Minister for the Economy Diane Dodds answers Members questions.
Each question has been marked up in the video, just hover over the red progress bar or scroll through to the timestamp shown below:
Time 00:00 – Question 1 – Ms Brogan asked the Minister for the Economy to outline how the £1·7 million for increased mobile data allowances will be distributed to support further and higher education students living in rural communities. (AQO 1567/17-22)
Time 03:57 – Question 2 – Mr Nesbitt asked the Minister for the Economy for an update on the roll-out of Project Stratum. (AQO 1568/17-22)
Time 12:51 – Question 3 – Mr Frew asked the Minister for the Economy to list all areas within her Department’s remit where she will not engage in North/South ministerial meetings until there is a satisfactory solution to the protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland to allow unfettered access for trade, goods and travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. (AQO 1569/17-22)
Time 22:53 – Question 4 – Mr Muir asked the Minister for the Economy to outline the actions she is taking to mitigate the impact on her Department arising from the termination of EU structural funds. (AQO 1570/17-22)
Time 31:10 – Topical Question 1 – Ms Brogan asked the Minister for the Economy whether she will address the inequalities in the allocation of the COVID disruption payment to ensure that it be made available to all students, given that although the £500 payment was welcomed by many higher education students, full-time students at further education colleges, part-time students, international students, students from the North who are studying in the Twenty-six Counties and students from the North who are studying in Britain have been excluded. (AQT 991/17-22)
Time 34:23 – Topical Question 2 – Mr Stalford asked the Minister for the Economy what plans she is putting in place for the reopening of the economy. (AQT 992/17-22)
Time 38:39 – Topical Question 3 – Mr Irwin asked the Minister for the Economy whether she agrees that parties that enthusiastically called for the full implementation of the protocol should bear some responsibility for the disruption caused to businesses and consumers, with many of us having been contacted by constituents who are angry because they can no longer receive parcels from GB, and, if so, has she raised the issue with the UK Government. (AQT 993/17-22)
Time 41:51 – Topical Question 4 – Ms S Bradley asked the Minister for the Economy, after thanking the Member from West Tyrone for asking questions about students, whether she accepts that, on signing the Pledge of Office, it is her duty and not her choice to participate in North/South ministerial meetings, given that, in answer to question 3, she said that she would consider each matter on its merits. (AQT 994/17-22)
Time 43:42 – Topical Question 5 – Mrs Cameron asked the Minister for the Economy whether she agrees that introducing click and collect for all retail stores would go some way towards helping businesses that have been losing trade because they have been forced to close while larger retail outlets have been allowed to remain open. (AQT 995/17-22)
View the questions asked of the Minister in the Official Report (Hansard).