28/05/2013 Stormont Today

Today. On the programme, the SDLP feel the heat of Special Advisors

even though they did not start the fire. We will not be supporting a

petition of concern over the SPAD bill. There was one kind of bridge

building announced today. As a well-known builder of bridges I am

happy to say that as a result of the work which has been carried out in

assessing the Narrow Water Bridge project, that has now been completed

by my department. Commentator Alex Kane gives us his perspective on the

agenda of today. On last week's programme the SDLP's

Dominic Bradley suggested his party would try to beat of the Special

Advisors Bill. But the row that followed not least the reaction from

Ann Travers, the sister of an IRA bit, has prompted a change of heart.

TUV introduced the bill aimed at trying to prevent former prisoners

convicted of serious offences from taking advisory posts. Here is what

Dominic Bradley told Mark Carruthers. We are considering using

the option of a petition of concern. That is a nuclear option.

We have tried other options are available and they have not

unsuccessful and we have to consider a petition of success -- a petition

of concern. Could you be persuaded to live with the legislation? I do

not think we can be persuaded to live with the bear -- love with the

legislation. We have made every attempt that we could to shape it

into law and that has not unsuccessful. We are considering

supporting a petition of concern. Are you going to do it? We probably

will do it. Today the SDLP leader backed off any attempt to formally

block the bill. We had lengthy discussions this morning and we will

not be supporting a petition of concern over the SPAD bill. We are

concerned about the floors and the fact that it has not been possible

and our amendments have not been accepted, we field that the victims

concerns and issues take priority and we have had lengthy discussions

with a number of groups and with our own wider party over the last week.

That is the line we are taking at this stage. We believe, going

forward, there is a need for a greater focus on victims issues and

we will be taking that up and finding mechanisms to ensure that

victims do not remain in the shadows and there are issues are put to the

forefront. We hope that satisfied some of the questions people are

asking. Will you vote for the bill? We have difficulty with the bill and

it is flawed and the proposer of the bill has not shown himself willing

to accept amendments. We are unlikely to vote for the bill at

this stage. We will not vote for the bill unless the proposer shows some

commitment to making it functional. He is death to alarming the

amendments that we believe would have been good law. -- he is death

to allowing. We will not be signing a petition of concern. The affair

has not, it has been good for victims and has put their issues top

of the bill. Victims have been left stranded for 15 years, nothing has

happened and the present government of the Sinn Fein and the DUP have

not shown the commitment that is required to get to reconciliation

and the truth. We need a truth and reconciliation process. That is not

happening. We are happy that this issue is now top of the agenda and

we intend to keep it there. Alex Kane, in your previous job you

advise the Ulster Unionist Party on media matters. What would you have

been advising the SDLP? This was a mess in the terms of the media and

their own internal message. I do not know whether what Dominic Catt --

Dominic Bradley -- Dominic Bradley said was a kite flying exercise. It

was not stamped down immediately after the original interview. They

left it open and it must have been a leadership decision to do that. It

panned out disastrously. They ended up having to admit they cannot do

the petition of concern. They will now have to abstain and they were

always going to. I said that three weeks ago, that they would always do

that so I do not know why they went through this entire mess. It is

interesting in terms of the party and how much control Alistair

McDonnell has. There seems to be a breakdown in what people thought.

ties into a wider view within the party. Alistair MacDonald does not

have as huge degree of support inside the party. Many people field

they should go to our stronger position, to the right of Sinn Fein.

What they should do is talk quietly with a variety of groups and now it

just looks as if abstention is an option that they were forced into, I

humiliated climb-down. Alistair McDonnell has said that he did not

think it was damaging and obviously he would say that. What message does

it send out? It highlights the irrelevance of the SDLP at this

stage. They are clearly a group who would like to get out of the

Executive altogether. You need to set yourself in opposition and say

here is something different about us. This nonsense of trying to be

all things to all men, it is the same as the Ulster Unionist Party.

Either you are in the Executive as opposition or you are in as

ministers, you cannot be both. will hear more from you.

It was granted planning permission and EU funding of over 17 million

euros last October but the Narrow Water Bridge project had failed to

get the nod for Stormont financing until today. Sammy Wilson gave

details when he briefed the Assembly on a recent North South Ministerial

Council meeting. As well-known builder of bridges in this Assembly

I am happy to say that as our result of work which has been carried out

in assessing the Narrow Water Bridge project, that has been completed by

my apartment. Members will know there was considerable G interest in

this Assembly and it was important, especially of -- because of the low

score the project had, and that was about concerns regarding the ability

to deliver, that we had proper scrutiny of the project, there are

number of conditions attached. We would expect that to be put in place

to safeguard public money. The first one is if there are any cost

overruns on the project, or delays, that the local county council has

given a guarantee that it will fund any shortfall. As far as the

maintenance of the bridge is concerned, that will be the

responsibility of the local county council and the operation of the

bridge will be left to one of the northern Ireland local government.

The Minister will be glad to know that 50 years ago I was a baby and

50 years later, we are going to have our bridge. But the Minister agree

that the local councils on the border regions and the Kilkeel

Chambers of, is did a wonderful job? It will bring economic and cultural

tourism to the region. I am sure people who are watching this today

will be surprised at the statement she has made. I am sure most people

did not put today day over 30! There we are. Can I just say on the

project, there has been extensive lobbying, more lobbying than I would

have liked to have seen. All of these projects, and it is important

because there are many projects which did not succeed, some very

good projects, it is important that people have an assurance that these

projects are chosen purely on an objective basis and not on the

amount of public lobbying which happens. Could I ask you Minister,

when you talk about the monitoring and delivery of the bridge, can I

ask you about that? The timescale is that the money must be spent by the

EU target of June 2015. There is an extension until December 2015 for

bills and settlement. That is the timescale we are operating under.

What does the future hold for GCSE and A-level qualifications here? It

is a subject the Education Minister John O'Dowd addressed in Question

Time today. It follows a recent meeting with his Westminster

counterpart, Michael Gove. Since our meeting I have received a

letter from Michael Gove which indicated his decision to end

certain examinations. I was not pleased. In response I it was

imperative that ministers should meet and have discussions with each

other and these discussions would remain confidential until ministers

have the opportunity to discuss the indications. Would the Minister

agree that no single jurisdiction has the right to dictate how the

GCSE and A-level brand is used now or in the future? I would be

concerned about breaking up the ownership of the brand among the sea

jurisdictions. He is perfectly entitled to do so but I will insure

members -- as she remembers that the study is ongoing and there will be

an announcement in the future. The key purpose of eggs as is to ensure

our young people are tested robustly. There are a small number

of areas in which there is a shortfall in provision but we will

be working closely with the boards to address this. In some instances

this will involve bringing new providers and to address this. In

some instances this will involve bringing new providers enter the

programme are encouraging existing providers to run additional

programmes. More places will be provided for preschool provision.

Prominent investors pervading places for children from disadvantaged

backgrounds. While I understand the rationale for this, does the

Minister agree with me that it is subsequently often much harder for

parents who are working to find a suitable place even though they need

a preschool place for their child as much as anyone else? I am glad to

hear the member understands why the social clauses are involved in this

because children from disadvantaged backgrounds do have more

difficulties presenting throughout school. In terms of the social

clauses, I would like to have reviewed them earlier. I would like

more lower paid working families to meet the criteria and I have to wait

on the outcome of the welfare reform Bill and then if it does go

through, I will look at the social clauses. From education to health

and the major review of health services transforming your care. It

dominated headlines yesterday when health trusts moved to close 18

homes. Ministers insisted there was no Utah and today they stood by the

policy when the SDLP moved a motion looking for greater protection for

health services. We appreciate the need for reconfiguration and so we

have no ideological opposition. The concept is about making services

more accessible to those who need it the most, and in a more convenient

way. We support they need to tailor our health and social care system

around the patient. We are open-minded about the changes that

might bring. But, we are gravely concerned at the potential

privatisation of parts of our health and social care service which is

possible because of the transforming your care proposals. When 75% of

services are in the private sector, why the sudden outreach? I have no

hangups whatsoever about whether it is private or started to worry. My

only aim in life is what is best for the person living in the residential

or nursing care? That must be the main motivation? If the private

sector can provide that effectively, and cost effectively,

that is a good thing. The strategic implementation plan is currently

being updated to take on board and reflect the conclusions of the

public consultation. We hope this will be completed by the end of May

2013. Two or three days. Once it is completed, we will be taking

evidence from the health and social care borderless and we will want to

know in detail how they will introduce the changes and who they

will be consulting with. On the policy, on transforming your care,

they are no Utah is only policy. There will be no Utah is on it and I

believe that after I leave office and my party leaves office, there

will be no U-turns by the programme. In terms of ensuring that patients

and not profit is at the centre of care provision, that will always be

the case, but that does not mean that the private sector there is

always bad, or that it cannot help us or assist us in providing

healthcare. What we are looking for is not to provide a pure level of

care in spite of the fact that people do not have as much money,

but to ensure we provide the level of care that people expect and

should receive with the lesser amount of money, and in order to do

that we have to use our money more wisely and investment better than

deliver better results. Edwin Poots speaking there in the SDLP motion

was carried narrowly. The Culture Minister came under fire

during question time as she explained her department's strategy

for supporting boxing. She updated the assembly on the high-profile

case of Sandy Row Boxing Club. A new manager has been appointed and

is directly working with local boxing clubs on the number of

matters including funding applications, child protection and

increasing participation. Meetings are also being held between managers

and individual clubs and local councils to review situations.

Looking ahead, an independent team is due to be appointed in July and

they work will be informed by these meetings that are being held at the

moment in the Lee for the individual premises. The state of the boxing

clubs across the North are not good. In view of the comments just made

about Sandy Row Boxing Club and be very reasonable recommendations put

forward in the report on sectarian and racial abuse, as the Minister

spills saying that unless they meet hard she is not prepared to look at

the issues of fair treatment three sectarian and racial abuse that

Sandy Row Boxing Club has been subject to and continues to refuse

to be brought forward? Again, he is consistent with his inaccuracies.

have never said in this house or anywhere else that it will not

receive funding because it refused to meet me. Any boxing club will

only receive money once they are affiliated that that is the

criteria. If it is good enough for others, it is good enough for Sandy

Row Boxing Club. I am delighted they have agreed to meet the independent

panel and they believe it is a positive step. I hope they receive a

fair hearing and I believe me well and I hope they decide to the

affiliate because I am concerned that the children are affected

because of the stands of a fuel of the officers of the club.

ministers position is that unless a club which has been discriminated

against by those to whom they are affiliated, there will be no funding

for them? I know you like to dodge the issue but what advice are you

getting to help address the SU of sectarianism? I met with the various

panel members just last month and offered them support without

conditions, so I think in fairness to that, I reject the assertion

about myself and my department being involved in discrimination. I think

it has a scurrilous remarks to make. I will repeat myself again. Like any

other club, they have to be affiliated. I would appeal again to

Sandy Row Boxing Club to step back and think about the actions because

it is at the end of the day about children and young people who are

going to be left behind because of the actions of some of them.

assembly managed to fit them for questioning times today with Nelson

McCausland discussing shared housing but first up was the agriculture

minister answering questions about the Agri-Food strategy. I intend to

talk about all the departments implicated because obviously there

are implications for others. We intend to bring in executive people

for discussion and they plan to do that over the next three months

because that is one thing they are looking for. We do not want to take

a fantastic piece of work and not take action quickly. Some of the

targets are very achievable before the timeframe. The agri- food

industry would say these are exciting times but the farming

industry would say that the Minister is providing or what could be the

biggest crisis in living memory and it goes across all sectors. What are

you doing to bridge the gap between farming and Agri-Food to make sure

this report will more directly benefit the farming community?

of the key results of the report is the recognition for industry, to say

that the processors and retailers are involved in the supply chain.

The farming sector can be an equal partner and can be treated as such.

They are crucial to the success of this and all stages have been looked

at by the farming industry. I intend to continue working with the farming

industry and the executive has come on board to recognise the need to

support the farming industry and what has been a uniquely horrendous

time. All new housing developments are deemed to have shared potential.

They currently undertake a screening exercise for all shared development

proposals within the context of the religious make-up of the local

community. Where there is a history of good relations, local political

views and the proximity of integrated schools. If subject to a

screening exercise, a new bills scheme can be considered as a shared

scheme. They can sign up to the involuntary neighbourhood charter

which secures the agreement any manner which will not accept --

aspect the peace and enjoyment of their neighbours. I and my officials

are currently considering whether to take forward proposals for an

additional new ten shared housing developments in light of recent

statements by the first Minister and Deputy first Minister. Despite the

challenging environment, do you acknowledge and Wellcome the work

carried out in areas of south Belfast? Yes, indeed. The cohesion

unit within the housing sector is very much supportive of those

particular areas where you have a mixed community they are already. I

am aware of a number of projects that they have, having supplied the

member with details of those over the last couple of years right

through to the present. Some very good work has been done. Mixed

communities can come in different forms and for me the key thing is

not that they are sheer but that they are stable. You can have our

share of the area and then it goes one direction or another. You can

have an area that is sheer that the moment but which can transition from

one identity to another. It is important that they are stable as

well. Lots discussed in the chamber today but the education story seems

to stand out in terms of what it means for devolution. The irony of

this says that Michael Gove complained about how many boards

they were in that somewhere too simple and too difficult. He wanted

to bring it down but the impact has been to magnify the differences

between the various regions of the United Kingdom. It ties in to the

corporation tax as well because as we move forward we are growing for

the park, and the further irony is that the consequences of this are

being debated for certain as Lee. It will be interesting how they go

forward because it is all important for so many children. Look at the

whole 11 plus transfer test which we have still not resolved. The A-level

situation could go on and on and the schools themselves in Northern

Ireland will not be able to agree. It is not going to be resolved soon.

Was there that had from Edwin Poots that he might be moving in a

reshuffle? That was a whopping great sign, I am on my way out! For the