Debate contribution: Cost of Doing Business

Debate contribution by Mr Brian Kingston on 2 June 2025.

MLA: Mr Brian Kingston
Party at the time: Democratic Unionist Party
Date: 2 June 2025
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Opposition Business
Heading: Cost of Doing Business
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 4981703

Text

Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. The Opposition motion refers to the recent cost of doing business report and to the earlier high street task force, which presented its report 'Delivering a 21st Century High Street' in 2022. In that report, the task force made 14 recommendations that spanned a range of Departments and district councils. On 10 October 2024, the Executive Office wrote to relevant Ministers asking them to consider the progress that had been made on those recommendations. In our view, Ministers have their tasks, and, as our amendment states, they should get on with them. The motion calls on TEO to reconstitute the high street task force, despite TEO's having no direct responsibilities in the relevant areas. The recommendations are clearly stated in the task force report for the various Ministers to carry out. We want to see that work expedited and a joined-up approach adopted to ensure meaningful delivery. There needs to be a cross-cutting approach across Departments, particularly Finance, Economy, Communities and Infrastructure. Our town centres and high streets need a planning system that is fit for purpose so that businesses can thrive and diversify without lengthy delays. It is a well-rehearsed argument that our planning system is not working effectively. How can businesses grow when that is the situation? How often do businesses come to us after having said that they want to expand and invest only to be told that they cannot get planning permission in a timely manner? When the cost of doing business is being considered, the Minister for Infrastructure must look at her Department's role. The DUP recognises the importance of the local hospitality sector in realising Northern Ireland's tourism potential and boosting the economy. Hospitality is our fourth-largest private-sector employer, and it provides economic opportunity throughout our Province. My party colleague Diane Forsythe referred to the long-standing need for reform of business rates, particularly given that high-street businesses that pay business rates on their premises are at a financial disadvantage compared with businesses that operate primarily online. Our amendment therefore calls on the Minister of Finance:
"to seek to extend rate relief for retail, leisure and hospitality, whilst expediting the current reviews of small business rate relief and non-domestic vacant rating exclusion."
We commend our amendment to the House.

380 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.

Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.96).
No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.

This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.

Jev’s structured answers

Probability that each statement is true of this text (0 = no, 1 = yes). A criterion counts as met at 0.60 or above.
Question	Probability	Met?
Identity framing	0.02	No
Sectarian or communal antagonism	0.02	No
Cultural grievance politics	0.01	No
Dog-whistle messaging	0.02	No
Controversy escalation	0.02	No
Legitimate policy scrutiny	0.96	Yes
Overall judgement	0.02	At or below not-flagging threshold

Context and attribution (stance)
Option	Probability
No identity-based framing (chosen)	1.00
Reports or questions it	0.00
Criticises or condemns it	0.00
Adopts it	0.00

Subject area (top five)
Subject	Probability
No identity-related subject	1.00
Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials	0.00
Parades, bonfires and commemorations	0.00
Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy	0.00
Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies	0.00

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:47 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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