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.
There has been significant progress across the four city and growth deals, with many positive milestones achieved over the past year. The Belfast region city deal is in delivery phase, with legally binding contracts for funding, planning permission and construction commencing across many of the projects. Derry City…
That sounds like a Department for the Economy programme, but I am more than happy to work with any Minister to see how we can support businesses, bring our high streets back and create innovative businesses and employment. I await the final draft of the cost of doing business report, which will be beneficial in the…
I thank the Minister for his answer. Has the Minister given any consideration to learning from the success of the Atlantic Link enterprise campus and having more enterprise zones in the North to tackle dereliction?
Since the relaunch of the Back in Business scheme in May 2024, 36 businesses have benefited from the 50% rates discount, providing more than £93,000 in rate support. The Back in Business scheme aims to bring vibrancy, footfall and investment back to high streets while providing businesses with a boost at the start of…
No. It will be largely a desk-top review of data and provisions. It will not be that type of review. The time frame would not allow for that. It will really be about accessing papers and data to bring forward the report.
I certainly welcome the appointment of Mr Holtham to identify the up-to-date level of need for Northern Ireland, given his work in the Assembly in the past. As part of Mr Holtham's review, will he take submissions from parties or, indeed, MLAs?
Yes, it is. The time frame is set not by us but by the terms of the spending review. The work that has been carried out across various reports, including the work of the Fiscal Council, provides a good platform for Professor Holtham to work on. He will have access to all the data and will come to independent…
It is the general view of Executive colleagues that, while it is welcome that we now receive funding at 124%, the level of need here is greater than that and that Professor Holtham's review is timely, given the spending review. It is clear that we have been underfunded for many years. I am old enough to remember that,…
With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 7 and 12 together. I am pleased that Professor Holtham is conducting an independent review of our level of need. That work is essential if we are to make the case to the British Government for a higher relative need factor to be included in our funding…
The digital inclusion unit has the aims of getting citizens online, promoting access to high-level digital skills and supporting the digital economy. It achieves that by coordinating activities and projects, creating partnerships, including with Ofcom and, as I said, libraries, and supporting communities, other…
Go raibh maith agat , Minister, for your answer. You touched on the fact that the Department is working in partnership with other Departments. Is it working with more sectors to improve digital inclusion?
The digital inclusion team's Go ON NI programme provides free digital training sessions in libraries, community centres and hubs. Those digital skills sessions introduce digital technology to people who are not familiar with going online and support people who want to improve their online skills. In the last financial…
I am firmly of the view that there are enough rockets, missiles, bombs and guns in the world — we do not need any more. We need more teachers, more nurses, more healthcare workers, more special needs assistants, more domiciliary care workers and more front-line staff in a range of areas. There are enough guns and…
The Chancellor's spring statement outlined a significant increase in defence spending, with a strong emphasis on investment in areas such as AI and drone technology. Minister, given Northern Ireland's increasing and growing capabilities in those sectors, what steps are you and your Department taking to ensure that…
It is expected that phase 2 of the spending review will be announced in June. While it is a very welcome development, in the sense that it will enable me to deliver a three-year Budget to the Executive for resource and a four-year Budget for capital, we will be facing a significantly challenging three years as a…
I have not had a meeting with the Minister for Communities in relation to the current round of proposed cuts to welfare by Westminster. In fairness to the Communities Minister, he is awaiting further detail from Whitehall Departments on how exactly the cuts will be implemented, over what timescales they will be…
Thank you for your answer. The Minister for Communities has said that he has not got enough money in his Department to mitigate the outlined cuts to the personal independence payment (PIP). Has the Minister for Communities met you to discuss the possibility of mitigations, including the provision of funding for the…
I have made it clear to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury that we need investment in front-line services that support families, workers and communities. What we needed to see was funding for education, health and housing. It is disappointing that, instead of that, the Chancellor's spring statement provided the…
I do agree. As I said to Mr Durkan, arm's-length bodies are responsible for spending huge amounts of public funds. They also have a responsibility to live within budget, as do their chief executives or accounting officers. Their accounting officers have a responsibility to live within budget, so when an accounting…
The Minister indicated that he thinks that it is a sensible approach by the Infrastructure Minister, so can we take it that he agrees with the Infrastructure Minister's approach to the issue?
I will answer those in reverse order. There is a role for the Assembly in monitoring arm's-length bodies, and there is definitely a role for the Committees. It should not be the case that arm's-length bodies come into Committees and make statements and, if the statement suits the political agenda of members of the…