All of Mr John O'Dowd’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
If we are seriously interested in helping local pubs and hotels, let us have the opportunity to debate the issues instead of trying to make a headline. Let us look at the facts. Again, I say this: if a pub or hotel is concerned that the valuation that it has received is not correct or accurate, the first question that…
Again, the Member makes a claim without backing it up with any evidence: that I come to the Chamber and blame other people for my mistakes. Would you like to take the opportunity to give me an example of that? Give me an example of when I have done that.
Regular revaluations are a central pillar of the rating system here. Reval2026 will redistribute business rates in the fairest possible way, using the most up-to-date rental values based on market evidence at a point in time, to ensure that properties are contributing on a consistent and fair basis. Revaluation does…
First and foremost, there is a responsibility on all Ministers, particularly those who carry a significant overcommitment, to do everything in their power to reduce that overcommitment and continue to work in their Department and their arm's-length bodies to ensure that those costs are driven down as much as possible.…
Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Thank you for the opportunity to make a statement on my proposals for a draft multi-year Budget. This will allow me to expand on the information provided in my written ministerial statement of 6 January and to further inform the consultation that was launched on…
Before any Minister made a bid in the Budget process — all Departments have made such bids — that Minister and their accounting officer should have done a line-by-line review of their budget. Indeed, I would go further and say this: every Minister and their accounting officer should have regular engagement about their…
Fair play to the Member for thinking on his feet. It will go across a number of areas, including that raised by my colleague's question on sport that I just answered and the further ring-fencing of funding for tackling waiting lists. Almost £500 million has been set aside in the Budget for that. We have seen the…
Yes. In keeping with the original agreement, my draft Budget keeps an inflationary uplift in Department for Communities funding of £12·6 million for the Affidea Stadium and £21·5 million for Windsor Park. As I have said many times in the Chamber and elsewhere, sport is a good thing. Supporting communities and…
I am committed to supporting sporting organisations across the board, Casement Park being one of those. Considering the lengthy delays to Casement Park, it is only right and proper for there to be an inflation-based increase in Executive funding for Casement Park, as proposed in the draft Budget.
Yes, on both issues. I am more than happy to lay a letter in the Library or to follow whatever process there may be to inform Members of the progress that is made. That includes progress on supporting our small and medium-sized enterprises to access the procurement process for government and local government.
Quite substantive work has been carried out in that area in the past year. Work was first commissioned under my predecessor. Staff who work in procurement in my Department have been very effective and efficient in producing new guidelines and documents for the Executive for approval, and we have seen a number of those…
It has been given consideration by the Treasury and others. There are a number of ways of looking at how agriculture is included in the equation, but the Treasury did make a commitment to us at the time of the conclusion of that phase of our discussions that the Holtham review would remain on the table.
Now that the autumn Budget has passed and the Christmas period is over, I have tasked my officials with engaging with the Treasury on opening up discussions on a full fiscal framework. The Member is aware of the relatively successful engagement that we had with the Treasury on the Holtham review and other matters. It…
With any tax strategy, there will always be winners and losers, but we want to ensure that the vast majority, if not all, of our family farms in the region are protected. In this instance, the changes will protect, quite significantly, the vast majority of our family farms here. The farming sector will continue to…
Yes. It is an important U-turn by the Chancellor and the Labour Government that came about following extensive pressure from the farming community, politicians across the Chamber and politicians in Chambers elsewhere. It is unfortunate that we have regular U-turns from the Labour Government. Instead of U-turns, we…
The Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill, which will enable my Department to make regulations to establish a baby loss certificate scheme, completed its Final Stage in the Assembly on 2 December and now awaits Royal Assent. It is important that the detail of the scheme be shaped to the needs and expectations of…
It would be hugely significant, particularly in relation to capital. As Members will be aware, it takes a significant amount of time to plan and deliver capital projects. The longer the period of time over which you have to do that, the better that will be for financial planning. It would have a hugely positive…
We are, understandably, straying into the next item of business; it is a topical issue. The borrowing powers are there to be used as a top-up. You would like to see them almost as additional finances on top of what should be a proper capital allocation from Westminster, but we are using the maximum borrowing powers…
I think that the Member underestimates the organisations, the sectors and the public out there. I think that they understand perfectly well what a draft Budget is.
I was hoping for clarity on what a "ghost Budget" is. I simply do not understand what the term means. I know that there are people who believe that they have seen a ghost, but I have never met anybody who claims to have seen an SDLP alternative to the Budget. I have published a draft proposal, which is now out to…
The engagement that we have had has proven beneficial for the banking sector and others when it comes to understanding the unique needs of this place. There has to be a greater understanding of this place at Whitehall level, and I am pushing very strongly for better representation from this place on various committees…
I thank the Member. On 3 December, I hosted a banking round table with representatives from the banking and finance industry, trade unions, business bodies and the consumer and community and voluntary sectors. It provided an important platform to discuss the issues and developments that are most crucial to accessing…
I do not have specific details with me on what engagement there has been between my officials and the Department for Communities in recent times, but I will be happy to update the Member on that. If further discussions are required, I am more than happy to task officials with that.
My Department introduced a new requirement for Changing Places toilets in local building regulations that came into effect on 30 June 2022. That was an important step for inclusion and equality. Increasing the number of Changing Places toilets will make our public places more accessible and have a significant positive…
I will go into more detail on those matters when I make my statement on the draft Budget after Question Time. When any Minister is preparing their budget, staff pay awards should be budgeted in at the start of the year, rather than waiting to see whether in-year funding becomes available.