Other NI News In Brief

Adams Denies Being Baron

The Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has refuted claims by the PM that he accepted a post as 'Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead' in order to resign his seat as an MP for West Belfast. "The only contact I have had with the British Parliament is a letter to resign as MP," he said. "I understand Mr Cameron has claimed that 'the Honourable Member for West Belfast has accepted an office for profit under the Crown', but this is untrue. I simply resigned. I was not consulted nor was I asked to accept such an office. I am an Irish republican. I have had no truck whatsoever with these antiquated and quite bizarre aspects of the British parliamentary system," he said.

Lottery Partner Sought

The Big Lottery Fund is looking for an award partner to deliver a multi-million pound programme that will bring communities in Northern Ireland together by making better use of local spaces and places. The £15m Space and Place programme which will support projects that make better use of new and existing outdoor and indoor spaces in local communities, particularly those that are not used enough, are overgrown and neglected, or are seen as only for use by certain groups. The Big Lottery Fund wants to appoint an award partner from the voluntary and community sector to run the programme's grant scheme and make grants of £50,000 - £1m to projects that create safe spaces where people of all ages in the community can meet and take part in activities that improve their health and education. Organisations interested in applying to be an award partner for this programme must complete an Expression of Interest form and submit it to the Big Lottery Fund by noon 21 March. See: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk or email enquiries.ni@biglotteryfund.org.uk or phone 028 9055 1455.

Fuelling The Fires

DUP Member of Parliament for East Londonderry, Gregory Campbell has pressed the Prime Minister on the Tory Party's pre-election promise to introduce a Fuel Duty Stabiliser to help hard-pressed families and businesses cope with the massive fluctuations in fuel prices experienced recently. He questioned David Cameron on the issue at Prime Minister's Question Time on Wednesday and said afterwards: "The Tory party made a pre-election pledge to introduce a Fuel Duty Stabiliser. The idea of a stabiliser is simple: when the price of crude oil goes up, then the amount of duty that the Government charges on fuel is reduced in order to keep prices stable. Now they are in a position to introduce a stabiliser they appear to be running away from that pledge," the MP said. "In his response to me, the Prime Minister sought to deflect my question by talking about announcing tax-changes in a mid-budget period, but that is not what his party was saying before the election. The Prime Minister should make good his party's pre-election promises to help people affected by this situation," said the DUP MP.

McGimpsey Pledge On A&E

The Stormont Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey has visited the Causeway Hospital and the GP Practice at Portrush Health Clinic. "I am aware there has been a lot of public concern about the provision of acute services at the Causeway Hospital. I would like to take this opportunity to reassure the community that there are no plans to change Accident and Emergency services at the Causeway Hospital, indeed steps have been taken to sustain services on a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week basis. After visiting the hospital, the Minister then met with GPs in the Portrush Health Clinic to meet with the GPs, their staff, the Chair of the Patient Participation Group and patients.

Child Safety Assured

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public safety has successfully completed the final stage of the Safeguarding Board Legislation. The legislation, subject to Royal Assent, will establish by statutory provision, a regional Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI). The objective of the Board will be to ensure that work being done by both individuals and organisations is effective in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Commenting on the significance of this development, Social Services Minister Michael McGimpsey said: "Safeguarding children is everybody's business. The SBNI will, for the first time, bring together the key agencies from the voluntary and statutory sectors on a legislative basis to work together strategically. The Safeguarding Board will operate in a challenging environment against a backdrop of diminishing investment and competing priorities, but I am confident that it will deliver significant improvements to the lives of vulnerable children in giving them a safer future," he said.

(BMcC/GK)