Every imported question, contribution and motion, with its classification. Unflagged, uncertain and not-yet-analysed records are all included so the analysis can be checked independently.
I thank the Member for his question. Last week, we saw the launch of the UK's industrial strategy, which highlighted key priority areas across the UK. Those areas align very closely with NI's industrial strategic approach. The Member is right: the creative industries are a big area, as are advanced engineering and…
I welcome the first meeting of the East-West Council to have taken place in Northern Ireland and the launch of the Connect Fund, which the deputy First Minister has explained. One of the Council's objectives is: "To drive UK-wide engagement on the development and sharing of existing clusters of excellence." Northern…
I particularly welcome the agreement of the terms of reference and the establishment of Intertrade UK. Last week, the Northern Ireland Federation of Small Businesses published a report that showed that only 14% of firms in Northern Ireland believe that they are benefiting from dual market access. Does the deputy First…
I thank the Member for her question. The fund was announced by the NIO on the Thursday of the East-West Council meeting. It is live at the moment, so the details are online. You can go through the application process online. At this stage, it appears to have been developed with maximum flexibility. It could be for…
Thank you very much, deputy First Minister. I really welcome your earlier comment about high-skilled pathways, but I will take you to the paragraphs about the Connect Fund. The £1 million is very welcome — we will always welcome any money that comes to Northern Ireland — but how long that is for and who sets the…
I draw the deputy First Minister's attention to paragraph 6 of her statement relating to Intertrade UK. Obviously, the protocol and its bureaucracy are a considerable impediment to internal trade. Was the protocol's impact raised? What was the outcome? Do the Government accept and understand the problems that the…
I thank the deputy First Minister for her statement. It is good to hear what was covered at the East-West Council. What other areas could that body focus on going forward?
I thank the Member for his question. He will be aware that 'Safeguarding the Union' is a White Paper that was produced by the UK Government. That followed a series of negotiations and set out the framework for restoration of this place. The commitments made in that paper are critical to the continued stability of this…
I am profoundly concerned that we have had the statement today, not because I do not want the best possible east-west links between the UK Government and the Executive — I do — but because the East-West Council has been presented as having spurious equivalence with the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) and the…
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. The First Minister and I attended the second meeting of the East-West Council, which took place in Belfast on 12 June. The meeting was co-chaired by the Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, and the Rt Hon Hilary Benn…
First Minister, given the debacle with the A5, a project that your team is in charge of, and given that your colleague the Infrastructure Minister has said little other than that the judgement is being considered, was it wise to begin the process of handing back the vested land? There are legal opportunities to stop…
The First Minister says that the public want to hear that the Executive are doing and will do all that they can to ensure the delivery of the A5: with all due respect, the public have been hearing that for 20 years. Is the latest setback, resulting from the latest judgement, yet more evidence of the Executive's lack…
I will also ask about the discussion of mother-and-baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses. One of the major problems with previous legislation was the failure to build in a statutory requirement for institutions to contribute to the redress scheme. Why was that obvious shortcoming not addressed in the…
The reality is that we are actually in an Executive that can do something about it. The reality is that we are absolutely committed to delivering the A5. The reality is that Liz Kimmins, as the Infrastructure Minister, is doing absolutely everything that she can to work through the legalities of the outworking of the…
First Minister, Monday's judgement on the A5 was deeply disappointing and frustrating for so many, especially the families who have lost loved ones. You keep saying that you will do everything, but your Ministers clearly did not do enough. The judge was critical of the Department and the Ministers for failing to do…
Yes, I concur with the Member's commentary around the theme. The common theme is women: women who have been failed, women shamefully treated by the state across this island, women and girls, babies robbed from their mothers. When you think about the shameful past of this island towards women, we have to do everything…
I add my condolences to the family, wider family and friends of Sarah Montgomery. A theme that was dealt with in the conversations in the NSMC was women and babies and girls. Women and girls and their children continue today to suffer at the hands of men — often, the very men whom they should be able to trust.…
As the First Minister will know, the Assembly recently democratically expressed its will that votes in elections for the president of Ireland should be extended to all Irish citizens on the island of Ireland. Further to that, does she agree that the extension of presidential voting rights to Irish citizens in the…
I thank the First Minister for her statement. I am bit confused by the statement. Sinn Féin has announced all-Ireland health proposals, which is a concept that I firmly support, but there seems to have been no mention of that at the North/South Ministerial Council meeting. Is that a further demonstration of Sinn…
Thank you, First Minister. I welcome the reference in the NSMC statement to the mother-and-baby homes and, in particular, to the ongoing cooperation and the lessons that have been learned from the Irish redress model. Is she able to tell us specifically what operational policy insights, particularly around delays and…
I thank the First Minister for her statement. She will, no doubt, agree that the Peace programme has been central to supporting peace and building cohesion in many communities throughout the island. Can she provide an update on whether a successor programme was discussed at the plenary meeting?
The First Minister's statement touched on a discussion about mother-and-baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses and stated that redress payments should not affect benefit entitlements. Was there any discussion about ensuring that, whilst compensation is paid out from the public purse in the first place,…
Given the growth in all-island trade that is helping our economy to grow while the rest of the UK flatlines, scaling business support would really benefit our business sector and help to deliver good jobs and increase productivity. Was the offer of further Irish Government investment in North/South bodies such as…
Does the First Minister accept that climate change legislation and targets will have an impact on all Departments here, particularly on infrastructure and capital projects? The A5 and the all-island strategic rail review were mentioned. We cannot build at net zero; that is pretty much impossible. How does the First…