:00:31. > :00:37.Today. On the programme, the SDLP feel the heat of Special Advisors
:00:37. > :00:43.even though they did not start the fire. We will not be supporting a
:00:43. > :00:47.petition of concern over the SPAD bill. There was one kind of bridge
:00:47. > :00:55.building announced today. As a well-known builder of bridges I am
:00:55. > :01:00.happy to say that as a result of the work which has been carried out in
:01:00. > :01:04.assessing the Narrow Water Bridge project, that has now been completed
:01:04. > :01:13.by my department. Commentator Alex Kane gives us his perspective on the
:01:13. > :01:16.agenda of today. On last week's programme the SDLP's
:01:17. > :01:22.Dominic Bradley suggested his party would try to beat of the Special
:01:22. > :01:28.Advisors Bill. But the row that followed not least the reaction from
:01:28. > :01:32.Ann Travers, the sister of an IRA bit, has prompted a change of heart.
:01:33. > :01:37.TUV introduced the bill aimed at trying to prevent former prisoners
:01:37. > :01:41.convicted of serious offences from taking advisory posts. Here is what
:01:41. > :01:46.Dominic Bradley told Mark Carruthers. We are considering using
:01:46. > :01:50.the option of a petition of concern. That is a nuclear option.
:01:50. > :01:54.We have tried other options are available and they have not
:01:54. > :02:01.unsuccessful and we have to consider a petition of success -- a petition
:02:01. > :02:04.of concern. Could you be persuaded to live with the legislation? I do
:02:05. > :02:10.not think we can be persuaded to live with the bear -- love with the
:02:10. > :02:14.legislation. We have made every attempt that we could to shape it
:02:14. > :02:20.into law and that has not unsuccessful. We are considering
:02:21. > :02:25.supporting a petition of concern. Are you going to do it? We probably
:02:25. > :02:31.will do it. Today the SDLP leader backed off any attempt to formally
:02:31. > :02:36.block the bill. We had lengthy discussions this morning and we will
:02:36. > :02:42.not be supporting a petition of concern over the SPAD bill. We are
:02:42. > :02:48.concerned about the floors and the fact that it has not been possible
:02:48. > :02:54.and our amendments have not been accepted, we field that the victims
:02:54. > :03:02.concerns and issues take priority and we have had lengthy discussions
:03:02. > :03:07.with a number of groups and with our own wider party over the last week.
:03:07. > :03:13.That is the line we are taking at this stage. We believe, going
:03:13. > :03:18.forward, there is a need for a greater focus on victims issues and
:03:18. > :03:24.we will be taking that up and finding mechanisms to ensure that
:03:24. > :03:30.victims do not remain in the shadows and there are issues are put to the
:03:30. > :03:37.forefront. We hope that satisfied some of the questions people are
:03:37. > :03:43.asking. Will you vote for the bill? We have difficulty with the bill and
:03:43. > :03:47.it is flawed and the proposer of the bill has not shown himself willing
:03:47. > :03:52.to accept amendments. We are unlikely to vote for the bill at
:03:52. > :03:56.this stage. We will not vote for the bill unless the proposer shows some
:03:56. > :04:04.commitment to making it functional. He is death to alarming the
:04:04. > :04:14.amendments that we believe would have been good law. -- he is death
:04:14. > :04:16.
:04:16. > :04:22.to allowing. We will not be signing a petition of concern. The affair
:04:22. > :04:32.has not, it has been good for victims and has put their issues top
:04:32. > :04:39.of the bill. Victims have been left stranded for 15 years, nothing has
:04:39. > :04:42.happened and the present government of the Sinn Fein and the DUP have
:04:42. > :04:46.not shown the commitment that is required to get to reconciliation
:04:46. > :04:53.and the truth. We need a truth and reconciliation process. That is not
:04:53. > :04:58.happening. We are happy that this issue is now top of the agenda and
:04:58. > :05:02.we intend to keep it there. Alex Kane, in your previous job you
:05:02. > :05:11.advise the Ulster Unionist Party on media matters. What would you have
:05:12. > :05:17.been advising the SDLP? This was a mess in the terms of the media and
:05:17. > :05:23.their own internal message. I do not know whether what Dominic Catt --
:05:23. > :05:29.Dominic Bradley -- Dominic Bradley said was a kite flying exercise. It
:05:29. > :05:36.was not stamped down immediately after the original interview. They
:05:36. > :05:39.left it open and it must have been a leadership decision to do that. It
:05:39. > :05:46.panned out disastrously. They ended up having to admit they cannot do
:05:46. > :05:50.the petition of concern. They will now have to abstain and they were
:05:50. > :05:58.always going to. I said that three weeks ago, that they would always do
:05:58. > :06:01.that so I do not know why they went through this entire mess. It is
:06:01. > :06:06.interesting in terms of the party and how much control Alistair
:06:06. > :06:13.McDonnell has. There seems to be a breakdown in what people thought.
:06:13. > :06:19.ties into a wider view within the party. Alistair MacDonald does not
:06:19. > :06:28.have as huge degree of support inside the party. Many people field
:06:28. > :06:36.they should go to our stronger position, to the right of Sinn Fein.
:06:36. > :06:43.What they should do is talk quietly with a variety of groups and now it
:06:43. > :06:50.just looks as if abstention is an option that they were forced into, I
:06:50. > :06:56.humiliated climb-down. Alistair McDonnell has said that he did not
:06:56. > :07:01.think it was damaging and obviously he would say that. What message does
:07:01. > :07:06.it send out? It highlights the irrelevance of the SDLP at this
:07:06. > :07:12.stage. They are clearly a group who would like to get out of the
:07:12. > :07:17.Executive altogether. You need to set yourself in opposition and say
:07:17. > :07:24.here is something different about us. This nonsense of trying to be
:07:24. > :07:26.all things to all men, it is the same as the Ulster Unionist Party.
:07:26. > :07:34.Either you are in the Executive as opposition or you are in as
:07:34. > :07:39.ministers, you cannot be both. will hear more from you.
:07:39. > :07:43.It was granted planning permission and EU funding of over 17 million
:07:43. > :07:47.euros last October but the Narrow Water Bridge project had failed to
:07:47. > :07:52.get the nod for Stormont financing until today. Sammy Wilson gave
:07:52. > :07:57.details when he briefed the Assembly on a recent North South Ministerial
:07:57. > :08:03.Council meeting. As well-known builder of bridges in this Assembly
:08:03. > :08:09.I am happy to say that as our result of work which has been carried out
:08:09. > :08:15.in assessing the Narrow Water Bridge project, that has been completed by
:08:15. > :08:21.my apartment. Members will know there was considerable G interest in
:08:21. > :08:25.this Assembly and it was important, especially of -- because of the low
:08:25. > :08:32.score the project had, and that was about concerns regarding the ability
:08:32. > :08:39.to deliver, that we had proper scrutiny of the project, there are
:08:39. > :08:44.number of conditions attached. We would expect that to be put in place
:08:44. > :08:53.to safeguard public money. The first one is if there are any cost
:08:53. > :08:57.overruns on the project, or delays, that the local county council has
:08:57. > :09:02.given a guarantee that it will fund any shortfall. As far as the
:09:02. > :09:06.maintenance of the bridge is concerned, that will be the
:09:06. > :09:16.responsibility of the local county council and the operation of the
:09:16. > :09:21.
:09:21. > :09:27.bridge will be left to one of the northern Ireland local government.
:09:27. > :09:32.The Minister will be glad to know that 50 years ago I was a baby and
:09:32. > :09:42.50 years later, we are going to have our bridge. But the Minister agree
:09:42. > :09:43.
:09:43. > :09:53.that the local councils on the border regions and the Kilkeel
:09:53. > :09:53.
:09:54. > :10:03.Chambers of, is did a wonderful job? It will bring economic and cultural
:10:04. > :10:03.
:10:04. > :10:09.tourism to the region. I am sure people who are watching this today
:10:09. > :10:16.will be surprised at the statement she has made. I am sure most people
:10:16. > :10:21.did not put today day over 30! There we are. Can I just say on the
:10:21. > :10:28.project, there has been extensive lobbying, more lobbying than I would
:10:28. > :10:31.have liked to have seen. All of these projects, and it is important
:10:31. > :10:41.because there are many projects which did not succeed, some very
:10:41. > :10:45.good projects, it is important that people have an assurance that these
:10:45. > :10:52.projects are chosen purely on an objective basis and not on the
:10:52. > :10:57.amount of public lobbying which happens. Could I ask you Minister,
:10:57. > :11:05.when you talk about the monitoring and delivery of the bridge, can I
:11:05. > :11:14.ask you about that? The timescale is that the money must be spent by the
:11:14. > :11:19.EU target of June 2015. There is an extension until December 2015 for
:11:19. > :11:25.bills and settlement. That is the timescale we are operating under.
:11:25. > :11:29.What does the future hold for GCSE and A-level qualifications here? It
:11:30. > :11:34.is a subject the Education Minister John O'Dowd addressed in Question
:11:34. > :11:38.Time today. It follows a recent meeting with his Westminster
:11:38. > :11:46.counterpart, Michael Gove. Since our meeting I have received a
:11:46. > :11:53.letter from Michael Gove which indicated his decision to end
:11:53. > :11:57.certain examinations. I was not pleased. In response I it was
:11:57. > :12:01.imperative that ministers should meet and have discussions with each
:12:01. > :12:09.other and these discussions would remain confidential until ministers
:12:09. > :12:14.have the opportunity to discuss the indications. Would the Minister
:12:15. > :12:24.agree that no single jurisdiction has the right to dictate how the
:12:25. > :12:36.
:12:36. > :12:41.GCSE and A-level brand is used now or in the future? I would be
:12:41. > :12:51.concerned about breaking up the ownership of the brand among the sea
:12:51. > :12:51.
:12:51. > :12:57.jurisdictions. He is perfectly entitled to do so but I will insure
:12:57. > :13:03.members -- as she remembers that the study is ongoing and there will be
:13:03. > :13:09.an announcement in the future. The key purpose of eggs as is to ensure
:13:09. > :13:16.our young people are tested robustly. There are a small number
:13:16. > :13:21.of areas in which there is a shortfall in provision but we will
:13:21. > :13:23.be working closely with the boards to address this. In some instances
:13:23. > :13:25.this will involve bringing new providers and to address this. In
:13:25. > :13:27.some instances this will involve bringing new providers enter the
:13:27. > :13:37.programme are encouraging existing providers to run additional
:13:37. > :13:41.
:13:42. > :13:44.programmes. More places will be provided for preschool provision.
:13:44. > :13:51.Prominent investors pervading places for children from disadvantaged
:13:51. > :13:54.backgrounds. While I understand the rationale for this, does the
:13:54. > :14:00.Minister agree with me that it is subsequently often much harder for
:14:00. > :14:07.parents who are working to find a suitable place even though they need
:14:07. > :14:11.a preschool place for their child as much as anyone else? I am glad to
:14:11. > :14:14.hear the member understands why the social clauses are involved in this
:14:14. > :14:23.because children from disadvantaged backgrounds do have more
:14:23. > :14:31.difficulties presenting throughout school. In terms of the social
:14:31. > :14:39.clauses, I would like to have reviewed them earlier. I would like
:14:39. > :14:45.more lower paid working families to meet the criteria and I have to wait
:14:45. > :14:51.on the outcome of the welfare reform Bill and then if it does go
:14:51. > :14:56.through, I will look at the social clauses. From education to health
:14:56. > :15:02.and the major review of health services transforming your care. It
:15:02. > :15:10.dominated headlines yesterday when health trusts moved to close 18
:15:10. > :15:13.homes. Ministers insisted there was no Utah and today they stood by the
:15:13. > :15:22.policy when the SDLP moved a motion looking for greater protection for
:15:22. > :15:32.health services. We appreciate the need for reconfiguration and so we
:15:32. > :15:36.
:15:36. > :15:42.have no ideological opposition. The concept is about making services
:15:42. > :15:49.more accessible to those who need it the most, and in a more convenient
:15:49. > :15:55.way. We support they need to tailor our health and social care system
:15:55. > :16:05.around the patient. We are open-minded about the changes that
:16:05. > :16:07.
:16:07. > :16:12.might bring. But, we are gravely concerned at the potential
:16:12. > :16:20.privatisation of parts of our health and social care service which is
:16:20. > :16:27.possible because of the transforming your care proposals. When 75% of
:16:27. > :16:31.services are in the private sector, why the sudden outreach? I have no
:16:31. > :16:38.hangups whatsoever about whether it is private or started to worry. My
:16:38. > :16:46.only aim in life is what is best for the person living in the residential
:16:46. > :16:49.or nursing care? That must be the main motivation? If the private
:16:49. > :16:55.sector can provide that effectively, and cost effectively,
:16:55. > :16:58.that is a good thing. The strategic implementation plan is currently
:16:58. > :17:03.being updated to take on board and reflect the conclusions of the
:17:03. > :17:12.public consultation. We hope this will be completed by the end of May
:17:12. > :17:16.2013. Two or three days. Once it is completed, we will be taking
:17:16. > :17:22.evidence from the health and social care borderless and we will want to
:17:22. > :17:32.know in detail how they will introduce the changes and who they
:17:32. > :17:33.
:17:33. > :17:42.will be consulting with. On the policy, on transforming your care,
:17:42. > :17:52.they are no Utah is only policy. There will be no Utah is on it and I
:17:52. > :17:52.
:17:52. > :18:02.believe that after I leave office and my party leaves office, there
:18:02. > :18:05.
:18:05. > :18:12.will be no U-turns by the programme. In terms of ensuring that patients
:18:12. > :18:17.and not profit is at the centre of care provision, that will always be
:18:17. > :18:22.the case, but that does not mean that the private sector there is
:18:22. > :18:29.always bad, or that it cannot help us or assist us in providing
:18:29. > :18:34.healthcare. What we are looking for is not to provide a pure level of
:18:34. > :18:39.care in spite of the fact that people do not have as much money,
:18:39. > :18:43.but to ensure we provide the level of care that people expect and
:18:43. > :18:46.should receive with the lesser amount of money, and in order to do
:18:47. > :18:53.that we have to use our money more wisely and investment better than
:18:53. > :18:58.deliver better results. Edwin Poots speaking there in the SDLP motion
:18:58. > :19:03.was carried narrowly. The Culture Minister came under fire
:19:03. > :19:10.during question time as she explained her department's strategy
:19:10. > :19:17.for supporting boxing. She updated the assembly on the high-profile
:19:17. > :19:21.case of Sandy Row Boxing Club. A new manager has been appointed and
:19:21. > :19:25.is directly working with local boxing clubs on the number of
:19:25. > :19:32.matters including funding applications, child protection and
:19:32. > :19:39.increasing participation. Meetings are also being held between managers
:19:39. > :19:45.and individual clubs and local councils to review situations.
:19:45. > :19:49.Looking ahead, an independent team is due to be appointed in July and
:19:49. > :19:59.they work will be informed by these meetings that are being held at the
:19:59. > :20:03.
:20:03. > :20:10.moment in the Lee for the individual premises. The state of the boxing
:20:10. > :20:15.clubs across the North are not good. In view of the comments just made
:20:15. > :20:20.about Sandy Row Boxing Club and be very reasonable recommendations put
:20:20. > :20:23.forward in the report on sectarian and racial abuse, as the Minister
:20:23. > :20:29.spills saying that unless they meet hard she is not prepared to look at
:20:29. > :20:35.the issues of fair treatment three sectarian and racial abuse that
:20:35. > :20:44.Sandy Row Boxing Club has been subject to and continues to refuse
:20:44. > :20:48.to be brought forward? Again, he is consistent with his inaccuracies.
:20:48. > :20:56.have never said in this house or anywhere else that it will not
:20:56. > :20:59.receive funding because it refused to meet me. Any boxing club will
:20:59. > :21:06.only receive money once they are affiliated that that is the
:21:06. > :21:11.criteria. If it is good enough for others, it is good enough for Sandy
:21:11. > :21:17.Row Boxing Club. I am delighted they have agreed to meet the independent
:21:17. > :21:21.panel and they believe it is a positive step. I hope they receive a
:21:21. > :21:26.fair hearing and I believe me well and I hope they decide to the
:21:26. > :21:33.affiliate because I am concerned that the children are affected
:21:33. > :21:38.because of the stands of a fuel of the officers of the club.
:21:38. > :21:42.ministers position is that unless a club which has been discriminated
:21:42. > :21:52.against by those to whom they are affiliated, there will be no funding
:21:52. > :22:01.for them? I know you like to dodge the issue but what advice are you
:22:01. > :22:09.getting to help address the SU of sectarianism? I met with the various
:22:09. > :22:15.panel members just last month and offered them support without
:22:15. > :22:21.conditions, so I think in fairness to that, I reject the assertion
:22:21. > :22:28.about myself and my department being involved in discrimination. I think
:22:28. > :22:34.it has a scurrilous remarks to make. I will repeat myself again. Like any
:22:34. > :22:38.other club, they have to be affiliated. I would appeal again to
:22:39. > :22:42.Sandy Row Boxing Club to step back and think about the actions because
:22:42. > :22:48.it is at the end of the day about children and young people who are
:22:48. > :22:53.going to be left behind because of the actions of some of them.
:22:53. > :22:59.assembly managed to fit them for questioning times today with Nelson
:22:59. > :23:09.McCausland discussing shared housing but first up was the agriculture
:23:09. > :23:09.
:23:09. > :23:14.minister answering questions about the Agri-Food strategy. I intend to
:23:14. > :23:22.talk about all the departments implicated because obviously there
:23:22. > :23:25.are implications for others. We intend to bring in executive people
:23:25. > :23:30.for discussion and they plan to do that over the next three months
:23:30. > :23:36.because that is one thing they are looking for. We do not want to take
:23:36. > :23:41.a fantastic piece of work and not take action quickly. Some of the
:23:41. > :23:46.targets are very achievable before the timeframe. The agri- food
:23:46. > :23:49.industry would say these are exciting times but the farming
:23:49. > :23:56.industry would say that the Minister is providing or what could be the
:23:56. > :24:00.biggest crisis in living memory and it goes across all sectors. What are
:24:01. > :24:06.you doing to bridge the gap between farming and Agri-Food to make sure
:24:06. > :24:11.this report will more directly benefit the farming community?
:24:12. > :24:18.of the key results of the report is the recognition for industry, to say
:24:18. > :24:26.that the processors and retailers are involved in the supply chain.
:24:26. > :24:35.The farming sector can be an equal partner and can be treated as such.
:24:35. > :24:41.They are crucial to the success of this and all stages have been looked
:24:41. > :24:45.at by the farming industry. I intend to continue working with the farming
:24:45. > :24:49.industry and the executive has come on board to recognise the need to
:24:49. > :24:57.support the farming industry and what has been a uniquely horrendous
:24:57. > :25:02.time. All new housing developments are deemed to have shared potential.
:25:02. > :25:05.They currently undertake a screening exercise for all shared development
:25:05. > :25:15.proposals within the context of the religious make-up of the local
:25:15. > :25:21.community. Where there is a history of good relations, local political
:25:21. > :25:26.views and the proximity of integrated schools. If subject to a
:25:26. > :25:32.screening exercise, a new bills scheme can be considered as a shared
:25:32. > :25:37.scheme. They can sign up to the involuntary neighbourhood charter
:25:37. > :25:43.which secures the agreement any manner which will not accept --
:25:43. > :25:47.aspect the peace and enjoyment of their neighbours. I and my officials
:25:47. > :25:52.are currently considering whether to take forward proposals for an
:25:52. > :25:57.additional new ten shared housing developments in light of recent
:25:57. > :26:02.statements by the first Minister and Deputy first Minister. Despite the
:26:02. > :26:12.challenging environment, do you acknowledge and Wellcome the work
:26:12. > :26:13.
:26:13. > :26:17.carried out in areas of south Belfast? Yes, indeed. The cohesion
:26:17. > :26:22.unit within the housing sector is very much supportive of those
:26:22. > :26:27.particular areas where you have a mixed community they are already. I
:26:27. > :26:31.am aware of a number of projects that they have, having supplied the
:26:31. > :26:37.member with details of those over the last couple of years right
:26:37. > :26:41.through to the present. Some very good work has been done. Mixed
:26:41. > :26:46.communities can come in different forms and for me the key thing is
:26:46. > :26:51.not that they are sheer but that they are stable. You can have our
:26:51. > :26:57.share of the area and then it goes one direction or another. You can
:26:57. > :27:01.have an area that is sheer that the moment but which can transition from
:27:01. > :27:08.one identity to another. It is important that they are stable as
:27:08. > :27:17.well. Lots discussed in the chamber today but the education story seems
:27:17. > :27:21.to stand out in terms of what it means for devolution. The irony of
:27:21. > :27:26.this says that Michael Gove complained about how many boards
:27:26. > :27:30.they were in that somewhere too simple and too difficult. He wanted
:27:30. > :27:36.to bring it down but the impact has been to magnify the differences
:27:36. > :27:39.between the various regions of the United Kingdom. It ties in to the
:27:39. > :27:49.corporation tax as well because as we move forward we are growing for
:27:49. > :27:51.
:27:51. > :27:56.the park, and the further irony is that the consequences of this are
:27:56. > :28:02.being debated for certain as Lee. It will be interesting how they go
:28:02. > :28:08.forward because it is all important for so many children. Look at the
:28:08. > :28:13.whole 11 plus transfer test which we have still not resolved. The A-level
:28:13. > :28:21.situation could go on and on and the schools themselves in Northern
:28:21. > :28:25.Ireland will not be able to agree. It is not going to be resolved soon.
:28:25. > :28:34.Was there that had from Edwin Poots that he might be moving in a
:28:34. > :28:42.reshuffle? That was a whopping great sign, I am on my way out! For the