Speeches by Robinson.

“Is it a matter for the Northern Ireland Office, is it a matter for MHCLG, or is it a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive?”

“Will the decision to be taken by the Northern Ireland Executive? I suspect not. Will it be taken by the Northern Ireland Office? I suspect not. Or will the decision be taken by MHCLG?”

“So MHCLG will consult with the NIO and the Northern Ireland Executive, but MHCLG will make the decision. Is that correct?”

“So we’ve got that, and we know that the money will be spent in Northern Ireland, but the decision will be taken by people outside of Northern Ireland and colleagues of yours. The question is how that sits with the Labour manifesto commitment that you would restore decision making on these structural funds to the electe…”

“With respect, I do not think that the permanent secretary can answer a political question about your manifesto.”

“You are not restoring, as promised in the manifesto, decision making around the local growth fund or structural funds to the elected representatives of Northern Ireland. I can take that as a no.”

“If there were, would you consider it?”

“In working it through, do we envisage a world in which you are able to honour the manifesto commitment that local politicians have restored decision making over these funds in Northern Ireland?”

“It is perfectly legitimate for Government to say, “We are changing structural funds.” It is perfectly legitimate for Government to say, “We are retaining decision making over those funds.” But it is also perfectly legitimate for this Committee to ask why the Labour Government are not honouring the manifesto pledge to r…”

“On the question of money for Casement, issues were raised privately between ourselves, and then publicly by others, about the nature of the allocation. Are you in a position to add some further detail today?”

“You described it to me as an equity grant, because it is an equity stake.”

“Do the Executive have to accept that?”

“The allocation of £50 million.”

“Just as when we discussed this last week, that was not the question. My question is: do they have to accept it?”

“Thank you. Again, that is not an answer to the question.”

“It is a simple question about the mechanics of this. The second question is whether the £50 million is additional?”

“To the FTC limits that are allocated to the Northern Ireland Executive.”

“In the Blue Book there was a pictorial indication, in table form, of FTC for the Northern Ireland Executive over the next five years, and it has flatlined: £100 million per year for each of those five years. I wonder why there isn’t an indication of an additional allocation of £50 million FTC.”

“It is flat, so I think that whether it is additional or not is a fair question.”

“Thank you.”