02/10/2012 Stormont Today


02/10/2012

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Hello and welcome to Stormont Today. Coming up: Do the Alliance Party

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and the Ulster Unionists make a mistake when deciding to leave the

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Cohesion, Sharing and Integration working group? The Deputy First

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Minister certainly thinks so. important that the Alliance Party

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step out of those important discussions. It is better... They

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might admit they made a mistake. And a bit of advice for a troubled

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Ulster Unionist Party as well. Ulster Unionist Party themselves

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need to be involved in a process of Cohesion, Sharing and Integration,

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considering what we have heard in the last couple of days. Plus

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accusations of a big following an urgent oral question. There appears

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to be a bleak in regards confidential... Order, please.

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regards confidential material from We kick off today with questions to

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the Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness. He was asked about

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perfect -- public confidence a relating to appointments to the

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Maze/Long Kesh Development Corporation board. But first he

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updated the Assembly on the Cohesion, Sharing and Integration

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strategy and confirmed he expects a report from the working group

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within the next few weeks. First Minister and I are committed to

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improving community relations. Breaking forward a robust community

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relations strategy with a clear framework for action. We very much

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recognise the importance of translating the Executive's

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commitment to clear, meaningful action, and we have asked the

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cross-party working group to conclude its work as a matter of

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Would he not accept that the actions of himself as Deputy First

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Minister and, indeed, another minister from his party, are not

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doing anything to help build community relationships and this

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needs to be addressed to --? Are I am an Irish republican. All of the

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commemorations that I attend receive clearance from both the

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police and the Police Commission. I am only interested in attending

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commemorations which are within the law. It is absolutely vital on all

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of us within this House to recognise that we have to abide by

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the rule of law and I also state people need to abide by the

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determinations of the Parades Commission. Can I ask the first

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minister where there any new framework for dealing with parades

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and protests will be included in the forthcoming strategy? It was

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very unfortunate that the Alliance Party, which mostly in its

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contributions to this Assembly, and the workings of the Assembly, has

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shown itself to be very reflective. It was very important that the

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Alliance Party stepped out of those important discussions. I think with

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the benefit of hindsight they might admit they made a mistake. I want

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to pay tribute to those representatives from my own party,

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from the Democratic Unionist Party and from the SDLP who have stayed

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with it. Up until the point where the Alliance Party stepped out, and

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incomprehensibly to me, the Ulster Unionists stepped out also, and

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importing significant progress had been made. Even since the

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Department of the Ulster Unionists and the Alliance Party, more

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progress has been made and all of these issues that have proved

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themselves to be difficult in the past have shown themselves during

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the course of these discussions to be capable of resolution. I said it

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was incomprehensible of the Ulster Unionist Party to step out. They

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themselves need to be involved in a crisis of cohesion, sharing and

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integration, up from what we have heard. Would he have made it that

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process surrounding the board has been damaged somewhat? -- would he

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admit. I wonder what steps he would have in mind to try to address this

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issue. I wonder how people are making an assessment of where

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public confidence actually lies. I think people are hugely heartened

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by the fact that the First Minister and myself had the ability to put

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in place Development Corporation which is truly reflective of our

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entire mint -- our entire community. People to have the ability to take

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forward what is probably the prime development site on this island and

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we have had huge important development with the announcement

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from Europe of �20 million for the first building complete

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transformation centre. And also the decision by the Ulster Royal

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Agricultural Society to construct a building so that it can be up and

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running for 2013. All of that represents tremendous progress. I

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also think that there has been some debate in the cause of recent times

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about the people who were appointed to the board. The people who were

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appointed to the board of people who have the confidence of the vows

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and myself. They are people who have been appointed because of

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their expertise and people who we believe will take forward our

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objectives of ensuring that the economic and historic and

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reconciliation potential of that site can be used for the benefit of

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all our people. After the news that more than 150

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people will lose their jobs at the troubled sports retailer JJB Sports,

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and urgent or will question was put to the employment minister, Stephen

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Farry, asking him what protection is in place for employees here

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whose jobs are going. My officials have made contact with

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the administrator, KPMG, primarily due offered to support the

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employees made redundant. KPMG has advised three stores in Antrim and

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other places have been sold to sports direct, retaining 65 jobs.

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Of the employees from the ten stores elsewhere, 154 employees

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have been made redundant immediately. Ten employees are

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currently existing the administrator with the closure of

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the stores. KPMG is writing to each redundant employee tomorrow and has

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agreed to include details of the redundancy advice service. My

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officials will subsequently gauge the interests from the employees

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and will organise redundancy clinics on a reasonable basis if

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necessary. Employees will have a tenant package of professional

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advice about the options and support available. Can ask whether

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he is satisfied that the redundancy advice service he has mentioned is

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fit for purpose and whether I he feels it may need tailored to suit

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the needs of people who have found themselves recently out of work.

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do think my service is certainly fit for purpose, although it is

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coming under considerable pressure at the moment as we have had a

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number of redundancies and there is pressure on the staff. Our staff

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are rising to that challenge and recognise the importance of what

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they're doing. I think the real importance of moving this forward

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is trying to work with the employees who find themselves in

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this situation, to have the skills properly recognise and putting them

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in contact with all the job opportunities that may be there in

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the retail sector. Another minister who knows all

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about the impact of the recession is the finance minister. In

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Question Time, Sammy Wilson was quizzed about corporation tax and

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the Treasury negotiations. But here he is first answering a question

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about unpaid rates. At the end of the financial year 2011 to 2012,

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the debt was �160.8 million. These figure includes rating of empty

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homes, which is subject to audit. Those figures he has supplied a

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quite startling. Does he have any new initiative to ensure that rates

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are paid, bearing in mind that many ratepayers, in particular in the

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retail sector, are struggling at this particular time and they do

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feel very discouraged when they discover that others are not

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paying? Where people I did not pay, refused to pay or have shown over a

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period of time they are not going to abide by those arrangements, we

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will go for court action and lastly, if we have to, we will take people

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to the point of bankruptcy. When the minister engaged at the start

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of July, we were assured that the redress system would be put in

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place within a few days. Can he applied to the house why it took so

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long for the Ulster Bank compensation scheme to be put in

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place and whether a measly �20 was a little too late? These have to be

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worked out with the fact will services authority. I do not know

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whether they have queries or whether Ulster Bank was slow in

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bringing the proposals forward. Ultimately, I know some customers

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are disappointed. Ulster Bank make this point -- I make his point to

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them, that the longer they delayed, the longer the saw was going to

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agitate and the more the sort agitated, the angry at the

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customers were going to get and they would alter money pay the

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place for that. Considering the devolution of responsibility for

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corporation tax, it is now in my opinion entering a critical stage

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of investigations. I remain concerned about the cost currently

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proposed by Treasury officials which I believe his expensive. The

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working group is due to meet again on 18th October with a due to

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resolving outstanding issues and after that, I believe it will be

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down to a political decision involving the Prime Minister,

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Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer.

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Next to an Alliance mission looking at the problem small and medium-

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sized businesses have been accessing bank lending. The party

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wants the Executive to make sure companies are aware of other

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sources of finance available be on the banks.

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We have a range of established SMA is a big potential, yet this

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potential and enthusiasm is not always matched by its financial

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backing. Yes, we have a small population but it should not

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confine our growth or long-term objectives. Key to any progress

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will be measurable finance available to nurture and grow our

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private sector from the bottom up. Therefore, I am seeking to

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highlight where exactly are Executive can use its influence to

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ensure that our businesses are connected officially to finance

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sources. I think it is quite clear. In terms of opinions of how the

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banks in particular have behaved, regardless of what your

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interpretation of their behaviour is, but they are certainly stifling,

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if not suffocating, many businesses, in terms of their actions. We need

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a satisfactory resolution for corporation tax. It could create 50

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to 60,000 jobs for Northern Ireland. It will assist small and medium-

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sized businesses to access the export market. We need to ensure

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young people have the skills and education to compete. We need to

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encourage people to save. We need more funds, more of our own fans in

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global markets. That is the long and short of it. Export and export-

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led growth is the one instrument that could well lead us out of

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I have returned from a visit to San Francisco to boost trade and

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investment links. If I was incurred a stand to open a new Office. Are

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there in April, the Deputy First Minister and myself were in the

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Middle East and India where we met again and number of companies as

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well as political leaders, trying, again, to push it into those new

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areas where we believe there are opportunities. We have appointed

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somebody to take for words important work and someone in a

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Brussels office to invest in Northern Ireland. I do believe that

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MLAs do need to be very much doing their part to let companies in

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their own region know what is available to them and I am happen

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these -- and I am happy to work with MLAs and getting the

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information they need. information they need.

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The deputy minister Arlene Foster. Joining me now is Stewart Dixon

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from the Alliance Party. When he reassured by what the minister had

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to say? I was, and there was an interesting debate today on the

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whole issue of how the finance her small and medium-sized enterprise

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and businesses in Northern Ireland. And a great deal of unanimity in

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Northern Ireland. The executive has Northern Ireland. The executive has

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clearly set out a strategy, we have had extreme difficulties with the

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banking sector, as you know. And yet, be set today shows that over

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61% of small business enterprises in Northern Ireland are actually

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satisfied with the services and the loans they are getting from banks.

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Could the assembly and executive be doing more to help those smaller

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businesses? Particularly start-up businesses, which really struggle,

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perhaps more than other more established businesses to access

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cash. Of course you can always do better, and it is complicated,

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there are a whole plethora of mechanisms that small businesses

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have to go through, whether it is looking for funding from local

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enterprise agencies, looking for the funding from the bank or from

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invest a Northern Ireland or one of the other bodies and I have just

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made a few, and are simply too many of them. The path we through that

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is very complicated, when at the same time, you are trying to get

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your new business up and running. When you are trying to go have

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recruit employees, when you are trying to deal with people who want

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to help you or -- who want to help you if market your business. It is

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very difficult to define for Redpath way through to source that

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funding. But I am convinced that the second and the minister, praise

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were it is due, the minister -- has worked very hard to attend to help

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small businesses identify those resources.

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Can I ask about another issue which has caused a few eyebrows to be

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raised? That is the Alliance Party's position or positions,

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perhaps more accurately, on yesterday's a vote on gay marriage.

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Your party's policy is to support the change. One of your members

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voted against and three abstained. What were they doing? The Alliance

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Party has a very clear policy in relation to the quality in marriage,

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we determined that when the party council, after a likely period of

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consideration with -- consideration of the matter came to that

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consideration at the post on the matter yesterday in a boat in the

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assembly which was clearly a significant vote but one which in

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reality will bring best forward in Northern Ireland. A half of your

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assembly team did not vote in support of the party policy.

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member voted against and other members were not present. They did

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not vote. That set out a mixed message here electorate, we now

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have people in east Belfast to have started a petition to protest the

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fact that two of their representatives who they think

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should be leading change, did not do so yesterday. Didn't demonstrate

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that desire to change. Even though the party voted for it as its

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policy, they are party members who struggle with that find it

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difficult to support that had taken a policy and that the stage

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individual MLAs. At you are off to Bosnia in the morning? I am, I am

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going as an election monitor and representing Northern Ireland.

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Have a safe track and thank you for turning us.

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It has been a busy few days for the education minister. Despite facing

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questions yesterday, Mr without appeared at the despatch box today

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to answer an urgent oral question from the DUP on how much an

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upcoming advertising campaign aimed average is costing his department.

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There is no aspect of the medication works campaign that has

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been taken forward in Irish only. Met all parts of the campaign have

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also been taken forward in English. Any advertising undertaken by

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department that -- by the department is taken bilingual. This

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policy was run prior to the participation in the campaign, and

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the decision to run the campaign in Irish is in keeping with

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departmental policy. This is part of her policy to address

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educational achievement among young people, and doing it for the medium

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of Irish and English. The department has a duty to facilitate

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Irish and English language. The Irish language adverts composers

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approximately 10% of the air time of the English version. We have

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stopped the assembly as that of the day to bring this important matter

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of cost to the forefront, so members may watch to setback in

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their seats and absorb the cost. The cost of the television slots

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for the adverts to be aired in Irish during the first week of

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:20:12.:20:14.

October is �4,360. Or order! This is what we have stopped assembly

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business for. The additional the production cost for the Irish

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version of the advert was 4283p. So for approximately �1,600, the

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assembly has had to be stopped, all this the set-aside and the

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Government put on hold, stop the presses. -- �8,600. The Irish

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version of the advertisement was had -- was given to clear pass to

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give broadcasters advice on the best quotes a practice. No legal

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issues were raised. That is no legal issues were raised by either

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the broadcasters or clear cast. Legal advice was not required or

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sought. These are advertisements which are exclusively in Irish, can

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:21:15.:21:16.

the Minister outlined the fact... Order! Car and the outline the fact

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that he is bound by the ministerial code which indicates that any

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matter which is significant or controversial should be considered

:21:24.:21:30.

by the executors? Can also that it states that no expenditure can be

:21:30.:21:34.

properly incurred without the approval of the Department of

:21:34.:21:40.

Finance and Personnel? Won at -- are both those positions an

:21:40.:21:44.

accurate depiction of the facts of the matter in the course of the

:21:44.:21:54.
:21:54.:21:55.

past few weeks I have acted in full compliance of the Ministerial Code,

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and all ministers have to comply with the ministerial code.

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member has a pointed out to me, unless I missed it, as to whether

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it reached the ministerial code. Had taken all necessary processes

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and procedures in procuring the advertisement which is to be

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broadcast in both Irish and English and while Mr Campbell may have

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nothing else to do than worry about the expenditure of �8,000 I am sure

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the members of the public are saying, I am sure the assembly has

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more important things to be debating that the expenditure of

:22:35.:22:40.

�8,000. But if the member wishes to be more specific, if the member

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wishes to be more specific on the area of the ministerial code and a

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breach in Irish or English I am more than happy to answer his

:22:48.:22:54.

question, but to date he has not. I am concerned on the matter, and

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concerned in one matter which I will be bringing to the head of the

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Civil Service, it appears to have been awake from the department of

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finance and personnel to the member with regards to the financial...

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order! In regards to confidential material from one minister to

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another minister. Perhaps Mr Campbell would like to take the

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opportunity to tell the House now has to where she came upon the

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confidential information which he refers to both in his statement and

:23:27.:23:35.

this morning. Members! Members! Can I ask for good temper and

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moderation in all that you do, please deputy speaker right decks

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trying to calm things down. Education was very much in the for

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today as MLAs debated a second Education issued on the floor. This

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time it was levels of absenteeism in our schools. Many children are

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missing more than one day in seven and falling significantly behind in

:24:03.:24:10.

the classroom because of that. This in turn can lead to low self-esteem,

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and increases the likelihood that students will drop out of school.

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by the time children reach secondary school it becomes more

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difficult for parents and schools to get the non attenders to school.

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The majority of parents whose children are taken to court for bad

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attendance have children in year 10 or 11. This point it is too late.

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Those most likely to drop out of school will enter into it adults

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that presenting other social issues, will stop they will engage in anti-

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social behaviour, petty crime and vandalism. The good school policy

:24:44.:24:51.

has already been referred to, one question was, where these

:24:51.:24:54.

children's parents taking an active interest in education? I believe

:24:54.:24:58.

there is a role for community leaders and politicians in this

:24:58.:25:01.

area for raising high expectation. We as community leaders have a

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responsibility. We must encourage her young people to do well in

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Education. We must equip them to do well in education. I'm not sure we

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always do that. John O'Dowd. Up panel investigating historical

:25:14.:25:17.

institutional abuse appear before the war offend DSM committee last

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week. The inquiry is examining abuse allegations in care homes and

:25:26.:25:30.

borstals or very long period of time. Committee members expedience

:25:30.:25:33.

concerns of at the start date and had the rights of victims of non

:25:33.:25:41.

institutional abuse will be met. Are you intending to make no new

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headquarters? We will make the headquarters known to those who

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have reason to contact us. It is still in the centre of Belfast,

:25:51.:25:59.

still easily accessible. We are anxious it should remain relatively

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anonymous so those who want to come are not perhaps stigmatised in the

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eyes of others by being picked it. We do not intend to pick a big sign

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outside. The possibility of bringing up an interim report, I am

:26:18.:26:23.

interested in Europe -- interested in your views in the context of a

:26:23.:26:30.

situation where quick early in the inquiry, each year and Japan will,

:26:30.:26:38.

this is so awful that there is such Meikleour need for intervention.

:26:38.:26:42.

there is such a clear need for intervention. Do you see no need to

:26:42.:26:48.

wait until the end to make a call came at what is your view? I am

:26:48.:26:57.

still of the year that I expressed on Fourth of July, we are still in

:26:57.:27:03.

the midst of producing interim reports. We will have to wait until

:27:03.:27:06.

we have received all the information we can. We understand

:27:06.:27:10.

the concerns of those who wish to see the scope of the inquiry

:27:10.:27:17.

extended to include abuse outside institutions, but I have to say

:27:17.:27:21.

that as far as the scope of our inquiry is concerned, and less

:27:21.:27:28.

stress our inquiry, we do not support that. Let me explain why.

:27:28.:27:32.

If, for example, we were tasks with considering issues involving abuse

:27:32.:27:42.
:27:42.:27:42.

in foster care or in schools or in families this would have enormous

:27:42.:27:47.

implications for the scope of her work, the scope of the inquiry. It

:27:47.:27:51.

would require first of all a complete restructuring of the way

:27:52.:27:59.

we're going to go about our work and that in turn would require much

:27:59.:28:05.

greater resources in terms of money and of staff. All of this would

:28:05.:28:09.

certainly mean that the inquiry would take a very much longer to

:28:09.:28:15.

produce its report. What are the implications for potential

:28:15.:28:21.

subsequent criminal proceedings? are prohibited from making any

:28:21.:28:27.

findings regarding civil or criminal liability. As the law

:28:27.:28:34.

presently stands, if it were to be litigation afterwards, the findings

:28:34.:28:40.

of the inquiry would not be admissible as a matter of law.

:28:40.:28:46.

Because it is not a court, it is an inquiry. It is perhaps appropriate

:28:46.:28:53.

that I take this opportunity to say this, we are alleged to the

:28:53.:28:57.

possibility that people may say things to us which indicate that

:28:57.:29:04.

criminal offences have been committed. We will have no

:29:04.:29:11.

hesitation in making known to the police were that his our legal duty.

:29:11.:29:15.

And indeed we have already opened discussion with the PSNI as to how

:29:15.:29:19.

we can do that if that should happen. Because there will be no

:29:19.:29:25.

question of us first of all ignoring such matters. And secondly,

:29:25.:29:32.

we would, I think, have to give way, because my view is that the public

:29:32.:29:36.

interest is best served by those matters being investigated by the

:29:36.:29:40.

police and not by us. So at the heart, the chair of the

:29:40.:29:45.

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