21/11/2011 Stormont Today

Hello. Welcome to Stormont Today. While phone hacking is dominating

the news again with a movie star ranting against the tabloids, life

is equally gripping up here on the hill.

Jim Allister showed off his softer side. It was in the Queen's library

I first asked my wife to go out with me. It was the turn of the

SDLP to play bad cop. Here we are, speaking on cleebing rivers when

there are more -- cleaning rivers Money and how to make more of it is

the driving force behind the executive's programme for

Government. Would you give the executive a loan,

based on their programme for Government? There is a dispute in

terms of the success of the last one, was it 50 or two-thirds of the

programme. It was delivered. I might charge a high interest rate

for that. It is risky. Speaking of interest rates, one of their big

pledges is to have this loan, this money available to small and

medium-sized businesses. Of course the banks have had a particularly

hard time, justifiably so many would say. This is the Government's

answer then, to take business away from the banks? We will see how it

works. I with speak as someone from a bank who has not taken any

taxpayers' money. It is risky out there. We have to be very

responsive to our shareholders in terms of how we lend. Obviously the

Government will see the dilemma for us. They will have to be cautious

with the taxpayers' money and the type of loans they make. Could you

do more though? Could the banks do more to help our smaller

businesses? Certainly we have a programme, Let's Talk Business,

which the bank has run for a time now.Vy been part of that myself,

looking for good business propositions. That is our own bank

at the moment and how we try and bring things forward. You have to

recognise that the business climate is difficult. There is high

uncertainty out there. The global, the national environment. Risk is

high. There is high uncertainty. More to talk about later in the

programme. Stay with us. Academic underachievement among working

class boys dominated questions to the Education Minister this

afternoon. Before him the Agriculture Minister was asked

about recent poor weather and the effects it has had on the potato

crop. That is where we start with Mr McAllistte,.

- McCallister. Our department likes to call itself

a real champion. We need to see action. Could she detail why she

accepts a case for flooding in urban areas, but not in rural areas,

particularly in relation to potato farmers. I think I am a rural

champion. I will work with the farming community to do all I can.

We have to be very careful. When it comes to flooding people's homes,

that's one issue. Then, people have their crop damaged, damage to their

business, effectively is a separate issue. You cannot say one is more

deserving than other. Some issues we need to make sure is that

farmers have insurance to cover this event. I am happy to work with

farmers in terms of advice in terms farmers in terms of advice in terms

of what my department can do. Given much of the crop has been

lost through flooding. It's not practical to put a thatched roof

over the fields, has the minister made any reputation to supermarkets

to ensure at least they'll get a fair price for their crops?

recently had a meeting with Sainsbury's. I intend to meet the

other major supermarkets also. When we get the ombudsman, I think that

will be a good help to farmers, obviously not at this stage, but in

the future. We need the ombudsman to have proper teeth, to make sure

farmers from every level get a fair price for the product they produce.

Is this problem of education underachievement in Protestant

communities now undercontrolled? Is it decreasing and therefore

improving? Can he tell us the level of the work there still has to be

done? Could he quantify what his department is doing for dis

advantaged Protestant communities, regarding the work we are talking

about? Well, I don't wish to get into an argument with the members

as to which community is suffering the most in terms of educational

underachievement. I will say this, neither sections of the community,

in its broadest terms is doing well. Particularly those young people in

working-class areas, particularly those young people in areas of

multiple depravation, regardless of their creed or colour. What affects

them is their class. That is the thing we need to tackle. My

department, from a predecessors, through to myself, have developed

policies which are designed to celebrate success and challenge

under-achievement. That is what we are doing. We are seeing an

increase in the number of young people from all backgrounds leaving

our school systems with recognised qualifications. It is up to 3,000

from 2006. Our policies are beginning to bite particularly.

Policies on their own will not simply work. I think that the

school system has embraced the educational output. Teachers and

classroom assistants, they have all embraced this and moving forward. I

will also say this, until we open up all our schools to all our

people and we have the previous question of education, I think

crossing the barrier will be achieved. The difficult one and the

challenge which faces us all, we cross education across the divide.

That is a challenge. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Could

I ask for his response to allegations that he used the launch

of the programme for Government to effectively bury the publication of

a report on literacy and numeracy, which found wide dispartiy for

pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds? No. I was the person

who insisted we had a launch of the report into numeracy and literacy.

I believe it is so important... I could have signed off in that

report. I was the one who asked for a public launch. It is unfortunate

it clashed with the programme for Government. I can assure you there

was no conspiracy. I believe my department and my party's history

in the department. There is a defensible set of policies in place.

It is now showing results. 3,000 more young people leaving school in

the last term with recognised examinations than there was in 2006.

That is a result. Is it good enough? No, it's not good enough.

We intend to bureau down on under- achievement. Celebrate success and

challenge under-achievement. There is no conspiracy on this one.

Everyone has had time to digest the programme for Government. There's

been praise, but some criticism too. I asked the enterprise minister if

it will have to broaden its remit to create the 25,000 jobs the

programme talks about. We are in a different situation

than we were in when I took this job on in 2008. As well as re-

balancing the Northern Ireland economy we have to re-build the

Northern Ireland economy. That is what my economic strategy talks

about, re-building and re-balancing. We will look at the medium to

longer term measures to help us have higher productivity and close

the gap in relation to standards of living the rest of the United

Kingdom, we must recognise we have to re-build as well. The re-

building around the jobs fund, that �t0 -- �90 million is something I

have encouraged Invest Northern Ireland to do. You have seen them

do it around their business programme, which talks about

increasing the number of exports, increasing the number of jobs. That

is something they have to deal with for the short-term problems we find

ourselves in. You mention the jobs fund. How many jobs has it created

so far? Around 400 jobs. We have 1300 jobs approved. They have not

just been announced yet. I hope to make announcements in the near

future. What about the lick quitty fund? �50 million. At the end of

How can you convince us it is a good risk? These companies will be

a good risk? I don't see it as a risk. I see it as filling a gap

which has firmly been identified for us. When we look at statistics

which came out recepbtdly in relation to small and medium-sized

enterprises, 92% of those companies were having finances from

mainstream banks. That has dropped back to 65%. That does identify the

people having to look elsewhere for funding. We need to help in

relation to that package. That is why we've put together this, what

we call "the growth loan fund." It will help businesses looking to

grow, but having difficulty getting that finance. Of course there will

be safeguards in and around that money. We will not just hand out

any money to any company that comes forward to us. There is a need to

fill that gap. That is what people have asked me to do. That is why we

came forward with this proposal. When it comes to the number of jobs

you want to create, we have job losses, 33,500 in the last three

years, if you take on top of that the welfare changes how will you

get 114,000 on benefits into work by 2015? Sh There has been a

misunderstanding about that figure. One of the strengths of the

economic strategy is it does not just sit with me, but my other

executive colleagues N the economic strategy you have targets put

forward about 8,000 more affordable homes. Just like the minister

putting forward that he will take 114,000 people off benefits and

into training and employment opportunities. Actually, something

which has been missed in the last programme for Government, the

target was 90,000 and that target, ass I understand it, was met. There

is a need to be challenged and a need to work ahead on that. That

114,000 is not related to the welfare reform. We will have a

discussion at the executive about how we deal with all those issues.

That work around 114,000 is what they are doing in their every day

work at present. Angela, corporation tax - it looks as far

away now as ever. How important is it for us to have those powers to

reduce the rates? Well, I am a big supporter of the corporation tax.

We have, certainly, we have forecasts from Oxford Economics in

terms of where the economy will grow in the years to come. Really

without some.... We talk about a silver bullet, it is not the silver

bullet, it will not work in isolation. We need skills for it to

work. We need something as a small regopbl economy we need something

extra -- regional economy we need something extra. When you look at

what we are competing 100 miles down the road in the Republic of

Ireland. It is hard to attract them to pay a higher level of

corporation tax. As Northern Ireland paid the

penalty over farming subsidies? The Department of Agriculture made

mistakes in implementing the single farm scheme. Members wanted

assurances that farmers would not have to wait longer for this year's

payments. How well this impact on the current wave of farm

inspections for a single farm payments as the department has been

slow up to this very day it? tried my best in that very lengthy

statement to clarify my position. I have clearly said it is �80.6

million. DEFRA holds 11 million. I cannot be any clearer than that,

that is the figure that has been audited. It is clear for everybody

to see it. Could I ask the Minister who is to blame for this issue? Is

it the Department, the commission, farmers or a combination of all

these stakeholders. I thank the Member for his question. It is very

simplistic to blame anyone for this situation. That is not to say the

various parties are not at fault. In relation to the Department's

responsibilities, some of the issues are very technical. The

department had issues in terms of the maps they issued. The

commission delayed the whole process and it made everything a

lot slower and harder to deal with. Some farmers had not legitimate

land. You need to look at it in the round and those areas need to be

considered. The that has to be recognised, that the department was

at fault for the delivery of the system. Discrepancies found buried

EU Audit -- auditors were generally very minor. If your department has

created a minor errors that has enabled you to ecru 80.6 million, I

would hate to see if your department was making major errors.

As I understand it there is more coming down for the inefficiency in

regarding the Forest end of muscles. Where will it stop. Northern

Ireland's pubs are a major tourist attraction, but times are tough in

the local tavern and rates relief could help. At least that is what

members of the finance committee have been told. Here is our weekly

look at the work of this dormant committees. It's his key to our

tourism and culture and has been around for an off a long time. The

majority are owned by families who have passed it down through the

generations. We ran a very responsible industry and provide a

lot of employment, particularly in rural areas where you do not have a

mobile workforce. Our rates is the early business rate based on our

turnover and we pay 30% more than any other commercial body. To be

honest, that has evolved as a social levy because we sell alcohol.

But the supermarkets sell the majority, but they pay the standard

rate. We are small businesses, we are spread right across the

province. It is where people meet, it is where the cohesion comes from.

I have a village where I live close to and church groups use it, it is

where people moving into the area meet the locals and become part of

the community and were the cornerstone of the tourism industry

is. 70% of tourists eat in a pub and it is the number one thing to

do when visiting the province. All the hotel rooms in the province you

can have as you like, and we are part of that fabric. The future

growth of tourism and the economy means we are a key in that. I have

been in touch with a large number of prison officers, both current

and past. They were offended by the manner in which it was handled and

I am asking upon reflection, do you think that is an issue that he may

regret and what would you say to those officers and families? It

caused them heard. I believe what I said reflected the reality of that

position, although I accept my phrasing was a bit clumsy. If

people were offended by what I said, it was certainly not my intention

to cause offence and I regret any offence was caused. Clearly we are

now in the position we have established the different levels

which the issue will be dealt with. The issue will have to know be

dealt within a way which takes account of all the views around the

Executive table. We have made our position very clear that if it does

come to the Executive table, we will not support it, so I would

suggest it is not worth considering by the Prison Service. Can I come

in? I understand you are a member of the DUP and you have a party

position, but you are also the chair of this committee. The chair

of any committee, and I had done this in my capacity as chair of

other committees, I believe the chair should maintain where

possible a non-partisan position. If there are contentious issues

arising I do not think it is appropriate for you to be active as

a spokesperson for the DUP on such a sensitive issue. The other

colleague could quite properly raise such issues. I beg to differ

in terms of how I should conduct myself as chair.

The SDLP were firing on all cylinders this morning because of

the lack of legislation coming to the floor of the House. Dolores

Kelly made her attack during the debate on a cleaning our rivers.

She said there were much more pressing issues the Executive

needed to take action on. Once again we start another week in the

absence of Executive Business other than the Minister's statement this

morning. It is disgraceful. At a time when youth unemployment is at

its highest ever, one in five young people in the north are unemployed,

over the weekend and today there is a plea from small retailers for the

Executive to do something to help them. We have not seen any business

coming through that is going to do that, nor any suggestions from the

Executive. There is no imperative bide his Executive to deliver.

why do you think there is such a delay in getting legislation

through the House. It has not just been this time around, it was the

same over the last four years. If any of the issues were not agreed

on, they are still sitting in the in-trays. Peter Robinson said

clearly last week that his Executive would be judged on

delivery and that is a message we are putting strongly to Sinn Fein

and the DUP. They have to start looking at their parties and

constituency interests and look at the needs of all of the people of

the North. You are on the Executive, you minister is there, could the

Minister of their environment not be doing more? He has eight pieces

of legislation which are going through various processes, such as

the climate has changed bail. He has written to the first and Deputy

First Minister about their responsibility in terms of the

Social Investment Fund and the social protection fund. Each has

�20 million allocated this year and will not be spent. These funds are

supposed to be targeted at the most vulnerable. He has also written

about the fuel poverty initiative and nothing has been agreed on

those with no movement on any of these fronts. He will try to

delayed their a form of public administration. He wants 15

councils and everyone else has said 11. He has not been delaying it, it

is the DUP who has shifted position. We agreed 15 as the preferred model,

but Sinn Fein wanted to go for seven. Alex Atwood has an

intelligent argument in terms of the 15, one that can show that

money can be saved even more so than with the 11 model. But

unfortunately Sinn Fein and the DUP are too busy interfering in his

department rather than managing their own. On a slightly different

issue, you were a judge at quite a controversial contest last week.

Tell us a bit more about that. was one of my local constituency

businesses that sponsored the event. There were 14 young women who went

through to the MS Ulster finals. The successful winner fortunately

came from my own constituency of. She won not only a modelling

contract, but she is also going to get onto the front page and various

other prizes. But there was a letter put into each pigeonholes

say it should not have taken place at Stormont. And as some people

said it was demeaning. They were not tripping up and down in bikinis,

it showcased their talent. It showcased the talent of many of our

young women. They are graduates anywhere or at university. I do not

think it was demeaning in any way. What is demeaning to our young

people is the fact so many of them or face the prospect of

unemployment, no training and many are having to leave our shores to

look for work elsewhere. The local library is many things to many

people, but a dating service? That is what was revealed today in the

Chamber by an incurably romantic MLA. I also have a soft spot for

the library and maybe I should declare an interest, but it was in

the Queen's library I first asked my wife to go out with me. Enough

sentiment about that. She did end up as a librarian. She was a

student at that time. Enough sentiment. Dolores Kelly, we saw a

different side to Jim Allister. all have our own personalities and

people should get to know as as a person rather than a politician on

the TV box. There are many facets to each of us. We spent a lot of

time waiting for it and now we have it and will spend as much time

talking about it. Earlier, Martina told me about the general reaction

to the programme for Government. There is a broad welcome it is

finally out and there is a mixed response. Some people are saying

the 23rd 1000 job target is ambitious. One of the targets that

is a talking point is this notion of 114,000 people coming off and

employment and into jobs. One Executive soars, not a minister,

thought this was bizarre because they said there are 60,000 people

unemployed, the Executive has pledged to create 25,000 jobs. How

can you get 114,000 of unemployment? Aisling Foster batted

back from the Department. programme has finally settled on 11

councils, is that right? That is the figure that has been agreed.

The environment -- environment minister is not happy. One thing

that did come up today was that the council's collectively, 26, 0 more

than �400 million in loans to the Department of Finance. It is

worrying if you are trying to finance a shake-up. Some councils

are quite heavily in debt. 25 million for Belfast. But when you

are start pushing them together, the ones that do not owe so much

will be resentful of having to take on some of the debt of the others.

It does not leave much leeway for council's borrowing. This week the

Assembly is opening up its doors to the Arts Council. The work of 24

local artists is being showcased and the Arts Council is excited

because it is the first time this is happening. The public will be

able to look at the art work. One of the pieces getting lots of

attention is a helicopter made out of yellow will. That is by Brendan

Jamieson. There are lots of other artists as well. The Department of

Employment and learning said the 114,000 target is measured in terms

of the number of people who will go off benefit and into work by

employment support programmes. Angela, we are a small business

economy, is there enough in the programme about enterprise?

that is simply the answer to that question. It is great to have the

economic strategy, but it falls down in two key areas. Enterprise

is hardly mentioned. You cannot have economic growth and the

service new sectors without small businesses coming forward. It falls

down in education. Our targets are not nearly as ambitious as they