AQO 840/16-21

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 24/11/2016
Answered On Date: 06/12/2016
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities to outline any consultation undertaken with councils in relation to his decision not to proceed with the Regeneration Bill.

Answer:

Over the last 6 months I have visited a wide range of council areas and have met with individual councillors. I have also met NILGA and local council representatives formally through the partnership panel process. They raised the issue of the transfer of regeneration functions to local government and said that they wanted to have a definitive decision on the way forward.

I have now made my decision. While I understand that there are those in councils who may have wanted some of the powers transferred, I have now set out very clearly the context on which the decision is based, and I have explained it extensively

Now that a decision has been taken we should move on collectively so that we can address the needs that exist in our community.