:00:24. > :00:27.Hello and welcome to Stormont Today. There were strong words of
:00:27. > :00:30.condemnation from all sides for the week of violence that followed
:00:30. > :00:40.Belfast City Council's decision to fly the union flag on designated
:00:40. > :00:40.
:00:40. > :00:43.days. The violence we have seen has been
:00:43. > :00:48.orchestrated. This raises questions about the future intentions of
:00:48. > :00:50.those who once professed to support the peace process.
:00:51. > :00:55.The First Minister, Peter Robinson, recognised that people have the
:00:55. > :01:02.right to peaceful protest, but not the right to violence.
:01:02. > :01:08.Let's be clear - there's no right to attack police of council staff.
:01:08. > :01:13.There's no right to threaten or intimidate. There's no right to be
:01:13. > :01:15.in danger, harm or kill. There's no right to kill representatives
:01:15. > :01:18.because you don't agree with their views.
:01:18. > :01:23.And joining me with her analysis is our political correspondent,
:01:23. > :01:25.Martina Purdy. So, MLAs have unanimously backed a
:01:25. > :01:30.motion condemning last week's violence and intimidation over
:01:30. > :01:35.Belfast City Council's decision on flying the union flag. There have
:01:35. > :01:38.been protests across Northern Ireland against the decision. An
:01:38. > :01:40.Alliance Party office was destroyed in Carrickfergus, the homes of
:01:40. > :01:46.several councillors were attacked, and the party's deputy leader,
:01:46. > :01:49.Naomi Long, received a death threat on Friday morning. The Deputy First
:01:49. > :01:51.Minister said the recent violence was orchestrated, and added that
:01:51. > :02:00.political parties must play a central part in healing divisions,
:02:00. > :02:04.not raising tensions. We have a responsibility tab clear
:02:04. > :02:14.in our message of condemnation of the recent lawlessness and violence
:02:14. > :02:16.
:02:16. > :02:20.on the streets. Attacks on cows will start and police officers, too.
:02:20. > :02:27.This is to be condemned in the strongest terms. I am, however,
:02:27. > :02:30.optimistic that our message today in condemning the violence for --
:02:30. > :02:35.and supporting those who have been intimidated will be heard loud and
:02:35. > :02:36.clear. We must remain resolute and clear. We must remain resolute and
:02:36. > :02:40.clear. We must remain resolute and not allow the recent events to
:02:40. > :02:46.undermine the agreements we have made over the past number of years.
:02:46. > :02:52.We have a responsibility took -- to give leadership, especially at
:02:52. > :02:58.times like this. The violence and intimidation is unacceptable. We
:02:58. > :03:04.must all stand behind that message. The intimidation and threats
:03:04. > :03:08.The intimidation and threats against an MP, councillors and
:03:08. > :03:14.others are the work of those who refuse to accept democracy. Those
:03:14. > :03:21.elements that have issued the flats -- threats should lift them. The
:03:21. > :03:25.violence we have seen has been orchestrated. This raises many
:03:25. > :03:28.serious questions about the future intention of those who once
:03:29. > :03:36.professed to support the peace process.
:03:36. > :03:40.We condemn utterly what happened last week. That is the easy part.
:03:40. > :03:48.The challenge, and it is a challenge for every party in this
:03:48. > :03:53.house, is out to acknowledge what, last week, was all about. There was
:03:53. > :03:59.a vote to stop flying the flag except on a few days of the year.
:03:59. > :04:06.And yes, it was a democratic vote, and we accept that. But on another
:04:06. > :04:13.level, it has been received as part of a process described by some as a
:04:13. > :04:20.party political victory, which, of course, so Jess winners and losers.
:04:20. > :04:26.-- suggests. I think that some of those who took to the streets saw
:04:26. > :04:31.themselves as the uses and not -- as losers, and not for the first
:04:32. > :04:36.time. We must do more than just condemn.
:04:36. > :04:43.We must tell the truth, however difficult that might be. The
:04:43. > :04:46.founding document of this Assembly describes respect as the basis of
:04:46. > :04:54.relationships within Northern Ireland. The fact is that the
:04:54. > :05:02.campaign of intimidation started before the violence erupted. That
:05:02. > :05:05.campaign must be condemned. Mutual respect requires there should be no
:05:06. > :05:15.campaigns to coerce or erode any body's feelings of Britishness or
:05:16. > :05:17.
:05:17. > :05:25.Irish nurse. -- Irish heritage. Everybody should be accepted as
:05:25. > :05:29.Irish or British or both. There is no flag accepted as such by all our
:05:29. > :05:32.people. We are signed up to an agreement which states that we
:05:32. > :05:39.cannot force any section of our people to accept a flag of our
:05:39. > :05:45.choice. That is the basis, and the only basis, on which we can sort
:05:45. > :05:50.this problem out. There can be no cherry-picking. We can't pick the
:05:50. > :05:59.bit of the Good Friday Agreement saying that Northern Ireland is
:05:59. > :06:09.part of the UK and overlook the bit reflecting respect over Britishness
:06:09. > :06:15.There has been contrast between those who claim to protect the
:06:15. > :06:19.Union flag and democracy. A contrast between the cowardice of
:06:19. > :06:23.people covering their faces with masks, and the dignity of their
:06:23. > :06:28.elected representatives under attack. Contrast between the
:06:28. > :06:32.response when the same decision was taken by other Unionist councils at
:06:32. > :06:38.other times, and the effect that whooping up tensions had on this
:06:38. > :06:44.occasion. There are two issues that our community has to face up to.
:06:44. > :06:50.Where do we stand on democracy? What are we going to Dubai to
:06:50. > :06:54.accommodate different allegiances into a shared future? It is
:06:54. > :07:04.striking that the motion we tabled last Thursday differs from today's
:07:04. > :07:05.
:07:05. > :07:12.in the respect that... It is beyond me why all parties to not sign up
:07:12. > :07:18.to those words. Any decision taken by a democratically elected body is
:07:18. > :07:24.democratic. Any democratic decision is, as a result, legitimate. That
:07:24. > :07:29.is the essence of democracy. If we refuse to accept that, why bother
:07:29. > :07:33.with democracy? How do we tell the people who rioted that they were
:07:33. > :07:43.wrong to do so? How do we tell dissident republicans that
:07:43. > :07:44.
:07:44. > :07:48.democracy is the only route to the future? The principle of consent...
:07:48. > :07:54.If you want Northern Ireland's present and future to be ruled by
:07:54. > :07:59.democracy, you have to accept every democratic decision, even those
:07:59. > :08:05.that you perceive to affect your sense of identity.
:08:05. > :08:14.It was a seminal moment when the Union Flag was torn down from the
:08:15. > :08:24.civic building in our capital city. That was not an isolated assault on
:08:25. > :08:24.
:08:25. > :08:33.our Britishness. It was a new high point in insult and Republican
:08:33. > :08:39.action in an orchestrated process. It began in the Belfast Agreement.
:08:40. > :08:47.It has touched a nerve of many people frustrated by a treadmill of
:08:47. > :08:54.concessions. Just as intended by the Belfast Agreement, it, of
:08:54. > :09:03.course, was and is designed to trundle ass out of the UK, to ease
:09:04. > :09:11.us and infuse us into end -- and All Ireland, and at every step
:09:11. > :09:18.requires dilution of our Britishness. Torture is Sinn Fein's
:09:18. > :09:26.new theatre of war. -- culture. We must be mindful of the language
:09:26. > :09:35.we use in political debate. However, on Wednesday evening, when I got
:09:35. > :09:39.the word that the homes of councillors were attacked, I became
:09:39. > :09:45.acutely aware of the vulnerability of my own family. For the first
:09:45. > :09:49.time in my political career, I felt that I had to watch what I say for
:09:49. > :09:53.fear that my family could face a similar attack.
:09:54. > :09:59.To those who turned their process into violence, let me say
:09:59. > :10:03.categorically that you are wrong. Despite your best efforts, the
:10:03. > :10:11.moral high ground remains with those of participating in lawful,
:10:11. > :10:18.peaceful protests. Scenes of uncontrollable anger brought
:10:18. > :10:25.disgrace and turned legitimate revulsion into unacceptable
:10:25. > :10:33.violence, doing no service whatsoever to the British culture
:10:33. > :10:36.under pressure. People are entitled to make their
:10:36. > :10:41.views known. Doing so is an integral part of the democratic
:10:41. > :10:45.process. Democracy has not conducted in secret. People are
:10:45. > :10:50.entitled to have opinions and they are entitled to express them. I
:10:50. > :10:54.will defend their right to influence decisions and the right
:10:54. > :10:59.to peaceful protest if they don't agree with the decisions. The right
:10:59. > :11:05.to protest is as fundamental to the democratic process as the right to
:11:05. > :11:09.vote. But let's declare - but there is no right to attack police
:11:09. > :11:14.officers or council staff. There's no right to destroy property.
:11:14. > :11:20.There's no right to threaten or intimidate. There's no right to
:11:20. > :11:23.endanger life, Hamm, inter-war kill. There's no right to attack elected
:11:23. > :11:28.representatives. I know what it is like to get a knock on the door and
:11:28. > :11:32.be told by the police that somebody is trying to kill me. I received
:11:32. > :11:38.that visit many times. Many people in this house will have received
:11:38. > :11:44.the same kind of visitor. I have to say that having received that kind
:11:45. > :11:50.of visit, I know perhaps more than many the impact that it has on a
:11:50. > :11:57.family and personal life. Those of us who have been through it, more
:11:57. > :12:01.than any, know what it is like. We stand side-by-side with those who
:12:01. > :12:05.are under threat today. The First Minister ending today's
:12:05. > :12:08.debate. But it's not over yet, and while there's been more unrest this
:12:08. > :12:10.evening, tomorrow the flags issue is up for more discussion here at
:12:10. > :12:14.Stormont. The DUP is asking the Assembly Commission to review the
:12:14. > :12:16.flags policy here with a view to increasing the number of days the
:12:16. > :12:23.Union flag flies. With me now is our political correspondent,
:12:23. > :12:28.Martina Purdy. What is likely to happen with this
:12:28. > :12:32.DUP motion? It is too early to say. It is a
:12:32. > :12:36.fluid situation. The DUP's representative on the Commission
:12:36. > :12:40.filed a motion asking for the Assembly commission, which is
:12:40. > :12:47.responsible for the building, to review its flags policy with a view
:12:47. > :12:51.to increasing the number of flag days we have here. As numbers stand,
:12:51. > :12:56.the Assembly commission is not like the Assembly chamber, where
:12:56. > :13:02.nationalists and Unionists can be to each other. It is basically one
:13:02. > :13:07.MLA, one fruit. If it came to a straight vote, they could push it
:13:07. > :13:11.through. This evening, Peter Robinson met with Mike Nesbitt, the
:13:11. > :13:16.Ulster Unionist leader. They discussed the issue for around an
:13:16. > :13:19.hour, and they said they would bring forward to and proposals.
:13:19. > :13:24.Are the Unionists are united on this?
:13:24. > :13:32.The tactics and strategy are still being worked out. The DUP would
:13:32. > :13:38.need the Unionists to support them. Can Mike Nesbitt count on all his
:13:38. > :13:43.MLAs not to rebel? That is a question for us. Mike Nesbitt, I
:13:43. > :13:50.spoke to him at the weekend and he said he supports a notion of more
:13:50. > :13:53.flag days. He pointed out that they started having 17 designated days,
:13:53. > :13:58.but with the death of Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother,
:13:58. > :14:02.there's now 15. He wants things to come down. Also, he would not
:14:02. > :14:12.specify how many days he think the flag should fly. Most people
:14:12. > :14:15.
:14:15. > :14:20.Sinn Fein haven't come back with a definitive statement on their
:14:20. > :14:23.position. The SDLP have met this evening and they issued a statement
:14:24. > :14:28.saying they are not happy at the pre-emptive way the DUP has dealt
:14:28. > :14:34.with this. They feel they would not be able to support the motion to
:14:34. > :14:38.review flags, they would argue that an assessment is required. The
:14:39. > :14:43.Alliance Party has similar concerns. They could be a procedural issue to
:14:43. > :14:47.delay this. If the SDLP and Sinn Fein refused to turn up to the
:14:47. > :14:53.Assembly commission, there would not be a qualm. That is something
:14:53. > :14:57.that is being looked at. Also whispers that the SDLP may have
:14:57. > :15:02.written to the First Minister protesting. It is possible that in
:15:02. > :15:05.the medium term we may see more designated days? The Unionists may
:15:05. > :15:10.have a reasonable case in terms of increasing the number a flag days
:15:10. > :15:14.given that they have shrunk in the past decade and nationalists have
:15:15. > :15:20.said they can see there could be more flag days. A small number of
:15:20. > :15:25.days, nothing like 365. And would Unionists ask for sitting days?
:15:25. > :15:29.Some of the Ellesse says -- MLAs, while they would be opened this
:15:29. > :15:33.case, they are upset at the way it has been handled and they don't
:15:33. > :15:37.want to respond in the immediate climate because they don't want to
:15:37. > :15:42.respond to what they say are bully- boy tactics. When tempers cool in
:15:42. > :15:51.the new year, progress could be made, but I don't think it will be
:15:51. > :15:54.done overnight. Thank you. Father two many MLAs instalment?
:15:54. > :15:59.The committee tasked with considering reform has tentatively
:15:59. > :16:01.backed the creation of a new Department for the economy. There
:16:01. > :16:05.are also suggestions for agriculture to take on the
:16:05. > :16:10.environment and a new department for Oban and social development.
:16:10. > :16:13.This is the chair of the Assembly. Although the committee did not
:16:13. > :16:17.reach consensus on how many departments there should be, the
:16:17. > :16:21.report outlines five areas where the committee agreed there was some
:16:21. > :16:26.commonality. With regard to how departments could be restructured.
:16:26. > :16:31.As indicated in Assembly research papers, the task of reorganising
:16:31. > :16:34.government departments is typically regarded as an Executive function.
:16:34. > :16:40.Fair for the committee regarded its role as advisory in this respect
:16:40. > :16:44.rather than prescriptive. The report clearly states that the five
:16:44. > :16:49.areas of commonality do not represent an exhaustive list of
:16:49. > :16:55.broad reorganisations and can't therefore be taken as a set of
:16:55. > :16:59.recommendations. However, as with the objectives and to inform any
:16:59. > :17:05.future reorganisation, the committee considers that the areas
:17:05. > :17:15.of commonality said Hutton Report can be used to directly inform any
:17:15. > :17:22.future reorganisation of Northern Ireland. -- one minute they want to
:17:22. > :17:27.be in opposition and the other they don't. They want to stay in the
:17:27. > :17:34.Executive. It is time for them to declare their hand. The same with
:17:34. > :17:39.the SDLP. Their decision will impact on any final Configuration.
:17:39. > :17:46.Order. I will repeat that because the member for the SDLP was
:17:47. > :17:50.laughing so loudly. It was the most frustrating report to be party to
:17:50. > :17:54.preparation of, largely because there was very little willingness
:17:54. > :18:00.on behalf of the significant party in the house to engage in any
:18:00. > :18:06.serious way in any aspect of debate around this. I thank the man before
:18:06. > :18:10.giving way. I would encourage him, maybe he was going to be very
:18:11. > :18:15.precise rather than say a very major party. Could he be as precise
:18:15. > :18:20.-- could he be precise? I will leave Mr Campbell to his own
:18:20. > :18:26.precision. Sinn Fein were the party who failed to make a substantial
:18:26. > :18:31.and response to the consultation process that kicks off each one of
:18:31. > :18:39.these periods of internal debate. People were asked to put forward
:18:39. > :18:49.their proposals. Time after time after time after time after endless
:18:49. > :18:51.
:18:51. > :18:59.time, we put forward our proposals. I think pointing the finger across
:18:59. > :19:04.the chamber is very unparliamentary. I think all members do realise that
:19:04. > :19:10.this subject has been raised before and it is not acceptable to point
:19:10. > :19:14.fingers. I would ask the member to continue with his speech. One party
:19:14. > :19:17.didn't, Sinn Fein. Sinn Fein didn't. The DUP's Gregory Campbell.
:19:17. > :19:20.Now, are human rights in Northern Ireland being sufficiently
:19:20. > :19:22.protected? Or are issues like welfare reform, violence and
:19:22. > :19:30.intimidation affecting people's lives? With me is Professor Michael
:19:30. > :19:34.O'Flaherty from the Human Rights Commission. Good evening. The
:19:34. > :19:39.commission published its first annual human rights statement today.
:19:39. > :19:44.Is that a time for optimism or pessimism? It is a very important
:19:44. > :19:48.day for us. We launched the annual statement in the presence at
:19:48. > :19:52.Stormont of the representatives of the five main parties and in the
:19:52. > :19:55.statement we gave a health check of the situation a few rights in
:19:55. > :19:59.Northern Ireland. There are problems. We know what is happening
:19:59. > :20:03.on the streets tonight. We know about the dreadful state of the
:20:03. > :20:06.economy, the knock-on impact for people. What is less well-known are
:20:06. > :20:10.the achievement. We want to draw attention to the way in which the
:20:10. > :20:16.Executive is standing up for human rights. The way in which her left
:20:16. > :20:20.end VFM has dealt with historic child abuse. The work of the
:20:20. > :20:25.minister for justice within prisons. Also to try to have less women
:20:26. > :20:30.locked up for petty crime. The Health Minister, with new
:20:30. > :20:36.regulations to deal with the nursing home sector, triggered by a
:20:36. > :20:42.report of ours. These are achievements. The Assembly's work
:20:42. > :20:45.on human rights trafficking is best practice internationally, as is the
:20:45. > :20:49.establishment of an at hoc committee for that will for reform
:20:49. > :20:54.bill. That is novel and important. It will make a difference in the
:20:54. > :20:58.long run. It is good that there are positive things to note and
:20:58. > :21:02.celebrate, but it is also important to look at what can be improved in
:21:02. > :21:07.the months and years ahead. Clearly a lot of people will be thinking of
:21:07. > :21:11.the murder of the prison officer David black last month and we've
:21:11. > :21:15.seen considerable dissident republican activity in love the
:21:15. > :21:18.last month of up strong echoes of the past for a lot of people in
:21:18. > :21:22.Northern Ireland who lived through the worst of the Troubles.
:21:22. > :21:26.Absolutely and the Commission have been forthright in saying that.
:21:26. > :21:32.When dissidents or when private agents perform unacceptable acts of
:21:32. > :21:36.this nature, it is important that our commissioned stands up and says
:21:36. > :21:40.that. As well as holding the state to account for its own
:21:40. > :21:44.responsibilities and duties. What is crucial is to base our human
:21:44. > :21:48.rights work on the international standards that the UK has committed
:21:48. > :21:52.itself to. If we say -- stay strongly locked within law we will
:21:52. > :21:57.see progress. You also say that there's a challenge, an outstanding
:21:57. > :22:00.challenge of dealing with the past. Are we being held in a state of
:22:00. > :22:05.suspended animation by the failure of politicians to fully deal with
:22:05. > :22:10.that? That is fair. We have a lot to do in terms of engaging with the
:22:10. > :22:14.story of the Troubles, the victims, including the many wounded or
:22:14. > :22:17.traumatised, who feel largely neglected despite all have the
:22:17. > :22:22.resources poured into that sector. There are other former combatants
:22:22. > :22:25.who largely feel excluded. You can draw a link between the feelings of
:22:25. > :22:28.former combatants and what we are seeing on the streets today. All of
:22:28. > :22:33.these things are connected and we need a root-and-branch
:22:33. > :22:38.disengagement. You talk about the economy being a big challenge. The
:22:38. > :22:42.challenges posed -- posed by a child poverty, fuel poverty,
:22:42. > :22:46.welfare reform and homelessness. are not saying you can't reform
:22:46. > :22:51.welfare. We are not saying there's an infinity of capacity of
:22:51. > :22:54.resources. We're just asking that where there are cutbacks and
:22:54. > :22:59.reforms, they are respectful of human rights, including through
:22:59. > :23:01.doing proper impact assessment on the basis of human rights for
:23:01. > :23:08.welfare reform. Something we have not seen until now and which
:23:08. > :23:12.hopefully the new committee will do something to redress. There's
:23:12. > :23:18.always that notion of competing rights and responsibilities, when
:23:18. > :23:20.we think about the area of human rights. Do you think we are more
:23:20. > :23:24.understanding of the complexity of an issue like this than we were in
:23:24. > :23:29.the past or will that always be a challenge? It will always be a
:23:29. > :23:34.challenge. But the statement will help to redress that. This idea
:23:34. > :23:38.that there's any rights and the responsibilities, that is nonsense.
:23:38. > :23:42.Of key -- of course people have responsibilities to match the
:23:42. > :23:52.rights and it is our job to remind people of that. The system is quite
:23:52. > :23:52.
:23:52. > :23:55.this -- sophisticated, it works. Thing gee. -- A thank you.
:23:55. > :23:57.The Education Minister appears to be off the Finance Minister's
:23:57. > :24:00.Christmas card list. There's a growing rift between the two
:24:00. > :24:03.departments. Sammy Wilson says he's not getting enough information
:24:03. > :24:05.about John O'Dowd's spending. But Mr O'Dowd has in return accused Mr
:24:05. > :24:10.Wilson of interfering. The issue was raised by Simon Hamilton during
:24:10. > :24:12.education questions. The Department of Finance and Personnel is
:24:12. > :24:17.responsible for the flow of departmental information from
:24:17. > :24:20.government departments to the Treasury. My department does not
:24:20. > :24:26.provide information directly to the Treasury. My department provides
:24:26. > :24:34.the necessary information to the Giff p To allow them to respond to
:24:34. > :24:39.Treasury requests. Thank you. The minister will be aware that his
:24:40. > :24:43.department provides Her Majesty's Treasury with significant data
:24:43. > :24:53.through the public expenditure statistical analysis. Does it not
:24:53. > :24:53.
:24:53. > :24:57.strike the minister as odd that given there's a Red Cross... He is
:24:57. > :25:00.prepared to assessed DFB in that record in providing the Treasury
:25:00. > :25:06.with more detailed information than he is prepared to agree to this
:25:06. > :25:11.house? I provide the same amount of details to the Treasury through DF
:25:11. > :25:15.p as all other Executive departments. It is a very, very
:25:15. > :25:19.detailed response to the Treasury. There is no difficulty in
:25:19. > :25:26.transparency in finance. I have no difficulty in greater finances in
:25:26. > :25:28.the Assembly. But I do have a difficulty with the Department of
:25:28. > :25:34.Finance and Personnel having the ability to tell me as Minister how
:25:34. > :25:41.and when and where I should spend finances. That is not transparency,
:25:41. > :25:44.that is not transparency, that is interference. We are all clearly
:25:44. > :25:49.governed by the relevant legislation as ministers, we are
:25:49. > :25:55.clearly governed by the code of conduct around ministers. I'm not
:25:55. > :26:01.aware of being in breach of any legislation, I'm not aware of being
:26:01. > :26:05.in breach of any code of conduct. I am living up to my responsibilities
:26:05. > :26:10.around this. If the information is flowing to the Treasury, if the
:26:10. > :26:15.Treasury comes back and says we're going to tell you had to spend your
:26:16. > :26:20.money, I would say you are not getting any more information. There
:26:21. > :26:28.is a need... The Treasury get their money from taxpayers. The Treasury
:26:28. > :26:33.doesn't grow the money on trees. Could the minister outlined the
:26:33. > :26:39.benefits of this process to education in itself? That is
:26:39. > :26:43.exactly the point. My officials could spend a lot of time shifting
:26:43. > :26:46.paper from one desk to another, but they want to be involved in
:26:46. > :26:53.delivering services to schools, boards and communities rather than
:26:53. > :26:57.being paper shuffle as. It is beyond me as to what benefit it is
:26:57. > :27:02.to education for further paperwork to be pushed back and forward
:27:02. > :27:07.around financial issues. But if there is a need for further
:27:07. > :27:10.financial transparency, I will support it, but I'm not going to us
:27:10. > :27:13.support any were Najet which interferes with my role as minister.
:27:13. > :27:16.The Education Minister, John O'Dowd. Martina Purdy is with me again. So
:27:16. > :27:23.Martina, staying with education, you've heard a whisper that we may
:27:23. > :27:26.be in for some positive headlines very soon. Yes. I understand
:27:26. > :27:31.tomorrow it will be announced that Northern Ireland pupils are going
:27:31. > :27:35.to score in the top 10 in terms of maths and reading and that is
:27:35. > :27:38.following a report from the International Association for the
:27:38. > :27:48.evaluation of educational achievement at Boston College. They
:27:48. > :27:49.
:27:49. > :27:52.will also indicate that we have above average science skills. These
:27:52. > :27:56.reports are based on several thousand students. It is quite a
:27:56. > :28:02.big deal if that is the case. I understand the reports are out
:28:02. > :28:07.around 9am tomorrow. Something to cheer about tomorrow. Another issue
:28:07. > :28:11.that came up today at Stormont was the will for -- Welfare Reform
:28:11. > :28:15.Group. A problem with the quality. That was born out of controversy
:28:15. > :28:20.about what to do about welfare reform. Some concerns that there
:28:20. > :28:26.should be a look at equality and human rights. The group was set up,
:28:26. > :28:30.they were looking for the equality unit to give some evidence and they
:28:30. > :28:35.asked the unit come along. The unit did not confirm their attendants,
:28:35. > :28:39.but they were told today that the unit would not be coming along and
:28:39. > :28:47.the deputy chair is concerned this could lead to costly delays. If we