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Northern Ireland’s status as New Labour’s guinea pig was re-inforced today as a UUP MLA was sent copies of correspondence from concerned English constituents worried that plans to base rates on a percentage value of people’s dwellings in Northern Ireland could be transferred to England.

East Belfast UUP MLA Michael Copeland was forwarded two letters: one from Minister for Local Government and Community Cohesion Phil Woolas and the other from Liberal Democrat MP for Bath Don Foster. Both state categorically that there are no plans to roll out Northern Ireland’s planned rates reform - which links how much you pay to how much your house is worth - across England.

In a statement today Mr Copeland said,

“If there was any doubt that Northern Ireland is being used as a guinea pig for New Labour’s political experiments then these two letters will, unfortunately, put paid to those doubts.

Concerned and politically savvy English constituents who are worried that planned rates reforms here could be rolled out across England wrote to a Government Minister and their local MP for re-assurance. These people know how unfair and unnecessarily punitive such a method is for assessing what rates you have to pay.

The people of Northern Ireland are currently subject to the whims of unaccountable Direct Rule Ministers. You can bet if these Ministers were answerable to the public here such unpopular rates reforms would not have seen the light of day.

The sooner we see the return of the devolved institutions where local and accountable public representatives are in charge of such issues the better.”

UUP East Belfast MLA Michael Copeland today commented on the recent spate of robberies in East Belfast.

In a statement Mr Copeland said,

“This recent spate of robberies is regrettable. We need to get to a situation where there is a greater likelihood of getting caught by the police for engaging in this type of crime than not getting caught.

These robberies underline and justify calls by myself and other political representatives for additional and visible police resources to be made available to East Belfast.”

31,200 more households in Northern Ireland are suffering fuel poverty at the start of 2007 than in 2004 and the government is doing next to nothing two years since the launch of a Fuel poverty strategy, a UUP MLA has said.

East Belfast UUP MLA Michael Copeland said that those tasked with implementing the strategy have been complaining of a lack of resources, adequate funding and snails-pace decision making from government.

In a statement Mr Copeland said,

“The Northern Ireland Fuel Poverty Strategy was launched 2 years ago and there has been no reporting on progress, nor a work programme established.

There are now around 31,200 more people in Northern Ireland than 2004 suffering from fuel poverty.

Energy prices have soared by around 70% while average incomes have only increased by around 6% and those on benefits have only seen a rise of some 2%. With figures showing that those affected most by fuel poverty are living in rented or Housing Executive properties, it is clear that it is those on the breadline who are feeling these hikes the most.

There should be no more increases in levies until incomes can catch up with fuel price increases. With increased rates, the introduction of water charges and other household cost pressures, this catch up could take a long time.

The bottom line is that if prices continue to increase and the basic costs of living keep rising while incomes creep upwards slowly, fuel poverty numbers will continue to rise. Urgent work needs to be carried out now to stave off the increasing numbers of those who can’t afford to heat or cook in their own homes. I would urge the government to back up their 2 year old platitudes on fuel poverty with some meaningful action, proper resources and a step up in gear.”

UUP East Belfast MLA Michael Copeland today welcomed news that the Housing Executive have arranged a meeting for him with them to discuss the shortage of social Housing in East Belfast.

Mr Copeland recently staged an all night sit out, outside his constituency offices, to highlight the lack of affordable social housing in East Belfast.

As a result of the sit out and the publicity generated from it, the Housing Executive has arranged a meeting with the East Belfast MLA to discuss the issue.

In a statement Mr Copeland said,

“There are currently approximately 6,500 people on the waiting list for social housing in the east of the city. Currently many will be waiting for some time for homes.

The need for social housing has increased dramatically since developers started paying enormous sums of money for land and this has left a deficit of affordable social housing being built.

I look forward to meeting with the Housing Executive to see if a meaningful solution and strategy can be found to tackle this urgent social problem”

Local charities and vintage car clubs are potentially losing out on thousands of pounds of vital revenue as a result of the Secretary of State’s refusal to properly amend parades legislation, Ulster Unionist East Belfast assembly member, Michael Copeland, has warned.

Mr Copeland has today written to the Secretary of State and NIO Minister Paul Goggins voicing his concerns that Parades Commission recommendations from last October – specifically calling for certain 11/1 exemptions to be made – have not been acted upon.

In a statement, the UUP Parades Spokesperson said: “This is the season for New Year’s resolutions. I think a welcome New Year’s resolution from the NIO would be for a government Minister show the necessary resolve to step in and sort this out.

“I have been in contact with local vintage car associations and they tell me that in some cases organisers have been simply cancelling events rather than put themselves through a complicated and baffling 11/1 form-filling process.

“The revenue-raising capacity of these events is considerable. For example, a one-day old vehicles event in Co Down last year raised £15,500 which was shared out among 11 local charities.

“But similar events are under threat because government has failed to deliver the proper exemptions.”

He added: “This is an entirely unnecessary situation which could easily be avoided. Last October the Parades Commission said it would not object to ‘consideration being given to further exemptions for those events which are demonstrably beyond the intention of the government Act’.

“Rally car events fall within this recommendation. But still this grey area in the law persists. And the Secretary of State may have some personal experience of this. For example, did the Secretary of State fill out an 11/1 form for last week’s Rally Ireland event in Stormont?

“At that event, he described himself as a ‘great fan of motorsport’. So does he stand in sympathy with his fellow car enthusiasts on this issue?”

He added: “This has been dragging on for over a year. Public opinion, political opinion and the Parades Commission are united in telling the government to enact some pretty common sense changes.

“Even if government were to move today and deliver on the necessary exemptions, it often takes months for changes to percolate through the system. That’s why government must put the message out loud and clear right now that rally organisations – and similar groups and charitable organisations – will not be required to fill out 11/1 forms.

“Rally club organisers do not need to suffer another year of unnecessary disruption to their rally season.”

UUP East Belfast MLA Michael Copeland last night staged an all-night sit out outside his Constituency Office to highlight the lack of social housing in East Belfast.

Mr Copeland said 6,500 people are on the waiting list for this type of housing in the east of the city.

In a statement Mr Copeland said,

“The need for social housing has increased dramatically since developers started paying enormous sums of money for land. This has led to a shortage of social housing that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

I have been calling for an audit of existing Housing Executive properties in East Belfast and was delighted to be informed that one is to be carried out and be completed before the end of the financial year.

At least when we can adequately see the scale of the problem we can begin to put a proper, effective plan in place to solve it.”

East Belfast UUP MLA Michael Copeland today said that he was against member’s of the PSNI having to notify membership of any organisation but that if the Chief Constable intends on retaining a list of ‘notifiable memberships’ then both communities should be treated equally.

Mr Copeland suggested that membership of the GAA OR Opus Dei should be added to any on-going list.

Mr Copeland’s comments come as the PSNI are currently conducting a review of the list of organisations which the Chief Constable has decreed must be notified by serving members of the PSNI.

In a statement Mr Copeland said,

“I feel that no member of the PSNI should have to notify membership of any organisation. However, after this review, if the Chief Constable does intend to retain a list of notifiable memberships then it should treat both communities equally.

The Police (NI) Act 2000 Section 51 (1) sets the test that ‘a police officer has a notifiable membership if membership of the organisation in question might reasonably be regarded as affecting the Officer’s ability to discharge his duties effectively and impartially.”

It would be safe to say that some sections of the community in Northern Ireland would regard membership of the GAA or Opus Dei as affecting an Officer’s ability to discharge their duties effectively and impartially. Clearly if a list is to continue these organisations should be added to that list.”

Speed Cameras across Northern Ireland have netted £2,220000 but not a single penny of the fines levied goes back into local policing UUP MLA Michael Copeland said today.

Mr Copeland said that people wanted to see more police ‘on the beat’ across the board and he called for a change of law to allow funds raised from speeding fines to go back into the areas they are raised in, instead of a central pot in London where they are re-distributed by the Government.

In a statement Mr Copeland said,

“According to recent figures the PSNI have issued 37,000 speeding fines at £60 per fine across Northern Ireland. This combined total is almost £2 and a quarter Million raised from speed cameras.

When people across Northern Ireland are crying out for a more visible police presence to tackle anti-social behaviour and make the streets safer it is a mystery why this money cannot be channelled back into local areas to boost police resources instead of being but into a central pot in London and being used in anyway the Chancellor of the Exchequer sees fit.

I am formally asking the Secretary of State to consider a change in the law that would allow the money raised from these fines to go back into the area where it could make a real difference to local policing.”

Ulster Unionist East Belfast assembly member, Michael Copeland, has again questioned whether the East Belfast DCU is now being drained of resources and manpower in order to provide a heightened police presence in the Stormont Estate after an intoxicated man in a dressing gown covered in blood was seen wandering around his Constituency offices and was urinating in public.

In a statement, Mr Copeland said:

“My Constituency Office staff were alarmed this morning that a man wearing a dressing gown covered in blood was seen wandering around intoxicated and urinating in public. They had to call the police to have this man picked up.

Are the people of East Belfast suffering reduced policing cover and a less effective overall service so as to reinforce Parliament Buildings?

If it is the case that officers are being withdrawn from the area, this would be completely unacceptable to local residents.

Increased security in Stormont should not come at the cost of decreased security in inner city East Belfast.

I would call up on the local DCU commander to outline where the extra policing cover for Stormont Estate is coming from. I would also urge police in the area to reassure residents that their streets will not be made less safe so as to provide cover elsewhere.

I trust that the Chief Constable will make an application to the Policing Board to ensure that the District Commander has the appropriate additional resources made available to him to take on extra responsibilities at Stormont.”

UUP Parades spokesman and UUP MLA Michael Copeland has publicly stated his continued support for Mr Hugh Hamilton, who along with others, was questioned after question with a view to prosecution in the aftermath of the mishandling of a parade application for a memorial parade to honour the memory of two murdered soldiers of the Ulster Defence Regiment.

The 11/1 form submitted was deemed by the police, the Parades Commission, or both to be improperly completed although an opposite opinion was put subsequently put forward by the then Minister Sean Woodward on the floor of the House of Commons.

Mr Hamilton, accompanied by supporters and the Pride of the Raven Flute Band, will Parade on Saturday afternoon at 1.45pm from the Orange Hall on the Albertbridge Road to the PSNI station at Strandtown where Mr Hamilton will present a letter requiring an apology for his treatment.

Mr Copeland, who supports Mr Hamilton’s campaign to clear his name, said in a statement,

“This issue is unfinished business. Mr Hamilton has found himself on the wrong side of the law because some unknown individual within the Police or Parades Commission incorrectly adjudicated that the 11/1 was not properly completed. As a result Mr Hamilton’s actions were considered unlawful, and he was, with others questioned after caution with a view to prosecution, like a common criminal.

Mr Hamilton, who is an honourable and upstanding citizen, feels humiliated and abused by a process that for the first time in his life placed a stain on his character and reputation. He has stated that he will not rest until this matter is resolved and I pledge my continued support to Mr Hamilton in his quest for a full apology.”