David Ford (Alliance)

5. asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister when their Department will publish the consultation document on the cohesion, sharing and integration strategy. (AQO 235/10)

Anna Lo (Alliance)

8. asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister when their Department expects the cohesion, sharing and integration strategy to be published.        (AQO 238/10)

Peter Robinson (DUP)

With your permission, Mr speaker is in charge of proceedings of the House of Commons in..." class="glossary">Deputy Speaker, I will ask junior Minister Newton to respond.

Robin Newton (DUP)

With your permission, Mr speaker is in charge of proceedings of the House of Commons in..." class="glossary">Deputy Speaker, I will answer questions 5 and 8 together.

It was originally intended that the draft programme for cohesion, sharing and integration would be brought forward before the end of 2008. That and subsequent timing commitments were made in good faith, and we expected those to be met. It was not possible to meet that date, but reaching agreement on the cohesion, sharing and integration strategy remains one of OFMDFM’s policy priorities. The First Minister and deputy First Minister have agreed a process, and OFMDFM officials are working on a revised draft of the programme. That process will identify areas of agreement and outstanding areas of contention.

We continue to work intensively towards an agreed strategy that will benefit all our people now and in the longer term. However, work to promote community relations and good race relations has continued for the past two years, led and supported by junior Minister Kelly, myself and the entire ministerial team. There are many examples of that commitment. In the current CSR period, we have invested a not insubstantial amount — £29 million — in good relations work to build a shared and better future. Junior Minister Kelly and I continue to chair the north Belfast working group, which focuses on interface issues in Belfast and across Northern Ireland. This summer, we spent £500,000 to resource work on summer intervention programmes. Since devolution in 2007, we have spent a total of £1·5 million on such intervention work.

Since May, we have spent £4·372 million on district councils’ community relations programmes, and we have committed a further £2·79 million in this financial year. We have worked proactively with our key partners in Coleraine, both statutory and non-statutory, following the killing of Mr Kevin McDaid in May. We provided £23,000 to Coleraine Borough Council for divisionary work in addition to the £86,000 that was awarded to the council for good relations activities.

Finally, in the past two weeks, we have provided further funding for specific intervention work in east and north Belfast.

David Ford (Alliance)

I am totally baffled by that response. It was great to hear that long list of financial statements, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the question that I asked. Some of us have complained for a long time about the lack of a CSI strategy from OFMDFM. My question was about a consultation document on a CSI strategy, and we got no information whatsoever on that. The DUP and Sinn Féin have both prepared documents. If they cannot agree on a consultation document, will they at least agree to circulate their two different documents so that we can have a consultation on them?

Robin Newton (DUP)

I am sorry, but I am not quite sure what the question was.

Francie Molloy (Sinn Féin)

I ask the Member to ask a brief question.

David Ford (Alliance)

I am sorry. Perhaps if the junior Minister had answered my question in the first place, he could have concentrated on my supplementary. I asked a simple question: if it is impossible for OFMDFM to publish a single consultation document on a CSI strategy because of differences between the two parties, will it at least publish the two separate documents for consultation? We can then engage in a formal consultation process, which might move the issue forward.

Robin Newton (DUP)

It is my understanding that the two documents have not only been published but have been made public and roundly examined in the press. I am certain that if Mr Ford consults the press or the DUP — I cannot speak for Sinn Féin — those documents will be made readily available to him.

Anna Lo (Alliance)

It was bad enough to have a long delay in publishing the CSI strategy, but the situation is now worse: we have two draft documents, which shows that the two major parties cannot agree on an approach to community relations.

Francie Molloy (Sinn Féin)

I ask the Member to come to the question.

Anna Lo (Alliance)

Can OFMDFM give an indication of how long it will take to resolve the impasse and provide a clear timetable for when the strategy will be published for consultation?

Robin Newton (DUP)

I thank the Member for her question. We want to publish a document together. I do not think that it is correct to say that the fault lies wholly with either the DUP or Sinn Féin; the Ulster Unionist Party and the SDLP also worked on the document for a long time. However, there is a need for agreement, and that agreement was not found in the two parties that had initial responsibility. The Executive have come a long way over the past two years; we can, at least, air those issues and recognise that it will take time, consideration and huge effort on the part of everyone in the Executive to address the legacy of our past and the challenges that lie ahead.

We want a strategy for cohesion, sharing and integration and a blueprint for a shared and better future, but, while we continue to do our very best to reach that stage, we continue to work in communities where much important work is being done locally. We are also working at the heart of government to deliver meaningful programmes that are aimed at ending the scourge of sectarianism. Nothing highlights that scourge more than the reports of the bigotry, sectarianism and, perhaps, ethnic cleansing that is being experienced in Rasharkin at the moment, where Protestant families are under threat and are being driven out of the village. We all want to address those important issues. We want to share a strategy that is effective and can produce results. We need to bring that together.

Martina Anderson (Sinn Féin)

Go raibh maith agat. I thank the junior Minister for his answers. Given that we all want a shared and better future based on equality and human rights, can the junior Minister outline the relationship between equality and good relations as set out in section 75 of the 1998 Act and as relates to PSA 7 and objective five, as agreed in the Programme for Government?

Robin Newton (DUP)

The Member raised several issues. The existence of equality does not necessarily mean that there will be good relations. I have made clear the importance that we attach to the matter. It must be addressed, and I hope that it will be addressed sooner rather than later. I hope that the Member’s side of the House places as much emphasis on that as does this side of the House.

Declan O'Loan (Social Democratic and Labour Party)

In light of the junior Minister’s evident concern about Rasharkin, one expected to hear more from him about outcomes rather than process. Do the First Minister and deputy First Minister have realistic expectations of producing a report on a CSI strategy before the summer recess? I am thinking of the summer recess of 2010.

Robin Newton (DUP)

My answer to the original and supplementary questions made it clear that the strategy is important and that it will be produced as soon as possible. It will not be a superficial document that does not deliver exactly what we want; it will be based on strategy, it will contain finite detail, and it will produce outcomes.

Francie Molloy (Sinn Féin)

Members must take care to ensure that supplementary questions relate to the original question. As the Member’s question strays slightly from the original, we will move on.