:00:26. > :00:30.Stormont Today. Coming up: The Prime Minister calls Northern
:00:30. > :00:35.Ireland's recent political progress an inspiration. It is a
:00:35. > :00:41.transformation that I believe can be an intir ration to the world -- an
:00:41. > :00:43.spir ration to the world. All of the G8 leaders who came here, commented
:00:43. > :00:48.how remarkable it was to hold this G8 here.
:00:48. > :00:53.We will discuss the G8 and Obama and what it means for Northern Ireland
:00:53. > :01:03.with Stephen McCaffery. A new planning policy to promote tourism
:01:03. > :01:04.
:01:04. > :01:08.in Northern Ireland is announced by the Environment Minister. This is a
:01:08. > :01:17.pathway for the provision of sustainable and high quality tourism
:01:17. > :01:21.Well, it has been quite a week so far. We have had the President of
:01:21. > :01:26.the United States urging teenagers in Belfast to keep pushing the peace
:01:26. > :01:29.process forward and for the past 24 hours, the leaders of eight of the
:01:29. > :01:34.most influential countries in the world have been hold up in Fermanagh
:01:34. > :01:39.discussing a host of issues. The leaders have left with a deal on tax
:01:39. > :01:45.evasion in place and a plan to tackle the Civil War in Syria. It
:01:45. > :01:48.has been a remarkable 48 hours, hasn't it? It has. It has been a
:01:48. > :01:52.success from the prospective of the Northern Ireland Executive. If they
:01:52. > :01:57.had written the script, they couldn't have drawn it up better.
:01:57. > :02:01.David Cameron was clearly delighted delighted himself to host the summit
:02:01. > :02:04.in Fermanagh. Let's have a flavour of what had he had to say
:02:04. > :02:09.afterwards. 25 years ago when a terribling bomb
:02:09. > :02:15.attack killed -- terrible bomb attack killed people down the road a
:02:15. > :02:18.G8 in count County Fermanagh would have been unimaginable. Today, the
:02:18. > :02:21.world has seen a new Northern Ireland that is not only beautiful
:02:21. > :02:26.as you can see from the scene behind me, but a Northern Ireland that is
:02:26. > :02:30.open for business. It is a transformation that I believe tb an
:02:30. > :02:34.inspiration to the world. And many of the, I think all of the G8
:02:34. > :02:38.leaders who came here, commented on how remarkable it was to hold this
:02:39. > :02:43.G8 here and what a powerful message it sent and what it meant to them.
:02:43. > :02:47.As you you say, Stephen, the power of pictures there, should not really
:02:47. > :02:55.be under estimated. The weather was kind, but it did look stunning?
:02:55. > :02:59.Yeah. I think if you think of this all of this from the prospect
:02:59. > :03:02.prospective affen an international audience -- of an international
:03:02. > :03:05.audience, people would be used to seeing riots. Now they get to see
:03:05. > :03:09.the place from a different prospective and it is hard to expect
:03:09. > :03:12.that won't have an impact, it is a question of how big or not it will
:03:12. > :03:20.help tourism. You were down there yesterday so you
:03:20. > :03:25.got a sense of what was what it was like. Did you feel removed from the
:03:25. > :03:29.discussion in the resort? The real action was at removed from the local
:03:29. > :03:34.community. There was a really positive atmosphere and I just
:03:34. > :03:38.happened to be from Enniskillen and spoke to people I know locally and I
:03:38. > :03:43.think people are pleased that it happened and they were enjoying the
:03:43. > :03:47.fun of watching the cavalcades pass through the town.
:03:47. > :03:50.It is hard to put your finger on the benefits. There were all sorts of
:03:50. > :03:53.suggestions about hundreds of millions of pounds for the economy.
:03:53. > :03:59.It will take sometime before we see that come through one way or the
:03:59. > :04:02.other? There will be a few pinches of salt taken with the prediction of
:04:02. > :04:08.a multi-million pound benefit. It is hard to see that the benefit
:04:08. > :04:15.couldn't be positive. We had the President here and that is a major
:04:15. > :04:18.benefit not just to tourism but as a further support of the political
:04:18. > :04:22.process. The Environment Minister has
:04:22. > :04:29.introduced a new planning policy allowing developers to build in the
:04:29. > :04:34.countryside if it promotes promotes tourism and helps create jobs.
:04:34. > :04:39.With the spotlight of the world on us, with the particular tension in
:04:39. > :04:47.Fermanagh -- attention in Fermanagh this new policy is timely and
:04:47. > :04:52.relevant. As we do so, safeguard our great heritage. It deals with
:04:52. > :04:58.tourist development in settlement areas and in rural areas. It
:04:58. > :05:02.protects from inappropriate development. It safeg tour tourism
:05:03. > :05:09.assets, but it creates opportunities at the same time. The targets for
:05:09. > :05:16.achievement by 2020 are to increase visitor numbers to 4. 5 million and
:05:16. > :05:22.to double earnings from tourism to �1 billion. All of that, Mr Speaker
:05:22. > :05:28.will revolve around the scale of our natural and built herltage where six
:05:28. > :05:32.out of ten top visitor attractions in Northern Ireland are built on
:05:32. > :05:36.natural heritage. And the tourist opportunities around them will
:05:36. > :05:40.create jobs and opportunities for many people. This is not a
:05:40. > :05:45.free-for-all of tourist development in settlement areas and rural
:05:45. > :05:52.locations, Mr Deputy Speaker. This is a pathway for the provision of
:05:52. > :05:56.sustainable and high quality tourism developments. Tourism development
:05:56. > :06:03.should preferably revolve around settlements whether defined in terms
:06:03. > :06:10.of being a village or hamlet or a town or a city, clearly because the
:06:10. > :06:17.sin erge that can be created, tour tourism opportunities can arise.
:06:17. > :06:26.That's why PPS 16 has a general presumption in favour of tourism
:06:27. > :06:34.development within settlements. question is a follow on to Ms
:06:34. > :06:44.Lowe's. And will that criteria include issues of natural tourist
:06:44. > :06:45.
:06:45. > :06:51.attractions? Like the Mournes like the scausway Coast and would the
:06:51. > :06:55.Lough Erne Golf Resort get planning permission because there wasn't
:06:55. > :07:02.always a golf course or other attractions on that site? I am not
:07:02. > :07:07.saying whether those new standards would apply to Lough Erne Golf
:07:07. > :07:12.Resort. It is safe to say this, in terms of the use of that piece of
:07:12. > :07:17.land for tourism opportunities, matching hotel of a high standard
:07:17. > :07:23.would have a high standard, my judgement is that under previous
:07:23. > :07:26.policy or under this future policy, in my view, it gets over the line.
:07:26. > :07:32.Am I right in thinking that for example, under exceptional
:07:32. > :07:38.circumstances, this new PPS 16 has the worthwhile all to override the
:07:38. > :07:42.restrictions. Otherwise we would still be coming back to the same old
:07:42. > :07:48.arguments that we have had for year to get planning in, especially for
:07:49. > :07:52.the farming community and for the non-farming rural dweller?
:07:52. > :07:56.member is reading the mood of the House wrong and the content of the
:07:56. > :07:59.document wrong. If it ends up that we have the same outcome as we did
:07:59. > :08:05.under the previous needs based test then the member might be justified
:08:05. > :08:10.in drawing that conclusion. But to draw that conclusion this, the same
:08:10. > :08:17.old restriction to borrow his language, in terms of this policy,
:08:17. > :08:23.shaped in that environment reworked since the consul consultation in
:08:23. > :08:25.order to acknowledge there might be a need in the rural location, I
:08:25. > :08:30.don't think you can draw the conclusion based on a document
:08:30. > :08:34.that's just been issued that it will have the same old restriction when
:08:34. > :08:39.the policy contend is about trying to rework all restrictions and to
:08:39. > :08:42.have the right constraints and the right opportunities.
:08:42. > :08:46.The Environment Minister. High level issues were debated during Question
:08:46. > :08:49.Time today when the roof of Parliament buildings and what flag
:08:49. > :08:54.flies on it were discussed. Members of the Assembly Commission answered
:08:54. > :08:58.questions on both topics with the Alliance MLA making it clear, there
:08:58. > :09:02.is no predetermined outcome for the number of days the Union flag should
:09:02. > :09:07.be flown over Stormont. The commission has not set out to
:09:07. > :09:11.outline the number of days in which the Union flag will fly over
:09:11. > :09:14.Parliament Buildings. The commission tasked officials to bring back a
:09:14. > :09:24.report following consultation with Assembly parties reviewing the
:09:24. > :09:25.
:09:25. > :09:30.number of days upon which the Union flag flies from Parliament Buildings
:09:30. > :09:37.and arrangements for carrying out an EQUIA.
:09:37. > :09:45.Parties were invited to submit written statements and the responses
:09:45. > :09:52.have been analysed. Why is there feet dragging on this important
:09:52. > :09:57.issue? Well, I thank the member for his question. What the commission
:09:57. > :10:00.agreed to was to detail a range of options and to set out how a preses
:10:00. > :10:03.of public consultation -- process of public consultation would be carried
:10:03. > :10:06.out, not to go ahead and proceed with that. There will be a number of
:10:06. > :10:10.options which we will look at in the report when it is brought to us next
:10:10. > :10:19.week. Would she agree with me that the
:10:19. > :10:26.commission took the wise position in June 2002 when it decided ra that
:10:26. > :10:36.rather the contentious the issues of flags, it would be the issue of the
:10:36. > :10:37.
:10:37. > :10:41.parties. .s .s. The commission did agree back in 2000 that the flags
:10:41. > :10:45.issue is a political issue. The procedures of the commission do
:10:45. > :10:48.allow members to bring a motion forward at any time. When the
:10:48. > :10:52.commission member brought that motion forward, options have been
:10:52. > :10:55.looked at and again, one of the options maybe, I have not seen the
:10:55. > :10:58.paper yet, we will see it next Wednesday, but one of the options
:10:58. > :11:01.maybe to ask for the assembly working group to look at this and
:11:01. > :11:05.take it forward. To clarify that point, will the
:11:05. > :11:10.commission leave it until the deliberations of the working group
:11:10. > :11:15.on flags and symbols commissioned commissioned has completed this
:11:15. > :11:18.work? As I have said already, the commission will look at the way
:11:18. > :11:22.forward on Wednesday. We will look at the options detailed there. I
:11:22. > :11:26.would imagine that one of the options outlined would be to await
:11:26. > :11:31.the outcome of the working group, but I can't comment on what the
:11:31. > :11:36.commission will decide to do. The commission has confirmed that no
:11:36. > :11:40.noise and disruption to plenary sittings will be toll ratedz during
:11:40. > :11:45.the construction period and it is looking at options to mitigate
:11:45. > :11:49.disruption to committee meetings. Is it likely that committee meetings
:11:49. > :11:55.will be held outside Parliament buildings? Clearly, the assembly
:11:55. > :12:03.commission looked at a variety of options including holding the
:12:03. > :12:13.meetings here and we have some staff in the building that will be leaving
:12:13. > :12:14.
:12:14. > :12:18.the building due to the seriousness of the boshing. There is an option
:12:18. > :12:21.to -- seriousness of the work. There is the option of retaining the
:12:21. > :12:27.integrity of the committee meetings within Parliament buildings, but
:12:27. > :12:30.both that comes with restrictions on the contractor, we have to ensure
:12:30. > :12:35.there will be no disruption and noise levels when the committees are
:12:35. > :12:40.taking a place as well due to a number of matters including the
:12:40. > :12:46.Hansard and the television recordings of those meetings. We are
:12:46. > :12:50.intending holding a further meeting. This is an issue we need to resolve
:12:50. > :12:54.before the surmer to get the best -- summer to get the best deal for this
:12:54. > :12:57.House. The Regional Development Minister
:12:57. > :13:04.outlined his hopes to cut a deal to finance new road projects following
:13:05. > :13:11.delays to the A 5 scheme. But when he took to his feet, Danny Kennedy
:13:11. > :13:15.wanted to recognise the historical days just past. Can I, as it is the
:13:15. > :13:20.first opportunity I had, to pay tribute I think and place on record
:13:20. > :13:24.on behalf of myself and indeed my party and I hope the whole House for
:13:24. > :13:33.the iconic images that Northern Ireland has benefited from as a
:13:33. > :13:36.result of the G8. I think the whole House will share that. You made
:13:36. > :13:42.reference to the iconic scenes within the last two hours but some
:13:42. > :13:46.of those are marked by illegal flags another emblem is being flown from
:13:46. > :13:50.lamp posts and other buildings that are part of your responsible to you.
:13:50. > :13:59.What actions are you going to take, Minister, to attempt to have these
:13:59. > :14:06.flags removed? My department has signed up to the joint protocol and
:14:06. > :14:12.is generally not perceived to be the lead agency. The Housing executive
:14:12. > :14:18.and DST are better placed to assume that lead role. My department's main
:14:18. > :14:22.role under the protocol is to provide the access equipment and the
:14:22. > :14:29.resources to remove unwanted flags once agreement has been reached that
:14:29. > :14:37.they should be taken down and the local community is unable to easily
:14:37. > :14:43.gain access to them. So the onus is working with local communities, as
:14:43. > :14:49.the member will understand. Following the recent ruling on the
:14:49. > :14:54.scheme, I wrote to the Finance mist on the 9th of May 2013 to declare a
:14:54. > :15:01.reduced Budget requirement in relation to the 2013-14 year. It is
:15:01. > :15:08.essential we quickly be deployed this reduced requirement to apply to
:15:08. > :15:18.the construction sector and the economy at this time. How many of
:15:18. > :15:18.
:15:18. > :15:23.those projects are pretty much ready -- our procurement ready? It was a
:15:24. > :15:29.situation I inherited as roads Minister and to deal with that very
:15:29. > :15:34.issue and looking forward in terms of financial allocations, there are
:15:34. > :15:43.schemes that I want to bring forward. They might be described
:15:43. > :15:53.currently as procurement ready but not otherwise ready and they include
:15:53. > :15:59.
:15:59. > :16:04.the Asix and indeed the bypass and the A55 and the A26 scheme, so those
:16:04. > :16:11.schemes that are in the next wave, if you like, of strategic schemes to
:16:11. > :16:17.be carried out. And I hope it much that both he and his party, at an
:16:17. > :16:21.executive level particularly, will give me the necessary reassurance to
:16:21. > :16:24.bring forward other schemes so that we're not in a situation where this
:16:24. > :16:31.executive has two had money back to the Treasury. The Regional
:16:31. > :16:41.Development Minister. Access to broadband in rural areas is an issue
:16:41. > :16:43.
:16:43. > :16:49.brought forward frequently to the House. A Sinn Fein motion called on
:16:49. > :16:52.targeting areas with greatest need. This is an important issue. This
:16:52. > :16:56.does not just affect people who are working at home, who have
:16:56. > :17:03.businesses, but it also affects regular people, just like you and
:17:03. > :17:09.me, there I said -- dare I say it. It is exhume the frustrating
:17:09. > :17:13.whenever speeds are so slow at times. There is something that is
:17:13. > :17:18.more frustrating and I think it is the fact that the broadband
:17:18. > :17:27.providers almost do treat everyone the same, regardless of the speed of
:17:27. > :17:37.Internet that they are receiving. All rural consumers should have the
:17:37. > :17:39.
:17:39. > :17:42.Saints beat as their urban counterparts. Our schools need a
:17:42. > :17:48.good service. This was one of the problems we had with computer-based
:17:48. > :17:54.assessment. I have heard concerns raised recently, indeed by the first
:17:54. > :17:57.Minister, about the displacement of jobs should enterprise areas be set
:17:57. > :18:04.up in Northern Ireland. The reality is that such poor broadband
:18:04. > :18:08.provision is having a similar effect in rural areas because it is leading
:18:08. > :18:16.businesses to relocate elsewhere. Some of the reports that have been
:18:16. > :18:23.brought forward by Ofcom, be of the structure report, looks at broadband
:18:23. > :18:32.figures. I do think it is important to reflect on the north-west only
:18:33. > :18:41.compare Derry as a connected city to the likes of others, were me look at
:18:41. > :18:50.figures of 12.7% receiving less than two megabytes in Derry. I am afraid
:18:50. > :18:55.I cannot rise and support the general goodwill on this issue. I am
:18:55. > :19:05.rather disappointed by the progress that we have actually made in the
:19:05. > :19:06.
:19:06. > :19:16.process. The four of the top local authorities survey by Ofcom for the
:19:16. > :19:21.
:19:22. > :19:30.broadband blackspots were Omar and three others , . We have had many
:19:31. > :19:34.opportunities to discuss this, even though I have said previously that I
:19:34. > :19:39.was not available. I have made myself available and I'm happy to do
:19:39. > :19:43.that. I am very happy to agree that there is a continuing need for
:19:43. > :19:49.further improvement of broadband. That is what we are looking at at
:19:49. > :19:59.present in its infrastructure, both in roll and urban areas -- in rural
:19:59. > :20:00.
:20:00. > :20:04.and urban areas. Telecommunications matters are reserved immolation to a
:20:04. > :20:13.lot of the areas and my department really only has limited powers to
:20:13. > :20:22.intervene in what is a privatised and regulated market, regulated by
:20:22. > :20:25.Ofcom. Your party put this motion forward but as we had the minister
:20:25. > :20:31.say that, it is not a devolved issue. There is not a great deal
:20:31. > :20:41.more she can do. In terms of rewarding licences and the
:20:41. > :20:42.
:20:42. > :20:47.regulation of broadband, there is that she can do. It is the private
:20:47. > :20:57.companies who invest. She can encourage further investment into
:20:57. > :21:01.
:21:01. > :21:06.those areas. Is she doing a good job or do you think she can do more?
:21:06. > :21:11.Compared with England, Scotland, Wales and the rest of Ireland, the
:21:11. > :21:20.percentage of superfast broadband is higher than we have. There are still
:21:20. > :21:25.do many gaps. We heard about some of the blackspots, if you like,
:21:25. > :21:30.particularly in the West. Your view is that they are outstripped by
:21:30. > :21:35.parts of the manor. Places like Fermanagh would be the worst
:21:35. > :21:40.affected areas because they are the most sparsely populated areas. It is
:21:40. > :21:46.less attractive for commercial operators to go into those areas.
:21:46. > :21:49.The view we put forward as MLAs was we need encouragement for these
:21:49. > :21:58.commercial providers to go into these areas and provide services to
:21:58. > :22:04.the citizens. Did some businesses not do well out of G8 because
:22:04. > :22:14.telecommunications got a shot in the arm over the last weekend. Will that
:22:14. > :22:18.
:22:18. > :22:24.be a lasting thing? There were a few temporary masts put up in
:22:24. > :22:30.Enniskillen and Lough Erne, so it is not a lasting impact. We are hoping
:22:30. > :22:35.to see a lasting impact in the long-term. On the G8, you have been
:22:36. > :22:41.a critic about it in the run-up to it happening. Now it has happened
:22:41. > :22:46.peaceably, now that mobile man the other leaders have said what they
:22:46. > :22:52.said as we saw David Cameron saying how wonderful it had been, a great
:22:52. > :22:58.backdrop to the summit, al you any more positively disposed towards it?
:22:58. > :23:03.In terms of the actual G8 that took place, I'm happy that there was no
:23:03. > :23:06.trouble. Fermanagh's image has been promoted around the world as a
:23:06. > :23:10.friendly place where people are welcome and thankfully the good
:23:11. > :23:19.weather was there. I'm delighted that the positive image has been
:23:19. > :23:25.said around the world. Thank you. The Culture Minister today rejected
:23:25. > :23:33.a suggestion that she should help fund uniforms for marching bands.
:23:33. > :23:39.She was asked to fund the 600 bands in Ireland. We offer funding to
:23:39. > :23:44.marching bands from all communities to maintain music making. We're
:23:44. > :23:51.Premier League concerned with the funding of musical as rents and
:23:51. > :24:01.tuition to ensure that characters in can be maintained. That does not
:24:01. > :24:04.
:24:04. > :24:10.covered uniforms. Can we explore further the possibilities that the
:24:10. > :24:17.marching bands have? I'm happy to meet any minister at a time about
:24:17. > :24:21.any subject and the test that all ministers are charged with is public
:24:21. > :24:31.interest. There is an interest here in providing musical as rents and
:24:31. > :24:32.
:24:32. > :24:37.tuition because that is a skill and talent. The area of uniforms is a
:24:37. > :24:40.private things for the bands themselves. I'm happy to see any
:24:40. > :24:46.minister to see what can come forward from that. As of June, the
:24:46. > :24:56.total number of athletes registered for the games is 5815 with an
:24:56. > :25:04.
:25:04. > :25:07.expectation of reaching over 7000. This will provide a compressor set
:25:07. > :25:12.of education resources to inform people about the The World Police
:25:12. > :25:17.and Fire Games. Just in response to some of the negativity going around
:25:17. > :25:23.especially from one journalistic source in terms of the reduced
:25:23. > :25:28.numbers that were predicted. Can the Minister give us any indication of
:25:28. > :25:35.the results of the spin-off from the competitors and the further spin-off
:25:35. > :25:39.from those who come with the competitors? It is a good economic
:25:39. > :25:45.situation and will the Minister ensure that the parliament be
:25:45. > :25:49.positive in terms of the figures we have? I share the members concerns.
:25:49. > :25:55.Like spirit as last year around the Olympic and Paralympic Games,
:25:55. > :26:01.particularly around the torch relay. Not to be petty but there was a
:26:01. > :26:07.degree of eating humble pie from certain sections of the media. I
:26:07. > :26:12.expect people, although it is mainly based in Belfast, people will come
:26:12. > :26:19.out to support the athletes and their families. We will welcome
:26:19. > :26:25.them. There will be a cultural event around this. The work from the
:26:25. > :26:35.schools is excellent. The volunteering has been
:26:35. > :26:39.
:26:39. > :26:43.oversubscribed. That is the -- that is an important aspect. We all
:26:43. > :26:48.recall the success of the Olympic torch relay and the enthusiasm of
:26:48. > :26:54.the Minister to be seen to be present when the torch arrived. Will
:26:54. > :27:02.we have the same enthusiasm and presence when the Queen's Batten
:27:03. > :27:11.arrives in the run-up to the edges, mother games? -- the Commonwealth
:27:11. > :27:17.Games? Organisers, coaches and athletes that are taking part in the
:27:17. > :27:23.Commonwealth Games in 2014, they will be welcome. To suggest anything
:27:23. > :27:29.else would be churlish. We have had a lot of talk about big
:27:29. > :27:33.politics over the last 48 hours. Now the focus will be remarked back to
:27:33. > :27:37.day-to-day politics in Northern Ireland, isn't it? We are back to
:27:37. > :27:42.business now. In the rap to the and the president 's speech and the
:27:42. > :27:48.knowledge he was arriving, we had a lot of action with the negotiation
:27:48. > :27:51.between the parties. What we have seen now is that the welfare
:27:51. > :27:56.legislation has not been settled so that is a bit of a hangover from
:27:56. > :27:59.that negotiation ways. That is something that has to be dealt with
:27:59. > :28:03.as soon as possible and will affect a huge amount of people who are all
:28:03. > :28:07.be under pressure because of the recession. The clock is really
:28:07. > :28:10.taking on that because the House breaks up in the first week of July.
:28:10. > :28:15.It is not act until the start of September. This is indeed be made
:28:15. > :28:19.now. If people aren't going to lose outdoorsy end of the year. It does
:28:19. > :28:25.come down to that, doesn't it? were one or two deadlines that could
:28:25. > :28:30.not be passed and we have passed them. It shows how difficult a topic
:28:30. > :28:34.it is it affects modern peeping directly than some future projects
:28:34. > :28:39.because when these cuts to hit, they will hit the people who are already
:28:39. > :28:41.feeling the pinch from the economic problems. There is obviously a high
:28:42. > :28:46.degree of nervousness between the parties about how they will be all