Archive for October 2nd, 2007
Ulster Unionist Lagan Valley MLA Basil McCrea said today that the currently used template for measuring inequality – the Committee on the Administration of Justice’s September 2006 report (CAJ) – was flawed.
Mr McCrea said the report’s conclusions about economic inactivity were way off the mark. Speaking after the debate in the Assembly he said,
“If you get the questions wrong to begin with you will not get the right answer, nor get to the heart of the matter.
It is utter tripe to talk about inequality when you look at all the facts that come out that actually stack against it. If the facts don’t fit the argument, you have no argument. Yet the Assembly is carrying on regardless, using this Committee Report from 2006 as the benchmark and template for measuring inequality despite the Housing Executive pointing out numerous flaws with it and University studies showing that its premise and conclusions are also flawed.
If we are to have a proper debate on matters of equality it helps if the debate is grounded in rational fact, not partisan conjecture.
I believe we need to go back to the drawing board and find an agreed template so that we can properly begin to tackle issues of inequality in the Assembly and at Executive level free of the emotional and groundless political baggage that the CAJ report currently carries with it.”
Continue Reading E-mail October 2nd, 2007
Basil McCrea MLA
Ulster Unionist MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone this week called for more to be done by the executive in addressing the ongoing problem of child poverty.
Mr Elliott noted “a recent Government report found that in Northern Ireland up to 120,000 children live in varying degrees of poverty. If we add to that the number of children who are deemed to be living in deprivation, the figure increases to 160,000.
“A start has been made: in the UK as a whole since 1999, 600,000 children have been removed from states of poverty. However, more needs to be done, including here in Northern Ireland. If government targets of halving child poverty by 2010 and eradicating it by 2020 are to be met, action must be consistent and not dip in and out of dealing with the matter.”
The local MLA went on to state that there was need for a focal point from which to start the campaign to eradicate child poverty.
“The figure of 120,000 children living in poverty in Northern Ireland drops by more than 50% if the target group changes from including children living in general poverty to those who live in severe poverty. When we shift the focus, the number of children in Northern Ireland whose situations require what we would term immediate action decreases to approximately 44,000.”
“Differentiating between levels of poverty does not take away from the overall problem. However, if we were to make such a differentiation, the Assembly and Executive could execute a more strategic plan to help those who are in the most immediate distress.
“There have been several failings in the Government’s attempts to deal with child poverty. For example, they failed to reduce the number of children who are in severe poverty, with one in five children in the UK still living in a persistently poor household. I wonder how many people in the wider community know what it is like for those children and households who live in poverty. Do those children sometimes have to go without the basic essentials of life such as the food and clothing that many in our community take for granted? The issue demands action and must be addressed before more children find themselves in poverty stricken states of living.”
Continue Reading E-mail October 2nd, 2007
Tom Elliott MLA
Ulster Unionist Environment Spokesman, Sam Gardiner MLA, has welcomed the decision by British retailers to ban traditional light bulbs by 2011.
His comments come following news that major retailers would phase out 150 watt bulbs in 2008, 100 watt in in 2009, 40 watt in 2010 and all others in 2011. The first store to act will be the Co-op which would stop selling old fashioned tungsten bulbs next month.
“I have been campaigning for the abandonment of the old fashioned incandescent light bulbs for two years now,” explained Mr Gardiner.
“Last year I had a free give-away of new low-energy fluorescent light bulbs in my High Street, Lurgan constituency office and there was a very big take-up by the public. This new plan will cut carbon emissions by 5 million tonnes a year. So it is very good news for the environment.”
“I am also pleased that, for once, the UK is ahead of the rest of the European Union in this. New rules banning the old fashioned incandescent light bulbs will niot be introduced in Europe until after 2011. So we are ahead of the field.”
“80 per cent of bulbs sold in UK stores are old fashioned high-energy bulbs, even though fluorescent bulbs use 75 per cent less energy and last up to 12 times longer. New fluorescent light bulbs can reduce electricity bills by £9 per per per bulb, or by £100 over the bulb’s average lifetime,” explained the MLA.
“So it makes good financial sense for people to make the switch now and it is also good for the environment.”
Continue Reading E-mail October 2nd, 2007
Sam Gardiner MLA
Cllr Mark Cosgrove, the UUP spokesperson on Trade and Tourism today commented on the latest escalation of the postal dispute.
In a statement Mr Cosgrove said,
“Following confirmation of several further strike days I think it is vital for industry across the United Kingdom but specifically in the SME dominated market in Northern Ireland that there is an early resolution to this increasingly dangerous dispute. Most small business rely on the post to generate their cash flow and also to pay suppliers and a lot of business people have grave concerns over the outworkings of these strike days. It takes the postal service several days to get back to normal following only one day of strike action let alone several in a short space of time. In today’s ever increasingly competitive markets the term “Cash is King” has never been more poignant. More small businesses fail for reasons of poor Cash Flow than any other single factor. This dispute has the very real potential of costing Northern Ireland PLC jobs and lost business.
Of course the Post Office itself is a large and important employer and there has to be recognition of the very real concerns of staff with regards to the ongoing cost cutting programme that management are clearly embarked upon. I would urge both sides to step back from the brink as previous disputes have only weakened the company’s position and led to some of the largest customers voting with their feet and strengthening the hand of the Post Offices competitors. This of course leads to further redundancies as the supply v demand factors are worked through the business.
It is vital that this vital service is maintained and that working practises reflect world class norms otherwise the future for the service which is part of the fabric of British society will cease to exist as we know it. The UUP believe that doomsday scenario must be avoided at all costs.”
Continue Reading E-mail October 2nd, 2007
Cllr Mark Cosgrove
Ulster Unionist Member of the European Parliament Jim Nicholson MEP has called today for members of the public to be able to refer complaints they have about Government departments, government agencies and local government directly to the Northern Ireland ombudsman without having to have their case referred by a member of Northern Ireland Assembly.
Mr Nicholson said that cutting out the middle man would make the ombudsman’s office more accessible to the general public and help to create more accountable and transparent government.
In an interview in a Belfast newspaper last week, the Northern Ireland ombudsman, Tom Frawley said that important changes could soon be on the agenda for the office, which would bring it, closer to the people.
In a statement Mr Nicholson said,
“Recently I was contacted by a constituent, who having exhausted the complaints process, wanted to complain to the Ombudsman in Northern Ireland about the conduct of a Government Department. When I began the process for my constituent I soon discovered that as an MEP I was not able to refer the case to the ombudsman on behalf of my constituent. It had to be an MLA.
“The fact that members of the public who want to complain about Government must have their case referred by an MLA creates an unnecessary hurdle and slows the entire process down.
“Surely, in the interests of accountable and transparent Government it would be better for members of the public to go straight to the ombudsman themselves therefore cutting out the middle man.
“This is entirely consistent with practice in other devolved regions of the UK. The people of Scotland and Wales can complain directly to the ombudsman without it being referred by a Member of the Scottish Parliament or Welsh Assembly.
“I would like to see the First Minister, as a matter of urgency, initiate a review of the workings of the Ombudsman’s office to see where changes to its operation could be made.”
Continue Reading E-mail October 2nd, 2007
Jim Nicholson MEP
Rev Dr Robert Coulter, the Ulster Unionist Party Assembly member for North Antrim and UUP Stormont Commissioner, has congratulated “brilliant” Broughshane on bringing yet another superb award to the locality when the village was named as overall winner of this year’s Britain in Bloom awards.
Dr Coulter said he was “very proud” of the village, and the latest accolade was “tremendous news for the borough” coming hot on the heels of Broughshane collecting the Best Kept Small Town in Ireland Award earlier this summer.
He added the latest award reinforced the village’s sterling reputation as “a beacon for the whole community throughout the Province to follow”.
“I could have told anyone that it was the prettiest village in Northern Ireland, but now we have independent confirmation of it,” said a delighted Dr Coulter.
“What is particularly pleasing are the extremely positive comments the judges made about the village, quite apart from the award itself. They described Broughshane’s entry as outstanding, bold, imaginative and forward-looking.
“That and the fact the whole community were involved in the effort is a great boost for North Antrim.
“It certainly was quite an achievement for Broughshane to fend off the competition from 68 other finalists. I don’t think we in Northern Ireland say enough about our achievements. We are a self-effacing and naturally shy people.
“We should really celebrate this great achievement. It will do a lot for the tourist potential of what is already a very beautiful part of the Province.”
Assemblyman Dr Coulter, himself a former Mayor of Ballymena for three terms in the mid 1990s, said it was “not surprising” Broughshane had scooped yet another prestigious award, given the “superb portfolio” of accolades the village had achieved over the years.
He added: “We are now living in an era when caring for our environment and keeping our localities neat and tidy are becoming major community issues.”
Continue Reading E-mail October 2nd, 2007
Rev. Dr. Robert Coulter MLA
Rev Dr Robert Coulter, the Ulster Unionist Party Assembly member for North Antrim and UUP Stormont Commissioner, has “warmly welcomed” the news the Gallaher factory at Ballymena’s Lisnafillan is to expand its workforce by creating a further 95 jobs.
Assemblyman Dr Coulter said the additional employment provided a clear recognition from the company’s management that the Ballymena plant’s existing workforce of more than 900 demonstrated “a first rate reputation for hard work, dedication and professionalism”.
He added: “However, we are saddened by the accompanying news the additional jobs in Ballymena is tempered by the loss of nearly 200 jobs with the closure of Gallaher’s Cardiff plant.
“But as a North Antrim community, we must take heart that the expansion programme at Lisnafillen is a recognition of the long-term security and future of the factory in spite of the downturn in the tobacco industry since 1999.
“The Gallaher plant has been a significant employer, not just in the Ballymena borough, but right across our North Antrim constituency and county for many decades.
“I wish the factory management and workers continued success and hope Gallaher reaches a financial position where it can invest further in the constituency by creating even more employment,” said Assemblyman Dr Coulter.
Continue Reading E-mail October 2nd, 2007
Rev. Dr. Robert Coulter MLA
Ulster Unionist assemblyman Tom Elliott has expressed his dismay as a workplace memorial to the victims of the 1987 Remembrance Day bombing faces demands to be removed.
It is believed that some fire service staff are demanding that a photograph of the eleven people murdered in the 1987 Enniskillen Remembrance Day bomb be taken down from the Enniskillen base.
Cllr. Elliott explains: “It has been indicated that certain staff members are pressing for the photograph to be taken off the wall as it offends them. I am aghast that a simple tribute like this can be targeted in such a sectarian way, and I urge those concerned not to bow to this absurd pressure in order to appear politically correct.”
In the aftermath of one of the troubles’ most infamous atrocities community relations in Enniskillen improved greatly and a floodgate of anti-IRA feeling was opened around the globe as Sinn Fein found itself increasingly isolated.
Cllr. Elliott concluded: “Removal of the memorial would be an insult to the memory of the people who lost their lives in this attack and those who suffered as a result of it. Yielding to this small minority of staff would be a real blot on the good working relationship currently enjoyed among many of the fire crew members in the county, which ensures the provision of this essential service to the whole community.”
Continue Reading E-mail October 2nd, 2007
Tom Elliott MLA
The Ulster Unionist Party today derided the de-stabilising and constant merry-go round style debates about the Devolution of Policing and Justice. The Ulster Unionist Party is against devolving powers until there is sufficient public confidence to back the move. This confidence does not exist at present.
The Assembly’s Assembly and Executive Review Committee is hearing evidence from Mr Justice Kerr who will argue that the judiciary must remain independent if justice powers are transfered to Stormont. In addition a motion which mentions Policing and Justice is being debated in the Assembly Chamber.
Ulster Unionist Deputy-Leader Danny Kennedy said,
“It is ridiculous to be having further debate on the issue of devolving of Policing Justice when the public and majority of politicians do not have a full picture of what was actually agreed at St. Andrews almost one year ago. There is no clarity on envisaged timeframes with Sinn Fein pushing for a speedy transition, seemingly backed by the government, with the DUP saying it is too soon. This approach to the issue is shambolic, confusing and adds nothing to what the public expects: a rational, spin-free presentation of what devolving these powers actually entails.”
UUP Police Board Member Basil McCrea added,
“The Assembly is having yet another merry-go-round of debate on devolving policing and justice powers without any clarity and without having had full sight of what agreed blocks are already in place. This is no way to do business and it must end.
The public have a right to know what the government position is and what the DUP and Sinn Fein agreed in principle at St Andrews. Until we establish these most basic of facts, any debates are circumspective and largely pointless. In fact these debates have a de-stabilising effect as each party seeks to score political capital and once again turn the police into a political football.
It is time for some much needed clarity from the DUP and Sinn Fein on the issue. Tell the public your understanding of what you agreed with each other at St Andrews, or what the governments agreed on your behalf then we can take it from there.”
Continue Reading E-mail October 2nd, 2007
Danny Kennedy MLA
