:00:23. > :00:27.The Executive's campaign to knock the paramilitaries back
:00:28. > :00:30.on their heels continues, but there's an obvious absence
:00:31. > :00:32.of agreement between the two main parties
:00:33. > :00:38.A new campaign reminds people that the money from counterfeit
:00:39. > :00:46.goods often ends up in the pockets of paramilitaries...
:00:47. > :00:52.And realise that buying a perfume for example shouldn't be undermined,
:00:53. > :00:54.it's not trivial, is the beginning of a chain of events that can cause
:00:55. > :00:55.great harm in their communities. A Sinn Fein motion on human rights
:00:56. > :01:04.provokes an angry response I often think of families robbed of
:01:05. > :01:06.a loved one at the hands of terrorism here in Northern Ireland.
:01:07. > :01:07.What a violation of their human rights.
:01:08. > :01:09.And joining me with his thoughts on today's developments
:01:10. > :01:17.How to tackle paramilitaries continues to be a source
:01:18. > :01:21.Today, the Executive launched a scheme which it hopes
:01:22. > :01:28.It's claimed around 138 crime gangs are selling counterfeit goods here.
:01:29. > :01:30.The Justice Minister says money spent on fake products
:01:31. > :01:39.she launched a public awareness campaign.
:01:40. > :01:48.I am your money. I am the notes you hand over for a fake bag or a shirt
:01:49. > :01:54.or drink. And passed to the man who sources that year. Join the pile is
:01:55. > :01:59.made from fake and illegal goods. Where I am used to pay for drugs to
:02:00. > :02:05.be sold in your community. I don't care that I found crying. I am your
:02:06. > :02:09.money. Last year, over 100 organised crime gangs including Summers who
:02:10. > :02:14.call themselves paramilitaries made tens of millions of pounds in
:02:15. > :02:17.Northern Ireland. The public need to realise that buying a perfume for
:02:18. > :02:19.example should not be undermined. It's not trivial, it's the beginning
:02:20. > :02:23.of a chain of events that could cause serious harm within their
:02:24. > :02:28.communities. Obviously, people will say this is all very well, but is
:02:29. > :02:32.the executive sending out a strong message of it had the paramilitaries
:02:33. > :02:36.and given what's been happening in some of the controversy over the
:02:37. > :02:41.social investment fund? The strongest message we've sent out is
:02:42. > :02:43.that we have accepted the recommendations in the paramilitary
:02:44. > :02:46.report and we are working through these actions. This is a very
:02:47. > :02:48.visible action that we are able to take forward today in terms of
:02:49. > :02:51.raising awareness. This is something we will do over the next couple of
:02:52. > :02:55.years and try to encourage the public to pay their role in tackling
:02:56. > :03:00.paramilitaries. But yes, I think what we are doing in terms of the
:03:01. > :03:02.action plan is a strong message because we are actually agreeing
:03:03. > :03:07.that we need to get rid of these people who scored our society. If
:03:08. > :03:11.the public do their part, can they be convinced that the police will be
:03:12. > :03:15.strong enough in terms of cracking down, in terms of arrests of
:03:16. > :03:18.paramilitary suspects? I think so. Adding the range of goods received
:03:19. > :03:20.today demonstrates the police's commitment in terms of this type of
:03:21. > :03:21.activity. The Justice Minister was quick
:03:22. > :03:26.to say there that the Executive is sending out a strong message
:03:27. > :03:37.to the paramilitaries. The message has become muddled in
:03:38. > :03:40.recent weeks due to stories about the social investment fund and try
:03:41. > :03:46.to an eyesore she does have a job of work to do in trying to convince the
:03:47. > :03:47.public that the executive's commitment in tackling this is as
:03:48. > :03:48.resolute as it could be. With the issue of Dee Stitt's
:03:49. > :03:51.position at Charter NI still hanging over the Executive it may prove
:03:52. > :04:05.difficult for the government An issue like this is important, but
:04:06. > :04:09.maybe it is less easy for something like this to grab the headlines.
:04:10. > :04:13.You've seen it there today. The Justice minister what's the story of
:04:14. > :04:17.the day to be about this and this publicity campaign in terms of
:04:18. > :04:21.criminality, but she is being talked with questions about the executive
:04:22. > :04:26.doing enough, whether they are leading by example. As long as we
:04:27. > :04:30.see stories like Charter an eye in the news, it will be difficult for
:04:31. > :04:35.them to get this message out to the public. 130 crime against selling
:04:36. > :04:39.goods across Northern Ireland, is perhaps only bigger scale than some
:04:40. > :04:43.people may have imagined. Criminality is a huge issue across
:04:44. > :04:46.Northern Ireland and a huge issue across many parts by society and the
:04:47. > :04:50.fact is that a lot of people will not have as much confidence in the
:04:51. > :04:55.police and in other sectors to properly tackle that criminality is
:04:56. > :04:58.so again, the justice minister does have a job of work to do in
:04:59. > :04:58.reassuring people and getting public confidence.
:04:59. > :05:00.Alliance is bringing a motion about the Social Investment Fund
:05:01. > :05:04.The opposition parties are not letting the issue fade
:05:05. > :05:08.into the background as the Executive parties might wish.
:05:09. > :05:14.Yes, Naomi Long made some further comments on the social investment
:05:15. > :05:17.fund today about the need for further investigation. This issue
:05:18. > :05:20.does seem to still have legs and it won't go away and I would expect it
:05:21. > :05:20.to dog the executive going into the New Year.
:05:21. > :05:24.The fall-out from his decision not to hand over regeneration powers
:05:25. > :05:26.to councils continues to follow the Communities Minister.
:05:27. > :05:28.At the dispatch today, Paul Givan reiterated that people
:05:29. > :05:32.don't care who does the work, as long as it's done.
:05:33. > :05:35.First up, though, he was asked for an update on the recently
:05:36. > :05:49.The community holds capital Grants scheme on the 19th of October was
:05:50. > :05:53.launched at Salters Tyne Orange Hall in Bally Roman. My department aims
:05:54. > :06:00.to distribute individual grants of up to a maximum of ?25,000 towards
:06:01. > :06:05.community holds minor works. There is half ?1 million allocated towards
:06:06. > :06:09.this pilot scheme in the current financial year and I can update
:06:10. > :06:14.perhaps that is currently, officials are in the process of assessing in
:06:15. > :06:21.excess of 800 applications. Will the Minister take this opportunity to
:06:22. > :06:24.acknowledge the huge need on their investment in our communities? There
:06:25. > :06:28.is a need for investment of community halls in our communities
:06:29. > :06:33.because they support a great amount of work done to our communities in
:06:34. > :06:35.Northern Ireland. Many halls are dilapidated and this pilot will
:06:36. > :06:41.reach only a small proportion of the halls that are in the worst
:06:42. > :06:45.conditions. On the basis of this pilot scheme, this is something that
:06:46. > :06:49.I believe does merit future support in our capital programme in the
:06:50. > :06:53.years ahead and I intend to bring forward a future programme to allow
:06:54. > :06:58.us to continue to improve community halls and undertake larger projects
:06:59. > :07:01.to raise the standards of the community halls facilities. Can I
:07:02. > :07:07.ask what shared future arrangements are included in the application
:07:08. > :07:10.process for this grand? 'S the applications for this grant is
:07:11. > :07:17.available to everybody to apply irrespective of class, creed or
:07:18. > :07:19.religion. Can the Minister confirm whether the decision not to devolve
:07:20. > :07:27.these powers was an executive decision or was it a sober one? This
:07:28. > :07:30.is an issue that I have been able to clarify with the Minister for
:07:31. > :07:35.Finance and obviously he, like I, are very keen to make sure that we
:07:36. > :07:38.use the opportunities we have two regenerate our towns and villages
:07:39. > :07:43.and so there is no disagreement or a disrespect of this issue. We are
:07:44. > :07:46.clear that we want towns and villages regenerated. Local
:07:47. > :07:50.Government what to do that and collectively together we will be
:07:51. > :07:54.able to achieve that and so this is an issue that I know some elected
:07:55. > :07:58.representatives have focused upon but whenever I have been meeting
:07:59. > :08:02.with community organisations, who I have to say all of whom I have met
:08:03. > :08:06.have said they are delighted that it is not going to local Government and
:08:07. > :08:09.that they wanted it to stay within my department's remit, this is
:08:10. > :08:14.something that I think people should move on with because the decision
:08:15. > :08:16.has been taken. We now have the lifetime of this mandate to make
:08:17. > :08:21.sure that we work together because the public do not distinguish
:08:22. > :08:26.between what local Government and central governments do. The bell
:08:27. > :08:32.that city growth strategy says it is essential that regeneration powers
:08:33. > :08:35.that have been available to other cities for decades are devolved to
:08:36. > :08:41.Belfast City Council. Can the Minister outline the key regions
:08:42. > :08:44.where he disagrees? Mr Speaker, the reasons in respect of the
:08:45. > :08:48.regeneration powers as laid out in great detail in a statement made to
:08:49. > :08:53.this house of which members of this house had opportunity to ask further
:08:54. > :08:57.questions. That decision has now been taken. I am keen to ensure that
:08:58. > :09:03.we maximise our regeneration powers and it will be in the interest of
:09:04. > :09:06.councils as well of whom I have met some recently, who recognised the
:09:07. > :09:09.decision has been making and now collectively want to work together
:09:10. > :09:11.and I'm sure Belfast City Council will want to do that as well.
:09:12. > :09:14.And that row over regeneration powers clearly rumbles on.
:09:15. > :09:17.The leader of the Green Party, Steven Agnew, was appointed
:09:18. > :09:19.to the Assembly's Business Committee today after a sustained campaign
:09:20. > :09:22.for the smaller parties to be represented on the body
:09:23. > :09:25.and establishes the rules governing debates.
:09:26. > :09:28.Mr Agnew says he'll use his position to make sure the committee's
:09:29. > :09:30.decision-making is open and transparent in future.
:09:31. > :09:43.You totally silly about changes to the business committee which were
:09:44. > :09:46.important and which were disadvantageous to the smaller
:09:47. > :09:51.parties. What were those changes and how did you discover that that has
:09:52. > :09:54.happened? The changes took place in November last year but I only found
:09:55. > :09:59.out about them being re-elected when I went to the induction period and
:10:00. > :10:03.that was in relation to the tabling of motions essentially before you
:10:04. > :10:07.could have exclusive motions. Now you could submit a motion on the
:10:08. > :10:12.Monday, another motion could be submitted on the Tuesday and that
:10:13. > :10:15.meant that my party would never have a motion debated. I set out to do
:10:16. > :10:23.three things. Achieve representation on the business committee, establish
:10:24. > :10:27.whether or not my party was able to put forward motions which it was no
:10:28. > :10:30.one had told us and we never had the opportunity to do so, and thirdly to
:10:31. > :10:34.get better speaking rights because this is something else that was
:10:35. > :10:37.changed at the start of this mandate and previous week where parties with
:10:38. > :10:42.two members had increased speaking rights over parties with one and we
:10:43. > :10:45.have effectively been relegated into the list again. Is that when I am
:10:46. > :10:48.yet to change but that will be the one I continue working on. You will
:10:49. > :10:51.try to make that change from the inside now rather than from the
:10:52. > :10:55.outside. How important do you think it is for you and the other smaller
:10:56. > :11:01.parties that you are now sitting at that table as of right? Before now,
:11:02. > :11:05.I had to write to the Speaker and requests papers that went to the
:11:06. > :11:08.committee meeting to see minutes in advance of them going online and
:11:09. > :11:15.really, we were not being informed. Changes were being made without us
:11:16. > :11:19.being informed so we will have the papers, we will have a say in the
:11:20. > :11:22.decisions and there will be transparency and openness around us
:11:23. > :11:27.assistance. Deal of credit to the five bigger parties for accepting
:11:28. > :11:29.your argument that you should be represented on the business
:11:30. > :11:34.committee? You made your case and they have effectively accepted that.
:11:35. > :11:38.We have got there. Persuasion was required and I welcome the decision
:11:39. > :11:43.that has been made. On the issue of speaking rights, effectively the two
:11:44. > :11:48.largest parties, DUP and Sinn Fein, for whatever reason want to keep us
:11:49. > :11:51.relegated to towards the end of debate. I think it is important to
:11:52. > :11:56.have a diversity of voices and effect of challenges and it's
:11:57. > :12:00.important that my constituents who elected me and the others in the
:12:01. > :12:06.other two parties are having their voices heard in the assembly chamber
:12:07. > :12:09.so I will continue to pressure that. Nothing was gifted. I suppose
:12:10. > :12:14.everything had to be top four but I welcome those other parties who have
:12:15. > :12:20.been supportive from the start but the two largest parties still seem
:12:21. > :12:24.to want to retain control. Can you effectively represent the views of
:12:25. > :12:29.people before profit? Those two parties and the Greens, pretty
:12:30. > :12:32.diverse grouping? It is very much a ministry position. This will be
:12:33. > :12:36.making sure that they are entitled to get their emotions and that their
:12:37. > :12:41.views are put forward. They need access to the papers and I will be
:12:42. > :12:47.sharing. You will represent Jim Allister on that committee? I will
:12:48. > :12:51.indeed. Can you do that easily? Uzzy comfortable with that? It's about
:12:52. > :12:54.respecting his mandate. We have worked in this together and he is
:12:55. > :12:59.happy although it was my campaign and I lead on it. But it is not... I
:13:00. > :13:03.suddenly will not be reflecting his views on climate change your LGBT
:13:04. > :13:07.right but I will be ensuring that it is his right as an elected
:13:08. > :13:11.representative to have a say. Ultimately, would you be comfortable
:13:12. > :13:15.with him at some stage in the future are presenting new? It will be a
:13:16. > :13:19.rotating membership. What I will tip the first period having led the
:13:20. > :13:22.campaign, the other parties will put forward their own representatives at
:13:23. > :13:27.other stages. It will be interesting to see how the debate over speaking
:13:28. > :13:28.rights unfolds in the months ahead. Thank you very much indeed for
:13:29. > :13:32.joining us. Levels of air pollution are falling
:13:33. > :13:34.across Northern Ireland, according to the Agriculture
:13:35. > :13:35.and Environment Minister, Michelle McIlveen says vehicle
:13:36. > :13:39.emissions are largely to blame Here she is, outlining
:13:40. > :13:42.the findings of the most recent report into air quality
:13:43. > :13:54.here during questions The report clearly shows that air
:13:55. > :13:58.quality in Northern Ireland is continuing to improve although we
:13:59. > :14:04.continue to have problems with emissions from road traffic. The
:14:05. > :14:09.report notes the long-time levels of pollutants in Belfast are decreasing
:14:10. > :14:14.albeit at a slower rate than I would like. In addressing egg quality in
:14:15. > :14:19.Belfast in Northern Ireland, our department has commenced a review of
:14:20. > :14:23.air quality policy and legislation with the intention of developing a
:14:24. > :14:30.dedicated Northern Ireland equality strategy and revised policy
:14:31. > :14:35.guidance. In addition to this review, my department currently
:14:36. > :14:39.provides funding support to councils including Belfast City Council to
:14:40. > :14:44.carry out their statutory management and action plan duties and has
:14:45. > :14:47.worked closely with Belfast City Council and the department for
:14:48. > :14:52.infrastructure to draw up an air quality action plan for the greater
:14:53. > :14:56.Belfast area. The quality issues here are predominantly due to road
:14:57. > :15:01.traffic commission is therefore the plan focuses on introducing the
:15:02. > :15:09.measures relating to sustainable transport such as the forthcoming
:15:10. > :15:15.Belfast rapid transport scheme, the Belfast transport hub, park-and-ride
:15:16. > :15:23.and strategies that promote public transport, walking and cycling.
:15:24. > :15:27.Would she agree with me in terms of tackling congestion any air quality
:15:28. > :15:34.strategy must have significant investment in infrastructure? I
:15:35. > :15:37.totally agree with the member and as the Foreign Minister for regional
:15:38. > :15:45.development, I was very much involved in some of those projects
:15:46. > :15:50.and in particular the interchange. The member will also know that the
:15:51. > :15:55.council has declared the corridor as an air quality management area from
:15:56. > :16:00.York Street to the city boundary. This area carries approximately
:16:01. > :16:03.100,000 vehicles per day. The development of the interchange
:16:04. > :16:07.project is one of the principal measures in reducing transport
:16:08. > :16:12.emissions along the West Link corridor and is a range of measures
:16:13. > :16:16.that DFI has agreed with the council to include in their air quality
:16:17. > :16:22.action plan. It is therefore vitally important that this project goes
:16:23. > :16:26.ahead. She may be aware that it was reported last week that one of the
:16:27. > :16:32.quality monitors was not working and has not been for some time. I
:16:33. > :16:36.understand it is the council's responsibility to replace that but
:16:37. > :16:42.was the Department where it was not working and whose responsibility is
:16:43. > :16:47.it to request a replacement? Yes, I am aware of that, as I was aware of
:16:48. > :16:53.the Abbey issue. That has now been diffused since March this year and
:16:54. > :16:59.the reason why it has not been replaced is due to the replacement
:17:00. > :17:04.of parts. They are in the process of procuring a new monitor and I
:17:05. > :17:07.understand that they are still continuing to monitor pollution but
:17:08. > :17:09.are using a different method in order to do so.
:17:10. > :17:10.Michelle McIlveen on the challenge of monitoring air
:17:11. > :17:14.A Sinn Fein motion calling for increased awareness of human
:17:15. > :17:16.rights prompted scorn from some unionist quarters in the Chamber.
:17:17. > :17:19.Jim Allister and the DUP refused to support the motion,
:17:20. > :17:21.saying it was hypocritical, but there were also calls
:17:22. > :17:24.on the First Minister to raise human rights on her visit to China.
:17:25. > :17:26.First, here's Claire Bailey with her list of human rights
:17:27. > :17:44.A Bill of Rights, termination of pregnancy, Irish language
:17:45. > :17:50.protection, promotion of Ulster Scots, issues but Irish travellers
:17:51. > :17:57.including educational attainment and housing, lack of involvement by the
:17:58. > :18:04.Northern Ireland executive, poverty, conflict and legacy issues. This is
:18:05. > :18:09.critical, not least given the ongoing Supreme Court challenge that
:18:10. > :18:12.started at 11am. There is a binding international treaty between the
:18:13. > :18:17.British and Irish governments and the outworking of that treaty is the
:18:18. > :18:22.Corporation of the European Convention on human rights and the
:18:23. > :18:25.Human Rights Act. But I find particularly hard to swallow but
:18:26. > :18:29.this motion is we have Sinn Fein tabling a motion is we have Sinn
:18:30. > :18:33.Fein tabling motions human rights. But some in their party have denied
:18:34. > :18:39.the very right of life to many of the years. I spoke with a man just
:18:40. > :18:43.last week, a former bus driver, who was targeted by the IRA, a man who
:18:44. > :18:49.for many years lived in fear, a man whose family were massively affected
:18:50. > :18:54.by it and are still affected. I often think of families robbed of a
:18:55. > :18:57.loved one at the hand of terrorism here in Northern Ireland. What if
:18:58. > :19:05.violation of their human rights and those victims' rights to life. I
:19:06. > :19:10.oppose this motion. The declaration in 1914 eight was a milestone and
:19:11. > :19:14.the first article is all human beings are born free and equal in
:19:15. > :19:19.dignity and rights. And we all know and we could get into a slapping
:19:20. > :19:25.match across the floor that our own recent chequered past has not lived
:19:26. > :19:32.up to Article one, and neither have we lived up to article three, the
:19:33. > :19:36.right to life. But I see no point in trading insults around the place
:19:37. > :19:41.because again I go back to the fact that I believe this is something
:19:42. > :19:45.that we should be celebrating. Does the member hope like me that in
:19:46. > :19:49.protecting the Human Rights Act that the First Minister will raise human
:19:50. > :19:59.rights in China during her visit this week? I sincerely hope that
:20:00. > :20:04.whatever opportunities any minister or representative of this Assembly
:20:05. > :20:08.has, when they visit states who are not perhaps those which are fully
:20:09. > :20:12.subscribed to international standards on human rights, and we
:20:13. > :20:16.know that China is not, in those circumstances, I hope and trust and
:20:17. > :20:20.we should ask the question of our First Minister, has she taken the
:20:21. > :20:26.opportunity to raise the issue of human rights? Some who to this day
:20:27. > :20:35.have no apology to make for their own actions or the actions of their
:20:36. > :20:40.comrades in delivering murder and denying the fundamental right to
:20:41. > :20:47.life have the audacity to come to this House and to cloak themselves
:20:48. > :20:52.in the language of human rights! This Assembly has the ability to
:20:53. > :20:56.pass legislation relating to quality on human rights, equality and human
:20:57. > :21:01.rights legislation has been passed in Britain, Scotland and 26
:21:02. > :21:04.counties. How do we ensure that the people in the north do not have
:21:05. > :21:06.lesser rights than those other jurisdictions?
:21:07. > :21:08.Sinn Fein's Cathal Boylan winding up the debate on that
:21:09. > :21:10.motion, which was passed despite DUP opposition.
:21:11. > :21:12.Next to water charges and the Executive may have committed
:21:13. > :21:16.to carrying the cost for domestic users but the meters that might some
:21:17. > :21:18.day be used to calculate them have been installed
:21:19. > :21:26.Well, not any more, says the Infrastructure Minister.
:21:27. > :21:33.The regulations I'm bringing forward the date removed the requirement of
:21:34. > :21:38.water meters in domestic properties connecting for the first time the
:21:39. > :21:42.public water supply. The practice of installing meters currently cost the
:21:43. > :21:47.public purse ?200,000 per year and given that the meters are not used,
:21:48. > :21:50.this is a new country expense and one which cannot be sustained in the
:21:51. > :21:55.current financial climate. The Assembly will be aware of the
:21:56. > :21:58.commitment of this executive not to bring in water charges. That is the
:21:59. > :22:05.intention of this executive to bear the cost of water charges on behalf
:22:06. > :22:10.of domestic customers for the next five years. The requirement to
:22:11. > :22:15.install water meters for future connections may be required at a
:22:16. > :22:20.later date. It is for this reason that this meeting of the 16th of
:22:21. > :22:26.November, the committee considered a row and offered no objections to the
:22:27. > :22:31.rule. They're been poured a dozen water meters installed, costing the
:22:32. > :22:35.taxpayer here in excess of ?30 million. These regulations make
:22:36. > :22:38.uncomfortable reading, especially for the underprivileged families who
:22:39. > :22:42.are struggling to survive to pay bills and make ends meet, who were
:22:43. > :22:46.worried about this train coming down the track and the uncertainty around
:22:47. > :22:52.whether or not water meters or water charges would be applied. The SDLP
:22:53. > :22:57.has always been and will continue to be completely oppose to water
:22:58. > :23:01.charges for domestic properties. We believe the regional rate includes
:23:02. > :23:04.such charges and we do not need any additional charges for families. We
:23:05. > :23:09.have all talked about the lack of money that is available for hospital
:23:10. > :23:13.waiting lists, the lack of money available to pay for life extending
:23:14. > :23:19.drugs for people with cancer, the lack of money available for children
:23:20. > :23:25.with special education needs. So is say very clearly that the money
:23:26. > :23:28.spent out of our grant from Westminster to go forward to pay for
:23:29. > :23:33.water is the very money that we should be using to pay for those
:23:34. > :23:37.essential services. I believe that those who can afford to pay should
:23:38. > :23:41.and every single person in this House can afford to pay but we are
:23:42. > :23:45.protecting them by not bringing forward an open and transparent
:23:46. > :23:54.debate on water charging. The number of countries that this wastage of 13
:23:55. > :24:02.million, the actual figure is 1.3 million, so you might want to look
:24:03. > :24:05.at your figures close again. Also, the factors Shin Hain is following
:24:06. > :24:11.the SDLP in the example is finally doing the right thing, it was all
:24:12. > :24:19.parted walked away from the Executive. But the SDLP decided to
:24:20. > :24:23.otherwise. Just for clarity, no meters have been installed since the
:24:24. > :24:30.6th of July in domestic properties and this has saved ?100,000. So when
:24:31. > :24:35.Ms Armstrong was about wasting money, this is public money we have
:24:36. > :24:39.actually saved and again the Alliance Party strengthen the points
:24:40. > :24:45.raised here today. Something that has been rejected by the people as
:24:46. > :24:48.we have seen with their recent performance. People do not want
:24:49. > :24:51.water charges and I think that is what the Executive will stand for.
:24:52. > :24:54.Chris Hazzard making it very clear that he and his party remain
:24:55. > :24:55.opposed to the introduction of domestic water charges.
:24:56. > :24:57.And David McCann's here for a final word.
:24:58. > :25:00.No change in Sinn Fein's position, then, but were you expecting this
:25:01. > :25:13.Again, the Irish News had been reporting on water meters installed
:25:14. > :25:18.and it was pretty embarrassing for the party so Chris Hazard is finally
:25:19. > :25:22.drawing the line and about. And demonstrating the fact that what
:25:23. > :25:26.Sinn Fein can do, this matches their narrative in the south where they
:25:27. > :25:29.are trying to get water charges down there so this gives them a selling
:25:30. > :25:30.point in the south and it goes to show they are making key points of
:25:31. > :25:33.delivery for themselves. What about the Alliance point that,
:25:34. > :25:36.at the very least, an open and honest conversation about water
:25:37. > :25:51.charges needs to take place? If you don't have enough money to
:25:52. > :25:56.education and health, you need to talk about revenue raising. It is a
:25:57. > :25:59.well-made point because budgets will get tighter and tighter so we should
:26:00. > :26:02.at least have the conversation about it and others said that as a prickly
:26:03. > :26:08.issue of the Sinn Fein and the DUP but I don't think there is any harm
:26:09. > :26:12.in having the conversation. The Alliance Party willing to have that
:26:13. > :26:13.conversation and possibly to the detriment of votes.
:26:14. > :26:16.And David Ford is moving his Private Members' Bill
:26:17. > :26:23.on abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality tomorrow.
:26:24. > :26:28.This is something that David Ford tried to tackle whilst he was
:26:29. > :26:34.Justice Minister. This is unfinished business for the Alliance Party.
:26:35. > :26:38.They have made this a priority issue in this mandate for the party. It
:26:39. > :26:41.will be an interesting debate and the working group supposed to
:26:42. > :26:46.report, we still do not know when that will happen yet. It will be
:26:47. > :26:53.very interesting seeing table Ford table that is a private member but
:26:54. > :27:00.it will be a controversial debate because they use a very fixed. The
:27:01. > :27:05.abortion debate is polarising. The recommendations from what I can see
:27:06. > :27:09.seem relatively sensible but again, these debates can go off on a
:27:10. > :27:12.tangent I hope again that we can get some good debates in the last debate
:27:13. > :27:14.we had, we had really measured examples.
:27:15. > :27:18.And finally, tributes were paid to Austin Hunter by Members
:27:19. > :27:22.The former BBC journalist and News Letter editor was killed
:27:23. > :27:25.at the weekend in a road accident in Bahrain.
:27:26. > :27:27.The Ulster Unionist MLA Danny Kennedy took time
:27:28. > :27:34.during the debate on human rights to pay this tribute to Mr Hunter.
:27:35. > :27:45.It is right I think that we refer to one such person who cared deeply
:27:46. > :27:51.about human rights, Austin Hunter, who very tragically died over the
:27:52. > :27:54.weekend. Austin Hunter was one of the outstanding broadcasters and
:27:55. > :28:01.journalists of his generation but he was also a man of great humanity and
:28:02. > :28:05.compassion who covered through his professional career some of the
:28:06. > :28:10.worst atrocities of the troubles but he did so with care and respect to
:28:11. > :28:15.those most deeply affected and with great courtesy. It is clear from the
:28:16. > :28:19.very many tributes there had been received from the political and
:28:20. > :28:22.media world Austin was a man of great integrity and highly respected
:28:23. > :28:25.by all who came into contact with him and I'm sure the whole house
:28:26. > :28:27.will join me in offering their present awards to the family at this
:28:28. > :28:28.time. The Communities Minister,
:28:29. > :28:30.Paul Givan, with his tribute to Austin Hunter, who died
:28:31. > :28:32.at the weekend. That's it for now but there'll be
:28:33. > :28:36.more of the same tomorrow. Until then, from everyone
:28:37. > :28:43.in the team, goodnight.