Debate contribution: Programme for Government: Health Waiting Lists
Debate contribution by Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly on .
- MLA
- Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 2 March 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Programme for Government: Health Waiting Lists
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5432715
Read the official Assembly record
Text
As I outlined, the delivery unit works with officials in other Departments. At the moment, it is focused on the nine key priorities in the Programme for Government. However, it is about learning from best practice regarding delivery units. I believe that the Member was involved in London when the delivery unit there was quite successfully rolled out. We have taken the learning from that. It is absolutely key that a delivery unit is not given too many things to look at. It should not be given a top-heavy structure. It is designed to work within the system and for the system, with direct accountability to the First Minister and me. That is the way in which we have set up the delivery unit. It is not about the delivery unit's coming up with an idea, implementing it over the head of another Minister and gaining glory; it is about working collaboratively. One of the big challenges that we have in government is achieving genuine cross-departmental, cross-agency collaborative working. It has been a frustration for much too long. The unit will work across government, and, at the moment, it is focusing on two things: first, supporting the Health Department when it comes to health waiting lists, which is a multifaceted issue, particularly regarding the transformation project; and, secondly, overseeing the transformation and the range of transformation projects.
227 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
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 (0.70).
- 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
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.70 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| 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 | 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 14:57 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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