Jim Allister has challenged the First and Deputy First Ministers to explain why almost 40 Assembly questions he submitted to them in the last year remain unanswered.
ccording to Stormont procedure, MLAs should expect an answer to their questions within 10 days. A priority question could be dealt with in less than five days.
However, dozens of questions submitted by the TUV leader have been ignored by Arlene Foster and Michelle O’Neill.
Some of the answers the North Antrim MLA is still waiting on centre around the attendance of the Deputy First Minister at the funeral of leading republican Bobby Storey last June.
He asked whether Ms O’Neill, in respect of the coronavirus restrictions in place at the time, followed the rule of law, what her official duties were for the day of Mr Storey’s funeral and whether she and her party colleague, Junior Minister Declan Kearney, travelled to and from the funeral in an official Executive car.
Mr Allister should have received his reply to these questions by July 21 last year, but these and other questions he submitted on a range of other topics — such as the amount the Executive Office spent on Irish language material over the past three years and updates on the Troubles Pension — remain unanswered.
Mr Allister has even submitted follow-up questions, asking when his questions will be answered, but these too have been ignored.
Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Mr Allister said he is not alone in waiting for answers.
He said: “I have heard many other MLAs complaining that they haven’t had questions answered and I have seen questions from them asking why their questions not been answered.
“Some of the questions I submitted date back to last February but my understanding is that when a question goes in, the relevant civil servant will compose an answer and that answer will then be put on the minister’s desk for signature.
“From what I am told, the problem is not the Civil Service — the answers are being drafted but the Ministers aren’t signing them off.
“I have a sheaf of questions to Robin Swann unanswered with queries mostly related to Covid, but most of the Departments are the same. The Departments for Infrastructure and Justice are best at responding but the rest are very tardy indeed.”
However, on Wednesday night Mr Allister said that, having raised concerns this week, answers to several questions submitted in April had suddenly been issued.
The Executive Office was asked about the non-responses to Mr Allister’s questions.
However, no one responded to our queries.
No response: Some of the still unanswered questions from Jim Allister in 2020
February 27: How much has the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition cost to date, and what is the breakdown of payments to each member?
March 13: What steps have been agreed to mark the centenary of Northern Ireland?
March 20: How is Northern Ireland represented on the Covenant Reference Group and what share of funding has Northern Ireland obtained from the Covenant Fund?
March 30: What steps have been agreed to mark the centenary of Northern Ireland? How many staff are employed in the Executive Office?
March 30: What is the agreed advice to a company which could operate with safe distancing but chooses to close, in terms of that company’s eligibility to participate in the Government’s 80% support scheme?
May 6: Have complaints been received by the Executive Office and the office of the Interim Advocate in respect of the conduct of the Interim Advocate for Victims/Survivors of Historical Institutional Abuse, and how many of these complaints have been resolved?
May 26: When will 14 previous specified questions be answered?
June 3: Given the lack of definition of premises in Regulation 2 of The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020, can clarification be provided as to whether drive-in church services can be held at premises other than the premises of the church organising the event?
June 4: Will there be an update on the Troubles Pension and which department will have oversight of the pension?
June 10: Do the First and deputy First Ministers support the proposed steps to implement the EU Withdrawal Agreement Protocol at the ports of Northern Ireland?
June 10: What is the First and deputy First Ministers’ assessment of the economic impact of the proposed steps to implement the EU Withdrawal Agreement Protocol at the ports of Northern Ireland?
June 10: Why has a department not yet been nominated to handle administration of the Troubles-related incident Victims Payment Scheme?
June 10: What issues are delaying the Troubles-related incident Victims Payment Scheme?
June 17: Outline when childcare facilities will reopen and explain why this was left out of the ‘Coronavirus — Executive Approach to Decision-Making’ document?
June 24: List the dates on which the Party Leader’s Forum has met since January 11, 2020.
July 1: How much has the First Ministers’ department spent on producing material in Irish in each of the last three years?
July 1: On weddings, will the First and deputy First Minister ensure any limitation on the number of attendees is not arbitrarily fixed but linked to the capacity of the venue to facilitate social distancing?
July 6: Was the deputy First Minister conveyed to the funeral of Bobby Storey on June 30, 2020 in an official Executive car?
July 21: List the official duties of the deputy First Minister on June 30, 2020.
July 21: In regard to Regulations 5, 6 and 6A of The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2020, what is their assessment of whether the deputy First Minister, in attending the funeral of Bobby Storey on June 30, 2020, was supporting the rule of law unequivocally in word and deed, as required by her pledge of office.
July 24: In regard to The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Amendment No. 9) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 being made at 9.30pm on June 29, 2020, how was Belfast City Council able to send an email to funeral directors before 9.30pm on June 29, 2020 containing the upgrade to 30 at outdoor gatherings, and what investigation has been launched into potential leaking of official information?
July 27: Was Junior Minister Kearney conveyed to the funeral of Bobby Storey on June 30, 2020 in an official Executive car?
August 11: What are the agreed terms of reference for the Joint Board established under New Decade, New Approach?
September 3: What views have been expressed by the First and deputy First Ministers to the Chinese authorities about China’s legislation in Hong Kong?
September 10: Why, and on what basis, was the Assembly told on July 28, 2020 by junior Minister Kearney that the Minister for Infrastructure could not exercise powers relating to planning, arising from the enactment of The Executive Committee Functions Bill, until the Ministerial Code was amended; and is that still the position of the Executive Office?
September 14: Given the guide on good practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (CPA) discourages automatic reappointments, will a publicly advertised competition be held to appoint the CPA upon the imminent expiry of the term of office of the current incumbent?
September 22: Detail what ministerial directions have been issued since January 2020.
September 24: When will a previous specified question will be answered?
September 29: When will a previous specified question be answered?
September 30: When will a previous specified question be answered?
September 30: How is Ballymena to be defined in relation to the recent restrictions the First and deputy First Minister announced?
September 30: What is the underlying data for Ballymena and BT43 which is relied upon to justify the most recent restrictions which they announced?
September 30: How was the data relied upon to justify the recent restrictions announced for Ballymena refined to distinguish between parts of the town and communities within the same?
September 30: In what circumstances can a Minister use an official ministerial car when not on ministerial duties; and was the deputy First Minister conveyed to Dublin for a party political meeting on September 24, 2020 by ministerial car?
October 6: When will a previous specified question will be answered?
October 6: When will a previous specified question will be answered?
October 6: When will a previous specified question will be answered?
November 4: What process or mechanism exists within the First and deputy First Ministers’ department whereby a written record is kept of any lobbying of the Minister or special adviser in relation to departmental functions, policies or proposals?
November 10: Under what statutory provision has a special adviser been appointed to assist junior Minister Kearney?
November 18: What is the current breakdown on the basis of gender and community background in respect of Judicial Officers, as defined by the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission?
November 20: What is the cost to date of providing English sign language translation and Irish sign language translation at the regular Covid-19 press conferences?
November 27: Detail the annual financial contribution of Northern Ireland to the costs of the North South Ministerial Council and its secretariat; and the British Irish Council and its secretariat.
December 1: Can youth and community centres remain open or are they required to close as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions?
December 23: When will compliance take place with paragraph 3.3 of The Guidance for Ministers in the Exercise of their Official Responsibilities with regard to the publication of performance statistics for each of the departments in answering Assembly Written Questions?
