UUP Chief Whip David McNarry today urged the other main Political parties not to forget their commitment to provide £20 Million to fund special needs, as agreed in the Programme For Government talks.
Mr McNarry issued his reminder after newspaper reports indicated that £400,000 had been spent by Education Boards on legal advice to prevent distraught parents with special needs children from making their cases heard.
In a statement Mr McNarry said,
“I, like many others, am appalled at the sums spent by Education Boards on legal advice to silence parents with special needs children. This only serves to reinforce the urgent need to properly address and fund the special needs sector.
I would remind the other main parties that in the recent Programme For Government talks, we collectively agreed on an Ulster Unionist Party proposal that I tabled, for £20 Million to be earmarked and provided specifically to deal with the deficit in special needs provision.
My understanding is that this £20 Million was to be part of the overall financial package that was negotiated with Gordon Brown. This £20 million, which is on the Hansard record, should not be forgotten about by other parties.”
Continue Reading E-mail April 27th, 2007
David McNarry MLA
Speaking in the European Parliament in Strasbourg UUP MEP Jim Nicholson has called for EU sanctions in place against Robert Mugabe’s violent and brutal regime in Zimbabwe to be reinforced, strengthened and taken to the next level.
Speaking in the Parliament Mr Nicholson said,
“I welcome the joint motion that seeks strongly to uphold sanctions against a ruthless and violent regime that is plaguing Zimbabwe in the worst possible way. I thank those of you who have worked hard on this resolution and I am pleased with the result.
“Isolating Mugabe and other members of his regime is of the utmost importance in order to demonstrate to both the international community and the other African nations that EU Member States will not tolerate the blatant abuses of human rights and dignity that have been committed in Zimbabwe.
“We have consistently opposed this brutal menace and will continue to do so together. Mugabe should remember his promise to step down and do so now. This is the only action he could take that would benefit Zimbabwe. EU sanctions that are in place put real pressure on Mugabe’s brutal regime and as such they need to be reinforced, strengthened and taken to the next level.
“As regard the next level, it is well known that Mugabe is seeking financial backing and support from countries such as China that are not always as firm on issues of freedom and democracy as I and many others would like. From within this joint declaration we can see the Parliament’s firm resolution to take this issue to the UN Security Council. I welcome that.
“Furthermore, I strongly support making sure any money the EU and the international community sends to Zimbabwe for humanitarian purposes, whether private funds or public funds does not fall into the wrong hands. It is clear that the people of Northern Ireland and across the EU give very generously in aid to the Zimbabwean people – this generosity should not be abused by the Mugabe dictatorship. We need to make sure that the money we give is used in the most efficient and transparent way and does not go to the coffers of the Mugabe regime.”
Continue Reading E-mail April 27th, 2007
Jim Nicholson MEP
