:00:24. > :00:27.Helping children with Special Needs, climate change and the refugee
:00:28. > :00:32.crisis - it was the proverbial mixed bag up here on the Hill.
:00:33. > :00:34.But don't worry, there was still room for some good
:00:35. > :00:37.old-fashioned argey bargey and name-calling in the chamber and
:00:38. > :00:39.time for more details about Peter Robinson's departure as DUP leader
:00:40. > :00:53.Questions about manufacturing and Corporation Tax get personal...
:00:54. > :01:01.So here we have in Northern Ireland and opportunity to attract 30,000
:01:02. > :01:06.jobs in Northern Ireland. And the small minded, petty can just snarl.
:01:07. > :01:09.The First Minister gives his support to the refugees due to
:01:10. > :01:18.These are people who are genuine refugees and if I know anything
:01:19. > :01:21.about the people of Northern Ireland is that they are charitable and
:01:22. > :01:24.giving people who will extend the hand of welcome.
:01:25. > :01:26.And joining me with his thoughts on today's developments is
:01:27. > :01:31.Professor Rick Wilford from Queen's University...
:01:32. > :01:34.He's long been a thorn in the side of the DUP,
:01:35. > :01:37.but Jim Allister found himself up against the purple prose of the
:01:38. > :01:40."Small-minded, petty and a self-professed expert
:01:41. > :01:42.in everything" - just some of the descriptions Jonathan Bell
:01:43. > :01:48.chose to deploy against the TUV leader in the chamber.
:01:49. > :01:51.Mr Bell was answering questions on his brief, including the hosting of
:01:52. > :01:54.the Northern Ireland football team at Stormont, but it was an inquiry
:01:55. > :02:02.about the manufacturing sector that kicked the war of words off...
:02:03. > :02:11.He talks about ongoing discussions with the minister which will produce
:02:12. > :02:15.the skills needed if he exaggerates his claim about 30,000 jobs on the
:02:16. > :02:21.back of corporation tax is ever to be met. The Seaham Minister has time
:02:22. > :02:27.about number in recent months complained vigorously and publicly
:02:28. > :02:32.about the lack of commitment to skills and skilling up and training
:02:33. > :02:36.to meet that challenge. So how is it that the minister thinks he is
:02:37. > :02:40.making progress about delivering these things and the minister in
:02:41. > :02:48.charge does not seem to know anything about it? We have just got
:02:49. > :02:54.another prime example of a small person that needs to try and talk
:02:55. > :03:03.other people down. To talk the manufacturing industry down in an
:03:04. > :03:07.attempt to make himself look big. I tell the member, contrary to what he
:03:08. > :03:13.would self believe, he does not know it all. None of us do. The reality
:03:14. > :03:20.that we have got is from Professor Neil Gibson of 30,000 jobs. The
:03:21. > :03:24.member I know believes himself to be a self-professed expert in
:03:25. > :03:30.everything, but he is not and we turned to the best evidence that we
:03:31. > :03:36.have. Here we have in Northern Ireland, an opportunity to attract
:03:37. > :03:41.30,000 jobs in Northern Ireland. And the small-minded, petty can just
:03:42. > :03:46.snarl. Tourism Northern Ireland has been working closely in recent years
:03:47. > :03:49.with various sporting organisations such as the Irish Football
:03:50. > :03:54.Association in developing initiatives to promote Northern
:03:55. > :03:58.Ireland. In terms of the European Championships 2016, tourism Northern
:03:59. > :04:04.Ireland will work with its partners, Tourism Ireland to exploit any
:04:05. > :04:09.potential destination marketing and PR opportunities to promote Northern
:04:10. > :04:12.Ireland in overseas markets. I was disappointed to note that the
:04:13. > :04:16.Department for culture arts and leisure have not held a reception
:04:17. > :04:21.for the Northern Ireland team at Stormont, given that the Minister
:04:22. > :04:24.has previously welcomed foreign nations, does the Minister plan to
:04:25. > :04:30.welcome the team to Stormont in the near future and show his support for
:04:31. > :04:35.our home team? I have already issued an invitation which I understand
:04:36. > :04:38.will be taken up by the Northern Ireland football team and the
:04:39. > :04:42.management around them because it is important for us to celebrate what
:04:43. > :04:48.is a huge success for the Northern Ireland team and what they have
:04:49. > :04:51.achieved, because even under the old rules of qualification for the
:04:52. > :04:54.Euros, Northern Ireland would have qualified this time as well. There
:04:55. > :04:58.was no play-off required for the team, they delivered and they
:04:59. > :05:02.delivered well and came on top of their group and they deserve the
:05:03. > :05:07.support of all of us. And the success not only of our football
:05:08. > :05:13.team also comes on the back of the success of Rory McIlroy, Darren
:05:14. > :05:16.Clarke, Graeme McDowell, Carl Frampton, a P McCoy, our
:05:17. > :05:22.Commonwealth Games team and our Olympians. It would be great if our
:05:23. > :05:26.football team -- go would be a disgrace if they were not recognised
:05:27. > :05:31.at Stormont. We will ensure that a suitable date, hopefully around the
:05:32. > :05:35.time of the March international break, we'll be here to honour the
:05:36. > :05:40.team and I hope that all of us, because when I looked at Windsor
:05:41. > :05:44.Park and Northern Ireland getting behind the team on one of the best
:05:45. > :05:48.nights I have ever enjoyed, and it did give, not only a huge lift to
:05:49. > :05:52.those there, it gave a huge lift the country and I hope we can all come
:05:53. > :05:53.together and celebrate that success together.
:05:54. > :05:55.Jonathan Bell, nailing his sporting credentials to the mast.
:05:56. > :05:59.Jim Allister likes to be the one dishing out the ascerbic asides.
:06:00. > :06:01.Do you think having Jonathan Bell nipping at
:06:02. > :06:13.Not at all. Totally nonplussed. I was reminded of Denis Healey's
:06:14. > :06:17.description of being assaulted verbally by Geoffrey Howe like being
:06:18. > :06:21.savaged by a dead sheep. This is probably comparable to that. You
:06:22. > :06:29.cannot deliver that put down line, you just cannot do it. He could not
:06:30. > :06:34.deliver well. He needs to strip to an orthodox script and not try and
:06:35. > :06:36.engage in verbal fisticuffs with Jim Allister.
:06:37. > :06:40.Do you think the Enterprise Minister is growing into the role?
:06:41. > :06:49.It is a big role to fill. It was formerly occupied by Arlene Foster
:06:50. > :06:53.and I think she did do a pretty good job in helping to sell Northern
:06:54. > :06:57.Ireland, particularly to overseas investors. I think the shoes are
:06:58. > :07:00.probably a bit too big for him, I am not sure he is up to ministerial
:07:01. > :07:00.work. not sure he is up to ministerial
:07:01. > :07:09.the job over time. With a new leader not sure he is up to ministerial
:07:10. > :07:10.in the offing, he could be reshuffled sideways or out, I do not
:07:11. > :07:12.think he would be missed. And the potential visit
:07:13. > :07:15.of the successful Northern Ireland football team to Stormont still has
:07:16. > :07:24.the potential to ruffle It is bound to, but goodness me, if
:07:25. > :07:29.you cannot celebrate the success of any sporting venture, whether it is
:07:30. > :07:33.an individual or a team, I think there needs to be some sort of
:07:34. > :07:38.reception, that is worthwhile. It would be a shame if it did not
:07:39. > :07:42.happen and I see there is some possibility for the parish and
:07:43. > :07:46.Northern Ireland team celebrated in Dublin and I think it would be
:07:47. > :07:47.remiss if they could not happen in Belfast.
:07:48. > :07:50.We'll hear more from you again later.
:07:51. > :07:53.Today in the chamber, after nine long years, the bill dealing with
:07:54. > :07:55.Special Educational Needs - or S-E-N - reached its consideration stage.
:07:56. > :07:58.The goal is to improve the help available to children who
:07:59. > :08:12.The bill will only have the desired outcomes if there is a more complex
:08:13. > :08:16.the approach from education and health working through the
:08:17. > :08:21.legislative processes, this bill is fine, but the true measure of its
:08:22. > :08:26.effectiveness will be determined how well our SEN children are catered
:08:27. > :08:32.for in the future. The sharing is two sided, information can travel
:08:33. > :08:35.both ways and importantly may pull budgets and researchers for this
:08:36. > :08:39.purpose as exercising their functions. We have heard of the
:08:40. > :08:43.example in the delay of child receiving the appropriate care was
:08:44. > :08:47.down to a simple yet elongated debate about who would pay for it.
:08:48. > :08:53.The committee amendment would resolve that debate and the obvious
:08:54. > :08:58.delay. I support the bill and the amendments. She mentioned the fact
:08:59. > :09:02.that the first review was nine years ago. I think it was only myself and
:09:03. > :09:05.the minister who have been involved with this right through the whole
:09:06. > :09:10.nine years, it sometimes feels like 19 years, but I am glad we have got
:09:11. > :09:13.to where we are now and I welcome the bill having got to this stage. I
:09:14. > :09:20.think this is a huge step forward with regards to special educational
:09:21. > :09:27.needs. The whole concept behind it is to try and speed up what is an
:09:28. > :09:31.incredibly bureaucratic system. I think everyone in the house will
:09:32. > :09:37.welcome the attempts to speed that process up. It goes back to some of
:09:38. > :09:41.what I said at second stage, what is disappointing is we have a
:09:42. > :09:45.Department of education bill for special education needs when what we
:09:46. > :09:53.need is an executive bill for special education needs, because SEN
:09:54. > :09:57.and disability is not the sole remit of one department, it cuts across a
:09:58. > :10:01.number of departments and indeed, much of the conversation today has
:10:02. > :10:07.been around the need for departments to co-operate. I think it is proper
:10:08. > :10:15.that we reflect on the steady increase of numbers of people with
:10:16. > :10:21.SEN over the last ten years. Some 73,435 pupils with SEN in 2014 and
:10:22. > :10:26.2015. There is a stark but clear need in relation to advancing this
:10:27. > :10:30.legislation. This bill has not been delayed due to political fallout or
:10:31. > :10:34.expediency. This bill has been brought forward on the basis that we
:10:35. > :10:39.want to bring as many people with us as possible. We have sought
:10:40. > :10:45.agreement, we have interrogated the issues, we have debated the issues
:10:46. > :10:49.both in terms of the original consultation. Many debates within
:10:50. > :10:55.the committee even in my time in the committee, presentations by myself
:10:56. > :10:58.to the current Education Committee, and by others in the SEN field
:10:59. > :11:01.because we want to get this piece of legislation out. We want to make
:11:02. > :11:05.sure that this piece of legislation is the building block upon which we
:11:06. > :11:07.build a moderate SEN service. It's been just a week since MLAs
:11:08. > :11:11.applauded Peter Robinson leaving the chamber, but he was back again
:11:12. > :11:13.today reporting on the most recent meeting of the
:11:14. > :11:16.British-Irish Council in London. And the outgoing First Minister was,
:11:17. > :11:18.perhaps surprisingly, complimentary about the Irish government's
:11:19. > :11:20.involvement with the Council - and critical of the commitment
:11:21. > :11:31.of the British government... I am sure the First Minister
:11:32. > :11:35.appreciates the role of the Secretary of State for Northern
:11:36. > :11:40.Ireland in hosting this but does he have any concerns that the UK
:11:41. > :11:45.Government is not represented at a senior level as the Irish government
:11:46. > :11:52.at these meetings? I think we need to be clear that the Secretary of
:11:53. > :11:56.State hosted this summit, it need not have been the Secretary of State
:11:57. > :12:00.although we welcome the presence of the Secretary of State and the fact
:12:01. > :12:04.that she did post this session. I think it does need to be said
:12:05. > :12:10.certainly in discussions, the Deputy First Minister and I recognise the
:12:11. > :12:16.distinction that there was, that end Kenny comes faithfully to every big
:12:17. > :12:20.meeting, as did his predecessor comes faithfully to every big meaty
:12:21. > :12:25.but I can only recall in my time at one meeting with the Prime Minister
:12:26. > :12:29.was present and I think there is a requirement for all of us to
:12:30. > :12:36.recommit to make sure that we are represented at the highest levels.
:12:37. > :12:40.Can I ask the Minister in relation to dealing with refugees,
:12:41. > :12:44.particularly Syrian refugees, did the First Minister learn anything of
:12:45. > :12:53.value that could be applied here and further to that point, if I might in
:12:54. > :12:59.dolls the principled Deputy Speaker, there is an anti-refugee
:13:00. > :13:05.demonstration called for Saturday, and I would ask the First Minister
:13:06. > :13:10.to give his view on whether or not that Raleigh should in fact take
:13:11. > :13:15.place? In terms of Northern Ireland, yes I think we did learn quite a bit
:13:16. > :13:22.because Scotland has already received refugees and they already
:13:23. > :13:25.have experience and officials here will be continuing to contact
:13:26. > :13:29.officials in the UK generally but Scotland in particular, because they
:13:30. > :13:37.have the direct and immediate experience. I perhaps can well
:13:38. > :13:42.comment on this issue with the reference to the so-called rally on
:13:43. > :13:48.Saturday. It needs to be remembered that these are people who have had
:13:49. > :13:53.complete security checks carried out. They are families that are
:13:54. > :14:00.coming into Northern Ireland, ten or 11 families. They are people who
:14:01. > :14:11.have faced in some cases torture, in other cases, trauma, they are people
:14:12. > :14:14.who are in need of support. They are not the Mediterranean economic
:14:15. > :14:18.migrants. These are people who are genuine refugees and if I know
:14:19. > :14:22.anything about the people of Northern Ireland, it is that they
:14:23. > :14:28.are charitable and giving people who will extend the hand of welcome and
:14:29. > :14:31.I have just noticed over the last few days, since the Deputy First
:14:32. > :14:35.Minister and I were covered on television speaking about this
:14:36. > :14:39.issue, I have had several churches and a number of individuals all
:14:40. > :14:43.wanting to know how they can put themselves forward in order to give
:14:44. > :14:51.assistance and support and welcome to these people. So, I do not think
:14:52. > :14:54.that those who are going to campaign against the presence of refugees
:14:55. > :14:59.will get a very warm hearing from the people of Northern Ireland.
:15:00. > :15:00.The First Minister making clear his support
:15:01. > :15:03.for the Syrian refugees currently en route to Northern Ireland.
:15:04. > :15:07.We've received more details on when exactly Peter Robinson will be
:15:08. > :15:32.The meeting on the 17th, the electoral college. I assume there
:15:33. > :15:36.will only be the one nominee. Then the patronage is exercised by the
:15:37. > :15:41.leader of the party and becomes nominating officer. I doubt very
:15:42. > :15:45.much it will be done at that location and it may well wait until
:15:46. > :15:51.January. That opens up the issue of who will become deputy leader and
:15:52. > :15:55.whether that will be somebody else, or somebody preferably from within
:15:56. > :15:59.the assembly block. Just a huge assumption that it will be Nigel
:16:00. > :16:08.Dodds, and we haven't even heard from him that he wants the job! This
:16:09. > :16:15.is more akin to how the Conservative party, when Alec Douglas Hume got
:16:16. > :16:23.the job, the Magic Circle with the secular equivalent of the magic
:16:24. > :16:26.white smoke. It looks very much like that is the process by which the DUP
:16:27. > :16:27.will engage. Peter Robinson is still expected to
:16:28. > :16:39.be First Minister That is interesting. And they wonder
:16:40. > :16:43.why because with the session ending you would think that was an
:16:44. > :16:48.appropriate time to go but maybe one or two things he wants to tidy up
:16:49. > :16:52.before he leaves. We will find out what those might be course and speak
:16:53. > :16:53.to you before the end of the programme.
:16:54. > :16:56.A bill to update the regulation of the social care sector has had
:16:57. > :17:00.Although it passed on a unanimous oral vote, some members
:17:01. > :17:03.of the Health Committee felt it shouldn't have been brought in this
:17:04. > :17:08.mandate because they might not have enough time to scrutinise it.
:17:09. > :17:14.The health and personal social services Amendment Bill aims to
:17:15. > :17:21.achieve two things. It will modernise the council's conduct and
:17:22. > :17:24.extend the range of sanctions and extend the council's powers to
:17:25. > :17:29.formally recognise the learning achievements of social workers. The
:17:30. > :17:35.minister introduced the bill last week and prior to this happening,
:17:36. > :17:39.the committee had written to the Minister on 18th of November to ask
:17:40. > :17:44.him not to introduce this bill during the remainder of this
:17:45. > :17:47.mandate. This was on foot of a discussion which the committee had
:17:48. > :17:53.in relation to our legislative programme. As members will be aware,
:17:54. > :17:57.the human transplantation bill is currently at committee stage and we
:17:58. > :18:01.are all aware that it is a complex and emotive piece of legislation
:18:02. > :18:05.which will require the committee's detail the tension between now and
:18:06. > :18:10.the end of January. The minister had also indicated to the committee that
:18:11. > :18:16.it was his intention to shortly introduce the health miscellaneous
:18:17. > :18:20.provisions Bill, and that happened yesterday, and again that piece of
:18:21. > :18:24.legislation will require the committee's attention over a
:18:25. > :18:31.relatively short period of time. Can I also concur with the remarks made
:18:32. > :18:36.by the chair in relation to not pursuing this legislation, not
:18:37. > :18:42.because we don't support the general principles, but because of the
:18:43. > :18:48.committee's ability to scrutinise and get what I am saying about both
:18:49. > :18:54.the proposed rules and the extent of the work undertaken, and the needs
:18:55. > :18:57.of the workforce. They need to know and I think it is important to say
:18:58. > :19:03.that the workforce needs to know that these matters are properly
:19:04. > :19:08.scrutinised because of the importance. Once the latest process
:19:09. > :19:12.comes to an end, Northern Ireland will be the only part of the UK that
:19:13. > :19:17.registers its whole social care workforce. While I understand the
:19:18. > :19:22.rationale behind what the department is trying to achieve in improving
:19:23. > :19:26.safeguards and making sure those who often have unaccompanied access to
:19:27. > :19:32.our vulnerable and their homes, I would encourage the Department to
:19:33. > :19:40.work very closely and carefully with the sector to ensure undue pressures
:19:41. > :19:45.are not placed upon employees. Looking forward to the future and in
:19:46. > :19:48.keeping with the direction of travel provided by transforming your care
:19:49. > :19:52.and other potential reforms, social workers and other stuff that worked
:19:53. > :19:58.in the community are set to take on more and more responsibilities for
:19:59. > :20:03.delivery of health and social services outcomes. In this regard, I
:20:04. > :20:07.do believe that the additional regulation offered by this
:20:08. > :20:12.legislation is appropriate at this time. This shouldn't be seen as an
:20:13. > :20:16.attack on the sterling efforts of social workers but an
:20:17. > :20:22.acknowledgement of their critical and growing role and the existing
:20:23. > :20:27.professional standards. Whilst understanding and appreciating the
:20:28. > :20:31.pressure is the service has to content with I wasn't prepared to
:20:32. > :20:35.further delay modernisation and regulation of the social care
:20:36. > :20:39.workforce. Other members midpoints around the timing issue and Mr
:20:40. > :20:43.McKenney mentioned, and I hope I am not quoting inaccurately, but he
:20:44. > :20:47.spoke about the need to have full and lengthy robust scrutiny of
:20:48. > :20:51.legislation and there I agree with that point. Those principles I
:20:52. > :20:52.believe should be applied to all legislation, particularly those that
:20:53. > :20:54.are of a controversial nature. As world leaders discuss climate
:20:55. > :20:57.change in Paris, the topic was also raised closer to
:20:58. > :20:59.home during questions to Mark H Durkan was asked
:21:00. > :21:03.about climate change legislation here, but before that, he responded
:21:04. > :21:06.to a question on proposals to make changes to George Best Belfast City
:21:07. > :21:21.Airport's planning agreement... With regards to the PAC report of
:21:22. > :21:25.the public inquiry into the proposed modification of the planning
:21:26. > :21:28.agreement with George Best Belfast city airport, the department
:21:29. > :21:32.received that report from the PAC on the 30th October this year.
:21:33. > :21:37.Interested parties were notified that the report was received. Before
:21:38. > :21:42.releasing this report, which I haven't seen yet, I will consider
:21:43. > :21:47.the advice of my department on if and how the agreement should or
:21:48. > :21:52.could be potentially modified. The report will subsequently be made
:21:53. > :21:57.available to other stakeholders and the general public after it has been
:21:58. > :22:04.the closed to the airport themselves as the other party to the plan. --
:22:05. > :22:08.disclosed. Mr Deputy Speaker, perhaps the Minister did outline
:22:09. > :22:12.what further steps are then taken as part of the overall process to reach
:22:13. > :22:21.accommodation around what are clearly as he has views on the
:22:22. > :22:25.issue? As the member puts it, there clearly are differing views on this
:22:26. > :22:28.issue and I certainly have a degree of sympathy with those living in the
:22:29. > :22:36.immediate vicinity of the airport who feel that the noise has become
:22:37. > :22:40.too much for them. Under the current agreement with George Best Belfast
:22:41. > :22:45.city airport, there are restrictions on seat numbers as well as
:22:46. > :22:52.restrictions on times of your traffic. Some of the breaches which
:22:53. > :22:58.residents and objectors to the noise have pointed to, breaches of the
:22:59. > :23:02.times, for example, are beyond the control of George Best Belfast city
:23:03. > :23:07.airport, realistically. We are not going to see the introduction of
:23:08. > :23:11.climate change during this mandate and that is something that causes me
:23:12. > :23:16.regret. As I have said over the past two years I have been attempting to
:23:17. > :23:20.build consensus, I believe we are making slow but steady progress in
:23:21. > :23:23.that regard, and I think the topicality of this as I have said
:23:24. > :23:25.over the past two years I have been attempting to build consensus, I
:23:26. > :23:28.believe we are making slow but steady progress in that regard, and
:23:29. > :23:31.I think the topicality of that has been afforded to the ongoing
:23:32. > :23:35.confidence in Paris and the issue of climate change is something that we
:23:36. > :23:39.can work to our advantage. I do feel the passion from him and the
:23:40. > :23:42.enthusiasm from him about climate change legislation in Northern
:23:43. > :23:47.Ireland and I want to thank him for that. But as he says, it is not
:23:48. > :23:56.going to happen in this mandate with you being the Minister, how does he
:23:57. > :24:03.feel the new structure of the two departments working together, isn't
:24:04. > :24:10.going to enhance the possibility of getting that legislation or is it
:24:11. > :24:16.going to be a hindrance? I thank the member for that question. I am not
:24:17. > :24:23.sure how she felt my passion. I hope it was as good for hard as it was
:24:24. > :24:33.for me! The new departmental setup could work either way. There are
:24:34. > :24:39.potentially advantages in the amalgamation of agriculture and
:24:40. > :24:42.environmental policy, and it will bring officials from most apartments
:24:43. > :24:49.closer together and hopefully working towards common goals,
:24:50. > :24:51.however the member is well aware of consensus expressed from the
:24:52. > :25:00.environmental sector, that this might not be an amalgamation of
:25:01. > :25:01.environment and agriculture. It might be an assumption of
:25:02. > :25:02.environment into agriculture. And Mark H Durkan will be attending
:25:03. > :25:05.the climate change conference The Culture Minister also made
:25:06. > :25:09.a statement in the Assembly today. She told Members about her plans to
:25:10. > :25:21.consult on a framework for promoting This this will include proposals for
:25:22. > :25:23.legislation which will be taken forward through the remainder of
:25:24. > :25:29.this assembly mandate and into the new mandate. I have already written
:25:30. > :25:32.to ministerial colleagues in order to seek their support and
:25:33. > :25:38.commitments in relation to the framework. I am announcing today is
:25:39. > :25:41.my intention to engage in pre-consultation through the sign
:25:42. > :25:46.language partnership with some additional membership. The framework
:25:47. > :25:49.needs to be agreed with the partnership and to reflect members'
:25:50. > :25:56.views. I have listened carefully to what the deaf community are saying.
:25:57. > :25:58.Their message is clear, they want legislation to safeguard their
:25:59. > :26:04.rights as a cultural and linguistic minority. They want to be able to
:26:05. > :26:09.access services in the language. I want to support their efforts. It is
:26:10. > :26:15.important therefore that we build on the work so far and take steps to
:26:16. > :26:20.make accessibility and inclusion throughout society the norm for our
:26:21. > :26:23.deaf community. In the statement, the Minister referred to the
:26:24. > :26:27.resources necessary to provide phone every family who wish to take such
:26:28. > :26:30.classes, and the fact those resources are not clear at the
:26:31. > :26:36.moment. Could the Minister please spell out for us what she means in
:26:37. > :26:37.terms of resources? Is this a financial resource or is
:26:38. > :26:40.terms of resources? Is this a having the right people there to
:26:41. > :26:44.teach sign language? At the minute teach sign language? At the minute
:26:45. > :26:48.it is about the financial support within my department to help
:26:49. > :26:54.families access sign language support in classes. They need is
:26:55. > :27:02.increasing, and the rather than perhaps waiting until taking bets,
:27:03. > :27:11.which I will do, I think it is important to bathe in mind that
:27:12. > :27:13.there are many more children and families who need support,
:27:14. > :27:15.particularly within the deaf community.
:27:16. > :27:20.And Professor Rick Wilford is with me again for a final few thoughts.
:27:21. > :27:23.Looking ahead to tomorrow's vote in Westminster on air-strikes in Syria,
:27:24. > :27:28.tonight the DUP has confirmed it will vote with the government.
:27:29. > :27:42.I am not surprised, although two years ago they voted against the
:27:43. > :27:50.proposal to bomb Syria, which was an anti-dash-mac anti-Assad campaign.
:27:51. > :27:55.They may wait and way the argument tomorrow, ten hours of debate. The
:27:56. > :27:58.SDLP will vote against although they are going to put down some
:27:59. > :28:05.amendments, or vote on amendments already put down, but the DUP no
:28:06. > :28:13.surprise will support Cameron's proposition. Closer to home and
:28:14. > :28:18.finally, the Attorney General has said today that in his view same-sex
:28:19. > :28:24.marriage is a matter for Stormont legislators to decide on. Indeed,
:28:25. > :28:29.perhaps because he knows what the outcome is likely to be given past
:28:30. > :28:34.performance, voted on five times. Last occasion that got a majority of
:28:35. > :28:40.one but was defeated by petition, but he is a very proactive Attorney
:28:41. > :28:45.General. I am reminded of Clement Attlee once saying after a period of
:28:46. > :28:53.silence, a period of silence would be very welcome from you. Some may
:28:54. > :28:57.be less vocal and summoned the legal profession would like him to be less
:28:58. > :29:01.vocal, although he was speaking in the course of a court hearing and
:29:02. > :29:07.maybe on that basis. We will leave it there, thank you very much as
:29:08. > :29:09.ever. Join me on Thursday at 10:35pm on BBC One but until then from all
:29:10. > :29:16.of us, goodbye. Do you have views
:29:17. > :29:20.on BBC Radio Ulster,