Northern Ireland Assembly, 8 October 2012

422 contributions from 72 members. The official report.

Ministerial Statement

Sammy Wilson (DUP, East Antrim)

I welcome the opportunity to make a statement on public procurement. It is an issue that has been raised in the Assembly on a large number of occasions. I want to outline some of the issues that are pertinent to the questions that Members have raised. It is a cross-cutting issue, and, as Ministers in the Executive, we must explore further the potential for procurement to help to deliver the Programme for Government. That is critical if we are to maximise the benefits for our economy and society as a whole from public procurement.

Departmental procurement plays a very significant role in the Northern Ireland economy. In 2010-11, it amounted to £2·7 billion, which is the equivalent of 26% of departmental budgets. As we face a period of continuing severe economic difficulty, I assure Members that public procurement is meeting expectations and achieving best value for money. I also want to update Members on the further work that is being done to simplify processes, promote increased access to procurement opportunities and ensure that procurement plays its part in supporting the economy.

Members will be familiar with the comprehensive report on public procurement that was produced by the Committee for Finance and Personnel in February 2010. The report highlighted a number of important issues, including the degree of access to public procurement for local businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); the need to collect data on the impact of public procurement; the importance of fair payment in government contracts; the need to reduce bureaucracy in procurement processes; and the importance of using procurement to deliver social benefits, particularly employment and training opportunities.

Officials have been working through the recommendations, and I am pleased to say that they have been largely implemented. As a result, we now have a range of measures aimed at ensuring that opportunities for local businesses are maximised. I believe that we are also beginning to dispel the myth that doing business with the public sector is beyond the reach of smaller firms.

Notwithstanding the work that has been done to improve our processes, two further key reviews have been initiated. The first will look at wider issues around the commissioning, planning, procurement and delivery of major infrastructure projects. Construction accounts for about £1·3 billion of the total spend by the Executive each year. Given the impact of the current recession on the construction industry, it is essential for the industry and its clients that the procurement system operates as efficiently as it can. We are working with the Strategic Investment Board, the Construction Employers Federation, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) to ensure that we adopt practices that are streamlined and deliver value for taxpayers’ money. The second review concerns the procurement of supplies and services, and it involves working with the CBI to consider whether government's processes can be further improved.

Members will also be aware of the recent Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) report, 'Department of Finance and Personnel: Collaborative Procurement and Aggregated Demand'. I ask Members to bear in mind that there are protocols for making comments on NIAO reports. Consequently, I will not comment or take questions on the report. However, I have asked my officials to consider its findings and bring to my attention any issues that need to be addressed.

At this point, I want to examine a number of common misperceptions surrounding public procurement. They are not borne out by the facts. The first misinterpretation is that local firms play second fiddle to national and multinational companies. However, in 2010-11, 77% of all contracts awarded by government went to businesses based in Northern Ireland. For construction contracts, the figure was significantly higher at 96%. That means that almost all construction contracts that year went to Northern Ireland firms.

The second misperception is that small businesses lose out when tendering for public contracts. I recognise that there can be issues with some frameworks and term service contracts, which smaller businesses find difficult to access. However, in spite of this, Northern Ireland remains on a par with Scotland and Wales. Some 67% of all contracts in 2010-11 were awarded to SMEs, a figure significantly higher than the position in England.

The third misperception is that microbusinesses and small businesses are not able to contract directly with government. Again, the figures for 2010-11 tell a different story. In that year, 51% of all government contracts were awarded to businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

These figures demonstrate that local businesses already have a high success rate in securing government contracts. By participating in public contracts and being subject to the disciplines of the procurement process, many local firms are better equipped to compete in other markets. I am aware that Northern Ireland firms have won many contracts in the rest of the UK. I visited a very good example in the Olympic Park, and I am sure that all Members would join me in recognising those successes. It is right that procurement should play its part in helping to enhance the efficiency of local industry.

I do not pretend that our processes are perfect. There is a perception that public procurement processes are overly burdensome. I am sympathetic to that view. The application of procurement principles has been an evolving process. At the outset, the focus was on ensuring an understanding of the process. Now, with greater familiarisation, we are turning our attention to simplifying the processes and ensuring that Departments and their centres of procurement expertise (COPEs) apply them consistently. The procurement regulations limit how far we can go with simplifying processes for higher value contracts. However, we have taken measures to substantially reduce the inputs that are required from tenderers and shorten the time that is taken to award lower value contracts. Those changes have been made as a result of consultation with the industry. Such engagements are vital in helping to develop workable solutions, and, as a result, businesses should find bidding for government contracts easier and less costly.

I have a word of caution, however. Simplification will not deliver the desired outcomes until it is applied consistently. I will be asking my ministerial colleagues with responsibility for COPEs for their support on this important point. Steps have also been taken to address disproportionate requirements that could prevent smaller businesses from competing for contracts. For example, some contracts include unrealistic insurance requirements. Guidance has recently been issued to help Departments to set more proportionate levels that better reflect the underlying risks. That guidance is a result of direct representations that were made to me by various firms that felt that they were being excluded because of the insurance qualifications.

The public sector is very much open for business. We want to encourage local firms to participate in government procurements, and, to that end, Central Procurement Directorate (CPD) and COPEs meet with suppliers in a variety of settings. For example, there have been nearly 50 "meet the buyer" events in the past three years, the most recent being in Cookstown on 27 September. That attracted 340 SMEs from across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. I encourage Members to support these events and to encourage SMEs in their constituency areas to avail themselves of these opportunities.

Joint working with groups, such as the Construction Industry Forum and the business and industry forum, is important in informing policy development and providing feedback on policy implementation. I regularly meet with businesses and industry representatives. For example, I met representatives of the north-west small businesses lobby group in July to help me to better understand the particular difficulties that it faces. As Members know, I also met the all-party working group on construction in January, and I am scheduled to meet it again on 16 October. This is an opportune moment for me to thank the members of the working group for their support.

The £2·7 billion that is being spent through procurement presents tremendous opportunities to help to deliver other policy objectives. That was recognised in the public procurement policy and by the Programme for Government. You will all be aware of the commitment on social clauses and the need for government contracts to deliver employment and training opportunities. At a time of high unemployment, we must exploit those opportunities to the full.

There are examples of contracts that have successfully delivered employment opportunities. The Department of Finance and Personnel's (DFP) property management framework required the contractor to provide employment opportunities for up to 14 unemployed persons and 35 apprenticeships over the four-year life of the contract. By March this year, the contractor had provided 32 employment opportunities. In addition, 15 apprenticeships have been created, and we are still only halfway through the contract period. I remind my ministerial colleagues that the inclusion of social clauses and the scope for achieving social benefits should be considered as early as possible. Indeed, it should be addressed when the project is being defined to ensure that the potential is maximized. Those requirements are now being incorporated into contracts, and it is essential that suppliers and contractors deliver.

That brings me to contract management. We have focused on stripping out bureaucracy from the procurement process, and we have been partly successful. However, whenever contracts are awarded, suppliers must meet the specified requirements, because not to do so would jeopardise the delivery of public services. That puts major responsibilities on suppliers' shoulders, and it is important that they recognise that.

Government must be a fair but demanding client.

I have put steps in place to ensure that firms contracting with government are treated fairly and, in most cases, paid promptly. It is frustrating for me then to hear from subcontractors that they are being subjected to archaic practices. Those include blatantly unfair or non-existent contract arrangements and excessively long payment timescales. I am determined that government contracts will ensure that the benefits of government policies, such as prompt payment, are passed down the supply chain. Let me be quite clear: when a contractor fails to deliver on a government contract — whether it relates to meeting the specification or to the treatment of the supply chain — it will be prevented from tendering for future government contracts.

In conclusion, procurement is about the acquisition of goods and services and works. Public procurement requires higher standards of compliance and openness. It also offers the opportunity to deliver wider policy objectives. It is an area that receives a great deal of public scrutiny, and rightly so. In that context, I am grateful to MLAs who take the time to raise procurement issues with me on behalf of their constituents. However, please bear in mind that, in spending £2·7 billion through procurement, the vast majority of government competitions are not subject to challenge or adverse comment.

It is also important to appreciate that public procurement will never be a panacea to solve our economy's ills. We have to be realistic. The limits on public spending have had an impact on procurement budgets. There is also overcapacity in some supply sectors. In that context, we must guard against the danger of cut-throat pricing, which could have serious implications for otherwise viable businesses.

I have endeavoured to provide the Assembly with assurance that public procurement is being undertaken appropriately, is achieving value for money and is enabling the delivery of wider objectives. It remains under constant review. Changes must be put in place quickly and applied consistently. Public procurement is of great interest to me. My door is open, and I will listen to the views of all concerned, including, importantly, those of business and supplier representatives.

Let me make a final point. If procurement issues are raised, I need specific information, not comments of a general nature. I assure the Assembly that I am committed to having any such issues properly investigated and addressed so that we can continue to procure in a way that supports the economy of Northern Ireland. I welcome the progress made to date but recognise that there is still work to be done. The ongoing reviews will identify what changes need to be made to the procurement process, and, from those, we will put in place measures that ensure that the necessary improvements are delivered. I will continue to work with ministerial colleagues and Members to ensure that the public procurement process continues to meet local companies' needs.

Daithí McKay (Sinn Féin, North Antrim)

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I thank the Minister for his statement. I particularly welcome the reference to social clauses under the Department's property management framework, as the Minister outlined. Is it possible to provide cross-departmental statistics on how social clauses are being included in government contracts, with particular reference to employment and training opportunities? Further to that, I know that the Scottish Government are proposing to put the use of community benefit clauses in procurement on a statutory footing. What is the Minister's view on that?

Sammy Wilson (DUP, East Antrim)

First, guidelines on social clauses now go out to all Departments. Of course, since those guidelines are endorsed by the Executive in the Programme for Government, Departments will be required to include social clauses in contracts. For construction contracts above certain values, there is a requirement to employ unemployed people, provide apprenticeships, and so on. I give the Member one example from my Department, where the guideline has not only been put into the contract but has already been delivered, within half the period of that contract. Further guidelines are being issued. As far as the community benefit clauses are concerned, we do not have those formally in contracts, but those social clause guidelines are continually being updated.

Paul Girvan (DUP, South Antrim)

I thank the Minister for his statement and welcome the fact that £2·7 billion of spend will make its way through the system. As the EU delivers quite a lot of policy on procurement, how will the EU proposals for modernising public procurement help or impact on Northern Ireland?

Sammy Wilson (DUP, East Antrim)

First, the EU is undertaking a review of the guidelines. That is being taken forward by the Cabinet Office, and the view of the Northern Ireland Executive is being put forward through CPD.

I suppose there are two ways. First, there is a recognition at European level that there needs to be a simplification of the processes, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. The other point that we have made to the European Commission and the Government is that we want to see a break between the title of a procurement exercise and some of the things that can then be included in it, so that wider consideration can be given and there can be more flexibility in the contract. Those are the kinds of things that we have been looking at. However, I think it has been clear that there is unlikely to be any softening in the EU approach to larger contracts. It is pointed out that there are international obligations as well, through the World Trade Organization, and that if the guidance were to be relaxed, it would be subject to international dispute.

Roy Beggs (UUP, East Antrim)

The Minister referred to a recent Northern Ireland Audit Office report on collaboration, procurement and aggregated demand. There is protocol preventing officials from commenting on areas that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has decided to investigate, but I am not aware of limitations on the Minister. Will the Minister indicate to us what protocol stops him from commenting on issues? I have checked with the PAC staff, and they are not aware either. Will he advise us, for instance, why he cannot comment on statements in that report such as:

"Basic price comparisons of common goods and services should be undertaken regularly by all procurement bodies",

so that ridiculous prices are not awarded in tenders?

Sammy Wilson (DUP, East Antrim)

On the general point of whether comparisons should be or have been made by COPEs when they are looking at services, we did not need a Northern Ireland Audit Office report to tell us that. This is something that COPEs should be doing on a regular basis. Indeed, even in the latest guidance that we have issued to COPEs, we have told them that, for tenders under £5,000, all that we require so that we can simplify the purchasing process is for them to compare two prices. We are already giving guidance that they should be benchmarking so that they can have a comparison to ensure that there is value for money. The aims and objectives in the procurement board's own statement for this year emphasise the need for value for money. Value for money requires that there is that benchmarking and that a comparison should be made. As for the point that the Member made about commenting on the report, since my officials will be going through the report and then making a response to the Committee, I would have thought that that is the appropriate way in which we deal with it, rather than going through the detail of the report today.

Dominic Bradley (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Newry and Armagh)

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. The Minister invites us to join him in recognising successes. I ask him and the Members to join me in recognising the successes of the Armagh and Antrim ladies Gaelic football teams, who procured some silverware for Northern Ireland at Croke Park yesterday.

The Minister welcomed the fact that 67% of all contracts in 2011 and 2012 were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises and that 51% of all government contracts awarded went to businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Will he provide some clarity on the spread of these figures? To what extent are these statistics made up of the same businesses? Is it possible to identify —

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

I encourage the Member to finish.

Dominic Bradley (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Newry and Armagh)

— how many new businesses are getting contracts?

Sammy Wilson (DUP, East Antrim)

I certainly do not have the details that the Member asks for on the spread of businesses or on how many of the businesses that were awarded contracts this year were brand new businesses to the process. However, I will say that over 15,000 businesses have registered through the e-sourcing portal, which means that a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises in Northern Ireland are now accessing the information. That number is up considerably from two years ago. Two years ago, 500 businesses were awarded contracts having registered through e-sourcing, and now it is over 1,500, which shows that a large number of new businesses are coming into the system.

I join the Member in congratulating the teams that won cups yesterday, but I hope that they did not procure them in the way in which we are talking about procurement today, and that they won them fair and square rather than buying them.

Kieran McCarthy (Alliance, Strangford)

I thank the Minister for his statement. Are there any means at his disposal to make it compulsory to ensure that all Departments secure social clauses for construction and any other relevant contracts?

Sammy Wilson (DUP, East Antrim)

We have clear guidance, given the value of a contract, as to what we require on employing long-term unemployed people, creating apprenticeships, creating opportunities through Steps to Work and the 40-week secondments for people who come into work through that programme. Those are standard guidelines for large contracts over certain values, and COPEs are required to ensure that they are met.

I do not have the exact figures across Departments for the total values of those contracts, but when I visit firms that have won government contracts, it is one of the first questions that I ask. On all occasions, the firms are able to point out that they are abiding by the guidelines. I said in my statement, however, that it is important that, when a contract is awarded, compliance with those social clauses is carefully monitored. Non-compliance with those social clauses or other types of non-compliance will attract sanctions.

Peter Weir (DUP, North Down)

I thank the Minister for his statement. What is his assessment of the barriers that prevent SMEs from tendering for larger contracts? What actions can be taken to overcome those barriers?

Sammy Wilson (DUP, East Antrim)

The main barrier seems to be one of perception, in that they believe that the process is lengthy and bureaucratic and one that they would find difficult to handle. We have done a number of things. First, we have simplified the rules and the amount — and the duplication — of information that has to be given. All that has been done with the relevant business bodies. Secondly, we have issued guidance, which is now available to businesses, that tries to dispel some of the myths around public procurement. Thirdly, through the e-sourcing portal, businesses can be taken through the process very easily. There are videos and other types of guidance on that site to enable firms to see how they can get through the process.

Lastly, as I said in the statement, to try to encourage businesses, we have held "Meet the buyer" days in all different parts of Northern Ireland. They have been attended by thousands of businesses. That has been an important way of illustrating to companies the opportunities that there are for business and the help that they can get when applying for government contracts.

Adrian McQuillan (DUP, East Londonderry)

I also thank the Minister for his statement. Does the procurement board have a strategy?

Sammy Wilson (DUP, East Antrim)

We, like all Departments and all sections of Departments, have a strategy. There are a number of things. The first thing is to provide and to ensure that we get value for money when it comes to public contracts. Secondly, there must be an assurance that public procurement is done properly and with integrity; that is an important one. The other thing, as I mentioned in my statement, is to ensure that the £2·7 billion that we spend through government in Northern Ireland is used in the best way possible to stimulate the economy here. Those are the procurement board's main general objectives.

John Dallat (Social Democratic and Labour Party, East Londonderry)

I also welcome the Minister's statement. Like Mr Beggs, I regret that, due to protocol, the Minister cannot address questions that were raised in the recent Audit Office report on procurement. Can he elaborate on the penultimate paragraph of his statement? How does he intend to deal with the rogue arm's-length bodies that ignore the basic principles of procurement and the tendering process, in particular the Belfast Education and Library Board, Northern Ireland Water and, most recently, the PSNI? How do we restore confidence among the public who wish to tender for government contracts when those people persistently ignore every principle of procurement?

Sammy Wilson (DUP, East Antrim)

The ultimate deterrent to not doing procurement properly is legal challenge. Where there is a legal challenge, there will be consequences for the organisation in its ability to deliver the work that was required for the bodies associated with that organisation in the form of delays and extra costs. That is the ultimate sanction.

The Member asks an important question. There is a number of things that we can do. First, we seek to have all COPEs accredited so that, before they get accreditation, they have to show that they have met certain standards. Secondly, through the procurement board, which is attended by the permanent secretaries of the major purchasing Departments, we have the opportunity to discuss the kinds of issues that the Member talked about and to ensure that work is done within Departments to ensure consistency. Lastly, we issue updated guidance on a regular basis. Often — this is an important point — that guidance is a result of lessons that have been learnt from procurement exercises that have gone wrong. The guidance being given to COPEs should help to do away with the kinds of problem that have arisen with purchasing arrangements in the past, which have not been good for public procurement or, indeed, the organisations concerned.

David McIlveen (DUP, North Antrim)

I also thank the Minister for his statement. Minister, I am sure that you will agree with me that, at times, there is a negative perception of public procurement that it is almost cloak and dagger. Can you give us an assessment of how small and medium-sized companies in Northern Ireland benefit from the procedure today and of how that compares with other regions in the United Kingdom?

Sammy Wilson (DUP, East Antrim)

First of all, as I said in the statement, 67% of contracts awarded have gone to small and medium-sized enterprises and 51% to microbusinesses, which are businesses of fewer than 10 employees. Nearly half the value of contracts has gone to those firms. The most obvious gain is through the business that they obtain as a result of the contracts, but there is another thing that I found as I went round firms. Some people think that we have a very rigorous public procurement process, but many of the firms said that the rigours of the process in Northern Ireland and the learning experience that it provided had enabled them to compete much more outside Northern Ireland in other parts of the United Kingdom and, indeed, in other countries. That is valuable in itself. There is hardly a construction firm in Northern Ireland that is not working somewhere in GB and winning contracts there, either as the main contractor or a subcontractor. Many of them will say that the experience that they gained in the tendering process here enabled them to win contracts and be successful elsewhere.

Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

Has the practice of single tender actions without accounting officer approval been dealt with adequately across the Departments, bearing in mind that, not so long ago, an answer from one Department — OFMDFM — revealed that it had engaged in the practice to the tune of contracts totalling over £350,000? Has that now been dealt with across the Departments, and what actions can you take in respect of other Departments?

Sammy Wilson (DUP, East Antrim)

First, let us be clear that a single tender action is not always a bad thing. Sometimes, single tender actions are undertaken because a contract has to be awarded quickly and a situation has arisen in which expenditure is required. On such an occasion, a Department has to make a decision based on the fact that someone is doing work or, in some cases, the fact that a contractor is already in place. It would not make sense to go out to another contractor because the discontinuity in the work would mean a costly delay. We should lay that point down first. However, I understand the concern that the Member expressed, and, indeed, on a number of occasions, I have expressed the concern that single tender actions may well not lead to best value for money. By their very definition, there is no competition. Where a single tender action is required, it must be authorised by the accounting officer or Minister. At least there is then a trail of accountability and reasons given for the decision. Of course, subsequently, there should also be monitoring to ensure that the procurement has delivered what was promised. Those are the steps that need to be taken to show clear accountability for decisions: why they were taken, what the alternatives were and what the outcomes were.

Tom Elliott (UUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I noted that the Minister said that small and medium-sized businesses with fewer than 50 employees still gained a relatively low percentage of the contracts awarded. Is there anything that prohibits procurement in smaller contracts? In other words, could some major contracts be split to allow smaller businesses to access them? That may have a particular effect on stopping cut-throat pricing, which he mentioned at the end of his statement.

Sammy Wilson (DUP, East Antrim)

First, I want to make it clear that the percentage of small businesses in Northern Ireland that gain from government procurement is higher than in England and commensurate with Scotland and Wales. Therefore, it is not that, relatively, we are performing badly; we are performing well. Of course, we would love more of that work to go to local firms, and we will keep endeavouring to achieve that, albeit within the rules.

Can I just make something clear? If we are seen to be biased towards local firms, there is, first, the chance of a legal challenge, because the rules are fairly clear. Secondly, as I said, many of our firms now compete outside Northern Ireland, and, if other jurisdictions felt that unfair advantage was being given to local firms, there could be reciprocation. That could damage many of our local firms. They may be good firms that can compete, but they may find that, for political reasons, they are not given the opportunity to do so.

The Member asked whether it was possible to break down contracts so that small firms can compete. That is one way to make contracts smaller so that small firms can compete. However, the Member in front of him raised the issue of collaboration in contracts and making sure that we got best value for money, benchmarking etc. On the one hand, one Member from the Ulster Unionist Party tells us to listen to what the Northern Ireland Audit Office said, which is that we should try to get best value for money by bringing contracts together so that we make economies of scale. On the other hand, the Member behind says, "By the way, we would like you to divide the contracts up so that small business can get up". That is one of the ways in which the Ulster Unionist Party seems to want the best of all worlds with these things. It seems that there is no difference between its approach to procurement — [Interruption.]

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

Order. Allow the Minister to continue.

Sammy Wilson (DUP, East Antrim)

— and its approach to relationships in its own party.

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

Order. That concludes questions on the ministerial statement.

Roy Beggs (UUP, East Antrim)

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. If the Minister deliberately attributes something to a Member that they did not say, what responsibility falls on the Speaker to deal with that issue?

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

Order. I see this very much as the cut and thrust of debate in the Chamber, and I have said that continually. Let us move on.

Executive Committee Business

Sammy Wilson (DUP, East Antrim)

I beg to move

That Standing Orders 10(2) to 10(4) be suspended for 8 October 2012.

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

Before I proceed to the Question, I remind Members that the motion requires cross-community support.

Question put and agreed to.

Resolved (with cross-community support):

That Standing Orders 10(2) to 10(4) be suspended for 8 October 2012.

Sammy Wilson (DUP, East Antrim)

I beg to introduce the Air Passenger Duty (Setting of Rate) Bill [NIA 15/11-15], which is a Bill to set the rate of air passenger duty for the purposes of section 30A(3) to (5A) of the Finance Act 1994.

Bill passed First Stage and ordered to be printed.

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

The Business Committee has agreed to allow up to two hours and 30 minutes for the debate. The proposer will have 15 minutes to propose the motion and 15 minutes to make a winding-up speech. All other Members will have seven minutes.

Martin McGuinness (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster)

I beg to move

That this Assembly notes the investment strategy for Northern Ireland 2011-2021.

Following extensive consultation and consideration by Members of the Assembly, I am now in a position to present the Executive's investment strategy for 2011 to 2021. The investment strategy is the expression of the Executive's long-term vision for investment to renew and upgrade our infrastructure. It sets out a rolling programme of investment for a 10-year period and offers a platform to deliver the objectives of the Programme for Government.

Much has been achieved since the last investment strategy, which was published in December 2008. There have been unprecedented levels of capital investment, delivering some £6·5 million in the past four years. We have improved roads, public transport, schools, healthcare facilities, water treatment and telecommunications networks. The 2011-2021 strategy seeks to prioritise the delivery of investment through the seven major pillars — transport, health, education, social, environmental, productive and justice infrastructures — to meet the needs of the whole community in the years ahead.

The strategy was published in draft form to give everyone an opportunity to have a say and shape the final strategy. During the consultation period, seven public consultation events were held. We also engaged with a wide range of stakeholders, including the Construction Employers Federation, the CBI, NICVA, NILGA and the Equality Commission. In addition to the face-to-face events, 45 written submissions were received. We are grateful for all the comments and feedback. It is particularly pleasing that those who responded to the consultation were generally supportive of our approach and welcomed the investment proposals. They thought that the draft investment strategy provided a more holistic and integrated view of the Executive's investment plans.

As a result of the consultation and the input received, the document has been revised, strengthened and updated. Some of the themes that emerged during the consultations and are addressed in the final document include social clauses; harnessing alternative finance for investment; providing clarity on investment plans; increasing the indicative allocation for particular sectors; and greater recognition of regional balance and monitoring delivery. Also included in the final draft are key achievements since 2008, including those completed in the period since the draft was published. They include achievements such as the opening of the new Titanic Belfast and Giant's Causeway visitor centres. The final draft gives a sense of the breadth and scope of the capital projects completed and demonstrates our achievements and progress. There are plans to deliver £13·3 billion of capital investment over the next 10 years, with funding of £5·1 billion for the first four years. That includes the investment we announced in February 2012 in the A5 and A8 road schemes and an amount of alternative finance that we will pursue. More detail has been added on social clauses, which will be supported by other work that is under way. There is a commitment to ensuring that information included on the online delivery tracking system is accurate, complete and up to date and a clear articulation of the need for and benefits of greater recognition of regional balance.

Our investment strategy must help us correct the years of underinvestment in our infrastructure. The new strategy for 2011 to 2021 sets out how we intend to invest approximately £5 billion in the first four years and a total of £13·3 billion over the lifetime of the strategy. Despite the fact that an all-party delegation secured from the previous Labour Government an £18 billion investment package to address the infrastructure deficit, the current coalition Government have reneged on their commitment. Hence, the amount received through the block grant will fall by 40% between 2010-11 and 2014-15, with a similarly bleak outlook for the years that follow.

The financial constraints mean that it is essential that we make every pound spent matter, if we are to get best value. The strategy itself commits us to focusing on investment in the right infrastructure in the right place, using the most effective processes. That means that we programme our capital expenditure effectively so that, whatever the budget, it is fully invested here to improve the life of everyone. We recognise the pain out there in the economy and want to address those needs in our capital investment decisions. A large percentage of capital investment under this investment strategy will go to the construction and associated sectors, but the impact spreads much further as jobs are created and people have money to spend. For example, research suggests that every pound spent on infrastructure creates a stimulus of up to £2·84 in the wider economy. One of our biggest social needs is the creation of jobs. To that end, this strategy is expected to support around 13,000 jobs in the local economy. Where possible, we will prioritise the infrastructure projects that contribute most to employment and make the biggest contribution to the wider economy. We will ensure that major capital contracts include social clauses that give opportunities for employment to the long-term unemployed and young people. This has already been used successfully on projects such as Ebrington Square and the new Peace Bridge, where 23 unemployed people got jobs and seven young people got apprenticeships.

We have put the needs of everyone at the heart of the investment strategy, ensuring that we have the right infrastructure in the right place to help us drive up productivity, drive out waste and improve service. All of this helps protect front line services at a time of lower public funding. The future lies in putting everyone's needs centremost, with investment focused on delivering the modern joined-up services that people need and allowing for the social impacts that such investments can have. The strategic infrastructure planning models being pioneered by the SIB have a big part to play in going forward.

The investment strategy is not just about public services; it also needs to support economic recovery and growth. Local businesses have a vital part to play in helping us deliver the investment strategy and the benefits that will flow from it. High-quality transport, communication and energy networks power competitive advantage in business, reduce social isolation and link people to an expanding world of information, services and opportunity. We want to use our capital investments to target the cost of doing business here and to make us much more productive and competitive.

To support economic growth when appropriate, we will seek to bring forward investment in public works that are more labour-intensive, at the expense of schemes that would deliver a lower employment impact. This will maximise the impact on jobs and the wider economy. As an Executive, we will continue to promote equality of opportunity, so that all our people can fulfil their potential. It is important that we develop a modern, dynamic and confident society with respect for all. That vision is reflected in the investment strategy by the introduction of social clauses into contracts for major public works. Such clauses require contractors to deliver employment and training opportunities for apprenticeships and the long-term unemployed, and I am aware of the work being undertaken by the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to include social clauses in the stadia developments. We will soon launch a social clauses toolkit as a best practice guide to maximising social benefits from all relevant publicly procured contracts.

The skill base of countries and regions is increasingly key to attracting and keeping private sector investment. Under the investment strategy, we will invest in schools, higher and further education, youth services and libraries. That will ensure that we have the infrastructure in place to create a skill pool to support the expansion of home-grown businesses and attract inward investment. The Executive's commitment to addressing regional disparities and the economic and social sustainability of rural areas is demonstrated by the decision to relocate the DARD headquarters to Ballykelly. That will enhance the availability of quality public sector jobs in rural areas.

The devolution of justice functions on 12 April 2010 has brought that sector into the investment strategy for the first time. Capital investment in the justice community is already under way to support the delivery of front line services. The necessary funding is in place to build a joint services training college at Desertcreat near Cookstown to cater for the police, fire and rescue and prison services. That not only brings the prospect of employment to a rural area but reflects our position of addressing east-west regional disparities.

We are actively exploring all options to achieve the levels of investment that we believe necessary to transport this region and promote our economic recovery. Therefore, we are exploring alternative funding options that will add to the amount that we have allocated from within the Budget. The Executive's Budget review group is considering a scheme to be put forward for Executive consideration, and the investment strategy reflects that in stating the intention to raise just over £1 billion through alternative financial arrangements. Those must be pursued in a manner that protects the public interest, protects front line service to users, facilitates greater efficiency and offers genuine long-term value for money. We are determined not to delay investments that can improve the productivity and quality of essential public services to deliver jobs when alternative means of bringing forward those benefits remain within reach.

The Executive approved the investment strategy on 3 September 2012. I commend the final document to the House.

Mike Nesbitt (UUP, Strangford)

First of all, Mr Speaker, I will speak in my capacity as Chairperson of the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, and then I will say a few words as a Member. Although OFMDFM does not expect to receive a large amount of capital funding — a fact borne out in appendix 2, where, I think you will see, only the Department of the Environment receives less by way of allocation — the Committee has a key role in co-ordinating the responses of Committees to the draft Programme for Government and the draft investment strategy for Northern Ireland, and, in February of this year, the Committee produced a composite report. Chairpersons and members will, of course, be able to speak to their own Committee responses, and I will leave them to do that. My comments will focus on OFMDFM's contribution.

The Committee had the benefit of a briefing from the First Minister and deputy First Minister on the draft Programme for Government and investment strategy on 14 December last year. The Committee was also briefed in January 2012 by the Strategic Investment Board. During that briefing, SIB highlighted that it was currently supporting almost 50 projects, with a total value of some £4 billion. Although OFMDFM's capital spend is relatively modest compared with other Departments, the Committee has taken a particular interest in the development of the former military sites and receives regular updates on the development of the Maze/Long Kesh site, where, as we know, the corporation board has just been established.

The Committee will continue to take an interest in the One Plan regeneration plan for Derry/Londonderry under Ilex, hitherto accountable to OFMDFM and the Department for Social Development. The Committee recently wrote to OFMDFM regarding the filling of the vacancies for Ilex chairperson and chief executive, and it is also aware of the current review of the reporting and accountability arrangements for Ilex. The Committee has not yet had the opportunity to consider this final version of the investment strategy.

Mr Speaker, I will now say a few words as a Member. The document itself, like all others published by the Assembly and the Executive, should be in support of putting the economy at the heart of all of our activities. I note that, after the introduction, the first heading is 'Supporting economic recovery and growth'. Much is made of the fact that we now have faster and more reliable access to the global internet than many other competitor regions, and that is paying real dividends by way of new jobs. The document highlights the New York Stock Exchange's Euronext, which is streaming market data through its Belfast site.

I am sure I am not the only Member who recently listened with great interest to a series of reports on BBC Radio Ulster's 'Good Morning Ulster'. I think they even surprised themselves by the amount of reaction they got from people, including men and women from small businesses around Northern Ireland, complaining about the lack of high-speed internet access in their area. I was struck by one rather exasperated listener who contacted 'Good Morning Ulster' to say that his connection speed was so slow that he could not even download the software to measure his internet speed. Clearly, that is not acceptable in a 21st-century business environment.

My party also welcomes a focus on the social clauses and the intention to publish a social clauses toolkit in the near future. It is important that such a toolkit puts a focus on practical actions and outcomes, and that it is embedded — for want of a better word — in what we do going forward and is not some sort of a bolt-on. It is something that might well blend into the sort of data we heard earlier from the Finance Minister in his speech on procurement in Northern Ireland.

I take a particular interest in the gifting of military sites, something that the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister has, as I said previously, been looking at. Some months ago, the Committee visited Shackleton barracks in Ballykelly to look at the practical issues that make the annual maintenance costs so high. We do have, I believe, legitimate concerns, and continue to question the fact that the old adage that the polluter pays is not necessarily being enforced with regard to the gifting of military sites, which actually come at quite a high annual cost. We will look with interest at how the Shackleton site in Ballykelly is developed by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

As the deputy First Minister said, £5·1 billion is a lot of money, which can pump-prime economic development and recovery. We need some regional balance. We must remember that we are a relatively small country with a relatively small population, and there will be a need to maintain an appropriate focus on our main cities and to make sure that we have agglomeration and appropriate focus of resource where it is needed, particularly in the city of Belfast. To summarise, it will be a challenge to look at those focuses, because we have Members from all over Northern Ireland, who will focus not just on the capital or other cities but on their own regional area. That is, of course, to be expected. However, we must ensure that there is an appropriate balance, given the size of the country, the population and the resources available.

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I welcome the strategy released today and the commitment to spend £5 billion over the first four years of the strategy on the back of having spent around £6·5 billion from 2008. That is a demonstration of how the Executive are working and trying to deliver on projects that will benefit the people of Northern Ireland and deal with a struggling economy that is difficult to turn around.

I welcome especially the commitment to maximise every pound that is being spent, to speed up the economic recovery. Where appropriate, there is particular emphasis on those labour-intensive projects that will create the jobs that will sustain the current level of employment; they will be given priority by the Executive. That is a very practical way to deal with the problems we are facing. Ultimately, the economy will recover. It is important that, when we get to the point where the economy is growing, we have retained the skills and abilities of those currently in employment, so that we will be able to benefit from that recovery and really drive on Northern Ireland's economy. Sadly, too many of our young people are having to leave these shores to gain employment elsewhere. Whatever the Executive can do to retain them in Northern Ireland should be welcomed and supported by the Assembly.

I welcome the commentary in the report that work will be taking place with local businesses to provide detailed information on the schemes, allowing them to properly plan. That is something that has been raised with me before by businesspeople. They will tool up themselves to engage with government when they know better what schemes are coming online and the volume and capacity of the work involved, and they need to be prepared to do that. Something that the Executive have been doing successfully is working with businesses to help them to prepare themselves for the work that is coming from the public sector. The commitment in the document to continue to do that, so that organisations can have the proper people in place to take forward the work, is to be welcomed. Within that is the commitment to continue to work with small and medium-sized businesses to actually bid for a lot of that work. In a previous role, when I worked for the Federation of Small Businesses, companies would regularly come forward to articulate their view that they were not properly aware of the contracts available or properly prepared as to how they could engage with government to bid. A lot of them could do the work, but they did not know how to engage with government to be able to be competitive in the process of tendering. Again, something that the Executive have been doing successfully is working with those companies so that they can have a piece of the cake and benefit from that. The document also shows how the Executive have worked on having a much more joined-up approach to how they go about delivering these programmes. It also refers to the ability to identify any waste or opportunities in the public sector, which means that one Department can take the opportunity to utilise any available space in a different Department. Obviously, that saves the taxpayer money. There will be a reduction in unnecessary capital projects through identifying where such space exists in the system. Having that information and data, and sharing it right across the Executive and all government bodies, will be important in ensuring a reduction in waste. It will also be important in ensuring that every pound being spent is being spent because it is necessary and that all other opportunities to cater for any need in the public sector have already been ruled out. Therefore, the clear need to spend on particular projects will have been demonstrated.

The strategy also refers to the objective being to drive down the costs of doing business here through quality infrastructure, a well-educated workforce and ensuring that we can attract high-end jobs at the cutting edge of technology. Therefore, it is important that we recognise how the likes of Project Kelvin have benefited Northern Ireland's creative industries. We need to have this debate at a high strategic level. Mr Nesbitt referred to a constituent who could not download the software required to measure the speed of broadband. We need to resist reducing this debate to that level and instead look at the high strategic end, which is what this document does, and I welcome that commitment.

I also have an interest in justice. The commitment of £138 million to Desertcreat is a demonstration of different organisations pulling together to provide an opportunity to train on one site rather than three different organisations having three separate training facilities. This is a demonstration of collaboration and coming together.

Although this is a multibillion pound strategy, the £12 million being spent on forensic science is very important. If you boil it down to your communities, when people involved in antisocial behaviour are arrested for drug dealing, for example, the backlog in testing frustrates the whole process of going through the courts. This money will deal with those underlying issues and help our communities.

In my last minute, I will touch briefly on constituency-based activities. The Maze/Long Kesh site is an opportunity that nobody should minimise, as it has great potential. The site is twice the size of the Titanic Quarter, which puts into perspective what can be achieved there to drive the economic agenda in Northern Ireland over the next decade. Everything that can be done by the Executive to support the board should be done. We have public sector investment, which is important, and we want to leverage in the private sector. Politicians will say that these are the projects that we now want to deliver. The processes that the Civil Service follows need to be outcome driven. Often, people get hung up on process. When private sector companies that are engaging in the likes of the Maze and other opportunities come to those in government for a decision, it is important that that decision can be turned around very quickly. Therefore, let us have the right processes in place to deliver what is a very important strategy for Northern Ireland.

Phil Flanagan (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Cuirim fáilte roimh an straitéis infheistíochta. I am delighted to welcome the publication of the strategy, which sets out the priorities for investment until 2021. It is crucial that, as we move forward, projects are planned and prioritised well in advance and that a fair process for deciding priorities is put in place. That cannot be done at the last minute. Therefore, I welcome that this was planned so far in advance, and, hopefully, we have our priorities correct.

The previous investment strategy, published in 2008, proposed £19 billion of investment. In the current strategy, the comparable figure has been reduced to £13·3 billion. When the First Minister responds to the debate, perhaps he would provide an explanation or rationale behind that significant drop. Much of it may be down to the failure of the British Government to live up to financial agreements, and I would appreciate the First Minister providing the House with an update on how the dispute mechanism is progressing and whether we are any closer to a positive resolution.

The subject of social clauses has already been discussed in the Chamber today. Their inclusion, not only in capital projects but in the delivery of goods and services, is particularly welcome. A number of examples have been cited, and those are a good way of demonstrating to the public that progress has been made. However, perhaps the Minister can outline how progress will be monitored in the coming years.

The investment strategy is crucial if we are to deliver on the Executive's social agenda of tackling poverty and disadvantage. In particular, the decisions taken by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to relocate her Department's headquarters to Ballykelly and, more importantly, to move the headquarters of the Forest Service to County Fermanagh demonstrate real delivery by the Executive in tackling regional disparities. That allows me to move nicely along to talk about County Fermanagh.

If Members turn to page 5 of the publication, they will see a finely produced screen grab of the ISNI website, but, unfortunately, much of County Fermanagh has been covered by a key. The people of that affected area, including those living in Enniskillen, Belcoo, Derrylin, Kinawley, Boho and Derrygonnelly, will want assurances that their local area will be included in the roll-out of the strategy. I would appreciate that confirmation from the Minister.

Jim Wells (DUP, South Down)

Will the Member give way?

Phil Flanagan (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

Happily, Jim.

Jim Wells (DUP, South Down)

I knew that this was going to happen: somebody from Fermanagh would be complaining. I hope that the Member will mention that, in Enniskillen on 24 June, we opened the most modern hospital in Europe at a cost of £279 million. Will he recognise that that is a huge vote of confidence in the Fermanagh and South Tyrone area and at least acknowledge that a lot of money has been spent in his constituency in recent years?

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

The Member will have a minute added to his time.

Phil Flanagan (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I thank the Member for that, and I thank the Speaker for the extra minute. Obviously, I am delighted at the opening of the new hospital. However, I would like to point out to the Member, who is the Deputy Chair of the Health Committee and maybe a future Health Minister, that it is not about only buildings and that, despite the opening of the new hospital, the people of Fermanagh and Tyrone have raised serious concerns.

Jim Wells (DUP, South Down)

Will the Member give way?

Phil Flanagan (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I will in a second, Mr Wells.

The building is an amazing feat, but it is about the services and the staff, as well as the support that is provided to staff and patients. We welcome the building. Of course it is a positive development, and an awful lot of good work was put into it. I note that I am standing beside Barry McElduff, so I will stop talking about the hospital and give way to the Member.

Jim Wells (DUP, South Down)

Does the Member also accept that the Minister authorised additional expenditure to the Western Trust for an extra 16 nurses at the new hospital to cope with the increased demand on that excellent new service?

Phil Flanagan (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I will, of course, acknowledge that, but we will wait to see how it pans out. Some nursing staff have reported that they are walking up to 12 miles a day, which is unacceptable. So, we will wait for that to pan out.

When we look at the areas that I mentioned, which Mr Wells was quite perturbed by, we see that considerable investment is needed as a result of historical underinvestment. As Mr Nesbitt referenced, broadband access and mobile phone coverage are very poor in those areas, although I do not think that he was specifically talking about them. The roads in many parts of Fermanagh are in a terrible state. We do not boast a single metre of dual carriageway, motorway or active railway line. So, it is good to see that there will be further investment in telecommunications. I had a couple of engagements last week with prospective telecommunications providers, and, working with DETI and DARD, they are talking about a further roll-out of mobile phone and broadband access in very hard-to-reach areas, which is very positive.

It is, however, disappointing to note that no further improvements to the A4 and N16, which link Sligo and Belfast, including a much talked-about bypass of Enniskillen, are included in the strategy. However, I note that that remains a priority in the regional development strategy. The Executive can expect to hear more about that in the coming years, because the people of Fermanagh expect considerable progress to be made on it.

I also warmly welcome progress on the redevelopment of the Ulster canal, which will provide a significant rural investment and regeneration opportunity and recreate an extensive all-island inland waterway network of over 600 miles, as well as provide further activities for the people of Fermanagh and the tourists who go there.

The redevelopment of the old Erne Hospital site in Enniskillen to turn it into a public services hub for all government agencies is a very ambitious project that Fermanagh District Council, in conjunction with the MP and six MLAs for the area, is taking forward. It is important that that project receives support from the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister as well as from the Strategic Investment Board. Having recently visited Enniskillen to hear further details about the proposal, I am hopeful that the First Minister and deputy First Minister will roll in behind the scheme, which will deliver significant regeneration opportunities for the town centre and stop the slippage of crucial public sector jobs from Fermanagh. Some key tenants, such as the South West College, have already bought into the concept and are prepared to move forward on it. It is important that other Departments assess the potential benefits of greater collaboration and join us on that project.

One point missing from the strategy is spatial planning on an all-island basis. The Chair of the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister hit the nail right on the head when he said that we are a small country. However, we have a population of 6·4 million, not 1·8 million. We cannot afford to have two systems of everything. That leads to unnecessary wastage and duplication. Looking at my area, which you are all fed up hearing about, that leads to the complete neglect of border communities. There is no need for back-to-back planning on this island. Such an approach needs to be consigned to the dustbin of history.

Patsy McGlone (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Mid Ulster)

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle, agus gabhaim buíochas leat as an seans an stratéis seo a phlé. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the strategy. I welcome OFMDFM's presentation of the investment strategy for 2011-2021 and the opportunity that it presents to debate the long-term plans of the Executive to address the economic situation.

I go back to a point made by Mr Givan. Perhaps he did not regard as important broadband speeds and communications in some of our rural areas. If we are to have a roll-out of proper business, we need an effective and efficient communications strategy. That includes broadband, which is so pivotal to growth, especially of the agrifood sector, as anyone with a knowledge of the sector knows. It is how many farms develop and monitor their operations, right through to the host and parent companies. Therefore, if we are emphasising agrifoods, as we rightly do, communications has its role to play as well in the development of that sector.

The strategy envisages some £5 billion being spent between 2011-12 and 2014-15, and a further £7 billion between 2015-16 and 2020-21. As we saw with previous long-term investment strategies, however, the actual investment delivered will depend on economic circumstances and political decisions beyond the control of this or the next Executive. Perhaps by 2021 the A5 project will be complete.

Corporation tax remains the great unknown in the Executive's investment strategy, and it may have implications for the strategy. There is general agreement that a reduction in corporation tax would encourage investment and provide a much-needed boost to our economy. We continue to hear about the negotiations with the Treasury and how they are at a critical point, but we have no clear information about when or if the devolution of the power to set the corporation tax rate will take place. More importantly, we have little or no information about how much the devolution of that power will cost the Executive, other than speculation ranging from £200 million to £700 million. It is very important to provide us with more detailed discussion and factual advice in that regard. It is a key point that needs to be resolved if we are to be able to plan for investment in the years ahead.

According to the strategy, cohesion, sharing and integration are at the heart of how we plan for the future. That is another area of OFMDFM strategy in which we have lack of clarity. Even today, that clarity may not exist. As well as the specific policy, there is much more to be done on increasing the cohesion, sharing and integration of public services on a North/South basis. Mr Flanagan referred to that. I welcome the Health Minister's recently declared intention to explore fully an all-island solution for the provision of paediatric congenital cardiac services. That, too, is an important, reasonable and sensible position.

A successful investment strategy can be seen in the results. How successful has the strategy been to date? A key result by which we can assess the Executive strategy to date is in job creation. I welcome the £138 million investment in the policing and emergency services centre at Desertcreat in my constituency. That is very important and is good to see. It will have benefits and spin-off for local services, and, hopefully, it will lead to local employment of unemployed people from the construction industry.

Given the make-up of the Executive, however, let us compare the impact of the Executive strategy for the past five years in the First and deputy First Ministers' constituencies. The figures are from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment. From 2007-2012 in East Belfast, total planned investment was over £750 million, assistance offered by Invest NI was £58·81 million, and the number of new jobs expected is 2,914. In Mid Ulster over the same period, total planned investment was £165 million, assistance offered by Invest NI was £17·71 million, and the number of new jobs expected is 1,690. [Interruption.] You are bound to be clapping for all sorts of reasons after hearing those figures and not just because of the 1690 one. Members can draw their own conclusions about the apparent regional disparity that shows up through those figures. I should declare an interest — I represent that constituency and was born and brought up in it.

On the subject of investment over those five years in a constituency that the deputy First Minister's party used to be concerned about, West Belfast, the relevant figures are £51·16 million for total planned investment; £5·74 million of assistance offered by Invest NI; and 913 new jobs expected. Those figures are not a record of actual new jobs created. The Northern Ireland Audit Office review of Invest NI's performance noted that Invest NI's own estimate of the conversion rate from expected to actual new jobs is 75%. Other estimates suggest that the conversion rates into jobs created that are fully additional is as low as 50%.

Across the North, between 2007 and March 2012 there was a decrease of 38,500 jobs, one third of which was in the construction sector. Therefore, for many of those people, the issues around corporation tax, investment and, indeed, looking to Europe, which is the responsibility of OFMDFM, and how matters might pan out there as we move from the notion of austerity alone to the idea of growth and how investment may be drawn down is paramount. The role of the First Minister and deputy First Minister in liaising and working with Europe as we seek to get information, look for investment, and to be at the races in drawing down that investment is of crucial and paramount importance to the many people we represent. Indeed, instead of watching the boats leave for places such as Australia, we should be giving hope to our young people.

The rises in unemployment have been higher here than in England, Scotland or Wales. That in itself can hardly be viewed as a coherent, shared and integrated success. The SDLP wants to see an investment strategy that delivers jobs in all our constituencies not just those with a particular party representative at Executive level.

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

The Member's time is almost gone.

Patsy McGlone (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Mid Ulster)

That would mean an investment strategy for all our people, particularly for our young people.

Kieran McCarthy (Alliance, Strangford)

The Alliance Party broadly welcomes the investment strategy as brought to the Assembly this afternoon by the deputy First Minister. The strategy is a key overarching document from the Executive, and it is important to give strategic direction over the medium to long term. It is also important that we continue to invest in our local and regional infrastructure for a number of reasons.

First, especially when investments are strategically planned, capital expenditure will increase the competitiveness of the Northern Ireland economy. The quality of our infrastructure is something that does make a difference to investors, both international and local. Ease of mobility is one key aspect. That is something we should bear in mind in light of the ongoing traffic chaos in Belfast. Let us hope that that is a short-term inconvenience to reach a long-term goal.

Secondly, it is important that we continue to provide quality accommodation for the delivery of our public services. A number of sectors have suffered from a lack of investment down the years. That includes water and sewerage services, and the consequences of that have been very clear this year and in recent years.

Thirdly, investments will bring employment opportunities. That is particularly important for the much beleaguered construction sector, which has suffered more than any other sector in the recession. All efforts must be made to get our tradesmen and tradeswomen back to work as soon as possible.

Finally, the multiplier effect of that investment in construction in spending and the maintenance of jobs in the wider economy is regarded as greater than other aspects of public expenditure. The Construction Employers Federation has been consistently strong in making that point in recent times.

Our public expenditure environment has changed considerably over the past few years. We have suffered as the UK Government pursues their austerity measures overzealously. As a result, our capital budgets have been constrained. Indeed, the future remains uncertain in that regard. Therefore, we in the Alliance Party are content for consideration to be given to other forms of revenue-raising and alternative sources of finance.

I wish to highlight a number of specific issues. Although the Alliance Party welcomes the investment in transport by the Executive, we continue to be concerned by the balance between roads and public transport. Our balance is tilted very much in favour of roads, which is still the case even when you factor in the rural nature of much of Northern Ireland. Perhaps Belfast needs proper investment in public transport rather than the creation of an artificial battle between public transport and the private motorist.

The Alliance Party accepts that our health estate is in need of substantial investment. We must strive to provide first-class facilities that are as near to our public as humanly possible. I think of the threat to our children's cardiac unit in Belfast. We must also appreciate that the health sector is about to go through its biggest change in a generation through the Transforming Your Care process. It is critical that future investment in health and social services reflects and is consistent with changes in policy and that it delivers a first-class service, from the cradle to the grave, to everyone in Northern Ireland.

The Alliance Party supports further investment in our schools estate. It is important that our children are educated in modern and safe buildings. I very much welcome the fact that the brand new Tor Bank School in Dundonald for our children with special needs is almost complete. We have campaigned long and hard for it, and it is almost there. We welcome that. We cannot deny the current demographic problems in our education sector, with a forecast of some 85,000 empty school places and an already inefficient sector, with many layers and providers. An over-provision of schools already means that our education revenue budget is skewed in favour of maintaining buildings, many of which are underutilised, rather than investment in the direct needs of our pupils. It is important that future investment does not lock us into an already inefficient pattern for another generation. We need to ensure that future investment reinforces policies around area planning and sustainable schools. In particular, full consideration needs to be given to a range of options for shared education, including schools that are integrated and open to all.

As I come from the Alliance Party, you would expect me to reinforce the need to "shared future-proof" all our future investments. All public space is and should be protected as common and shared. However, until now, the divisions in our society have often shaped the provision of public buildings and facilities. Often, their use has been dominated by one particular section of the community. Hopefully, that state of affairs is now coming to an end. Future investments should be situated and designed in such a manner as to maximise their use by all members of our community on an equal and free basis, regardless of race, colour, religion, etc.

I welcome the recognition of what has happened in the past and the commitment to more proactively seek options for sharing in the investment strategy. In that regard, the strategy goes somewhat further than some other government documents, which can only be good for our entire society. Those commitments should be integrated into the consideration of business plans, with specific requirements to demonstrate that opportunities for sharing have been maximised and the risk of partial use minimised. Furthermore, issues around sharing should be encompassed in future planning. The investment strategy that was presented this morning contains many —

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

The Member's time has almost gone.

Kieran McCarthy (Alliance, Strangford)

— ideals. Let the Assembly prove its worth, and let us do our utmost to bring prosperity, employment, etc, to every corner of Northern Ireland.

Peter Weir (DUP, North Down)

I welcome the investment strategy . As politicians, sometimes the accusation is that we engage in short-termism, that we are reactionary in our nature, or, indeed, that, on some occasions, we do nothing at all.

This document is the very antithesis of that. Instead of being short-term, it builds on what is already in place and projects ahead to 2021, the anniversary of the foundation of the state of Northern Ireland.

In the debate, I would like to hear unambiguous support for the document, although I suspect that I will not, necessarily, hear that. It seems that some Members — we have heard from some already — cannot look into a bright, sunny day without seeking the clouds on the horizon. I urge Members to take a leaf out of the progressive book of Mr Flanagan across the Chamber. I see a slightly surprised look from Mr Wells and others, but Mr Flanagan has shown that this is very much a day for moving forward. Five or 10 years ago, he would have complained about any map that contained Fermanagh within Northern Ireland — he was trying to get it out. Now his complaint appears to be that Fermanagh is obscured on a map of Northern Ireland. We should all welcome that positive embracing of the strategy.

There is no doubt that we all should embrace the importance of the document. An investment of £13·3 billon is talked about. Let me give one indication of the scale of that investment. About half of the construction jobs in Northern Ireland, around 30,000 jobs, are dependent on ongoing public investment and public works. If there was, for instance, no investment strategy and no investment, that, in and of itself, would increase the unemployment rate in Northern Ireland by 50%; it would rise from around 60,000 to 90,000. The investment is highly significant.

In a joined-up approach, as highlighted by the Finance Minister in his earlier statement on public procurement, through this document and other means, we are looking at how best we can focus in that investment for Northern Ireland. That is particularly seen with the social clauses that are referred to in the document and the ongoing work to ensure that public procurement is very much open to local small and medium-seized enterprises. It is about delivering for the whole of Northern Ireland.

I think that it was Mr Flanagan who compared the levels of investment in the previous Assembly with those of this Assembly. The very obvious reason for that difference is that the block grant from across the water has been cut so substantially. Although a lot of the focus at that time was on the impact on revenue spend, the levels of reduction that came from the Westminster Government were much more heavily weighted towards capital spend. I believe that government across the water — across the UK — needs to focus much more on capital spend, and, as a party, we will return to that focus later today in our amendment to the final motion.

The document covers a wide range of areas, and it would be impossible to touch on them all. However, I want to mention a couple.

The high level of significant investment in health has been mentioned, and I suspect that, in his contribution, Mr Wells will deal with that. We have seen investment in state-of-the-art equipment and buildings that can enable us to move towards a much healthier society. Locally, significant investment has been made and continues to be made at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald. That is very important for the wider greater Belfast area, particularly for north Down, Strangford and east and south Belfast. That is something through which we can make a massive difference.

A vast investment has also been and is intended to be made in our town centres. One of the concerns raised, particularly by local businesses, is that town centres have suffered from the growth of out-of-town shopping centres and internet sales. Investment has taken place and continues to take place in our town centres, and I look forward to the ongoing work between North Down Borough Council, local traders and the Department for Social Development to invest in Bangor and Holywood town centres. That is a major step forward.

Much has been made of our waste water infrastructure. Clearly, we have suffered the consequences of that from time to time when there are, for instance, heavy deluges of rain and flooding. The commitment in the document to improve the waste water infrastructure and, on the other side of the coin, the waste infrastructure with the waste groups will bear dividends for Northern Ireland as a whole.

The previous Member who spoke mentioned education. There are areas in education requiring specific investment, but we must ensure that we have appropriate buildings for our children in the 21st century. Rightly, the specifics of where investment will take place await the wider education audit. However, I express my hope that, in my constituency, priority will be given to the shared building scheme in Holywood and the much-needed newbuild for Bangor Central Integrated Primary School.

This is a good news story for Northern Ireland. It shows that the Executive are delivering. The document looks beyond what government can do; it looks to where government can lever in additional funding. We can expand the capital amount, not simply by lobbying Westminster or through direct spend by Departments but through trying to find innovative solutions. I do not believe that ideology should act as a barrier to practical solutions. We need to ensure that we have solutions that work, but every additional piece of capital that we can lever into Northern Ireland to find that investment is to be welcomed.

I believe that this document builds for the future, that it will help our economy and that it is something that we can look forward to with great anticipation. In a number of years, we will be able to look back with a sense of pride at the fact that, at a time of great economic troubles, we were prepared to invest in our capital structure. The strategy is both an end in itself and the means to an end, and so I call on the House to support it.

Bronwyn McGahan (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

Go raibh maith agat. I welcome the publication of the investment strategy. It is important that it lives up to its key objectives if it is to have a lasting impact on disadvantaged communities. This is about standing up for deprived areas. It is about ensuring that the most vulnerable are protected as far as possible from the demoralising impact of the continuing economic downturn. The investment strategy must support communities to build pathways to employment, tackle deprivation, increase community services and address dereliction.

I welcome the further investment in telecommunications. I come from a rural area, and broadband provision in such areas has been a key issue. Evidence-based studies can be provided to show mapped hotspots with little or no coverage. Local people face issues including an impact on businesses, particularly in export businesses that require adequate infrastructure. Many of those are major rural employers. The agriculture sector is also impacted, particularly through the additional requirements to make online transactions, including those for HMRC, VAT returns and so on. Many rural residents do not receive the same opportunities as those in urban areas, and that can impact on their education and quality of life.

I also welcome the focus on skills. During August, in the Dungannon district of my constituency, 500 young people were not in work, education or training. As outlined in research papers, one of the main planks of the road map for economic growth is ensuring that the long-term unemployed keep in contact with the labour market. Skills levels are an important factor for economic growth, and there is a need to deliver genuine potential for full-time employment.

Finally, it is important that all agencies are involved so that communities get the best value from the money invested in their area and a positive legacy is created.

Jim Wells (DUP, South Down)

Mr Speaker, you will recall that, during the Minister of Finance and Personnel's statement, an honourable Member's mobile phone went off. I trust that you will search out that culprit and that the full wrath of the Speaker's Office will come down upon them.

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

The search is ongoing.

Jim Wells (DUP, South Down)

Good. I hope that the full wrath of the Speaker's Office will come down on the head of the culprit who offended the House by letting his or her mobile phone go off in the middle of that important statement.

On a more serious note, this is, as many Members have said, a good news document. Huge progress has been made, much of it west of the Bann. As expected, some Members have already stood up and accused the Executive of concentrating resources in specific areas, but, if we look at the health estate, we see that most of the good news has been in Fermanagh and Tyrone. I have already mentioned, in response to the Member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, the new South West Acute Hospital. The Health Committee had the privilege of visiting that new facility three weeks ago. As it stands, it is the most modern acute hospital in Europe. Of course, new hospitals are being built elsewhere on the continent, and, eventually, that situation will no longer apply. However, at the moment, we can be proud of the fact that we have delivered that amazing new facility at a cost —

Phil Flanagan (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I thank the Member for giving way. I am not being negative about the hospital; it is just the negative thing that I have about language. However, there is this line that is always used that says, "It is the most modern hospital in Europe". It is the most modern hospital in Europe until another new one opens, and then it is not any more.

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

The Member has another minute added to his time.

Jim Wells (DUP, South Down)

If Mr Flanagan sees light at the end of the tunnel, he goes out and orders more tunnel. That is the reality. It is always a case of the glass being half empty rather than half full. On an occasion when the Executive deliver a brand new facility, I would love Members from west of the Province to stand up, recognise that fact and acknowledge that huge resources have been put into Mr Flanagan's constituency. The vast majority of the work in that contract was carried out by local contractors. The stone was supplied from Fermanagh. Much of the electrical work and a huge proportion of the construction work were carried out by his constituents. That local contractors successfully tendered for that work in the face of very stiff competition is also a good news story.

We them move up to Omagh, where, again, after a lot of campaigning from the representatives of Mid Ulster and west Tyrone, the Minister of Health has announced a brand new local hospital at a cost of £90 million. That is to be very much welcomed.

Of course, we then had the announcement of a new radiotherapy unit at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry. We all remember that, on the last day of the previous mandate, the then Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr Michael McGimpsey, stood up and said that there was not the money to buy that new cancer therapy unit for Altnagelvin. Within a few weeks, we had an election and a new Minister. In conjunction with the First Minister, he was able to announce that the money had been found for that new unit. It is essential that it goes ahead, not only for cancer sufferers from the north-west but for those from the Irish Republic. That is a good news story that, again, I hope individuals would recognise as such.

I, of course, am delighted with the provision of the new local, and, again, extremely modern, hospital in Downpatrick. To use an Americanism that I do not like but that sums up what we must do, we have to sweat those assets. Having put a huge amount of capital into the development of those new facilities, we have to make certain that they are fully utilised. That may mean that we have to move patients down to those facilities. As we all know, it is much further from Belfast to Fermanagh than it is from Fermanagh to Belfast, in the sense that we expect people to travel from rural areas of Northern Ireland to Belfast to avail themselves of acute services, but it is unreasonable, we are told, to expect Belfast people to go west of the Bann to visit modern facilities. We are going to have to try to encourage consultants and experts in their fields to utilise these modern facilities, wherever they are in Northern Ireland, and not concentrate on the congested greater Belfast area.

All those capital investments — I could mention Gransha, the new wing in Altnagelvin and so many others — are very welcome. However, we are moving forward in the context of 'Transforming Your Care', which will fundamentally change the direction of how health is provided for in Northern Ireland. There will be a move towards more community, secondary-based care. There will an expansion in the number of local clinics and health villages, and a moving of resources down the ladder of healthcare provision and away from the very expensive A&E facilities that we have in Northern Ireland.

I, therefore, welcome, for instance, the development of a new healthcare facility in Portadown. We were all delighted in south Down when the Minister came to Banbridge to announce its new health village. Seven of those villages have already been completed, but if we are to deliver 'Transforming Your Care', we will have to develop such facilities throughout Northern Ireland so that the first port of call is not the hospital A&E but your local healthcare provider in the form of a community health facility. That will require a fair degree of investment over the next few years.

Setting aside my health hat, I make one plea. Missing from this document is the Ballynahinch bypass. I think that all those who represent South Down or Strangford want to see that facility provided very soon, because the congestion is killing Ballynahinch and preventing access to the rest of south Down.

Danny Kinahan (UUP, South Antrim)

I apologise for not being here at the beginning of the debate, which I very much welcome. However, I question its true value, given that it is taking place months after the publication of the Programme for Government and 17 months after the return of the Assembly. Those are two events with which, you would have thought, the 2011-2021 investment strategy should have sought to be in tandem.Nevertheless, its eventual publication is still very welcome.

My comments today will largely focus on the proposed investment in skills, of which the lion's share unsurprisingly appears to be directed towards education. I will follow my brief as education spokesman for my party and say that, although unreasonable spending reductions should be required by most Departments, and I believe that education should be no exception, I fear that, without due consideration and thought, cutting hastily now will have huge impacts on education in years to come.

Given that a significant contributory factor to our future economic success will be the ability of our workforce to adapt to future challenging circumstances, we must ensure that our young people are given the skills and training required to allow them to enter what will be a truly globalised world economy. Sometimes I fear that we are a little too insular in the Chamber. Jobs are important and, indeed, vital here, but we must also look outwards at the same time, find every Northern Irishman, every Ulsterman, every Ulster Scotsman, the Irish and everyone abroad, and develop our links with them for apprenticeships. Do not exclude the voluntary sector either, or the Churches. We should be developing all our links worldwide and investing in every possible corner that we can touch.

The skills section of the strategy unsurprisingly contains many lines of self-praise and self-adoration, just like those we heard in a previous speech, but I warn that, in sweating our assets, what we seem to be doing is sweating our patients. It is they who are taking a lot of the stress. I would like to delve into detail a little. The strategy refers to 47 major capital school projects having been completed since 2008, as well as the announcement in June 2012 of a further 18 capital projects. I make the point that, for every one of the schools that was fortunate enough to have been included in June's statement, there were, and still are, many that are desperately clinging to the hope of new funding as they literally watch their buildings crumble around them.

One school in particular that I know has yet to go through a fruitless battle with many over its new resources is Parkhall Integrated College in my constituency. For nearly 10 years it has been expecting a newbuild. It watched Massereene Community College be demolished and thought that that was the start of it all happening, yet it is costing over £200,000 a year to keep the school running on split sites. The newbuild was delayed by the previous Education Minister, with more loopholes being added, and it is now being delayed by the area planning consultation. There are many schools like that, all waiting for building work.

The Education Minister will be aware that I have long had concerns about the excessive attention that he is devoting to prioritising the Irish-medium sector. Although spending his time on such projects is all fine and well, and it is his democratic right to do so, it is when he continues to spend large sums of money on such projects to the detriment of the other sectors that the situation becomes unacceptable. Today's strategy has quite rightly identified area plans as a key determinant of future capital priorities. Again, all Executive Ministers will be aware of the huge concerns over the current consultation on area planning. Every Minister represents his or her constituency, and they all will no doubt have had representations from local schools and parents about the flawed nature of the entire process.

Consultation is ongoing on post-primary education, but parents, teachers, staff, governors and even boards do not feel that they have been properly consulted. A week ago, the members of the stakeholders' group, mainly the parents and teachers there, complained that they had not been properly consulted. They asked us to hit the pause button and then move quickly when we have got the decisions.

The investment strategy refers to working towards the sharing of education. Indeed, it even makes particular reference to Lisanelly in Omagh. That should have been a site with huge potential, but because of the failure of the Department to secure appropriate buy-in, as well as the failure to show flexibility for local concern, the site continues to represent missed opportunities. I suppose that, in a way, that sums up the past five years of mutual carve-up.Everyone in the Chamber truly believes that the future of our education system is one that is built on greater sharing and collaboration between sectors. My party is clear about how we see its future here, which is as a single education system in which children of all faiths and none are taught in a welcoming environment. I am in no doubt that Northern Ireland is still years from seeing this, but we should be looking towards current efforts, such as the shared education programme, to see how it may be done in years to come.

The area planning process is carving up our education system, not sharing it out. The investment strategy should be helping to promote sharing, not limiting it. We all know of cases in almost every town and village where there are multiple schools from different sectors, often all of them with an intake below the maximum enrolment.

At present, many of them are terrified of the changes that are coming, but of which they know so little. In many cases, it is those schools, of all types, that are leading the way in sharing and working together. I think of the excellent example in Moyle, or possibly what is coming up in Crumlin, where there is a proposal for a shared management school to suit unionist and nationalist families. That is truly groundbreaking.

Just think of the savings that area planning could bring in.

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

The Member's time is almost gone.

Danny Kinahan (UUP, South Antrim)

Hopefully, when the Assembly gets around to discussing the 2021-2031 investment strategy in a decade's time, this vision for education in Northern Ireland will not be so far off in the distance.

William Hay (Speaker, Foyle)

The Member's time is gone.

Christopher Hazzard (Sinn Féin, South Down)

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I, too, welcome the publication of the Executive's investment strategy. With laissez-faire underinvestment characterising much of direct rule governance of the North in previous decades, the local Assembly has been faced with serious infrastructure inadequacies from its very inception. Thankfully, however, the Executive recognised that modern infrastructure is vital to the future regeneration of our local economy, and with that in mind initiated schemes to ensure that moneys available were used. In total, more than £5 billion has been invested in the past four years.

Set against the backdrop of unprecedented international economic decline, the ability of the Executive to consolidate local accountable government with a capacity for global investment has been a remarkable achievement for all concerned. Communities throughout the North now enjoy the benefits of improved healthcare facilities, modern transport systems, new schools and one of the most modern telecommunications networks in Europe.

However, both the supranational and regional economic environments remain delicate, to say the least, and the Tory-led coalition Government in London continues to cut public spending. With the Executive's focus now turning to protecting jobs and public services, infrastructure investment will undoubtedly reflect the current climate. In the next few years, investment will have to secure value for money at every level. Now, more than ever, we must invest in the right place at the right time. Only by doing so can we provide the catalyst for growth in tandem with protecting front line services.

Linking the investment strategy to the continued delivery of the Executive's social agenda of tackling poverty and disadvantage is to be welcomed. Indeed, the inclusion of social clauses in goods and services as well as capital investment projects has been a real success in the past few years, and we continue to see how they can help young people to access valuable training and employment opportunities.

I call on the Executive to reinforce the already considerable impact of social clauses in investment contracts. In these economic times we should be looking to include such measures in as many places as possible. I would also like the Executive to publish details of the impact of social clauses on a regular basis so that the Assembly can monitor the commitment of all Ministers and their Departments to the Executive's social agenda throughout the North.

Connected to the significance of social clauses and the wider principle of equality of opportunity in Executive investment is its ability to incorporate economic growth with cohesion, sharing and integration in our society. We are only too aware of the deadly divisions that have come to characterise life across many parts of the world. From Jerusalem and Beirut to Berlin and Belfast, walls have kept communities apart and services duplicated, with existing patterns of infrastructure still imitating those divisions today.

It is crucial that this new investment strategy leads the way in breaking down barriers, both physical and mental. Only through area-based planning and investment can we ensure that public moneys are used effectively and efficiently, while supporting the strategic aims for cohesion, sharing and integration.

Such principles guide much of what is contained in this investment strategy, but there can be little doubt that it is within education in particular that these challenges are being put front and centre of future planning and investment. Sinn Féin has continuously advanced the argument that the priority in education going forward must be to ensure that all our young people receive the highest quality education.

Against a backdrop of the most challenging Budget settlement in education history, it is clear that we must prioritise the needs of children over institutions. At the core of that challenge is how we plan investment in the education system. The 2006 Bain report illustrated beyond all reasonable doubt that we have inherited a pattern of provision that is unsustainable both educationally and financially. As outlined by various educationalists, we have too many schools that do not have the capacity to give young people the broad and rich educational experience that they deserve.

It is encouraging to know that the Executive plan to invest to meet the needs of our children and not the demands of the institutions that we inherited. Through area-based planning, the pattern of provision and investment will be dictated by the needs of education in the 21st century and an economy that requires a diverse, educated workforce with a vast array of skills. Bearing in mind that the needs for investment far exceed the funding available, the importance of strategic and focused area plans cannot be overstated. That will be fundamental in identifying priorities for capital investment.

With more than 40 capital school projects completed in the last few years, a further 18 major capital school projects are now under construction, including five special school projects. Coupled with the schools enhancement programme, that exceptional investment in education provision has been a considerable boost to the local construction industry. Taken in conjunction with the wider educational estate of further and higher education, the best part of £1 billion has been invested in local education provision. That will undoubtedly enhance our local skills base and contribute greatly to the local economy in years ahead.

The investment strategy outlines that:

"A peaceful, fair and prosperous society has at its heart a well educated populace with the skills to engage fully and positively in society and in the economy ... The skills-base of countries and regions is increasingly the key determinant of relative economic growth, competitiveness and productivity — factors vital to support higher living standards in an increasingly globalised economy."

The commitment to spend £5 billion in the first four years is to be welcomed, especially when such investment contains a solid focus on job-maximising programmes. I welcome the emphasis on focused and integrated planning. In times of economic hardship, it becomes increasingly pertinent to invest taxpayers' money effectively and efficiently. I am content that the investment strategy bears that in mind.

Dominic Bradley (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Newry and Armagh)

Go raibh míle maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Fáiltím roimh an díospóireacht seo ar an straitéis infheistíochtas. I welcome this debate on the investment strategy. The strategy recognises that growing a regional economy will benefit from strong cities and rural areas. It states that our rural areas, including our towns and villages, have a key role in supporting economic growth:

"Our rural areas offer real opportunities in terms of potential for growth in the provision of rural recreation and tourism, their attractiveness as places to invest, live and work".

I certainly agree with that.

You will forgive me if I use examples from my own constituency to illustrate some of my points. Newry and Armagh are good examples of cities that are ripe for future investment. Newry is well placed to capitalise on North/South trade, not just retail but tourism and commerce. The city would benefit greatly from infrastructural investment. For example, a southern relief road would take heavy traffic from Warrenpoint docks directly onto the A1. Such infrastructure, as well as freeing up Newry city centre from heavy commercial traffic, would significantly reduce journey times to and from Warrenpoint docks, thus making that facility more competitive and placing it as one of Ireland's key ports for imports, exports and ferry services.

Reference was made earlier to the development of army sites. I look forward to the development of the old army base at Forkhill. I want to see progress on that site in the near future. The transformation of sites from symbols of conflict to signs of hope for the future is very important.

The facilities that they will offer local people will be welcome.

I welcome the urgency that the Minister of the Environment has brought to planning decisions. Tardiness in the planning process has frustrated commercial and industrial development through the years. Speed and efficiency in the planning process will encourage future and further investment, which is badly needed at this time.

As was mentioned earlier, it is important that connectivity in rural areas and, indeed, cities outside of Belfast and Derry is a priority. Recent indications show that much still has to be done to ensure that broadband speed and mobile connectivity are enhanced in all areas. These are now a prerequisite to investment.

(Mr Principal Deputy Speaker [Mr Molloy] in the Chair)

The document emphasises the investment in tourism. There is a growing perception that, in this respect, the focus is on Belfast to the exclusion of other areas. We in Newry and Armagh have cities that have much to offer and areas that would benefit from further investment. Newry is a city of waterways where there is potential to develop the Albert Basin as a key regenerator for the city and where a new weir on the Clanrye would control the flow of the river through the city centre. Newry canal has great potential for development, and the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland has been leading the way in showing what is possible.

Both the cities of Newry and Armagh are ideally situated to exploit the Irish Christian heritage that we are all so proud of. Both cities are also within reach of Belfast and Dublin and the rich heritage of the Boyne valley. We have world-class places to visit: the Mournes, the Ring of Gullion and the Cooley peninsula. Investment in tourism infrastructure, including the bridge at Narrow Water, would do much to enhance the tourism product.

The strategy states:

"Through the Investment Strategy we will also seek to tackle regional disadvantage by addressing the issues that affect our rural communities: tackling" —

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

Will the Member take an intervention?

Dominic Bradley (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Newry and Armagh)

Yes, sure.

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin, South Down)

Go raibh maith agat. I thank the Member for taking an intervention. I am glad to hear that he has mentioned the bridge at Narrow Water. Will he agree with me that we need to get planning in the North and with An Bord Pleanála in the South and that the sooner we do that the better? He speaks about regional disparity. Will he agree that that is one of the areas and ways of reducing regional disparities?

Francie Molloy (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster)

The Member has an extra minute.

Dominic Bradley (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Newry and Armagh)

Thank you very much, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. If the Member had been in earlier, she would realise that I mentioned two bridges: the southern relief road, which is also a bridge, as well as the Narrow Water bridge. She will know that the SDLP has led the battle for the Narrow Water bridge, and I welcome the fact that she has come on board as well. Hopefully, we will be able to cross the bridge together some day in the future.

As I was saying, the investment strategy states that it will:

"seek to tackle regional disadvantage by addressing the issues that affect our rural communities: tackling poverty, encouraging diversification, enhancing connectivity and improving the overall quality of service provision."

I hope that these are more than mere words and that they will, in fact, be put into action in the future. I hope that this will be applied to such areas as Newry and Armagh.

Much has been said about the importance of the devolution of corporation tax powers. Perhaps one illustration of that is a report that I saw recently in 'The Irish Times' that announced 300 extra jobs in the creative industries for Galway city. It said below the headline that corporation tax was the key element in securing the investment.

That illustrates, if anything does, the need for Northern Ireland to have a rate of corporation tax that is competitive and attracts jobs. Hopefully, this will be pursued with even greater vigour by the Executive in the weeks and months ahead. Cuirfidh mé críoch le mo chuid cainte ansin, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle, agus gabhaim buíochas leat fosta as an deis cainte seo a thabhairt domh inniu. I will end there. Thank you for the opportunity to contribute today.

Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

Judged by its cover and glossy presentation, this is an impressive document. However, like most things associated with this Executive, when you begin to read it, you discover that it really is a triumph of form over substance and, indeed, laid throughout with contradictions.

My first point is this: where has it been? When I pick up the OFMDFM business plan for 2011-12, and, if I am meant to take that document seriously and read it, I discover the promise to:

"By June 2011 submit a final Investment Strategy 2011-2021 for Ministerial approval"

Here we are, 16 months later. Has it been becalmed for all that time in the Executive? Was it submitted in June 2011? Has it been the object of some dysfunctional disagreement? Or was that promise not kept? Did it not get to the Executive by June 2011? Either way, it has taken a very long time to get to the House. Here we are, more than a third of the way through the first term of the period 2011 to 2015 before this shiny, glossy document lands on our desks. In itself, it is a demonstration of the failure and dysfunctional operation of this Executive that it has taken so long to get to this point.

I turn to page 6 of the document and read some very good-sounding, sensible affirmations:

"When it is appropriate, we will seek to bring forward investment in those public works that are more labour-intensive at the expense of schemes that would deliver a lower employment impact. Research has demonstrated that areas like facilities and roads maintenance, refurbishment, upgrades and extensions typically support twice as many jobs as similar value works that require the purchase of land and specialist materials. The Executive is determined to maximise the impact on jobs of every pound invested in order to speed up economic recovery."

I then turn over a few pages and discover that one of the projects that it lauds is the A5 project, which, of course, does not meet the criteria for a dual carriageway judged by the standards applied to others and does not have the required traffic volumes but is there because it is, essentially, a political demand. The Minister of Finance and Personnel, who might be thought to know something about these things, once said in the House about the A5 project:

"Believe me, that project is not job rich, because most of the money will go on buying land, and the rest will go on a capital intensive project." — [Official Report, Bound Volume 62, p382, col 2].

So much for making sure that every pound buys the most jobs, especially as one of the capital projects that is now highlighted in this document is something that the Minister of Finance said is not a job-rich project at all.

If we turn further into this document, we find at page 21 that it states that the focus now is:

"on moving people rather than moving vehicles".

That has been working. That has been a rip-roaring success in Belfast city centre in the past few weeks. Moving people rather than vehicles? We take half the road, prohibit vehicles other than buses and some taxis from travelling on it and say that we are in the business of moving people, not vehicles, while people sit in their vehicles for hours on end. Someone must have forgotten to tell those involved in the A5 road scheme that the focus is now not on moving vehicles but on moving people.

This is a document that I think, in itself, is flawed in much of what it has to say. It then tells us that one of the capital projects — this is about capital investment — is the moving of the DARD headquarters. I must say that the moving of the DARD headquarters will not create one new Civil Service job — not one new job in the public sector. So, it is hardly an example of jobs for pounds. It is another illustration of a strategy, if we can call it that, that does not really seem to have much idea where it is going.

Then I turn to page 44 and begin to read about things pertaining to our prison estate. I read about the enthusiasm for this consultation exercise on the outline estate strategy, with proposals for the development of the prison estate over the next 10 years. Not a mention of the fact that, just three or four short years ago, a programme was produced to rebuild Magilligan. Four million pounds was spent on bringing that proposition to the point of detailed plans.

Francie Molloy (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster)

Will you bring your remarks to a close?

Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

Not a mention of the fact that, in concert with that, we are spending £5 million just opposite the prison to build a new sewerage works —

Francie Molloy (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster)

Time.

Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

— to accommodate an 800-bed prison, as well as the local community. So, one has to ask —

Francie Molloy (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster)

Order.

Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

— in which direction this strategy is going. Alternatively, is it just going in whatever direction suits the expediency of the moment?

Alban Maginness (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast North)

I think that the acid test of this document is in asking what difference it will make to investment in Northern Ireland over the next number of years. We are in a very difficult economic situation. We are in a double-dip recession. The United Kingdom certainly has not come out of recession yet, many countries in Europe are in recession, and the euro zone is effectively in recession. We are in a very difficult world, where capital transfers very quickly — in the space of a few months — from one area to another.

I look at this document to see whether there is a remedy in it that addresses those fundamental issues of recession, underinvestment, unemployment and under-resourcing. I do not sense that there is a real strategy in this document. Yes, there is an outline of various programmes across a wide spread of different Departments, and I welcome those. I think that it is important that we invest in projects such as the prison estate, the Desertcreat police college and Forensic Science. All those things — I take just that small section of quite substantial investment — are to be welcomed, and only a curmudgeon would be overly critical of the fact that £5·1 billion is going to be invested over the next four years or so.

However, in my opinion, that is not sufficient. What one looks for in the document is some innovative thinking. It is not so much what is contained in the document as what is left out. I do not see a big emphasis on our relationship with the European Union. I do not see a great emphasis on how we will attract more funding from Europe through its various agencies into this region. Moreover, if we are to build an alternative strategy post-2013, I do not see much discussion on how we deliver on corporation tax. Those omissions, and the lack of detail and development, are glaring, and that makes the document weaker and less effective. I hope that that can be remedied. It is important that the Executive look at those areas to see whether we can develop in a deeper way those relationships with Europe and the fiscal policy for corporation tax.

In addition, I looked for innovation on the green economy — the greening of our economy. There is massive potential in that area, yet there is little or no mention of it in the document. Yes, it mentions renewable energy, but it is almost an afterthought. It does not have the centrality that I believe it deserves. There is huge potential in the green economy and renewable energy, something that will affect not just our rural economy but our urban economy.

Therefore, there are deficiencies in the document. Although one welcomes a more considered view of government and government policy here —

Jonathan Bell (DUP, Strangford)

Will the Member give way?

Alban Maginness (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast North)

Yes; of course.

Jonathan Bell (DUP, Strangford)

Pages 36 and 37 of the document refer to the environment. What has the Member to say about the £1 billion investment since 2008; the work that has been done on recycling, through the Rethink Waste campaign; the work that has been done on flood protection measures, on defence and on drinking water; and Rethink Waste grants of £4·38 million? In 2011-12, there were grants for 26 projects, totalling £1·49 million. All those are on a double-page spread in the document, yet you say that the green economy is not included?

Francie Molloy (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster)

The Member has an extra minute.

Alban Maginness (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast North)

Thank you, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. Let me make this point: you are highlighting things that have taken place in the past. Another aspect of the document that I found rather odd was that there is a lot of emphasis — the First Minister can look at me strangely — on historical objectives and achievements. Yes, the Executive have every right to say, "Yes, we did this, and we intend to try to do more." However, the fact is that the document should be looking forward, not backwards. Yes, there are positive achievements, but we have to develop things in a much cleverer and much more innovative fashion in order to exploit the great opportunities that are there. Yes, the junior Minister is right to point out such things, but I do not believe that what he said contradicts the fundamental point that I am making, which is that there must be more innovation and creativity in government green policy. I would like to see the Executive becoming a model innovator of the green agenda. I do not sense that it is, but that is the approach that I urge the House, the Executive and the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister to pursue.

I look at this document as a representative of North Belfast, and I ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister, what difference will this make to my constituents? What difference will this make to a North Belfast man? How much better will his life be? Will the strategy provide more job opportunities or a better standard of living? That is the acid test. I am not giving a definitive view on this, because we are only noting it today —

Francie Molloy (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster)

Bring your remarks to a close.

Alban Maginness (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast North)

— but I am not certain that a North Belfast man would be entirely satisfied with the document.

Mervyn Storey (DUP, North Antrim)

It is only right to place on record the fact that, despite all the negatives that Members have raised with regard to what is or is not in this document, an overall accumulative amount has, and will be, invested. That is something that we cannot simply set aside, given where we are and the economic challenges that we all face — comments with which, I think, the Member who has just spoken prefaced his remarks. We have control over some of those challenges and no control over others. In many regards, we are subject to forces that are, sometimes, beyond the control of any of the local devolved Administrations.

However, I come now to the area that I want to focus on particularly, and which has been mentioned in a number of contributions — education. There is no doubt that if we look at the maintenance backlog in education, we will see that there is an excess of somewhere in the region of £300 million. There is an absolute need to ensure that we have a strategy and a process that deals with maintenance, but which also knows where we are going with regard to capital build. That is where what we say about it being in a document and how it translates to being delivered in practice sometimes become problematic.

Members will be aware that all of us are subject to the area plans that are out for consultation in the five education and library board areas, for example. However, nowhere in those plans, ideas and suggestions on how we rationalise the schools estate is there anything that aligns and joins up the strategy with regard to the capital build. Rather, over the past number of years, we have had, from the previous and current Education Ministers and Departments, what seems to be a very disjointed approach to implementing the strategy and the way forward.

I will give an example, and I declare an interest as a member of the board of governors of Ballymoney High School. This is an issue that has been going on for some time. There was a plan to have a newbuild, joined with Rainey Endowed School in Magherafelt. It was to be progressed under a PPP project, but the Department of Education, in its wisdom, decided to ditch having a PPP and to go the conventional route. What all of that has led to is that Rainey Endowed is going in one direction, in a proposal with Sperrin Integrated College according to the area plan but probably not according to the reality on the ground, and Ballymoney High School is going to sit as it is currently — an 11-16 school, with no prospect, as far as area plans are concerned, of having its newbuild. That is where Members will have a challenge in joining up the practicalities of what is set out in a strategy and how it is delivered by individual Departments. However, there are elements of the strategy, such as the capital build programme that the Education Minister has said he will take forward, that are to be welcomed. For example, in June of this year, he announced newbuilds, particularly in relation to special educational needs provision. Hopefully, Castle Tower School in Ballymena will be a beneficiary of that announcement, and that project will be brought forward.

Let me come to another element that was mentioned: the Lisanelly site. Here we have a vision. Here we have a plan. However, does the Department of Education really know, at this minute, who it is that will be part of Lisanelly? The Education Committee will visit Omagh on Wednesday. Part of the reason for that visit is to have a discussion about whether there can be any clarity as to who will be part of the Lisanelly project. Remember, Members, that there was considerable investment in a new school — namely, Drumragh Integrated College — and it will remain in that new school with only the possibility of the transfer of sixth-form provision to the new campus. We have already had the Department of Education being taken to court. The Catholic maintained grammar school in the town decided to take the Department to court over a promise for a newbuild. That has been under consideration by the Department for some months now. So, although we see things outlined in the strategy, serious questions have to be asked of the Department of Education as to how it is that it can deliver this project and this particular educational provision.

I conclude by putting a challenge to the Education Minister around area plans. That is a vital point to make. We can have plans for the rationalisation of the schools estate. However, aligned to that must be a capital project plan that reflects accurately the needs of schools that have been sitting waiting, for some considerable years, and that will still require newbuilds, despite whatever the area plans will be for that area. I welcome the investment we have had. I look forward to the practical outworkings of further investment in a way that is consistent with ensuring good educational provision in our constituencies.

The debate stood suspended.

Oral Answers to Questions

Francie Molloy (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster)

Questions 1 and 11 have been withdrawn and require written answers.

Conall McDevitt (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast South)

2. asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for an update on Transforming Your Care. (AQO 2586/11-15)

Kieran McCarthy (Alliance, Strangford)

6. asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how the voices of carers will be heard during the Transforming Your Care stakeholder engagement and the implementation and evaluation of the population plans. (AQO 2590/11-15)

Maeve McLaughlin (Sinn Féin, Foyle)

9. asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how the Transforming Your Care proposal will target health inequalities. (AQO 2593/11-15)

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

With your permission, Mr Deputy Speaker, I will take questions 2, 6 and 9 together.

In July this year, I announced that I had taken receipt of draft population plans and the draft strategic implementation plan. The development of those plans was a key proposal in Transforming Your Care. The draft plans have been subject to a quality assurance process over the summer months. I plan to make a statement to the House tomorrow in which I will provide an update on Transforming Your Care and the arrangements for moving to consultation.

During the development of the population plans, a number of meetings were held with the voluntary and community sector, which included a number of carer views. The views of carers will be an important part of the forthcoming consultation, which will include a series of public meetings at which carers will be invited to participate. Consultation will provide the opportunity for the community as a whole to have its say on proposals for improving health and social care services to optimise outcomes for patients and other service users.

Addressing health inequalities is a priority for me. Transforming Your Care highlights the need to address inequalities in areas such as lower life expectancy, rates of respiratory mortality, suicide, smoking and alcohol-related deaths and self-harm. The draft population plans and draft strategic implementation plan include proposals for change to improve health outcomes for all our population.

Conall McDevitt (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast South)

The Minister will know that change always causes some people concern. Will he take the opportunity here this afternoon to assure the House that it is not part of his vision for the health service in Northern Ireland that any aspect of primary care health service delivery will be delivered through any vehicle other than the National Health Service?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Member for his question. Change causes concern, but that does not mean that you should not do it. The Member may be asking whether I am looking to engage in some privatisation process of primary care, but that is not on the agenda. We will deal with the issues in more detail tomorrow, but it will be fairly evident that that is not part of our agenda.

Kieran McCarthy (Alliance, Strangford)

I welcome the input that the carers will have as we move forward. Can the Minister give any details of the new models of respite and short breaks that are in the implementation plan?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

In terms of respite, we recognise that carers make an essential contribution. In fact, the carers organisation has identified that carers save our economy about £4 billion through the work that they do. Therefore, in recognition of the work that carers do, we need to ensure that carers are sustainable. Otherwise, if the carer breaks down and is not able to continue carrying out that service, it will be much more expensive to us as a Government. Therefore, investing in carers is something that I support, and it needs to go beyond paying lip service to having an effect on the ground. That is a course of work that needs to be addressed.

Francie Molloy (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster)

I am aware that Maeve McLaughlin's question was linked and that she was not here for the first part of the answer. I call Maeve McLaughlin for a supplementary.

Maeve McLaughlin (Sinn Féin, Foyle)

Apologies for not being here for the original comment. Will the Minister give an update on how the welfare reform cuts will impact on the Transforming Your Care strategy? Go raibh maith agat.

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

That is an interesting question. Of course, welfare reform has an impact. If we were to do something completely daft and cost the Assembly £220 million, it would probably cost my Department around £100 million. Therefore, if we do not proceed with welfare reform and stay with parity, we will have longer waiting lists for hip operations, we will have longer waiting lists for people who require heart surgery, and we will have people dying as a consequence of that. I urge all Members to take great cognisance of the fact that this health service, which is under significant strain as things stand, would be put under much greater pressure as a consequence of taking some grandstanding position on welfare reform.

Samuel Gardiner (UUP, Upper Bann)

Family carers already lose their caring allowance when they care for their loved ones. Will the Minister assure us that Transforming Your Care will not lead to the state dumping even more responsibility on family carers?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Member for his question. It is important that it does not, and the Member is right to highlight that. Transforming Your Care is about looking at what is likely to be expected of us over the coming years. If you add that expectation to the problems we have meeting the public's expectations now and then look at the size of the budget, you will see that the three elements do not stack up. Transforming Your Care is about making them stack up. It is about making the service more efficient, smarter working and doing more through primary care, early intervention and prevention. No aspect of it is about dumping on carers. We certainly need careers and the support of families to deliver good health. This needs to be done in a way that aids and supports the people who provide that care.

Anna Lo (Alliance, Belfast South)

Will the Minister assure us that there will be joined-up working across the statutory, voluntary and community sectors during the implementation of the population plans?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

That will be the role of the integrated care partnerships. That course of work has already started, and there has been very good progress on that front.

David Hilditch (DUP, East Antrim)

3. asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what action is being taken to promote the uptake of the flu vaccination. (AQO 2587/11-15)

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I launched this year's seasonal flu vaccination programme on 27 September. This is its thirteenth year in Northern Ireland. Eligible groups are now familiar with the need to get vaccinated, which is one reason why Northern Ireland consistently achieves one of the highest uptakes in the UK. The vaccine is free for anyone in the target groups. Every year, the Public Health Agency closely monitors the uptake in each GP practice and takes steps to improve it where it is low. The agency also runs training sessions for the healthcare staff who deliver the programme, and one of the aims of the training is to promote uptake by the target groups. In addition, this year, the agency will rerun a media campaign encouraging people to get vaccinated in advance of the flu season. Last year, that contributed to a 25% increase in the number of people coming forward to be vaccinated compared with 2010. That is vital in reducing serious complications and deaths from flu.

David Hilditch (DUP, East Antrim)

I thank the Minister for his answer. Will he provide us with further details on the public information campaign?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

The strapline for the campaign is:

"Flu is more serious than you think – so get the flu vaccination now."

Last year's campaign contributed to the uptake of the seasonal flu vaccination surpassing the target set by DHSSPS, with a 25% increase and the highest vaccination rates in the UK. It is important that we encourage this and encourage uptake by our professional staff. There are two new strains of flu this year, and all the indications from, for example, Australia, where the flu season happens earlier, are that there are fairly significant problems. So we want to encourage as many people as possible to get the flu vaccine.

Sue Ramsey (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I agree with the Minister that we need to encourage as many people as possible to take up the vaccination, and I am encouraged by the increase in the number doing so. How many flu vaccinations have not been used over the past number of years? What is the shelf life of said vaccination? Although there has been an increase in the uptake, we still need to encourage people to be vaccinated so that we do not lose money.

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

In Northern Ireland, unlike the rest of the UK, the PHA centrally purchases the seasonal flu vaccine for onward transmission to GPs and trusts. This year, 428,000 doses have been procured for use in Northern Ireland, and, by mid-September, over 430,000 doses had already been received. So we do not believe that we are overordering lots of flu vaccinations and then not using them.

Roy Beggs (UUP, East Antrim)

Does the Minister agree that the effects of increased flu vaccine uptake include a reduction in flu-related deaths and hospital admissions? Does he also agree that there is a great benefit to the individual and community in reduced winter pressures, meaning that that should be the greatest issue in selling the vaccine to the public so that uptake can be increased even further?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

Unusually, there is nothing that I can disagree with Mr Beggs on.

Dolores Kelly (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Upper Bann)

Are there any other contagious diseases that the Department will be concerned about over the next few months and that the public ought to know about?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

Whooping cough is one of the more recent ones that we highlighted. We heard about that a lot, certainly, when I was a child; maybe that was not the case for Mrs Kelly. It was something that we heard of in our younger days. Unfortunately, it is back, and there have been quite a number of incidents of it in parts of GB. We want to encourage mothers to take up the whooping cough vaccination during pregnancy, so I thank the Member for highlighting that.

Jonathan Craig (DUP, Lagan Valley)

4. asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for his assessment of the potential for the health technology sector to assist Northern Ireland's economy. (AQO 2588/11-15)

Trevor Clarke (DUP, South Antrim)

13. asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for his assessment of the role that electronic health records can play in improving healthcare delivery. (AQO 2597/11-15)

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will answer questions 4 and 13 together.

The increasing use of technology is key to providing high-quality health and social care that is based around patients' needs. 'Transforming Your Care' sets high standards that are to be attained in providing patient-centred care. We simply cannot achieve those standards with current ways of working. Indeed, the increased use of technology was a key recommendation in the report.

The introduction of the electronic care record (ECR) will benefit everyone in Northern Ireland. The new system provides the ability to access and share information securely across the health and social care system. It has the potential to vastly improve the quality, speed, safety and clinical outcomes for patients and service users. The ECR will help to cut the time spent searching for appropriate records, allowing clinicians to spend more time treating patients. It will be rolled out across the HSC, streamlining the process.

Some of the technology that we need is available, but much development work is necessary. Last December, I signed a memorandum of understanding on Connected Health and prosperity with the economy Minister. Arising from that is the recent establishment of the Northern Ireland Connected Health ecosystem, which brings together academia and industry, along with the health and social care sector, to take forward developments. We are working closely with the economic development Department to contribute to the Executive’s economic strategy. Products developed and, hopefully, manufactured in Northern Ireland should be commercially viable worldwide, thus contributing to the local economy. By becoming a recognised centre of excellence for Connected Health, we will attract more business and investment.

Jonathan Craig (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Minister for that comprehensive answer. Will he outline the benefits of an ecosystem coming to Northern Ireland?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

The ecosystem is one of the methods of delivering the action plan between DHSSPS and Invest NI. We are looking for significant participation by business in engagements and events, along with the life sciences sector, that are organised by Northern Ireland Science Park or the universities. We are also looking for the successful drawdown of funding for research and development and new product innovation by local companies working in partnership with universities and our HSC trusts through competition for UK-wide funds, including, for example, those available in Technology Strategy Board competitions.

We are also working closely with Europe on the matter. Considerable work is being done on that front, and I hope that we will make substantial progress so that Northern Ireland is recognised as a leader in technology and its application to health.

Trevor Clarke (DUP, South Antrim)

I thank the Minister for his answers so far. What were the findings from the ECR proof-of-concept evaluation?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

Well, 94% of clinical users agreed that the use of ECR improved patient care, 89% of users agreed that its use improved patient safety, and 83% of doctors reported a better clinical outcome as a result of its use. So, it is evident from the clinical and user side that people believe that they are getting better results as a consequence.

Danny Kinahan (UUP, South Antrim)

In south Antrim, we have Randox, which is one of the top diagnostic companies. How is the Minister helping such high-tech companies to reach overseas markets such as the USA, Finland and Spain, where I believe he has been recently?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I have developed a good working relationship with Randox. As Health Minister, I have visited the site on a number of occasions. It is a leading company in diagnostics, supplying, I think, around 7% of the world's diagnostic equipment, which is significant for a country the size of Northern Ireland compared with the rest of the world. We need to recognise such companies and the work that they do. We also need to work with them and assist them. Some of the things that we are doing to assist technology companies and those that are developing in the pharma field include the development of the electronic care record, which will enable us to simplify tests and prove the benefits of what is proposed.

The Member mentioned Finland. We were able to connect Kainos, a company based in Belfast, with VTT in Finland, and substantial work is being done there. There are terrific opportunities for us in little Northern Ireland to make a significant contribution to healthcare across the world. We need to be flexible and business-minded in our approach, and we can really help.

Seán Rogers (Social Democratic and Labour Party, South Down)

I thank the Minister for his answers so far. Does he have any plans to introduce stereotactic body radiation therapy, which has been shown to be very effective in treating some forms of cancer?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

That is slightly off-question, but at this stage we do not have any plans. We do not have the numbers of people available to use it, thankfully. However, people can obtain the service in GB, and we support people in doing so. There is a process to go through, which requires consultant support and all of that, but we can ensure that people from Northern Ireland receive that treatment.

Raymond McCartney (Sinn Féin, Foyle)

5. asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for an update on the recent incidents in Ralph's Close, Gransha. (AQO 2589/11-15)

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I assure the Member that, in the first instance, my overriding priority and that of the Western Trust is to ensure the safety and well-being of all those in its care.

Further to my response in the House on 10 September, I can advise that the trust, working closely with the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA), has put in place an improvement plan to bring about the change required to ensure that Ralph's Close fully meets all the statutory regulations and standards. The improvement plan will transform the culture of care at Ralph's Close from a nursing model to a social care model, which is more in keeping with a residential home. It will also address leadership and governance, training and development, and adult safeguarding. Implementation is being overseen by a project board that is made up of senior managers from the trust. The trust is reporting progress to the Department, the Health and Social Care Board, the Public Health Agency and the RQIA. It is also keeping all the families of residents in Ralph's Close fully informed of developments.

The PSNI investigation into the original allegations is continuing. It remains the case that we should not comment in any way that might prejudice that investigation. However, along with other Members, I encourage anyone with information that may assist the investigation to bring it forward.

Raymond McCartney (Sinn Féin, Foyle)

Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for his answer. I also acknowledge his role in dealing with the matter.

The Minister has put a process in place. I know that he is aware that staff training was a big issue that was pointed out by the families and staff. Is he satisfied that the process will ensure that staff training is adequate?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

It is absolutely essential that it be adequate, and we are doing a considerable amount of work to ensure that that is the case. When you have vulnerable people in your care, the ability of individuals to take advantage of the situation is enhanced greatly. We need to take every step and every precaution that we can to ensure that it does not happen. Obviously, the investigation into Ralph's Close is not complete, but I think that, after all the time that we have had to consider vulnerable people and the care that they receive, it would be very disappointing if, in 2012, that sort of behaviour can still happen in our facilities. Therefore, if the investigation finds that it has happened, there will have to be a thorough inquiry into how it was allowed to happen and how we can ensure that it does not happen again elsewhere.

Mark Durkan (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

Go raibh maith agat, a Phriomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. I thank the Minister for his answers thus far. What arrangements are in place to ensure that residents of Ralph's Close receive adequate care as the investigation is ongoing?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

Subsequent to the first anonymous letter, which was received on 24 July, considerable effort has been made to ensure that there is adequate support in the facility. Key agencies, including the Western Trust, the PSNI, the RQIA, the Health Board, the Public Health Agency and the Department, along with professional advisers, have been involved. The Western Trust is collaborating very closely to deal with the allegations. People from outside the facility have been brought in to oversee, supervise and ensure the safety of everyone in the facility. Therefore, a huge amount of supervision is currently taking place.

Ross Hussey (UUP, West Tyrone)

Will the Minister confirm whether, following that particular incident, he has reviewed all other trusts to ensure that this type of incident will not happen in any other trust facility?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

What is so disappointing is that this particular facility is new. It is excellent in its ability to meet the requirements of the individuals who use it. Perhaps, processes and so forth have fallen down, which have allowed the circumstances to develop that have brought about the discussion that we are having at present.

With respect to other facilities: when all investigations are complete and the facts are known, we will want to identify what comes out of the report and apply it elsewhere. Trusts and other organisations that are contracted to provide services for vulnerable adults need to ensure that the guidance and procedures for best practice are adhered to and, indeed, that proper records are maintained. There are already specific regulatory requirements and minimum standards that apply across a range of health and social care settings to ensure that people are vetted before working with vulnerable adults; appropriate training and supervision is given, and minimum standards of care are maintained. Guidance on adult abuse in all its forms is in place for staff and the general public with instructions on how to report it or suspicions that it might be occurring. Additionally, there are procedures for staff to properly report concerns that they have about their workplace, particularly about the safety and protection of people in their care and, indeed, their fellow staff.

People should operate on the first principle that, if in doubt, it is better to be safe than sorry. It is better that someone is investigated and it is found that there is no substance to the allegations than for someone not to be investigated and it later transpires that that person was engaged in some form of abuse.

Gregory Campbell (DUP, East Londonderry)

I know that people will be reassured by the Minister's comments so far.

Without prejudice to the outcome of any ongoing investigation, will the Minister undertake to ensure that following those investigations, he will be open and transparent about any report that comes out in order to try to ensure that people get reassurance from the very top of the Department?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I assure the Member that whatever comes out of the investigation will be dealt with in an open, transparent and honest way because I see no benefit in trying to cover things up.

Francie Molloy (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster)

Question 6 was grouped.

Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

7. asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to outline the annual cost of providing health services to patients from the Republic of Ireland and the amount received for treating these patients. (AQO 2591/11-15)

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

There is a reciprocal arrangement between the UK and the ROI on the provision of healthcare. The financial information for the agreement is dealt with centrally by the Department of Health in England on behalf of all four UK jurisdictions. As it is a centrally held budget, there is no breakdown by individual UK country.

Earlier this year, my Department's guidance to health and social care trusts, which set out the arrangements to be put in place, was to identify all non-resident patients and determine whether they are entitled to healthcare. Trusts are currently working on implementing the guidance. I reiterate that the HSC is, first and foremost, a resource for the residents of Northern Ireland and is not automatically available without charge to everyone regardless of their status.

Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

Can I express surprise that, although we know the number of children from the Republic of Ireland whom we educate and the cost of that education, we do not know the number of patients whom we treat in Northern Ireland and the cost of their treatment? Surely, as the Finance Minister said himself in a recent debate, that information is vital to future budgetary and planning processes. Is it acceptable to the Minister that he is ignorant of those matters?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

Mr Allister appears to be someone who always wants to have parity with the rest of the UK and wants to be an integral part of the UK. If he had listened to the answer that I gave him, he would have heard me say that the Department of Health in England, on behalf of all four UK jurisdictions, looks after that matter. If he wants to break that, he can write to the Health Minister in England to ask him to break it. Perhaps he could go along with others who want to make a lesser connection between Northern Ireland and the rest of GB.

Mickey Brady (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Is the Minister in a position to tell us how much money could be saved by both Departments if there were more all-island co-operation?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

It is not so much a matter of saving money. One area that we are looking at is paediatric congenital cardiac care to see how we can work together to ensure that the best services possible can be provided to families and children north and south of the border. The same will apply when the radiotherapy unit at Altnagelvin is open. The same may apply in circumstances in the South West Acute Hospital and Daisy Hill Hospital and to other aspects of care in Altnagelvin. That is in the public's best interest because, in some cases, people in County Fermanagh may lose services if more people do not use them. It is in everybody's interests that we work together on these issues. Perhaps people in Monaghan and Donegal will get a far better service from the South West Acute Hospital than they would otherwise get. Where it is of mutual benefit to the public's health, we need to act.

John Dallat (Social Democratic and Labour Party, East Londonderry)

To cheer this place up a bit, could the Minister tell us of any recent conversations that he has had with James Reilly, the Health Minister in Dublin, on how we can further enhance cross-border co-operation on health matters for the sake of everybody?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I am not sure that the full details of those meetings would cheer people up. I am happy enough for them to know them. Had the Member announced his resignation today, that might have cheered the House up. Nonetheless, my more recent conversations with Mr Reilly have been around paediatric congenital cardiac care and the work that needs to be done on that. Things are progressing with the Altnagelvin radiotherapy centre as planned and in a very steady way, with good reciprocation from the Republic of Ireland Government. We are also working quite closely with them on minimum pricing for alcohol. That is moving ahead apace. We are watching closely what is going on in Scotland. There are things to which reciprocal arrangements can make a real difference, and we need to apply those.

Robin Swann (UUP, North Antrim)

8. asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many primary care centres he proposes to establish during this Assembly term. (AQO 2592/11-15)

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

Work is currently ongoing to construct new health and care centres in Ballymena, Banbridge and Omagh. The centres in Banbridge and Ballymena are due to be completed in spring 2014, and the centre in Omagh, as part of phase 1 of the local hospital project, is due to be completed sometime in 2016. Recently completed health and care centres include Shankill centre and Beech Hall centre, which were both completed in early summer 2011. My aim is to provide a full range of health and social care services that are outside the acute sector and closer to people's homes. I have given approval to move forward with a business case for the development of Lisburn and Newry health and care centres to evaluate an alternative revenue-based funding approach, to test value for money and to work through any other emerging issues. More details about the potential network of health and care hubs across the Province will be available following my Assembly statement on Transforming Your Care tomorrow.

Robin Swann (UUP, North Antrim)

I thank the Minister. What criteria will you use to determine the priority of further health centres?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Lagan Valley)

We certainly intend to develop a considerable number of health and social care centres. A course of work that was carried out some time ago recommended what was required. Unfortunately, the last Minister decided to shelve that and allowed it to gather dust. I have dusted it down and resurrected it, and we are currently working on that basis as we move forward.

It will involve non-public funding from the private sector, which will mean that we will have to make repayments. However, those repayments should be on a basis that will ultimately save the health service money, because we will be able to carry out more earlier interventions and, as a consequence, avoid hospital admissions.

Basil McCrea (UUP, Lagan Valley)

1. asked the Minister of Justice what action his Department intends to take following the consultation on the future operation of the Police Ombudsman’s office. (AQO 2598/11-15)

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

The consultation on the future operation of the Police Ombudsman’s office ended on 8 June. My Department has prepared a report that summarises the views of all respondents and draws out the key themes that have emerged. The report will be considered by the Justice Committee at its meeting on 11 October and will then be published on my Department’s website.

I will continue to work with stakeholders, including the Justice Committee and the Police Ombudsman, in considering what detailed changes are needed to enhance the office’s effectiveness and to contribute to public confidence in the operation of the ombudsman’s office and policing more widely. Over the coming months, I also intend to meet with all parties to discuss the contents of the report and the next steps.

Once that process is complete, I will publish detailed policy and legislative proposals for consideration in the first half of 2013. The outworking of the consultation, along with the lifting of the suspension of historical cases, which I understand is a priority for the Police Ombudsman, will assist in restoring and securing public confidence in the office.

Basil McCrea (UUP, Lagan Valley)

The Minister will remember that some of the difficulties with regard to confidence in the office came from its dealing with historical cases. Is the Minister in a position to tell us when the ombudsman might start to look again at historical cases? What safeguards will be put in place to ensure that it does not affect public confidence in the future?

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

I thank Mr McCrea for that question. The new ombudsman, Dr Maguire, has made lifting the suspension of investigation into historical cases a significant priority, and I understand that a lot of work is ongoing in the ombudsman's office. The expectation is that Criminal Justice Inspection will do the independent validation, which is part of restoring confidence, during December, with the hope that the work will be able to proceed from January onwards. Members will, of course, also remember that my Department was able to provide additional funding of some £10 million for an enhanced history directive in the ombudsman's office in order to speed up the work that is being done to better provide assurance to the community.

Raymond McCartney (Sinn Féin, Foyle)

Go raibh maith agat, a Phriomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for his answer and particularly his outline on the historical cases. Does the Minister agree with me that one of the things that led to a lack of public confidence in the past was external interference? What steps will be taken to ensure that the office is free from external interference in the future?

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

I appreciate Mr McCartney's point. There were allegations of previous interference and suggestions of inappropriate behaviour by an official in the then Northern Ireland Office, which were included in the findings of the Tony McCusker report. However, the suggestions made then that there was interference historically have certainly not been suggested by Tony McCusker in the current operation. I am determined to see the good work that is being done by my Department in sponsoring the ombudsman's office continue. There is no suggestion of interference, and I will ensure that there is no operational interference.

I think that it is noteworthy that, although there has been a small drop in public confidence in the operation of the office, the most recent survey shows that public confidence remains at over 80%. That is an indication of the good work that is being done, and I am committed to ensuring that that good work continues.

Alban Maginness (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast North)

Dr Maguire has taken over as ombudsman and has brought stability and an element of reorganisation to the office. When will the chief executive be appointed? That will further help the efficiency and effectiveness of that office.

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

I entirely agree with Mr Maginness about the importance of getting a new chief executive into the office. That process is under way, and it is, of course, being led by Dr Maguire. It not my direct responsibility, although the Department will have to agree remuneration and terms and conditions. It is my understanding that the process is proceeding speedily. I think that we would all hope to see the new chief executive in place as soon as possible.

Kieran McCarthy (Alliance, Strangford)

As usual, we are grateful to the Minister for the work done over the past year to improve the effectiveness — [Interruption.]

Francie Molloy (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster)

Order. Ask a question.

Kieran McCarthy (Alliance, Strangford)

Will the Minister tell us what arrangements are in place to increase the effectiveness of the office?

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

I thank my colleague for reminding me that there are a few in the House who agree with me some of the time. It is always good to know that. [Laughter.] A number of issues clearly run together, including the fact that society and the Assembly have not collectively worked out how we deal with the impact of the past. The result is that justice agencies, including the Police Ombudsman in particular, have to perform a lot of tasks that I wish that they did not have to perform because we had a more inclusive process. However, I believe that we have seen Dr Maguire take a grip of the office since his appointment and that work is being done to deal with the historical backlog; to ensure that comfort can be provided to victims and bereaved families; to ensure that that work will be done in a proper, professional and efficient way; and to ensure that the staffing structures will be put in place and the money my Department is providing will be put to good use. So I believe that the House can have confidence in the future of the ombudsman's office.

Dominic Bradley (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Newry and Armagh)

Cheist uimhir a dó. [Interruption.]

Dominic Bradley (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Newry and Armagh)

2. asked the Minister of Justice whether he will review the Criminal Justice (No. 2) (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 with a view to improving the response to hate crime. (AQO 2599/11-15)

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, no translation was necessary, thank you. [Interruption.] The Criminal Justice (No. 2) (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 places a requirement on the courts to consider hostility as an aggravating factor that increases the seriousness of an offence and to state in open court that the offence was so aggravated. An offence is aggravated by hostility if, at the time of an offence or immediately before or after its commission, the offender demonstrates hostility to the victim based on the victim's racial, religious or sexual orientation group, or on their disability; or where the offence is motivated wholly or partly by hostility towards members of a group. The implementation of the legislation has been subject to review, including by Criminal Justice Inspection, which carried out a follow-up inspection in 2010. On foot of that inspection, changes were made to the management of cases through the justice system, but it is clear that further work is needed.

I have instructed my officials to review the implementation of the 2004 order to identify and address any weaknesses in the administration of cases through the courts. The review will ensure that all necessary changes are made to the recording of cases in courts to ensure that the legislation is applied as it was intended to be. I have instructed officials from across all relevant justice agencies to monitor the use of the 2004 order and to report to me regularly. I will keep the issue under review, and I am determined to ensure that the legislation is effective. If the changes being made to the system do not improve the use of the order, I will revisit the use of the legislation.

Francie Molloy (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster)

I remind the Member that, for the courtesy of the House, all questions must be translated.

Dominic Bradley (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Newry and Armagh)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a fhreagra ar cheist uimhir a dó. I thank the Minister for answering question 2. Given the increase in sectarian hate crime, will he strengthen the courts' capacity to increase sentences in order to highlight the odious nature of such crimes?

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

I am not sure whether we need to enhance the courts' capacity in the way that the Member suggests. The key difficulty, as we all appreciate, is that we start off with victims' perceptions of the crime. Whether that is necessarily accepted by the police in how it is investigated, or by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in how it is prosecuted, are different issues. It is also clear that, at times, it can be very difficult to obtain a conviction that includes the hate element of a hate crime, even though it may be relatively easy to get a conviction for the offence as such. That is the sort of issue that I have asked officials to look at, and if there are specific suggestions for changes that need to be made to make the legislation more effective, I will consider them. In many cases, we should recognise that although a case is not prosecuted with the addition for hate crime, cases are successfully prosecuted for the basic underlying offence. That certainly does not mean that people are getting off. However, there is obviously more work to be done about the enhancement.

Gerry Kelly (Sinn Féin, Belfast North)

Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle, agus gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for his answers so far. In doing the review, is the Minister's Department engaging with relevant sectoral bodies, such as NICEM (Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities), NICRAS (Northern Ireland Community of Refugees and Asylum Seekers) and, indeed, the Assembly's all-party group?

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

I thank Mr Kelly. At this stage, the issue is for my officials and those who are in other relevant agencies to examine their practice. However, I have no doubt that, to conduct a review properly, it will be necessary after that preliminary work to engage, as he highlighted, with all the relevant organisations, such as NICEM.

Jo-Anne Dobson (UUP, Upper Bann)

Will the Minister elaborate on what discussions he or his officials have had with other Departments with a view to supporting existing, or instigating new, initiatives that are aimed at tackling hate crime in our community? Those could include renewing the media campaign that was so successful in the past.

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

Clearly, Mrs Dobson is widening the issue from the specific one of the operation of hate crime to hate, which is not an issue that is solely for my Department. I believe that the very fact that I stand here with the emblem of the Unite Against Hate campaign in my lapel indicates my Department's commitment to engage in that work across a range of hate areas and in all the work that needs to be done. I trust that that would be recognised by all Members.

Anna Lo (Alliance, Belfast South)

I believe that I was the victim of a recent hate crime, whereby my house was damaged. The damage was slight, but it was damaged. I must say that when I called the police, they responded really quickly. Within minutes, a police car arrived at my door. Will the Minister let us know the number of hate crimes that have been prosecuted and the proportion that succeeded in convictions?

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

I certainly sympathise with my colleague for the attack on her house. I remember that she also suffered a personal attack some time ago, so we should recognise the seriousness of hate crime, and, indeed, of a variety of crime and its effect on members of society.

The statistics that she asks for are slightly difficult to present in a meaningful way. Research that Neil Jarman of Queen's presented at the recent conference shows that the number of crimes that are recorded as hate crime incidents in the victim's perception — or hate incidents, as they are recorded — compared with the number that the Police Service records as hate crimes results in a drop of something like a third. The number of cases where it is possible to produce a file to go to the PPS drops by a further 50%. The number that the Public Prosecution Service is prepared to prosecute drops by a further 50%, and then a very small number are successfully prosecuted for the hate element. As I indicated in my principal answer, that is the sort of issue that we need to address. However, it is an issue that goes beyond the immediate management of individual cases and into the way in which wider society reacts to hate between different groups.

Brenda Hale (DUP, Lagan Valley)

3. asked the Minister of Justice what plans his Department has to provide a memorial for the 29 prison officers who lost their life whilst on duty. (AQO 2600/11-15)

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

I recognise the sacrifice that was made by the 29 prison staff who lost their lives while in service, and I acknowledge how important it is that, as we look to the future, we also remember the past. Across the individual sites that make up the prison estate, there are four commemorative plaques bearing the roll of honour and two memorial stones, as well as gardens of remembrance at the college at Millisle and Magilligan Prison. The Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) will maintain those memorials across the estate where establishments remain operational. In the event that any establishment ceases to be operational, the Prison Service will identify alternative sites where the memorials can be relocated.

The outline prisons estate strategy also considers how best NIPS should remember those who lost their lives while on duty. That strategy is subject to public consultation, and careful consideration will be given to any proposals that are raised through that consultation process.

Brenda Hale (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I welcome the Minister's commitment to honour the memory and sacrifice of these prison officers. Will he assure me that there will be no delay and that, if a relocation has to happen, he will contact the families to discuss where this appropriate memorial will be put?

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

I recognise the sensitivity that Mrs Hale has outlined in her supplementary question. I am not sure that we could necessarily consult all the individual families, but I can certainly give a commitment that every effort will be made to contact those organisations that have specific responsibilities and that represent them, and to ensuring that any question of relocation of memorials, including the possibility that has been raised by the Prison Officers' Association (POA) and others about a specific memorial garden elsewhere, will be addressed in as sensitive a way as can be.

Michael Copeland (UUP, Belfast East)

I thank the Minister for his answers thus far. Is it his intention to discuss the matter with the Prison Officers' Association and its spokesman? Can he further confirm whether HMP Hydebank Wood young offenders' centre is viewed as a potential location for such a memorial, given the desire for work to be done there by the POA?

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

I can certainly confirm to Mr Copeland that I have discussed the issue with the POA and expect to continue to do so. It has made specific representations about part of the land at Hydebank Wood. Obviously, the wider issues of the estate strategy have to take that particular point into account.

Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

Is it not the case that, by saying that the matter will wait out the outcome of the estate strategy consultation, the Minister is dragging his feet on an issue that is a slight on the sacrifice of 29 officers, and that it is the very clear view of the Prison Officers' Association that he should get on with it, and get on with it now, at Hydebank?

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

Mr Allister can talk about all the slights that he likes. The recognition that we have a number of memorial tablets already in place and that we are seriously considering the question of an alternative memorial — particularly in the context of the college at Millisle closing in the next few years — is an indication that the issue is being considered with appropriate sensitivity. If Mr Allister is suggesting that we should go ahead and advance a relocation of the memorial garden from Millisle to Hydebank Wood in advance of properly working through the estate strategy, with all its financial implications, I do not think that that would be a particularly wise use of public money.

Fra McCann (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

4. asked the Minister of Justice for an update on the use of body scanners at Magilligan and Hydebank prisons. (AQO 2601/11-15)

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

As I have previously announced, the Prison Service continues to make progress on the testing and evaluation of body-scanning technologies. The first of two millimetre-wave body scanners has been operational in Magilligan prison for the past two weeks. Although it is very early in the evaluation process, the pilot is progressing well. A second millimetre-wave scanner from a different supplier is due to be delivered to Hydebank Wood young offenders' centre next week, and a similar pilot will commence then.

Fra McCann (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

Thank you very much. Will the Minister tell us whether there is a timeline provided for the licensing of a body scanner at Maghaberry?

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

If Mr McCann is referring to the transmission X-ray scanner that is being considered for Maghaberry, as opposed to the millimetre-wave scanners at the others, I cannot give any definite timeline beyond the work that is being done and is due to be completed in the Prison Service by the end of this month. However, that will then require consultation with a number of other Departments across the UK, and I can give no timeline for the potential for that. The work being done on that by the Northern Ireland Prison Service is at the forefront of work being done anywhere in the UK, and we will have to wait for some of the other regions to catch up with us.

Mervyn Storey (DUP, North Antrim)

I thank the Minister for his answers thus far. However, given that an integral part of ensuring that an effective body scanner is in operation is to have bodies to be scanned, will he give us an indication that there will be a prison at Magilligan in the future, contrary to the current consultation, and that he will ensure that Magilligan prison remains where it is and is not relocated?

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

Pardon me, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, but I did not expect to be answering question 15 at this stage. Given that there is an ongoing consultation on the estate strategy, I cannot give the sort of assurance that Mr Storey is asking for. I can give an assurance that, contrary to what may be the perception, when the Department of Justice carries out consultations, they are genuine consultations seeking people's opinions. That is why there is a public meeting in Limavady tonight, which, I suspect, will concentrate largely on the future of Magilligan prison. The Criminal Justice Inspection has highlighted the positive work being done at Magilligan, but in its report, it also highlights the difficulties with the accommodation, which is simply described as being wholly unsuitable.

There are serious issues that need to be addressed. I am determined to see that we have a prison estate that is fit for purpose and is not dealing with the situation of 30 and 40 years ago. If people can suggest appropriate ways of using the Magilligan site as opposed to another site,I hope to hear them, but we cannot give a blank cheque to simply rebuild Magilligan on its current site as it is, particularly in the expensive way proposed under direct rule. I am keen to hear any suggestions on the best way to make use of the estate that the Prison Service has or might build in the future.

Pat Ramsey (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

Further to the question from the Member for West Belfast, will the Minister accept the rationale for the introduction of pilot schemes at Hydebank Wood and Magilligan prison to enable him to set in train the installation of scanners in Magilligan? Is it not reasonable to expect him to outline to the House the time frame within which he expects those scanners to be installed?

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

I appreciate Mr Ramsey's point that it may be reasonable to ask me to give a timeline, but where there is no precedent anywhere in the UK and where consultation is required with the other jurisdictions and a number of Whitehall Departments, it would simply be unrealistic for me to give any specific commitment. The commitment I can give is that the matters will be proceeded with as fast as I can manage. That means that good work is being done in the Prison Service, but when issues get to Whitehall or in consultation with Scotland and Wales, we can give no specific timeline except that we will not be lacking.

Sandra Overend (UUP, Mid Ulster)

5. asked the Minister of Justice whether he intends to carry out a review of delays in the removal of bodies from the scene following sudden death. (AQO 2602/11-15)

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

The loss of a loved one is a distressing time for families, and I can understand that, when the death is sudden, unexpected or violent, the distress can be all the more traumatic. I appreciate that, in some cases, the necessary involvement of the police and the coroner in investigating a death can result in further unintentional distress being caused.

The police have necessary duties to perform in investigating sudden deaths, and the particular circumstances of each death will dictate the course of action taken. There are legitimate and necessary steps that must be taken before a body can be moved from the scene of death. A funeral director will not be tasked by the police to remove a body until they are satisfied that their investigation is at an appropriate stage to do so.

The Coroners Service for Northern Ireland has established contracts with funeral directors to remove bodies from the scene of death within specific time frames. In Mid Ulster, and indeed, all of police F and G districts, that is two hours. In the vast majority of cases, these time frames are met and there is no delay in the removal of bodies, so no review is required.

I can reassure the Member and the House that any concerns raised by families are fully investigated and responded to by the Coroners Service.

Sandra Overend (UUP, Mid Ulster)

I thank the Minister for his response. Does he accept that the time frame for the collection of such bodies should not just be the two hours allocated from when the police contact the contracted undertaker, but should be from when the police are first notified?

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

I am afraid that I cannot agree to that. No one other than the police officers and those who assist them from the forensic science agency at the scene can possibly give, in advance, a time frame for how long it will be required to secure a scene and carry out the necessary investigations at the scene.

Therefore, although I accept, and as I acknowledged in my first answer, that there can be additional trauma for families in those circumstances, the important thing is to ensure that the investigation is carried out properly and that any evidential opportunities that might lead to a conviction are taken. In those circumstances, all that can be done is to set the time frame from the time when the Coroners Service notifies the funeral director who is responsible for lifting the body.

Sean Lynch (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. Minister, this is something that came to my attention when a neighbour died suddenly recently. You have mentioned the two-hour time frame. This woman lay for four hours, and the undertakers arrived late because they had got lost on the way from Lurgan. It was in a rural area and they did not know the way.

Francie Molloy (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster)

Is there a question?

Sean Lynch (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

Does the Minister agree with me that it is unacceptable for someone to have to wait four hours for a loved one to be picked up?

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

I certainly agree with Mr Lynch. If it was four hours from the point that the undertaker was tasked by the coroner, that is unacceptable because the time frame is two hours. Current performance in F district, the south-west area, is that 93% of removals met the two-hour time frame. In a further 5% of removals, the two-hour time frame was exceeded by only five minutes or less. In fact, only one of the 61 removals to the end of August 2012 exceeded 125 minutes. Clearly, one is one too many, but we need to acknowledge that, in many cases, the delay is caused by necessary work that has to be carried out by the police rather than the specific issue of the removal time.

Dolores Kelly (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Upper Bann)

Is the Minister content that the State Pathologist's Department has the capacity to deal with the number of current cases? Can he give some outline of the role of the State Pathologist's Department?

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

I have no evidence to suggest that there is inadequate capacity in the State Pathologist's office. Frequently, delays that are blamed on the pathologist are not necessarily the pathologist's fault. In one example that was drawn to my attention recently, there was an issue of a delay over a weekend. The coroner required to contact the patient's GP, but the GP was not available over the weekend. That cannot be blamed on the Coroners Service, because contacting the GP was an essential part of carrying out the work before consideration of a post-mortem examination. So, a number of factors come together. However, if Mrs Kelly or any other Member wishes to raise specific concerns about resourcing for the Coroners Service, I would be happy to take any evidence from them.

Jimmy Spratt (DUP, Belfast South)

6. asked the Minister of Justice to outline his Department's plans for tackling human trafficking. (AQO 2603/11-15)

David Ford (Alliance, South Antrim)

As I have said to the House before, there is a raft of work ongoing to tackle human trafficking. Work is being taken forward by the Organised Crime Task Force's (OCTF) immigration and human trafficking subgroup and others on three fronts: prevention, prosecution and protection.

On prevention, there is training for health and social care staff, police officers and others. In fact, 2,800 PSNI officers and staff have completed an online training package. I will launch guidance tomorrow on working arrangements for the welfare and protection of adult victims of human trafficking, which is directed primarily at the PSNI and health and social care trusts. Work is also being taken forward on a project to change mindsets and to drive down demand for organised crime activities generally. Proposals on engagement with non-governmental organisations will be announced at an event for NGOs on Anti-Trafficking Day and Anti-Slavery Day on 18 October.

Work ongoing on prosecution includes two new clauses on human trafficking offences in the Criminal Justice Bill. Proactive investigations are being taken forward by the PSNI, which is liaising as relevant with an Garda Síochána. There have been two convictions for human trafficking, and others are pending. Sentencing guidance on human trafficking was set out in April 2012 in the case of Crown v Pis. The Public Prosecution Service’s policy for prosecuting cases of human trafficking will be published before the end of the year.

On protection, my Department funds a package of support for all victims of human trafficking in Northern Ireland during the recovery and reflection period. That amounted to some £145,000 in 2011-12.