Brown O’Connor Communications Weekly Look Ahead / Week Commencing 3 February 2020

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Forward Look

  • Foyle MLA, Raymond McCartney will step down from the Assembly. A selection convention to replace the Sinn Féin MLA will take place on Saturday. Possible replacements include outgoing MEP Martina Anderson, former MP Elisha McCallion and Fiachra McGuinness, son of the late Martin McGuinness.

  • A legislative programme will be brought forward to the Assembly before 11 February. Some bills will relate to the issues highlighted in the ‘New Decade, New Approach’ document – as yet, they are still to be allocated to relevant government departments.

  • The Budget Bill is to be brought in front of the Assembly in February. The UK Budget takes place on 11 March.

  • 11 Bills are expected to begin their legislative passage through the Assembly, before the Summer.

  • The post Assembly hiatus Programme for Government, is presently being formed. The Programme for Government team will be headed up by Chris Stewart with work needing to be done to translate the ‘New Decade, New Approach’ issues into the Programme. Ministers are currently inputting into this process and a multi-year budget is being formed according to Head of Civil Service, David Sterling.

  • The process to replace Tim Losty, Head of the Northern Ireland Bureau in Beijing, is underway. Tim remains in post at present.

  • The proposed Brexit Sub-Committee set up by The Executive Office will meet on Tuesday 4 February. This will be chaired by the First and Deputy First Minister. All Executive parties will be represented and a range of business and trade bodies will be called to give evidence and work with the Committee.

  • It has also been highlighted that work is underway to re-establish meetings with the British-Irish Council and the North-South Ministerial Council.

  • The First and the Deputy First Minister are expected to give oral evidence to the Committee for the Executive Office next week.

  • The timeline to replace David Sterling, Head of the Civil Service has yet to begin. It is understood that no timeline has been agreed but that the First and Deputy First Minister will begin to shape the process soon, ahead of Sterling’s planned departure in August 2020.

  • Jim Allister’s Private Member’s Bill entitled “Functioning of Government (Misc Provisions) Bill will be introduced in the Assembly on Monday 3 February. Second Stage Debate is expected in the next few weeks.

  • The Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition is set to meet in early March.

  • Justice Minister Naomi Long is expected to bring domestic abuse legislation through the Assembly.

  • Health Minister Robin Swann has said that the recommendations of the Hyponatremia Inquiry should be advanced. The department expects to have detailed policy proposals in relation to duty of candour and openness by the end of March 2020, which could be issued thereafter for public consultation.

  • Richard Morgan has been named as the new presenter of BBC Radio Ulster programme, Inside Business.

  • Trade NI will hold a lunchtime reception entitled - ‘Northern Ireland Economy – What Now?’ - in the Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings at 12 noon on Tuesday 4 February. Please RSVP if you would like to attend.

  • Northern Ireland Questions in the House of Commons will take place on Wednesday 5 February at 11.30am.

  • The Irish General Election will take place on Saturday 8 February.

  • The Hospitality Ulster Top 100 Businesses Awards will take place on Wednesday 19 February in the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

  • The 2020 Local Government Conference delivered by NILGA will take place on 20 February in the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Other Stories This Week

  • Finance Minister Conor Murphy allocated over £40 million as part of the January monitoring round.

  • The Migration Advisory Committee has reported back on its recommendations for immigration post-Brexit. Business leaders in Northern Ireland have expressed disappointment at the failure to recommend a unique salary threshold for Northern Ireland.

  • Translink announced the purchase of three hydrogen-fuelled buses from Wrightbus. The £4 million investment is a first step towards investing in zero-carbon technology to combat climate change and improve air quality.

  • The Department for the Economy announced extensions to the terms of office of board members of the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland. The tenures of Hilary Singleton, Billy Graham, John Kane and Maynard Mawhinney have been extended until September 2020.

  • Michel Barnier visited Belfast this week. He met with Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Economy Minister Diane Dodds. At an event in Queen’s University, he said that new checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain are an indispensable consequence of the Brexit deal.

  • Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn visited Stormont and met with representatives from the five main parties.

  • Simon Hoare MP was re-elected Chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee.

  • David Tighe has been announced as the new Managing Director of Bauer Radio in Northern Ireland. He will begin this role in the Summer.

  • Andrew Elliott has taken over as the new Head of the Northern Ireland Bureau in the United States.

Upcoming Key Political and Business Events

  • 31 January, Brexit Day

  • 4 February, ‘Northern Ireland economy – What now?’, Trade NI, Long Gallery, Stormont

  • 8 February, Irish General Election

  • 13 February, ‘Building up Belfast – What’s next?’ real estate event, Eversheds Sutherland, The Merchant, Belfast

  • 13 February, NI Chamber & SONI Energy & Sustainability Forum, CREST, Enniskillen

  • 14 February, DUP Business Breakfast, Castlereagh Golf Club

  • 19 February, The Top 100 Hospitality Businesses Awards, Hospitality Ulster, Crowne Plaza, Belfast

  • 20 February, Local Government Conference & Exhibition, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast

  • 6 – 7 March, Alliance Party Conference, Belfast

  • 11 March, UK Budget

Consultations

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