Speeches by Hanna.

“I have one small question for Minister Patrick. The Northern Ireland Office reported a £1.97 billion underspend on the expected drawdown from the Executive. Would you suggest that that is linked to brilliant efficiencies, or maybe to inadequacies in capital spend? Will that be taken into account when you are doing the …”

“We will come to the end of the road on collapse only if we address the mechanisms that allow people to collapse so readily, and to keep the Executive down so readily. While those tools are so easily available, they will be used.”

“We seem to disagree on the link—I am surprised by that—and on the effect that that instability and long periods of absence have on the public finances. How do you propose to go forward with the request from the Assembly, validly endorsed by a majority of MLAs, to convene discussions on reform?”

“Do you disagree that the Stormont instability is linked to this, and that if we fail to reform Stormont we are not going to address the problem? I am asking whether you agree with that as a proposition, and how you propose to respond to the majority of MLAs asking you, as the Secretary of State, to convene discussions …”

“I do not disagree with any of that. A multi-year budget would go a very long way. I am sure that the current and former Health Ministers would concur. But do you accept the link between Stormont dysfunction, the decision-making logjam and the periods of absence, and that if we fail to reform Stormont we will be back he…”

“The local growth fund was a UK Government policy that had been working to support some people outside of the labour market into decent work, helping to address Northern Ireland’s low productivity rates. The UK Government have changed that policy and the capital revenue split in a way that works for the Treasury, but no…”

“Separate from the dual market opportunity, what other challenges relating to the Windsor framework are you encountering within businesses?”

“I wanted to ask you about businesses realising or not realising the benefits of dual market access, some of which appears to be down to its not being promoted actively, and some of the continuing frictions and complexities. I wanted to ask you about those—what feedback and patterns are you noticing from Northern Irelan…”

“Businesses would be impacted by further disruption, including the triggering of article 16 and other interventions. So it is not politics; it is about the impact on businesses. Could you set out any conflict of interest policy? Have you discussed reconciling views that individuals might express outside their work with …”

“Which would be impacted by the triggering of article 16.”

“Can you talk us through a board meeting? What would be the protocol? Do you have a conflict of interest policy, and how would you address disentangling your political pronouncements from interventions on behalf of Intertrade UK?”

“You have spoken on a number of occasions about triggering article 16 and other disruptions. Is that a view of Intertrade UK or is it a personal view?”

“For clarity, you don’t think it is part of the role of Intertrade UK to make the Windsor framework work?”

“Do you see your role as making them work?”

“Do you see your role as making the post-Brexit trading arrangements—the Windsor framework—work or as disrupting those arrangements?”

“The UK Government who appointed you, and the current UK Government, who reappointed you, think it is an advantage. Do you think it is an advantage for Northern Ireland?”

“It is for businesses that might want a base in other markets as well. Many would see Northern Ireland as an advantageous location. Is that something you will be able to promote? Do you personally see it as an advantage for Northern Ireland?”

“Will you be selling dual market access as a hook or an advantage for Northern Ireland, and potential investment in Northern Ireland, to businesses in GB?”

“So that is planned but not delivered. Have you encountered any common misconceptions about trading to our region?”

“Have you engaged with businesses in England, Scotland and Wales or networks outside the FSB?”