Bell - “Hain foolish for saying no to one request that all parties agree on”
Lagan Valley MLA Billy Bell has criticised Secretary of State Peter Hain for denying a request which all parties had actually agreed upon.
Mr Hain gave an emphatic ‘no’ to a request from the Speakers Advisory Group to replace old equipment at Parliament buildings with 16 new computers.
Mr Bell said:
“This minimal request from across all the parties is virtually the only thing that MLA’s from all parties have all actually agreed upon. What is so disheartening about the whole situation is that Hain actually said no – what kind of message is that giving out? Not only does it show his arrogance but it also flies in the face of his commitment to listen to parties, particularly on unanimous decisions.
“Furthermore, his bribery attempts that the matter can be looked at if devolution is restored are childish, especially when we consider that any new computers can easily be relocated throughout the civil service should the Assembly fold. I only hope he undertakes an attitude adjustment before November”.