:00:29. > :00:34.Welcome to Stormont Today. Coming up tonight, the Health Minister comes
:00:35. > :00:41.out fighting over criticism of his policy on gay men donating blood.
:00:42. > :00:47.Similar laws apply in the USA, Canada, Germany, France, the
:00:48. > :00:55.Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.
:00:56. > :01:00.Loyalists considering flag protests are warned of potential consequences
:01:01. > :01:06.by the first minister. I have heard of some proposals to hold protests.
:01:07. > :01:11.I hope people will reflect on the damage that will cause to Northern
:01:12. > :01:20.Ireland and traders in Belfast. An analysis of the busy day in the
:01:21. > :01:24.chamber from Gareth. The Health Minister today told the
:01:25. > :01:28.Assembly that if he did break the ministerial code over a ban on gay
:01:29. > :01:34.men giving blood in Northern Ireland he did so unwittingly. Mr Poots
:01:35. > :01:39.refused to apologise, despite the high court ruling that his position
:01:40. > :01:50.is irrational. He insisted that his stance is based on public serve --
:01:51. > :02:01.safety, not his personal beliefs. Unlike a lot of people who have been
:02:02. > :02:08.commentating -- commenting, I have read the judgement. He indicated
:02:09. > :02:15.that the rationality came from banning it in Northern Ireland but
:02:16. > :02:22.allowing a small quantity to come in from abroad. Contrary to inaccurate
:02:23. > :02:26.commentary, the judge did not take the view that maintaining a higher
:02:27. > :02:31.threshold in Northern Ireland was irrational. He did, however, find
:02:32. > :02:39.that Northern Ireland continued to import tiny quantities of blood from
:02:40. > :02:45.Great Britain that could contain some of this blood. I am considering
:02:46. > :02:50.the full judgement and its implications for men who have sex
:02:51. > :02:57.with men donating blood. My priority as Health Minister is the safety of
:02:58. > :03:04.blood, continuity in its supply and public confidence in the safety of
:03:05. > :03:09.blood. The irrationality that the judge was talking about was the fact
:03:10. > :03:15.that we took any blood from the UK with the possibility that it could
:03:16. > :03:20.contain such blood. If I had actually banned blood coming in, the
:03:21. > :03:27.judge would have found the decision irrational. The fact whether it is a
:03:28. > :03:32.tiny or large supply of blood, the decision was found to be irrational
:03:33. > :03:38.and in breach of your ministerial code. Will you now I regularly
:03:39. > :03:52.joined with the rest of society in ensuring and supporting that the ban
:03:53. > :03:57.is lifted? -- will you now join. The same legislation applies in Canada,
:03:58. > :04:07.the USA, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden,
:04:08. > :04:18.Finland and Denmark. The vast majority of countries... Order. Are
:04:19. > :04:28.all of these people prejudiced or is the questions that I am prejudiced
:04:29. > :04:31.just stupid? I did write to the minister in the Irish Republic. He
:04:32. > :04:39.indicated that their position is the same as ours. It is their intention
:04:40. > :04:48.to maintain that position and they are not giving consideration to
:04:49. > :04:56.changing it. Order. In this instance, Sinn Fein are anything but
:04:57. > :05:02.United. He has been asked to apologise to the house. Will he take
:05:03. > :05:06.the opportunity to do so? I have dealt with a number of issues that
:05:07. > :05:10.people have raised and a number of nonsensical issues people have
:05:11. > :05:14.raised and the inaccuracy of information that members have been
:05:15. > :05:23.putting out, so perhaps it is that those members to apologise to the
:05:24. > :05:28.house. In order to address public concern that the minister may be
:05:29. > :05:32.allowing his personal views to collide with scientific advice, will
:05:33. > :05:38.he published the legal advice that the Attorney General gave him prior
:05:39. > :05:46.to losing the court case? In terms of this, let's be quite frank. This
:05:47. > :05:51.is not an issue of religion or moral views. This is an issue of public
:05:52. > :05:56.safety. In terms of breaking the ministerial code, if I did so I did
:05:57. > :06:02.so unwittingly. But I suspect that every other minister in this house
:06:03. > :06:07.has unwittingly broken the code, if it is as designated in this
:06:08. > :06:11.instance. The Health Minister Edwin Poots.
:06:12. > :06:18.Barrett has been following the story and is with me now. -- Gareth. They
:06:19. > :06:25.Health Minister clearly not cowed by the High Court judgement. -- the
:06:26. > :06:30.Health Minister. Anybody who expected him to come with his head
:06:31. > :06:34.held low will be sorely disappointed. He has sucked up a lot
:06:35. > :06:39.of criticism and has come out fighting. He was invited several
:06:40. > :06:44.times to apologise and he said he had nothing to apologise for and
:06:45. > :06:51.those commentators who had read the judgement wrong should apologise. He
:06:52. > :06:55.said the ban on gay men giving blood was lifted a couple of years ago but
:06:56. > :07:01.Edwin Poots decided to keep it in place. The judge said that alongside
:07:02. > :07:06.his decision Northern Ireland continues to bring in small amounts
:07:07. > :07:09.from the UK which could contain blood of gay men and Edwin Poots
:07:10. > :07:14.said if anything the judge had criticised him for not going far
:07:15. > :07:19.enough. Does he accept that he broke the ministerial code? He said that
:07:20. > :07:25.if he did so he did so unwittingly. He said, if that is the case, every
:07:26. > :07:32.executive minister has broken the ministerial code unwittingly. One of
:07:33. > :07:38.the other charges was that he was imposing his religious views and he
:07:39. > :07:43.said it was not a religion issue but one of public safety and he listed a
:07:44. > :07:47.range of countries including Canada, the US, France, the Scandinavian
:07:48. > :08:01.countries who have a ban on gay blood. Is the judge right, is there
:08:02. > :08:05.a power of sensual? -- censure. He kind of sidestepped the issue and
:08:06. > :08:10.said the non-executive minister had asked for the ban to be discussed.
:08:11. > :08:20.The judge said he should have brought that to the Executive.
:08:21. > :08:25.William Hayes said they had consulted their legal team and he
:08:26. > :08:32.had no role in this. The judge said it was at -- it is a matter for the
:08:33. > :08:39.health secretary in Westminster. He has not said anything so far. His
:08:40. > :08:45.department are considering the potential implications but nothing
:08:46. > :08:49.beyond that. The first minister has warned of
:08:50. > :08:53.loyalist flag protests in Belfast city centre in the run-up to
:08:54. > :08:58.Christmas. Peter Robinson told the Assembly the demonstrations of last
:08:59. > :09:02.year could be repeated. He reported back on the success of last week's
:09:03. > :09:08.investment conference but first was asked about the situation at
:09:09. > :09:11.Twaddell Avenue. I have spoken to people in the neighbourhood and I
:09:12. > :09:24.have no doubt that it puts additional pressure on bps and I. --
:09:25. > :09:32.PSNI. But I urge everybody to remember that they have two uphold
:09:33. > :09:44.the rule of the law and abide by the conditions laid down. -- two uphold.
:09:45. > :09:50.I thank the first minister for his answer. Would he agree that given
:09:51. > :09:54.that the talks process has started that the business community in
:09:55. > :09:59.Belfast are concerned about more protest parades in the city and what
:10:00. > :10:08.words of encouragement could he give to people to make sure that protests
:10:09. > :10:15.do not end in disruption? I would sympathise particularly with the
:10:16. > :10:21.traders in Belfast who had a very bad period around Christmas last
:10:22. > :10:25.year. When we talk about rights, of course there are competing rights,
:10:26. > :10:31.the rights to carry out your daily business, in businesses or
:10:32. > :10:36.commercial activity in the centre of Belfast, and people carrying out
:10:37. > :10:41.activities in terms of protest have to take into account the rights of
:10:42. > :10:46.others and the wider society. I have heard of some proposals to hold
:10:47. > :10:51.protests leading up to the Christmas period. I hope people will reflect
:10:52. > :10:56.on the damage that would cause to traders in Belfast, potentially
:10:57. > :11:00.leading to a loss of jobs. The protests in Twaddell Avenue will not
:11:01. > :11:04.have that impact but certainly if protests were brought into the
:11:05. > :11:09.centre of Belfast it has that possible outcome. Can I ask him to
:11:10. > :11:14.give the house and update on the conference held last week? The
:11:15. > :11:21.Deputy first Minister and I have been involved in three investment
:11:22. > :11:24.conferences back in 2008 and the Washington investment conference
:11:25. > :11:30.kindly organised by the United States administration, then Hillary
:11:31. > :11:35.Clinton. We are both agreed that in terms of the contact we have had
:11:36. > :11:40.with investors this is by far the most successful but we have had. The
:11:41. > :11:45.response was very positive from those we spoke to, both on the
:11:46. > :11:52.Friday evening, the Thursday evening in Hillsborough Castle, at the
:11:53. > :11:57.dinner, and some people... I noticed the BBC talking about whining and
:11:58. > :12:00.dining. I have to say that it is that kind of networking that really
:12:01. > :12:04.does get you a connection with business people. It is an
:12:05. > :12:09.opportunity to find out what projects various companies are
:12:10. > :12:17.looking at and how we might fit into their needs and requirements. At the
:12:18. > :12:21.dinner we spoke to a number of people who were looking at Northern
:12:22. > :12:25.Ireland as a possible place for investment and the encouraging thing
:12:26. > :12:30.the next day was to find that a lot of those companies who have asked on
:12:31. > :12:33.the short list were indicating that Northern Ireland had leapt forward
:12:34. > :12:43.to the top of the short list. Peter Robinson signing a positive note
:12:44. > :12:46.there. Arlene Foster told the assembly that the review said the
:12:47. > :12:50.organisation was no longer essential. In a moment we will hear
:12:51. > :12:57.from the chairman, but here is what the Minister had to say. In October
:12:58. > :13:01.2012, there was an independent review of the consumer Council. The
:13:02. > :13:05.purpose of the review was to ensure that the advocacy role in Northern
:13:06. > :13:12.Ireland is delivered by the most appropriate body, structured
:13:13. > :13:17.correctly, operating efficiently and fit for purpose and moving forward
:13:18. > :13:23.with the executive consumer and wider economic aims. The report
:13:24. > :13:27.recognises that the council has been responsive and effective. However,
:13:28. > :13:31.it concludes that the political and consumer landscape has changed since
:13:32. > :13:36.the general consumer Council was created. We now have locally
:13:37. > :13:42.accountable government opposed to devolution, the existence of advice
:13:43. > :13:49.bodies, a utility regulator to protect consumer interests, and
:13:50. > :13:53.effective trading standards service and much better retail competition
:13:54. > :13:57.on the high street. In that context, the report concludes that
:13:58. > :14:02.the existence of the consumer Council may no longer be essential
:14:03. > :14:06.to consumers nor be the most cost-effective mechanism for
:14:07. > :14:11.consumer representation. The committee provided a written
:14:12. > :14:16.response to the review. In its response it said it was content that
:14:17. > :14:21.the consumer Council provides an effective service and that no
:14:22. > :14:29.concerns had been raised regarding the council 's remit and structure.
:14:30. > :14:32.If it isn't broke, why fix it? With me now is the chairman of the
:14:33. > :14:41.consumer Council. You nodded in agreement then. So you will be
:14:42. > :14:45.lobbying for it to remain as is? I will be lobbying to make sure that
:14:46. > :14:49.the consumers infrastructure is protected as we go forward. That is
:14:50. > :14:53.the critical thing. We have a report that has been presented to the
:14:54. > :14:57.public and it seems to start to the question, what are we going to do
:14:58. > :15:00.with the consumer Council? There is a report to the Scottish government
:15:01. > :15:05.that seems to start with the question, what is the best consumer
:15:06. > :15:11.protection we can have? I would like us to look at that question. In the
:15:12. > :15:16.meantime, business as usual. We will make sure consumers are protected
:15:17. > :15:19.across a range of markets. The minister was making the point that a
:15:20. > :15:28.lot has changed since the last review took place. The landscape is
:15:29. > :15:34.not the same as it was, so consumers can be and are protected in
:15:35. > :15:37.different ways. That is true, a lot has changed. If you look at the
:15:38. > :15:43.council, you see how we have changed and adapted. We have a transport as
:15:44. > :15:49.part of what we are doing and next year, the UK government is
:15:50. > :15:53.transferring postal services to us as well. We are an organisation that
:15:54. > :15:59.has been adaptable and open to change and we still are. I would not
:16:00. > :16:04.want it to look like we are resisting change. We want to make
:16:05. > :16:09.sure that in a changing world where consumers don't live in silos that
:16:10. > :16:16.we are not put into one. Since your last review, competition has
:16:17. > :16:20.changed. There has been local government back here in Northern
:16:21. > :16:25.Ireland and we have local and regional advice bodies on a much
:16:26. > :16:31.better footing then we had back in 1999. If the consumer was to be
:16:32. > :16:36.served best by getting rid of the consumer Council, would you accept
:16:37. > :16:40.that? If the consumer is to be served best is the question we
:16:41. > :16:45.should ask and it is the question the Scottish government are asking.
:16:46. > :16:50.They want to create a body based on the consumer Council in Northern
:16:51. > :16:55.Ireland. Last year, ?300,000 was returned to the pockets of
:16:56. > :17:02.consumers. Last week a family lobbying and airline came to us and
:17:03. > :17:07.we got them back ?3200. County Fermanagh, ten years they had low
:17:08. > :17:12.water pressure. They came to us and we got it sorted. Those needs have
:17:13. > :17:17.not gone away and need to be met. We are currently doing it. If it isn't
:17:18. > :17:23.broke, don't fix it, I think that is right.
:17:24. > :17:27.It'll be interesting to see what happens. Thank you for joining us.
:17:28. > :17:32.Their environment minister says legal advice obtained by his
:17:33. > :17:35.environment on amendments to the planning Bill restricting the right
:17:36. > :17:40.to challenge decisions in court are not compatible with the European
:17:41. > :17:43.Convention on human rights. The question was being answered on the
:17:44. > :17:49.progress of the bill, but first it was question of fracking.
:17:50. > :17:54.There is already huge opposition to fracking in the North. Despite the
:17:55. > :18:00.fact that there is currently no application. I can assure you that
:18:01. > :18:08.any application that does come will be fully scrutinised and rigourously
:18:09. > :18:17.upheld against planning policy and will have to satisfy me or whoever
:18:18. > :18:26.is the environment Minister. It'll have to be 100% safe to people.
:18:27. > :18:29.When the minister took up his post, he was on record saying that
:18:30. > :18:36.fracking would not happen on his watch. Given that some of these
:18:37. > :18:42.applications, is he saying he has already made his mind up? Or might
:18:43. > :18:50.some of these happen on his watch causing his green friends to see red
:18:51. > :19:02.at the promise he has broken? Thank you, Mr Wilson. I think it
:19:03. > :19:16.would not happen on my watch easily. Any application or any decision will
:19:17. > :19:20.require full, scientific evidence. In my opinion, that scientific
:19:21. > :19:24.evidence is not there now. I can't see it being there in the
:19:25. > :19:29.foreseeable future and therefore, I cannot see fracking happening on my
:19:30. > :19:33.watch. I am currently taking stock of the planning Bill and the
:19:34. > :19:39.amendments made and the consideration stage. As members will
:19:40. > :19:43.be aware, there were two significant amendments which introduced new
:19:44. > :19:50.clauses four and 15 to the planning Bill. These clauses would allow
:19:51. > :19:54.designation of economically significant planning zones and limit
:19:55. > :20:04.the right to take a judicial review against the planning permission.
:20:05. > :20:08.These amendments were the subject of concern of many members when we
:20:09. > :20:13.debated them. Like my predecessor, I am concerned with the amendments
:20:14. > :20:17.being within the legislative competence of the assembly. The
:20:18. > :20:23.legal advice obtained by the previous minister from one of the
:20:24. > :20:28.top QCs in the UK who specialises in environmental and public law states
:20:29. > :20:34.that the amendment is not compatible with Article six of the European
:20:35. > :20:38.convention on human rights. Your predecessor said that there had been
:20:39. > :20:45.no consultation whatsoever. Can the bill go forward on that basis?
:20:46. > :20:50.I believe that both amendments are significant and should be subject to
:20:51. > :20:55.full and rigorous public consultation to gauge the views of
:20:56. > :20:59.the public and stakeholders. I am also concerned that the environment
:21:00. > :21:02.committee was not given the opportunity to scrutinise
:21:03. > :21:06.amendments. I find that extremely disappointing, especially as they
:21:07. > :21:10.were not drafted overnight and the members who bought them forward at
:21:11. > :21:17.the last minute sit on the committee and had ample opportunity to bring
:21:18. > :21:20.them forward for discussion. Around 1000 people in Northern
:21:21. > :21:24.Ireland are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year. 400 of them die
:21:25. > :21:28.as a result. Today the assembly backed a motion calling for
:21:29. > :21:37.increased screening to help fight the disease. Good evening. Thank you
:21:38. > :21:41.for joining us. You know what it is like to personally suffer from this
:21:42. > :21:45.disease, is that why you raise the issue?
:21:46. > :21:51.It is a personal issue given that I have suffered and have been
:21:52. > :21:58.suffering with the disease. So I chose to make my problems public and
:21:59. > :22:07.then to assist bowel Cancer UK and the other agencies and particular
:22:08. > :22:13.surgeons who are keen to get the screening and testing back to 50
:22:14. > :22:17.years of age. You want to extend the screening. Breast cancer screening
:22:18. > :22:23.has been successful, you would like to see bowel cancer on a level
:22:24. > :22:32.platform? Absolutely. I think there is a lot of work to be done around
:22:33. > :22:37.bowel cancer. And bowel problems. Particularly males are unsure about
:22:38. > :22:42.going to their doctor, but it is only another area for GPs to deal
:22:43. > :22:45.with. Certainly in terms of awareness. You mentioned breast
:22:46. > :22:49.cancer, the debate around that has been very good and we are hoping the
:22:50. > :22:55.debate around bowel cancer will become just as important as the
:22:56. > :23:02.other cancer diseases because lives will and can be saved. The figures
:23:03. > :23:05.are startling. Screening is available for people aged between 60
:23:06. > :23:13.and 70, you would like to stretch that at both ends? Yes. The Minister
:23:14. > :23:18.made it clear that up to 74, once that is sorted out, and it is a very
:23:19. > :23:24.good screening programme, he indicated today that we were six S4
:23:25. > :23:29.and he will consider bringing the screening age back to 50 and that is
:23:30. > :23:34.what health professionals want. That is what organisations such as bowel
:23:35. > :23:39.Cancer UK is working full time with the coordinator, they all want that
:23:40. > :23:45.to happen. If I can help to progress that I will do that. Do you think
:23:46. > :23:48.it'll make a tangible difference? I think it will make an immense
:23:49. > :23:54.difference. Massive savings for the health service. You mentioned that
:23:55. > :23:58.you think men are reluctant to go to the GP to discuss issues like this.
:23:59. > :24:02.People are clear what the symptoms are. I don't think too many people
:24:03. > :24:06.would find it difficult to think about what the symptoms might be and
:24:07. > :24:13.yet, even if they suffer from those symptoms, they do not go to their GP
:24:14. > :24:17.or advice. Why do you think? In some cases the symptoms are not all that
:24:18. > :24:25.clear. On some occasions there can be no symptoms. But in many cases
:24:26. > :24:30.they can be obvious. Indeed and one should go if they have any items
:24:31. > :24:37.discussed in the debate today. There is also a job for GPs to encourage
:24:38. > :24:43.people to go along to them and to also do the test when they come out.
:24:44. > :24:48.Interesting to see what happens. Thank you for joining us.
:24:49. > :24:54.MLAs have condemned the murders of Kevin Kearney in Belfast. The Ulster
:24:55. > :24:58.Unionist, Tom Elliott, bought the assembly matter on the day on the
:24:59. > :25:03.murders and the state of security alerts.
:25:04. > :25:09.This unfortunate experience, to murders within 48 hours in Belfast
:25:10. > :25:14.and Londonderry over recent days. The murder of Barry McGrory on
:25:15. > :25:17.Thursday will have come as a huge setback to the city of Londonderry,
:25:18. > :25:23.which on the whole has enjoyed a positive year. Not least in the
:25:24. > :25:28.important role of hosting the United Kingdom city of culture. We also
:25:29. > :25:32.heard the news of the killing of Kevin Kearney in north Belfast with
:25:33. > :25:37.the body found last Wednesday afternoon. The police describe this
:25:38. > :25:43.as a callous and cold-blooded murder. I and the Ulster Unionist
:25:44. > :25:48.party wholeheartedly agree with that interpretation and definition. There
:25:49. > :25:53.are pseudo- republican groups using a veneer of whatever it is to hide
:25:54. > :25:59.the fact that they themselves are involved in drug dealing, extortion
:26:00. > :26:04.and taking money from drug dealers and then deciding that they should
:26:05. > :26:13.kill others who they accuse of the same thing. They said to the
:26:14. > :26:21.policing board that there is a criminality endemic in east
:26:22. > :26:25.Belfast. I come to this house today straight
:26:26. > :26:31.from the funeral of Kevin Kearney. I was in this house last night and I
:26:32. > :26:39.witnessed it first hand, the destructive impact of violence on a
:26:40. > :26:44.family. Caring family apart. We have seen the attempted murder attack in
:26:45. > :26:52.Londonderry, we have seen a variety of attacks with devices of various
:26:53. > :26:55.sorts that cause disruption. One of them was targeted at my colleagues
:26:56. > :27:05.in ill dash-macro east Belfast Alliance offices. All of those are
:27:06. > :27:13.attacks on this society as a whole. The latter is an attack on the
:27:14. > :27:17.democratic process. It is the rule of law that we stand for, not the
:27:18. > :27:23.role of the jungle. These individuals have had their lives
:27:24. > :27:29.taken by those who are carrying out vigilante justice. We have to take
:27:30. > :27:37.on paramilitaries from all sections, including the UVF and East Belfast.
:27:38. > :27:40.There is no place for this type of organisation or activity because it
:27:41. > :27:44.will take Northern Ireland to a place it does not want to go and I
:27:45. > :27:50.join with other members in saying we must unite against the threat of
:27:51. > :28:00.violence from whatever corner. Basil McCrea joining fellow MLAs
:28:01. > :28:06.members in condemning the violence. Gareth has rejoined me. Peter
:28:07. > :28:11.Robinson was flagging up protests in the run-up to Christmas. In the
:28:12. > :28:17.first anniversary of the decision to fly the union flag on designated
:28:18. > :28:21.days is on the 3rd of December. Heat a Robinson said he heard some people
:28:22. > :28:30.might be planning protest, no surprise, but it will be of concern.
:28:31. > :28:39.Peter Robinson calling on any potential protest is to reflect on
:28:40. > :28:45.the damage they could cause. Very quickly, there was an alliance
:28:46. > :28:49.response. The party 's leader said that while she welcomes comments,
:28:50. > :28:53.they were hypocritical given what his party was doing in the run-up to
:28:54. > :28:58.the vote last year. That is a reference to those 40,000 leaflets
:28:59. > :29:04.circulated to households by the two main Unionist parties. Thank you
:29:05. > :29:10.very much. I am back at the same time tomorrow night. Goodbye.