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I thank the Minister for her remarks made so far. Further to her remarks just made about Reval2030, obviously, we have known for some time that LPS has been involved in a lot of preparatory work for that. Can the Minister indicate when we will be ready to go with Reval2030? With the preparatory work that has already…
I thank the Minister for her statement on the review of the rating policy, including her commitment to align with the Executive priorities. In considering alignment with three specific Executive priorities — to grow the economy, deliver affordable childcare and reduce health waiting times — does the Minister…
Minister, we, as the Opposition, have always encouraged you when it comes to ambition around rating policy. There is not that much clear ambition here. Some of the things that you are looking at are welcome, including vacant property relief. However, exactly how much money will be raised from the measures that you are…
Just before Question Time, I started to speak about my plans to review non-domestic vacant rating. I am attracted to the option of increasing the liability in that area, but it must be done in a managed and coordinated way. Ahead of any increase in NDVR liability, I call on Executive and council colleagues to work…
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. During Question Time, I asked the First Minister what the legal status of the English language was in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, instead of an answer, I got a load of patronising guff that did not address the question. What remedies exist for a lowly Back-Bencher such as me to…
I listened this morning to the entirety of that interview with the official. To be fair to the gentleman, he answered a lot of difficult questions. You made a point about the lights breaking down, but there was time to repair them. They broke down during the day, yet they were not working in time for the rush hour…
Minister, I agree that much of the solution to the crisis is public transport, although there is the problem, as the Member for Lagan Valley said, of buses being cancelled or being full to overflowing because there are not enough of them on the roads. Given that we have the lowest public transport spend per head of…
It is clear from the answers so far that DFI does not acknowledge that it has played any part in adding to the current congestion in Belfast. Minister, how many planning condition breaches has your Department been guilty of in relation to the closure and demolition of the Boyne Bridge? What is your assessment of the…
Minister, I want to speak about access to medical appointments that are affected by traffic congestion. In South Down, we have no rail links and our bus connections are limited and disparate. Last week, during the Adjournment debate, we talked about the quality of the roads. Many of my constituents travel to Belfast…
Does the Minister think that it was a good idea to remove a lane for cars on the Dublin Road in advance of the Boyne Bridge being closed? Is it not the case that the congestion is being caused by Translink and the DFI and that the policy that has led to Belfast not being car-friendly has also meant that it is not…
The Minister says that the answer is to use public transport, and I absolutely agree with that. The difficulty is that the evidence that we get from constituents is that they cannot get onto public transport. There is a train service that comes from my area that is already over capacity. Three-carriage trains are used…
It is important that the message goes out that our city and town centres are open for business both at this time of year, which is effectively the harvest time for many in the retail and hospitality sectors, and all year round. On the Sydenham bypass works, which commenced in October, there has been a good start and…
Minister, the advice given by your departmental official this morning on the radio — that people should consider working from home — has caused considerable anger in the business community in Belfast. Our hard-pressed businesses in Belfast need as much support and custom as possible, and telling people to work from…
The Minister said that we should all encourage people to use public transport, and I point out the improved services to Derry, where all shoppers' needs can be met. The Minister said that having taxis use bus lanes is not universally popular, and he is right. It could slow down buses as well as potentially compromise…
Minister, the congestion that we saw on Sunday was on a day when the bus lanes were open. What consideration was given to whether having all works and closures at the same time was a viable proposition, and can you advise what others were proposed?
I recall the Question Time when the Member asked me that question. It has been constantly under review, because one of our concerns is whether there is enough space on the footpaths at that junction for the number of pedestrians who gather there to cross the road. We were concerned that there could have been an…
The Minister will recall that, at a previous Question Time, I asked him about the Grosvenor Road left-hand turn. At that stage, I was not sure whether that was a temporary or permanent measure, and I do not think that the Minister was sure either. As he is now aware, once people are on Great Victoria Street, they…
Thank you to the Minister for coming down. As referenced, our road network is over capacity, and our travel patterns are overwhelmingly car-orientated. You have referenced what we can do, but the question really is this: how can your Department encourage people to reduce their reliance on cars?
Belfast city has quite a good public transport system, even in comparison with other cities. I am sure that Members will be able to jump up with examples of cities that are much better than Belfast. I have always said that, when it is available to you, you should use public transport. If you are driving into Belfast…
On a more general point, the current messaging that says that if you are in traffic, you are traffic is rather dismissive of those for whom public transport is not an option due to the nature of their work. It does not take account of the fact that the park-and-ride at Dundonald, for example, is at capacity or of the…
Does the Minister agree that people who are thinking about doing their Christmas shopping, visiting family and friends or just heading out for an evening should consider using public transport and park-and-rides, thereby helping to ease congestion and, importantly, helping to improve road safety?
Given the impact that the congestion is having on retail and services in the city, what consultation has the Minister had so far with traders? Is any consideration being given to additional temporary flexibility in the bus lanes to take pressure off the other lanes?
Like Deborah, I am feeling very smug because I got the train into Belfast yesterday, and it was nice that it was busy. Has the Minister considered lowering the cost of the fares from the park-and-rides into the city centre during this period?