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Following a vote in the Assembly supporting a UUP motion to oppose any attempts to replace the national minimum wage with regional variants, UUP Lagan Valley MLA Basil McCrea said in a statement,

“The minimum wage is about trying to ensure fairness and equity in the employment market. It is designed to look after the many people who work hard at jobs that require only modest, formal qualifications. The minimum wage is their safeguard to a fair wage for a fair day’s work and we must resist any attempts to reduce it or tinker with it.

It is equally important that we provide the correct incentive for those people who are currently on benefits but that are able to enter the job market. Maintaining the differential between benefits and entry level jobs is of paramount importance to the future growth of our economy.”

Ulster Unionist MLA, Tom Elliott, has responded to today’s news of a suspected case of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) by calling for the return of bio-security measures at the Province’s ports and airports.

In a statement Tom, vice chairman of the Assembly’s DARD committee, said: “The news of a suspected case of FMD some 30 miles from the site of the recent outbreak in Surrey must be met with an immediate response from the Agriculture Minister. Measures must be put in place to ensure FMD does not enter the Province.

“Action must be taken to safeguard the local agri-food sector from the potentially devastating impact of this disease, the NI Executive has proved on several occasions the benefit of having local politicians dealing with this issue in a decisive manner and I trust this will continue.”

In conclusion the Fermanagh and South Tyrone assemblyman added: “As a farmer and a member of the Assembly’s DARD committee I will continue to monitor the situation closely as it unfolds and work to ensure that, if this case is confirmed to be FMD, it is contained and does not impact on Northern Ireland producers or consumers.”

UUP Deputy-Leader Danny Kennedy said that the events of recent days regarding the Causeway Coast Visitors centre had the potential to tarnish the integrity and probity of the Assembly Executive.

Mr Kennedy pointed to the fact a constituency MLA, who also serves as a Junior Minister, has confirmed having clear links to the private developer but has omitted to register the fact that he sits on one of the developer’s companies management board in either a remunerated or unremunerated capacity. The Deputy Leader also said MLAs needed a full, open and public account of how the Ministers responsible reached their decision as these unanswered questions were creating a whiff of sleaze in the fledgling government.

In a statement Mr Kennedy said,

“There are currently so many unanswered questions surrounding the decision to steer the Causeway site away from public bodies to a private developer with clear links to the DUP.

The DUP MLA for North Antrim defended in the Assembly debate the move made by his Ministerial colleagues. It transpires from newspaper reports that the member sits on the management board of one Mr Sweeney’s companies. This position is not registered in the Assembly Members interests which are available to the public on the Assembly website.

The advice on the code of conduct governing Members’ interests states: “members are required to list…any unremunerated interest which might reasonably be thought by others to influence their actions as Assembly Members.”

There are questions that need to be answered by the member concerned as to whether his comments on the Causeway site constitute a conflict of interest.

In addition the DUP Ministers involved have a duty to clear up this debacle by publicly reporting to the Assembly how they reached this decision and what representations were made to them by or on behalf of Mr Sweeney’s development company or associated companies. The longer this whiff of sleaze is allowed to hang in the air, the more the integrity and probity of this fledgling government is being tarnished.”