Alliance 'Unsurprised' At Decision Of Controversial New Committee

Alliance has said that they are "unsurprised" that a motion proposed by the party has become the first in Belfast City Council history to be deferred by a controversial new committee.

The Business and Standards Committee allows the DUP and Sinn Féin to 'vet' issues of their choosing before they go to full Council, giving the two parties more power to decide what makes it to the main Council agenda. Its first meeting last week saw one motion, on adding tourist signs to mark historic events around Belfast city centre, discussed. It had been submitted to Council by Councillor Michael Long, who said it was evidence of the fears other parties had discussed before the committee was created.

Councillor Long said: "Alliance, along with the SDLP, PBP and the Green Party, opposed the formation of this Committee as we felt it would limit debate and the ability to raise matters at full Council meetings.

"Clearly it has not taken long for the idea behind it to be implemented, as at its first meeting, a motion on historical signage being erected in the city centre was the first and only motion kicked to the Committee. I believe that means for the first time in Belfast City Council history, a motion submitted by a Councillor and deemed competent will not be given the opportunity to be discussed in the Council chamber.

"Ironically, some of these signs would have showcased important events in the history of our local democracy, and yet the two biggest parties once again combined to enact their own form of democracy at Belfast City Council."

New CAFRE Bursary Announced As Part Of NI Centenary

Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Edwin Poots, has announced a new bursary to mark Northern Ireland's Centenary.

Students studying on Further Education and Higher Education Courses at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) are now being invited to apply for the one-off funding.

Making the announcement Mr Poots said he also wanted to mark the vital work of the College.

He said: "I am delighted to announce four centenary bursary awards, each worth £1,000, for students within all four disciplines at CAFRE - agriculture, food, horticulture and equine.

"For more than 100 years, CAFRE has played an important role in educating people who have become leaders and decision-makers in the agri-food and land-based sectors. In celebration of this and to mark Northern Ireland's Centenary year I wanted to award these special bursaries which I hope the successful students will use to support their studies at CAFRE.

"In recognition of the relationship between health, well-being, food, agriculture, nature and our environment I am asking the students to submit a short essay of 1,000 words explaining how innovation in their chosen discipline has made a difference to the health of people here."

SF Rejection Of Retaining Universal Credit Uplight 'Huge Blow'

Sinn Féin's failure to reverse the £20 weekly cut to Universal Credit has been described as a "huge blow" to people across Northern Ireland.

SDLP Communities Spokesperson Mark H Durkan was speaking after Mr Murphy rejected a bid from party colleague and Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey for £55m to continue the uplift for the rest of the financial year.

The Foyle MLA said: "The decision by Sinn Féin Finance Minister Conor Murphy not to reverse the £1,040 a year cut to Universal Credit will be devastating news for the around 134,000 people currently in receipt of this welfare across the North. SDLP Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon supported the bid for this money, but Sinn Féin and the DUP have gone over the heads of the rest of the Executive and rejected it.

"This decision will leave a wide range of people, from families to single parents, to workers significantly worse off at a time when we are seeing electricity and gas bills rising to record levels, essential goods are getting more expensive and national insurance contributions are set to go up. These people will now face difficult decisions about how they are going to put food on the table and heat their homes this winter.

"The British government had the chance to reverse this cut when they unveiled their budget earlier this week – they chose not to take it and now Conor Murphy has done the same thing, he’s failed to protect local people from this cruel cut despite having the power to do so. What’s even worse is expectations were raised when news emerged that a bid had been made by the Sinn Féin minister for this money, people believed that a reprieve was coming only to have their hopes dashed.

"I understand the financial constraints the Executive is under and it’s only right that our first priority should be health, but the mental and physical health of thousands of people will be affected by this cut as they struggle to get by. To keep this funding for the rest of the year would have required just £55m, less than 0.5% of the Executive budget and I hardly think that is an insurmountable sum to find for the Finance Minister."