All of Dr Caoimhe Archibald’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
I am keen to see a baby loss certificate scheme taken forward as quickly as possible. The scheme would provide official recognition to parents who have suffered the tragedy of losing a baby before 24 weeks. Losses of this kind affect many families, causing very real pain and heartache. Sadly, this is often met with…
Around 75% of non-domestic ratepayers get some form of rates support. Over 63% of retailers get some form of support, with 80% of that provided to small retailers through the small business rate relief scheme because they have a net annual value (NAV) of £15,000 or less; around 30,000 businesses from our tax base of…
The Member will be aware that the high street task force was set up back in the previous mandate. Its report and recommendations were published in March 2022, I think. The reinstatement of the back in business scheme and the extension of the small business rate relief scheme were the recommendations from my…
All of us want to see our town centres and shopping areas thriving. The back in business scheme aims to bring vibrancy, footfall and investment back to our high streets, while providing businesses with a boost at the start of their business journey, helping to support jobs and bringing long-term vacant units back into…
As has been set out, we appointed members to an interim board. We are working through the development of terms of reference, and everything will have to come back to the Executive for decision-making. I am clear in my mind that the public-sector transformation board, as it is constituted, relates only to the £235…
Given the number of departmental proposals that were digital in nature, the interim board saw an opportunity to consider them collectively, allowing for a more strategic, system-wide approach to digital transformation. It therefore recommended undertaking a digital landscape review to facilitate that. I agreed to the…
I do not accept the latter point. Obviously, the interim board is working under the Executive's direction. They agreed to my transformation programme proposal at our meeting on 9 May. The British Government's role is primarily through having representation on the interim board. As I outlined to Mr Mathison, the…
I thank the Member for his question. Obviously, we are getting quite the way through the financial year. The timescale was always going to be challenging, given that we had to set up the board this year. I have raised that point in my engagement with the Chancellor and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury in order to…
With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will group questions 1 and 3. I established and appointed members to the interim public-sector transformation board earlier this year. A call for proposals was issued to Departments, and the interim board has been working to assess the proposals to determine which ones are…
Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I thank the Members who have commented on the order and welcome their remarks about it. I reiterate my thanks to the Chairperson and members of the Finance Committee for their scrutiny. As Members have reflected, our objective with the order is to continue to provide a…
I beg to move As Members will be aware, the order would extend powers introduced in the Coronavirus Act 2020 relating to the registration of deaths and stillbirths for a further six months until 24 March 2025. The specific powers in the order concern the way in which the registrations are conducted. First, they enable…
The Coronavirus Act 2020 (Registration of Deaths and Still-Births) (Extension) (No.3) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 That the Coronavirus Act 2020 (Registration of Deaths and Still-Births) (Extension) (No.3) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 be approved.
Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important topic. The mental health and well-being of children and young people should be a priority for us all. As has been reflected, it is an issue that we all deal with in our constituency offices on too regular a basis.…
Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I thank all those Members who expressed their views in the debate, and I thank those who contributed to earlier debates on the Bill and the associated Supply resolutions. I have listened to those contributions, and, while I may not agree with all the arguments that…
I beg to move Today's Final Stage concludes the financial legislative process for the Budget (No. 2) Bill in the Assembly. The debate at the Second Stage of the Bill on 2 July was valuable, and I thank all Members for the contributions that they have brought to the process. As Members may recall, a 65% Vote on Account…
I beg to move Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Standing Order 39(2) requires that, in accordance with the 1998 Act: "No date may be determined for the Final Stage of a Bill until ... the Speaker has considered the Bill in accordance with section 10 of the ... Act and signified to the Minister ...…
Thank you to the Member for that. I agree with her about the need for the projects. They will be game-changing in local economic development and the potential for job creation and further investment in local areas. Those are the exact points that I will make to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the Secretary of…
We became aware of the pause on Wednesday afternoon at official level. It was only on Wednesday evening that I made Executive colleagues aware of it. I cannot answer for the Economy Minister, but I know when I made my Executive colleagues aware of the news, and it was late on Wednesday evening.
I thank the Member for his question. I am happy to give that commitment. There should be absolutely no disparity in the treatment of any of the projects. It is imperative that the pause is lifted on the two remaining deals as a matter of urgency and that they do not have to wait until the end of October to have…
The communication from the Secretary of State is that the status of the Belfast region city deal is unchanged. That is the extent of the communication that I have had. As I said to Deborah, we need to get clarity on all those matters, and I am still waiting for that formal communication to set out the exact status of…
I thank the Member for his comments. There has been a unity of purpose shown on the issue, and that is to be commended. It has helped us get to the position that we are in now, but we have a way to go to ensure that the funding committed to the Causeway Coast and Glens growth deal and the Mid South West region growth…
The Belfast region city deal, as the Member will be very well aware, was signed in December 2021. Twelve legally binding contracts have since been signed, and a further three of those are expected to be signed in 2024. Planning permission had already been granted for some of those projects as well. You mentioned that…
I have reflected on that over the weekend and do not think that this is how we should do business. There needs to be a reflection, at this point, on how things have been handled over the past couple of days. This Government have done a lot of talking about rebuilding relationships. We now need to see actions that…
I thank the Member for his question. I am well on record at this point as saying that the handling of the matter by the British Government has been atrocious. I am not aware of any formal communication between the British Government and the deal partners, but there was a call with the NIO on Friday to inform it about…