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Tag: Press Release

  • PRESS RELEASE : 35 years on Enniskillen families still wait for truth and justice – Tom Elliott [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : 35 years on Enniskillen families still wait for truth and justice – Tom Elliott [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Ulster Unionists on 7 November 2022.

    Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott MLA:

    “Tuesday marks the 35th anniversary of one the IRA`s most horrific atrocities when they exploded a no warning bomb as people gathered on Remembrance Sunday in 1987. Twelve innocent men and women were murdered in the Enniskillen Poppy Day Massacre, with dozens more injured.

    “It was an act of barbarity that even in a time when outrages were sadly almost commonplace, still had the power to shock people who had become almost immune to the horrors of the Troubles, and exposed to the wider world, the cruelty and the fascist nature of the IRA.

    “Only recently, the memorial to the victims was erected in Enniskillen. Not only should there be a memorial to the victims, but their families also deserve truth and justice. The families have endured years of pain and watched on as IRA victims have been sidelined whilst others tried to justify the IRA`s barbaric murder campaign.

    “Only this week Mary Lou McDonald attempted to differentiate between murders carried out by the IRA`s murder gangs and murders carried out by Dublin based criminal gangs. All murder is wrong whether it was 1987 or 2022. It was the Provisional IRA who massacred innocent men, women and children in Northern Ireland. The IRA`s bloody list of atrocities should be something to be ashamed of, not to be romanticised or glorified.

    “To this day, many continue to live with the pain and suffering of losing a loved one or with the physical and emotional suffering of terrorist activities. Even with that pain and suffering I pay great tribute to those who have persevered with the erection of the Memorial in Enniskillen.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : We must never tire of challenging Sinn Fein attempts to differentiate between IRA murders and gangland murders [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : We must never tire of challenging Sinn Fein attempts to differentiate between IRA murders and gangland murders [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Ulster Unionist Party on 7 November 2022.

    Doug Beattie MC MLA said:

    “The weekend comments from Mary Lou McDonald that there is ‘no comparison’ between IRA violence and gangland violence has rightly been rejected, as has her claim that Jonathan Dowdall would not have been “anywhere near” Sinn Fein had her party known he was involved in any form of criminality.

    “The whitewashing of the IRA’s part in the butchering of men, women and children and the continual harm and hurt visited on families is appalling and what we are witnessing is the Disneyfication of murder, seeking to romanticise brutal crimes.

    “Mary Lou McDonald is deluded if she thinks that IRA atrocities such as the Abercorn, Claudy, La Mon or Enniskillen were not crimes. The shooting of Angela Gallagher, Jean McConville and Mary Travers – to name but a few – are crimes that would shame the devil, but not it would seem Sinn Fein.

    “Gun attacks by drug gangs are no different to gun attacks by the IRA, because both are the work of illegal criminal gangs.

    “I fully understand that Sinn Fein has a vested interest in trying to sanitise the bloody past of the IRA, but they face some inconvenient facts in the process. The first is that that 60 per cent of Troubles related deaths were the work of republican terrorists. The second is that the IRA in supposedly defending the Catholic population, killed more Catholics than all the other actors combined.

    “Sinn Fein may attempt to pretend that black is white but they should not be surprised when they are challenged every step of the way by those for whom the truth is not a stranger.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Almost 1,000 prison leavers tagged in first year of drive to cut booze-fuelled crime [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Almost 1,000 prison leavers tagged in first year of drive to cut booze-fuelled crime [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 19 November 2022.

    Nearly 1,000 prison leavers have been tagged in the first year of a scheme designed to crackdown on booze-fuelled crime.

    • one year since world-first launch of alcohol tagging of prison leavers in Wales
    • offenders tagged for up to a year face prison for breaching drink rules
    • tags tackling alcohol-fuelled crime which costs society £21 billion a year

    Under the scheme, offenders released from prison are fitted with alcohol monitoring tags if their probation officer thinks they are likely to reoffend when drinking. Those who break the rules set by the Probation Service around their drinking face being sent back to jail.

    The initiative was launched in Wales last November and rolled out to England in June as part of government plans to stamp out the scourge of alcohol-related crime.

    Alcohol plays a part in 39 per cent of all violent crime in the UK and roughly 20 per cent of offenders supervised by the Probation Service are classed as having an alcohol problem.

    Around 12,000 orders requiring offenders to wear alcohol tags are expected to be issued over the next three years, covering both prison leavers and those serving community sentences.

    Prisons and Probation Minister, Damian Hinds MP, said:

    When more than a third of all violent crime is fuelled by alcohol, these tags provide vital monitoring to help cut reoffending and protect our communities.

    Roughly 12,000 offenders will have benefitted from these innovative tags by 2025 – helping them to make positive changes to their lives and making the streets safer.

    The tags help probation officers monitor offenders’ behaviour and support them to turn their backs on crime. They also provide offenders with the incentive to break bad habits as breaching their licence condition could see them back in prison.

    Natasha (not her real name), aged 22, from Cardiff, has been on a tag since the beginning of September. She said:

    I was nervous about being tagged but it does help. It’s a physical reminder for me not to drink.

    I’ve been on probation before but this time I’m doing really well. I’m sober and not getting in trouble.

    An offender’s licence will stipulate that the alcohol tag must be worn for a minimum of 30 days up to a maximum of one year. Those getting tagged either have a licence condition which requires them to go teetotal or have their drinking levels monitored during this time.

    Judges and magistrates have handed down 5,939 alcohol tagging orders to offenders serving community sentences since October 2020.

    Last year, the government launched another world-first, using GPS tags to track robbers, thieves and burglars. Around 10,000 tagging orders are expected to be made over the next three years to help stop criminals from reoffending and help police catch them if they carry on.

    The move is part of the government’s plan to tackle crime, expanding the use of innovative technology to protect the public and drive down reoffending. The £183 million investment over the next 3 years will nearly double the number of defendants on tags at any one time from 13,500 in 2021 to 25,000 by 2025.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Derelict land to be transformed into new homes in boost for local regeneration [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Derelict land to be transformed into new homes in boost for local regeneration [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 19 November 2022.

    • Up to £35 million allocated to help councils transform unused sites into high-quality, new homes
    • 59 regeneration projects from Exeter to Sunderland set to support thousands of new jobs, drive local growth and level up the country
    • Forms the first phase of £180 million Brownfield Land Release Fund which will continue to be rolled out over next two years

    Thousands of new homes will be built on derelict land to create thriving communities and help level up the country, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced today (19 November 2022).

    Almost £35 million from the £180 million Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 has been allocated to 41 councils to help kickstart regeneration in towns and cities.

    The funding will bring unloved, council-owned land back into use, by transforming redundant industrial sites, disused car parks and derelict buildings into new places for people to live.

    A total of 59 regeneration projects from Exeter to Sunderland will see over 2,200 homes – including over 800 affordable homes – built for local communities. This will help more young people and families onto the housing ladder and generate up to 7000 new jobs in housing and construction.

    The new fund, announced today, forms part of the government’s plan to level up the country – ensuring local areas can achieve their full potential, while also protecting the country’s green spaces.

    Minister for Housing Rt Hon Lucy Frazer said:

    We are helping local communities transform unwanted, urban eyesores into thriving places that people are proud to call home.

    Regeneration is at the heart of our levelling up mission and this new brownfield first fund will help communities across the country unlock disused, council-owned sites to build more of the right homes in the right places”

    Cabinet Office Minister Alex Burghart said:

    This funding is absolutely crucial for stimulating growth and forms part of a push across the whole of government to get the UK economy moving.

    Unused land such as this is ripe for investment and I’m thrilled we’re opening the door for more than 2,200 new property owners to potentially take their first step onto the property ladder.

    This funding is great news for businesses, it’s great news for industry and it’s even better news for local people in these communities who are seeing housing and jobs moving to their area.”

    Local areas were invited to bid for a share of the first round of funding from the new scheme. The remaining £140 million is to be allocated over the next two years – creating up to 17,600 new homes in total across the country, as well as support up to 54,000 jobs in the sector.

    Cllr James Jamieson, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said:

    We are delighted to be a key partner in supporting the Government’s £180m Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF2).

    Councils play a vital role in driving progress to provide more and better housing, and the awarding of this fund will ensure English councils unlock their brownfield land for new homes and deliver local housing priorities.

    With built-in support from the One Public Estate programme, councils can tackle complex and challenging brownfield sites to benefit their communities.”

    This scheme builds on the success of the first Brownfield Land Release Fund, which saw £77 million help councils release over 160 brownfield sites for around 7,750 new homes across the country.

    Today’s allocations will now support the transformation of more previously developed, council-owned sites, by funding infrastructure and remediation work to release the land for new homes. Examples include:

    • Lancaster – one of two successful projects will see over £1.6 million will transform the city centre with 140 new homes, including new affordable homes, cultural venues, and facilities to the Canal Quarter regeneration area.
    • Hull – £175,000 will release land to deliver 10 new affordable homes for the local community, as part of the city’s regeneration drive.
    • Mid-Devon – a total of £280,000 will release land for two modular, affordable housing sites in Tiverton and Cullompton to build 14 quality, low-carbon homes for the community.
    • Great Yarmouth – £219,155 for one of two successful projects will boost the city centre by helping to transform old industrial buildings into 32 high-quality affordable homes, turning the area into a vibrant place for people to live.

    Increasing housing supply is central to the levelling up agenda and supports the government’s ongoing target to deliver 300,000 new homes a year. Just before the pandemic in 2019/20 over 242,000 homes were delivered – the highest number for over 30 years.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Diane Forsythe – Protocol not acceptable to unionists [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Diane Forsythe – Protocol not acceptable to unionists [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the DUP on 18 November 2022.

    DUP South Down MLA Diane Forsythe met with the Republic of Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheál Martin when he visited her constituency on Friday morning. Ms Forsythe emphasised the need for the Protocol to be replaced with arrangements that unionists can support.

    Ms Forsythe said,

    “As the only Unionist MLA in South Down, it was a useful opportunity to impress upon Micheál Martin the need for the Protocol to be replaced. No unionist elected representatives in South Down support the Protocol.

    Whilst we were discussing cross border investment, it must be noted that the Trader Support Service which exists to help businesses with Protocol paperwork cost the UK Treasury £15,000 per hour in the first six months of this year. That’s £375,000 per day. Imagine the impact funding like that could have on public services along that border region.

    Whilst the negotiations are between the EU and the UK, I encouraged the Taoiseach to understand the concerns of unionists and use his position in the EU to push for a sensible resolution which unionists and nationalists can support.

    Progress is only made in Northern Ireland when there are agreements that unionists and nationalists can support. We operate powersharing, not majority rule.”

    Ms Forsythe continued,

    “We also discussed the good work that can be achieved by cross-border cooperation. Mr Martin was there to announce progress on the Irish government side of the Narrow Water bridge project. I believe there are much better ways to spend public funds in the area than this bridge and I took the chance to raise these today.

    I highlighted that there are many other opportunities for cross-border cooperation to boost local industry. I mentioned the huge opportunities for boosting Warrenpoint Harbour with further investment with potential for great economic by looking at the plans for expansion of the old dock with marina facilities.

    It was good to meet him and establish a working relationship as a representative of this border constituency with our southern neighbours.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Gavin Robinson tells NIO to stop manufacturing excuses [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Gavin Robinson tells NIO to stop manufacturing excuses [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the DUP on 18 November 2022.

    DUP East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson has told NIO Minister Steve Baker to stop manufacturing excuses and set a timeline for the delivery of the £400 energy payment.

    Mr Robinson said,

    “The UK Government is delivering the energy payment directly to homes in England, Scotland and Wales and people can see through the nonsense suggestion that this has been delayed in Northern Ireland because Stormont is not fully functioning.

    Even if Stormont was fully operational, the best way to deliver this payment would be direct from London.

    The NIO should stop manufacturing excuses for why this is taking so long. The energy companies are ready to deliver the payment and the only impediment lies in London.

    Set a timeline and stop making politically motivated attacks on the DUP.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Sammy Wilson – DUP MPs will oppose fuel duty hike [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Sammy Wilson – DUP MPs will oppose fuel duty hike [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the DUP on 17 November 2022.

    East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson has said that DUP MPs will oppose the Government’s plans to increase fuel duty by 23%.

    The DUP MP said,

    “The unprecedented 23% rise in fuel duty from next March will leave motorists collectively billions of pounds worse off and increase the price of fuel at a time when motorists have already been hit by massive inflation.

    It places huge pressure on domiciliary care providers, district nurses and other vital workers who rely on their vehicle. There will be an obvious need for public sector milage rates to be increased in line with this rise. The impact will be also be particularly felt by those who live in rural areas and those businesses which require vehicles for their operations.

    The DUP will be opposing this measure in the House of Commons when it comes to be voted upon.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Ian Paisley presses Chancellor on Autumn statement [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Ian Paisley presses Chancellor on Autumn statement [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the DUP on 17 November 2022.

    DUP North Antrim MP Ian Paisley responded to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement in the House of Commons for our Westminster team and recognised that when times are tough Northern Ireland benefits massively from being part of the United Kingdom’s four nations.

    After speaking in the House of Commons Mr Paisley said,

    “By being part of the Union, Northern Ireland benefits from the United Kingdom’s economic strength whether that is the triple-lock on pensions, the NHS, welfare supports, energy support payments or as we witnessed in the pandemic via the Furlough Scheme. Whilst we will be critical of individual scheme details, we must recognise the broader massive benefits for Northern Ireland.

    Overall this budget is challenging for households in Northern Ireland and made more difficult due to the poor planning by the former Finance Minister who failed to set a budget for Northern Ireland despite starting the process in October 2021. Departments face a £650m blackhole partially due to poor budget management by the SF Finance Minister as well as the Treasury envelope.

    We welcome the retention of the pensions Triple Lock and the commitments to develop our tech sector in Northern Ireland as well as reduce regulation in other sectors but unless we have the Protocol replaced, in many cases Northern Ireland will not be able to benefit from these measures.

    I recognise that the Government has listened and revised their initial £100 payment for oil users by increasing it to £200 and making it available to all households. This is imperfect but at least there is movement. We now need a clear timetable for this roll-out and the £400 electricity payment.

    Hundreds of my constituents work hard but it is not paying them. I am disappointed that serious action on childcare has been overlooked. I have teachers and nurses in North Antrim, who when they pay their childcare bill have almost nothing left. We will continue to press the Chancellor to recognise that the Tax-Free Childcare allowance for working parents needs increased.

    We will continue to use our seats in Westminster to press for greater support for public services in Northern Ireland and note the planned budget reduction in 24/25 for major infrastructure investment.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Northern Ireland Protocol’s threat to medicine supply still looms large -Pam Cameron [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Northern Ireland Protocol’s threat to medicine supply still looms large -Pam Cameron [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the DUP on 16 November 2022.

    DUP South Antrim MLA Pam Cameron has said the threat to the supply of medicines in Northern Ireland continues to loom large as a result of the Protocol.

    Responding to formal evidence provided by one major pharmaceutical company, Teva UK, which confirmed that there are ‘current’ and ‘significant’ challenges to sourcing some products from Great Britain, Mrs Cameron said:

    ‘‘The vast majority of local medicines are supplied from Great Britain.

    By foisting new and demanding requirements on how these products are authorised for use in Northern Ireland, the Protocol is placing future supply in jeopardy and causing deep uncertainty for patients and our health service.

    The warning presented by Teva UK is stark. They say need for two product licences under the Centralised Procedure ‘‘creates an administrative and cost burden that will make many medicines unviable to supply to NI.’’

    However they are not alone in holding these concerns.

    In separate evidence, the NHS Confederation warned that the temporary EU legislation will expire at the end of 2024, ‘creating future uncertainty.’ PAGB, the UK trade association for manufacturers of over-the-counter medicines, also expressed concern about the ‘level of certification needed to supply food supplements’ to our Province.

    This level of disruption is unacceptable and unjustifiable.

    Those parties who were tripping over each other to praise the EU for allowing medicines to move within our own country need to accept that the Protocol’s problems have not been resolved. Rather than downplaying the impact it is having, they should join with us and others in calling for these provisions to be scrapped.

    The reality is that Brussels should never have been allowed to use people’s health as political leverage. Medicines should not have been part of the Protocol and their unfettered supply in the future will be a crucial test of whether any Government outcome, either by negotiation or legislation, is capable of restoring Northern Ireland’s economic and constitutional position within the United Kingdom.’’

  • PRESS RELEASE : Gavin Robinson welcomes major MOD contract for Harland & Wolff [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Gavin Robinson welcomes major MOD contract for Harland & Wolff [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the DUP on 16 November 2022.

    East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson has welcomed the news that British-led Team Resolute has been selected as the preferred bidder to build new support ships for the Royal Navy. Team Resolute includes Harland & Wolff and the final assembly of the three vessels will take place in Belfast.

    The £1.6billion contract is to manufacture three 216-metre-long naval support ships providing munitions, stores and provisions to the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers, destroyers and frigates deployed at sea.

    Mr Robinson who is the local MP and a member of Parliament’s Defence Select Committee said, “This is fantastic news for Belfast and Northern Ireland as a whole, but primarily for Harland & Wolff and everyone associated with the company. As part of Team Resolute they have pledged to invest £77million in shipyard infrastructure to support the British shipbuilding sector. Harland & Wolff’s Belfast operation will be heavily involved throughout the process through both construction and final assembly stages.

    The majority of work will take place across the UK and I am delighted that workers in Belfast will be playing a key role in delivering these state of the art vessels for the Royal Navy and contributing to our nation’s defence capabilities.

    Harland & Wolff has been part of some of the most significant chapters of our history. However, today’s announcement reminds us that it remains a significant national asset, as one of only three UK shipbuilders suitable for major MOD contract. The shipyard will continue to be a key asset for Belfast and Northern Ireland for a long time to come.”