Brown O'Connor Communications Weekly Look Ahead: Week Commencing 7 March 2022

Forward Look                                

  • Please find attached a one-page brief on the Alliance Party ahead of their conference tomorrow at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast.

  • Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP has until Monday to co-opt a replacement for former South Belfast MLA, Christopher Stalford. According to the Belfast Telegraph, Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots MLA, Former First Minister Paul Givan MLA and councillors Tracy Kelly, Sarah Bunting and Paul Porter are seen as potential replacements.

  • Finance Minister Conor Murphy MLA will bring forward a £50 million business rates support package for the 2022-23 financial year. The Assembly also backed his proposal to freeze regional rates for another year.

  • An indicative budget for Invest NI has been agreed for 2022-23. Interim Chief Executive Mel Chittock has said that due to financial constraints, the agency will not be able to continue supporting businesses in the same way. A “significant prioritisation exercise” is underway.

  • Assembly speaker Alex Maskey MLA has written to MLAs to say it is possible to get all legislation passed during the final 3 weeks of this mandate. An extra plenary sitting has been scheduled for next Wednesday. Another plenary sitting may be scheduled for the week commencing 21 March.

  • The Department for the Economy is to publish sector-specific data on the impact of the High Street Voucher Scheme later this month.

  • The public apology to victims and survivors of historical institutional abuse will be delivered next Friday in the Assembly Chamber of Parliament Buildings.

  • The next meeting of the Interparliamentary Forum will take place at Stormont “in the latter part of the year”. A proposal placing the Forum on a statutory basis will be taken forward.

  • The Leaders’ Lectures series from Queen’s University continues next week with addresses from UUP Leader Doug Beattie MLA on Monday, Sinn Féin Vice-President Michelle O’Neill MLA on Tuesday, and Alliance Leader Naomi Long MLA on Wednesday.

  • Further Consideration Stage of the of the Private Tenancies Bill and Budget Bill 2022 will take place on Monday. The Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements Bill and the Autism (Amendment) Bill will each have their Final Stage on Tuesday.

  • Question Time will take place for the Communities Minister on Monday. The Economy Minister will face questions on Tuesday.

  • On Wednesday, the Executive Office Committee will consider a ‘Legacy Report (2017-22)’ on its work this Assembly mandate. The Economy Committee will receive a briefing on the Department’s ‘10X Trade and Investment Action Plan’.

  • Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis MP will face Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

  • The CIPR is hosting a Women in Politics breakfast event at Stormont next Wednesday to mark International Women’s Day. To register: LINK.

  • The Disasters Emergency Committee has launched an urgent Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal to support those fleeing the conflict. To find out more and donate: LINK.

Other Stories this week

  • The Climate Change (No. 2) Bill completed its Further Consideration Stage on Tuesday. While the School Age Bil completed its Final Stage on Monday.

  • Ahead of the Assembly Election, the Alliance Party has published two policy documents dealing with healthcare reform and the cost of living crisis.

  • The Irish Labour Party Leader, Alan Kelly, has resigned after losing the support of parliamentary colleagues. Dublin Bay South TD Ivana Bacik is the frontrunner to replace him.

  • On Wednesday, Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee considered an application for a major renovation of Castle Court Shopping Centre.

  • According to a survey of Fine Gael elected representatives, conducted by the Irish Examiner, Helen McEntee TD and Simon Harris TD are “best placed” to replace Leo Varadkar TD in any future party leadership contest.

  • MPs are set to set to receive a 2.7% pay increase from April, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has announced.

  • The Irish Government has allocated £30 million to its Shared Island Fund to support cross border research projects.

  • A British Business Bank report has found that the proportion of small businesses in Northern Ireland happy to use finance to grow was 35%, second only to London at 37%.

Upcoming key political and business events

  • 9 March, Post-Brexit Conference: Sustaining and Building Cross-Border Cooperation and Trade, Newry and Dundalk Chamber

  • 9 March, CIPR Women in Politics Breakfast Event, Long Gallery, Stormont

  • 9 March, RCOT’s Roots to Recovery Launch Event

  • 10 March, Women in Business awards

  • 14 – 15 March, InterTradeIreland Venture Capital Conference

  • 15 – 18 March, MIPIM, Cannes

  • 23 March, In Camera with the Department of Finance

  • 24 March, Belfast Chamber’s BelFastForward Conference

  • 7 April, BelTech 2022

  • 26 May, Belfast Telegraph Business Awards, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast

Consultations