:00:28. > :00:32.Hello and welcome to Stormont Today. Coming up in the next 30 minutes:
:00:33. > :00:35.The Health Minister responds to news that delays in treatment may have
:00:36. > :00:44.contributed to the deaths of five people at a Belfast hospital. The
:00:45. > :00:50.public need to know that mortality is lower in Northern Ireland and it
:00:51. > :00:53.is in England in our hospitals. We hear from an MLA angered by the
:00:54. > :01:00.Health Minister's decision to consult further on the issue of
:01:01. > :01:05.organ donation. The statement proves one thing in this House today, the
:01:06. > :01:08.personal commitments of every First Minister needs nothing. You can
:01:09. > :01:12.serve an issue to death, meanwhile people continue to die.
:01:13. > :01:17.And the News Letters Sam McBride casts his eye over the day's
:01:18. > :01:21.proceedings. News broke this morning that as many
:01:22. > :01:24.as five patients died in Northern Ireland's biggest hospital last year
:01:25. > :01:27.partly because they were not treated quickly enough. Dr Tony Stevens,
:01:28. > :01:30.Medical Director of the Belfast Health Trust, said the deaths
:01:31. > :01:34.happened at the Royal Victoria Hospital. A Sinn Fein MLA used his
:01:35. > :01:45.topical question during Question Time to ask for the Health
:01:46. > :01:54.Minister's response to the deaths. There is always an number of deaths
:01:55. > :01:58.in emergency departments. The speed of what appropriate medical care is
:01:59. > :02:02.a factor and that includes ambulance response times, diagnostic testing
:02:03. > :02:09.and the provisional -- provision of clinical care. I ensure the best
:02:10. > :02:13.outcome for the individual. I did express my concern about the Royal
:02:14. > :02:19.Victoria hospital. I am aware of the five cases that have been referred
:02:20. > :02:25.to. While I don't have the specific details I have asked my officials to
:02:26. > :02:28.ascertain whether the systems in place for learning are fully
:02:29. > :02:33.functional and to identify issues of concern. It is important to reassure
:02:34. > :02:37.the public about the overall safety of these services. Overall,
:02:38. > :02:41.mortality figures for Northern Ireland hospitals compare favourably
:02:42. > :02:48.with the rest of the UK. Let's be very clear, the public need to know
:02:49. > :02:53.that mortality is lower in Northern Ireland than it is in England in our
:02:54. > :02:58.hospitals. Would the Minister cup -- contrast that news with his comments
:02:59. > :03:05.in early January that the situation with the Royal was a one off? The
:03:06. > :03:11.discussion we had in January was about three days. This particular
:03:12. > :03:16.issue we are discussing is about the five incidents over the course of a
:03:17. > :03:20.year. We need to be very careful and very sensitive on how to handle
:03:21. > :03:26.these things and I don't intend to engage in some ping-pong about
:03:27. > :03:32.people 's deaths. Can I assure the House and neither will I have the
:03:33. > :03:36.design view for sustained political and media focus which has led to
:03:37. > :03:41.these revelations which might not always come to the fore. We conclude
:03:42. > :03:46.the Minister Ivan did know or didn't know about the long-term pressures
:03:47. > :03:49.when he was making his earlier remarks. Will he agree with me the
:03:50. > :03:52.public might the right to suspect there was at least a disguising of
:03:53. > :04:01.the situation or at worst a cover-up? It has been said in this
:04:02. > :04:09.House a number of times and people ignored it. I attended the Royal
:04:10. > :04:13.Victoria hospital on the morning after the major incident was
:04:14. > :04:19.declared. I spoke to staff and I took my actions on the basis from
:04:20. > :04:24.speaking to staff. Nothing else, nothing more. The Health Minister,
:04:25. > :04:27.Edwin Poots. I'm joined now by the News Letter's Political
:04:28. > :04:38.Correspondent, Sam McBride. Another tough day for Edwin? It was. It has
:04:39. > :04:42.to be said, he does front up on these occasions and comes out and
:04:43. > :04:46.answers the tough questions, he did that at the time of the crisis in
:04:47. > :04:49.the Royal a few weeks ago. It also has to be said this change to the
:04:50. > :04:56.assembly question Time when MLAs can ask topical questions is a massive
:04:57. > :04:59.improvement from six months ago. It would have been impossible for
:05:00. > :05:04.anyone to ask him what was on the radio this morning. It was good he
:05:05. > :05:09.could face those questions. It is a difficult position he finds himself
:05:10. > :05:13.in. I suppose some people might say he ordered a major review into the
:05:14. > :05:18.Royal last week. What else can he do? That is a fair question. It is
:05:19. > :05:23.clear why nobody wanted this portfolio when they were dividing up
:05:24. > :05:27.the departments at the election. Nobody wanted this, they all had the
:05:28. > :05:37.chance to go for it. The DUP, as the largest party was left with it. It
:05:38. > :05:39.is such a large department. Education is enormously important,
:05:40. > :05:45.not everyone has children or interested in schools, but everyone
:05:46. > :05:48.uses hospitals. As we move towards an election we will see this as a
:05:49. > :05:52.big issue, OK it is a European election, but they are contested on
:05:53. > :05:58.much more mundane issues sometimes in this part of the world. We have
:05:59. > :06:02.had flags, parades and all of that stuff, but aside from that, and
:06:03. > :06:07.massive issue will be the health service. He has been critical of the
:06:08. > :06:09.media in recent weeks for its handling over the health stories
:06:10. > :06:13.that have come to light. He was accused himself of responding to
:06:14. > :06:20.media pressure. Is that a fair criticism? It is difficult for
:06:21. > :06:25.journalists sometimes to report specialised issues like health. It
:06:26. > :06:28.is incredibly specialised. The idea of having bigger hospitals, which
:06:29. > :06:34.the evidence seems to suggest are safer and Edmonton -- Edwin Pitts
:06:35. > :06:41.has been pioneering. It is difficult to explain to the public which ones
:06:42. > :06:45.do have a local hospital, even if it is not the safest hospital. But a
:06:46. > :06:48.lot of this stuff would not have come out if it had not been for
:06:49. > :06:53.brave people in the health service you are speaking to journalists who
:06:54. > :06:57.have concerns. It is a tough department to be in charge of. He
:06:58. > :07:01.does not look like a man who is on the verge of being asked to
:07:02. > :07:06.relinquish his position. He'd theoretically should have gone now
:07:07. > :07:13.as Minister? When Simon Hamilton replaced Sunni Wilson last year, the
:07:14. > :07:18.DP said it would be January if there was any change. January has come and
:07:19. > :07:25.gone and we have seen nothing. It is unlikely we see him move unless
:07:26. > :07:32.there is a huge crisis. I don't think that is likely. Sam, thank you
:07:33. > :07:35.for now. The Health Minister was very much centre stage today as he
:07:36. > :07:38.reported back to the Assembly on consultation about organ donation.
:07:39. > :07:41.The Ulster Unionist MLA Jo-Anne Dobson is campaigning for a change
:07:42. > :07:47.to the current legislation, but Edwin Poots said he needs more
:07:48. > :07:50.evidence before changes can be made. We'll hear from Jo-Anne Dobson in a
:07:51. > :07:55.moment, but first here's a flavour of what was said in the chamber this
:07:56. > :08:00.morning. The strategy does not propose soft opt out legislation and
:08:01. > :08:06.should be introduced as UK wide policy. The strategy proposes that
:08:07. > :08:13.three groups, society, individuals, NHS hospitals and staff, NHS
:08:14. > :08:17.commissioners need to act for this strategy to be successful and
:08:18. > :08:24.achieve the desired outcomes. 56% of respondents said they would be in
:08:25. > :08:28.favour in changing to a soft opt out system. However, when asked if they
:08:29. > :08:34.agreed with the statement everyone should presume to be an organ donor
:08:35. > :08:40.unless they register otherwise, 49% agreed, indicating there is some
:08:41. > :08:45.confusion about the idea. Minister, your statement proves one thing in
:08:46. > :08:49.this House today. The personal commitment of the first and Deputy
:08:50. > :08:55.First Minister means nothing. People continue to die. Will you give a
:08:56. > :08:59.commitment to this House when you know the results of the second
:09:00. > :09:05.public survey, which I gather could be up to a year away. You will bring
:09:06. > :09:10.the soft opt out system before the end of this mandate, or perhaps you
:09:11. > :09:17.will commission and other survey followed by another survey, followed
:09:18. > :09:22.by yet another survey? I think that I couldn't be in a position to
:09:23. > :09:29.actually indicate that I know the outcome of what the second survey
:09:30. > :09:32.would actually produce. I did not dictate what people responded to in
:09:33. > :09:37.the survey. We asked people questions and they came back with
:09:38. > :09:43.answers. I know organ donation is hugely important to the member, and
:09:44. > :09:48.personally her family have benefited from that. I am not against the
:09:49. > :09:54.proposals that Mr Dobson has produced on soft opt out. That might
:09:55. > :09:58.be the right way forward but it is important we educate the public and
:09:59. > :10:02.bring the public with us on these issues, if we are going to take what
:10:03. > :10:08.is a significant step, but nonetheless the right step, but at
:10:09. > :10:11.this moment in time, I haven't got the powerful evidence base that I
:10:12. > :10:17.think we should have to move ahead just at this point in time. Recently
:10:18. > :10:24.on a number of occasions I have heard an MLA in the assembly making
:10:25. > :10:27.the point that when a department or minister wants to kick something
:10:28. > :10:33.into touch, he asks for more evidence. I am wondering, given the
:10:34. > :10:40.evidence, is this a case of looking for more evidence or are you kicking
:10:41. > :10:50.it into touch? That MLA was Jim Wells. I could not argue with him. I
:10:51. > :10:55.am not interested in taking this into touch, I am interested in
:10:56. > :10:58.getting the best outcomes. People can judge me as being genuine or
:10:59. > :11:05.not. I sincerely believe we should be encouraging more people to donate
:11:06. > :11:08.their organs. It is a sensitive issue, and it is something we need
:11:09. > :11:12.to be careful in how we manage the public and that we don't take the
:11:13. > :11:17.public for granted. I would encourage people to actually read
:11:18. > :11:22.the statistics that have been produced from the public health
:11:23. > :11:28.agency. They are very, very interesting. In fact, it indicates
:11:29. > :11:34.there could be a community difference or a religious difference
:11:35. > :11:37.in terms of organ donation. People from the Roman Catholic community
:11:38. > :11:44.for example, would be less inclined to have their organs donated than
:11:45. > :11:50.people from the president community. That was a flavour of the exchanges
:11:51. > :11:58.in the House today. Jo-Anne Dobson is with me now. Do you think he is
:11:59. > :12:02.deliberately holding things up? I was deeply disappointed, as were
:12:03. > :12:06.thousands of people about this statement. Here is the opportunity
:12:07. > :12:10.for the health minister and the executive to provide meaningful
:12:11. > :12:15.legislation and give hope to those waiting across Northern Ireland. I
:12:16. > :12:22.was exasperated again, another consultation, another survey. 12
:12:23. > :12:25.months down the line. Meanwhile, in those 12 months 15 local people will
:12:26. > :12:31.have died waiting for a transplant. He said no powerful evidence -based
:12:32. > :12:36.that is needed to move ahead exists at this time? I totally disagree
:12:37. > :12:42.with that. He has got that wrong in your view? I did my consultation
:12:43. > :12:46.over the summer, 82% in favour of soft opt out. If he came with me to
:12:47. > :12:52.meet those charities and campaigners, members of the public
:12:53. > :12:56.coming up to me saying, we are all behind you, it makes common sense.
:12:57. > :13:02.He says he will carry out another survey to sample public opinion.
:13:03. > :13:07.Your view is that it will simply tell him what you're survey has
:13:08. > :13:16.already told him? That is why I am so frustrated, that is the reality.
:13:17. > :13:23.Meanwhile it will be this time next year for him to know what we already
:13:24. > :13:27.know. What did departmental officials tell you about the timing?
:13:28. > :13:32.Why is it waiting until the autumn? I was to meet with the minister but
:13:33. > :13:35.he had to go to another meeting. I have tried to meet with the Minister
:13:36. > :13:40.this time to get answers to these questions. All we know is they are
:13:41. > :13:45.doing another survey late autumn and there will be another year before we
:13:46. > :13:53.get the results. It is unacceptable, 15 people will die. You think he is
:13:54. > :13:58.kicking the can down the road? That is exactly what he is doing. He's
:13:59. > :14:03.putting it off. People would say, he is the health minister, he has
:14:04. > :14:06.responsibility for this potential important legislation and he has got
:14:07. > :14:12.to get it right. He has to satisfy himself the evidence exist to move
:14:13. > :14:22.in the way you want it to move. He is the health minister and you are a
:14:23. > :14:25.back venture. -- backbencher. I wrote to them on the 20th of
:14:26. > :14:33.November. When you have the First Minister and Deputy First Minister,
:14:34. > :14:40.is the minister letting the civil servants rule him? The wishes of
:14:41. > :14:43.there. Is the deal going to be cabled? That is what I'm doing, I'm
:14:44. > :14:48.working into the small hours of the night drafting the bill, soft opt
:14:49. > :14:52.out. Wouldn't it have been lovely for the executive and health
:14:53. > :14:56.Minister to get behind me, sit down and work together to speed up this
:14:57. > :15:01.bill, rather than leaving it on me to go it alone? That is why I'm so
:15:02. > :15:04.disappointed. Here was an opportunity for the health minister
:15:05. > :15:09.and the executive to deliver, a missed opportunity. Again, people of
:15:10. > :15:12.Northern Ireland have been let down. Just to be clear, you are
:15:13. > :15:16.disappointed, but you are not going to let it stop you doing what you
:15:17. > :15:22.wanted to do, which is to pursue this yourself? Never underestimate
:15:23. > :15:26.the power of a determined female, especially one with 20 years
:15:27. > :15:29.association with charities and the mother of a transplant patient. I am
:15:30. > :15:32.resolute, I will not be found lacking, I will not let the people
:15:33. > :15:37.of Northern Ireland down. I'll be doing what is right and progressing
:15:38. > :15:40.with soft opt out. We will continue to keep an eye on it, it's
:15:41. > :15:44.developing into an interesting situation.
:15:45. > :15:47.The budget bill is currently making an accelerated passage through the
:15:48. > :15:52.assembly. While it was discussed today, the roadblock prevented
:15:53. > :15:58.welfare reform from getting anywhere and reared its head. One MLA called
:15:59. > :16:07.it a Mexican stand-off between the the DUP and Sinn Fein. The purpose
:16:08. > :16:11.of the bill is to authorise the issue of ?15,530,833,000 from the
:16:12. > :16:17.Northern Ireland Consolidated fund in 2013-14. This is an additional
:16:18. > :16:23.123 million since the estimates were presented last year. This cash is
:16:24. > :16:26.drawn down on a daily basis as needed, from the Northern Ireland
:16:27. > :16:29.Consolidated fund, managed by my department on behalf of the
:16:30. > :16:36.executive. The bill also authorises the use of resources totalling
:16:37. > :16:44.?16,606,564,000 by departments and certain other bodies, 5 million more
:16:45. > :16:51.than approved in the last estimates last June. The order states that
:16:52. > :16:57.accelerated passage may be allowed for budget bills, provided that the
:16:58. > :17:00.committee are satisfied and it has been appropriately consulted on
:17:01. > :17:04.public expenditure proposals contained in the bill. On the 5th of
:17:05. > :17:07.February, departmental officials briefed the committee and her
:17:08. > :17:10.questions on the budget bill being debated today, including on issues
:17:11. > :17:17.relating to a range of departments. In addition to the evidence, the
:17:18. > :17:22.committee has also scrutinised the bills to the financial year. Finance
:17:23. > :17:25.minister suggesting a figure of ?1 billion, the figure may be in
:17:26. > :17:31.dispute, but the fact that there is and will continue to be a cost of
:17:32. > :17:36.doing nothing is indisputable. I don't support every part of the
:17:37. > :17:39.welfare legislation. However, the place that proposed it was not
:17:40. > :17:45.Westminster. The room that we have in this house is for local
:17:46. > :17:49.determination. I support local determination in the framework of
:17:50. > :17:53.the bill. Where there is room for... What there is not room for is
:17:54. > :17:57.a continued Mexican stand-off between parties. What we need is
:17:58. > :18:02.constructive dialogue on the welfare bill, not a microphone debate. The
:18:03. > :18:07.minister yesterday and today has been right to highlight that issue.
:18:08. > :18:13.It is the elephant in the room, the elephant of welfare reform. There is
:18:14. > :18:19.a catastrophe, potentially coming down the road, for all constituents,
:18:20. > :18:22.if the issue is not grasped soon. Deputy Speaker, when we compare this
:18:23. > :18:27.with the approach to financial scrutiny and the devolution of
:18:28. > :18:31.further tax powers to Northern Ireland, the difference is again
:18:32. > :18:36.starker. Scotland held a far-reaching commission to examine
:18:37. > :18:41.the issues in their entirety and make progress on financial scrutiny.
:18:42. > :18:46.Despite the executive's unanimous support for devolving corporation
:18:47. > :18:52.tax, what preparations for enhanced scrutiny have we made in this house?
:18:53. > :18:57.Inevitably, this brings me onto welfare reform, also referred to as
:18:58. > :19:00.cuts my colleagues across the way. The finance minister has been saying
:19:01. > :19:08.much of this recently. To be fair to him, I concur. With much of what he
:19:09. > :19:11.says, anyway. But it is deeply regrettable we have seen ?50 million
:19:12. > :19:18.set aside for penalties. This is wasted money. It was not ?50 million
:19:19. > :19:22.that directly affected the most vulnerable, nor was it spent wisely.
:19:23. > :19:29.It was spent while the parties engaged in an exhaustive process of
:19:30. > :19:36.negotiation around the issues. It is not acceptable that this bill is
:19:37. > :19:39.still festering away in the corridors of Stormont Castle. The
:19:40. > :19:44.question the minister has to decide in relation to this debate and where
:19:45. > :19:52.he takes his department forward is simply is he a Sammy or is he a
:19:53. > :19:57.Swinney? That is the difference between a minister knowing what it
:19:58. > :20:06.is to be in power, John Swinney, the finance secretary, and one two,
:20:07. > :20:13.whilst capable, is more about theatre than substance, which, is
:20:14. > :20:16.the legacy, in my view, of his princess. Now our third and final
:20:17. > :20:22.instalment from the health minister. Before topical questions, Edwin
:20:23. > :20:27.Poots was asked about cancer drugs, flu vaccinations and the major
:20:28. > :20:33.incident at the Odyssey Arena. I think the first responders provided
:20:34. > :20:39.an excellent service at the Odyssey Arena. They dealt with a lot of
:20:40. > :20:42.people at a site, without bringing them to hospital. There were able to
:20:43. > :20:50.provide them with the support and care they needed. Indeed, they
:20:51. > :20:53.initiated a major incident, that was something absolutely necessary and
:20:54. > :20:57.the right thing to do, given the scale of the event that was a caring
:20:58. > :21:04.and the possibility that it could have got considerably worse. They
:21:05. > :21:08.ensure hospitals were well placed to deal with the numbers that that come
:21:09. > :21:12.in. In response to a recent question I tabled to the education minister
:21:13. > :21:15.that indicated that 50,000 were days were lost amongst the teaching
:21:16. > :21:21.profession last year as a result of flu related illnesses, with the
:21:22. > :21:26.Minister consider working with a minister to extend a flu vaccination
:21:27. > :21:29.programme to teachers? We are targeting schoolchildren because flu
:21:30. > :21:32.is so common and easily spread whenever you get into that
:21:33. > :21:37.environment. Certainly, we want our teachers to be teaching, not sitting
:21:38. > :21:40.at home sick, and I'm sure they want to be teaching as well. If that is
:21:41. > :21:48.something the education minister wishes to take up with me, I am
:21:49. > :21:53.happy to liaise with him. The cancer programme in England has granted NHS
:21:54. > :21:59.access to a 238 drugs that are not available here. Would the Minister
:22:00. > :22:08.consider a Cancer Drugs Fund model year or approaching his counterparts
:22:09. > :22:12.to address this inequality? Certainly, and if they approached me
:22:13. > :22:16.to do it I would do it very quickly. That would be charging something for
:22:17. > :22:20.perceptions once again, which would allow others to establish a
:22:21. > :22:23.specialist dogs fund, not just for cancer drugs, but for specialist
:22:24. > :22:28.drugs that are not regularly available. -- drugs fund. I think it
:22:29. > :22:32.is the right thing to do. I think any good socialist would want to do
:22:33. > :22:36.it because those of us who could afford to pay for drugs would ensure
:22:37. > :22:40.that people who really need them but can't afford them would have the
:22:41. > :22:45.opportunity to receive them. We would save people's lives. The
:22:46. > :22:49.busiest man in Parliament buildings today, Edwin Poots. The environment
:22:50. > :22:53.Minister Mark H Durkan said he would consider a ban on election posters
:22:54. > :22:57.during his questions today. The minister was also asked about one in
:22:58. > :23:00.the consumption of alcohol on buses. His session began with some
:23:01. > :23:05.confusion over planning applications. With the Minister
:23:06. > :23:09.detail any sensitive planning applications which he is currently
:23:10. > :23:16.discussing to transfer to OFM DFM, or is likely or intending to discuss
:23:17. > :23:26.such a matter with them soon? Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Thank you
:23:27. > :23:29.for the supplementary. Any failure to answer the supplementary will not
:23:30. > :23:32.be a deliberate attempt to avoid answering it, it will just be down
:23:33. > :23:43.to a complete lack of understanding as to what he means. I am the
:23:44. > :23:46.Minister for the environment. My department is responsible for making
:23:47. > :23:49.planning decisions and I am currently involved in no
:23:50. > :23:55.negotiations with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. I am
:23:56. > :23:57.fairly certain that my department is not involved in any conversations
:23:58. > :24:04.with the Department of the First Minister, or the Deputy First
:24:05. > :24:07.Minister, around the transfer of any particular application, sensitive or
:24:08. > :24:15.otherwise. However, if there is a particular application that he would
:24:16. > :24:20.like to discuss with me, or with OFM, DFM, I would be happy to meet
:24:21. > :24:25.with him at a later stage. Can I ask the minister if he has given any
:24:26. > :24:30.consideration to review the legislation relating to the display
:24:31. > :24:35.of election posters, including a ban on election posters? Under the
:24:36. > :24:49.legislation as it stands, planning rights to all parties in advance of
:24:50. > :24:53.an election, reminding them of the requirements. Under planning law, no
:24:54. > :24:57.advertising and may be displayed without consent granted at the
:24:58. > :25:03.department, but exemptions exist for election posters in advance of a
:25:04. > :25:06.pending election. The display of election posters is a cause of
:25:07. > :25:10.annoyance for many members of the public and political parties are
:25:11. > :25:14.reminded of this annoyance every time we have an election. They are
:25:15. > :25:17.also a headache for those of us who have to put them up and take them
:25:18. > :25:24.down, although I have been told that my days as a poster boy might be
:25:25. > :25:28.over. It is an issue I am very much aware of. It is something I am
:25:29. > :25:33.willing to look at. I have been considering a review of current
:25:34. > :25:38.legislation in advance of the media interest in this particular issue.
:25:39. > :25:45.As part of that review, I will examine a range of options,
:25:46. > :25:48.including a ban. Has the minister had any update in respect of the
:25:49. > :25:55.allegations Rambus is being used to ferry alcohol at the weekend towards
:25:56. > :26:03.the Odyssey Arena? -- allegations of buses being used. Thank you for that
:26:04. > :26:07.question. I have just answered Mr Eastwood's question and I see this
:26:08. > :26:13.very much as a follow-on to that. Yes, I am aware of alcohol
:26:14. > :26:17.consumption on many buses and coaches responsible for taking young
:26:18. > :26:23.people to the event at the Odyssey on Thursday night. That is something
:26:24. > :26:30.I have said we had to address. We have to deal as a department,
:26:31. > :26:34.weighing gauge, with the proprietors -- we have to engage with the
:26:35. > :26:37.proprietors of the buses and make sure they were taking every step
:26:38. > :26:47.possible to ensure that alcohol was not being consumed on their bus,
:26:48. > :26:52.particularly by minors. Sam McBride has joined me. We just heard from
:26:53. > :26:56.Jo-Anne Dobson earlier about organ donation, something she is clearly
:26:57. > :26:59.passionate about. Where is the DUP on this? We seem to have
:27:00. > :27:03.contradictory positions from the First Minister, the health minister,
:27:04. > :27:10.Alistair Ross, preserving his own agenda? It's an unusual position to
:27:11. > :27:14.seek the DUP or Sinn Fein MLAs take radically different positions on
:27:15. > :27:17.this. Some people in the DUP feel extremely strongly and they are
:27:18. > :27:21.willing to come out and say they disagree with the position the First
:27:22. > :27:26.Minister seems to be adopting. Last week, Peter Robinson released quite
:27:27. > :27:31.an intriguing statement, where he said he supported both his own the
:27:32. > :27:35.UUP MLA Alistair Ross's bill, but also Jo-Anne Dobson's bill, even
:27:36. > :27:40.though a lot of people would see them as being close to, if not
:27:41. > :27:44.completely, mutually exclusive. He is in a somewhat difficult position.
:27:45. > :27:50.But in many ways, these pills and the issue of human trafficking, this
:27:51. > :27:55.is the normal politics that happens in any legislative area in the
:27:56. > :28:00.world. In that regard, it's not unusual that in a big party,
:28:01. > :28:04.increasingly a broader church than it used to be, the DUP will have
:28:05. > :28:09.people that take different editions on what is pretty much an issue of
:28:10. > :28:14.conscious. How do you see the debate unfolding? The DUP has various
:28:15. > :28:18.issues on how it recedes. Then we have Jo-Anne Dobson, clear in the
:28:19. > :28:21.studio, that she is going to pursue her agenda and try to get her
:28:22. > :28:25.private members bill through as soon as possible. She seems very
:28:26. > :28:30.determined, she was very articulate in terms of how she got it across.
:28:31. > :28:33.She clearly has a story in terms of her son which is very persuasive.
:28:34. > :28:37.When she says people will die if it is not taken forward, I think it's a
:28:38. > :28:41.difficult argument to counter. I think Alistair Ross's argument has a
:28:42. > :28:48.certain amount of merit in that he is saying that the evidence from
:28:49. > :28:53.other countries is that the best way to get people onto a register is not
:28:54. > :28:56.to make them feel they are being forced onto it. I think there is a
:28:57. > :29:00.genuine split and I don't think, that some people have assumed, that
:29:01. > :29:03.this is the DUP trying to block a bill, I think it is very much a
:29:04. > :29:07.difference of opinion within the DUP. Some people think it would be a
:29:08. > :29:11.popular measure, they would be happy to see it go through, Alistair Ross
:29:12. > :29:17.does not. A different political debate. And, isn't it? Don't forget
:29:18. > :29:19.to join me for The View on Thursday night at 10:35 on BBC One. Thanks
:29:20. > :29:22.for watching. Goodbye.