Results 1-20 of 313 for speaker:Alastair Ross

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: Rural Schools (17 Nov 2009)

Alastair Ross: I congratulate the Members who tabled the motion. Northern Ireland has a large rural population, and that must be borne in mind when making policies. On some of the Committees that I have sat on, Members, particularly those opposite, talk continually about rural-proofing policies, whether public transport or gritting the roads. In the Committee for the Environment, we hear about the situation...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: Rural Schools (17 Nov 2009)

Alastair Ross: That is absolutely right. As the Member mentioned earlier, in many cases, unfortunately, there is a certain degree of self-preservation on such issues. The Member is right to say that we need to have genuine collaboration among rural schools. To conclude, I will talk about the Alliance Party’s amendment. I note what the party is saying. When schools can work together, that should be...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial Statement: Transport Sectoral Format (17 Nov 2009)

Alastair Ross: I see from the attendance in the Chamber that the anticipation of my question has not generated the level of interest that I had hoped for. I thank the Minister for his statement. In particular, I am glad that our Executive are pushing forward on the introduction of new, lower drink-driving limits, and I hope that the Irish Republic will replicate that. The Minister will know that Members for...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial Statement: Together Towards Entitlement (16 Nov 2009)

Alastair Ross: I want to return to something that Mr McCrea raised earlier. The Minister said that she wishes: “to see an educational landscape that is characterised by a range of school options, where diversity and choice are the norm.” From which areas of education does she not want to see local preferred options emerging?

Northern Ireland Assembly: Executive Committee Business: Consideration Stage (10 Nov 2009)

Alastair Ross: I have listened to the Member’s argument as it has progressed. He said that he has no confidence in the Alliance Party taking the justice Ministry and that he wants to run d’Hondt. Does that mean that the Ulster Unionist Party thinks, as it did in 2002, that Sinn Féin should be eligible to take the post of justice Minister?

Northern Ireland Assembly: Executive Committee Business: New Clause (10 Nov 2009)

Alastair Ross: I am something of an afterthought, but, nevertheless, I welcome the opportunity to speak about this part of the Bill. The purpose of the Bill has been explained in relation to other groups of amendments. A few years ago, I was hit by a McCullough Transport lorry when I was driving my car, so I know from personal experience that those sorts of lorries can be lethal weapons on our roads....

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: Multi-unit Development  Management Company Reform (9 Nov 2009)

Alastair Ross: The Minister said it best when he talked about the perception that Stormont needs to produce more legislation, and he was right to say that it is not about getting more legislation: it is about getting good legislation. Some sort of legislation to deal with this issue would be very welcome. That is why my party welcomes the debate and, as my colleague Trevor Clarke said, we tabled a very...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: Multi-unit Development  Management Company Reform (9 Nov 2009)

Alastair Ross: I will not give way because I have only five minutes, I do not get any additional time, and I want to make progress. Mr Kinahan said that there was no guarantee of quality of service for the money paid by residents to these companies, which can be anything from £100 to thousands of pounds annually. The lack of any real scrutiny of those companies must be looked at. Indeed, as my...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: Multi-unit Development  Management Company Reform (9 Nov 2009)

Alastair Ross: The Member said that the issue should have been discussed at Committee. In which Committee would he like the issue discussed? As we heard, the issue affects DFP, DETI, DSD and, importantly for planning regulations, DOE.

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: Multi-unit Development  Management Company Reform (9 Nov 2009)

Alastair Ross: The Member said that the situation has been going on for a few years. He talked about DETI’s role, referred to DOE’s responsibility for planning, and suggested that the Minister of Finance and Personnel might be able to act. Does the Member agree that it is now imperative that all those Departments get together to ensure that they bring forward relevant legislation to address the...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: Multi-unit Development  Management Company Reform (9 Nov 2009)

Alastair Ross: For the Member’s information, my party approached the Alliance Party to try to agree wording to which we could all sign up. Unfortunately, however, that did not happen, because Mr McCarthy was keen that it remain a purely Alliance Party motion.

Northern Ireland Assembly: Environment: Plastic Bag Levy (9 Nov 2009)

Alastair Ross: Does the Minister concur that not only is a voluntary scheme preferable, but it is the favoured option of those in the industry?

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial Statement: Planning Policy Statement 7:  Draft Addendum (9 Nov 2009)

Alastair Ross: I thank the Minister for his statement. He referred to established residential areas. Will he, for clarity, provide a definition of an established residential area? He also referred to encouraging the redevelopment of existing buildings. Will he tell the Assembly what measures his Department will take to ensure that that happens?

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial Statement: Environment Sectoral Format (9 Nov 2009)

Alastair Ross: I also thank the Minister for his statement, which included references to plastic bags and chewing gum. I have spoken to people in the industry in Northern Ireland, and they favour a voluntary arrangement on the use of plastic bags rather than the taxation route that has been taken in the Irish Republic. What are the Minister’s thoughts on that? I assume that the discussions on chewing...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: Lisbon Treaty Referendum (20 Oct 2009)

Alastair Ross: The debate centres on the right of UK subjects to express their view on the relationship with the EU and particularly on the Lisbon Treaty, which will further dilute national sovereignty and centralise more power in the EU. As Members have heard, the Assembly endorsed the view that a national referendum should be held to give people a voice. Circumstances have changed since the vote took...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: Lisbon Treaty Referendum (20 Oct 2009)

Alastair Ross: Mr McCrea became extremely excited for a moment. Perhaps his time would be better spent asking his party colleague or indeed his entire party’s representation in the House Commons over the past few years how they voted on a number of issues and how many times they propped up the Labour Government. [Interruption.]

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: Lisbon Treaty Referendum (20 Oct 2009)

Alastair Ross: I totally agree with my colleague. The Ulster Unionist Party increasingly finds itself in difficult positions when it answers questions about its relationship with the Conservative Party. The fact remains that the two major parties in the House of Commons are scared to have a referendum because of what the result would be.

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: Lisbon Treaty Referendum (20 Oct 2009)

Alastair Ross: I will not give way. Too much of my time has already gone. The people of the United Kingdom deserve their say about our relationship with Europe. Earlier, we heard about the many EU laws and directives that we can do nothing about. Such laws and directives are presented to Members at Committee meetings, but we have no chance to amend them or vote against them. We have experienced that in...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Health, Social Services And Public Safety: Missed GP and Hospital Appointments (12 Oct 2009)

Alastair Ross: 5. asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to provide estimates of the number of missed GP and hospital appointments in the last year.         & #160; (AQO 191/10)

Northern Ireland Assembly: Health, Social Services And Public Safety: Missed GP and Hospital Appointments (12 Oct 2009)

Alastair Ross: In August 2009, the BBC reported that, across the UK, approximately £600 million was wasted on missed GP and hospital appointments. What steps is the Minister taking to try to stop people from missing appointments? Has he considered fining people who continually miss appointments?