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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“The protocol could be adapted and changed to cover at-risk products if there were a willingness to do so. I only wish that that were the case.”
“Why can we not have an at-risk system, where goods that are clearly being traded locally do not get caught up in bureaucracy? <BR /> <BR />The Belfast Agreement has been used and abused. Clearly, the Irish Government, the EU and others have focused solely on North/South issues and ignored the east-west aspect, which is disrupting politics and will increasingly do so. As others have said, UK standards are frequently higher than those in the EU, particularly around animal welfare. I am curious as to why Sinn Féin, the SDLP and the Alliance Party want the full implementation of the protocol, and why they chose that very dangerous language rather than looking for practical solutions that will address all the concerns. That is not what is being looked for. Too often, we have heard that they want the full implementation of the protocol.”
“At the moment, the level of bureaucracy and paperwork is ridiculous. I know of a small motor factor in Larne, who used to ring up his supplier in GB to ask them to post over an item. He cannot do that any more because items have to come as part of a pallet load in a minimum order of £1,000. By the way, the distribution costs have doubled as well. That is the outworking of the protocol. When our constituents go to buy items for their cars, they will all be paying for it. That is the reality of what is being delivered. What are the risks? Are container loads of car parts going across the border? Were that the case, I would fully understand why such levels of scrutiny might be required of customers who are abusing the system.”
“The sooner everyone recognises that, the sooner we can get down to practical talking to get solutions before there is a huge impact on our economy and our politics. <BR /> <BR />I draw Members' attention to the Ulster Unionist amendment, which asks for:”
“The Northern Ireland protocol is not working. It is significantly disrupting trade east-west. A rethink is needed. It is costing our businesses and, increasingly, it will cost our constituents in their pockets as they buy the essential items in their daily lives. We all have to remember that we have had only a small taster of the bureaucracy, disruption and cost that is likely to occur. <BR /> <BR />I am aware, for instance, that many hauliers have stopped using the port of Dublin because it is implementing the fuller level of protocol testing and paperwork and are coming in via Cairnryan instead. There is another level that is yet to be experienced by Northern Ireland customers. There are wider aspects that are yet to come. The regulations around the parcels industry will not work and will not be tolerated.”
“The Member says that North/South trade is beneficial. Some trade can be good, and I have no difficulty with that. Will the Member accept, however, that much of that trade is more expensive, that it costs customers more, that customers can no longer get products that they are used to getting and that they are dissatisfied?”
“Does the Member not realise that we are in danger of the EU and the UK continuing to butt heads and that there needs to be a bespoke arrangement that recognises the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland, the Belfast Agreement and the stability of our politics, or else we are destined to have trade difficulties and political difficulties?”
“Minister, we are not meeting the demand. There are huge numbers desperate to get an MOT test. Please issue some more temporary exemption certificates. I understand that we are testing virtually the same numbers that we would each year, but we have a backlog. Please issue some more temporary exemption certificates so that people can get a timely test.”
“They are struggling to keep their cars on the road to meet their families' needs. <BR /> <BR />In a recent answer from the Minister, I was advised that no temporary exemption certificates were issued during August or September. The Minister cited road safety reasons. Last week, during the Infrastructure Committee meeting, I asked an official to state the number of accidents that were caused by mechanical failure, and the answer was:”
“I am thinking of an NHS worker who cannot use her car to get to work. I can think of a parent who cannot get her children to and from school. It is a particular issue for those who live in the rural community or in an area where public transport will not meet their needs. <BR /> <BR />There is an added pressure that is not being dealt with, and that is the DVLA in Swansea. If you do not have an MOT, you cannot get your car taxed. Legally, you are required to make a statutory off road notification for your vehicle and declare that you are taking it off the road, yet there is a potential £80 fine for late declaration of that and a potential £2,500 fine for failing to tax your vehicle. So what are we doing to help our drivers who are in a real quagmire at the minute?”
“I wish to highlight once more the continuing pressures on drivers seeking an MOT test. First, I acknowledge the hard work of our Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) technicians, with many working overtime at evenings and weekends, and admin staff, who are trying to field hundreds of phone calls from frantic drivers. Staff are working extremely hard, but it is still not meeting demand. The Minister has acknowledged that the PSNI has given guidance that, provided the car is roadworthy and has an MOT appointment, a degree of flexibility will be shown to drivers. Insurance companies have indicated that, provided that cars are maintained, they should still be covered even if they do not have an MOT certificate, but there is an element of doubt with the use of the word "should". Despite all that, I continue to be contacted by frantic drivers.”
“Does the Member not realise that it was Mo Mowlam who opened the gates and let the prisoners out?”
“Will the Member accept that, if the Irish Government redact information and are not open, victims will not gain the information that they are seeking?”
“Does the Member not accept that, if an anaerobic digester is properly installed with all the planning and environmental regulations in place, it can contribute to renewable energy safely? I ask her to be careful about what she is saying; she seems to be damning all anaerobic electricity generation, but it does have potential.”
“I question whether we need to have wind, as much as many may benefit from that. I am looking at the overall cost, the sustainability of the grid and the cost to electricity users. There may well be merit in hydroelectrics, solar, biofuel, and combined heat and power, which is an area that has not been heavily looked at. There may well be merit in the scheme but we must do it sensitively and ensure that excess profits are not generated.”
“We have the strange phenomenon of some of those turbines being taken down and replaced with derated larger turbines because even more money can be made. It is questionable why those turbines had to be taken down. The scheme is being maxed out by the operators, which it is perfectly reasonable for them to try to do, but we should not be designing a scheme that will allow for excessive profits. There should be mechanisms in it to stop that and ensure that the public interest is looked after. There were similar issues with anaerobic digesters, so lessons must be learned. <BR /> <BR />I have attached lots of caveats but there is still potential. When we suddenly stopped our support for renewable energy of any sort, we stymied development and demand. There may well be a need to encourage that once more, particularly in diversification.”
“<BR /> <BR />Another aspect of learning we need to take from the past is on how setting a capacity tariff and the level of grant varying with it can direct what is delivered on the ground. <BR /> <BR />In Northern Ireland, the maximum ROC was 250 kilowatts, where they got four ROCs. That is why we have turbines up to that size dotted around the countryside. That was the maximum grant and it was the grant, and not the site or the efficiency of the wind turbine, that was driving the system. The construction of 1,209 of those turbines were driven by that grant at that stage, as opposed to there being only 20 of between 250 and 500 megawatts and 53 greater than 500 megawatts. <BR /> <BR />We need to make sure that we build a system that is environmentally friendly.”
“My question is this: does the Department have the capability to develop further such schemes? That fundamental question must be answered at the outset before we require the Department to do the work. <BR /> <BR />I will move on to recommendation 5. The issue in that recommendation arose because there was, dare I say, a dispute over just how profitable renewable energy generation had been. Some were saying that excessive profits were being made, and that point was being countered. The question is this: why do we not build into any scheme a need for confidential information to be passed back to the Department so that there is transparency in the Department on the level of profits being made? There is no point in the Department continuing to pay excessive profits if those profits are not needed to encourage a scheme.”
“Indeed, last week's Public Accounts Committee report into the matter indicates some of the lessons that can be learned from the mistakes of the past. I draw Members' attention to recommendations 1 and 2, which talk about the need to identify potential environmental or planning aspects in any policy and the need for more formal arrangements and agreements with other related public bodies. That was one of the failures of past renewable energy schemes here. <BR /> <BR />I will also mention recommendation 3, which highlights Departments' skills gap. One of the issues to come out of previous schemes is that the Department was over-reliant on private-sector consultants, or outside experts, and there was an inability to assess what was coming and develop appropriate policy.”
“The Member is correct. If peaker units are turned on and off, that adds wear to them. Also, they are not very environmentally friendly, because they are not the most efficient method of generating electricity. They are the cheapest way of getting power quickly, but we need to understand the full mix in supply, and that is why I am saying that we need to look very carefully at whether we want to pay for encouraging additional wind, whether on a small scale or a large scale. That is an area we need to be careful with. <BR /> <BR />I will support the Bill's moving forward, so I draw Members' and the Committee's attention to the recent Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) report, 'Generating electricity from renewable energy'.”
“When you encourage wind generation, you also have to pay for the peaker units, which are the very expensive units that could be pulled in quickly. At present, that would require using gas for such a situation. It is not just about the cost of encouraging —.”
“Why do I say that? As Mr Frew said, we create a potentially unstable grid if we are over-reliant on any particular aspect of energy generation, and wind generation in particular is vulnerable to the weather. Peak demand each winter is on the cold, frosty, calm days when there is no wind, so we are actually creating a situation where we must have a backup supply, meaning that there is an additional cost for a second supply for the entirety of the generation we may be relying on wind for. So it is important that we consider whether we should encourage further wind renewable energy through public grant or whether we are already over-reliant on it. That may need to be looked into. <BR /> <BR />What is the best economic model for wind generation?”
“Whilst wind energy is a very clean renewable energy, we need to consider an over-reliance on it.”
“Instead of evolving the RHI scheme into something appropriate, all support was cut off, which stymied renewable energy generation in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Approximately 50% of Northern Ireland's electricity is generated by renewable means. According to a report from the Northern Ireland Audit Office, some 85·4% of that is generated from onshore wind. That is why I said that we are heavily reliant on wind. I understand that, currently, wind is probably the most cost-effective method of generating renewable energy. In the past, the market was driven by the ROCs or NIROCs subsidy. However, even without there being that subsidy, I am aware of several large-scale planning applications in which the business cases stack up on their own. Therefore, more wind generation is being planned, and there is likely to be more again in the future.”
“I am thinking of the RHI scheme, which was to be environmentally friendly but turned into "cash for ash", whereby some actually wasted energy and created emissions to profit, which happened largely because of the inability to adjust the grant tariff. Huge public costs were racked up, and some exploited the scheme. I also point Members to last week's Public Accounts Committee report on renewable energy, which highlighted the absence of digression in the scheme as a key flaw. The scheme was stopped, and the commitments that were given by the then Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment were not honoured. Public confidence in renewable energy schemes has been dented, and any new scheme must be designed so that we can renew that public confidence.”
“If those who come forward with small generating units — there may be a limited number; we do not know — have ridiculous grid connection costs, guess what? We will have to pay for that, because those will be the best options available to those who are supplying electricity at that time. We need to make sure that we do things efficiently and are cognisant that our electricity users — homeowners and businesses — will ultimately pay for it. We do not want to create a situation in which our businesses are not competitive, nor do we want to drive up the price of domestic electricity because those in fuel poverty will suffer the most. We need to take great care with all of it, because consumers will pay. <BR /> <BR />Renewable energy has been badly served by previous schemes in Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />Why do we need to generate our energy supply? We are over-reliant on gas. Just look at the present times in which we are moving increasingly towards gas as our source of electricity generation. The current model at EP Kilroot will close, and new peakers will be installed over the next few years that will again rely on gas. As said by other Members, Northern Ireland's electricity is becoming increasingly reliant on gas and wind. Those are the two principal generators that we utilise, and we need to be careful that we do not become over-reliant on them. <BR /> <BR />We also need to recognise that any scheme may not have a public purse contribution upfront or have NIROCs paid. However, ultimately, if we create a legal requirement to purchase something, there will be a cost implication.”
“I, too, indicate my support in principle for the Small-Scale Green Energy Bill progressing to Committee Stage for further investigation, which it merits. We need to encourage further diversification in renewable energy and the take-up of new technologies in order to minimise the long-term cost to the public and to protect the environment. <BR /> <BR />A question that we all should consider before encouraging any additional energy generation is whether our homes and businesses are sufficiently insulated to begin with. It might be worthwhile taking that on board and deciding whether any new grant should also look at that aspect. If there is not sufficient insulation, it is pointless to spend money on electricity generation. It will not be good for the environment or the users, who will have to pay for it in the long term.”
“While there may be limited cost to the public purse, does the Member agree that we also need to be concerned because there will be a cost to electricity purchasers, whether they are homeowners or businesses?”
“Will the Member agree that, whilst some say that they are trying to deliver for victims, when they place a perpetrator in a high-profile position they are being offensive to victims and reminding them of their hurt and the crimes that they have suffered? Those who appoint such people are not delivering for victims; they are, in fact, offending victims.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Whilst the test is operated by outside bodies, is the Minister willing to facilitate testing in local primary schools? The young people would be in their protective bubbles and would have the advantage of a familiar background.”
“How homes and businesses are developed across each council in their area plans can have huge long-term implications for energy requirements for transport and for heating. How can we ensure that there is a consistent approach and, in particular, ensure that climate change implications are taken on board?”
“The Member has indicated that he wishes to concentrate on attracting new drivers. Will he accept that it is important to ensure that we retain the qualified drivers that we have? They are the easiest drivers to get back into their vehicles and provide that service to the public.”
“Are they operating fully within their remit? Is there a need to clarify that and protect the public from the higher costs that can result? <BR /> <BR />Most people recognise that taxi drivers are essential, and it is important that we address the issues. There is some time to do that. Schools will be back in September, so that pressure is coming. The night-time economy is opening, and we need to look at what we can do to improve things. <BR /> <BR />Tariffs are one thing, but I also ask that we look at issues such as the level of continuing professional development (CPD). Do we really need 35 hours per year of training for a fully qualified taxi driver? There is a cost involved, and there is the cost in loss of work. <BR /> <BR />I ask the Minister to ensure that there are taxis for those who need them.”
“The review was originally due after three years, in 2018, but it has not happened, and another three years have passed since then. That must be addressed urgently. We must make sure that the tariffs are reviewed. No one likes to pay more, but what would be worse than that would be being unable to get a taxi. <BR /> <BR />The review should look at whether there is a need to incentivise those who work longer hours, late into the night and the early morning, so that taxis will be available for the economy where there is that demand. Supply and demand are out of kilter at the moment. <BR /> <BR />Another issue that was highlighted was that class C taxis are unregulated and can charge whatever they want. Meanwhile, class A and class B taxis are limited to £1·57 per mile. There is clearly an issue with class C taxis.”
“As others have said, the number of registered taxi drivers has dropped from 16,000 to about 8,000, but I understand that only about 5,000 are active. Many have not yet returned to work. They are waiting for better times or, perhaps, to see whether they can find another form of employment and not come back to taxi driving. In evidence given to the Committee by Value Cabs, it said that it had 800 drivers at one point but only 425 have come back. The company knows for certain that 100 drivers are not coming back. Some 150 drivers have still not decided what exactly they will do. We have a problem on the horizon, and it is important that we address it. <BR /> <BR />Tariffs cause difficulties. Taxi driving is not the lucrative job that it once was.”
“In rural areas, where there may not be any public transport, a taxi may be your only means of getting to a shop or an appointment. Therefore, they are vital. <BR /> <BR />It is clear from the evidence that we have been given that the taxi industry is experiencing difficulties. As others have said, taxi drivers are generally an older workforce, and many have been driving for some time. However, some decided to shelter during the pandemic, and many have decided not to return to work. They have perhaps got used to other roles or are working in more nine-to-five jobs. Let us face it: taxi driving can be a very antisocial activity. You are required to work long hours, often late into the night and early morning.”
“Taxis and taxi drivers play a vital role in our economy. They can take people to work. They were important during and at the peak of the pandemic, when there was reduced public transport, because they took essential workers to hospitals, shops, garages etc. Taxis play a vital role for those who may not have their own transport. In normal times, they play an important role for parents, often assisting in delivering children to school. They are also vital in giving people a lift to an NHS appointment, be it with a doctor or a consultant. Frequently, people are not able to use public transport because of an illness. Then, there is the night-time economy, which is yet to fully reopen. There is some activity at present, but we expect it to gradually reopen fully.”
“Like other Members, I recognise the importance of urgent reviews for the 9,091 patients who have to have their diagnosis reassessed. I noticed that, last year, the Royal College of Radiologists indicated on its website that vacancies for radiologists in each part of the United Kingdom were at about 30%. To what extent is the over-reliance on locums contributing to the difficulty? Is the Minister in discussions with other Health Ministers so that there is a long-term plan to have a sustainable radiology workforce that will be able to meet increasing demand for radiology and diagnosis?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. He reports that, in the previous financial year, some £19·2 million of financial transactions capital was returned to the Treasury unspent and that some £57·6 million is available this year, of which £46·4 million remains unallocated. That could be useful to develop social housing. If the Housing Executive were restructured, it could help to fund housing through it. If Northern Ireland Water were restructured, it would have potential there. How will the Minister ensure that we make good use of that large amount of money that remains unallocated? Can we afford to wait until the October monitoring round to ensure that it is well spent in this financial year?”
“In the Minister's statement, she indicated that discussions and considerations about establishing a new board for Waterways Ireland are ongoing. Will the Minister advise why that is needed on top of the civil engineers or the civil servants who presently have that responsibility and are directly accountable to the Minister?”
“I welcome the news that there has been an increase in capacity of 35%. However, given the level of the backlog and the fact that new students will be completing the theory test, what is your estimate for when we will get caught up? How long will it take for there to be a more normal waiting time for someone who applies for a test?”
“I thank the Minister for coming to the House to update us on the issue. Insufficient resurfacing has resulted in increasing levels of emergency pothole repairs, increasing numbers of compensation claims and deteriorating roads, resulting in additional costs as well. The difficulty stemmed from the initial tender process in 2015. What were the values of the tenders at that stage? Who exactly approved the contracts at that time? Which Minister was in place? Why on earth have we not learned from the mistakes at that time?”
“We need Westminster to give us its three-year funding allocation so that we have an indication of what we will have, and, at that point, we need to plan further ahead. <BR /> <BR />I go back to what I said: there are choices in what we do. The only choice that I have seen in the Budget is, largely, to replace what was there last year with something similar. We have not made choices. We have not decided to direct our infrastructure investment to important areas. We are developing flagship programmes that are unaffordable and are likely to waste more money during a bureaucratic process that is unlikely to be successful.”
“In my constituency, the elderly health centres in Carrickfergus and Larne need to be improved. By investing in proper health and care centres — Newtownabbey is a huge urban area that would be ideal for a health and care centre — we can take some of the pressures off our hospitals. We are experiencing pressures in our hospitals today, at the middle of the summer. That ought to be a concern for us all. We need to ensure that we improve our health system, provide the funds that will enable that to happen and provide the long-term certainty to enable staff to be trained and recruited so that waiting lists can be addressed. It is obvious that long-term planning produces better funding. A key element of that will be a spending review at Westminster.”
“Given the experience that builds up, it will frequently also result in higher standards. <BR /> <BR />We need to continue to reform healthcare and bring about improvement, but funds are needed to enable some of that to happen. I am conscious that, a number of years ago, there was health transformation funding to try to assist with that. Largely, however, that was not directed towards transformation, and much of it ended up being used for firefighting. It is vital that we fund, today, new systems and new processes that will enable more patients to be treated and our unacceptable waiting lists to be addressed. <BR /> <BR />I wish to highlight the need to improve local health and care facilities so that more patients can be treated locally, away from the hospital setting.”
“Some of the older primary schools in my constituency, such as Greenisland Primary School and Whiteabbey Primary School, were built 60 or 70 years ago and do not have a modern layout, design, space or light level. There is a need for investment there. <BR /> <BR />As for others, it is health that gives me greatest concern. Clearly, we have unacceptable waiting lists, and there is a clear need for reform. We need to do things differently, which will, perhaps, enable the quality to improve and the system to become more efficient. We have to think about how many operations a day can happen at each site. That is why I am pleased about the development of elective surgery at some sites. It is widely known that that will result in additional patients being treated.”
“What is happening to enable the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to re-emerge in its new form and have the independence to draw in additional funding? We need to think smart. It is not just about how we allocate our money; it is about how we enable the additional leverage of resources to benefit our citizens and the economy. <BR /> <BR />Like others, I have to mention the school estate in my constituency, in particular Larne High School. It was built in 1957 and has a leaky roof. There have been a few coats of paint in the intervening period, but that is it. The standard of the school infrastructure is, frankly, a disgrace. Carrickfergus Academy is, again, an older school that has to operate on two sites.”
“The biggest concern is that it is stopping additional infrastructure investment from the private sector. It has a multiplier effect. If we do not have the right water infrastructure in place, the private sector cannot invest to improve our economy. It cannot create construction jobs and the subsequent long-term employment, and it cannot create the homes needed for people. Infrastructure rebuilding is an important area, particularly at this time to develop the economy and allow investment in infrastructure to occur. The failure to address the long-term funding of Northern Ireland Water is a millstone, and we need to improve that. <BR /> <BR />I ask the Minister to create other funnels of funding to improve our infrastructure.”
“If we do not have the right infrastructure, new homes, including new social homes, cannot be built. I hear some Members talking about social housing, and we need social houses. In the Riverdale area of Larne, a third of the multistorey flats need to come down, and there is a small application for some social housing. I fear that that will not be able to be built because we do not have adequate sewerage infrastructure and the application to build has not been joined to the demolition and rebuild; it is a separate, stand-alone application. It is important to have water infrastructure if we are to address social housing need. <BR /> <BR />If we are to allow businesses to develop, they have to get bigger, but will they be able to do that? Will they get planning permission? I fear not, in many cases.”