Draft Higher Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2005
The following also attended, pursuant to Standing Order No. 109(4):
Gardiner, Mr. Barry (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland)
Pearson, Mr. Ian (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland)
Smith, Angela (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland)-->
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Northern Ireland Grand Committee
Thursday 20 January 2005
[Mr. Eric Illsley in the Chair]
Oral Answers to Questions
The Secretary of State was asked—Warrenpoint
2.30 pm
1. Mr. Roy Beggs
(East Antrim) (UUP): How do current development proposals for Warrenpoint harbour differ from the proposals for Warrenpoint port that were refused planning permission in 2001? Will the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland make a statement? [208894]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Angela Smith): Detailed proposals have not yet been received, but I understand that the current proposals will not involve the changes to the Old Town dock and its surroundings that were in the previous proposals. Any proposals will be subject to planning procedures in the normal way.
Mr. Beggs: I thank the Minister for her response. At a public inquiry in the relatively recent past, the Planning Appeals Commission recommended refusal of planning permission for a deep-water quay and cargo-handling area at the Old Town dock at Warrenpoint on the ground that an over-riding regional and national need for the development in its totality had not been established. Has planning permission been granted for this almost identical proposal? Is this the proper use of public funds, when excellent port facilities already exist and are underused at Belfast, Londonderry and Larne? Can we have a level playing field for all port operators, or must we all develop the successful, lobbying skills of the hon. Member for South Down (Mr. McGrady)?
Angela Smith: That was eloquently put. I can tell the hon. Gentleman that planning permission has not been granted and the decision to fund the work will depend on a statutory economic appraisal, state-aid considerations and any other statutory approvals, including planning permission.
Mr. Eddie McGrady (South Down) (SDLP): First, I should like to thank the Minister's colleague for the announcement that £5.6 million and £3.7 million in the Budget years 2006-08 will be available for capital development in Warrenpoint harbour. This process has been delayed for many years. I would have thought that the previous questioner might have indicated a personal interest in Larne harbour, but that is by the way.
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Can the Minister affirm that there is at the moment no planning application extant in respect of this development? Impact and environmental studies are being carried out prior to the applications being made, but those are in keeping with the findings of the planning public inquiry that was held some time ago and I would like to think that the Department will expedite the process when it comes to that point.
Angela Smith: I thank my hon. Friend for his comments. He is correct. The planning permission is not before the Department yet and changes have been made to the original plans that were, of course, rejected by the PAC. When the planning application comes before the Department, it will be expedited in the normal way, but I do not anticipate any delays in making a decision.
Mr. Beggs: On a point of order, Mr. Illsley. I should like to put on record that I am the Member of Parliament for the constituency in which Larne port is situated, but I have no other interests in that port.
The Chairman: That is not a point of order for the Chair, but the Committee has listened to what the hon. Gentleman has said.
Orange Halls
2. David Burnside (South Antrim) (UUP): Will he make a statement on the present rating system and reliefs that apply to Orange halls in the province. [208895]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Ian Pearson): The current situation is that Orange halls, or indeed any such hall, may gain partial rate relief if they are used from time to time for community purposes, such as a village or community hall, youth or retirement club, or for certain recreational purposes. The degree of relief given is in direct proportion to the amount of time that the hall is used for that type of wider community use.
David Burnside: I thank the Minister for his statement and I welcome it. I believe that this issue was first raised by one of our great parliamentarians in the House of Commons, J. Enoch Powell—the former Member for South Down and for Wolverhampton, South-West—more than 30 years ago, and it has been raised by my party, the Democratic Unionist party and the loyal orders. We in the Orange institution—I have been in the order for over 30 years—are part of the local community. Local Orange halls are an essential part of community life in Northern Ireland.
Cannot the Minister indicate that we can move towards the same position as in England and Wales, where community halls are zero-rated, because of the essential contribution that our Orange halls in our Protestant community contribute to our civil and social life in Northern Ireland?
Mr. Pearson: As the hon. Gentleman will be aware, the Government are pressing ahead with much needed reform of the rating system in Northern Ireland,
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including a review of charitable and other non-domestic rate relief exemptions. The issue of rate relief for community halls is one element of that review. I fully accept that many community halls in rural areas—not just Orange halls—have a vital role to play in community life, and as a Government we wish to encourage the use of those halls. We will issue a policy paper shortly outlining our proposals on a range of reliefs for particular organisations in the non-domestic sector.
My current recollection is that community halls in England and Wales are given exemptions to the extent to which they are used by the community. In the Republic of Ireland, all community halls are exempt. We have been looking at those situations, and the Government will produce policy proposals shortly.
Rev. Martin Smyth (Belfast, South) (UUP): We welcome the relief that was given about 30 years ago by the Minister's erstwhile colleague, Tom Pendry, who was the then Minister responsible. However, it also involved much bookkeeping. People working in that situation have a fair bit of other work to do aside from the minutiae of bookkeeping. They must try to keep account of how many hours the halls are in use and how often. The Minister will agree that, in March 2004, it was stated that the situation was being reviewed. However, that review has still not been concluded. Can the Minister guarantee when that is likely to happen, or is it a case of when it will be, it will be?
Mr. Pearson: The hon. Gentleman is right to point to the level of administration that exists in the current system. We are aware of that, and our policy proposals will seek to deal with it. I cannot give a definite time scale now, but we anticipate publishing the policy proposals shortly.
Lady Hermon (North Down) (UUP): In light of what the Minister said about the rates exemption for Orange Order halls, I ask him to clarify an article that appeared on the front page of The Irish News on Monday 10 January, which stated:
''Prime Minister Tony Blair has written to the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland and the Independent Imperial Grand Lodge confirming that the exemption is to go ahead.''
Is that the case?
Mr. Pearson: My understanding is that the Prime Minister has not written to the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland. Certain discussions have taken place over recent months, and we intend to produce a policy paper for consultation that will outline the Government's proposals. We want to do that soon.
Mr. Nigel Dodds (Belfast, North) (DUP): May I press the Minister on the date of the proposals being published? As he knows, there have been discussions over a period of time and people are anxious to make progress. I therefore join others in pressing him for a date. I urge him to get this finalised once and for all and as quickly as possible. This issue—along with several others that have been raised with him and his ministerial colleagues in recent days—is outstanding.
