25/10/2011 Stormont Today

Welcome to Stormont Today, featuring the best of bidets events

at the Assembly. We start with a little quiz, who is

the First Minister talking about? He takes on a roll of a wrecker in

this Assembly. We should not pay too much heed to his words or

tactics. And why some MLAs have their doubts. I believe it was the

right decision, and I still believe it is the right decision. I do not

believe you require a review to make a decision. Stay tuned for

more on that later. I am joined by Terry Maguire. He is

a pharmacist. Concerns about losing rural

pharmacies were raised today. Changes to the way that chemists

are paid, mean many that -- many are under financial pressure. Is

there a crisis? There is a crisis. I was disappointed to see that the

ministry did not appreciate that. 30% of our funding, �30 million has

been taken out of our funding. The first payment to receive was in

June. Four months later, we are incident problems. How does that

manifest itself? Are people having to close their pharmacies? It is

affecting all pharmacies, the most pressing issue is staff. Every

pharmacy are looking at their staff complement. They need a trained

technicians and counter staff. They are looking at how they can survive.

It means that people have been paid off. 125 people have lost their

jobs in the last three months. That will increase over the next few

months. It is a major crisis in that respect. Pharmacies in

deprived areas, and rural areas, they are extremely important.

Losing their pharmacy will be a big blow. Thank you very much.

Responding to the Sinn Fein motion, the minister said he would like to

act, but a legal action means his hands are tied. I do not think it

is necessary to see judicial review in the first instance. I have not

had the opportunity to engage with the CP NI, I do not think that this

matter can be resolved without being dragged to rout the courts.

Mesa -- it some pharmacies to go to the war, it would be better if we

had been able to go -- get around the table, have a meaningful

discussion. Particularly if you take into account the needs of

rural pharmacies, in areas of deprivation as well. I recognise it

is a public medium. I am constrained in what I can do that

this time because of judicial review. The minister recognises

that you are having a struggle. There was an opportunity before the

judicial review cake tin. He could have taught a was at that time. He

didn't. He is now, in a way, hiding behind the review. Will have to

wait and see what happens. That will happen in next few days. We

need to resolve this, it is a crisis. It is a red herring, there

is the number of pharmacies that was thrown in. He has said that

there are more pharmacies per head in the population than the rest of

the UK. That has only raised his head since this discussion has gone

on. The implication of the payment scheme happened back in April, the

first we heard of the issue of the number of pharmacies, was when the

minister made a statement. They are completely separate issues. If the

Minister thinks we have too many pharmacies, he needs to sit down

and discuss that. To take a simple figure of say 3%, does not make

sense. We art and extremely dispersed population. -- we are. We

are not arguable or Manchester. Liverpool.

Sammy Wilson was in fine form today, he displayed his Euro-sceptic

covers -- colours. We start with questions to the education minister.

Can I ask the Minister what his assessment is of pastoral care

afforded to children of ethnic minorities. Teachers and staff have

problems with the children. I wonder what his feeling on the

pastoral support and care is? have a very high level of pastoral

care. It does come down to individual skills, it comes down to

be muttering of the school. I believe that we have a very high

level of care for all pupils in the state. With regards racial equality

issues, I am of the view that there are lessons to be learnt. I'm

studying the report into the experiences of ethnic minorities in

our schools. I will report back on that in due course. We have a very

good care system in our schools. That is driven by schools, and the

staff involved. Would you consider a more holistic approach,

particularly in respect of the Roman families? They have no right

to seek employment, they have no right to welfare entitlement. There

is a statutory obligation to send their children to school. When they

don't have, I have asked the question already, when they don't

have access to transport, or school meals for. There was unfortunate

incident last year regarding their community. We have produced a poor

boy that community. We have made substantial amounts of money

available, particularly in the Belfast board airier -- border area.

There was a tough response to this question on business rates. Does

the Minister believe that Tesco's reaction is accurate to their

business plans? I believe that her Tesco's response to this has been,

quite deliberate, absolutely pathetic. Heres was a major company,

I know they used to bullying their way a wound -- around, they are not

going to use bully-boy tactics here. Anyone who tells me that a �100

million investment project, they are going to look for return over

the next 20-25 years for, will be derailed by a temporary tax of

�840,000 spread over the 20th term of a �100 million and that the

project. Anyone who tells me of that will put it in danger, they

have not done their sums very well, or must think we are a bunch of

idiots. That amounts to, 0.42 % India. Over a 20 year period. --

over the year. If that makes their project vicarious, I do not pick it

is a by his investment decisions -- I do not think it is a wise

investment. They are bullying, they're not gonna get away with it.

Here is the Finance Minister outlining his role in the great EU

referendum vote in Westminster. am very proud of my party's record,

we were the only party who attended, and had 100% vote in favour of a

referendum in the House of Commons last night, and we did not have to

be whipped to get there. I hope that we have proved that when it

comes to the issue of Europe, which of course, don't forget, the impact

of Europe, and European regulation on business is in Northern Ireland,

and the United Kingdom, the amount of red tape, the loss of

sovereignty, the regulations which apply in Northern Ireland, do not

get debated in this chamber. There are those, and bureaucrats in

Brussels who oppose it. Some good will have not had based -- some

people have not had a safe rapidity years.

During questions, the Education Minister was asked about The Colony,

and why he had rescinded it? -- Circular 1979/10. Its future is now

in question, here is what the minister told members. I want to

assure that service delivery support young people is efficient.

It is not defensible to consider -- to continue with an outdated

structure. It results in organisations receiving �1,000 per

annum without conditions. Other organisations must apply for scarce

resources, they must demonstrate efficiency and value for money. It

would be impractical to allow one organisation to remain outside

these conditions. Currently Circular 1979/10 provided for one

body, that is that community and regional level. There is direct

engagement with the minister. Can I ask him whether any new policy will

maintain this level in policy development? The youth forum

continues to have active development in policy. I'm

currently reviewing youth provision, I want to ensure the limited forms

we have are probably used. I want to ensure that youth worker is

connected, very closely, and indeed is in one would be a provision, and

that it meets the needs, and is delivering a modern education

service. I will continue to look at Does the minister share my concern

that official was drew the circular without consulting with the stake

holder community? And does the minister not accept in light of his

review of youth services, it would have been better to wait for the

outcome of that review before with drawing any circular without

consultation? The removal of the circular was an administrative

model which did not require consultation. I signed off as on

the agreement to remost circular. I believe it was the right decision.

I still believe it is the right decision. Not surprisingly the

Youth Forum is less than impressed. One member told me why: We agree

that the system in place that means we exist in a bubble and we get

funding automatically is wrong and should be changed. But that's no

reason to withdraw an entire policy on how young people engage with the

minister. If you want to add to the policy amend it. Don't throw away a

good policy that sets up fundamental rights for young people.

So the minister, though, would say that the circular was out of date.

We're not satisfied that the ledge sligs and the policy that the

minister misquoted makes the 1979 /10 circular de fufrpbgt. The way

the youth service operates is rights based. It's very much in, it

takes due regard on UN convention on the rights of the chide and

international legislation. We're saying that without this policy,

without anything to replace it, which there's just a vacuum at the

moment and the department have said that incoming policy, there's no

date on when it kill woman in and it hasn't been finished written, so

it's a premature decision. We're saying the current policy sets up

the framework for those other pieces of legislation to be obeyed.

Without this document there is no way written down for young people

to directly engage with the minister for education and the

department in a way which suits them. By taking it a way you're

boredering on infringing international statutes. What does

it mean for the forum? Can you function effectively? It changes

the way we will function. It grants us funding, that's nice. We have

said to the department, cut our funding do, what you want with the

funding, but make sure the direct link between a youth-led

organisation, we are the only youth led organisation in Northern

Ireland. We have a committee which decides on everything to do with

the organisation, so we're saying keep that direct link, do whatever

you want to policies, update them, don't throw them away and leave

nothing in its place. Young people will be the only people who lose

out. We were talking about the cost involved in running pharmacies. Of

course, we spend a lot more on drugs, prescription drugs than

anywhere else in the UK. Yeah, it's been a problem identified a number

of years ago N total in community we spend about �450 million a year.

It boils down to about �228 per head of population. Whu compare

that to say for example, England it's �161 per head of population N

Scotland where the demographics are similar, the age profile and social

deprivation rates are the same, they spent spds171 -- �171 per head

of population. So why is Northern Ireland so far ahead? The minister

pointed this out today. As a profession, we have always agreed

with that. Where we need to invest in terms of pharmacy services is to

address this bigger prob -- problem. There's huge savings to be made in

terms of more generic prescribing and using cheaper medicines

generally. There's a huge amount of work could go done. That would

address a lot of concerns the minister had about the cost of

pharmaceutical services generally. Talk of the past, in particular a

conflict transformation centre on the former site of the Maze Prison

is one topic sure to get the pulses of our MLAs racing. The Ulster

Unionists have concerns about such a centre. The DUP have come round

to the idea. They backed an SDLP amendment which called for any such

centre to consider the needs of victims and survivors. One of our

concerns in the Ulster Unionist Party is actually around the

current proposal of the conflict centre, the conflict resolution

centre, conflict transformation centre, whatever the name is put on

it. I know some time ago I had asked to see the application form

for the funding for that and I think if there was less seekerycy

about the proposal, -- secrecy about the proposal maybe we could

look at it in a more difintive manner. I didn't get the

application. I'm not sure what the proposals are. The conflict

transformation centre should be tasked with giving the necessary

expertise to ensure the forth coming debate and reflection on our

history should be approached in a mature and responsible fashion. Mr

Speaker, given the recession, I hope it's not too late and it is

true that the Maze site has the potential not only to have a major

impact on the area's economic future but for a mature discussion

on our past, hopefully helping to bring reconciliation closer.

History is about everybody telling their story. That's everybody.

That's the people who were in the prison. The people who staffed the

prison. The British soldiers who were on the watch towers. It's also

accepted the people who visited the prison, the quakers and all those

representative groups should be invited to tell their story. Indeed,

people who were victims, as a result of the conflict in the north,

should also be allowed to tell their story. That's what

republicans want, nothing more and nothing less. That's what people

should be addressing here today instead of making up or pretending

that republicans want something else when it's not there to be seen

or examined. The issue I wish to start with is the fact that the

huge transformation that we have seen in the DUP position is, of

course, driven by a philosophy that we must keep Sinn Fein happy if

we're to keep our jobs. That is why whereas a few years ago, the

stadium proposition was utterly rejected, because it was tainted by

the presence at the Maze and the ugly buildings at the Maze and the

fear they would become a shrine and that would brand and would taint

the entire proposition. I look across the chamber, the picture

that comes into my mind is of a certain Japanese man. That's not a

racist comment Mr Speaker, not is a reference to the appearance for the

member of north Antrim, it is a particular Japanese man, I think

his name was Onudo. He was sent to the Philippine island during the

course of the last war, sent with a job to carry out certain acts to

disrupt the role of the Allies. He stayed in that jungle even after

the war was over, even though they went round the island with loud

speakers to tell them that the war as over, he wouldn't believe it.

Though they dropped leaflets from the skies on him, he wouldn't

believe it. 29 years later, Mr Speaker, he came out. 29 years

after the war was over. It seems to me that the member for north Antrim

still hasn't come to terms with the fact that we have left the era

about which he seems to be content to mire himself in. We have left it

behind. We're in a new era. We're trying to move forward. I know that

the member tries to style himself as a official opposition in this

Assembly. He is not an opposition at all in this Assembly. He is the

opposition to this Assembly. And it is a very distinct difference. He

is opposed to these structures. He wants to bring them down. He takes

on the role of wrecker in this Assembly and we would be very

foolish in this Assembly if we were to pay too much heed to his words

or to his tactics. How do prescription charges play into all

this snfrplgts they are a red herring from the start, because

they're in the a solution to the problem in any way. Prescription

charges were introduced by the 1960s as a means to reduce the

numbers of prescriptions dispensed at that time. The Government

realised if things were free of charge as the health service was

set up to be, it would be a problem. Of course, our minister in common

with Scotland and Wales decided back in 2010, 2009 to do away with

prescription charge, first to �3 and then to zero. There is an

indication that perhaps the numbers of prescriptions dispensed has gone

up considerably more than expected because of that. Indeed, there is

some concern that the lack of a prescription charge has actually

encouraged misuse of the health service for want of a better word.

I don't have experience of that. I know the patient client consul who

is an advocate for patients has looked at this issue and asked

patients what the most important things in their opinion are about

the health service. Interestingly they like to see a reintroduction

of the prescription charge because they value the health service so

much, they say the lack of a charge is detrimental to health. I think

we need to look at that. I know the minister is currently looking at it

in a number of ways. Seeing it reintroduced at �7.20, as it is in

England, would not be positive. was talking about 50p or a pound,

�3 Seems to be sensible. Where you have exemptions that's when the

complications kick in. We as pharmacists are expected to be

policemen. That's grossly unfair. I'm not supposed to say to someone

"Which medicine do you want?" We need to look at this in the round.

I would suggest we go in for a lesser cost, with less exemptions,

which are fair and aappropriate so we can address the issue of

prescriptions generally. Having said that, there are -- they're

only a contribution. They're a tax. They're not a way of Government to

earn money. I think we have to be careful. Minister was suggesting at

one time it would be some way of paying for expensive drugs. It

can't be. Certainly an interesting debate. Now, coming to Stormont

might not be any child's idea of a top day out, but a new website aims

to help school children understand how the Assembly works. It was

launched here today. I went along to take a look.

We're committed to working with young people in the Assembly and to

do that we've developed a new website. The website, the internet

is a resource that's been increasingly used in the classroom.

We need to develop a resource that relates to young people. We have

developed a new website that's interactive, it's intuitive. It's

linked to the curriculum. It's full of interactive ideas that are

designed to support teaching about the Northern Ireland Assembly and

to bring it to life. It's quite a dry subject. How do you engage

young pm and make them interested in the functions of government?

need to look at it from a child's perspective or young person's

perspective and build the activities from the ground up. We

know that multimedia is the way forward. That's the way young

people are engaging. We've worked very hard to use resource that's

are interactive and intuitive and bring this place to life. Young

people can come here and visit. How do they react to the place?

Different students have different expectations. So, when you're

talking about the primary school audience, you're talking about

really it's just an opportunity to put this place on their radar and

say whenever they see the news at night, oh, I recognise this place

and I kind of understand what it's about. Post-primary, anybody

studying AS Government and politics will have completely different

expectations. They'll want to engage with the politicians. We

give that opportunity. I suppose it is just an extension of the fact

that we now have local government and we have our politicians much

closer than all of the generations before. Absolutely. That's

something that we've tried embrace within the website as well. We've

interactive polls and we will have the opportunity for live chat

between MLAs and students from the classroom. Margaret Ritchie's

departure from Stormont, the latest on the Irish presidential race and

a spoil sport minister. Our political correspondent Martina

Purdy had plenty to talk about when I caught up with her earlier,

starting with Ms Ritchie. As you'll recall, when she said she wouldn't

be seeking re-election, she said she wanted to focus on Westminster.

That meant she would give up your MLAs job. I'm told the selection

process is under way and prot ses will take place on December 4, when

they have a convention. Around four or five people are interested in

replacing Margaret Ritchie. Former MLA, Eamonn O'Neill, possibly Colin

McGrath. Obviously, there's also a lot of focus on the SDLP leadership

campaign, which is in its last lap. There will be hustings on Thursday

night. The voting will be on November 5. Of course, the other

big leadership race this week? Martin McGuinness is one of seven

viing for the job of Irish President. If you believe the

bookies, he's not owe favourite to win. He'll be back as deputy First

Minister fairly soon. We don't want to pre-empt the outcome of the

election this Friday. But he, if he comes back, he'll be coming back

after a break, there's Hallowe'en recess next week. I was speaking to

the office of deputy First Minister who said it would be good to have a

fulltime minister back. John O'dowd is handling education now. What

about the reports that Sammy Wilson has scuppered a big party. There

has been a newspaper report that said the Finance Minister turned

down a request from the organisers of the European music awards to

have a big party at Stormont with a marquee. But when we pursued that

story today, it turned out the DUP said Wilson bill -- Sammy Wilson

got no such request. That's all from Stormont for now. Thanks to my

guest, Terry Maguire. We're back in two weeks, as the Assembly is

taking a half-term break. Join me on Sunday for the Politics Show,