:00:30. > :00:33.Coming up, and unacceptable management culture stretching back
:00:33. > :00:38.warden a decade. The Health Minister response to damning
:00:38. > :00:43.reports into the fire service. should be looking at what
:00:43. > :00:50.disciplinary steps might be taken to stop what sparked this reaction
:00:50. > :00:54.from the culture secretary? I am incensed at his remark and I want
:00:54. > :01:04.that for the record. I will be joined by the Ulster been its
:01:04. > :01:06.
:01:06. > :01:15.The minister responsible for public safety it than puts has published
:01:15. > :01:20.Northern Ireland Fire and rescue Service following allegations by a
:01:20. > :01:24.whistle blows off abroad, on a prude bonuses and feel you to deal
:01:24. > :01:28.with staff grievances. He said he believes disciplinary proceedings
:01:28. > :01:31.should fall off. There are a have been many instances where the
:01:31. > :01:35.management and governance of the Fire and rescue Service has been
:01:36. > :01:39.cordoned the question. The media scout stories about whistle-blowing
:01:39. > :01:44.and members of the public have tabled questions on a wide range of
:01:44. > :01:47.concerns. The number of reviews and investigations have had to be
:01:47. > :01:57.carried out into the affairs and running of the Fire and rescue
:01:57. > :02:01.Service. We are concerned with whistle-blowing. The first report
:02:01. > :02:06.concerns allegations of irregularities with members of the
:02:06. > :02:10.staff. The report substantiates allegations made was that of the
:02:10. > :02:14.initial issues. It's a big the icy wastes witnesses in the way that
:02:15. > :02:17.whistleblowers have been treated. The report recommends the Fire and
:02:17. > :02:23.rescue service reviews its procedures for investigations of
:02:23. > :02:27.any kind on harassment, disciplinary or other procedures.
:02:27. > :02:31.It is disappointing that such issues have had to come to light
:02:31. > :02:38.through whistle-blowing rather than being picked up through proper
:02:38. > :02:42.controls and go on its arrangements. Witnesses identified, but at the
:02:43. > :02:48.same time I want to defend the right of staff to the whistle blows,
:02:48. > :02:52.but to encourage it were there are genuine concerns, and people should
:02:52. > :02:56.not feel they cannot deal with the manager in the Banque -- normal
:02:56. > :03:01.weight. The second whistle blown report relates to allegations of
:03:01. > :03:07.conflict of interest. These relate to the reconciliation of the
:03:07. > :03:11.service stores and to perform a store manager and one his own
:03:11. > :03:15.company selling professional protection equipment. The internal
:03:15. > :03:23.audit investigation found their were witnesses in managing conflict
:03:23. > :03:31.of interest and has made three recommendations and start again
:03:31. > :03:35.these recommendations must be implemented. There was a review of
:03:35. > :03:40.a firefighter recruitment exercise last year and a number of concerns
:03:40. > :03:44.were waste, some by members of this House who noted from the report
:03:44. > :03:50.that proper and appropriate governance should be adopted for
:03:50. > :03:54.the trip -- recruitment campaign. I have deep concerns that this
:03:54. > :03:57.process was introduced later and without the endorsement of the Fire
:03:57. > :04:00.and rescue Service Board which the report acknowledged should park
:04:00. > :04:05.been part of the governance arrangements appear outset. One of
:04:05. > :04:09.the issues raised was that the process was biased towards
:04:09. > :04:15.relatives of senior managers within the service. Based on the review of
:04:15. > :04:19.the document available, no direct evidence of nepotism could be found,
:04:19. > :04:24.but there was evidence of clear separation of personal interests
:04:24. > :04:31.from decision making. Can I ask what changes the Department has
:04:31. > :04:35.made to its arrangements since the issue has come to light? Does the
:04:35. > :04:39.Minister believe that department had too much of a hands-off
:04:39. > :04:44.approach in scrutinising the fire service? To department has been
:04:44. > :04:50.closely Lord in supervision of the fire service for some time no at
:04:50. > :04:53.that has led to significant changes. The separation of the role of chief
:04:53. > :04:58.fire officer from the accounting officer, chief Executive aspect of
:04:58. > :05:05.that goal, it's something that we would say it's temporary, but none
:05:05. > :05:12.the less necessary, so that we can bring a new broom in to its over
:05:12. > :05:18.lot of the issues which were called to will, within the poorer service.
:05:18. > :05:21.He's a fundamental weaknesses in any organisation. Be the basic
:05:21. > :05:27.management procedures that should be in a voluntary group, never mind
:05:27. > :05:32.an ordination this size, so, has any disciplinary action been taken
:05:32. > :05:37.against any of the senior management team for this atrocious
:05:37. > :05:41.management they had looked over? That is recommended under the Pope
:05:41. > :05:50.to look at discipline and I can hear what the member says, and
:05:50. > :05:59.perhaps it does reflect on this issue that, too often, people are
:05:59. > :06:02.moved sideways, and discipline does not take place. There is also a
:06:02. > :06:08.recommendation that we should be looking at the human resources side
:06:08. > :06:14.of up to see what disciplinary steps might be taken. The average
:06:14. > :06:20.Language Act has not gone away, and Jim Allister took the opportunity
:06:20. > :06:26.to challenge Karen McKinnon over funding for Sandy Row boxing club.
:06:26. > :06:30.How can volunteers in Sandy Row boxing club get assistance as long
:06:30. > :06:36.as the minister insists they will not be funded unless they re
:06:36. > :06:44.affiliate with the group that has discriminated against them? Worst
:06:44. > :06:51.of all, the member is wrong in what he says. Sandy Row has not been
:06:51. > :06:57.refused any funding and secondly, for the record, I asked to meet
:06:57. > :07:02.Sandy Row, and that was refused. I went to San be able boxing club on
:07:02. > :07:10.the basis of receiving allegations within the department, again, it
:07:10. > :07:15.was refused. Sandy Row boxing club refused to meet board -- sport and
:07:15. > :07:21.I. I ask them again to meet about the alleged allegations and again
:07:21. > :07:25.it was reduced. I then went and met and spoke with security
:07:25. > :07:34.representatives in the area to see what they do to Dr Sandy Row boxing
:07:34. > :07:37.club about the situation and they were told where to go. They went to
:07:37. > :07:41.Stormont Road Boxing reception with other boxers and again that was
:07:41. > :07:46.refused. For an event around the Olympics and Paralympics, again,
:07:46. > :07:49.they refused, so what I would like the member to do and I am offering
:07:49. > :07:54.a member this because he seems to be making an issue of this on
:07:54. > :07:58.behalf or Sandy Row, why don't you will tell a meeting with myself and
:07:58. > :08:04.my officials to work through these allegations around sectarianism,
:08:04. > :08:09.which no one in this house will add a tolerate or support, and, if the
:08:09. > :08:13.member is serious about getting to the bottom of this issue, he will
:08:13. > :08:18.take that invitation series there. Can I ask the Minister to confirm
:08:18. > :08:22.that and the like of evidence reported in Hansard that the new
:08:22. > :08:30.Irish language strategy can be delivered literate legislation,
:08:30. > :08:33.that the proposed Irish Language Act has now been abandoned?
:08:33. > :08:41.English-language ACPO has not been abandoned by myself -- Irish
:08:41. > :08:45.Language Act. I will repeat that Bono -- or the benefit of members
:08:45. > :08:50.with in this chamber. And look forward to the support of members
:08:50. > :08:53.in doing so also the strategies under the programme for government
:08:54. > :08:58.will need a legislative approach but we will not want to that
:08:58. > :09:03.consultation finishes and that it would like to see, at this stage
:09:03. > :09:07.that the consultations on both are still open and I eat what encourage
:09:07. > :09:15.you remember to use their influence to encourage people to feed into
:09:15. > :09:24.those consultations. Sami Khiyami, constituency in Olly money has one
:09:24. > :09:30.is it will title championship in weightlifting. You recently that a
:09:30. > :09:36.50-but the pipe age bracket category competition, whatever all
:09:36. > :09:40.that means! But it means he was very successful. And will the
:09:40. > :09:44.Minister insure competitors from all on Ireland engaged in
:09:44. > :09:49.weightlifting and other sports will be financially assisted in
:09:49. > :09:55.participation through Sports Northern Ireland in the 2014
:09:55. > :10:03.Commonwealth Games in Glasgow? thanked the Member for his question.
:10:03. > :10:08.I, too, do not know what that means but I know enough to know that I am
:10:08. > :10:13.impressed and Sammy is from your ease the juicy, and from Ballymoney,
:10:13. > :10:19.and congratulations to him because anybody competing at this level, it
:10:19. > :10:25.is no mean feat, and I would write to -- like to congratulate David
:10:25. > :10:31.McCallum, recent winner of the strongest man in Ulster. What is
:10:31. > :10:34.important is that sport Northern Ireland in conjunction with the
:10:34. > :10:38.weightlifting Association do what it were they to do to pass on
:10:38. > :10:43.recognition and that poor people like Sammy, and others, who want to
:10:43. > :10:48.compete Anne the 2014, and will teams, weightlifting has become
:10:48. > :10:54.increasingly popular, and it deserves support, but the member
:10:54. > :11:00.will it be that we have to meet the criteria as a governing body to
:11:00. > :11:03.ensure that support for a long-term future. Education minister John
:11:03. > :11:08.O'Dowd attended the standards of GCSEs this afternoon puts up he was
:11:08. > :11:13.asked how he will insure students from Northern Ireland are not
:11:13. > :11:19.disadvantaged when the exam is abolished in England. He was asked
:11:19. > :11:21.about funding for children with special educational needs. I have
:11:21. > :11:26.concern about the number of children who are not getting
:11:26. > :11:29.assessed. Is he going to put extra resources to route to the library
:11:29. > :11:39.bowled so that we allow more children to be assessed, with
:11:39. > :11:42.
:11:42. > :11:47.special needs -- the Library Board. Instead, the member has decided to
:11:47. > :11:52.speak about everything other than provision of education and
:11:52. > :11:57.educational needs of young people, of the most socially deprived areas,
:11:57. > :12:02.and got into a speech about his due of my party which has nothing to do
:12:02. > :12:07.with it. But I can assure the Member that I will ensure that
:12:07. > :12:13.resources are targeted at children with special needs. I have as part
:12:13. > :12:20.of my delivery plan protected special needs from any other
:12:20. > :12:27.savings and cuts. I will endeavour to direct more finances towards
:12:27. > :12:31.that as well. One of the driving forces behind this idea was to
:12:31. > :12:35.ensure that the quality of delivery of service, across the North,
:12:35. > :12:42.rather than what we have which is a major difference between what
:12:42. > :12:46.services are the seed, from one ball to another. -- are received. I
:12:46. > :12:53.can assure you that standards will be maintained and learners will not
:12:53. > :13:03.be disadvantaged with any changes. I will work with counterparts
:13:03. > :13:08.
:13:08. > :13:14.elsewhere in the UK to ensure that $:/STARTFEED. Thank you for your
:13:14. > :13:21.answer. Cot Minister give me his assessment of the current system in
:13:21. > :13:26.Northern Ireland, using GCSE as opposed to the proposed
:13:26. > :13:30.baccalaureate in mainland UK It's difficult to assess our current
:13:30. > :13:35.GCSE's against the proposed changes because the full details have not
:13:35. > :13:41.been published of them. I can give him an assessment. I believe our
:13:41. > :13:44.system to be robust. I believe it to be a fair challenge of the
:13:44. > :13:47.individual learners' abilities and their skill sets. However, the
:13:47. > :13:51.changes that have been made in England present us with an
:13:51. > :13:56.opportunity to review. That I have set up a review and I await the
:13:56. > :14:01.outcome of the report coming back to me before proposing any changes,
:14:01. > :14:05.if any, to our current examination system. I am satisfied that we have
:14:05. > :14:09.a robust examination system in our possession. I have said publicly
:14:09. > :14:13.before that comments elsewhere may have damaged the brand, I certainly
:14:13. > :14:17.don't want any of our young people leaving education or going tonne to
:14:17. > :14:22.further education believing that the examination they have is not up
:14:22. > :14:26.to standard. Anybody who has currently or is sitting GCSE's
:14:26. > :14:32.should be proud of their achievements. He is having a review,
:14:32. > :14:36.but can he tell us what discussions he had with Michael Gove and
:14:36. > :14:41.whether he learnt lessons from that? Have you not heard, Michael
:14:41. > :14:44.Gove doesn't want to talk to me. I have learnt the lesson that,
:14:44. > :14:50.despite repeated questions to Mr Gove for a meeting, I will always
:14:50. > :14:52.get a refusal. However, I have agreed with a meeting to one of his
:14:53. > :14:57.junior ministers responsible for examinations. We are waiting for a
:14:57. > :15:00.date. I had hoped to do a joint meeting with my Welsh counter nart
:15:00. > :15:05.regards that. That may not prove possible. We hope to do that.
:15:05. > :15:09.However, I will continue to have correspondence with Michael Gove. I
:15:09. > :15:13.will meet with his officials, despite the fact that I believe it
:15:13. > :15:15.should be a face-to-face meeting with him. I think the outcome is
:15:16. > :15:18.more important. The Education Minister, John O'Dowd.
:15:18. > :15:21.It's been the subject of much debate and today the Finance
:15:21. > :15:23.Minister, Sammy Wilson, introduced a fast-track motion calling for the
:15:23. > :15:30.elimination of Air Passenger Duty on direct long-haul flights
:15:30. > :15:36.departing from airports in Northern Ireland. Having an effective date
:15:36. > :15:40.of 1st January 2013 is our aim. This is clearly challenging, but I
:15:40. > :15:45.believe it's possible. Having the proinvestigation vision effective
:15:45. > :15:49.from January 2013 can no longer be achieved by normal passage of the
:15:49. > :15:54.Bill. To my mind, it would be wholly unacceptable if the key
:15:54. > :15:59.measures in the Bill were not operational until a much later date
:15:59. > :16:03.which would be the case if we pursued the normal Bill process in
:16:03. > :16:08.the Assembly. I'm conscious that accelerated passage should not be
:16:08. > :16:11.used lightly or unnecessarily. This is not an attempt to try to shield
:16:11. > :16:17.the Bill from the proper scrutiny it should be undertaken. As Members
:16:17. > :16:22.will be recall, at the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011, we were
:16:22. > :16:26.faced with significant concerns on the viability of the direct link
:16:26. > :16:30.between Belfast International and inch ewark. This was a direct
:16:30. > :16:33.result of the rate of air passenger duty here and in the Republic of
:16:33. > :16:37.Ireland. It was very clear that without urgent action this route
:16:37. > :16:42.would have been lost to Northern Ireland. It was a the Chancellor
:16:42. > :16:47.himself who eventually took the decision to firstly reduce our
:16:47. > :16:52.long-haul APD to the short haul rate and to begin the process of
:16:52. > :17:02.devoluming the necessary powers to us. I would like to again put on
:17:02. > :17:03.
:17:03. > :17:07.record my thanks to him for that -- dedevolume vinge. This left a rate
:17:07. > :17:11.of duty that was significantly higher than the rate in the
:17:11. > :17:16.Republic of Ireland. A commitment was given in the programme for
:17:16. > :17:20.government that the Executive would act quickly to reduce the duty on
:17:20. > :17:26.these flights to zero. Some in this House, Mr Deputy Speaker, would
:17:26. > :17:31.like to devolve all fiscal powers to Northern Ireland. Or? The SDLP's
:17:31. > :17:36.case set up another quaun go to consider the issue, this is not the
:17:36. > :17:41.view of my party. They must consider any proposal of changes to
:17:41. > :17:45.fiscal atomy on a case by case basis and any support offered by
:17:45. > :17:50.the Ulster unionist party is qualified and not to be taken as an
:17:50. > :17:56.opening of the floodgates for the devolution the fiscal powers.
:17:56. > :18:00.devolution of ref new-raising power to a region inevitably brings with
:18:00. > :18:06.it a cost, in this case, as mentioned earlier on, the cost is
:18:06. > :18:13.estimated to be around �5 million. That's against an estimated benefit
:18:13. > :18:18.to the region of �100 million in the space of seven years. With
:18:18. > :18:24.further potential from other routes in the future. What monitoring will
:18:24. > :18:29.there be to make sure that it is indeed the consumer, not the
:18:29. > :18:32.airline companies which derive all the benefit from this?
:18:32. > :18:36.The TUV MLA, Jim Allister. This afternoon, Members debated a
:18:36. > :18:38.DUP motion on the fate of the so- called Disappeared.
:18:38. > :18:41.The motion highlighted the plight of the seven families whose
:18:41. > :18:46.relatives' remains still have not been located and called on anyone
:18:46. > :18:52.with information to co-operate fully with the authorities. We hear
:18:52. > :18:56.much talk of moving on, but how account families of the disappeared
:18:56. > :19:02.move on? If we to move forward in Northern Ireland, it's crucial that
:19:02. > :19:07.everyone, I mean everyone, is honest and open about the past. Mr
:19:07. > :19:14.Speaker, I don't believe we need a truth commission. I believe we
:19:14. > :19:18.simply need people to tell the truth. Sadly, it seems to me, that
:19:19. > :19:22.the Members opposite are only interested in hiding the per --
:19:22. > :19:26.highlighted the perceived crimes of our national government. They are
:19:26. > :19:32.not keen to have the spotlight shown on their past or that of
:19:32. > :19:39.their friends. It is time for open, honest and forthright confessions
:19:39. > :19:44.from some key people. Justice demands it, common decency demands
:19:44. > :19:48.it, grieving families demand it and the blood of the 19 murdered people
:19:48. > :19:52.known as the Disappeared demands it. My party has made concrete and
:19:52. > :19:55.specific proposals in terms 7 of an international and independent truth
:19:55. > :20:00.recovery commission. I think that other parties should think that
:20:00. > :20:03.they have better ideas should at least attempt to bring them forward
:20:03. > :20:07.for consideration. For it is part the IRA apologised for the grief it
:20:07. > :20:11.caused. It acknowledged its intention in working closely with
:20:11. > :20:15.the special forensic investigating team has been to rectify this
:20:15. > :20:21.injustice. It has accepted full responsibility for it is actions. I
:20:21. > :20:25.know that that will not cut much ice on the benches opposite, but I
:20:25. > :20:31.lsz know that despite the fact it will not be any great consolation
:20:31. > :20:35.to the families of those involved, but it does address their very,
:20:35. > :20:40.very sincere desire to arrange a Christian burial for their love
:20:40. > :20:44.ones. I say this was sanctions by the IRA Armyy council there is no
:20:44. > :20:48.way that the IRA would have acted without the authority of their army
:20:48. > :20:53.council. The fact it went on for so long is also an indication it had
:20:53. > :20:56.the approval of the army council. The fact that the IRA had human
:20:56. > :21:01.remains from families over the period indicates this was part of
:21:01. > :21:04.the policy of the IRA. Why was tht policy of the IRA? What was to be
:21:04. > :21:08.gained with the retention of human remains? Clearly, for families
:21:08. > :21:12.there was always the hope that their loved one would come home,
:21:12. > :21:17.many mothers and fathers went to their graves waiting for their son
:21:17. > :21:20.to return home and I'm sure the families held a hope in hair their
:21:20. > :21:26.hearts that their mother would come home, even though they knew that
:21:26. > :21:30.Daewoo never come. When I think of the 16 Disappeared and the denial
:21:30. > :21:39.of their families' right to a Christian burial, I always think of
:21:39. > :21:45.a quote, "The foolings, the fools, whilst Ireland holds these graves"
:21:45. > :21:49.this is one of the fathers of the Irish - of Irish repub Blanc
:21:49. > :21:54.cannism significantifying the importance of the place of rest
:21:54. > :21:57.within Irish culture and within Irish republicanism. It's a
:21:57. > :22:02.demonstration of how much comtempt the Provisional IRA demonstrated
:22:02. > :22:06.towards the Irish people that they strayed from the basic dignity of a
:22:06. > :22:11.grave. It's very difficult to comprehend the scale of the
:22:11. > :22:17.heartbreak and the trauma that the families of the "disappeared "have
:22:17. > :22:22.been forced to endure, over for what has been a lifetime. I can pay
:22:22. > :22:27.tribute, as the motion does, to the couragious perseverence of the
:22:27. > :22:32.victims' families to locating the remains of their loved ones. We
:22:32. > :22:36.fully support their campaign. This is a very, very personal issue for
:22:36. > :22:40.the families of the "disappeared" it is part of a wider issue of how
:22:40. > :22:45.we deal with the legacy of our past in Northern Ireland. The approach
:22:45. > :22:48.to date has been regrettably and painfully piecemeal. The Alliance
:22:49. > :22:57.Party has consistently held that the legacy of our recent past is
:22:57. > :23:01.too important and affects too many people to be dealt with in this way.
:23:01. > :23:05.Does Northern Ireland need an Armed Forces Advocate. The Ulster
:23:05. > :23:10.unionist party thinks so. Mike Nesbitt is with me now. Thank you
:23:10. > :23:14.for joining us. What would an Armed Forces Advocate do, precisely?
:23:14. > :23:19.would advocate on behalf of serving and former members of the military.
:23:19. > :23:23.It goes back, Mark, to the armed forces covenant which came out of
:23:23. > :23:28.Westminster. This is, basically, an acknowledgment that, as a nation,
:23:28. > :23:31.we have a moral obligation to our armed forces, nothing to the do
:23:31. > :23:36.with the Troubles, not Northern Ireland-specific. Not about the
:23:36. > :23:39.conflict here. A recognition that our young people serve in Iraq,
:23:39. > :23:45.Afghanistan, and they put themselves in harms way. Some get
:23:45. > :23:49.injured. I wouldn't be the only MLA who has helped them. I have gone to
:23:49. > :23:54.people who have lost their limbs putting themselves in harm's way.
:23:54. > :23:56.It's a question of making sure there is somebody who has an eye on
:23:57. > :24:01.their needs. Scotland has an Armed Forces Advocate. It's actually the
:24:01. > :24:05.Chief Executive of the NHS in Scotland. Wales has an Armed Forces
:24:05. > :24:09.Advocate. That is the Chief Executive of their Community and
:24:09. > :24:12.Local Government Organisations. We don't have one here. That is an
:24:12. > :24:16.equality issue. Are you suggesting that an individual be appointed to
:24:16. > :24:20.hold this post or that somebody with an existing post take on this
:24:20. > :24:24.additional responsibility? That can be argued either way. There are two
:24:24. > :24:27.people currently have posts in Scotland and Wales who have picked
:24:27. > :24:30.up this responsibility. You could have a commissioner. Northern
:24:30. > :24:33.Ireland we have a commissioner for victims and survivors. A
:24:33. > :24:36.commissioner for older people, younger people. We have a
:24:36. > :24:41.commissioner for equality and for human rights. A council for ethnic
:24:41. > :24:45.minorities. This is a glaring miss that we are not looking after our
:24:45. > :24:48.armed forces and veterans. You can understand, given what you have
:24:48. > :24:50.said, people in Northern Ireland saying enough commissioner, we
:24:51. > :24:55.don't need another commissioner and all the cost that is would bring
:24:55. > :24:57.with it? You could do it by saying to somebody with the necessary
:24:57. > :25:02.skills, expertise and experience, would you take that under your
:25:02. > :25:07.wing? It's a question of looking at how policy on education, on housing
:25:07. > :25:10.on health affects people. I mean, as far as I understand it, if you
:25:10. > :25:14.come back, having served in the armed forces in England, you have
:25:14. > :25:18.been living on an army base, you don't have a home much you go to
:25:18. > :25:22.the housing executive. You get no more points you would do if you
:25:22. > :25:24.were coming out of jail. That is not right. You know that this would
:25:24. > :25:27.be controversial given the political landscape in Northern
:25:27. > :25:31.Ireland. You are trying to bring this in by the back door. You are
:25:31. > :25:35.looking for legislation in Westminster rather than here in
:25:35. > :25:39.Stormont? I'm trying to make it happen. I'm recognising the
:25:39. > :25:43.political realities. There is an opportunity - The political reality
:25:43. > :25:45.being it wouldn't happen if it was down to the Assembly? I don't think
:25:46. > :25:49.you would get cross community support for this within the
:25:50. > :25:53.Assembly. I think that's wrong. Contingency's a shame. It's not
:25:53. > :25:55.about the Troubles. It's about people who serve in our armed
:25:56. > :25:58.forces. In the way that people serve in the armed forces in the
:25:58. > :26:02.Republic of Ireland, in the United States of America. Any country in
:26:03. > :26:06.the world. Making sure they are not disadvantaged. Now, there is a
:26:06. > :26:09.possibility, to get this through Westminster I have been in touch
:26:09. > :26:13.with the Secretary of State's for Northern Ireland, Scotland and
:26:13. > :26:16.Wales and also with the shadow secretaries I met them at the
:26:16. > :26:22.Labour Party Conference. Some of these people were expressing
:26:22. > :26:30.surprise we don't have an Armed Forces Advocate here. And surprised
:26:30. > :26:33.it's deemed to be controversial. Mrs Villiers going to try to get
:26:33. > :26:38.through Westminster? She hasn't declared her hand. I have declared
:26:38. > :26:42.my hand. I think this is the way to do. It I don't think there would be
:26:42. > :26:45.anybody voting on this Bill who exercises their vote who would not
:26:45. > :26:51.support the idea of the advocate. Where would the money come from to
:26:51. > :26:54.pay for it? It wouldn't be free, there would be cost implications?
:26:54. > :27:00.It wouldn't necessarily have to be expensive. It's a person to keep an
:27:00. > :27:04.eye on policy and to advise people like the 108MLAs of the
:27:04. > :27:10.implications. Section 75, which gives rights, in terms of
:27:10. > :27:13.protecting minorities and their equality issues, actually mitigates
:27:13. > :27:17.against members of the armed forces and veterans. What about the local
:27:17. > :27:21.parties here? I don't know if you have spoken to them in great detail.
:27:21. > :27:29.I imagine the DUP would think it's a good idea, I would imagine Sinn
:27:29. > :27:33.Fein would think it's a bad bad idea. What about the other parties?
:27:33. > :27:37.The DUP I would hope would support it. The Alliance I would hope they
:27:37. > :27:44.would support it. Have you discussed it with any of them?
:27:44. > :27:49.haven't. We had a meeting with 18- 20 groups who have something to do
:27:49. > :27:52.with armed forces, Combat Stress and the Royal British Legion. There
:27:53. > :27:55.are so many organisations all doing great work in their own right, but
:27:55. > :28:00.not necessarily well co-ordinated. That is a role the Commissioner
:28:00. > :28:04.could take on. I can't let you escape without asking you if things
:28:04. > :28:08.have settled in the Ulster unionist party after the high drama of two
:28:08. > :28:12.years ago when you sacked your deputy? Took a lot of criticism for
:28:12. > :28:16.it, it has to be said? Some people gave me criticism. A lot of people
:28:16. > :28:19.came in in support. I have stood down the position. It doesn't
:28:19. > :28:23.actually have any great value. stood down the position but sacked
:28:23. > :28:28.the individual? You can't leave the person in post if the post doesn't
:28:28. > :28:32.exist. Yeah. I have been in post for six months. The media say I
:28:32. > :28:36.face crisis after crisis much I don't feel I have faced a crisis.
:28:36. > :28:39.We are in transition. We are doing it well before we go into an
:28:39. > :28:44.election. I think it's the right thing to do. There is pain involved
:28:44. > :28:47.in this. We are getting to where we want to be. Have you kissed and
:28:47. > :28:54.made up? John and I had a great meeting this morning on another
:28:54. > :28:57.issue. It's all behind snu As far as I'm concerned. John has given
:28:57. > :29:00.every indication we are moving forward postively. Thank you very
:29:00. > :29:03.much. That's it from Stormont Today for