Part of Question for Urgent Oral Answer — Infrastructure – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 3:30 pm on 16 September 2024.
Jonathan Buckley
DUP
3:30,
16 September 2024
Minister, many of our Upper Bann constituents have faced foul-smelling and foul-tasting drinking water in recent days. You outlined how NI Water has said that the water is safe to drink. If, however, a constituent came to us and said that they smelled, for example, mould from a packet of ham or foul odours from a drum of milk in their fridge, we would not advise them to eat or drink it. How sure can we be that it is not the same with the water? Does the Minister have a timescale for when NI Water feels that it will have the issue satisfactorily resolved?
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
