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.
1,596 records match, page 24 of 64.
Yes, there has been direct engagement about that. My officials, on behalf of other Departments and using information received from other Departments, are engaging with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the NIO about a transition. However, this has to be constantly recorded: as far as…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Autumn Budget 2025 Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Autumn Budget 2025
I have to wait for the announcement tomorrow. There may be Barnett consequentials as a result of that announcement, although I am not expecting a significant amount of Barnett consequentials. Once that is announced and I have the information directly from the Treasury — I also require information from our own…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Autumn Budget 2025 Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Autumn Budget 2025
I, along with the Finance Ministers from Wales and Scotland, attended the Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee (F:ISC) meeting in October. We had wide-ranging discussions about the Budget, how Westminster interacts with the devolved institutions and how, sometimes — quite often, it has to be said — decisions…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Autumn Budget 2025 Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Autumn Budget 2025
The Member can be assured that my press release states exactly what I have done, because it sets out what engagement I have had with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. I hope that that satisfies the Member in that, when he reads the press release, he realises that the Minister is doing what he says that he is doing.…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Autumn Budget 2025 Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Autumn Budget 2025
With the Speaker's permission, I intend to answer questions 5 and 8 together. The autumn Budget tomorrow must be used as an opportunity to support workers and families. I recognise the scale of the financial challenge that the Westminster Government are facing, but investment in public services is key to growing the…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Autumn Budget 2025 Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Autumn Budget 2025
All ALBs are answerable to their boards and their chief accounting officers. Under the legislative basis on which they were established, they are also answerable to their sponsoring Ministers. When I was in Departments that had ALBs, I had no difficulty in making enquiries and making sure that they were aware that a…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Departmental Discretionary Spend Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Departmental Discretionary Spend
Public-sector pay should be decided at the start of the financial calendar year rather than midway through the calendar year. We did that in the Civil Service branch that I am responsible for. As part of the Budget process, I will bring recommendations to Executive colleagues for public-sector pay to be set in their…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Departmental Discretionary Spend Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Departmental Discretionary Spend
It is important to clarify that I do not decide a Budget, as much as, perhaps, I would like to on some days. I make recommendations to the Executive, I bring a draft Budget to the Executive, and the Executive either agree or disagree with the draft Budget. If they agree, that draft Budget goes out to consultation. I…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Departmental Discretionary Spend Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Departmental Discretionary Spend
When setting a Budget, the Executive collectively agree a funding envelope for each Department, typically comprising baseline funding, earmarked funding and a general allocation. Earmarked funding must be utilised for a specific purpose, which, in some instances, may include statutory functions. Baseline and general…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Departmental Discretionary Spend Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Departmental Discretionary Spend
Sorry, do you want to answer the question as well? I was just checking to see whether the Member wanted to answer the question as well as ask it. He is seeking assurance. Perhaps, if he listened, he might have assurance. Maybe he will not, but that is up to him to decide. I am satisfied that I have not been presented…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Civil Service Recruitment: North-west Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Civil Service Recruitment: North-west
It is certainly not down to age, because that would be discriminatory under employment legislation. As I have set out, each candidate filled out an expression of interest setting out, in their words, how they believed they met the criteria. That was assessed, and, if they met the minimum standard and they fell within…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Civil Service Recruitment: North-west Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Civil Service Recruitment: North-west
Candidates who expressed an interest in Civil Service administrative officer posts in the north-west were requested to submit an expression of interest in order to assess whether they met the minimum eligibility criteria, including age, right to work and pre-agreed, preferred experience requirements for the role. That…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Civil Service Recruitment: North-west Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Civil Service Recruitment: North-west
On 28 October, I launched a new pilot recruitment initiative for administrative officers (AOs) in the north-west. That pilot marks a shift away from the traditional annual recruitment campaigns towards a more agile and dynamic approach. The response has been very encouraging, with over 4,500 individuals expressing an…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Civil Service Recruitment: North-west Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Civil Service Recruitment: North-west
It is understandable that there is a focus on rates, as that is the Executive's only major tax-gathering power. Therefore, it is understandable that there is a focus on what businesses or homeowners pay in rates. It is also worth looking at the other side of that equation, however, which is the £1·6 billion that we…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Small Business Rate Relief Scheme Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Small Business Rate Relief Scheme
As I said, it will progress and enhance support for small businesses. It will bring forward an increase in liability for vacant commercial units. It will develop a policy to help businesses to expand or renovate. That is a very important policy, because many businesses want to expand on their current site but are…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Small Business Rate Relief Scheme Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Small Business Rate Relief Scheme
Politics is the art of the possible. It is better for me to try to attain consensus on a policy around the Executive table rather than simply drive a policy through. There are instances when I will use the three-Minister rule and when it will be appropriate to use it, but we are not at that stage yet. We have to…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Small Business Rate Relief Scheme Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Small Business Rate Relief Scheme
Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will group questions 2 and 6. In my statement to the Assembly last Tuesday, I outlined my plans to accelerate the strategic review of rates to secure positive and progressive changes to the business rates system: changes that would see enhanced support for small businesses, which…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Small Business Rate Relief Scheme Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Small Business Rate Relief Scheme
The scheme, as it is currently mapped out for the two years, is the best that we can deliver at this stage. However, once a business moves off that programme, it will go into the small business rate relief scheme, which will also offer rate relief to the business if it falls into that category. As I said to the…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Back in Business: Update Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Back in Business: Update
Continuing the Back in Business scheme will require legislation, and officials are already preparing legislation to continue that programme and the support for our high-street businesses. We use the small business rate relief scheme, which is an effective support mechanism for our local businesses. As I said in my…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Back in Business: Update Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Back in Business: Update
The Member will, I hope, be aware of the statement that I made to the Chamber on, I think, this day last week on how I see future business rates support. My proposal is cost-neutral, because I am conscious that the Executive's Budget continues to face considerable constraints. I have proposed using money from other…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Back in Business: Update Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Back in Business: Update
The Back in Business rate support scheme was reintroduced last year as part of my Department's efforts to encourage business ratepayers to occupy long-term vacant retail premises. The scheme provides a 50% rate reduction for up to two years once a retail premises that has been empty for 12 months or more becomes…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Back in Business: Update Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Back in Business: Update
Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I welcome the opportunity to respond to the motion. Since taking up post as Finance Minister, I have consistently outlined my intention to bring forward a multi-year Budget. As the motion rightly acknowledges, the Chancellor's autumn Budget may have an impact on…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Multi-year Budget Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Multi-year Budget
I thank all the Members who contributed to the heartfelt debates on the matter, who corresponded with my office and who otherwise engaged meaningfully to help push forward this important Bill. I am grateful for the support from across the House for the element of the Bill that establishes a legal footing for a baby…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill: Further Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill: Further Consideration Stage
I beg to move the following amendment: Members will recall from the Consideration Stage debate two weeks ago that the Bill will do three important things. First, it will place the temporary power contained in the Coronavirus Act 2020 that enables the remote registration of deaths and stillbirths and the electronic…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill: Further Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill: Further Consideration Stage
There has been engagement on that through a previous review. While the Older People's Commissioner can obviously speak for herself, the commission is on record as saying that the review and proposals that we have brought forward are workable. Protections are in place for the most vulnerable in our society, and older…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Rating Policy: Strategic Road Map Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Rating Policy: Strategic Road Map
Download all records matching these filters (up to 100,000 rows): CSV · JSON