Adrian Cochrane-Watson: Mr Speaker, in case I forget, I wish you every success. I believe that you will be back here on 9 May, but we will certainly miss you on the election trail in South Antrim. I wish you personally every success. I came into the Chamber on 28 June. I was honoured to replace Danny Kinahan and delighted to be given the challenge of sitting on the ETI Committee. I take this opportunity to thank...
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: Certainly, I will, for the final time.
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: I thank the Member, my colleague on the Committee, for his intervention. You are quite right: strategically, we have failed, but the Ulster businessman has delivered, as you highlighted. The Ulster businessman has continued to deliver. I will finish now. It has been an experience. I wish the renewables sector every success. I hope, genuinely, that whoever is here in the next mandate —...
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: I also commend the Minister for her work since taking over the role. In discussions with representatives of Belfast International, they say to me that the biggest inhibitor to growth is not transport links but air passenger duty. Have there been any discussions between you and ministerial colleagues on APD?
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: T8. Mr Cochrane-Watson asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister whether any progress has been made on the abolition of air passenger duty, given that it is hampering growth at both Belfast airports, and to join him in congratulating Ryanair in the new routes from Belfast that were announced last week. (AQT 3608/11-16)
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: I thank the Minister for outlining the contents of the Bill. Clearly, it is required and is important for those affected by compulsory land acquisition. They now know that they will receive the same levels of compensation as their counterparts elsewhere in the United Kingdom in England and Wales. It is unfortunate that the anomaly means that the 10% top-up payment available in England and...
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: I thank the Minister, first, for giving an overview of her decision to seek accelerated passage and, secondly, for how accessible she has made her office to date on any issue regarding the motion. I also welcome the comments that the Minister has made. She said that she would not seek accelerated passage unnecessarily and would seek it only if it was vital to many in the community. As she...
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: I thank the Minister for his answers so far. Minister, do you have any plans to meet, or have you met, the Prison Officers' Association on these issues?
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: On a point of order, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker.
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: Minister, there are some issues in your statement that I very much welcome. First, I highlight the priorities set by Manufacturing NI: the cost of energy, which you have addressed, and the manufacturing strategy being at the heart of the economic strategy moving forward in the new Programme for Government. That is very welcome. I have two questions for you, Minister. Following on from the...
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: I am passionate about that. Could you do that, Minister? Secondly, the question, Minister —
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: — when setting industrial rates —
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: T2. Mr Cochrane-Watson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety whether he can offer any help and support to the emergency department (ED) at Antrim Area Hospital, which Mr Cochrane-Watson was privileged to tour last Friday, when he was humbled to meet and talk to its staff, albeit that, on Friday, the department was forecasting the admission of 270 people over the...
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: Minister, I agree with you about the commitment of the staff, leadership and senior management team of the trust. One of the concerns raised by senior staff and doctors at the ED was about what they termed the back end of the service, where people were being bed-blocked and care packages were not being put in place. They were looking at the availability of beds. As they highlighted, people...
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: I thank the Member for giving way. The Department informed the Committee last week that it had had no consultation with the sector and did not know how many jobs and businesses were at risk. The Department does not have a clue about the sector. Does the Minister agree that that is totally unacceptable and shows a lack of leadership and vision in the Department?
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: I thank the Member for giving way. Does the Member agree with me that it is totally unacceptable that he is talking about job redundancies in businesses in south Down but that there will be no job redundancies in DETI? No one in DETI will be held to account through this investigation. The senior civil servants who have been mismanaged by the Minister will get off the hook.
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: I thank the Member for his intervention, and I agree with him. Of course, we knew that there would be a predicted spike on those applications that were trying to beat the change in tariff. Among the questions that the Minister must answer today are these: when did he first become aware that the scheme was massively oversubscribed and the money was running out? How did he and his...
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: DETI's enterprise policy states that its focus is on: "promoting enterprise and entrepreneurship and creating the necessary conditions that will enable businesses across all sectors of the economy to start and grow." What we have in front of us today is a story of failure, incompetence and ignorance within devolved Government for which there must be consequences. I agree entirely with the...
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: T4. Mr Cochrane-Watson asked the Minister of the Environment for an overview of the traffic safety campaigns the Department is involved in, not just for bicycle safety, in light of the fact that, on 20 December 2015, he received a phone call to inform him of a fatal traffic collision in which a pedestrian was killed, and, unfortunately, he knew the pedestrian and the driver, with talking to...
Adrian Cochrane-Watson: Thank you for your answer to date, Minister. Have you got a commitment or an understanding in the financial programme that you have that the money to promote and highlight road safety and to educate the community will be ring-fenced so that that work can be carried on by the new Department?