This Week

Monday 26th November Stormont Staff Meeting Head of Staff Meeting Group Meeting Ministerial Statement – Agriculture: European Commission Financial Corrections Mr Swann: I thank the Minister for her statement. Minister, I think that we are all in agreement that the Department’s handling of disallowance and the fines has been a bit of an omnishambles since the very beginning. In your statement — I know that this is the third time this has come to the House before it has actually been presented — you said at point 31: “Given that the information contained in the maps will also be used to pre-populate the 2013 single application form” However, at point 45, you tell farmers to be diligent because: “we will not be able to pre-print” the forms. Will you clarify the difference between those two points? What is the exact guidance to farmers? Mrs O’Neill: We will send out a … Continue reading →

Monday 19th November Stormont British Council – Breakfast Staff Meeting Head of Staff Meeting Group Meeting Assembly: – Oral Questions to Minister for Employment and Learning Community Family Support Programme 5. Mr Swann asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what action is being taken through the community family support programme pilot. (AQO 2890/11-15) Dr Farry: The community family support programme pilot is part of the wider Pathways to Success strategy that will take a range of actions across the Executive to prevent young people falling into the NEET category. Initially, the pilot programme will be delivered by the Local Employment Intermediary Service (LEMIS) in partnership with the existing health and social services provision. It will commence in January 2013 and will focus on the needs of 44 disadvantaged families in the targeted areas of east and west Belfast, Strabane, Cookstown and Newtownabbey. The families that are involved in the … Continue reading →

Monday 12th November Stormont Staff meeting Head of Staff meeting Group meeting Pattons – meeting a delegation representing many of the sub-contractors that have been affected by the recent news that Pattons have gone into administration Assembly : Question to Minister of Justice Mr Swann: Is the Minister aware of any objections to the use of full-body scanning in the current pilot schemes at Magilligan or Hydebank? Mr Ford: Some prisoners have raised issues with the searching. That is what the pilot schemes are about — ensuring that we get things like the tabulation of the machinery correct and that prisoners do not have to spend extra time if they have to go through that search. However, I believe that we are seeing positive results from the two millimetre wave scanners. Of course, that is different from the technical issue of the transmission X-rays, which the question was about. Private … Continue reading →

Monday 5th November Stormont Staff Meeting Group Meeting Assembly: Committee Business Muscular Dystrophy and Related Neuromuscular Conditions Mr Swann: I am the vice-chairman of the all-party group on muscular dystrophy, and I pay tribute to the Health Committee, through its Chair, for the work it has done for this great cause in bringing the motion to the House. I also pay tribute to all the individuals — clinicians, sufferers, families, friends and supporters — who gave evidence to the all-party group’s evidence sessions, which took place in the last session of the Assembly. That process lasted up to a year, as the Committee Chair mentioned. Those evidence sessions were some of the most moving encounters I have had in my short period as an MLA. The McCollum report refers to 60 types of muscular dystrophy. What really got me involved in the work of the all-party group on this cause … Continue reading →

Halloween Recess Tuesday 30th October Stormont Stormont tour – leaders and members of Connor GB Wednesday 31st October Belfast NICVA – Sport in the Community GOLI REACH Launch – Stormont Hotel Constituency work – correspondance, phone calls etc Thursday 1st November Constituency/Belfast Meeting with local constituents in office Letters, phone calls etc Assembly staff meeting Jim Nicholson Business Lunch Community Mural Unveiling in Main Street, Kells