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Upper Bann Ulster Unionist Assembly Member George Savage MLA today spoke out after hearing that the British National Anthem will not be played at Ravenhill when Ireland play Italy. Speaking today, George said:

“I was disgusted to find out that on Friday night at Ravenhill the only National Anthem to be played will be that of the Italians. This is unacceptable. Under the Belfast Agreement’s ‘Parity of Esteem’ principle, I understand that culture and another nation’s emblems and anthem should be respected.”

“When Ireland play in Dublin I agree that the Irish National Anthem should be played as the match is being played in the Capital City of the Irish Republic and I am sure that supporters from Northern Ireland do not take issue with that. When Ireland play away only Ireland’s Call is played and that, I believe, is fair right and proper.”

“However, when Ireland play in Belfast, only Ireland’s Call will be played. I believe this will be a great insult to Ireland players who come from Ulster that the anthem of their country will not be played when Ireland play at Ravenhill. Furthermore, I am astonished that the IRFU gave Ulster Branch no choice – International match and no God Save The Queen or no match at all. This is utterly disgraceful.”

“I trust that the IRFU and Ulster Branch will re-think this decision seriously before they alienate a vast number of their fan base. I have written to the IRFU and Ulster Branch to put on record my disgust.”

Following the release today of the OFMDFM-commissioned Deloitte Report “Research into the financial cost of the Northern Ireland divide”, Deputy Leader of the Ulster Unionist Assembly Party and Chair of the Committee of the Centre, Danny Kennedy MLA, has given his initial response to the Report.

In a statement Mr. Kennedy said,

“A key challenge facing the Northern Ireland Assembly is to protect the public purse. Wasteful, inefficient government spending needs to be challenged, ensuring that the taxpayers of Northern Ireland are given value for money for their hard-earned taxes. In light of this, then, I welcome the Report’s publications. I look forward to carefully scrutinising it and would urge all concerned to comment responsibly on its findings and not mislead the public.

“While the Report broadly identifies the cost of the divide to the public of £1.5 billion per annum, a careful reading of the Report suggests that this figure is be incredibly misleading. It includes the costs of policing civil disorder - and riots are not unique to Northern Ireland. It includes support for the victims of past terrorist violence. Put simply, victims cannot be abandoned in order to satisfy accountants. It includes costs associated with certain administrative changes under the RPA, changes which are broadly welcomed across Northern Ireland as means of saving money. The Report, ironically, also includes the cost of community relations programmes. Considering the hard and vital work undertaken across Northern Ireland to promote better relations in our society, it is - to say the least - strange that the cost of such efforts is implied to be a waste of public money.

“Value for money in government expenditure must be delivered by the Northern Ireland Assembly. Alongside this duty, Government, the Executive and the Assembly have other equally important duties - caring for victims, protecting the public during times of disorder and promoting good community relations. It is on this basis that I look forward to giving the Report careful consideration.”

Ulster Unionist Parades Spokesman Michael Copeland today described the Parades Commission determination regarding Number 4 Grand Black Chapter as hopefully the dying throes of a failed entity.

In a statement Mr Copeland said,

“Given the recent events in Belfast City Centre during a so-called truth march which saw masked and, for all we know, armed men prancing around apparently unmolested by the Police - in circumstances considered by the Parades Commission as not worthy of comment or determination – we now have a restriction placed on the playing of music on the lower part of the Newtownards Road in the last Saturday in August. This is a section of road which in terms of postal addresses is 100% Unionist.

Once again the Parades Commission which is singularly silent regarding the twelfth of July is attempting to confront and browbeat the more elderly and perhaps more dignified membership of the Royal Black Perceptory, at the behest of those serial objectors who apparently have no difficulty with the events in Belfast City centre previously described.

In this allegedly democratic society, churches should be beacons of tolerance, mutual respect and the defenders of freedom of Assembly and expressions of belief. This determination has reduced St Mathews to nothing more than a pawn to be repeatedly used by the Parades Commission as a convenient excuse in its campaign against one section of our community. “

Yesterday’s (Tuesday) meeting of the Assembly’s Agriculture and Rural Development committee has been described as “extremely useful” by the vice chairman, Ulster Unionist MLA, Tom Elliott.

The committee was recalled by the Minister, Michelle Gildernew, to discuss DARD’s budgetary priorities and areas where the department proposes to make efficiency savings in the years ahead.

Speaking from Stormont Mr. Elliott said: “There had been some speculation that the DARD committee would meet during recess to discuss budgetary priorities, and I am glad that we were indeed given such an opportunity to meet with departmental officials. A number of important issues were on the agenda and to have some groundwork done before the Assembly sits in September is, I believe, of benefit to the agricultural sector.

“The DARD budget has many commitments to meet and to see the funds broken down to the various projects and schemes improves our understanding of what the money is being used for. Schemes including the Farm Nutrient Management Scheme, the processing and marketing capital grant scheme and the planned work on Kilkeel Harbour all feature in the budgetary priorities.

“I was however concerned that a number of matters were not addressed in the department’s budget priorities, firstly that the Rural Development Programme does not have inter-departmental involvement, I firmly believe that a collaborative approach involving DSD, DRD, DEL, DHSSPS etc is necessary for lasting development in our rural areas. DARD officials did however give me an undertaking that this issue would be explored further, which was positive.”

Tom continued by explaining a number of other issues that he had highlighted, including the need for the decentralisation of DARD staff outside the greater Belfast area, particularly as the department deals with rural issues, and his concerns that the costs for the maintenance of APHIS other IT equipment and general capital expenditure (£14.13m in years 1-3 and £32.96m in years 4-10) be kept under control by the department.

Turning to the efficiency gains outlined by DARD, the Fermanagh and South Tyrone assemblyman said: “With regards the savings that DARD intends to make I do have some concern about the £2m to be saved yearly from 2008/09 to 2010/11 from the LFACA scheme. It is proposed that these savings can be achieved without the payments made to farmers actually being reduced, with voluntary modulation being used to make up the shortfall in farmers’ money, however I do not want to see other areas of funding being scaled back as a result of this drive to make savings.

“On a more positive note, assurances have been given by DARD officials that the remaining portion of the LFACA funding will commence payment on 12th September, with the majority of businesses receiving this money by the end of September.

“With regards the projected savings to be made in the field of Animal Health Responsibility and Cost Sharing, this is to be realised partly by the department withdrawing computers and staff from marts and I have concerns that farmers may ultimately have to pick up the tab for animal testing, I don’t think that would be a desirable development.”

In conclusion Tom added: “I am glad that the committee has been able to meet with DARD officials ahead of the assembly reconvening, it has allowed us to scrutinise matters in advance and means we can hit the ground running as of 10th September, which can only be good for Northern Ireland farmers.”

Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA, Tom Elliott, has thanked Conservative MEP, Neil Parish for taking the time to meet with and take questions from a group of farmers and representatives of Fermanagh’s independent retailers during his recent visit to the Province.

Mr. Parish, chairman of the European Union’s influential agriculture committee, was on a visit to Northern Ireland at the invitation of Ulster Unionist MEP, Jim Nicholson.

Speaking after the meeting at the Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen, Mr. Elliott said: “I think I speak for all those present today when I say how glad we were to welcome Neil and his wife Sue to County Fermanagh.

“With the recent cases of FMD in England Neil’s schedule is even busier than normal, his participation here this evening is therefore appreciated even more by the local farming community.”

The Ulster Unionist assemblyman continued: “The theme for this evening’s meeting was the promotion of local produce, in terms of retailers sourcing from local suppliers and ultimately the consumer making the decision to buy local which signals to shopkeepers that such an initiative is a profitable one to pursue.

“The example being promoted today is that of local, County Fermanagh milk, this initiative sees the local dairy industry and independent retailers working in concert to promote and educate with regards the many qualities of locally produced milk.”

Tom concluded by wishing the scheme well, and added: “I hope that such a partnership can act as a template for many similar initiatives in the months ahead and help improve the operating environment for local growers and producers.”

Further to media speculation that DUP MP David Simpson is considering using Parliamentary privilege in October to name a Sinn Fein politician who he claims was a mole for the Security Forces, UUP Alderman Arnold Hatch said the decision raised more questions than it answered.

In a statement Mr Hatch said,

“Why is Mr Simpson raising the issue in August – the silly season in the media – when he is only considering doing something in October?

Could it be that he is expecting Gordon Brown to call an election in October and this question would curry some favour with his disillusioned electorate?

His electorate trusted his word when he signed the famous letter with eleven other DUP politicians urging the Rev. Ian Paisley not to do a deal with Sinn Fein/IRA.

I fully understand the need to find the killers of Mr Eric Lutton and I hope that the Historical Enquiries Team will be able to bring forward the perpetrators through the courts but what is to be gained by Mr Simpson’s anticipated antics?

As far as I am concerned the more Feiners acting as moles for the Security Forces the better! Or is there another motive?

Is Mr Simpson, who is not a Minister in the power sharing Executive trying to de-stabilise the fledgling Assembly and there-by try to justify his dramatic u-turn by supporting Sinn Fein in Government? Something he said he would not do before the election just over 100 days ago!”

The Equality Commission has published a report into the effectiveness of the law on equality of opportunity. The UUP met recently with the Commission and expressed grave concerns at the Report’s contents.

The UUP concluded in its submission to the Commission that while it noted some positive statements in the Review relating to future developments of effectiveness measures, “its overriding conclusion is one of acute disappointment with the contents of the Commission’s Review of the law (Section 75). To know that such a Review cost £75,000 heightens the party’s disappointment. This situation represents an appalling indictment of the lack of regard given by the Commission to demonstrating whether or not the law has been effective.”

The UUP submission continued: “We fully accept that: it is not solely the responsibility of the Commission to ‘deliver’ equality of opportunity; and that it relates to much more than employment opportunity. Nevertheless the Commission should have been in no doubt as to: the significance of the law; the aspect of equality of opportunity with respect to employment; the duty and associated responsibility placed upon the Commission by law; and the clear targets that were requested by Government in early 1999 to be developed by the Commission in order to assess the impact of the law on the employment market.”

The UUP submission noted that: “The above is against a background of public authorities having made much commitment to the aspect of equality of opportunity, not least in the annual employment monitoring returns forwarded to the Commission together with three-year employment reviews. This hidden cost has not, as far as the UUP is aware, been quantified: such quantification may make for interesting reading.”

It added that “it is totally unacceptable to the UUP that the Commission has made no comment at all in this Review of effectiveness regarding labour market equality of opportunity. No amount of words could justify this silence on the part of the Commission.”

Dermot Nesbitt, UUP Rights spokesman commented on the party’s submission:

“Only last month the Secretary of State said in Parliament, concerning all the expensive public enquiries, that there is no question but that we must continue to discover the truth about the past. All the UUP asks, and it will cost little or no money, is to discover the truth about the present - concerning effectiveness measurement techniques for employment in NI? The Commission was tasked to answer this question and has completely failed. This question remains, as it has done for some time, but when is it going to be answered?”

Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson warned today that the Northern Ireland Executive may have to consider intervening in the ongoing row over Aer Lingus plans to move its Shannon/Heathrow routes to Belfast to ensure that the Aer Lingus decision to base its new UK hub at Belfast goes ahead as planned.

In a statement Mr Nicholson said,

“The opportunities and obvious economic benefits that will come from the decision by Aer Lingus to make Belfast its new UK base are being lost because of the crisis created by its decision to move its Shannon/Heathrow routes to Belfast International and the row over pilots pay.

“I am really concerned about the impact all this controversy will have on the Aer Lingus decision and whether the new Aer Lingus investment at Belfast International is in real danger. The intervention of Ryanair has made matters worse. The last thing we want is for Aer Lingus to reconsider their decision and be forced to abandon their plans to locate its new UK hub at Belfast.

“The First Minister and the Executive will have to consider intervening to ensure that the Aer Lingus plans go ahead. It is a situation, which nobody wants to see happen but ultimately may be required if the plans are in danger. Quite clearly, those involved must get a grip on the situation very quickly.

“The reaction of many in the Republic of Ireland has left a bitter taste in the mouth. North/South economic cooperation cannot always benefit one side more than the other. After years of missing out on so much, Northern Ireland deserves to see economic investment of the type Aer Lingus have committed to, which after all was made on a sound, pragmatic economic basis.”

UUP MEP Jim Nicholson said today that the continuing rise in animal feed prices has the ability to put more and more farmers out of business in Northern Ireland.

In a statement Mr Nicholson said,

“Quite clearly the spiralling prices for animal feed, being driven by the world market, mean that farmers should see an increase in the price received for what they produce and as we approach the winter this will become even more of an issue. Not only was last year a disaster but the incoming winter looks no better as returns from the market are abysmal.

“Last week the European Commission’s report into the medium term prospects for agricultural markets and income highlighted the likely decline in beef production within the EU and cited an increase in animal feed prices as being partly responsible for the likely decline. This sector can not continue to absorb the increased costs and survive.

“It is my intention to raise the issue at the earliest opportunity when the European Parliament returns in September. It must be highlighted at a European level because Europe is going to make the problem even worse by their attitude to GMO produced grain and the demand for zero tolerance, which probably will result in even more increases in the months ahead.

“My fear is that if there is not a significant increase to the farmer for what he produces and if the supermarkets do not support the local economy by buying local produce rather that the cheaper, inferior imported products, farmers will quit producing and while the consumers will have short term cheap food the long term implications will be disastrous.”