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Speaking at the launch of Breast Cancer Awareness Month at Stormont today, UUP South Down MLA John McCallister said,

“I welcome today’s launch of the Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month for October. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer amongst women in Northern Ireland. Every year around 900 women are diagnosed with the disease and one in twelve women will develop the cancer during their life time. These large numbers mean that many families in our society will, either directly or indirectly, have their lives affected by breast cancer.

“I am pleased that because of recent developments in awareness and early detection, recovery rates are showing signs of improvement. Today in Northern Ireland there are 6,000 women living with a diagnosis of Breast Cancer. To ensure that we continue to see an improvement in these figures all women should be entitled to a detection service which is easily accessible and does not require excessive waiting times.

“I urge everyone to get involved in Breast Cancer Awareness Month, both by increasing awareness of the signs and symptoms of the disease and by raising much needed financial support. It is essential that adequate funding is available to allow research to continue, so that hopefully one day this will be a thing of the past. It is also crucial that those who are experiencing the reality of breast cancer are treated with dignity and are provided with the support they deserve.”

News that an additional £6 million over three years is being considered in the priorities and budget 2007 to pay for additional costs in OFM/DFM including special advisers salaries, has alarmed UUP MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone and OFM/DFM Committee Member Tom Elliott .

In a statement Mr Elliott said,

“I understand that in the Priorities and Budget for 2007 there is a spending proposal for an additional £2 Million a year for three years for what are called ‘restoration related costs’. These additional cost pressures apparently relate to the cost of re-establishing the private offices for First and Deputy First Ministers, the Civic Forum, and the cost of Special Advisers.

I am alarmed at this. The department is already is already suffering from bureaucracy creep and flabby enough as it is. Across the board various departments are being asked by the Finance Minister to tighten their belts while OFM/DFM seek another £6 Million to help pay for, among other things, more special advisers.

I feel that OFM/DFM should be leading by example and trimming some of the fat off their department, not asking for more gravy.”

Ulster Unionist Children and Families spokesman Roy Beggs MLA today hit back at the Alliance Party over their criticism at the UUP tabling another motion on Fuel Poverty.

In a statement Mr. Beggs said,

“it is incredibly disappointing – and somewhat surprising - that the Alliance Party’s Naomi Long has decided that the Assembly is wasting its time debating fuel poverty. With my Ulster Unionist colleague John McCallister, I submitted a motion calling again on the Social Development Minister to review the fuel poverty strategy. Our last motion in the spring calling for this won all-Party support in the Assembly. Despite this there has been no review. The Assembly exists not to be an entertaining debating society, but to hold Ministers to account. This is precisely the aim of our motion.

“Fuel poverty costs the taxpayer – particularly in putting a strain every winter on the NHS. And that is why Early Day Motions on fuel poverty are brought before Parliament every year. It is also worth bearing in mind that the Assembly is about to consider the Executive’s Budget, a crucial time in the Assembly’s scrutiny of the Executive’s action. There is no better time to raise the issue of fuel poverty.

“While I obviously thank the Alliance representative on the business committee for deciding – unlike Naomi Long – that our fuel poverty motion is important enough to debate, I trust that the Alliance Assembly group will sort out their internal communications before Tuesday’s debate and ensure that they support our motion”