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Ulster Unionist South Belfast MLA Michael McGimpsey today re-iterated his call for a separate and dedicated DCU for the city centre after figures published today showed South Belfast had the highest crime figures in Northern Ireland for the 3rd year running.

In a statement Mr McGimpsey said,

“Over the past three years South Belfast has registered almost double the crimes than any other part of the city. These figures reveal much about the unique conditions which exist within the area. The City Centre, with all of its shops, pubs and restaurants is naturally busy. With so many people concentrated in a relatively small area the crime figures will of course be higher.

In other parts of the United Kingdom the demands of policing the commercial centres and nightspots require a separate approach.

I believe it is time for the city centre to have its own dedicated DCU with its own manpower, so as to avoid resources being severely overstretched in other parts of South Belfast. The demands of city centre policing are bleeding the rest of South Belfast of a proper and meaningful police presence. The people in South Belfast are being neglected.

There is no reason why the PSNI should not create a dedicated command unit targeted specifically to operating within the commercial and retail heartland of our capital. This would ensure the best possible policing option for the city, and south Belfast residents.

I would call on other parties to put their money where their mouth is and back my call.”

Former Sports Minister Michael McGimpsey has voiced disappointment over Dermot Ahern’s calls for an all-Ireland football team - and added that it was painfully clear the Irish Foreign Minister had been “cynically using sport to electioneer ahead of the Dail elections”.

In a statement, the UUP South Belfast MLA said: “Mr Ahern should not be using sport to electioneer. In pandering to the lowest common denominator, Mr Ahern has stooped to a level which one would expect a foreign minister to be above.

“Mr Ahern needs to take a reality check and be more circumspect in future. There is no possibility of a United Ireland team and no popular demand - and Mr Ahern knows it. It’s painfully clear that he’s putting in some early electioneering ahead of a tight Dail election.

“People here are very proud of the Northern Ireland football team and will continue to be. We expect better of Mr Ahern than this.”

At the moment Belfast is divided up into four different policing sections, known as District Command Units:  North, South, East and West with each area allocated a full-time quota of around 250 police officers. However in the South Belfast DCU the City Centre is added in.

Ulster Unionist South Belfast MLA Michael McGimpsey is calling for a separate and dedicated DCU for the city centre.

In a statement Mr McGimpsey said,

“Over the past two years South Belfast has registered almost double the crimes than any other part of the city. These figures reveal much about the unique conditions which exist within the area. The City Centre, with all of its shops, pubs and restaurants is naturally busy. With so many people concentrated in a relatively small area the crime figures will of course be higher.

In other parts of the United Kingdom the demands of policing the commercial centres and nightspots require a separate approach.

I believe it is time for the city centre to have its own dedicated DCU with its own manpower, so as to avoid resources being severely overstretched in other parts of South Belfast. The demands of city centre policing are bleeding the rest of South Belfast of a proper and meaningful police presence. The people in South Belfast are being neglected.

There is no reason why the PSNI should not create a dedicated command unit targeted specifically to operating within the commercial and retail heartland of our capital. This would ensure the best possible policing option for the city, and south Belfast residents.

I would call on other parties to put their money where their mouth is and back my call.”

Former DCAL Minister Michael McGimpsey has said that no one will be convinced by the DUP’s mock outrage in the House of Commons this week or Nelson McCausland’s opinion piece in Thursday’s NewsLetter. The DUP coming out against the Act has emerged following the publication of a consultation document on proposed Irish language legislation.

In a statement, the South Belfast MLA said: “The DUP went to St Andrews and signed up to Annexes which included the Irish Language Act proposal. At the time there was no mention of outrage. Indeed, the conclusion of the negotiations was described by the DUP Leader as ‘a great day for all of Ireland’.

“Yet only now do the DUP claim outrage. The time and place for that was St Andrews on October 13 – rather than the House of Commons on December 13 or the pages of the Newsletter. If the DUP had held the line two months ago, this measure simply wouldn’t have been there.

“In the Commons it was asked whether the Assembly would determine whether the Bill could proceed. I note that the Prime Minister was somewhat ambiguous in his answer. Have the DUP inadvertently ensured that an Irish Language Act can be imposed on Northern Ireland by Westminster?

“Even for panto season, this type of brassy, mock outrage is a little extreme. The unflattering spectacle of DUP negotiators turning turtle on their own deal continues apace. How many more u-turns do the DUP have in them?””

Ulster Unionist South Belfast assembly member, Michael McGimpsey, has led a delegation of local residents to meet with top planning officials to raise their concerns over a rash of flat conversions which have emerged of late.

On Monday, Mr McGimpsey, along with residents from the Holylands, Stranmillis and Rugby Road, met with Acting Director of Strategic Planning Tom Clarke, and Acting BMAP Manager Al Adair.

In a statement, Mr McGimpsey said: “Residents from South Belfast are deeply concerned that the loophole on flat conversions hasn’t been closed down. They have a simple request – close this loophole and protect the community.

“The response from planners was encouraging. We received assurances that they’re taking this issue seriously and in response to our representations they will come back to me with their proposals.”

He added: “A new policy paper contains limits on the amount of HMOs in any area. When I met with Planning Minister David Cairns in July, I was assured that the new policy would stop developers exploiting loopholes on flat conversions. But yet we’re still seeing a rash of applications coming through.

“There must be effective controls in place which are absolutely watertight. The trend over HMOs – and flat conversions – must be stopped. Communities should not be smothered by haphazard and unregulated development.”

Senior Ulster Unionist and South Belfast MLA Michael McGimpsey today said if the DUP were serious about upholding and respecting democracy they should put all the side deals and annexes of the St Andrews Agreement to the Assembly for debate and vote.

In a statement Mr McGimpsey said,

“It is hard to be against the actual text of the St Andrews Agreement as it bears so little difference to the contents of the Belfast Agreement bar a few operational tweaks and supposed greater accountability measures. The architecture, framework and institutions of the agreement are still in place and the biggest turnaround since Lot’s wife on the part of the DUP and their entrance into the real world of what is achievable are to be welcomed. It is a pity it took them 8 years to play catch up.

It is however galling to see the DUP attempting to take credit for the heavy lifting my party did on decommissioning and settling the principle of consent. We fought the hard battles and cleared the minefields while the DUP sat on the hill watching and criticising every move we made only to ride on to the battlefield when all the work was done to claim victory. This was and remains a deceit.

Where the problems lie are with the add-ons, annexes and side deals of the St Andrews Agreement. For example, we want to debate the Irish Language Act. This is a devolved matter. This is not a matter for Westminster but for local politicians to decide.

The Act and other matters have created problems and if the DUP are serious about their democratic credentials they should put all the annexes, add-ons and side deals to the floor of the Assembly for a proper democratic debate followed by a vote where these matters can be properly addressed by all parties.”

Two Ulster Unionist MLAs have today praised a local community association for confronting illegal drugs use in their area.

On Monday evening, representatives from Belvoir, Miltown and Newtownbreda Community Association went to Castlereagh police station to present officers with evidence of illegal drug use recovered from a communal area in a block of flats.

In a statement, Castlereagh Borough Councillor, and East Belfast MLA, Michael Copeland said: “What was found – in an area openly accessible to everyone, including children – were items typically associated with Class C drug use.

“The community association took the initiative and brought it to the attention of police. This is to be greatly welcomed. As a society, if we are to tackle the scourge of drugs and anti-social behaviour, a strong partnership approach between local community groups and police is to be encouraged.”

He added: “Police are clear – where they find evidence of criminal activity, they will investigate and endeavour to put that evidence before the courts. This is part of a process whereby the community association will work to ensure that drug users get the clear message that this type of activity will simply not be tolerated.”

South Belfast MLA Michael McGimpsey said: “This community group is to be praised for confronting the drugs problem in their area and in bringing it to the attention of police.

“The equipment and paraphernalia left behind by drug users can often be highly dangerous for anyone coming into contact with it. It is disturbing that in this case these items were found in an area which many people pass through on a daily basis.”

He added: “This is a very positive move which demonstrates the value of such community groups and the need to support their ongoing work. Illegal drug use is a menace to everyone who wants to live in fair and peaceful society. Any progress that can be made in tackling it must be supported.”

Responding to a warning from The Queen’s University of Belfast that the Belfast Festival at Queen’s is facing significant financial problems because of Government underfunding, Ulster Unionist Party Arts and Culture Spokesperson Michael McGimpsey MLA has called on Government to act urgently to secure the future of the Festival.

Mr. McGimpsey said, “The Belfast Festival at Queen’s contributes £6.5m a year to the Northern Ireland economy and has, this year, attracted 100,000 people.  Alongside its economic significance and popularity, the Festival both show-cases the creative arts in Northern Ireland and demonstrates the potential of widening access to the arts.  Put simply, Northern Ireland - as an economy and a society - cannot afford to lose the Festival.

“The Direct Rule Administration’s failure to adequately fund the Festival reflects its wider failure to invest in arts and culture in Northern Ireland.  Investment in the arts and culture in Northern Ireland lags far behind that elsewhere in the United Kingdom.  This year, the Scottish Executive decided to increase its investment in arts and culture by 10%.  In contrast, Government core funding in the Belfast Festival has fallen from £378,000 in 2002 to a mere £69,500 this year.

“Throughout the rest of the UK and Europe it is recognised that the creative arts make a vital contribution to economic dynamism and to the quality of life and well-being of a society.  The continuing failure of the Direct Rule Administration to ensure a strategic, coherent, well-funded delivery of arts and culture is holding Northern Ireland back.  A necessary first step in overcoming this failure is securing the financial future of the Belfast Festival at Queen’s”.

Ulster Unionist MLA and former Culture, Arts and Leisure Minister Michael McGimpsey today outlined the UUP’s concerns at the provisions made for the Irish language in the St Andrews Agreement.

In a statement Mr McGimpsey said,

According to the St Andrews Agreement that Dr Paisley has given his backing to, the Government will introduce an Irish Language Act based on the experience of Wales and the Republic of Ireland. It will be a Westminster Act. In other words it is to be a diktat. If it is passed in Westminster it would be impossible to alter it as a cross-community vote would be required in the Assembly.

In Ireland the Irish language has primacy first. In Wales the Welsh language has equality. The Scottish model is aspirational: where it is considered appropriate the language can flourish.

With regards to the Welsh Act: It is mandatory upon public bodies to recognise Welsh if notified to do so. The act then defines what it means by a public body – this includes Councils, Boards, Public Authorities, the Fire Brigade, Health Authorities and most importantly Boards of Schools.

Each notified public body has to draw up a scheme for the promotion and enhancement of welsh. The costs of this are enormous.

The UUP had settled the language issue through the Belfast Agreement. Language is currently carried through the North/South language body which comprises of the Board of Ulster Scots and the Irish Bord na Gaelige. In this set up we had an Ulster Unionist Minister having a veto over all business. This was truly accountable.

The DUPs ‘tough negotiators’ have now opened all of this up again with an Irish Language Act contained within the St. Andrews Agreement that gives Irish equality with English. They may not like criticism but they cannot be Teflon coated from their glaring mistakes.

Like the all-island economy study which appeared yesterday there are lessons to be learned for the DUP. They may well believe that they have a ‘fair deal’ but the more we look at St. Andrews the more the DUPs tinkering around the Agreement has created messes that need to be cleaned up.”

Senior Ulster Unionist Michael McGimpsey today said that despite tough talk from the DUP about holding out for the right deal they needed to remember that the loss of Stormont would be a massive strategic defeat for Unionism.

In a statement Mr McGimpsey said,

“The tough talking, not an inch rhetoric from the DUP may be comforting to some but the reality is that the DUP are nine MPs and as of 24 November, no MLAs.

The potential loss of Stormont would be a massive strategic defeat for Unionism but Lord Morrow and others in the DUP would try and present it as some kind of victory.

The process has been going round in circles and the Ulster Unionist Party is keen to see matters resolved once and for all, although we remain to be convinced that Sinn Fein are ready for Government.

We are not, however, interested in dribbling the ball for as long as possible for internal party political reasons. Unionists should be under no illusion that if Stormont goes on November 24th, Northern Ireland would go from bad to worse.

The Secretary of State and Irish Government have indicated that Plan B will involve greater all Ireland activity, the review of Public Administration will be a disaster for Unionists and could lead to the effective re-partition of Northern Ireland and crucially the Province has a subvention of £16 Billion yet currently generates only £10 Billion leaving a deficit of £6 Billion. Do the DUP really think that the Chancellor will allow this to continue in a stalemate? Absolutely not, if people think water charges and rates are bad, these are but the tip of the iceberg.

The DUP accuses my Party of hastily trying to do a deal. This is not the case. We simply want to ensure that all the obstacles, after over 10 years of process, can be overcome sooner rather than later.

Tough talk is fine but the DUP must begin to walk the walk otherwise on the morning of November 25th they could have handed Unionism a massive strategic defeat “