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.
The Finance Minister is today effectively asking us to endorse a new round of Tory-mandated austerity. Once again, the Executive are allowing themselves to be constrained and directed by a Government who are intent on destroying our public services and imposing a fresh round of pay cuts on public-sector workers. When…
This is, essentially, a farcical debate, because the first Supply resolution that we are discussing is for a financial year that is over. The whole purpose of the processes of the House is to sanction expenditure before it happens. Today, however, we have spent three or four hours debating expenditure that is already…
I speak today as the Alliance spokesperson for health, and I will highlight some of the priorities facing the Department of Health. As my colleagues have indicated, we will support the motion, and I thank the Finance Minister for tabling it. As we have heard many times today, there is no question that every Minister…
Minister, this is another long one for you today. Thank you very much for sticking with us; there are a lot of us contributing today. We are here to vote on the spring Supplementary Estimates, and I appreciate that it is a technical matter that completes the financial year that has just gone past. We should also look…
I speak not only as justice spokesperson for the Alliance Party but as an East Antrim MLA and a member of the Justice Committee. The past year has presented unprecedented challenges for the Department of Justice, making it one of the most difficult periods of its recent history. While I welcome the announcement of…
Today's motion is an annual Budget procedure, and I welcome the opportunity to speak on the matter. In 2023, when the North had already suffered years of chronic underfunding, the Tories imposed cuts of up to £1 billion to our public services, including vital front-line services. As spokesperson and as a member of the…
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am speaking as Alliance spokesperson for agriculture, environment and rural affairs, and I will talk about how the Supply Estimates and draft spending proposals impact on pollution remedies, climate obligations and a number of other DAERA responsibilities. There is no doubt that the absence of…
As the Member will know, PEACE PLUS is worth approximately £1 billion. It will build on the work of the previous Peace programmes and INTERREG programmes, promoting economic and social inclusion and peace and prosperity across the North and the border counties. It officially opened for funding calls on 15 June 2023. A…
It is good that the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement are back in place and that we have the North/South Ministerial Council back up and working. It provides an important forum for all-island cooperation and collaboration across a number of areas. I have specific responsibility for the Special EU Programmes…
That is not something that I will be putting in the Fiscal Council Bill. The Fiscal Council will have the ability to set its own work programme and do work within the scope of the broad remit that it will be given in the legislation.
Related to that, Minister, will you consider including within the statutory remit of the Fiscal Council an assessment of the cost of division in Northern Ireland and the effect that that has on public services, following yesterday's successful motion?
That is a piece of work that the Department was working on while the institutions were down. We are looking to bring it forward and progress it in the near future. Although specific timings need to be firmed up, I am seeking to put it in the Assembly's legislative programme as soon as possible. An Executive paper is…
All Departments have obligations under the new climate legislation. We have been working closely with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in respect of our climate responsibilities and those of the Executive more broadly. It will be a significant piece of work for all Departments in the coming…
I thank the Minister for that reply. Related to climate considerations, what strategic support and leadership is the Department providing to meet the requirements of the Climate Change Act, as set out in the Department's business plan?
We are going through the Budget process, so Departments will be making their various bids as part of that. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs is also working through the climate action plan process and consultations. I am sure that Departments will make various bids in that regard.
I am aware that the Health Minister is also looking into the issue and is engaging with officials in the Department of Health and Social Care in England on the baby loss certificate scheme that they have put in place. I will reach out to the Health Minister to look at where we can work together to bring forward…
Thank you, Minister. As you said, this is a very sensitive issue for any family that has lost a child. It is really important to those parents and families that there is recognition of the loss of their child and of the fact that their child existed. Will you confirm that the responsibility for issuing baby loss…
I have a response on baby loss certificates. Just give me a second to find it. Sorry, I have lost my answer, but this is obviously a very sensitive issue, and I have asked officials to look at it. We want to give recognition to parents. We want to consider the issue fully.
Some of that will fall to me, in my remit, and some of it will fall to other Ministers, including the Communities Minister and the Economy Minister, through their responsibilities and their priorities for their Departments. I will consider any proposals that other Ministers bring forward on that.
I thank the Minister for her answer. Given that there are financial restrictions on many of the people who own the properties and that many of the properties will cost tens — maybe hundreds — of thousands of pounds to bring back, what I am trying to get from you, Minister, is whether you have plans to bring forward a…
One of the initiatives that we have taken is the back in business scheme, which aims to bring empty properties that were previously for retail use back into use for businesses, and to give rate relief to businesses of 50% for up to two years. That initiative had been in place previously, and, through the high street…
The Member is talking about the management of those properties. Some initial scoping work has been undertaken to introduce legislation to give freeholders of private and mixed-tenure estates equivalent rights to those of leaseholders. No further work has been progressed in the interim, due to budgetary constraints…
I appreciate that this may come from left field, but I would appreciate it if the Minister could also write to me on whether she has any intention to bring forward legislation to bring into law the recommendations of the Northern Ireland Law Commission, following its review in 2013 relating to apartments, to address…