Tag: Press Release

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionist Party on 30 December 2022.

Ulster Unionist Peer, Lord Empey, who is a Member of the House of Lords Committee on the Northern Ireland Protocol, said of the letter sent by Environment Minister Lord Benyon to Committee chair Lord Jay:

“I read Lord Benyon’s letter with great concern. While he confirms that physical infrastructure will be constructed at Northern Ireland Ports to provide for checks on SPS (phytosanitary) products, he links this to the Protocol Bill currently going through Parliament. He says that this is to enable red and green channels to operate, so that goods destined for the EU can be subject to full EU checks and controls and full customs procedures.

“I am not persuaded that the Minister is giving the real reason for this process. On 1st March this year, Doug Beattie MC MLA, led an Ulster Unionist delegation to Brussels. At a meeting with European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic, it was made clear that many of the irksome checks and a lot of paperwork could be streamlined and reduced to make the movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland easier and less expensive. This, however, would have to be negotiated by the UK and the EU.

“The question of physical infrastructure was and is another matter. The EU is insisting on it for two main reasons:- 1) It is in the Treaty between the UK and the EU and 2) the EU is ensuring that in the event of a future outbreak of disease that could threaten the Single Market, the facilities are there to manage what would be significantly increased checks.

“The decision of Whitehall to brush aside the NI Department of Environment and Rural Affairs, whose responsibility it should be to provide these facilities, illustrates the commitment the Government is making to implement the Protocol.

“These facilities, when constructed, will be the physical manifestation of the ‘Border in the Irish Sea’ and downstream consequences of a badly negotiated and ill thought through Brexit.

“The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill is currently stalled in Parliament; no date has yet been set for its Report stage in the House of Lords and the Government is delaying its progress to avoid defeats and amendments which are highly likely to happen.

“The EU knows this and nobody is fooled by talk of trying to ‘show good faith in the negotiations’.

“It’s a sad day indeed when we are discussing arrangements to impede the flow of goods within our own country, and those who campaigned for a poorly designed Brexit have much to answer for. Had there been no Brexit there would be no border in the Irish Sea, no Protocol and no interruption to the working of the Devolved Institutions.

“I see no sign that the DUP policy of boycotting Stormont is working – quite the contrary.

“I think all of unionism needs to review the way forward on this very dangerous constitutional and economic crisis: things can’t go on as they are, especially in the middle of a terrible increase in poverty.

“Since January 2019, Ulster Unionists have advocated an alternative way forward, which would go some way to ending the democratic deficit we have here and lessen damage to our economy (attached).

“I hope these ideas could form the basis of talks between the parties here and between the UK and the EU.

“We need a fresh start in 2023 and these proposals could form the basis of serious negotiations.

“It is a scandal that Northern Ireland politicians continue to be excluded from the negotiations.”

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionists on 28 December 2022.

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionists on 20 December 2022.

Ulster Unionist representatives in the Lurgan area have voiced strong opposition to the decision taken by the Education Department’s Permanent Secretary to close the Lurgan Campus of Craigavon Senior High School in spite of a long running and well supported campaign to keep it open.

Ulster Unionist Party Leader and Upper Bann MLA Doug Beattie MC said:

“Over a protracted period the Lurgan community has fought to find a solution to the threatened closure of the Lurgan Campus of the Craigavon Senior High School, that kept the children in Lurgan and maintained a clear educational pathway.  Unfortunately, against the wishes of the community, academics, local councillors and the Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council’s own Community Plan, the Permanent Secretary for the Department of Education has decided that he would rather bus the children from Lurgan to Portadown than find a Lurgan solution.

“This will be a bitter blow to some of the most educationally vulnerable in Lurgan and shows a real lack of vision on the part of the Education Department. This is compounded by the very fact that when we did have an Executive, a Minster for Education refused to make a decision on this development proposal although pressed on it multiple times.

“The reality is that the children of Lurgan have been failed over many years by the Education authority and when there was an opportunity to put education first, they decided to take the route of least resistance ignoring all other options.

Lurgan Ulster Unionist Councillor Louise McKinstry said:

“I am shocked and saddened at this decision. Successive education ministers have failed the children of Lurgan in the controlled sector by not making a decision earlier when they had many opportunities to do so, and they cannot run for cover now.

“A consultation run by the Education Authority saw the proposed closure of the Lurgan Campus overwhelmingly rejected and yet we are now expected to accept the decision of an unelected civil servant to close the educational pathway for non-selected controlled pupils in a town the size of Lurgan. This is not acceptable and the children of Lurgan deserve better than this.”

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionist Party on 20 December 2022.

With another Protocol deadline looming, the Ulster Unionist Party’s Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs spokesperson Tom Elliott has welcomed the confirmation from the EU that they have agreed a further three year extension to the grace period for access to veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland.

Commenting on problems facing the agri-food industry due to the inclusion of animal medicines in the protocol Mr Elliott said:

“Although this is only a stop-gap and temporary solution, we should never have been in this position and I have called on numerous occasions – the last being just a month ago – that animal medicines should be removed from the scope of the Protocol.

“The extended grace period for medicines was planned to come to an end this month at the end of 2022 and so far, the implementation of the full protocol rules would mean that potentially half of all veterinary medicines would no longer be available. The potential impact to our agri-food industry is significant to say the least, and this should never have been allowed to happen. We have an agri-food industry that is second to none with excellent markets in GB, the EU and right across the world which contribute over £500 million to the economy of Northern Ireland.

“This is a very significant issue, not only for animal health and welfare but also for public health, the food supply chain and the Northern Ireland farming community. There is potential for severe repercussions.

“The farming community should continue to have access to the same medicines that are freely available in any other part of the UK and it is vital that our concerns are raised in any negotiations. The EU need to recognise the problems that have been created because of dual regulations. The risks are very real and need addressing as a matter of urgency and that is why I have written to HM Government to highlight this inequality and to ask that they do all in their power to resolve this.

“Medicines should never have been included in the Protocol. I am asking for a practical common-sense approach to this issue and remove animal medicines from the scope of the Protocol, which would help future proof the agri-food industry and at the same time provide a solution that helps protect animal health and food security.”

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionists on 19 December 2022.

East Belfast Ulster Unionist MLA and Communities spokesperson Andy Allen MBE has welcomed the update from Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps MP that Energy bills support for households in Northern Ireland is to commence from January 2023.

Mr Allen said:

“I cautiously welcome the update from the Business and Energy secretary that energy bill support for households in Northern Ireland is to commence from January 2023. However, for many this will be later than when it was most needed and I remain of the view that this much needed support could have been delivered weeks ago.

“Today’s announcement also raises a significant number of questions, therefore, I would call on the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to promptly pull together a question and answer guide that may be able to provide further clarity for households.

“The scheme has also been likened to the high street voucher scheme previously run by the Department for the Economy, which we know presented challenges for many people when it came to providing identification. Many people still don’t have any form of ID, which may cause challenges for them to avail of the voucher support.

“Critically, as the support here is coming much later than it should have and unlike other regions of the United Kingdom there are no alternative packages of support from either the Departments for Communities, Economy or otherwise, the UK Government must ensure the £600 support is proactively delivered. Every passing day that it is not will result in households being pushed further into hardship.

“This short-term intervention is both welcome and much-needed, however, it cannot be a substitute for local intervention to tackle the root causes of poverty and a reliance on fossil fuels.”