Official Report: Monday 11 November 2024

Mr Speaker: Members will have been saddened to learn of the passing of Anna Lo, a former Assembly Member for South Belfast. Anna represented the constituency of South Belfast in the Assembly from 2007 to 2016, and she was held in high esteem by all of us who served with her. Anna was a Chairperson of the then Environment Committee, and I had exchanges on various issues with her on many occasions. The exchanges were always pleasurable, however, because Anna was that type of character. She always had a smile on her face at the conclusion of any discussion, but she fought passionately for what she believed in.

We have absolute respect for what Anna did and what she achieved. She was the first person from a Chinese background to sit in any Parliament in the United Kingdom and, indeed, in Europe. That was a significant achievement. Dr Paisley had a particular affection for Anna Lo and what she represented. We are privileged to have many people from ethnic minorities in our community. It was the Assembly's privilege to have someone from an ethnic minority background representing the people of South Belfast, and we had the utmost respect for Anna Lo.

Many people, particularly in the Alliance Party, will be deeply saddened by Anna's passing. Some of the people who are Members of the Assembly now were previously members of her staff, and they will, understandably, be feeling that pain. I particularly want to express the sympathies of the House to Anna's partner and her two sons at this difficult time. We all know the burden of losing a loved one and we express our deepest condolences and sympathies to Anna's immediate family at this time.

Members will wish to speak on this matter and will have up to three minutes in which to do that.

Mrs Long: This is a tribute that I hoped I would never have to pay. For all of us in the Alliance Party, it is hard to contemplate that Anna is no longer with us. She was full of energy and joy and lit up every room that she entered. It is hard to believe that we will not see her again. On behalf of Alliance, I extend condolences to her sons, Owen and Conall; her daughter-in law, Fiona; her two grandchildren; and her partner, Robert. Anna was hugely proud of her family, and I know that they will truly miss her.

When making tributes to public figures, we often speak in superlatives, using words such as trailblazing, unique, groundbreaking and transformational. Few truly deserve such praise, and there are still fewer for whom those words feel inadequate to express what they were to us, but Anna was one of those precious few. Born in Hong Kong, Anna came here and made her home here. Now, at a time when immigration is such a contested issue, we remember with gratitude the fact that Anna chose this place — chose us — and made a huge contribution to the community here. As a translator, a social worker, the chief executive of the Chinese Welfare Association and a Member of the Assembly, Anna's life was one of service. Her compassion, empathy, intelligence and insight made her not just an excellent legislator and Environment Committee Chair, but an outstanding constituency worker.

Anna was, however, much more than her work. She was a published author, a gifted artist and someone who loved to spend time walking and hiking in nature; a fact that is reflected in many of her paintings. Her thirst for knowledge and learning — her natural curiosity — made her a joy to be around.

I first met Anna when I was a councillor in Belfast City Council, and she was a member of the good relations steering panel. At that time, she was also guiding the plans for the new Chinese Resource Centre through the various procedural hoops for planning and funding. From the minute that I met her, I was hugely impressed by her. Her commitment to the city, to public service and to building a truly shared and united community shone through. Integration and fairness were in her DNA. I saw in Anna the qualities that would make her an excellent public representative, and I asked her, in 2007, whether she would consider running for Alliance in South Belfast. She could not have been more surprised when I asked, and I could not have been more delighted when she agreed. After she spoke to the local association at a selection meeting, only days later, they were thrilled to select her as their candidate. The rest, as they say, is history.

That was genuine history in the making, however, in that Anna became the first person from an ethnic minority background to be elected in Northern Ireland and the first person from a Chinese background to be elected to any legislature in western Europe. She paved the way for others from minority backgrounds to participate and contribute, and, as a society, we are much the richer for that.

Her election showed the best of us in Northern Ireland: warm, welcoming, diverse and confident. That was the Northern Ireland that she loved and helped to nurture. Sadly, however, her election also brought out the worst in some people: Anna was subjected to appalling racism and abuse. Anna's bravery in facing down her abusers, on her own behalf and on behalf of others, was matched only by the support and encouragement that flowed towards her from friends, colleagues and constituents, all of whom were inspired by her resilience. There could be no more passionate and consistent an advocate for the causes that she took up and that were close to her heart. To have Anna on your side was to have a determined and persistent champion, whether that be for the protection of the environment, human rights or equality and women's rights.

For those of us who knew her best, Anna was not just a colleague but a friend. Over the years, she was a huge encouragement and support to me, as she was to many. I will miss her directness, candour, wit and humour so much. Anna quietly shaped and, on occasion, even changed my views in ways that she will never know, all thanks to her honesty and compassion. For those of you who know me, you will appreciate the achievement that that represents.

Anna was not a religious person. As a humanist, she believed in the goodness of people and their ability to transcend division. She exemplified that, every day of her life. Good things do, indeed, come in small packages, and Anna Lo was the best of us. She was my friend: warm, witty, funny, fierce, courageous and kind. I will miss her enormously, but she will live on in her legacy and in the hearts of all those whom she touched with her kindness.

Ms Ennis: As Sinn Féin Chief Whip, it is my honour to say a few words on behalf of the party on the passing of Anna Lo. Anna Lo has been described as a trailblazer, a champion of equality and peace and a fearless campaigner who fought against discrimination her entire life.

I know, from speaking to colleagues who worked with her over many years in the Assembly, that she was certainly all those things and much more.

As the first politician from a minority ethnic background to be elected to the Chamber, and, indeed, the first Chinese person to be elected to a legislative Parliament anywhere in western Europe, she broke new ground, but she also stood her ground. It is always difficult to be the first. There is no doubt that Anna faced appalling racism, misogyny and bigotry throughout her political career. However, she was never deterred from doing what she believed in. She never shied away from speaking her mind or doing what she believed was right.

She may have been small in stature, but she always stood tall when it came to representing her constituents and defending the rights of those who needed her assistance. Of course, there were often political disagreements. Anna, although she was a straight talker, was always respectful and courteous in the cut and thrust of political discourse. Whether it was campaigning for equality or women's rights, or fighting discrimination and racism, there was much common ground on which Sinn Féin was proud to stand with her. She is a great loss to those ongoing campaigns. She is a great loss to the political process here. Most of all, she is an immeasurable loss to her partner, Robert, her sons, Conall and Owen, and her wider family and friends. Our thoughts are with you today. On behalf of Sinn Féin, I offer our sincerest condolences to you all.

Mrs Little-Pengelly: Today, we remember Anna Lo, someone whose place in the history of the Assembly and Northern Ireland is assured. When Anna Lo became an MLA for South Belfast in 2007, she made history as a first. Her election was a significant milestone, but the fact that Anna remains the sole MLA from a minority ethnic background highlights how far we still have to go to honour her legacy by making the House more reflective of our increasingly diverse society.

Anna was, undoubtedly, much loved by those who knew her and much respected by those who worked with her. As someone who represented South Belfast, I heard that love and respect for her first-hand from so many people in so many places. She genuinely blazed a trail. She did so with passion, ability, commitment and some style. I know that she loved representing South Belfast, a constituency with such incredible diversity, and she worked hard for her constituents there.

On behalf of the Democratic Unionist Party, I extend our deepest sympathies to Anna's family, friends and colleagues in the Alliance Party. We extend our heartfelt condolences on Anna's passing and assure them of our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.

Mr Nesbitt: As we create this tapestry of tributes to Anna Lo, it is difficult, at times, to avoid repetition. However, repetition is not necessarily a bad thing; not when it focuses on Anna Lo's values and the great contribution that she made, not just in the Chamber but to society in general.

Before she was here, Anna spent some time working for BBC Northern Ireland, which is where I first came across her. She was working on the administrative side of the BBC's World Service operation in Belfast. For a young aspiring journalist, having, "Worked for the World Service" on your CV was very desirable at the time. The obstacle was the person who was head of the World Service. I will not name them — if you know, you know — but they were difficult. Anna became the bridge between young, nervous reporters like me and that formidable head of the BBC World Service in Belfast.

I think that "being a bridge", to a certain extent, summarises Anna's contribution to public life in Northern Ireland down the years. She was a fantastic character. She made a tremendous contribution. At all times, she was not just a public servant but public-spirited. She was very direct. I will never forget Anna coming straight up to me on one sunny March morning outside the famous Willard Hotel in Washington DC. I had made a statement the night before. She had obviously read it. She deconstructed it. She changed my mind, and she admonished me. In a way, that underlines the sense of respect that she commanded as a great person.

She will be sadly missed. On behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party, I offer my condolences to her family and friends.

Mr O'Toole: I join everyone else who has paid sincere and fulsome tribute to Anna Lo on her passing. I extend the condolences of the SDLP and me to her family, including her partner, Robert, her two sons and her grandchildren, and to her colleagues in the Alliance Party, who will be feeling her loss most acutely, having stood with and worked with her so closely over the years.

When you become a representative for South Belfast, as I am proud to be — as are you, Mr Speaker, and others in the Chamber — one of the things that you are most proud of and feel most passionate about representing is the diversity of South Belfast. Of course, Anna Lo represented that in a very obvious way in that she was not only the first and, so far, frustratingly, the only ethnic minority MLA to serve in the Assembly but as others, including Naomi Long, her party leader, have said, the first legislator from a Chinese background in all of western Europe. What an extraordinary achievement. If that were the sum total of Anna's achievement, that would in itself be remarkable, but it was not. She was a fierce advocate, a talented legislator, an extraordinary communicator and campaigner and a diligent constituency worker. People from all backgrounds in that wonderfully diverse constituency of South Belfast that we serve feel real affection and, as the deputy First Minister said, love for Anna Lo, because she was an extraordinary representative and an extraordinary human being. She represented extraordinary qualities in overcoming division.

It is often said by people who get frustrated by this place — sometimes by people who leave this place and wonder whether they should come back — that Northern Ireland never changes. In many ways, Anna Lo was the rebuke to that view. Anna Lo represented positive change. She was not just an emblem or symbol of that change; she helped to deliver it by working for her constituents, including but not limited to those from ethnic minority backgrounds, for all of South Belfast and, indeed, for all of Northern Ireland when she was Chair of the Environment Committee. The extent and depth of her achievement are evidenced by the warmth and sincerity of the praise that we have heard for her today. We are all the poorer for her loss.

I offer my condolences again to not only her family, who will be feeling the loss most acutely, but her friends and colleagues in the Alliance Party, who rightly treasured her contribution so much. We offer them our sincere condolences.

Ms Bradshaw: I start by expressing my condolences to the family and friends of Anna on her passing.

I first met Anna Lo in her capacity as director of the Chinese Welfare Association in 1997, which was the year that I started working in the voluntary sector. Our paths crossed many times, so I saw at first hand how she championed not just those from a Chinese or Asian background but those from all sections of society, including people of colour and those from different cultural and religious backgrounds. She always did that with her warmth and wit. She was also a great advocate for the celebration of cultural diversity, and she very much contributed to the likes of the Belfast Mela every year.

When I joined the Alliance Party in 2010, she invited me out for coffee and said, "I will be running for only one more term, and I will support you in that transition". She did that with generosity of spirit and warmth. We know in the Chamber that that transition from one politician to another is not always easy, but Anna was exemplary in that.

I also extend the condolences of the South Belfast association. We have a large membership, and they were all so fond of Anna. When we used to go out campaigning, we nearly had to allocate somebody to Anna, because she got caught at doors because everybody wanted to speak to her, spend some time with her and exchange views. We all have very happy, warm memories of her.

I saw that, over the weekend, a lot of people, me included, shared photos of Anna being at many rallies. She was a champion for those who experienced racism, homophobia, transphobia and misogyny and those who were being deprived of their human rights in terms of reproductive health. In many ways, she was the embodiment of the Alliance Party's core values. She was a genuinely wonderful person. I will sorely miss her.

Mr Carroll: I extend my sympathies to Anna's family, friends and all her Alliance Party colleagues on her very sad passing.

There is no doubt that Anna was a tenacious trailblazer. She had many barriers in her way that were put in place by a society that makes life harder for women, particularly women from a racialised minority. One can only imagine the barriers and obstacles that Anna had to face and overcome every day, especially as an elected representative. She had to face brutal racism and hatred, but she stood against hatred, racism and the bullies. She was absolutely brave in doing so.

From my memory, Anna was one of the first pro-choice MLAs — certainly the first that I saw — to speak in support of reproductive rights. It would have been easier for her to keep her head down and not speak up about women's reproductive rights, but keeping quiet was not what she did and rightly so. Before I was an MLA, some party activists and I were involved in some anti-racist activity with Anna Lo around, I think, 2014. We worked with Anna, speaking on platforms and organising protests that said that all racialised minorities were welcome in Belfast and beyond. It was really important. That was not the sum of her work, but it was an important part of it. Our city and our society are better for the work that Anna did. She was an important figurehead for anti-racist sentiment in Belfast and beyond, and that is more important today than it was in 2007 when she first became an MLA. I hope that her friends and colleagues can be proud of that legacy and of so much more that she did. I express my condolences on her sad passing.

Ms Sugden: I, too, offer my sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Anna Lo.

It was a pleasure to have known and worked with her. Many have said this, because, simply, it is true: she was a trailblazer, and she did it with style. No one rocked a leather jacket in the Chamber as well as Anna Lo [Laughter.]

She did it with energy and good humour. Ultimately, however, she served her community and all others.

Elected politics in Northern Ireland is difficult, especially when presented with the challenges that Anna experienced. Society no longer accepts those challenges because leaders such as Anna Lo faced them down. She was unique because she was the first; sadly, she is not yet the first of many, but that will come, and it will be because of Anna. That will be her legacy.

I offer my deepest condolences to all who knew and loved her.

Ms Nicholl: I first met Anna Lo when I joined her office as a work experience student 12 years ago. She was the first person for whom I ever voted, and the more I got to know her, the more I respected her. She talked about issues that others were often too afraid to talk about. As Claire said, she wore a leather jacket. She bought that jacket because she did a course on women in leadership, where they said that men had to wear blazers in the Chamber so women should wear jackets too. I think that Anna got a leather jacket out of spite and to take that advice on board.

Anna somehow managed to deliver brutal honesty with so much warmth. Jenna and Cathy, who are my work sisters, are in the Public Gallery, but, once, another one of my colleagues, who is in America, got a haircut. She came in, and Anna said, "Did you get a haircut?". My colleague said, "Yes, do you like it?", and Anna said, "No". [Laughter.]

Anna never lied. She wondered how dishonest people kept track of what they said. It was not just us who she was direct with. She told constituents when she thought that they were being unreasonable. She told other politicians when she did not like their behaviour, and party policy rarely dissuaded her from saying what she thought.

Anna taught me so much about the value of hard work. The ushers will remember frequently having to go up to her office to check when she was going home so that they could lock up, because she was the last person here, diligently reading her Committee papers late into the night. She told me that you can never please everyone, but, if you stick to your values, you maintain your integrity. Mostly, she showed me how politics can be done with kindness and empathy, which goes so much further than one-upmanship or bitterly fixating on difference and the past.

Born in Hong Kong, Anna left school at an early age, but her thirst for knowledge never left her. She knew what it was like to be denied opportunities and to feel like an outsider, so she built a career that was founded on inclusivity as a police interpreter, a social worker, the director of the Chinese Welfare Association and, later, as Alliance MLA for South Belfast. Anna was never particularly interested in political theory or strategy; she was just interested in people and making their lives a bit better. She made so many people's lives better, including my own.

Suzanne Breen said that she was good fun, and she was so much fun. Despite so many personal and professional challenges, she lived her life with such energy and optimism. There was a pure, almost childlike joy about her. Anna loved the arts, the environment, going for walks, good food — she was an amazing cook — and spending time with her many friends, but her greatest love was her two sons, Conall and Owen. She would tell anyone who would listen how accomplished they were, their achievements, how they were doing in university and how they were so handsome. She used to tell me that, if I wanted children, I needed to find a Chinese husband. Any time she saw beautiful children, she said, "Oh, they are gorgeous. You know, my children are gorgeous too. They are Eurasian". She was so funny and so proud of her sons. She leaves a remarkable legacy for her children and grandchildren, whom she so adored.

A life of hard work and service had not given her the time for herself that she richly deserved, yet she never seemed to age. In fact, that almost reversed in retirement, and meeting Robert was life-enhancing. Every time I saw her, she was glowing — days filled with painting, swimming, gardening and travel. The cruellest part of her passing is that the life that she had so longed for and that she was finally living has been cut short.

Principled, inclusive, warm and brave, Anna Lo embodied everything that we need more of in politics and in life. My work mum, my mentor, my inspiration, my friend. I cannot believe that she has gone, but I am so glad that, before she went, I got to tell her that I loved her, because I really did. All who loved her will feel her loss profoundly, particularly Conall, Owen and Robert. We will remember Anna Lo for ever.

Mrs Cameron: I rise to pay tribute to Ms Anna Lo and to pass on my condolences, as an MLA, to Anna's partner, Robert, her sons, her wider family and friends and, of course, to Anna's Alliance family circle on Anna's very sad passing.

I had the pleasure of serving on the Environment Committee for a number of years as Deputy Chair while Anna was Chair. Anna was a very good Chair. She was very fair, very respected and very respectful. She was warm, a great character, full of fun, always smiling and incredibly knowledgeable and passionate on environmental issues. She was a little but strong lady who spoke her mind, and she was not afraid to do so. Anna certainly made her mark during her time in the Assembly, and we will remember her for that. I know that she will be missed not just by her family and friends but by those of us who were fortunate enough to have known her, even for a short time, and to have worked alongside her in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Mr Dickson: I first met Anna before I knew of her involvement in the politics of the Alliance Party in Northern Ireland. I met her when she was working for the Chinese Welfare Association and I was providing employment documentation support on behalf of the Labour Relations Agency to that organisation. There was definitely a ray of sunshine in that room and in those meetings that I had with her.

Anna joined the Alliance Party, and, as our leader said, in a whirlwind was selected to be a candidate and got elected to the Assembly in 2007. She was here until 2016. I joined her in the Assembly in 2011 and was proud to do so. We were a small team at that time, very close-knit and working very closely together in the roles and responsibilities that we had in the Assembly.

Anna was a friend and a champion of all that she stood for. She stood in the European election in 2014, and, as a party officer, I had a lot of time to spend with her, campaigning and going with her as she went to various events and knocked doors across Northern Ireland. That election had all the hallmarks of a Northern Ireland election from its highs to its appalling lows and to the way in which Anna was treated quite often not only in the press but by her political opponents. I will never forget some of the horrible times that she went through, but Anna had a resilience and that wonderful smile, and she just pushed on in everything that she did. However, I know personally that those attacks took a toll on her.

Anna left here in 2016. She retired from active politics but always kept her passions and interests alive. She was a talented artist. If Members have the opportunity to look at Facebook and elsewhere where you can see some of her art, they will find it absolutely incredible. I am just sorry that I did not have the opportunity to get some of her wonderful art.

Today, I add my words of condolence and sympathy to her family, her wider family circle and all her Alliance Party colleagues, as well as to those constituents in South Belfast who will forever remember Anna Lo.

Mr Durkan: It is with great pride but huge sadness that I pay tribute to the late Anna Lo. Others have spoken of Anna's role as a trailblazer and pathfinder. She showed what could be done and how it could be done well. Anna served with distinction and determination as an MLA and in the role of Chairperson of the Environment Committee, in which role I, as a former Environment Minister, had quite a few dealings with her. She never let our shared passion or, indeed, policies for the environment temper her scrutiny of my Department, and, although we occasionally crossed swords, there were never cross words.

I admired her effectiveness as a politician and public representative but even more so her ebullience as a person. Her very presence as an elected representative from an ethnic minority background was rare, but the warmth and respect that she showed others was even more so. The House has been a poorer place without her. My condolences, thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends and party colleagues. The world will be a poorer place without her.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam uasal.

Ms K Armstrong: I came to the House in 2016, after Anna had left, but that does not mean to say that I did not know Anna in her role as a politician. I remember that, in 2014, as part of the European election campaign, she came to Portaferry to look at the SeaGen turbine that was in Strangford lough at the time. It was an absolutely miserable day. The car was fogged up. It was terrible, and there was nothing that we could do other than get out of the car and stand along the coastline, where Anna quizzed me for about 45 minutes about how the turbine worked. That encapsulates part of what we have heard here today from so many others. Anna Lo was absolutely committed to the environment. She not only loved doing her work but loved the environment. She loved doing things that were going to protect it, not just for her but for all of us.

Anna was a person who loved very warmly. In recent times, an event was held for former and current female elected representatives of the Assembly, and Anna attended it. I watched as she went round the room, and there was not a single female elected representative in the room, no matter what the party, whom Anna did not hug. We all know what Anna's hugs were like. I am very sorry for Owen and Conall and for Robert. Although they have lost a very precious person, we have all lost. Anna was a warm person. She epitomised what Alliance is about. One did not really get into an argument with Anna. She talked you round and made sure that you understood exactly how she felt, but it was all done with a smile on her face and with great warmth in her heart.

Others from the Alliance Party have spoken very warmly about Anna today. I think of Kate, Cathy, Jenna and all who worked with Anna for so long over the years. She was their work mummy, and they will desperately miss her.

Anna was my friend. She and I did not exactly share a lot of height, but the good thing about that was that, when she hugged me, she hugged me really hard, and I will miss her so much.

Mr Brett: My thoughts are with those who knew Anna Lo and those who loved her. I had only one interaction with her, and that was in this place. I was a politics student at Belfast Royal Academy in 2009. Our class was very diverse, and we could not agree on a single thing. Our teacher, trying to get us to agree and not argue with us, decided that it would be a good idea to come up with a dream team, including who we could agree should be the First Minister. To a man and to a woman in that class, everyone agreed that that person should be Anna Lo. We came on our visit to Stormont and we had made signs to say "Anna Lo for First Minister". [Laughter.]

We arrived here and Anna was not in the Building. Instead of devoting her time to her constituency office in South Belfast, she drove from her office to Stormont. There was nothing for Anna to gain in doing that — we were all from North Belfast — but she knew the importance of ensuring that young people were interested in politics. She sat with us for 90 minutes. Her office staff were telling her that she had other engagements, but the people in that room were the most important to her that day. She taught us one thing, and that was that we need to learn to disagree well. Whilst we may have different political views and aspirations, our job as politicians is to serve the collective interests of the people whom we are honoured to represent. That day, Anna Lo, probably unintentionally, had an impact on me.

Our job, as public representatives, is to devote our lives, day and daily, to making the work of this place deliver for the most vulnerable in our society. I am very sorry that I never got to sit in this place or work with Anna Lo, but her legacy lives on. Let it be her epitaph that people in this Chamber learn to disagree well.

Mr Muir: Today, as we mourn the passing of Anna, I want to give thanks for a life of public service, and that has been outlined by many today. That public service included her role as head of the Chinese Welfare Association then as an MLA for South Belfast and Chair of the Environment Committee. We are so lucky that Anna chose Northern Ireland to be her home, as her book title states, 'The Place I Call Home: From Hong Kong to Belfast - My Story'. What a wonderful story it is: a story of being courageous in the face of numerous threats and racism, a story of being committed to serving her constituents diligently and a story of being a powerful leader on very difficult topics but someone who stood up and spoke out for many people, including on women's reproductive rights. I give thanks for that.

She was a gentle, kind and humorous person and someone whom I admired deeply. I wish that we could have more politicians like Anna. We were very lucky that Anna chose North Down as her home in recent years, and I was delighted to have Anna as a constituent. She will be missed not just in North Down but by her friends and colleagues in the party and more broadly across Northern Ireland and in this place. Anna was a wonderful person. Her dedication to the environment was well known, and that is something that gives me inspiration in the job that I do so that I can serve the people of Northern Ireland just as well as Anna did.

Mr Speaker: That brings to a conclusion the contributions of the Members who requested to speak on this matter. We were not scheduled to do this, but I would like Members to stand for a moment to reflect on Anna Lo.

Mr Speaker: Thank you. Please be seated.

Mr Kearney: Sinn Féin leaders have consistently sought to heal divisions through efforts to build trust and foster reconciliation, and that has often meant stepping beyond traditional comfort zones. The participation in yesterday's Remembrance Sunday ceremony by Michelle O'Neill as a First Minister for all, who is also an Irish republican, represents a gesture of respect for those dead from Ireland — and their loved ones — who served in British forces during Britain's wars.

That is notwithstanding my and my party's republican and anti-imperialist opposition to those same colonial wars and global conflicts, both historically and in more recent times. By attending, she was acknowledging the pain and suffering of all those who have lost their lives, on all sides, in the horror of World War I and during subsequent conflicts.

War can never be romanticised or glorified. All wars are terrible. The ongoing genocide in Gaza is a graphic reality of how terrible war is. International humanitarian law, diplomacy and multilateralism must always be paramount. Serving as a First Minister means being a First Minister for unionists, for republicans and for those from neither background. The dead from all traditions, including republican patriot dead, should be afforded the right of respectful commemoration.

There is also a broader point: political leaders must lead by example. All our actions today must be about laying the foundations for the transition to a new constitutional settlement in Ireland that is based on respect, inclusion, pluralism and equality.

Ms Forsythe: Delivering more affordable childcare has long been a priority for the DUP. Within seven months of devolution being restored, our Education Minister designed a scheme to slash childcare bills by 15%. The latest figures that I have received show that 13,294 children have been registered for the Northern Ireland childcare subsidy scheme, with parents saving £1 million every month. That is additional money that is remaining in the household budgets of working parents in every part of Northern Ireland. I stood for election to the House in 2022 on the DUP manifesto commitment to help working families and deliver on childcare, and I am proud to see real progress on it.

In the range of schemes, the Education Minister delivered on securing the Sure Start provision. That is a successful partnership between the Department of Education and the Department of Health that delivers the best early intervention outcomes for children in Northern Ireland. The Education Minister has also expended our preschool provision as a commitment to ensuring fair access to preschool provision for all children across Northern Ireland so that they have the best start in life. We now see 96% of all registered daycare providers set up and registered to provide the childcare subsidy scheme. Significant numbers of childminders and play groups are also included.

We want to make further progress to make the childcare sector more sustainable. We have identified a problem and practical measures to help. That is our focus across government: staying committed to our election manifesto, delivering for working families and delivering on childcare.

Mrs Guy: In Anti-bullying Week, the first thing that I want to do is to speak out to anyone who is experiencing bullying. It is an absolutely shattering thing to go through, and I want to encourage anyone who is experiencing it to reach out to a parent, their school or an organisation like Childline to get the support that they need to get through that experience. I know that words from an MLA who you have probably never heard of will be little consolation if you are going through it, but I felt that it was a better use of my time to speak words like that than to go through lots of statistics about bullying.

The House has not been behind in looking at the issue. I want to acknowledge that we have legislation, the Addressing Bullying in Schools Act. I am grateful to the Minister for providing me with information on the impact and implementation of that Act. Around 9,000 people have experienced some training on bullying, about 146 schools are involved in putting together leadership training on bullying, and almost 300 referrals have come through on bullying. Bullying is an issue that we cannot stop talking about and that will always recur. We have to keep our focus on it and look at what else we can do.

The Act required schools to gather information and statistics, but they are not shared with the Department. I call on the Minister to start gathering that information and to publish annual reports on bullying in schools so that we can better target resources and do a better job of trying to eradicate bullying in our schools.

Dr Aiken: Today in the Assembly, we solemnly gathered to remember those who gave their all so that we may have the freedoms that we have today. We often forget that those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of our nation and the wider democratic way of life that we cherish did so not for some base ideology but because they wanted to defend their family, their friends, their community and our way of life. Wherever they served our nation, their willingness to put themselves in harm's way speaks to their courage, which we must never forget.

The wearing of the poppy is also a reminder that war and conflict continue to be with us. Recent history, regrettably, shows that violent ideology, nationalism and race hate are back with a vengeance to haunt us all. That is marked in particular by two events this weekend at either end of Europe. On the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the violence against Jewish people in the streets of Amsterdam was rightly identified by the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, as a pogrom. This is Europe in the 21st century. Secondly, virtually ignored and forgotten by our near-instance, short-attention-span media, a full-scale war is ongoing in Ukraine between Putin, along with his North Korean and Iranian allies, and the Ukrainians, to whom we should be giving all our support.

The continued rise of the antisemitism that pervades what passes for political thought in some sections of this island and across Europe and the war in Ukraine are clearly and irrevocably linked. The naivety of those political and media commentators who do not see the interlinking of that wider-scale conflict in the Middle East, directed by Iran, and the battles in Ukraine, directed by Russia, show that they are perfect examples of Lenin's useful idiots. You do not need to look very far to find them.

One of my predecessors as Ulster Unionist Party leader, Jim Molyneaux, saw first-hand the impacts of destructiveness and hate when he helped to liberate the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945. The horrors of war and the inhumanity and evil shown were that which our forebears fought against and which many of us who have served since thought had been consigned to the past. Regrettably, today, unless we take urgent steps to properly defend our freedoms and fight intolerance, it will not be long until those horrors are revisited on us all. As we remember the past, do not ignore the facts that could lead us inexorably back to those dark days.

Mr Sheehan: Tá deis againn an tseachtain seo díriú isteach ar an mhaistíneacht agus Seachtain na Frithmhaistíneachta ar siúl.

Is minic a phléitear an mhaistíneacht sa Tionól, agus rinne muid an tAcht um Aghaidh a Thabhairt ar an Mhaistíneacht i Scoileanna (TÉ) 2016 a chur i gcrích agus a chur chun feidhme le blianta beaga anuas.

Cé go bhfuil dul chun cinn bainte amach againn, tá obair go fóill le déanamh le haird a tharraingt ar an mhaistíneacht — go háirithe an chibearmhaistíneacht — ó tharla méadú suntasach ag teacht ar líon na ndaoine a ndéantar maistíneacht orthu. Dar leis an Eagraíocht Dhomhanda Sláinte go bhfuil méadú tagtha ar líon na gcibirionsaithe sna Sé Chontae, ach ní hé amháin anseo ach fud fad an domhain. Sa bhliain 2018, tuairiscíodh go ndearnadh maistíneacht ar aon duine óg as seisear. Is tráthúil go bhfuilim ag caint air seo ós rud é go bhfuil Mí Eorpach na Cibearshlándála ann an mhí seo chomh maith.

Gach bliain, ceapann Anti-Bullying Alliance téama ar leith don bhliain, agus Choose Respect an téama a cheap siad i mbliana. Mar chuid den fheachtas sin, iarrann Anti-Bullying Alliance orainn dhá stoca chorra a chaitheamh ar an 12 Samhain le haird a tharraingt ar na rudaí a dhéanann daoine ar leith dínn.

Tá mé ag dúil go mór le bhur stocaí corra a fheiceáil amárach.

Mr Middleton: Today is an important day of remembrance, when we remember all those who fought and died for our freedoms. It is also a day to remember Winston Cross. Winston was only 18 years old and was from the Glen estate on the city side of Londonderry. His family described him as a "happy-go-lucky" teenage boy who was funny, full of life and had a bright future ahead of him. Winston worked as a painter in Ebrington Barracks and was leaving his work one Friday in 1974 to join the army the following week. He had his papers to sign up on Tuesday 11 November 1974, 50 years ago to the very day.

Winston's sister, Sharon, shared her story, and here are some of her words:

— that was 8 November —

In stark contrast to the murderers, the people in the Glen estate were all mixed and from various backgrounds, but:

Today, I want to ensure that the name Winston Cross is remembered in the House. Let us make sure that Winston, who was brutally murdered in the prime of his youth, is never forgotten. My thoughts and prayers are with Winston's family and friends. Their loved one was cruelly taken from them by murderous cowards 50 years ago today. Fifty years on, we will remember him. This evening, a special 50th anniversary service will take place at All Saints’ Clooney Parish Church, where a plaque will be unveiled. We will be thinking of the family at this time.

Ms Bradshaw: My statement is on remembrance, exactly 106 years after the end of World War I. However people choose to remember and reflect, it is important that we do so. We remember the sacrifice of so many during two world wars and other conflicts. We recall also the loss of civilian lives in conflict, and we reflect on the ongoing need to promote peace, democracy and the rule of law. Historians will always dispute what truly led to World War I, and we must be wary of any glorification of it. Nearly all of us have ancestors who fought in the war. Few spoke of it particularly fondly, and many did not speak of it at all. The appalling loss of life and the suffering of so many, combined with the collective trauma, are what we should remember. The tragedy is that the very next generation faced the trauma of global conflict yet again.

Within most of our lifetimes, we experienced conflict in our land. Nearly 4,000 people were killed, 10 times that number were injured and, sadly, there absolutely were alternatives. At least we recognised, even if it was too late and after too much suffering, that there is no future in murder and mayhem. We may reflect on those who are always focused on building peace and creating a fair society. We may reflect on those in many other parts of the world where, sadly, murder and mayhem are still the norm. In the Middle East, Ukraine, many parts of sub-Saharan Africa and numerous other places, we see the types of suffering and instability that will create cycles of conflict that are likely to last for generations if no one has the courage to focus on our common humanity and build and lead a peace process.

For all that, we must reflect that, contrary to what we may perceive from the news, globally, we are lucky enough to live in the safest and healthiest period in human history. In those 106 years, global life expectancy has more than doubled, entire diseases have been wiped out, rates of murder and violent crime have plummeted and more people than ever live in a democracy. That is due in many parts to the sacrifice of those who gave their todays for our tomorrows.

In this part of the world, we should therefore reflect on the fact that, at this stage in the 21st century, UK and Irish troops as often as not work alongside each other on peacekeeping missions; in fact, the UK contributes almost 7% of the entire UN peacekeeping budget. That work is often overlooked precisely because it does not appear on the news; indeed, it prevents even more places from ending up on the news.

Mr Gildernew: This afternoon, I raise the issue of the arts sector here. Last week, Equity, the actors' union, addressed a number of MLAs in room 115. What was clear from the testimony of those artists and actors and the people who work with them was the lack of support that they receive and how difficult it is to be a full-time member of the creative industries here.

We are all aware of the value and the worth of the creative industries across the island of Ireland. We, as a small island, punch well above our weight. We see the outworking of that at some of the big, global events, such as the Oscars, where Irish actors and Irish films are often featured at the top level of those industries. That all comes from the grassroots and from the people who take part in drama and writing, those who help to stage events, and musicians. All those people are fundamentally challenged in doing their job here. What was reflected to us the other day is the fact that many young artists, in particular, are now looking to move to other places. We should do everything that we can to prevent that. We should create an environment here where those artists are supported. While they are some of the best talents across the world, they do not get the best support on these islands.

I call on the Minister for Communities to look at that situation. I know that he has done some work on it. The Committee is also doing work on it. We need to look at putting in place a support system that allows artists to create their work and supports them to do so. All of us will reap the many benefits of that, which go way beyond the arts. They reach into health and social cohesion and out into communities. I underline the plight of those artists.

Mr Brooks: I congratulate President-elect Donald Trump and his Vice President-elect JD Vance on their remarkable election victory in the United States. There is a spectrum of political views in this place. It is no surprise that there are differences of opinion on international affairs. Just as I congratulated the incumbent president in Belfast City Hall after his election, despite some questionable remarks and political differences with unionism, I, today, heartily welcome the return of President Trump. As ever, I look forward to continuing to build strong relationships for unionism and Northern Ireland on both sides of the aisle, as ever, but particularly with the incoming Trump team, knowing that, in his first term, his ears and his door were open and he was more balanced in his approach and more open to hearing unionist concerns and priorities than many Administrations in my lifetime.

The roots that bind our people run long, deep and strong. I hope that, in the coming presidential term, we are able to cultivate still stronger ties and transatlantic cooperation economically and culturally. As we approach the 250th anniversary of US independence, we recall the trans-generational, transatlantic journeys of the Ulster-Scots people. As we work to reawaken awareness of the Ulster-Scots diaspora and the Ulster-Scots role in founding and shaping the United States, it is exciting to have a prominent and eloquent Scotch-Irish Vice President-elect in JD Vance, who is aware of and takes pride in his Scotch-Irish lineage. Over centuries, waves of Scotch-Irish immigrants have left these shores to build new lives in America, bringing with them the values of hard work and resilience and a fierce dedication to freedom and democracy. Those people and communities today face challenges, as we do at home, but many of the pioneers helped to shape America's frontier, laying the groundwork for the vibrant nation that it is today. Vice President-elect Vance's Scotch-Irish heritage is a proud reminder of that legacy, a heritage shared by many past presidents and a testament to the lasting influence of those who came from Northern Ireland and travelled along the great wagon road on the spirit and character of the United States.

Today is Armistice Day. Yesterday, I stood at the memorial at the former US military cemetery at Lisnabreeny, as I do each year, to remember not only our servicemen but our allies. Young Americans prepared there to launch the famed allied attacks on the beaches of Nazi-occupied France. They, by the way, knew what a real Nazi was: American forefathers fought them alongside ours, looked them in the eyes and liberated victims from their genocidal jackboot. That may be what the Member for South Antrim referred to as "colonial wars" while forebears of his were found on Nazi U-boats. Our nations have stood side by side not only in world wars but in many conflicts since to defend the freedoms that we enjoy today. From the shores of France to the poppy fields of Afghanistan, from the Baltic to the deserts of Iraq, we will remember them. In contrast, Sinn Féin and the Irish republican movement —

Mr Speaker: The Member's time is up.

Mr Butler: I take the opportunity to make Members aware that this is the start of Safer Ageing Week. Safer Ageing Week is an initiative run by the charity Hourglass, which is the only UK-wide charity dedicated to calling time on harm and abuse of older people. Through its helpline, casework service and awareness-raising, it works daily for safer ageing and a fairer society. I fully support its work and agree that it is time to wake up and speak out on the abuse of older people.

Older people experience the same forms of abuse as all other age groups: psychological, sexual, physical and domestic abuse; neglect; and, sadly, economic abuse. During Safer Ageing Week this year, Hourglass asks us to take note and call out specifically the economic abuse of older people. I am told that, every day, the Hourglass helpline hears from older people who have become victims of a range of nefarious individuals. There are distressing accounts of theft and robbery, of being taken advantage of by rogue traders acting in bad faith, and, perhaps most shocking of all, of family members pressurising their older relatives into relinquishing control of their finances or building up massive debts in their name. Since 2021, Hourglass has worked with older victims of economic abuse in Northern Ireland, who have lost an estimated total of around £700,000. Those are only the recorded cases, however; much of the abuse goes unreported.

In a cruel twist, economic abuse is often accompanied by emotional blackmail — the aforementioned psychological abuse. Many older people who are grandparents fear losing access to their much-beloved grandchildren if they do not comply with the attempted manipulation or coercion around their money. Often, the family members who abuse the older person are their only meagre means of support if they have been purposely isolated. The abusers in such instances thrive on that type of impossible scenario, as they know that it makes the barriers higher and increasingly impenetrable for the older victim, who is often left powerless. Feelings of shame and fear of further isolation combine to create a wretched environment akin to a psychological prison for many of our older people.

What can we do? Indeed, what can I do? First, we can recognise Hourglass and its important work to ensure that older people do not feel isolated, neglected, trapped or powerless. We can speak up about the issue and signpost people to the Hourglass helpline. We can also support Hourglass by looking out for older people in our families, among our friends and neighbours and across our community. We should create an environment in which people are able to grow old safely. Sadly, that is sometimes not the case.

Members, take note: we will all get older, and we will all want to be protected from economic and other abuse. Let us support Hourglass and the valuable work that it does, which not only changes lives but saves them, and let us not only do that in Safer Ageing Week.

Ms Sugden: My father passed away on 1 November 2021. Earlier that year, he had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. His cancer was likely a consequence of many years of smoking, and, sadly, he realised that. However, he began smoking at a time when it was encouraged and people even suggested that smoking was good for you. His roles in the British Army and the Prison Service made it difficult to stop. He quit about 15 years before his passing, but, unfortunately, the damage had been done.

On 1 November as well, we observe the beginning of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, which serves as a reminder to all of the devastating impact of the disease and the urgent steps that we need to take to improve outcomes in Northern Ireland. My family and many other families across Northern Ireland are living with that impact. It is cruel yet hopeless to miss someone so much.

Lung cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers in Northern Ireland. Over 1,000 people are diagnosed annually. Some 74% of cases are detected at late stages, when treatment options are limited, but, by prioritising regular lung health screening and addressing other lung health issues, we can improve outcomes, and not just for lung cancer but for a wide range of respiratory conditions that affect our community. Northern Ireland does not currently offer systematic lung cancer screening, despite evidence showing that targeted, low-dose CT scans can catch lung cancer early in high-risk individuals, such as those over 55 years old or those with a history of smoking. In the United States and Europe, similar programmes have led to a significant increase in early-stage lung cancer diagnosis and improved five-year survival rates.

We need to prioritise resources for a lung cancer screening programme that includes people at high risk and extend that model to those with other chronic respiratory issues such as asthma and COPD. Screening and early diagnosis for those conditions would allow for more effective interventions, thus improving quality of life and reducing the strain on our emergency services. Asthma, for example, affects around 182,000 people in Northern Ireland, including many children. Although the condition is often manageable, uncontrolled asthma can lead to severe complications and can be fatal, but, by investing in preventative care for asthma, such as regular check-ups, access to medication and public education, the Government can reduce the need for emergency interventions and help more people lead healthier lives. Many lung cancer patients also have underlying respiratory conditions, which could be detected and help the cancer to be caught early.

We need to reduce the stigma around lung cancer. The truth is that anyone can develop it or any respiratory condition. A well-funded public awareness campaign could emphasise how lung health matters for everyone.

Mr K Buchanan: Growing up, many of us learned that the pen is mightier than the sword. That remains true today, especially when it comes to social media. Social media can be a powerful tool that helps us all communicate useful information to our constituents and wider society. Local and national media outlets use it, as do churches, schools and community groups, and our children and young people seem to spend a lot of time on their socials.

Despite the good and valuable information that can be found online, there is, however, a darker side that involves online abuse, and no one is immune to it. It can be a way for school bullies to continue their abuse outside the limits of school, and those with violent tendencies can often transfer their physical abuse to mental abuse through the use of social media. Public figures and politicians are not immune to that type of abuse, as keyboard warriors often feel that they can say what they want online without the need for accuracy of any description. There are those who believe that online abuse against politicians is inevitable and acceptable, and most public figures occasionally find themselves on the receiving end of spiteful and hurtful comments and attacks. Sometimes, a misunderstanding that could easily be resolved by a phone call or a face-to-face conversation takes on a new life when someone posts on social media. Many read comments on Facebook and other social media sites and believe the written word without doing their own research and fact-finding.

One clear rule that everyone on social media should remember is to make sure that they do not say anything in a public forum that they would not say to someone's face. Remember that the person whom you are attacking has feelings and has family members who have feelings. When individuals are attacked, those in their family and in their employment are also hurt and left feeling dejected. Regardless of whether you are a politician, a celebrity or a child or young person in school, you are not fair game. It is all too easy to get carried away when there is a keyboard at your fingertips, but remember this: there may be consequences for your actions, as there is in the real world when speaking.

Mr Speaker: That concludes the time that we have allowed for Members' statements. I encourage Members who did not get to speak today to come back tomorrow, when, hopefully, we will be able to get them in.

Mr Speaker: Before we move on to the next item of business, I advise Members that I have received notification of the resignations of Connie Egan as Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for the Executive Office and of Stewart Dickson as Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Standards and Privileges, both with effect from Friday 8 November.

The designated nominating officer for the Alliance Party has informed me that Connie Egan has been nominated as Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Standards and Privileges and Stewart Dickson has been nominated as Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for the Executive Office. Ms Egan and Mr Dickson have accepted their respective nominations and I am satisfied that the requirements of Standing Orders have been met.

Mr Speaker: Colm Gildernew has sought leave to present a public petition in accordance with Standing Order 22. The Member will have up to three minutes in which to speak.

Mr Gildernew: The petition is from traders in Dungannon. It contains 130 signatures, which is a large sample from what is quite a small cohort. The Dungannon traders are raising the issue of the one-hour parking restriction in Dungannon town centre. They make the case, correctly so, that that is very restrictive to people who want to come into Dungannon town centre and engage in activities.

Although one-hour parking probably allows you to do a single thing that you wanted to do in Dungannon, it probably does not allow you to do all the things that you wanted to do. If you go in for a meeting or to pick something up, within 30 to 40 minutes, you will not have time to do anything additional. You will not have time to get a coffee, to browse in some of the shops or, better still, spend money in the shops. The traders of Dungannon believe that that creates a significant disadvantage for them. Realistically, the hour is not enough time to get your lunch in Dungannon town, where you could wait for 15 to 20 minutes in some of the busier places. People are constantly watching their watch. They are not able to enjoy the town, giving the traders all the social and economic benefits that that would bring.

The traders recognise that the parking scheme could be abused by people who work in Dungannon and would park for the whole day. They have suggested, therefore, that it be changed to a two-hour period. That, they believe, would provide an extra bit of comfort, without necessarily aggravating the parking situation. The parking situation is a separate issue and should be dealt with as such.

It is also worth pointing out that some of the nearby towns have different arrangements that place Dungannon at a disadvantage. Magherafelt, for example, has two-hour parking, while Cookstown has free on-street parking.

The call for change is supported not only by the traders but by the newly formed Dungannon and South Tyrone Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which reflects the dynamic and entrepreneurial cohort of business people whom we have in the area. It is incumbent on us to support them by addressing the issue.

Finally, to demonstrate the worth of the proposed change, the traders are asking for it to be considered as a trial during the Christmas period, to allow those traders to take full advantage. I urge the Department to work with the council, which is supportive of the direction of travel, to see whether it can be done during the Christmas period.

Mr Speaker: I will forward the petition to the Minister for Infrastructure and send a copy to the Committee.

Mr Speaker: I ask Members to take their ease before we move to the statement from the Finance Minister.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): The Speaker has received notice from the Finance Minister that she wishes to make a statement. Before I call the Finance Minister, I remind Members that they must be concise in asking their questions. This is not an opportunity for debate, and long introductions will not be allowed.

Dr Archibald (The Minister of Finance): Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Thank you for the opportunity to make a statement on the outcome of the 2024-25 October monitoring exercise.

As Members will be aware, the October monitoring round was postponed following confirmation that the British Chancellor would announce her autumn Budget on 30 October and set the budgets for Whitehall Departments for 2024-25. That, in turn, provided the Executive with their final spending envelope for 2024-25. Departments were invited to provide updates to their forecast overcommitments in order that the Executive could consider the most up-to-date positions in the October monitoring round.

Following the autumn Budget, the Executive have £631·5 million in resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL), £68·1 million in capital DEL and £20·4 million in financial transactions capital (FTC) available for allocation in this monitoring round. Despite the considerable additional funding provided through the autumn Budget, that still falls short of the pressures identified by Departments in full. As Finance Minister, I know and expect that every politician will make the case in the Chamber and in the media for what they would fund, but rarely do they offer where they will take money from. Articulating problems is easy; the challenge is in addressing them. The harsh reality is that we do not have enough money to do everything that we want to do, so we all have to compromise.

Before addressing departmental overcommitments, some central allocations were agreed, as they would not have been included in departmental overcommitments. An allocation of £1 million resource DEL was agreed for the costs associated with attaining the necessary assurances from Central Procurement Directorate on city and growth deal projects. Allocations of £2·8 million resource DEL and £0·1 million capital DEL were agreed for match funding to allow Departments to draw down EU funds. The Executive also agreed a resource to capital DEL switch for the Department of Justice for the NI Road Safety Partnership. Having taken account of those issues, the Executive had £627·3 million resource DEL, £68 million capital DEL and £20·4 million financial transactions capital available for allocation.

I will turn first to resource DEL. The most recent departmental returns forecast overcommitments of £791 million, meaning that, even after allocating the full £627 million, it falls short of the pressures identified by Departments. Given the Executive’s collective commitment to ensuring that public-sector workers are fairly paid, I have encouraged Ministers to prioritise pay. However, Departments will have to make savings or reduce what they want to do in order to remain within their allocations.

The general allocations to each Department are set out in table B, which accompanies the statement. There are also some earmarked allocations for specific purposes. Despite the challenges that face us, the Executive have prioritised the funding available. Some 92·6% of the resource funding available for general allocation has been provided to Health, Education and Justice: £350 million has been allocated to Health and £170 million to Education, and £36 million is being provided towards addressing pressures in Justice. In addition, £2·8 million is being provided for the costs incurred by the PSNI due to the unacceptable racist disturbances over the summer.

The Department for Communities has been provided with a general allocation of £11·3 million and an allocation of £17 million for winter fuel support. While that funding cannot mitigate fully the bad decision taken at Westminster, it shows our determination to do what we can with the constrained funding available to us to provide a level of mitigation of the detrimental impacts of winter fuel payment changes on older, vulnerable people this winter.

The Department for Infrastructure has been provided with a general allocation of £22·8 million. The Executive Office has been allocated £7 million in respect of victims’ payments. The Department for the Economy has been provided with £6·2 million and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs with £3·6 million as general allocations. No allocation has been made to my Department.

I will turn to capital. Once again, capital bids far outstripped the available funding — some five times over. Departments submitted bids totalling £346·1 million against available funding of £68 million. Given that there are clearly considerable capital pressures across the system, I have urged any Departments with reduced requirements to bring those forward as early as possible. The Executive today agreed allocations totalling £68 million, including £24 million to be allocated to the Department for Communities for new-build social housing, which will enable delivery of up to 1,400 houses in this financial year, and a further £1 million as a general allocation.

The Department for Infrastructure has been allocated £39·6 million towards its capital pressures, including the ongoing issues arising due to constraints in the waste water infrastructure and the resultant impact on construction and the environment. Some £2 million is being given to DAERA for tackling rural poverty and social isolation (TRPSI) and £1·4 million to TEO for North/South Ministerial Council accommodation costs.

I propose a small allocation of £0·2 million of financial transactions capital to DFE to reflect a reduction in receipts. With over £20 million of financial transactions capital remaining unallocated and a further £27·7 million expected from a Budget cover transfer later this year, I have asked all Departments to consider how that can be utilised.

While the Executive do not have the funding to meet the overcommitments in full, today’s allocations of over £631 million across resource and £68·1 million capital DEL will help to alleviate some of the pressures facing Departments. The allocation reflects the total funding available this year. The British Treasury has been clear that it is unlikely that significant further funding will be made available this year. It is therefore imperative that every Minister and all Departments take the action necessary to live within their budgets following the allocations. Given the significant impact of an overspend at block level, failure by one Department to do so will have consequences for all Departments. Overspending is not an option. Doing so would run the risk of having to repay the £559 million from the financial package and of a reduction in next year’s allocation by any amount that we overspend. That would serve only to make 2025-26 even more difficult, given the constrained financial context.

We must work together to deliver a balanced Budget. The continued pay and inflationary pressures and growing demands on our services highlight the need for the transformation of our public services. The level of in-year funding reflects the reality of the underfunding of public services following 14 years of austerity. The autumn statement signalled a step in the right direction, but we need to see continued investment over the coming years to help to transform public services. With the substantive funding from the financial package ending prior to 2026-27, I am determined to continue to build on the progress made and negotiate a fair funding model, going forward, that ensures that our Budget reflects our level of need and not just the uplift provided through Barnett consequentials.

My focus will now turn quickly to the 2025-26 Budget. I intend to bring it to the Executive for consideration later this month for what, I hope, will be the last single-year Budget.

I commend the outcome of the October monitoring exercise to the Assembly.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): Minister, thank you for that statement.

Mr O'Toole: Minister, you said that you did not have enough to cover the shortfall this year. You also said that difficult decisions would have to be made. One decision that you have flirted with and talked about is reviewing how our rates system works and taking a broader look at how we might raise revenue and use new fiscal levers. Nine months on from restoration and a month or more from the publication of a Budget sustainability plan, we have not heard any detail from you. When will you finally bring us detailed plans?

Dr Archibald: I am sure that the Member will acknowledge that it has been a rather busy nine months. The Budget sustainability plan was published at the beginning of October.

One of the commitments in it that the Executive agreed was to have regular strategic consideration of income generation. Last week, my officials briefed the Committee on that. The work on how we take an Executive-wide approach to that matter is ongoing. I have also submitted to the Executive a set of proposals on the short-, medium- and long-term consideration of our rating system. I hope that the Executive will consider that in the near future. I had hoped to make some progress on the rating system in the next financial year, but, if that is to be possible, we have a very tight time frame in which to do it. I still hope that the Executive will consider that.

Ms Forsythe: I thank the Minister for her statement. In it, she says:

yet she also highlights the need for Ministers to prioritise their break-even position at year end. With the £791 million of overcommitments being offset by £627 million, that leaves £164 million of a shortfall. That is a significant challenge. Can she clarify which one of these priorities is the most important as she directs Ministers: the prioritisation of pay or the prioritisation of breaking even?

Dr Archibald: Clearly, and I have articulated this on many occasions, the Executive need to balance their Budget for 2024-25 or there will be significant financial penalties that will impact on us all in the next financial year and will limit our ability to deliver on public services and public-sector pay awards. Each Minister has been given an allocation, and they will all go off now to look at the pressures that remain in their Department. Some Departments have considerable pressures to try to manage. As an Executive, we have prioritised public-sector pay since we returned in February. I know that all Ministers will want to seek to do that. It is about how we can best take action to try to go as far as possible on public-sector pay, because I think that we collectively have that commitment.

Miss Brogan: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas.

The statement is very welcome, particularly because the Finance Minister prioritised Health and Education. As a member of the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and a representative of a rural constituency, I also welcome the £2 million that is going towards TRPSI. Will the Minister please detail the remaining resource DEL shortfall?

Dr Archibald: The allocations reduce the departmental overcommitments from £791 million to £180 million. That reflects the significant challenges that are facing the Executive, which I have just outlined to Ms Forsythe. While I would have liked to be in a position to fund all the pressures in Departments, it simply was not possible, because providing more for one Department would simply increase the pressures on all the other Departments.

Mr Tennyson: Thank you, Minister, for the statement. I am sure that you would agree that, at a time of such constrained budgets, it would be outrageous if we were to return £48 million of FTC at the end of the financial year. Will you elaborate on what proposals you are working on with your Executive colleagues to utilise that money? When will the Assembly learn more about those?

Dr Archibald: As I know the Member will be well aware, the distinguishing feature of FTC is that the funds can be deployed by the public sector only as a loan or as equity investment in a private-sector entity, so that limits what the Executive are able to spend the financial transactions capital on. Any private-sector entity will then go on to use the funding to invest in related infrastructure. That investment has to be in line with the Executive's aims and objectives. It is challenging for Departments to identify suitable projects. Clearly, we want to ensure that those projects that Departments bring forward align with the Executive's policy aspirations. At every opportunity that I have had to engage with them on budgetary matters, I have encouraged all Departments to bring forward proposals on financial transactions capital. I have done so particularly in engagements that I have had with the Communities Minister given that there is a significant pressure on the supply of social housing. The Department for Communities has brought forward some proposals on the use of financial transactions capital, but it is important that all Departments try to think imaginatively about how they could utilise that funding. FTC is not necessarily returned if it is not spent; it can be utilised to pay off other FTC loans, so it is not lost to us, as an Executive. However, it would be much better if we used it to deliver on projects and priorities.

Dr Aiken: I thank the Minister for her remarks so far. Minister, you talked very clearly in your statement about prioritising public-sector pay. Does the Minister accept that, as a result of the Executive's Budget decisions, we are very likely to face fresh industrial action by health workers and other key members of the public service?

Dr Archibald: As I have done already in the Chamber today, I recognise that the October monitoring round outcome is challenging for all Departments. As I have said on a number of occasions, the funding that was available simply did not go far enough, given the pressure that all Departments face. That means that there will be difficult decisions for all of us to take in relation to balancing our desire to provide public-sector pay awards against those other pressures. It is disappointing that the Health Minister felt that he could not support the paper today, given that his Department was provided with an additional £350 million, which was over 58% of the resource funding that was available for general allocation. The Member will be interested — he has commented on it a number of times — to know that that brings the total allocation to the Department of Health for this year to £472 million, which is a 4·9% increase on the Department of Health's final budget for 2023-24.

Mr McAleer: I thank the Minister for her statement. Minister, will you seek a reserve claim this year?

Dr Archibald: The 2024-25 overcommitment figure that I quoted — £180 million after the October monitoring round allocations have been made — does not include the cost of a number of exceptional items, such as the PSNI data breach, holiday pay and the McCloud injury to feelings judgement. It was anticipated that, if those costs were to crystallise in 2024-25, they might be funded by a reserve claim. However, given the level of in-year funding that was provided to the Executive in the autumn Budget, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury indicated that, although further conversations are possible, the Treasury position in the first instance is that those items should be funded from the settlements that have been announced. I have been clear in my view — I have expressed it to the House already — that I consider those items to be unaffordable if they were to crystallise this year, given the existing pressures facing Departments. Therefore, it is my intention to seek to negotiate a reserve claim if any of those were to crystallise.

Mr Frew: Despite the pressures on public-sector pay, the Minister stated that she made no allocations to the budget of her Finance Department. Why not?

Dr Archibald: The approach that was taken to how we would allocate the money that was available to us involved Departments that had a overcommitment and unfunded public-sector pay costs. All Departments had overcommitments except the Department of Finance and the Executive Office, so those Departments received no allocations from the general allocations.

When we set the Budget, there was an assumption that Civil Service pay would increase by 3% this financial year. Trade unions have made it clear to me that that is not acceptable to them, so I will have to have conversations with the trade unions, as will all the other Ministers when they make representations about their departmental budgets. It will be difficult for all of us to navigate a way forward in that regard, but I am committed to trying to do my very best.

Ms K Armstrong: Thank you, Minister. Are you concerned that if Ministers do not live within their budgets, it will have an impact on negotiations with the UK Government on a permanent fiscal framework and debt forgiveness?

Dr Archibald: An overspend in Departments this year is one of my current concerns. The financial implications are significant; it would come off next year's Budget and put at risk the £559 million reserve claim. We are also still in the process of negotiating a fair funding model. We made significant progress with the interim fiscal framework, but there is a further way to go on that, because we need to negotiate beyond the 2026-27 financial year, get that commitment to funding based on our level of relative need tied down and ensure that our funding settlement enables us to deliver public services to the level that people rightly expect and deserve.

Mrs Dillon: I thank the Minister for her answers so far. I welcome the follow-through on the commitment to prioritise Health, because you have prioritised it in the allocations. I welcome that, and I look forward to finding out how that money is going to be spent and prioritised. You outlined some of the consequences if the level of overcommitments was to remain. My question follows on from the previous question: have Ministers given you a commitment that they will do everything in their power to ensure that that does not happen? We all need to understand the consequences of those overcommitments remaining.

Dr Archibald: My colleagues around the Executive table are well aware of the consequences. I do not think that any of us want to be in the situation where we lose funding in the next financial year. I hope that all my Executive colleagues are committed to ensuring that they live within their budgets. I am reassured that they are. It is important to outline the consequences. There is the potential that we could lose money from next year's Budget and that the £559 million reserve claim write-off could become repayable. Of course, we as an Executive did not accept that strings should be attached to the reserve claim, because it was accrued while the Executive were underfunded and the institutions were down. However, Treasury takes a different view on that, and it will have to be a matter for negotiation.

Mrs Dodds: Thank you, Minister. Like previous contributors, I am glad to see the prioritisation of Health. I particularly look forward to seeing how the Minister will help healthcare workers maintain the parity for which they fought for so long. Will you require a plan from each Minister as to how they will live within their budget? If so, can we see those plans for the sake of transparency?

Dr Archibald: Part of the work on the Budget sustainability plan involves Departments bringing forward five-year plans on how they are going to meet their budgets in the years to come and how the various elements that make up the spend in each Department are going to be controlled, whether that relates to resource spend, the type of projects that they want to prioritise or how to utilise technology or workforce planning. Departments will need to work through those things and bring that work forward. Reform and transformation is a pillar of the Programme for Government. The aim is to set up a unit in the Executive Office to coordinate that work. That will be really important work as we seek to manage our public finances and put them on a more sustainable basis and as we plan to deliver high-quality public services in the future to meet our citizens' needs.

Mr Crawford: I thank the Minister for her statement. Can the Minister set out the criteria that were used to determine the different allocations to each Department?

Dr Archibald: The practices around the October monitoring round are, like any monitoring round, well established. Departments make bids and provide equality impact information on those bids, and I meet Ministers and have conversations about those bids. It became apparent over the summer that we were on a trajectory for a significant overspend. I conducted an urgent in-year exercise, which provided the Department of Finance in the first instance, and then the Executive, with a considerable amount of information that was considered when making the allocations. Of course, we are guided by the Executive's priorities, which are now articulated in the draft Programme for Government, including things like health, tackling waiting lists, special educational needs, childcare and social housing. It is therefore a process that is guided by the Executive's priorities and based on Departments' needs.

Mrs Mason: I thank the Minister for her statement and welcome her commitment not only to health but to education. Is she able to outline the capital funding challenges to be faced?

Dr Archibald: Yes, of course. As I set out in my statement, bids submitted by Departments totalled £346 million, which, unfortunately, was about five times as much money — £68 million — as we had available for allocation. It was therefore simply not possible to fund all, or even the majority of, bids. I know that some Departments will be disappointed that they did not get a capital allocation, but, as I just said to Mr Crawford, the allocations that the Executive agreed reflect the importance of social housing and recognise the pressures faced by our largest capital spending Department, which is the Department for Infrastructure. Those pressures include waste water infrastructure constraints. Both are priorities for the Executive and are reflected in the draft Programme for Government.

Mr Brett: I thank the Finance Minister for coming to the House this afternoon to update Members. It is disappointing, however, that some Ministers found it appropriate to give a running commentary of events before Members had been informed of the outcomes. Can the Finance Minister confirm that, of the £631·5 million allocated, the £350 million allocated to the Department of Health represents 55% of the entire allocation and, furthermore, brings its overall budget to 51% of the entire Northern Ireland block grant?

Dr Archibald: I have the figure at 58%, but we will not quibble over that too much. The allocation is a very significant one, and it reflects that, in the amount of money that has allocated, the Department of Health is the Executive's priority, alongside the Department of Education and the Department of Justice. I think that, collectively, we share the view that Health needs the funding that it has got, particularly when one looks at the number of people on waiting lists and the other challenges across our health system. As I said to Dr Aiken in a previous answer, the allocation means that the Department of Health's budget has now received a 4·9% increase on its out-turn budget for 2023-24.

Mr Dickson: Minister, thank you for your answers so far on the statement. One of the issues that could not be dealt with in the statement is your negotiations with Treasury on the PSNI data breach, holiday pay and the McCloud judgement. Can you tell the House what action you are taking to ensure that those matters will not impinge on future Assembly Budgets?

Dr Archibald: I thank the Member for that question, because it is an issue that I have raised with Treasury in every engagement that I have had with it to date. It is also something that I would expect other Ministers to raise with me, not least the Minister of Justice on issues that impact on her Department. Of course, issues that may be the subject of a reserve claim impact on all other Departments and would represent a significant cost to the Executive. That is why I have raised them in every single engagement that I have had with Treasury and why it is my clear view that meeting them would be unaffordable and that I would therefore need to seek a reserve claim. I would need to negotiate that with Treasury.

Mr Durkan: I thank the Minister for her statement. I welcome any additional allocation for housing, but I am not entirely sure how an extra £24 million, as welcome as it is, will enable delivery of up to 1,400 houses, given the decimation of the baseline budget for housing. In this year initially, we had enough money to build 400 houses, and the previous monitoring round brought that number up to around 600. Will the Minister clarify whether she consulted the Minister for Communities or the Housing Executive on that figure of 1,400? If not, from where did she get it?

Dr Archibald: I concur with the Member on the allocation of funding for housing. We all recognise that it is very necessary. The figures that I quoted were provided to me by the Department for Communities, so I hope that they are accurate from that Department's end. The 1,400 figure reflects the total number of new builds this year and the priority that the Executive attached to it in this monitoring round, from which £24 million has been allocated, and also in the June monitoring round, when another £20 million was allocated.

Mr Gildernew: I thank the Minister for her statement and welcome the significant investment in housing, as well as the £17 million for winter warmth to address or partly mitigate the British Government's disgraceful cut in that benefit and the money for tackling rural poverty and social isolation. Those are welcome.

Can the Minister comment on financial transaction capital funding? How could it be better utilised to prevent future significant underspends?

Dr Archibald: As I set out to Mr Tennyson, the Executive are limited in how they can utilise financial transactions capital, because it has to be deployed by the public sector to the private sector either as loan or equity investment. I have continued to encourage all Departments to consider how available financial transactions capital can be used. I have written to the Communities Minister to encourage him to consider whether greater use can be made of the available financial transactions capital to increase the supply of social housing building on the schemes that the Department currently has in place. My Department has also agreed with Treasury that any underspends can be used to offset the required repayment of 80% of FTC allocations and, therefore, the underspend, as I mentioned to Mr Tennyson, which cannot be carried forward, is not lost but rather used to reduce future liabilities.

Obviously, we would much rather it is used for projects that the Executive want to deliver and that we can deliver in partnership. Of course, I encourage Departments to look as imaginatively as possible at how they can use FTC in the future.

Mr Chambers: Will the Minister confirm that she has advised Executive colleagues that the Department of Health's capacity to make more savings in this year is extremely limited if not non-existent?

Dr Archibald: It is not for me to advise the Executive in relation to Health's capacity to make savings; that is for the Minister of Health. I recognise the challenges that the Health Minister, like every other Minister around the Executive table, has. Action has been taken in Departments already to make savings and to try to live within budget, but, clearly, with the level of overcommitment that we have, further action is needed.

Mr Boylan: I thank the Minister for her statement. How much additional funding has the interim fiscal framework secured for public services?

Dr Archibald: The application of the 124% needs-based factor in the interim fiscal framework has resulted in £431·4 million of additional funding through the Barnett formula for the Executive. That is made up of £59·95 million already received in the uplift for 2024-25 at June monitoring; £123·81 million announced in the autumn Budget for 2024-25; and £247·6 million announced in Barnett consequentials in the autumn Budget for 2025-26.

Ms Hunter: Minister, the funding last year for special educational needs was £65 million: that is 14% less than it needs to be this year, due to inflation and increased demand. While the £170 million announced today is certainly welcome, is it enough to meet the shortfall and the diverse needs and demands of our children, particularly those with special educational needs?

Dr Archibald: The specifics of the Department of Education are more appropriate for the Education Minister to comment on, but I recognise, as with other Departments, that the Education Minister will still face a shortfall in his departmental budget and, as in other Departments, will seek to go as far as possible on pay. I know that that is something that he is committed to. However, we have all to live within our budgets and prioritise within our Departments. How we do that will be important.

Mr Gaston: Minister, Westminster has been clear that no additional money is coming from them for Casement Park. Will you confirm that, in your statement today, there is likewise no additional money coming from Stormont and that, indeed, if the GAA wants Casement, it is up to it to fund it? [Interruption.]

Dr Archibald: As the Member will be well aware, Casement Park is an Executive flagship priority that the Executive are committed to delivering on. There would not be funding for Casement in the monitoring round statement, because we need to see proposals coming from the Communities Minister. We also need to know the amount of money that the British Government will put on the table for the delivery of Casement Park, as they have committed to doing. We will all be working towards delivering that.

Mr McNulty: I thank the Minister for her statement. Minister, can you confirm whether you have asked your officials to draw up options for using some of your Executive's £65 million capital underspend on constructing Casement Park or suggested same to the Communities Minister? If not, why not?

Dr Archibald: I will have to write to the Member on that, because I am not sure what figure he refers to. Our capital budget is significantly oversubscribed. If the Member wants to highlight the specific figure to my officials, we will pick that up with him.

Mr Carroll: Minister, you said that Departments will have to make savings. You cannot issue a diktat to cut budgets and then wash your hands of the consequences. It is, by any definition, austerity. I share the concerns about money not being allocated to health workers who were promised it.

Minister, is the £17 million to mitigate the Executive's cut in winter fuel payments recurrent or a one-off?

Dr Archibald: It was not the Executive who cut winter fuel payments. It was the British Government who took that decision, and we are left to pick up the pieces and live with the consequences. We, as an Executive, have decided to allocate that money, which is much needed. It does not go as far as any of us would want it to in replacing the money that has been lost, but, hopefully, it will go some way to mitigating the bad decision taken in London and give some support to our more vulnerable older people this winter. The Communities Minister will bring forward proposals on that, and I will wait to see what his proposals are before I comment further on the recurrent nature of it.

Mr McGrath: A farcical element of the Executive is that, when it is the Programme for Government, it is everybody together, but, when it comes to budgets, everybody is on their own to deal with what money is left. Will the Minister explain why the 5·5% pay rise for health workers was not ring-fenced so that they would definitely get that money? Is the money that is included in the attachments a 3% rise or a 5% rise, as was previously indicated by the Department of Health?

Dr Archibald: I do not agree with the Member's assertions on how the Executive have dealt with their Budget. We have challenging but constructive discussions on that, and we have taken a collective approach to the Budget and subsequent monitoring rounds. I have recognised clearly today and in all my comments on the matter that all Ministers face significant challenges with how they move forward on their budget and how they prioritise and try to deliver on all the things that we, collectively, demand of them.

On the allocation to the Department of Health, I am not sure that the Minister of Health would have welcomed ring-fencing of the money. That is not an approach that we have taken with any Department. We have given a general allocation to try to give Ministers flexibility in how they manage their budgets for the rest of the financial year. Clearly, there is an onus on every Minister around the Executive table to take any action that they can that might create savings or provide additional funding to the centre that could then be reallocated to other Departments, as we try to manage our way through the rest of the financial year as best as possible.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): That concludes questions on that statement. I ask Members to take their ease before we move on to the next item.

Dr Aiken: On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I apologise for my mobile phone going off just before Mr Gaston had the opportunity to make a speech. I do not normally provide musical accompaniments, so please take my apologies.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): Accepted, Mr Aiken.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): The Speaker has received notice from the Minister for the Economy that he wishes to make a statement. I repeat that questions should be short, and long introductions should not happen.

Mr C Murphy (The Minister for the Economy): Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

With your permission, I wish to make a statement, in compliance with section 52 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, on a meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in trade and business development sectoral format. The meeting was held in Armagh on 23 October 2024. Minister Gordon Lyons MLA and I represented the Northern Ireland Executive. The Irish Government were represented by Peter Burke TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and Minister Burke chaired the meeting. The statement has been agreed with Minister Lyons, and I make the statement on behalf of us both.

The NSMC welcomed the overall achievements of InterTradeIreland since a previous sectoral meeting in April 2024, including achieving a business development value of £82 million or €94 million and providing crucial investor readiness supports. The Council commended the valuable contribution that InterTradeIreland has made through its trade and development programmes for small and medium-sized companies trading across the border and in both jurisdictions, including support through its collaboration innovation pathway and under the innovation boost programme. Ministers recognised the positive impact of the innovation and technology programmes administered by InterTradeIreland and its support for building relationships between companies and researchers.

The NSMC noted InterTradeIreland's ongoing research work in 2024, which includes a study of the business supports ecosystem across the island, research into the changing nature of trade on the island and offshore wind and hydrogen energy, as well as the ongoing work on its quarterly 'All-Island Business Monitor'. The Council welcomed the work of InterTradeIreland alongside Enterprise Ireland and Invest NI in developing a cross-border enterprise cooperation scheme, which was awarded €30 million of Shared Island funding.

Ministers welcomed the presentation from businesses on the benefits of InterTradeIreland's programme of supports. The NSMC also welcomed a presentation from the advanced technologies in manufacturing cluster on the benefits of clustering and how the development of the cluster was supported by InterTradeIreland. The Council noted InterTradeIreland's strategic ambition in the area of clustering.

The NSMC approved the reappointment of Margaret Hearty as chief executive officer of the trade and business development body, InterTradeIreland, for a four-year term with effect from 21 April 2025. The NSMC appointed members to the board of the trade and business development body, InterTradeIreland, and the Council agreed to hold its next NSMC trade and business development meeting in spring 2025.

I commend the statement to the Assembly and welcome questions.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): Thank you, Minister. Members, as Question Time begins at 2 pm, I suggest that the Assembly takes its ease until then. Questions on the statement will begin after Question Time, when the next member to speak will be Sinéad McLaughlin.

Mrs Little-Pengelly (The deputy First Minister): The Maze/Long Kesh Development Corporation business plan was submitted to the Executive Office, but we understand that the development corporation is further reviewing it in light of its current budget allocation. The business plan will be revised now that the outcome of the internal reallocation exercise is known. The Member will appreciate that that outcome became known only today. The development corporation will consider that, and that will determine what is achievable from a budgetary perspective.

We will consider the updated plan as soon as possible. Once approved, it will be published on the Maze/Long Kesh Development Corporation website. In the interim, the Maze/Long Kesh Development Corporation continues to operate in line with its agreed remit. We are committed to working with the development corporation to realise the potential of the site to the benefit of all, but we recognise that we must move only with consensus and sensitivity. No decisions have yet been made on the future of the site.

Mrs Guy: Thank you, deputy First Minister. You and I share the constituency of Lagan Valley, where the Maze/Long Kesh site is, and we understand its strategic importance for the area. With the access and influence that being deputy First Minister provides, what are you doing to deliver the potential of the site? It seems as though the politics of the site are taking priority over delivery.

Mrs Little-Pengelly: I thank the Member for her question. As I outlined, a significant history is associated with the site. It also has huge potential, but we can move forward only with sensitivity to the victims and survivors who are most impacted on by the events that happened on and are associated with that site. That is what I will do.

Mr Boylan: At a Question Time in September, the First Minister referenced a meeting with the MLK Development Corporation in July. Will the deputy First Minister update us on subsequent discussions that will inform a road map for the regeneration of the site?

Mrs Little-Pengelly: I thank the Member for his question. We had an update from the board. There is a new board in place, with six new members. They are looking at some of the plans and proposals that the previous board made. The new members are still in the early stages of working together, but there is significant talent, enthusiasm and ambition on that board. Anything that the board proposes, including the budget and activities on the site, will require the First Minister and my agreement. As the Member will be aware, however, a number of organisations are on the site, so part of the board's role will be to continue to support those excellent organisations, such as Air Ambulance and the Ulster Aviation Society.

Mr Buckley: The deputy First Minister will know that yesterday marked a significant day for many of us who attended acts of remembrance. Last night, I attended the UDR Association act of remembrance in Mountnorris Presbyterian Church, where I joined UDR widows, including my great-aunt, who lost her husband in the Glenanne army barracks explosion many years ago. Most of the victims have experienced much hurt and retraumatisation but no justice. Will the deputy First Minister assure the House that there will be nothing on the site that will hurt victims and survivors of terrorism?

Mrs Little-Pengelly: In the Executive Office, we have many responsibilities that relate to victims and survivors of the Troubles. That means trying to meet their needs. It also means being sensitive to the concerns and issues that they face. Victims and survivors in Northern Ireland have given the most, and we must always be very sensitive to that as we move forward. We must recognise their loss and the legitimacy of their concerns and issues. As I said, it is therefore important that nothing happens on the site that would further any hurt or pain. Anything that happens must be done with full sensitivity to the victims and survivors.

Mr O'Toole: Deputy First Minister, you said that it is important that nothing happens on the site that gives offence to victims. I agree, but the problem is that nothing is happening on the site at all. The saga of the Maze/Long Kesh development has been going on longer than 'The Mousetrap'. It has been sitting there, a wasting asset. If the Executive Office cannot progress it, I suggest that two things happen: one, a simple, poignant memorial is put up for all those who want to remember at that site; two, the rest of it is given over to social housing or some other productive form of economic development, because this farce cannot continue indefinitely.

Mrs Little-Pengelly: I thank the Member for his question. If he wants to tramp over the concerns of victims, that is up to him. I will not engage in that. I will move forward with the consensus of victims and survivors, because anything that we do should not cause any further concern or hurt. Therefore, it is not for me to decide the way forward and to impose it on those who have been associated with that site and have hurt and sensitivities in relation to it. As I said, I want to unlock the potential of the site, but it has to be done in a particular way and with consensus.

The Member is also incorrect when he said that nothing is happening on that site. There are some good activities on that site, not least the Balmoral show, which, I understand, he has attended. There are activities at the Eikon Exhibition Centre, and there is the Ulster Aviation Society, an excellent organisation that attracted 7,000 visitors on the European heritage open days weekend. Of course, the Air Ambulance has been based there since 2017, and it has been called out some 4,500 times. Those are some of the activities that take place. Of course I would like to unlock the full potential of the site, but we should recognise the good work that is already happening there.

Mr Gaston: Deputy First Minister, your party colleague, Lord Dodds, is on record as stating:

Will you give a commitment today that you agree with your party colleague and the statement that he made?

Mrs Little-Pengelly: I thank the Member for his question. The Member will be aware that that building was listed, as I understand it, at the request of the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland during a period of direct rule and outside the control or context of either the Northern Ireland Executive or the House. I am clear and reiterate this: nothing will happen on that site as long as I am deputy First Minister that would cause hurt and pain to victims and survivors. That is my promise to victims and survivors. I wish to do nothing to cause any further pain and hurt to those who have suffered the most and given the most to Northern Ireland.

Mrs Little-Pengelly: We know that victims and survivors, understandably, see contributions from the institutions as an important measure of accountability. We welcome the interim payments that we have received from three institutions: Barnardo's, the De La Salle order and the Good Shepherd Sisters. I am pleased to say that an additional contribution has been made by the Diocese of Down and Connor just this month, specifically in respect of the De La Salle-run homes. Engagement will continue with those institutions on their final contributions following the closure of the Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Board.

Constructive discussions on appropriate contributions from the Irish Church Missions, Sisters of Nazareth and the Sisters of St Louis are ongoing. We have committed to publishing the details of those contributions when the process has concluded. Members will understand that negotiation is live with a number of those organisations, hence the sensitivity around some of the detail.

We encourage all victims and survivors who intend to make an application to the board to do so as soon as possible and in advance of next year’s deadline.

Mr Dunne: I thank the deputy First Minister for her answer. Does she agree that it is important that the outstanding institutions recognise the harm that has been caused and contribute to the scheme? Equally, as she stated, with the scheme beginning to wind down, is it her assessment that time is running out for the outstanding institutions to do the right thing and make a contribution?

Mrs Little-Pengelly: The Hart report, following the inquiry into historical institutional abuse, very clearly highlighted things that a number of institutions did wrong in the treatment of children in their care. Therefore, of course it is right and proper that there is an acknowledgement of that by those institutions and that those institutions should contribute to the costs. Of course, we are realistic, and we did not want victims and survivors to have to wait for those institutions to decide when and what to give. Therefore, we decided to move forward with the redress board to address and support those victims and survivors, but the negotiations will continue to get that all-important contribution.

I am pleased to say that the work of the redress board is winding down, and I understand that there are only 38 applications left to be scheduled. That is a significant amount of work that the board has completed. That is why we are appealing to any remaining victims and survivors to come forward and seek that redress, if they have not done so already.

Ms Flynn: Following on from the last point, is the Department doing anything specific to reach out to harder-to-reach victims in order to make them aware of the redress scheme and the services available to them?

Mrs Little-Pengelly: I thank the Member for her question. As we head towards the closure date of the scheme next year, we want to make sure that we reach those who are entitled to that support. There have been a number of previous campaigns, including a leaflet that was put through every door. However, we want to make sure in the last months of the scheme, so there will be a new campaign, including radio adverts. We have written to all MLAs and various organisations asking them to share the information. We have also sent the information to all councils across the UK and Ireland and, indeed, have reached out to organisations that we have worked with before in, for example, Australia to try to support that. We will also place stories in local and international media to try to promote to the readership the fact that the scheme remains open and to encourage them to come forward before it closes next year.

Ms Egan: Has the Executive Office given any consideration to bringing forward legislation to compel further contributions?

Mrs Little-Pengelly: I thank the Member for her question. That is a legal issue that we have examined. Indeed, it may be appropriate to have further engagement with the Committee on it. There are a number of legal aspects that make it complicated, not least the nature of the report. The report did not examine every institution, and therefore the findings in the report differ from, for example, the findings of a court in a civil or criminal case. Of course, the redress scheme extends beyond that. There are some challenges in doing it. However, we have made it very clear that we believe that there is a strong moral responsibility on those institutions to step up. They have contributed to an apology for their actions and acknowledged that things were done that ought not to have been done. Therefore, it is right and proper that they step up and make financial contributions to the scheme, not least because it sends a clear message of acknowledgement of their role and failings.

Ms McLaughlin: The commissioner, Fiona Ryan, has done really good work in this area. Will your Department consider extending her role?

Mrs Little-Pengelly: I thank the Member for her question. She will be aware that the work of the redress board is winding down. However, the pain, the trauma and the issues will continue for many years beyond the closure of the scheme and will, indeed, impact those who were involved for the rest of their lives, so there are needs. We are doing a number of things through, for example, the support mechanisms of the Victims and Survivors Service, which, along with Advice NI and other organisations, has taken on the new role of trying to support victims of historical institutional abuse. It is important that, as we move towards the scheme's closure, we look at a range of supports. We will take a look at your proposal. What we want is a system and a service that meet the needs of victims, no matter what they look like. We will actively consider that.

Mrs Little-Pengelly: With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will ask the junior Minister to take this question.

Mrs Cameron (Junior Minister, The Executive Office): The central good relations fund is open to all constituted voluntary and community groups, including minority ethnic groups, to deliver good relations projects where there is evidence of good relations need. Many projects provide opportunities for sustained, meaningful contact between those from different backgrounds to actively target sectarianism and racism via, for example, cultural awareness workshops, community dialogue sessions or formal training in tackling racist or sectarian attitudes and behaviours. Since 2016, over £25 million has been awarded, enabling the delivery of more than 780 projects that reached over 260,000 people here. Outcomes data for 2023-24 indicates that 83% of those aged 13 years or more and 68% of those aged 12 years or less reported a positive change across their knowledge, behaviour and attitude towards people from a different background, due to their participation in the central good relations fund project.

The opening budget allocation for the central good relations fund in 2024-25 was £1·65 million. Through the June monitoring round, we secured a further £625,000, bringing the total allocation to £2,275,000. That is an increase of over 60% on the 2023-34 allocation for the fund and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to good relations work. The funding has allowed 59 good relations projects to be supported in 2024-25, reaching around 22,500 people across all council areas. In addition, through approximately £1·1 million of funding per annum under the minority ethnic development fund from 2022 to 2025, we are supporting 31 successful applications to support our minority ethnic communities and help eradicate racism.

Mr McGrath: I thank the junior Minister for her answer. Given that there was a reliance this year on monitoring round money to fill the gap, may we have some assurance that, next year, the full budget will be applied for up front so that the groups that work on good relations in the community can continue their work and provide their services without fear of the money being reduced and jobs being lost?

Mrs Cameron: I thank the Member for his supplementary question. He will be aware that the bid for £625,000 was lodged for the central good relations fund and was fully met and that the bid for £1·5 million for the Communities in Transition (CIT) project's tackling paramilitary activity programme was lodged for June monitoring and was also fully met. No further bids were submitted as part of October monitoring.

The issue of multi-year funding may come into play. We are delighted by the UK Government's commitment in the Chancellor's statement at the end of July for future spending reviews to cover at least three years, with a review every two years. That will provide greater transparency and allow Departments to plan more effectively and efficiently for further investment in public services.

Ms Sheerin: Will the junior Minister indicate when the application process will open for 2025-26?

Mrs Cameron: I thank the Member for her question. The 2025-26 central good relations fund will open for applications in December 2024. Further details will be provided on the Executive Office website and on social media platforms, and emails will be issued to mailing lists, along with details of how to apply.

Mr Bradley: Will the junior Minister give examples of projects for young people that the fund has supported across Northern Ireland to date?

Mrs Cameron: I thank the Member for his question. In 2024-25, approximately 61% of projects in the central good relations fund are delivering against the Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) priority "Our Children and Young People". Almost 8,000 young people will be directly impacted on as a result. In 2024-25, through the central good relations fund, two projects are being supported that include participants from my constituency of South Antrim: Ulster Hockey, with funding of £45,000, targeting 620 participants; and the Belfast Electronic Arts and Music Academy (BEAMA), with funding of almost £27,000, targeting 90 participants. The Your Freedom and Ours project received an award of £33,620, and it is delivering in the South Antrim constituency as well. Under the T:BUC camps programme, one group in South Antrim was awarded £30,000 to deliver three T:BUC camps projects, engaging approximately 80 young people. Under the planned interventions programme, two groups in South Antrim were awarded a total of £10,750 to deliver two projects, engaging a total of 59 young people. Out of the councils' good relations programme, £94,000 was awarded to Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council to deliver good relations programmes, including projects engaging participants in South Antrim. Those are some examples.

Mr McReynolds: In August of this year, we saw racism and violence on our streets. I had friends and colleagues who were affected by what they saw, heard and experienced during that period. What bids have been made to address the ongoing increase in racist attacks since those scenes took place?

Mrs Cameron: Sorry, I am trying to find the answer. I apologise: I cannot find it.

Obviously, we abhor racism and the activities of the past few months, and we have been strong in our condemnation of them. We look forward to the review of all of the policies to make sure that racism is included and acted on. If the Member follows up with us in writing, we can provide a fuller answer.

Mrs Little-Pengelly: The appointment of the commissioners and the members of the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression is essential to implementing the provisions of the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 for which the Executive Office is responsible. As previously advised, we have instructed our officials to develop further advice that will include documentation for each competition, including candidate information booklets and details of selection panels, to enable the competitions to be launched. To finalise that advice, a competition initiation meeting (CIM) needs to be conducted for each competition. We are pleased to advise that the selection panels have been formed and that the preparations for the CIMs are at an advanced stage. We hope to hold a CIM for each of the competitions in the coming weeks. We also remind Members that the competitions will be run in line with Commissioner for Public Appointments' guidelines.

Mr Kearney: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a freagra. A Aire, an dtiocfadh leat amlíne chruinn a thabhairt dúinn maidir leis na trí choimisinéirí a earcú? Lena chois sin, an dtiocfadh leat a léiriú dúinn cá huair a cheapfar na trí choimisinéirí go foirmeálta?

Mrs Little-Pengelly: I thank the Member for his follow-up question. As I indicated in my answer to the substantive question, a lot of detail and process go into making sure that such public appointments abide by the guidance and rules of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments and that they are fair and open in the appropriate way. Of course, that process needs to take place. The First Minister and I will receive the final proposal on the criteria for the appointments, the adverts and, as I mentioned, the documentation and the booklets. We will take a look at those, and, if we are satisfied that they meet the requirements, the competition can go out and be placed.

The appointment process generally take around six months. That will depend on the interest in the appointments: some get more interest than others, which can complicate things. It will then be a requirement for the decisions on those who are deemed to be appointable to each post after the process to go back to the First Minister and deputy First Minister for consideration and agreement. On the odd occasion, no one crosses the line and is deemed appointable after a public appointments process, but we hope that that will not be the case for these appointments.

As I have outlined, this is a lengthy process, but having the documentation up — hopefully, in the next couple of weeks — will enable the competition and the six-month public appointments process to commence.

Mr Kingston: Will the Minister confirm that the business case ensures a fair and equitable approach to the Irish language commissioner and the commissioner for the Ulster-Scots and the Ulster-British tradition?

Mrs Little-Pengelly: I thank the Member for his important question, because, at its heart, the important message is that the process will be brought forward on a fair and equitable basis. That is why I welcome the fact that the business case has been prepared, advanced and agreed on the basis of the two offices initially having a fair and equitable amount of funding. When the commissioners are in place, they will bring forward their business plans and corporate plans and details of their proposed activities. Again, in recognition of the numbers of people from those traditions throughout Northern Ireland, those need to be advanced on a fair and equitable basis, because that is right and proper. Public funding should always be distributed in that fair way.

Ms Mulholland: Will the deputy First Minister outline the role that the commissioners will have in working alongside the North/South language bodies?

Mrs Little-Pengelly: I thank the Member for her question. These are statutory roles, so, of course, they have statutory responsibilities, which are set down in the legislation. I imagine that the commissioners will engage with the North/South bodies and across the UK in advancing the Irish language as a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom, and as regards the Ulster-British tradition’s strong links and the Ulster-Scots tradition’s links with Scotland, for example. Of course, there are links between Anglo-Irish traditions and different British traditions right across this United Kingdom. I imagine that they will engage, but one assumes that that will be set out in their first business plans and corporate plans.

Mr Beattie: Minister, from a question for written answer, we know that the set-up costs for the commissioners' offices is £8·3 million, with annual running costs of £9 million. Has that money been set aside for this financial year, or, really, are we looking at it not happening until we go into the next financial year?

Mrs Little-Pengelly: The preparation plans for the commissioners' offices will give a sense of when it is likely that that expenditure will be required. Of course, as a principle of good public expenditure, you would not try to take that funding into a year in which it would not be accrued or spent. The commissioners are yet to be appointed. As outlined, the appointments process is likely to take at least six months, so that would bring us into the next financial year in any event. However, even in that situation, the commissioners' offices would need to be established, staff would need to be recruited, and systems would need to be put in place. You would then be looking to the plans and proposals put forward by those commissioners. I fully expect that they will require resource to support them to do all that, and time to put their initial plans in place.

Like with anything, you would want to move towards a multi-year approach as regards their plans, but I anticipate that we will have some early indication about the activity. The Member will appreciate that that will not be done tomorrow or next month and will take some time. As that develops, the spending profile will be set out. It is likely to be not in this financial year but in the years to come.

Mr McNulty: Deputy First Minister, I understand that £3·8 million has been allocated for each body once established. Can you tell us how that figure was arrived at? Can you give us your assessment of whether that funding is fair, proportionate and equitable? Will it be enough for each body?

Mrs Little-Pengelly: I thank the Member for his question. I suspect that if you went to any body and asked whether their funding is enough, it would indicate that it is not. What we do within the remit of the statutory responsibilities for each body has to fit within the overall financial position of the Executive and the Department and what is possible and achievable.

The amount of money, as set out, has come out of a detailed business case, but it is predicated on a core staff complement and start-up costs. It is for a small staffing complement for each of the offices. Any proposals on any additional spending — for example, on activity, projects or grant funding — would not sit with the commissioners' offices. Grant funding would sit in the central office of identity and cultural expression, as opposed to with the particular commissioners. That is set out in detail in that legislation.

Mrs Little-Pengelly: We recognise how important the issue of clerical child abuse is. We are aware of the devastating impact that it has had on many people. The junior Ministers met victims and survivors in September through the reference group to, at first hand, hear about their experiences and restate our commitment to this important work.

Work is progressing on the three separate pieces of research that we have commissioned: one examining records held by faith organisations and statutory agencies; one recording the experiences and expectations of victims and survivors; and one examining the safeguarding policies and practices of faith groups. We intend to call shortly for victims and survivors to come forward to participate in that research. The research is an important step in deciding the best way forward to address the impact and legacy of that abuse. We look forward to the conclusion of the research projects next spring and, subsequently, to seeing the final report and recommendations. As with all these things, it will be a trauma-informed response. We will, of course, move forward conscious of the pain and trauma that many victims and survivors of clerical abuse are still going through.

Mr Speaker: We have no more time for tabled questions. We will move to topical questions.

Mrs Little-Pengelly: I thank the Member for his important question, because it provides the opportunity, once again, to put on record our absolute rejection of racism and of any actions based on hate, discrimination or prejudice. What we saw over the summer was entirely unacceptable, and that is the message that we have been sending.

There are a number of different aspects to what we have been doing. First, we want to show joint and shared political leadership, not just in the First Minister and the deputy First Minister's office but across the Executive, to call out those terrible actions at every opportunity. Secondly, we have been liaising with statutory agencies through our arm's-length bodies and our funders but also, importantly, with the PSNI. We raised the issue once again when we met the Chief Constable just last week. It is incredibly important that we work in a connected and collaborative way to tackle the scourge of racism and the violence and disorder that is brought about by that.

In addition, we have been looking at many of the Department's funding schemes. For example, I asked for and we have received the figures on the very significant participation rates in the good relations schemes by minority ethnic communities. Of course, good relations is not just about those with different political or religious beliefs but people of different races and ethnic identities. It would be really positive to ensure that those groups are all fully mainstreamed within our funding schemes, and we encourage other Departments to do so as well.

Mr O'Toole: Minister, I do not doubt your commitment to this, but since we have come back, we have not seen progress on a stand-alone hate crime Bill from the Justice Minister, nor have we seen the publication of a racial equality strategy. We do not know when we are going to get a refugee integration strategy, and I am afraid that we do not have clarity on whether good relations money is going to be specifically directed towards getting outcomes for people like those in my constituency who face being hounded out of their homes, or where kids are being injured with glass because masonry is thrown through their front windows. I am afraid that we do, now, need to move beyond warm words and see practical action. May I ask whether we will see delivery and more specifics from the Executive in all the areas that I have listed by the end of this year?

Mrs Little-Pengelly: I thank the Member for his follow-up question. There was a lot more that I could have said in my initial answer, but I am very conscious of the time and the length of response available to me. Of course, we are also working on those issues. We are bringing forward race relations legislation as well as, importantly, the refugee integration strategy that has been promised. I can reassure the House that that work is ongoing and that we are endeavouring to bring it forward as soon as possible.

The Member is absolutely right that this is not just about words. However, words and leadership matter, and what we say and do on this issue, through the media and in this place, as we stand together against racism, is important. He is absolutely right when he says that that needs to be followed up by action. That is why officials in the Executive Office have been working closely throughout the period with Belfast City Council and other councils on practical and financial support.

We have a dedicated ethnic minority funding scheme under our race relations strategy: that has been protected and we will be moving forward with that. We are looking at issues around multi-year budgets and better support under that scheme. I have indicated to the Member is that that needs to be mainstreamed within our good relations schemes, such as central good relations and our T:BUC camps and others. That is a really good opportunity to ensure that those key principles about respect and tolerance of difference and different identities start at the earliest possible opportunity when it comes to prevention.

Mrs Little-Pengelly: I thank the Member for his question. As I understand it, some work has been done on that. The recent legal case, however, made it clear that the ministerial code has to be read subject to decisions under the legislation, such as for example, the Executive Committee (Functions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2020. Therefore, anything that we do, regardless of what the ministerial code says, has to be done in relation to the primary legislation. That does not mean that it is acceptable, as a matter of good legislating, for that to be the permanent position. Work is progressing on the code, and I have no doubt that it will be brought forward in due course. I reassure the Member that any aspects of the ministerial code that conflict with, for example, the Executive Committee (Functions) Act, will not create any issue or problem with the Northern Ireland Executive or their functions.

Mr Beattie: I thank the Minister for that answer. I have asked about that on multiple occasions, particularly given the lack of openness, transparency and integrity from some Ministers over the past months, especially with regards to the McMonagle affair and child safeguarding. Does the Minister agree that it is really important that we have that new and amended ministerial code in order to give us confidence that we can hold Ministers to account when we have to?

Mrs Little-Pengelly: To be fair, the required changes to the ministerial code pertain to particular aspects of the Executive Committee (Functions) Act that are to do with, for example, clarification of the types of matters that come to the Northern Ireland Executive for consideration and agreement. That need arose out of confusion, perhaps, or lack of clarity in some of the subsequent legal cases. It is a technical point. There is a point around the Executive's treatment of planning applications and their consideration of planning matters. Those are technical matters that require a change to be made to the ministerial code. As far as I am aware, there have been no proposals to change the obligations that all Ministers have under the key principles set out in the code, including those of transparency and openness. Those existing principles endure. All Ministers must comply with the ministerial code that is currently in place.

Mrs Little-Pengelly: Northern Ireland has been a huge beneficiary of foreign direct investment from the US in particular. That is why significant time has been taken to work in the US over recent years to try to build further on that very successful FDI. Our relationship with the United States goes much further than trade: we have bonds through our history and heritage. I believe that, compared with any other jurisdiction, Northern Ireland has the most links to US presidents per head of population.

We should build not just on those trade links but on improving opportunities with the US based on our heritage and those links. For example, I am very conscious that the incoming vice president has Ulster-Scots links, or Scots-Irish links, as those from the US refer to them. I look forward to engaging with the president-elect and the incoming Administration for the further benefit of Northern Ireland.

Ms Forsythe: I thank the deputy First Minister for her answer. I am pleased to take any opportunity to raise the importance of the Ulster-Scots links between Northern Ireland and America, and I believe that J D Vance's being in the White House presents great opportunities. Does the deputy First Minister think that this is a key opportunity to build on Northern Ireland's historical links with America?

Mrs Little-Pengelly: Absolutely. A key part of the international relations work that we do is on what is often referred to as soft diplomacy or cultural diplomacy, which is very much about reaching out in that way and explaining the links of shared culture and history. Many people in the US do not realise that they have that Ulster-Scots or Scots-Irish heritage, heritage from the UK and, of course, from Ireland. A very rich vein of that heritage runs right through the US. We have not just a responsibility to try to promote that heritage but a really good opportunity to use our shared history of those bonds, not the least through trade. Many Ulster Scots who went to the US invested heavily in trade and business, helping to build America. There are lots of opportunities. I understand that the Communities Minister had a very successful trip over there on that very issue. I look forward to building on that and to sharing our experiences.

Mrs Little-Pengelly: I thank the Member for his important and timely question. At the moment, many farmers and farming families throughout Northern Ireland are particularly concerned about those proposed changes by the Chancellor. I had taken the opportunity to raise directly with the Chancellor and the Prime Minister concerns about the rumoured changes, particularly in relation to agricultural relief, prior to the Budget. However, that was not listened to, and now those changes have been put in place in announcements on the Budget.

We will continue to fight that fight. I am pleased to say that I will attend the rally that has been organised by the Ulster Farmers' Union on Monday 18 November 2024, at the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society site at the Maze/Long Kesh. I encourage all others with concerns to do likewise in order to show our strong opposition to those changes. Farming is at the heart of the economy in Northern Ireland. It is incredibly important. Local farmers provide quality, nutritious, locally grown, supported and produced food. We are a net supplier of food across the UK. That is to be valued and protected. We should stand up for our farmers. I am determined to do that as we move forward, including on that important issue.

Some Members: Hear, hear.

Mr Robinson: I very much appreciate the response from the deputy First Minister. Can she further update the House on what steps the Executive are taking to fully assess and address the negative impacts on family farms? Does she expect, through discussions with Executive colleagues, that support or guidance will be issued to help farm businesses to navigate those changes?

Mrs Little-Pengelly: I thank the Member for his follow-up question. Absolutely: there are things that people can do. Some of that relates to planning. I know that some farms and farm businesses have already done that, but, of course, there is more that we can do to support that through, in particular, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. I was glad to see that some organisations were already advertising some of those activities.

However, let us be very clear: if, indeed, the consequences and impacts for farmers of those changes to agricultural relief could be negated or mitigated in full, there would be no point to the Chancellor's putting them in place. The fact that that relief has been reduced in such a way indicates that the Chancellor believes that a tax will be raised by that change, and, if tax will be raised by that change, it will be raised on the backs of our farmers. Farmers need support. They are not a cash cow from which to raise tax or anything else. They do an incredible job and require support, not additional burdens. I believe that the Northern Ireland Executive can have a united voice and tell the Chancellor strongly, "Protect our farmers". We will fight for farmers. We are on their side on the issue. We are asking the Chancellor to change course urgently.

Mrs Little-Pengelly: I thank the Member for her question. That is an important aspect, because the approach to doing the research first was very much based on the reality that, although some anecdotal and other evidence has come forward on what has happened, there is little insight into the scale or depth of the problem. The research is designed to flag up relevant issues to be considered. I suspect that that issue will be looked at.

One important element of that is the call for victims and survivors to come forward. We are likely to go public with that call at the end of November. It is incredibly important that we hear from those victims and survivors because — for the very reasons that the Member mentioned — they will raise things that we are not aware of or, perhaps, that the layout of it does not take into account this time, but that will need to be taken into account as we move forward with additional support and help.

That is a really important aspect that MLAs across the House can get involved in helping to publicise. It will be about research, looking at the evidence, identifying what more work needs to be done and, importantly, listening to the voices of victims and survivors.

Mr Speaker: That brings to an end the questions to the deputy First Minister. We will just take our ease briefly.

Mr Givan (The Minister of Education): Due to affordability considerations, the pay and grading agreement will be implemented in two stages. Stage 1 will move eligible staff on to their new pay scales with effect from 1 April 2024, while stage 2 will entail a non-consolidated payment of £2,550, pro rata, to eligible staff in lieu of back pay. The Education Authority (EA) has completed its amendments to the payroll system and will make the payments for stage 1 of the agreement this month as part of the normal pay process. Payments for stage 2 of the agreement will be made in the next financial year in line with the agreed settlement.

Mr Stewart: I thank the Minister for his answer. Minister, I am sure that you agree that our education support workers, classroom assistants and staff at all levels are invaluable and deserve a fair rate of pay and good conditions. Can you indicate whether the financial package agreed today for your Department will allow you to redress all the pay requirements for education staff? If not, what projected shortfall could there be, and where is it likely to land?

Mr Givan: The Member is absolutely right about valuing our support staff. That is why I engaged proactively with the trade unions to get a resolution to the issue around the pay and grading review, which had gone on for some time. Primarily, it was about recruitment and retention in the workforce, but the outworkings of that negotiated process were the new pay scales, which will take effect this month, once the payroll goes through, and the non-consolidated payment, which will come in stage 2 of the process.

I thank the unions that worked with me during that process. It built on the negotiated outcome with teachers, where we were able to increase by double figures the percentage increase for staff on taking up office. Again, that is a refection of my commitment to supporting teachers. Of course, we have the settlement now from the monitoring round. I will engage with my officials on what the outworkings of that could be as we seek a resolution to this year's pay rise, which needs to be negotiated with the teachers' trade unions.

Mr Mathison: Thank you, Minister, for the update today. It is welcome news that this is now progressing. I welcome also your comments about how important classroom assistants are to the running of our education system. On that basis, can you provide an update on the development of the register for substitute classroom assistants, similar to the Northern Ireland supply teacher register for teachers?

Mr Givan: I will have to respond to the Member in writing about how we can do that work on the register. If he is content, I will write to him.

Mr Durkan: On the face of it, this is welcome news, but every silver lining has a cloud. I have been contacted by many of those low-paid workers who are also in receipt of universal credit. They are concerned about the impact that the award will have on their entitlement. In particular, if a payment is to be made in the near future, it could result in a nil award in their universal credit in the mouth of Christmas. What interaction or communication has the Minister had with his colleague in the Department for Communities about how that could be mitigated?

Mr Givan: The Member has raised that issue on a number of occasions with me, as have other Members. Whilst I have every sympathy with the positions that are being expressed, the outworkings of how the payment impacts on universal credit is not a matter for me or my Department. It also ties in with issues around Treasury and the way in which it interfaces in that regard. I am not able to give comfort to the Member on that issue, other than to say that we have negotiated and agreed an increase that is reflected in those workers' terms and conditions. That is the right thing to do. We are also following through on the nationally negotiated pay rise for support staff, and we will seek to make sure that the funding is in place for that to take effect as well. There will be a further increase in pay for staff affected in the support staff category.

Mr Givan: Operational responsibility for the planning of education provision lies with the two statutory planning authorities: the Education Authority and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS). They conduct area-planning activity in consultation and collaboration with a number of sectoral bodies. 'Planning for Sustainable Provision: Strategic Area Plan 2022-27' and the special education strategic area plan set out the strategic direction for how the future educational needs of children and young people will be addressed through area solutions.

While the plans provide the strategic direction for the next five years, 'Operational Plan 1: 2022-24' outlines the activity to be taken forward in the first two years. A medium-term work stream associated with the Antrim and Newtownabbey local government district stated the following:

To date, no proposals have been brought to my Department, which becomes engaged in the area-planning process only when a development proposal is published by the Education Authority.

Dr Aiken: I declare an interest as a member of the board of governors of Kilbride Central Primary School, a great primary school, and of Ballyclare High School, a great high school.

I thank the Minister for his remarks. He will be aware, as he will have heard from his MLAs and others, of the considerable amount of development that is going on in South Antrim. There seems to be a mismatch in some of the plans that are being proposed for new housing in the area, which, I am glad to see, is being taken up. The key question, however, needs to be how the plans match the requirements for the education system. I am sure that the Minister would like to join me on a tour of South Antrim to look at some of the significant areas, but what is he doing to make sure that we take a more realistic approach to planning systems , rather than what we have at the moment?

Mr Givan: The Member rightly highlights and namechecks those schools: there is no doubt that they are good schools.

As I indicated, area planning is not a function of the Department of Education; it is one for the managing authorities to take forward in how they plan their school estate. There are seven such schools in South Antrim, three of which are oversubscribed at the point of first-preference application. Issues of capacity and provision are more acute in the Antrim town area. Where there is pressure, the Department can work with those schools to provide temporary variations to try to accommodate that pressure and meet the needs. At a high level, area planning is a function of the Education Authority and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools.

Mr Givan: I accept that there is a need to review and improve service delivery in education. To that end, education services will be reformed through the outworkings of the end-to-end reviews of special educational needs (SEN) and school improvement, which focus on the development of high-quality, cost-effective services. The reviews will shortly produce recommendations on how delivery models can be more responsive, agile and customer-focused. Service delivery improvements will be achieved initially through the reconfiguration and refocusing of services delivered by the EA and other education bodies. Progress will be closely monitored, and, if necessary, more fundamental structural change will be implemented.

Mr Dickson: Thank you, Minister, for your answer. You will be aware that the independent review of education recommended the creation of a single managing authority: what action are you taking to bring that about in this mandate?

Mr Givan: The independent review of education identified a number of key areas that relate to the managing authority role. I will highlight one of them, which is that the level of support for controlled schools was "suboptimal".

That is why I have created a task force to address that issue. We need to make sure that, where managing authorities operate, they do so on an equitable basis, providing support to the various sectors.

The Education Authority has failed the controlled sector in particular. The independent review of education provided evidence to that effect, as did the landscape review of the Education Authority. There is work taking place to highlight how those issues need to be addressed. There is evidence for that. We have engaged with schools on that task force, and that is providing further evidence on the need for change. However, I expect the managing authorities to work together to deliver consistency in the level of support that is required, but there is a clear need to address the failings that exist in relation to the controlled sector.

Mr Brooks: In his answers so far, the Minister has, in some ways, commented on what I was going to ask, namely whether he agrees that the Education Authority has been failing our controlled schools. Perhaps he would like to comment further on the evidence for that.

Mr Givan: Let me quote from the independent review so that it is not me saying it. A number of things have been stated in that report:

It then says:

It also says:

It also says:

It also says: