John Blair: I will not. I have tried to close three times, and I do not need to stretch this out any more. Let us embrace the opportunity for net zero by 2050 with that ambition, positivity and hope. Let us do that by setting a single target for all harmful emissions, free from dissection, distraction and decoupling. Alliance colleagues and I will support the amendments that help us to do that.
John Blair: I thank Members for their contributions to the debate. In my contribution, I outlined — I will repeat it because we need to emphasise it — that Northern Ireland is the only place in the UK, Ireland and Europe not to have its own form of net zero climate law and associated frameworks. We are undoubtedly lagging behind in tackling the climate crisis. We can, however, hit the ground running...
John Blair: I thank the Minister for his statement and DAERA for this commitment to capital funding, which will help rescue services across Northern Ireland, including, I imagine, Lough Neagh Rescue at Antrim in my constituency. What actions can be taken, on an inter-agency basis if necessary, to ensure consistency in provision and service across Northern Ireland, so that, in turn, consistency in safety...
John Blair: I thank the Minister for the statement. At a recent meeting with Alliance colleagues and Translink, better connectivity for rural areas was discussed, addressing not only better connectivity to towns from rural areas but connectivity to public transport. Are conversations taking place between Departments and agencies that will address, for example, better access for cyclists to public...
John Blair: Our brave service animals in Northern Ireland carry out invaluable work that can often place them in unpredictable and dangerous situations. It is therefore only appropriate that they are adequately protected by law, as they are in neighbouring jurisdictions. I recognise the invaluable work carried out by service animals in Northern Ireland, so I am encouraged by the fact that the Minister...
John Blair: 3. Mr Blair asked the Minister for the Economy to outline the number of jobs with apprenticeships that could be affected as a result of the loss of £100 million in core funding from the EU. (AQO 2994/17-22)
John Blair: I thank the Minister for his answer and the details that were in it. Separate to core funding for apprenticeships, what steps is he taking or has he taken in order to ensure that essential community organisations that are recipients of the European social fund do not miss out due to the uncertainty about funding that is distributed by the Shared Prosperity Fund?
John Blair: Some 481 respondents to the Department's consultation on the strategy disagreed with DAERA's preferred option for what it calls "wildlife intervention". What engagement has the Minister undertaken with those stakeholders since the consultation closed? What consultation is planned, if it has not already taken place?
John Blair: I start by associating myself with the comments made by Mark Durkan and the Minister on the vile online abuse towards Diane Dodds and those mourning Ashling Murphy. Does the Minister agree that an inter-agency approach to online abuse is vital? People right across the public service, but particularly those involved in education, youth services, local councils and PCSPs, have a very important...
John Blair: Thank you, Mr Speaker, for accepting this necessary Matter of the Day, on which a number of Members had submitted notice. There has been an outpouring of grief across the country following the murder of 23-year-old Ashling Murphy, a teacher who was out for a run on the banks of the Grand Canal in Tullamore. On behalf of Alliance, I speak in solidarity with Ashling's loved ones and the tens of...
John Blair: I also associate myself with the gratitude expressed for those working in severe weather conditions. Separate to that, in relation to the increased occurrence of extreme weather, what contingency measures is the Department putting in place to deal with any future storms that may be as bad as or worse than those seen recently?
John Blair: I thank the Minister for his statement. At the AERA Committee meeting last Thursday, I asked a number of questions about meetings with councils. A meeting planned for that day had been postponed until the following day, which was Friday. Have those meetings taken place? Will there be further update meetings with councils and other public bodies that have in their ownership publicly accessible...
John Blair: I thank the Member for her question. As Members will be aware from previous Question Times, in February this year, the Assembly Commission agreed a significant and strategic project to take a different approach to looking at the display of artefacts in Parliament Buildings. A working group comprising Assembly officials and Dr Éamon Phoenix took the project forward in line with a set of...
John Blair: I thank the Member for the follow-up question about representativeness. The issue of symbolism and the display of artefacts in Parliament Buildings has been raised a number of times with the Assembly Commission since 1998, both by those who feel that the symbolism of the Building does not reflect all parts of the community and by those who have asked for all the Assembly Commission artefacts...
John Blair: I thank the Member for that supplementary question. I do not have the figures to hand for the number of artefacts, and nor do I have the overall figures for the financing of that. I am happy to assure the Member that we will seek that information and forward it to him.
John Blair: I thank the Member — my colleague — for the inspirational words and the hope that they provide. If those matters are not already being considered by the Assembly Commission review, I will do my best to ensure that they are taken into consideration.
John Blair: Yes, absolutely.
John Blair: Yes, of course.
John Blair: I will respond to both interventions, and I thank the Members for them. I am, of course, prepared to listen to the points put forward by Mr Allister, but Mr Stalford made a very valid point. Ultimately, there is a clear difference between those who support the continued practice of hunting with dogs where dogs are used for the kill and those who do not. I am sure that Members have guessed...
John Blair: Yes, of course, briefly.