:00:24. > :00:28.The First and Deputy First Ministers suggest that looking at how other
:00:29. > :00:32.legislatures deal with the vexed issue of Members' expenses might be
:00:33. > :00:34.useful for the Assembly as it grapples with its latest
:00:35. > :00:38.And MLAs back the latest move in the process to reduce
:00:39. > :00:42.their number by 18 in five years' time.
:00:43. > :00:51.The First Minister makes her views on the expenses saga clear.
:00:52. > :00:56.There's a lot of confusion out there as to what has actually happened in
:00:57. > :01:00.relation to this whole regime, and I think it is important we give
:01:01. > :01:01.clarity to the people that elect us, and there is openness and
:01:02. > :01:02.transparency. It's a numbers game as the reduction
:01:03. > :01:10.in MLAs moves one step closer. As the previous debates in this bill
:01:11. > :01:16.have focused mainly on the question of an earlier date for it to come
:01:17. > :01:19.into effect than 2021, we think is unlikely that any member would want
:01:20. > :01:23.a situation where it was actually deferred to 2026.
:01:24. > :01:25.And with me to look at today's business is the commentator
:01:26. > :01:32.Stormont should look to Westminster as an example of how
:01:33. > :01:36.That was the view expressed by the First Minister today
:01:37. > :01:38.as she gave her reaction to the ongoing saga
:01:39. > :01:42.And the Deputy First Minster said he's always open to listening
:01:43. > :01:44.to advice from other places on such matters.
:01:45. > :01:46.The Speaker has called a meeting of the Assembly Commission tomorrow
:01:47. > :01:50.Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness spoke to reporters this afternoon
:01:51. > :02:04.I think we have always said that there is a need to be as open and
:02:05. > :02:07.transparent as we possibly can be, and indeed, when this came up the
:02:08. > :02:12.last time, we had suggested that we should perhaps move to the type of
:02:13. > :02:15.model that runs at Westminster, and of course, our Westminster
:02:16. > :02:19.colleagues are happy to operate under that model, we are very happy
:02:20. > :02:23.to operate under similar models here, but at that time, we did not
:02:24. > :02:26.receive support in relation to that suggestion, and perhaps the other
:02:27. > :02:29.parties might like to look at that suggestion again now.
:02:30. > :02:33.You think it is necessary to have some sort of review of what has gone
:02:34. > :02:36.on to restore some of the credibility and reputation of
:02:37. > :02:41.Stormont? I think it is important that we take
:02:42. > :02:45.away from individual members the ability to do what has been
:02:46. > :02:48.suggested has been done, because it is to protect them as much as to
:02:49. > :02:51.protect the integrity of the institutions, because there is a lot
:02:52. > :02:55.of confusion out there as to what has actually happened in relation to
:02:56. > :02:59.this whole regime, and I think it is important that we give clarity to
:03:00. > :03:02.the people that elect us, and there is an openness and transparency, so
:03:03. > :03:06.we look forward to hearing what the commission has to say in relation to
:03:07. > :03:09.all of these issues in the coming days.
:03:10. > :03:14.Is its early model as far as you're concerned?
:03:15. > :03:17.We do believe that is the best way forward, and IPSA styled model.
:03:18. > :03:20.Maybe a little bureaucratic, but the most important thing is to be as
:03:21. > :03:23.open and transparent as we possibly can.
:03:24. > :03:26.How damaging has this row being over the last couple of days?
:03:27. > :03:30.Well, of course, it has gathered momentum over the past days. I think
:03:31. > :03:33.there is a necessity now to review what has occurred and move forward
:03:34. > :03:37.from there, because I think we need to protect the individual members as
:03:38. > :03:42.well as of course, the integrity of the Assembly.
:03:43. > :03:45.If there is a question mark over any aspect of expenditure, that needs to
:03:46. > :03:49.be resolved. But I reiterate, we have had a very
:03:50. > :03:53.strong statement from the Assembly commission, which is made up of all
:03:54. > :03:58.the political parties. Not all of them are friends of Sinn Fein. They
:03:59. > :04:04.have absolutely accepted that the expenses incurred by Sinn Fein MLA
:04:05. > :04:06.'s over what was a 10-year period was proper expenditure. I don't
:04:07. > :04:12.think there is anybody in this place that believes there is anything
:04:13. > :04:19.secretive about how people claim they're properly incurred expenses.
:04:20. > :04:21.So I do think that what we need to see is the outworking of this one
:04:22. > :04:27.case that was identified this morning on the radio of a person who
:04:28. > :04:32.challenge that. There may be one or two others who have challenged it.
:04:33. > :04:37.I'm not aware of that. So I am as optimistic as a Woody Austin hear
:04:38. > :04:42.what that involves. And if the independent parliamentary
:04:43. > :04:44.and the 30 Westminster does make suggestions for changes to the
:04:45. > :04:46.regime here, do you think those should be taken up?
:04:47. > :04:51.I think we're always open to listening advice and the example
:04:52. > :04:54.from other places. I don't think there is any difficulty about that
:04:55. > :05:00.at all, and I'm sure there is not one MLA in the place he would object
:05:01. > :05:08.to having a fresh look at how we can remove from the public mind, any
:05:09. > :05:11.suggestion whatsoever that people appear after the ring their own
:05:12. > :05:12.nests. That clearly is not happening.
:05:13. > :05:16.The Westminster expenses regulator has weighed in to the debate
:05:17. > :05:19.It's all getting more murky?
:05:20. > :05:28.I think it is, and remember, in 2009, the issue of expenses erupted
:05:29. > :05:31.at Westminster, and ultimately, that, native in the establishment of
:05:32. > :05:35.IPSA, and now we see in Stormont, the issue of expenses coming into
:05:36. > :05:39.the public domain. It is something politicians have a right to feel
:05:40. > :05:44.very nervous about. We saw the First Minister Arlene Foster twice in that
:05:45. > :05:47.report referred to the need for openness and transparency to be the
:05:48. > :05:51.buzzword to the public to have integrity in the situation. And
:05:52. > :05:56.Martin McGuinness was coming from the same angle. So I very much seen
:05:57. > :05:59.out, with IPSA intervening, there will be pressure going to move away
:06:00. > :06:02.from the system we have at the moment, which kind of split the
:06:03. > :06:07.power between the panel, and we know to members of that panel. Three of
:06:08. > :06:10.them have come out within the past 48 hours, very critical of the
:06:11. > :06:13.Assembly commission. So I think there will now be pressure to move
:06:14. > :06:18.towards what pertains at Westminster, the IPSA body, which in
:06:19. > :06:23.a sense will move, for the politicians, that will create a
:06:24. > :06:26.buffer for them which will, in a sense, have a breathing space from,
:06:27. > :06:32.so they won't face such criticism in the future.
:06:33. > :06:33.And ironically, that is what Pat McCartan who chairs that independent
:06:34. > :06:34.panel has been calling for. And now the Speaker
:06:35. > :06:36.has called a meeting Will that shed any
:06:37. > :06:52.further light on things? I think what we saw from the Speaker
:06:53. > :06:55.calling this meeting tomorrow of the Assembly commission, he is also
:06:56. > :06:59.making the point in that statement today, kind of disputing what had
:07:00. > :07:03.come out in the media today about a secret appeals process, and there
:07:04. > :07:06.seems to be a little bit of a dispute around how much that is the
:07:07. > :07:11.case. But very much, I think that both the Speaker and the political
:07:12. > :07:20.leaders at Stormont will want to move towards IPSA, or a Style model,
:07:21. > :07:22.because they realise there is the potential to damage the situation,
:07:23. > :07:27.and ultimately their own political credibility with the general public.
:07:28. > :07:30.We often say in circumstances like this that perception is all.
:07:31. > :07:35.It is very important when we talk about an issue, there was a BBC
:07:36. > :07:38.programme critical of Sinn Fein a few years ago in this regard, we
:07:39. > :07:43.know there have been times when politicians have had financial
:07:44. > :07:46.irregularities alleged, and politicians get very nervous around
:07:47. > :07:49.that. That is something that can eat at the credibility of political
:07:50. > :07:53.institutions, and therefore, I think there is an easy way to resolve
:07:54. > :07:57.this, by moving towards the IPSA model. I think the political class
:07:58. > :07:59.will move in that direction very quickly.
:08:00. > :08:00.We will talk to you again later. Thank you very much.
:08:01. > :08:02.Since Christmas, reform of the Assembly has dominated
:08:03. > :08:04.proceedings in the chamber and another element
:08:05. > :08:06.of the "new" Stormont moved a little closer today.
:08:07. > :08:08.It was the further consideration stage of the bill responsible
:08:09. > :08:11.for reducing the number of MLAs in the Assembly,
:08:12. > :08:14.and everyone was in agreement that there will be 18 fewer of them
:08:15. > :08:23.These amendments will guarantee that should Royal assent for this bill
:08:24. > :08:27.not be obtained before the election and May the 5th, the reduction in
:08:28. > :08:31.the number of MLAs will still apply to the next election held after the
:08:32. > :08:35.forthcoming elections in May. As the previous debates on this bill have
:08:36. > :08:38.focused mainly on the question of an earlier date for it to come into
:08:39. > :08:43.effect than 2021, we think it unlikely that any member would want
:08:44. > :08:46.the situation where it was actually deferred to 2026. So I would
:08:47. > :08:52.therefore ask members to support these amendments which support the
:08:53. > :08:55.objective of the bill. We know there are provisions contained in them
:08:56. > :09:03.number three, that should there be a change to the as a result of the
:09:04. > :09:07.2018 parliamentary boundary review, the committee would be legislatively
:09:08. > :09:09.mandated to review the number of members return three constituency.
:09:10. > :09:16.We further note that the amendment also calls to report on the findings
:09:17. > :09:23.of its review before December the 1st, 2018.
:09:24. > :09:28.There is it a temptation to oppose the technical amendments are the
:09:29. > :09:31.reduction to reduce MLAs is pushed 2026, but on this occasion, I resist
:09:32. > :09:35.that sensation. I have decided we are content to support the amendment
:09:36. > :09:41.outlined by the junior minister in order to create certainty in
:09:42. > :09:46.relation to that matter. It was forged out of agreement. I am
:09:47. > :09:55.glad that that agreement has come about. It is an objective of my
:09:56. > :09:57.party to adjust the number of Assembly members. We have not got
:09:58. > :10:01.everything we won, but we are making progress. That must be welcomed.
:10:02. > :10:06.We are certainly going in the right direction. The options of this party
:10:07. > :10:09.have been clear on this. We support the reduction in numbers with the
:10:10. > :10:15.current timeline. We doesn't want it earlier. Because we feel we can't
:10:16. > :10:19.rush these decisions. We need to make sure the Assembly is inclusive,
:10:20. > :10:22.diverse, and providing the proper government for our people, so to
:10:23. > :10:23.that end, we will be supporting the reduction.
:10:24. > :10:25.The Ulster Unionist Party's Andy Allen.
:10:26. > :10:27.It's one of the largest pieces of legislation to come before
:10:28. > :10:29.the Assembly, and today the Mental Capacity Bill moved
:10:30. > :10:31.on to its next stage after considering a total
:10:32. > :10:37.The bill aims to create a legal framework for the treatment or care
:10:38. > :10:46.of those judged to lack the capacity to make a decision for themselves.
:10:47. > :10:51.As members may be aware, and advanced decision is a decision that
:10:52. > :10:56.a person makes when they have capacity to refuse a specific
:10:57. > :11:00.treatment in the future, should they lose capacity. Clause 11 gives
:11:01. > :11:03.statutory recommendation to advance decisions that does not include
:11:04. > :11:07.provisions around how they should be made or operated. That will continue
:11:08. > :11:11.to be governed by common law. The main reason for adopting this is one
:11:12. > :11:17.of flexibility. Common law can continue to evolve past the
:11:18. > :11:23.provisions or not -- are not set in stone. This is an different approach
:11:24. > :11:26.the English act of 2005, which codified the common law rules, the
:11:27. > :11:31.Scotland did not go down this road. My department has consistently
:11:32. > :11:33.maintained that fusing mental health and mental capacity legislation will
:11:34. > :11:37.create a radically different legal framework to those in which the
:11:38. > :11:41.common law rules were developed, and which has not been attempted
:11:42. > :11:45.anywhere else yet. So simply following the English approach is
:11:46. > :11:48.not the answer here in our circumstances. The more prudent
:11:49. > :11:51.course, which I'm convinced is the right one, is to give this bill time
:11:52. > :11:55.to bed in before deciding what the rules around advanced decisions
:11:56. > :11:59.should be. As far as I can see, there just is not the consensus or
:12:00. > :12:03.certainty needed to be able to legislate for it now. We as an
:12:04. > :12:06.Assembly are better taking the time to get it right, and the bill as
:12:07. > :12:10.drafted allows us to do that. This is the first ad hoc joint
:12:11. > :12:14.committee, of course, that has been established by the committee, and is
:12:15. > :12:19.membership was drawn from both the health and justice committees. We
:12:20. > :12:22.began our work in May 2015, with the task of looking at the committee
:12:23. > :12:24.stage of the mental capacity Bill, which as the Minister has
:12:25. > :12:28.acknowledged, was one of the largest bill that has ever come in front of
:12:29. > :12:32.the Assembly. Members will be aware that the background to the bill was
:12:33. > :12:37.the Bamford review, which in 2007, concluded there should be a single
:12:38. > :12:40.executive framework to reform the existing mental health legislation
:12:41. > :12:43.and Judy 's capacity legislation to Northern Ireland for the first time.
:12:44. > :12:46.Mental health law is broadly concerned with the reduction of the
:12:47. > :12:49.risks flowing from a mental disorder to the patient and other people,
:12:50. > :12:53.whilst mental capacity law is designed to empower people to make
:12:54. > :12:57.decisions for themselves and possibly to protect people who lack
:12:58. > :13:00.capacity. They keep their busy developing a single legislative
:13:01. > :13:04.framework to cover both mental health and mental capacity is to
:13:05. > :13:07.attempt to reduce the stigma and the inequalities which can sometimes
:13:08. > :13:10.flow from having specific mental health legislation. However, the
:13:11. > :13:14.production of such a piece of legislation is in no way a
:13:15. > :13:15.straightforward task, and Northern Ireland is the only place in the
:13:16. > :13:26.world to attempt such an approach. Mental capacity issues can affect
:13:27. > :13:32.anybody. It is important we have robust legislation. I believe the
:13:33. > :13:35.principles of this bill will transform mental health legislation
:13:36. > :13:40.and the passage was hugely benefit those within society who lacked
:13:41. > :13:44.capacity or may lack capacity in the future. We have almost 20,000 people
:13:45. > :13:50.living in Northern Ireland with dementia, a number which is likely
:13:51. > :13:56.to rise. 1% of the population suffers from schizophrenia. 13%
:13:57. > :14:04.suffers from depression. 214,000 carers here for people who may lack
:14:05. > :14:07.capacity. All these people and many others may need important decisions
:14:08. > :14:10.to be made on their behalf or they may need to make decisions for other
:14:11. > :14:15.people. We can see how important the bill would be for those with mental
:14:16. > :14:22.illness and their families. This bill has been described as
:14:23. > :14:27.representing a paradigms shift. No longer will they be treated, or
:14:28. > :14:32.seen, as a separate class. Capacity will no longer be defined
:14:33. > :14:36.differently among people, which has to be recognised as being positive.
:14:37. > :14:40.I am glad the bill has reached this stage. There was concern whether it
:14:41. > :14:44.would be caught up with the dissolution of the assembly. I will
:14:45. > :14:47.express my disappointment as to how long it took for the bill to come to
:14:48. > :14:54.the floor, especially considering it on the wider, single, legislative
:14:55. > :15:03.framework which was proposed as far back as 2009 with the Bamford
:15:04. > :15:08.Review. It was a very important bill. All members on the committee
:15:09. > :15:13.showed a willingness for it to reach this stage. The bill before us will
:15:14. > :15:19.hopefully improve the lot of people who have suffered from mental
:15:20. > :15:23.illness, mental health and learning disabilities has always been
:15:24. > :15:26.regarded as the Cinderella of the health services. Hopefully this work
:15:27. > :15:31.will bring it to a level playing field. That is what we are all
:15:32. > :15:37.striving to attain. All of this work comes on the foundation of the
:15:38. > :15:42.sterling work of the Bamford working group on mental health and learning
:15:43. > :15:48.disability. This bill, in terms of offering a single, integrated mental
:15:49. > :15:51.capacity act, is ground-breaking and world beating in terms of best
:15:52. > :15:54.practice by international standards. The Alliance Party's Kieran McCarthy
:15:55. > :15:56.talking up what he sees Funding for the A5 road project
:15:57. > :16:00.and a difference in rates amounts for non-domestic properties
:16:01. > :16:02.were addressed during questions But first, Mervyn Storey,
:16:03. > :16:06.was asked about a review of the financial process here,
:16:07. > :16:09.and why it hasn't been acted upon, despite being approved by both
:16:10. > :16:19.the Finance Committee The report of the review of
:16:20. > :16:25.financial processes has not been discussed by the executive. Without
:16:26. > :16:30.agreement, the proposal that it contains cannot be implemented. One
:16:31. > :16:34.of the proposals in the paper related to the departmental
:16:35. > :16:39.structures and with the move to the nine new department structure this
:16:40. > :16:43.will have to then be revisited. It is now over six years since the
:16:44. > :16:47.report was forwarded to the executive for action. By any
:16:48. > :16:54.standards, action should now have been taken to improve a very
:16:55. > :16:58.cumbersome system, which does not provide proper accountability. We
:16:59. > :17:04.need to look again at it to see how it can be refined and see how we can
:17:05. > :17:10.give the assurance, or at least the commitment, that we are creating
:17:11. > :17:14.what is a process which is transparent, gives us that
:17:15. > :17:22.accountability, and delivers for us in the way that we have intended. He
:17:23. > :17:29.talks about transparency. I do not see that much transparency. I see a
:17:30. > :17:34.lot of the Paik nurse. Having been here for 18 years, I would like to
:17:35. > :17:41.see an improvement. -- opaqueness. Can the minister guarantee that?
:17:42. > :17:45.Some may say that the member should go to spec Savers and he might be
:17:46. > :17:51.able to have more transparency. Maybe our budget to processes a bit
:17:52. > :17:57.like the advert when the person who is responsible for clipping the she
:17:58. > :18:04.ends up clipping the dogs as opposed to the sheep. -- the sheep. The
:18:05. > :18:07.consultation on the new draft. Budgetary orders and the
:18:08. > :18:13.environmental statement for the A5 Western transport corridor jewel
:18:14. > :18:17.carriageways deem a few days ago, subject to successful completion of
:18:18. > :18:29.the statutory procedures, construction work starts next year
:18:30. > :18:34.on the ?150 -- ?150 million new buildings. That is a clear
:18:35. > :18:39.indication. This executive and this assembly has been criticised in the
:18:40. > :18:43.past about not making decisions. We are criticised when we make
:18:44. > :18:49.decisions. He was a clear example of a considerable degree of investment
:18:50. > :18:55.that is being made. Charity shops play a very important role in our
:18:56. > :19:01.country. However, many will argue that they dominate our high streets
:19:02. > :19:07.and Main Street across Northern Ireland. What steps, if any, can be
:19:08. > :19:12.taken to ensure this imbalance is addressed? I thank the member for
:19:13. > :19:15.his question. I would not say it relates -- I would say in relation
:19:16. > :19:21.to this issue, we have to deal with the issue in a sensitive way. I am
:19:22. > :19:26.well aware of correspondence that I have had. I am well aware of
:19:27. > :19:32.lobbying there has been. When you come to this issue, when you begin
:19:33. > :19:38.to change the rules that govern particularly the issue of rating,
:19:39. > :19:43.there is always a tendency to, in some way, go after one particular
:19:44. > :19:47.element that seems to be the easiest. However, my approach to
:19:48. > :19:53.this would be cautious. It will be fair. It would be equitable. I think
:19:54. > :19:58.I have listened to the concerns of other retailers who have undoubtedly
:19:59. > :20:01.said there are disparities, there are differences which need to be
:20:02. > :20:03.addressed. As if the marathon Mental Capacity
:20:04. > :20:07.Bill didn't make enough work for the Health Minister today,
:20:08. > :20:09.Simon Hamilton also He was asked how seriously
:20:10. > :20:13.Northern Ireland is taking the Zika virus and, first of all,
:20:14. > :20:15.he told MLAs that the number of people on waiting
:20:16. > :20:27.lists is "unacceptable". Provisionally at the end of December
:20:28. > :20:32.2015, patients were waiting longer than 52 weeks for a first outpatient
:20:33. > :20:35.appointment. These figures are totally unacceptable. It is
:20:36. > :20:39.regrettable that more people are waiting to be seen and are waiting
:20:40. > :20:44.longer due to the financial constraints that led to the decision
:20:45. > :20:48.to suspend the independent sector in-house activity last year. It was
:20:49. > :20:53.frustrating that ?9.5 million was being lost every month from the
:20:54. > :20:57.Northern Ireland public finances each and every month as a result of
:20:58. > :21:01.welfare reform being blocked. Such a fund could have funded many
:21:02. > :21:06.thousands of assessments and procedures. I welcome the allocation
:21:07. > :21:09.of an additional ?40 million which will go towards tackling waiting
:21:10. > :21:13.lists and is expected to benefit many thousands of patients who
:21:14. > :21:17.otherwise would have been waiting. Significant efforts have been made
:21:18. > :21:25.across the health and social care system. It will also put into place
:21:26. > :21:32.appropriate arrangements with independent sector organisations.
:21:33. > :21:37.This is just the start and much more additional funding will be needed to
:21:38. > :21:41.get us back to where we were. We are moving in the right direction. I
:21:42. > :21:47.hope patients will see the benefit of this as soon as possible. What I
:21:48. > :21:52.am asking specifically, in relation to waiting times, will the minister
:21:53. > :21:59.considered the imposition of referral to treatment targets that
:22:00. > :22:03.have been put place -- into place in other countries internationally? I
:22:04. > :22:08.take exception about what she has said about the approach of the DUP
:22:09. > :22:12.and any other party, seeking to move forward with welfare legislation. We
:22:13. > :22:16.were not happy with either. I've fought the fight at Westminster, was
:22:17. > :22:20.against it when others were absent. I sought to deliver the best
:22:21. > :22:25.possible deal for Northern Ireland. I do not want to get into some sort
:22:26. > :22:29.of argument with the member opposite about the fact they have signed up
:22:30. > :22:34.to that welfare reform legislation. We have at least now moved forward
:22:35. > :22:38.and beyond that, hopefully. That has freed up a very welcome injection of
:22:39. > :22:43.40 with him pounds into waiting lists in Northern Ireland which will
:22:44. > :22:49.make sure that some have already got their treatment and some will get
:22:50. > :22:53.their treatment. -- ?40 million. Patients across a range of
:22:54. > :23:00.specialisms will get the help and care they need. I am content to look
:23:01. > :23:03.at the ways in which we can look at targets. Sometimes they are
:23:04. > :23:11.important and sometimes we focus on them too much. I am content to
:23:12. > :23:15.certainly have a conversation and consider other targets other
:23:16. > :23:19.jurisdictions have had and see what impact they have had and whether
:23:20. > :23:24.they are more accurate measure of the situation. The Public health
:23:25. > :23:30.agency is leading the response to the Zika virus and has issued advice
:23:31. > :23:39.to help professionals. The pHA also issued a press release for pregnant
:23:40. > :23:44.women. It is important to note that Zika is transmitted by mosquitoes
:23:45. > :23:47.not native to Northern Ireland and the public health risk in this
:23:48. > :23:53.country is extremely low and no greater than risks posed by other
:23:54. > :24:02.mosque Ito borne infections like malaria. Almost all cases of the
:24:03. > :24:08.virus are caused by mosquito bites although a few cases have been
:24:09. > :24:13.caused by sexual transmission. -- mosquito borne infections. Pregnant
:24:14. > :24:17.women must receive appropriate advice and need to beware of
:24:18. > :24:20.symptoms and the actions to be taken for travellers.
:24:21. > :24:22.Simon Hamilton on the threat posed by Zika virus.
:24:23. > :24:24.The Assembly passed legislation today designed to help the police
:24:25. > :24:26.and other agencies better tackle organised crime.
:24:27. > :24:29.The Justice Minister explained that the police will now be able
:24:30. > :24:31.to seize cash from alleged criminals and freeze other assets
:24:32. > :24:37.as their investigations are underway.
:24:38. > :24:46.The Proceeds of Crime Act is designed to provide law enforcement
:24:47. > :24:49.agencies with tools to cover the proceeds of crime and deny criminals
:24:50. > :24:55.the possibility to cumin a asset secured by illegal means. The act
:24:56. > :25:05.empowers law enforcement officers to seize cash and ensure its forfeiture
:25:06. > :25:09.court proceedings. In the UK, between 2010 and 2014, criminal
:25:10. > :25:18.assets worth more than ?746 million were seized across all methods of
:25:19. > :25:22.recovery and assets were frozen. In Northern Ireland in 2014/ ?2 million
:25:23. > :25:28.was recovered through confiscation orders. There are still more to do
:25:29. > :25:34.to retain the proceeds of crime. The changes being addressed here today
:25:35. > :25:40.are a step in that direction. In conclusion, it removes criminal
:25:41. > :25:44.assets that could be used to support more common activity. It sends a
:25:45. > :25:51.message that crime does not paid. Used to maximum effect, it will
:25:52. > :25:56.disrupt and deterred criminality. This will bring three distinct codes
:25:57. > :26:00.of practice into operation. The codes of practice will provide
:26:01. > :26:05.necessary guidance constables and officers with responsibility in this
:26:06. > :26:10.area, specifically in relation to cash searches and the seizure and
:26:11. > :26:17.detention of property. Could I ask him to reflect on what memoranda of
:26:18. > :26:25.understanding, or issues we have with the Republic of Ireland, given
:26:26. > :26:34.the high propensity of criminality, cross-border criminality? Given the
:26:35. > :26:37.Proceeds of Crime Act is a UK legislation, there are implications
:26:38. > :26:43.with regard to cross-border relationships. The cross-border task
:26:44. > :26:46.force will be a key way of ensuring that cross-border criminality is
:26:47. > :26:53.addressed. I hope in the near future we will be launching the revision of
:26:54. > :26:57.the cross-border policing arrangements and, certainly, I think
:26:58. > :27:00.it will show that good work can continue across-the-board and when
:27:01. > :27:04.assets are being seized, which is a key part of this, there is
:27:05. > :27:09.significant cooperation between the various agencies involved, including
:27:10. > :27:10.the two police agencies and the National crime agency to ensure work
:27:11. > :27:14.is coordinated as far as possible. And Chris Donnelly has
:27:15. > :27:17.joined me for a final word. The Mental Capacity Bill
:27:18. > :27:20.was described as one of the largest pieces of legislation to come
:27:21. > :27:22.before the Assembly. 489 amendments and considerable
:27:23. > :27:24.time spent on voting - and again it raises the issue
:27:25. > :27:34.of electronic voting. Yes. The mental capacity Bill
:27:35. > :27:44.stretches back to the Bamford review. Almost 500 amendments today.
:27:45. > :27:48.We looked to Scotland where they do have a electronic voting. It helps
:27:49. > :27:54.to expedite through business quickly in the party should be looking at
:27:55. > :27:57.this in terms of the future. There were some unhappy teachers speaking
:27:58. > :28:05.to members of the education committee today. That issue is close
:28:06. > :28:09.to your heart. Some teachers met with members of the education
:28:10. > :28:14.committee. When initially announced it was popular, the idea that 500
:28:15. > :28:19.teachers over 55 could retire early and make way for 500 younger
:28:20. > :28:24.teachers. But it only applies to a certain number of teachers who have
:28:25. > :28:29.qualified in the last two years. So, those teachers who are up to ten
:28:30. > :28:34.years after being qualified to teach and have not got permanent jobs
:28:35. > :28:40.cannot apply. They are complaining, justifiably so, from their
:28:41. > :28:43.perspective. From the minister 's perspective, the younger teachers
:28:44. > :28:48.are the ones who cost the lease and if it is open more broadly, probably
:28:49. > :28:51.there would not be as many jobs available.
:28:52. > :28:56.I'll be back with The View on Thursday night, so do join me
:28:57. > :29:02.Until then, from everyone in the team, bye-bye.
:29:03. > :29:12.I'm raising my game and I WILL come out on top.
:29:13. > :29:19.Bring it on. Bring it on. Bring it on.
:29:20. > :29:23.This time, we're aiming higher than ever before.
:29:24. > :29:26.The Sport Relief season continues with