Brown O’Connor Communications Weekly Look Ahead: Week Commencing 13 September 2021

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Forward Look

  • The first plenary sitting of the new Northern Ireland Assembly term will take place on Monday.

  • Chancellor Rishi Sunak MP will deliver a Comprehensive Spending Review alongside an Autumn Budget on 27 October 2021. The three-year review will set out the devolved administrations’ block grants for 2022-25.

  • Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP has suggested that the DUP could pull-out of power-sharing in Northern Ireland “within weeks” triggering a snap election if the NI Protocol remains. The party will also boycott North-South ministerial meetings.

  • Following the UK Government’s decision to indefinitely extend post-Brexit grace periods for goods entering NI from GB, at the end of September the EU is expected to bring forward new proposals in response to a UK Command Paper on the issue.

  • The Department of Health has launched a new ten-year alcohol and substance use strategy. Work will now be taken forward on Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol with a view to having a full public consultation.

  • The Northern Ireland Office will host a Business and Innovation Showcase on Wednesday 15 September, in partnership with the Department for International Trade and Invest NI.

  • Sinn Féin have selected Pádraig Delargy and Ciara Ferguson as the new MLAs to be co-opted to represent Foyle in the Assembly. They replace Karen Mullan and Martina Anderson who have taken new roles for the party “at national and regional level”.

  • Former First Minister, Arlene Foster MLA will step down as an MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone at the end of the month. Former DUP Press Officer, Deborah Erskine is expected to be co-opted as her replacement.

  • According to The Times, Prime Minister Boris Johnson MP is considering a reshuffle of his cabinet, potentially before the Conservative Party Conference in early October. It is speculated that among those to be demoted are Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson MP, Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab MP and Home Secretary, Priti Patel MP. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss MP and Cabinet Secretary Michael Gove MP have been tipped for promotion.

  • The Executive has agreed that from 5pm today, the current requirement for table service in hospitality settings will be eased both indoors and outdoors.

  • On Monday, the First and deputy First Ministers and the Justice Minister will take part in Question Time. On Tuesday, the Agriculture Minister will face questions.

  • On Wednesday, The Executive Office Committee will receive oral evidence from Clare Bailey MLA on her Private Members’ Climate Change Bill. As part of the committee’s scrutiny of arms-length bodies, it will consider a written briefing from the Victims and Survivors Service. Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon MLA will update the Infrastructure Committee on current issues facing her department.

  • On Thursday, the Health Committee will scrutinise the Autism (Amendment) Bill, the Adoption and Children Bill, and the Health and Social Care Bill.

  • Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis MP will give evidence to the NI Affairs Select Committee on Thursday on the work of his department.

Other Stories this week

  • The UK Government has won a vote to increase national insurance contributions by 1.25% to fund health and social care reforms. Northern Ireland is expected to receive £400 million by 2024-25.

  • The Assembly was recalled on Thursday to debate a Sinn Féin motion on rising absences in schools due to Covid-19.

  • Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots MLA has held talks with Green Party leader Clare Bailey MLA on the potential amalgamation of Stormont’s two Climate Change Bills.

  • North West-based E&I Engineering has been sold to US firm Vertiv in a deal valued at $2 billon.

  • Innovation City Belfast (ICB), a partnership between key institutions including Belfast City Council, has appointed Professor Mark Gillan as Digital Innovation Commissioner and Clare Guinness as Innovation District Director.

  • Professor Siobhan O’Neill has been appointed by Health Minister Robin Swann MLA as Northern Ireland’s permanent Mental Health Champion.

  • Royal Portrush has been named at the host venue of The Open 2025 after a successful 2019 tournament.

  • Finance Minister Conor Murphy MLA has extended emergency protection for business tenants having difficulty paying rent on commercial leases as a result of the pandemic until March 2022.

  • Economy Minister Gordon Lyons MLA has said that there are “no plans at present” to introduce ‘right to disconnect’ legislation.

  • A recent report from Northern Ireland think tank, Pivotal has concluded that “serious shortcomings” exist for The Executive to deal with during the remainder of the mandate, including health waiting lists, long-standing school budget issues, the absence of a climate strategy, and difficulties in operating collectively.

  • Shauna Corr is the new Environment Correspondent for Reach Ireland. The BBC is currently recruiting for five roles, including three in radio, one in TV and a multi-platform journalist.

  • Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has officially launched a bid for Ballymena to be awarded with city status as part of a UK-wide competition to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

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