Your Assembly » Belfast

Discussion on Planning Reform

CommsOfficeAdmin — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:44:02 +0000

What is your view on the proposed changes to Planning Laws?
Are you affected by planning issues in South Belfast?

Why are School Bus Passes not means assessed?

CommsOfficeAdmin — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:40:15 +0000

Why are School Bus Passes not means assessed for those who live within the 3 mile zone?
Parents are spending several hundred pounds a year to send their children to school who live within the 3 miles zone.

Carmel Hanna thinks it’s a good idea for those living within 1 mile to walk to school, but not for those living outside that.
Anna Lo speaks about the 3 mile zone being outdated and also sympathises with those children who are carrying heavy books and PE gear.

Are you going to support the proposed High Hedges Bill?

CommsOfficeAdmin — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:32:51 +0000

Ferghal McKinney asks the panel are you going to support the proposed High Hedges Bill?

The panel responded unanimously that they were in favour.

What do you think about high hedges?

Questions regarding ME

CommsOfficeAdmin — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:36:18 +0000

As the CFS Clinic in the Belfast City Hospital has closed, what provision is being made in the health service for adults, adolescents and children with ME?

What are the health committee doing to develop the specialist knowledge here in NI that all doctors/therapists require to treat people with ME (including GP’s)?

How many doctors here have training in ME?

Whilst the Dept of Health has suggested sufferers can seek referral to mainland UK for specialist treatment, how much money will it cost to send 7,000 sufferers to the UK for specialist treatment?

Where will this money come from, given the recent mention of cutbacks to services?

The Belfast Trust said small numbers attended the CFS Clinic, why then was there a waiting list and how long was that waiting list?

The Dept of Health has stated that patients would receive treatment “ranging from primary and community care to specialist regional neurology services, depending on their assessed individual needs”. If that is the case and none of the doctors at each of these services have training/knowledge of ME – what hope have patients with ME got of appropriate treatment?

South Belfast Road Show

CommsOfficeAdmin — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:12:20 +0000

Tonight we have Anna Lo (Alliance); Alex Maskey (Sinn Fein); Jimmy Spratt (DUP); Carmel Hanna (SDLP) and John McCallister (UUP).
Broadcaster Fearghal McKinney is tonights host and he is sure to keep the panel members on their toes.

Funding for Universties

CommsOfficeAdmin — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:06:55 +0000

Queen’s University is the largest employer in the South Belfast constituency. In the last financial cutbacks the then Executive proposed to wipeout the research funding of the NI universities. This was wisely restored by the Direct Rule administration.
However, can you assure me that the funding of NI universities for teaching and research will be maintained at least
at the level of comparable GB institutions and that funding will be
available for research into topics of special NI use?

We are under way…

CommsOfficeAdmin — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:06:56 +0000

A really great turn out with almost 100 people.

There has been a slight delay as some of our panel members comtinue to debate the justice bill in the Assembly Chamber.

As you can see from the picture, people are always reluctant to sit at the front!

Setting up at the Park Avenue

CommsOfficeAdmin — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:33:34 +0000

We have been busy setting up and people are now starting to arrive.

Here is a picture of the empty venue. I’ll post more later and hopefully have some video from members of the public asking questions.

11+ fiasco

CommsOfficeAdmin — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:19:44 +0000

Why has the 11+ and school transfers become such a fiasco? The MLAs should have stopped that – if they can’t even get something as simple and basic as that right then why are they there? Would this have happened under direct rule?
The confusion and anxiety that children and parents are going through is a disgrace.

Double Jobbing

CommsOfficeAdmin — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:18:20 +0000

How can the Assembly work effectively when so many MLAs are Councillors or MPs or have other full-time or part-time jobs? IS this what we pay our taxes for?