0:00:22 > 0:00:26Hello and welcome to Stormont Today. On tonight's programme: no extra
0:00:26 > 0:00:31parking charges in towns across Northern Ireland, but there's no
0:00:31 > 0:00:35reprieve for Belfast City Hospital's Accident and Emergency
0:00:35 > 0:00:43Department. While this urgent and necessary change has to go aahead
0:00:43 > 0:00:45now my objective as Minister for Health is to ensure safe and
0:00:45 > 0:00:49sustainable emergency provision in the long-term. Strange things have
0:00:49 > 0:00:55been happening in the chamber today? This may be a first, but I
0:00:55 > 0:01:02want to welcome the ministerial statement in respect of the
0:01:02 > 0:01:05reprieve granted to towns faced with the threat of onstreet car
0:01:05 > 0:01:14parking charges. Keeping me company tonight is political an analyst,
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Henry Bell. Mitt We touched on it last night, but now we have the
0:01:17 > 0:01:22full details of how our electoral map could change in the future.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Let's look at the potential winners and losers with political analysts,
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Henry Bell. What are the main headlines? The big story is, of
0:01:30 > 0:01:33course, that Northern Ireland will lose two MPs if these are accepted.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37There is a cut down of MPs across the United Kingdom. We are not
0:01:37 > 0:01:41being hit too badly. One of the reasons for that is that we had
0:01:41 > 0:01:45large constituencies in terms of our electorate. Wales is being
0:01:45 > 0:01:48badly hit, losing ten MPs there. That is the broad picture. If you
0:01:48 > 0:01:53lose two seats, you are going to lose two MPs or potentially. That
0:01:53 > 0:01:57is one that will cause the problems in Northern Ireland. Let's look at
0:01:57 > 0:02:02Belfast first. How will that be re- shaped? Belfast has been losing it
0:02:02 > 0:02:07is population over the last 30 to 40 years. It will be taken down to
0:02:08 > 0:02:11three seats. This has been on the cards since the 1980s. Belfast in
0:02:11 > 0:02:15the 1950s had four seats, four seats out of 12. That is one third
0:02:15 > 0:02:20of the electorate of Northern Ireland within tighter boundaries
0:02:20 > 0:02:27of Belfast has today. If you look at it now, it's four seats out of
0:02:27 > 0:02:3218. Now it's brought to three out of 16. The the population has gone
0:02:32 > 0:02:35into Newtownabbey and other parts of Belfast. It's reflecting the
0:02:35 > 0:02:40fact. Now the other alternative was to do what they did before, bring
0:02:40 > 0:02:49Belfast out into the country, which has been happening. It's surprising
0:02:49 > 0:02:54when you see posters for North Belfast on the sp sandy Road Round
0:02:55 > 0:02:59about. The seat goes three ways. Really, the new seat will be much
0:02:59 > 0:03:02more East Belfast than South Belfast. And, although the SDLP
0:03:03 > 0:03:08will put a good face on it, it would not be a seat they could ever
0:03:08 > 0:03:12win. Stay with us we will talk about some of the other
0:03:12 > 0:03:14constituencies later. Up for questions today was the minister
0:03:15 > 0:03:17for Environment and Enterprise, Trade and Investment. In reply to
0:03:17 > 0:03:21party colleague, David Hilditch, Arlene Foster told the House that
0:03:21 > 0:03:28sport is very much at the heart of tourism strategy. Another member
0:03:28 > 0:03:32though was interested in a different sport. Speaks Gaelic
0:03:32 > 0:03:36don't know whether the Minister will be delighted or not. Given the
0:03:36 > 0:03:41huge number of people who travelled to the New Zealand for the rugby
0:03:41 > 0:03:45World Cup, has the Minister had or planned to have discussions with
0:03:45 > 0:03:48ministerial colleagues in the Executive or the Dublin government
0:03:48 > 0:03:54about the possibility of the rugby World Cup coming to this island in
0:03:54 > 0:03:59the future? As an Ulster rugby nan fan I would be delighted to see the
0:03:59 > 0:04:05rugby World Cup come to the British Isles, probably is a more relistic
0:04:05 > 0:04:11thing for us to hope for and I will give all of my support to them in
0:04:11 > 0:04:17that because we have a huge number of events coming up in 2012/2013.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19One of those is the World Police and Fire Games. That gives us a
0:04:19 > 0:04:24good opportunity to promote Northern Ireland and all we have to
0:04:24 > 0:04:31offer in relation to that sort of tourism. It certainly forms part of
0:04:31 > 0:04:36the package r-- pack package I want to promote. Mike Nesbitt who might
0:04:36 > 0:04:40return to golf? You are wise. Would the Minister agree that the
0:04:40 > 0:04:46potential for a chie achieving The Tourist Board's goals in terms of
0:04:46 > 0:04:52more tourists spending more per day and staying for longer lies not so
0:04:52 > 0:04:57much in the glamour of a four-day golf event but for the golfers who
0:04:57 > 0:05:01are here to play than to watch? Both actually. I do think that the
0:05:01 > 0:05:05member is right when we want to attract more golf tourists to come
0:05:05 > 0:05:09into Northern Ireland. The amount of publicity we will again frait
0:05:09 > 0:05:13holding major tournaments here will help us to do that. One of the
0:05:13 > 0:05:19reasons why the campaign, which we have been running on the home of
0:05:19 > 0:05:23champions, is to attract golf tourists into Northern Ireland, to
0:05:23 > 0:05:28play the courses where our brilliant champions come from. That
0:05:28 > 0:05:34has been proving very successful. And, he's right, in relation to our
0:05:34 > 0:05:38tourism spend figures, because we all know that golf tourism and the
0:05:38 > 0:05:43golf tourists do spend considerably more than just ordinary leisure
0:05:43 > 0:05:48tourists. Therefore, if we are to ensure that we reach those targets,
0:05:48 > 0:05:53in the emerging tourism strategy, that then we are very much needing
0:05:53 > 0:05:57more golf tourism and more spending of their money in ourville aims and
0:05:57 > 0:06:01towns across Northern Ireland. The Environment Minister was asked
0:06:01 > 0:06:05about illegal dumping of waste from the republic. Could I thank the
0:06:05 > 0:06:10member for his questions. The answer will surprise him as much as
0:06:10 > 0:06:14it surprised me. Because, during the last two years there has been
0:06:14 > 0:06:17only one incident of waste from the Republic of Ireland that's come to
0:06:17 > 0:06:24the attention of the Department. Now, the reason why I say that
0:06:24 > 0:06:28might be surprising is that you your intuewaition would tell you it
0:06:28 > 0:06:33might be more than given the history of illegal waste disposal
0:06:33 > 0:06:37in the North. There has only been one report as of now. I would ask
0:06:37 > 0:06:40we check the PSNI to determine whether they have awareness of any
0:06:40 > 0:06:45other such report. It's for the community to report to the
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Department or to the police if they are concerned about potential
0:06:49 > 0:06:53illegal waste being dumped in the North of Ireland. Ultimately, as
0:06:53 > 0:07:01one of my officials said to me earlier yesterday, the absence of
0:07:01 > 0:07:09evidence is not the evidence of absence. Thank you. Now, I thank
0:07:09 > 0:07:14the Minister and, yes, I am surprised given the quite extensive
0:07:14 > 0:07:21amount of media coverage, press coverage that there has been on the
0:07:21 > 0:07:25issue of illegal dumping. Certainly, my perception was that there was a
0:07:25 > 0:07:30strong cross-border racket, I suppose, in this area. Could I just
0:07:30 > 0:07:35ask the Minister that he is convinced that he is getting as
0:07:35 > 0:07:38much support as he would require from the statutory authorities on
0:07:38 > 0:07:43the other side of the border to help to identify whether or not
0:07:43 > 0:07:48this is a minute mim mall problem, as he has identified, whether or
0:07:48 > 0:07:54not le feels there is a need for greater coverage on matter? I thank
0:07:54 > 0:07:58the member for that supplementary. In one way, I can't go into some
0:07:58 > 0:08:03detail because, as Minister, matters are brought it my attention.
0:08:03 > 0:08:08When it comes comes to enforcement, in respect of criminal authorities,
0:08:08 > 0:08:13when the northern authorities and the southern authorities work
0:08:13 > 0:08:18together and work with the Gardai and the PSNI in tracking and taking
0:08:18 > 0:08:23action in those involved in cross- border and illegal waste activities.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27I'm absolutely certain that the co- operation is working effectively.
0:08:27 > 0:08:34That's why, of the 17 sites where there has been illegal dumping
0:08:34 > 0:08:40identified in the North, two of those sites have been cleared.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44There's one in BaliMartin in County Down currently being cleared. They
0:08:44 > 0:08:50may have been the critical sites and the other sites over the next
0:08:50 > 0:08:56five years will be cleared. Cleared at a cost of disposal of 100% to
0:08:56 > 0:08:59the Republic of Ireland authorities and at a cost of 0% of the cost of
0:08:59 > 0:09:05removal of the offending items from the North to the Republic of
0:09:05 > 0:09:09Ireland and 20% from our own coffers that demonstrates that the
0:09:09 > 0:09:15Republic of Ireland authorities are fully engaged and fully committed
0:09:15 > 0:09:18and very nearly fully funding this issue. The Health Minister put on-
0:09:18 > 0:09:24the-record his plans for the City hospital's Accident & Emergency
0:09:24 > 0:09:28department. It's been claimed the closure will place lives at risk. I
0:09:28 > 0:09:33deplore such ill founded and irresponsible comment. The clear
0:09:33 > 0:09:39fact of the matter, based on expert, clinical and management advice, is
0:09:39 > 0:09:44that, on the contrary, seeking to maintain the status quo would
0:09:44 > 0:09:48create risks that can no longer be managed safely. I recognise there
0:09:48 > 0:09:53are major challenges in managing that change. That is why I want the
0:09:53 > 0:09:57Assembly, and the public, to get behind the managers and clinicians
0:09:57 > 0:10:02in Belfast Trust and all the other affected organisations and do all
0:10:02 > 0:10:08we can to help this make this temporary change work. While this
0:10:08 > 0:10:12urgent and necessary change has to go-ahead now, my objective, as
0:10:12 > 0:10:19Minister for Health is to ensure safe and sustainable emergency
0:10:19 > 0:10:20department service provision in the longer term. Any decision on the
0:10:20 > 0:10:26permanent reconfiguration of emergency department services will
0:10:26 > 0:10:31be a matter for me, as Minister, to determine. It is a decision I will
0:10:31 > 0:10:34take only after I have listened to what key stake holders, in
0:10:34 > 0:10:40particular the public, and their representatives have to say through
0:10:40 > 0:10:45an a process of effective engagement and transparent
0:10:45 > 0:10:49consultation. Back to the boundary changes now. We spoke to three MLAs
0:10:49 > 0:10:57whose seats are affected. Well, obviously, the Assembly elections
0:10:57 > 0:11:00are based on the Westminster elections. If there are two less
0:11:00 > 0:11:04constituencies there will be 12 less MLAs. That doesn't pose any
0:11:04 > 0:11:08party any particular problems. They will all have to fight in the new
0:11:08 > 0:11:1116 constituencies are. I don't think it throws up any particular
0:11:11 > 0:11:15problem for Sinn Fein over and above the issues that all the
0:11:15 > 0:11:21parties will have to deal with. think that we all accept that we
0:11:21 > 0:11:25are over governed. We have too many MLAs we need to contract. This will
0:11:25 > 0:11:28reduce the numbers down by 12. That is the proposal to come from 108 to
0:11:28 > 0:11:3296. That is stpil generous. I think all parties are agreed. Most
0:11:32 > 0:11:36parties are agreed we need to look at that further and see a further
0:11:36 > 0:11:41contraction. Bearing in mind, we are reorganising local government.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Bearing in mind, powers will go out to local government. It's hard to
0:11:44 > 0:11:47justify such a large political establishment here at Stormont.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52won't mean a better working Assembly, but it will mean, perhaps,
0:11:52 > 0:11:58some money will be saved and times are difficult. I think we are all
0:11:58 > 0:12:03prepared to take a bit, take a bit of the pinch that's out there.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07While, you know, it's always better to have a large number of Assembly
0:12:07 > 0:12:13members working very hard, serving the public, I think we are going to
0:12:13 > 0:12:19have to live with it. There will be reduction from 108 down to 96. That
0:12:19 > 0:12:24is, certainly, tolerable. Henry, we heard there from three MLAs, not
0:12:24 > 0:12:28great opposition to it though? I think everyone agrees 10 is
0:12:28 > 0:12:32perhaps too many. We are coming down to 96 not the end of it,
0:12:32 > 0:12:39bringing it down to a reasonable number. You must remember that you
0:12:39 > 0:12:49know, we have 650 MPs at Westminster. We have 10 MLAs here.
0:12:49 > 0:12:50
0:12:50 > 0:12:54The United States America has a Congress, lower house 450 and Upper
0:12:54 > 0:12:58House has slightly more. changes at Westminster will have a
0:12:58 > 0:13:06knock-on effect on the MLAs. Back to the Westminster seats then. What
0:13:06 > 0:13:10happens in the west, Pat Docherty's seat is likely to disappear? West
0:13:10 > 0:13:17Tyrone was one of the flaky seats. It only came in recently tsm was
0:13:17 > 0:13:20the last seat to come in moving us up from 17 to 18. It was blow what
0:13:20 > 0:13:25we call, "quota" it's the number of people in a constituencies. This
0:13:25 > 0:13:29bill is trying to make the seats as equal as possible. This is an old
0:13:29 > 0:13:36situation, you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.
0:13:36 > 0:13:42There has to be changes it's a reorganisation of the west of the
0:13:42 > 0:13:48province. West Tyrone goes, mid- Ulster is split. New constituencies
0:13:48 > 0:13:51of GlenShane comes in. GlenShane should probably go to Sinn Fein. If
0:13:51 > 0:13:54that happens, there will be no unionist in the west of the
0:13:54 > 0:13:58province for the first time in the history of Northern Ireland. That
0:13:58 > 0:14:03might cause a bit of concern because there are large pockets of
0:14:03 > 0:14:06unionism within that area, but no representation. So, that's
0:14:06 > 0:14:15something that maybe will come out when the inquiries begin in a few
0:14:15 > 0:14:19We will talk about the timetable a bit later. The department
0:14:19 > 0:14:25responsible for roads has done a U- turn on its plans to introduce on-
0:14:25 > 0:14:28street parking charges in 30 towns. We do not develop at minister Danny
0:14:28 > 0:14:32Kennedy said he did up believe it was the right time to implement a
0:14:32 > 0:14:36proposal. The chair of the committee, Jimmy Spratt, made the
0:14:36 > 0:14:41case that Belfast motorists would have to pay more to park. The
0:14:41 > 0:14:45announcement went down well with members, one in particular. Having
0:14:45 > 0:14:51listened to the key points from across Northern Ireland, I have
0:14:51 > 0:14:56decided I will not now introduce a new, on-street car parking charges
0:14:56 > 0:15:00in the proposed 30 towns and cities. I have heard a united voice in
0:15:00 > 0:15:05opposition to these proposals and I believe that not introducing these
0:15:05 > 0:15:10charges is the right decision in the current economic climate. Mr
0:15:10 > 0:15:15Speaker, I recognise that on-street charging can provide vital traffic
0:15:15 > 0:15:22management improvements. Indeed, on St charging has been operating in
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Belfast since 1987 and in Lisburn at Newry since 2008. I am very
0:15:26 > 0:15:30familiar with the skiing in Newry and I know it has brought
0:15:30 > 0:15:36significant improvements to traffic flows and access to retail and
0:15:36 > 0:15:40tourism attractions in the city. I am always open to requests to
0:15:40 > 0:15:46introduce on-street charging from traders and local councils in any
0:15:46 > 0:15:53town or city where they anticipate traffic management and commercial
0:15:53 > 0:15:58benefit. I that the Minister for his statement. It is disappointing
0:15:58 > 0:16:02that we see a 100% increase in on- street car parking fees over the
0:16:02 > 0:16:09next few years. Whilst there is the argument Belfast should not be the
0:16:09 > 0:16:13only place to bear the pain, it is equally true Belfast enjoyed a
0:16:13 > 0:16:16greater public transport trends -- provision and like towns in rural
0:16:16 > 0:16:22areas where the in adequate transport structure necessitates
0:16:22 > 0:16:28bringing cars into towns. This will adversely impact on rural dwellers
0:16:28 > 0:16:34and I also note from the Roads Service website that there are
0:16:34 > 0:16:38approximately 60 car parks with about 15,600 spaces where no
0:16:38 > 0:16:44tariffs are charged at all, and perhaps spreading the load would
0:16:44 > 0:16:49have been bettered. This may be a first, but I want to welcome the
0:16:49 > 0:16:57ministerial statement in respect of the reprieve granted to towns faced
0:16:57 > 0:17:02with the threat of on-street car parking charges, and particularly
0:17:02 > 0:17:08in Ballymena. The minister referred to the fact in regard to the pain
0:17:08 > 0:17:16there are 28 car parts coming into the charging regime. Can he
0:17:16 > 0:17:21identified those in respect of my constituency? Can he explain why D
0:17:21 > 0:17:25R D car parks run so much at a loss, whereas private car parks where the
0:17:25 > 0:17:30charging regime is not that different are very profitable
0:17:30 > 0:17:36operations? That must suggests inefficiency in the running of the
0:17:36 > 0:17:42departmental car parks. I am flattered to the extreme that the
0:17:42 > 0:17:48member has found it in his heart to welcome my ministerial statement.
0:17:48 > 0:17:54It really is a celebration of unrelenting destroyed on my behalf.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58The whole house will share in the enormity of the statement the
0:17:58 > 0:18:02member has made to date will stop Government red tape is holding up a
0:18:02 > 0:18:07building projects and leading to job losses according to the
0:18:07 > 0:18:12construction industry. 30,000 jobs have been lost in the sector since
0:18:12 > 0:18:18the downturn. Those representing builders, plumbers and politicians
0:18:18 > 0:18:22came to Stormont to press MLAs to do more to end bureaucracy. We feel
0:18:22 > 0:18:26money needs to come from the Assembly and pushed out onto the
0:18:26 > 0:18:32street to be spent on projects that will bring orders into work again.
0:18:32 > 0:18:40We have lost 30,000 jobs over the last three years. How do you get
0:18:40 > 0:18:45people back to work? What can the Government do? This a backlog of
0:18:45 > 0:18:49bureaucracy and holding up planning issues and procurement problems
0:18:49 > 0:18:53that does not allow the money to flow quickly enough to resolve the
0:18:53 > 0:19:00issues we have. Are there projects that could be going ahead at the
0:19:00 > 0:19:04minute that I stalled? Yes, they could come more quickly. That is
0:19:04 > 0:19:08the sort of issues we are bringing forward to the all-party group to
0:19:08 > 0:19:14see if they can approach ministers to alleviate these problems and get
0:19:14 > 0:19:18money released. What sort of projects are we talking about?
0:19:18 > 0:19:23projects I am aware of our infrastructure and fairly big
0:19:23 > 0:19:28projects. The money has been approved it would appear and we
0:19:28 > 0:19:33wonder when that is going to come out into the street. What feedback
0:19:33 > 0:19:37did you get? We got the feedback from the committee they will now go
0:19:37 > 0:19:43forward and strike and had a meeting with ministers, secretaries
0:19:43 > 0:19:46and people from various departments that these issues relate to.
0:19:46 > 0:19:51Hopefully we can sit in a room together and try and resolve the
0:19:51 > 0:19:56issues because the construction industry in Northern Ireland is the
0:19:56 > 0:20:01second biggest employer and his relative to a lot of people. With
0:20:01 > 0:20:07me now is the SDLP's Patsy McGlone who chairs the all-party group on
0:20:07 > 0:20:11construction. What is the hold up? The big things coming forwards were
0:20:11 > 0:20:17issues around procurement, getting new capital projects started, new-
0:20:17 > 0:20:22build schemes, hospitals, schools, getting those projects started.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26Infrastructure like roads and other things we could probably call red
0:20:26 > 0:20:32tape issues, procurement issues, tender issues and issues around
0:20:32 > 0:20:38planning. We identified a lot of the problems today. There were a
0:20:38 > 0:20:43number of solutions, such as the new green deal, which is much
0:20:43 > 0:20:47talked about. That means home insulation projects, for example
0:20:47 > 0:20:52for older people. They can stay in their homes and it costs them less
0:20:52 > 0:20:59to heat their homes. As a consequence, many can be kept out
0:20:59 > 0:21:03of hospitals. What they were saying was the capital projects are bare.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07The plans have been given the go- ahead, they cannot get the money
0:21:07 > 0:21:11out of the Government. If that is quite right. The issues coming
0:21:11 > 0:21:17before us today were issues of frustration and we had many sectors
0:21:17 > 0:21:20of industry involved today. We had professional people, people
0:21:20 > 0:21:28involved with the building trade, and those who were representative
0:21:28 > 0:21:32of builders and contractors. The big issue emerging today it was we
0:21:32 > 0:21:36have blocks of departments and what we agreed with the industry is that
0:21:36 > 0:21:42our next meeting should be with representatives of each department
0:21:42 > 0:21:46at very senior level, either ministerial or the more junior
0:21:46 > 0:21:50secretary at each department. The Parliamentary Secretary.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54construction representative said that Scotland and the Republic have
0:21:54 > 0:21:59particular schemes in place to try to hurry up the money so they can
0:21:59 > 0:22:04get working and get people back into work. Is that something
0:22:04 > 0:22:09Northern Ireland's Maze to have urges Lib? I absolutely. As their
0:22:09 > 0:22:13representative from Mid Ulster there is no place worse hit, such
0:22:13 > 0:22:18as Dungannon, where the unemployment levels have almost
0:22:19 > 0:22:23trebled. The reason is the downturn in the construction industry. There
0:22:23 > 0:22:28were solutions identified today. Well any of them happen? That is
0:22:28 > 0:22:34the purpose of today. The whole purpose was there were issues
0:22:34 > 0:22:38identified, solutions identified, problems are identified. Some of
0:22:38 > 0:22:42those problems involved payments coming out from the public sector
0:22:42 > 0:22:48pay. It is for us to take it to the next stage and bring all
0:22:48 > 0:22:52representatives together in one room with representatives of the
0:22:53 > 0:22:56industry and each one here from the other what the problem is and
0:22:56 > 0:23:00identify solutions. Unemployment is growing, people are finding it
0:23:00 > 0:23:05difficult to put a loaf on the table for their families and that
0:23:05 > 0:23:08is not good enough and we must deliver to the community. I have to
0:23:08 > 0:23:13ask you about the leadership campaign. The deadline is
0:23:13 > 0:23:18approaching. Who is going to be running against you? I am sure
0:23:18 > 0:23:22there is a lot of speculation in the media at the moment. There is
0:23:22 > 0:23:25one thing for certain, I am going to be there. I have been speaking
0:23:26 > 0:23:31to branches, listening to councillors and have covered a
0:23:32 > 0:23:37whole range of Spectrum in the party. I am enjoying it, it is
0:23:37 > 0:23:41political engagement, discussing politics. Where are you supporters?
0:23:41 > 0:23:48I will put it you this way. There is a broad spectrum of support for
0:23:48 > 0:23:52me. That is not for me as an individual. It is for a change in
0:23:52 > 0:23:56the party and for the benefit of the party and it is for us to move
0:23:56 > 0:24:00forward in the best interests of the people who elect us and in the
0:24:00 > 0:24:03best interests of the community. There was something of a love-in
0:24:03 > 0:24:08around the corridors of power yesterday following the Sinn Fein
0:24:08 > 0:24:13conference at the weekend. But as our political correspondent Martina
0:24:13 > 0:24:22Purdy told be, there is a notable exception.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27Sh in Fein are still spreading the love Tower, but the TUC leader put
0:24:27 > 0:24:32a question saying he was not happy with the Irish language bodies
0:24:32 > 0:24:37having a huge delay in their annual accounts. Her response did not
0:24:37 > 0:24:41making any happier. I detected a statement rather than a question.
0:24:41 > 0:24:47If the member was to write to me, I will be happy to answer his
0:24:47 > 0:24:55question. We have become firm friends. If he is going to ask a
0:24:55 > 0:25:00specific question, I am happy to answer him. Order. Is it in order
0:25:00 > 0:25:08for a minister to mislead the House? To suggest I wrote to her
0:25:08 > 0:25:13the other day? Order, order. Sense that exchange, Gemma Alastair has
0:25:13 > 0:25:17issued a statement insisting there is no truth to suggestions he
0:25:17 > 0:25:24writes regularly to the minister and they certainly are not firm
0:25:24 > 0:25:29friends and he is also asking the Speaker to review his ruling.
0:25:29 > 0:25:35are standing beside this impressive painting of the former deputy prime
0:25:35 > 0:25:39minister and you have news of other artwork. This was done in 2003 by
0:25:39 > 0:25:44the Belfast artist Rita Duffy after the commission decided there should
0:25:44 > 0:25:54have portraits of the first and deputy ministers as well as the
0:25:54 > 0:25:55
0:25:55 > 0:26:01speakers. Since then, there is no money any more. There is now a cap
0:26:01 > 0:26:07on how much you can spend on a portrait. It is fired 1000. It is
0:26:07 > 0:26:12limited to 25 inches by 37 inches. There is no projects on portraits
0:26:12 > 0:26:21around Lord's trembled and the Deputy First Minister. Their
0:26:21 > 0:26:26portraits are being done now. The Speaker of the transitional
0:26:26 > 0:26:30Assembly, Irene Bell, her portrait will be unveiled next month.
0:26:31 > 0:26:36A talk about the timetable and are these changes likely to happen?
0:26:36 > 0:26:43There are two things which could derail them. It will not derail the
0:26:43 > 0:26:48number of MPs. The 16 are set now. Unless the whole thing comes off
0:26:48 > 0:26:52the rails. There are significant problems in England and Wales. It
0:26:52 > 0:26:57is possible it might be postponed and not happen at the next election.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01That is distinctly possible. The Lib Dems are getting cold feet
0:27:01 > 0:27:07about this one. In Northern Ireland there will be an opportunity for
0:27:07 > 0:27:11people to go to tribunals. There is a whole raft of issues. If you cut
0:27:11 > 0:27:15a bit out of the constituency, you have got to compensate somewhere
0:27:15 > 0:27:19else. There are towns like Ballymena which are going to be
0:27:19 > 0:27:24left on the edge of the hinterland. There will be local issues,
0:27:24 > 0:27:28political issues and the dreaded word gerrymander will come up at
0:27:28 > 0:27:38some stage. The problem with single-member constituencies is
0:27:38 > 0:27:39
0:27:39 > 0:27:44they are basically dictated in where they are. Patsy McGlone, your
0:27:44 > 0:27:48party will be affected. What are your views are Ed? Essentially we
0:27:48 > 0:27:54have to sit down ourselves and consider what the implications are.
0:27:54 > 0:28:00My initial reaction is it seems crazy. It is a gerrymander. The
0:28:00 > 0:28:04type of society it will lead to, the polarisation East and West,
0:28:04 > 0:28:08where communities, and indeed the polarisation within the smaller