramilitaries through policing and the creation a positive alternative.”