[Mr Daniel McCrossan]: To ask the Minister of Health whether he will bring forward legislation on assisted dying during the 2022-2027 mandate.

[Mr Daniel McCrossan]: To ask the Minister for the Economy, pursuant to AQW 16309/22-27, to detail the benefits of the decision by Ofgem to approve a new electricity link between Scotland and Northern Ireland.

[Mr Stephen Dunne]: To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail the number of jobs created by foreign direct investment in each of the last five years, broken down by local council area.

[Mr Stephen Dunne]: To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail his Department’s engagement with NI Water in relation to the impact of potential industrial action by NI Water staff.

[Mr Stephen Dunne]: To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail his Department’s engagement with Post Office UK in relation to potential branch closures and job losses.

[Mr Stephen Dunne]: To ask the Minister for Infrastructure for an update on the planned upgrades to the Kinnegar Wastewater Treatment Works.

[Mr Stephen Dunne]: To ask the Minister for Infrastructure for an update on the delivery of the Belfast Living With Water Programme.

[Mr Jonathan Buckley]: To ask the Minister of Finance to detail the current status of the Community Ownership Fund as pertaining to Northern Ireland, following the Autumn Budget 2024.

[Ms Diane Forsythe]: To ask the Minister of Finance to detail the number of Northern Ireland Civil Service employees were employed on a full time equivalent salary point of (i) over £124,500; and (ii) over £90,500 in 2023-24, broken down by Department.

[Ms Diane Forsythe]: To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail the tourism budget in each of the last three financial years (i) within Tourism NI spent directly on tourism in the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area; and (ii) provided to Newry, Mourne and Down District Council to distribute on tourism themselves within the area.

[Ms Diane Forsythe]: To ask the Minister of Finance why Northern Ireland Tourism Statistics published by NISRA and detailing a variety of tourism statistics, omit four full financial years from 2019-20 to March 2023 citing Covid.

[Ms Diane Forsythe]: To ask the Minister of Finance to detail any discussions she has had with UK Treasury since the Labour Government has taken power.

[Mr Phillip Brett]: To ask the Minister for Infrastructure (i) whether the position of the walking and cycling Champion in his Department still exists; and (ii) to provide an update on any work they have undertaken.

[Mr Phillip Brett]: To ask the Minister for Communities, following his announcement of further funding for councils to provide debt advice, how he will ensure this funding is spent fairly and equitably across North Belfast.

[Mr Phillip Brett]: To ask the Minister for the Economy, pursuant to AQW 16996/22-27, when this change in policy was agreed by the Executive.

[Mr Phillip Brett]: To ask the Minister of Justice to detail any further considerations she has given to the introduction of legislation similar to Harper's Law in Northern Ireland.

[Mr Phillip Brett]: To ask the Minister for Infrastructure, pursuant to AQW 16604/22-27, when he will be requesting a meeting with the Ulster-Scots sector.

[Mr Patsy McGlone]: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail the number of people that have (i) applied; (ii) been interviewed; and (iii) been accepted for positions as Soil Sampling Technicians in the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme during the current recruitment process.

[Mr David Honeyford]: To ask the Minister for the Economy whether his Department has plans to review the current ApprenticeshipsNI programme to extend the support it provides to other forms of apprenticeship such as workplace or training provider-led schemes.

[Mr David Honeyford]: To ask the Minister for Communities for an update on the current figure available from his Department for the Casement Park project, given the £62.5 million figure originally set aside in 2011.

[Mr David Honeyford]: To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any work his Department has carried out on the likely impact on trade, particularly in packaged goods, of the General Product Safety Regulation in Northern Ireland.

[Mr David Honeyford]: To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail any plans his Department has to extend the on-street residents only parking zones, with particular reference to Lagan Valley.

[Mr David Honeyford]: To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail the average response time from each Roads Division to reports received from elected representatives in the last three years.

[Ms Kate Nicholl]: To ask the Minister for Infrastructure, in light of the recent flooding in the area, to detail NI Water's plans to replace and upgrade the storm drains in (i) Ravenhill Park; and (ii) Onslow Parade, South Belfast.

[Ms Kate Nicholl]: To ask the Minister for the Economy, pursuant to AQW 14548/22-27, to detail any work to assess the ongoing cost of not implementing an entitlement to paid carer's leave.

[Ms Kate Nicholl]: To ask the Minister for the Economy, pursuant to AQW 14548/22-27, to detail any progress made on further modelling and refinement of the cost of implementing an entitlement to paid carer's leave.

[Ms Kate Nicholl]: To ask the Minister of Health to detail any improvements that can be made to the lighting and safety features of car park 8 Broadway that is used by staff at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

[Mr Gerry Carroll]: To ask the Minister for Infrastructure whether his Department has considered developing a flood alleviation scheme for the St. James area of West Belfast.

[Mr Gerry Carroll]: To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail the number of historic flood zones that exist in West Belfast.

[Mr Gerry Carroll]: To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail the amount that developers have paid towards (i) roads; and (ii) other infrastructure costs in each of the last ten years.

[Mr Gerry Carroll]: To ask the Minister for Infrastructure, in light of his Department’s introduction of the new Planning Portal, (i) whether the Gunning principles on public consultation apply to planning applications; and (ii) whether these principles informed the design of the new online system.

[Mr Gerry Carroll]: To ask the Minister of Health whether his Department collects data in relation to the proportion of patients or health service users in (i) primary care settings; and (ii) secondary care settings whose first language is not English.

[Mr Alan Chambers]: To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to confirm whether the Sydenham bypass resurfacing project is currently on schedule.

[Mr Alan Chambers]: To ask the Minister of Finance whether the unadopted status of The Point, Groomsport, is taken into account when establishing the rateable value of residential properties along this roadway.

[Mr Harry Harvey]: To ask the Minister of Finance whether her Department has any plans to mirror the 40 per cent business rates relief scheme for independent retailers announced by the UK Government for England.

[Mr Harry Harvey]: To ask the Minister of Health when he will answer AQW 14259/22-27.

[Mrs Ciara Ferguson]: To ask the Minister for Communities whether any additional financial support will be allocated to homeless service providers from the October Monitoring Round.

[Mr John Blair]: To ask the Minister of Justice whether her Department is implementing any measures to reduce general waste in buildings used by her Department or its arm's-length bodies.

[Mr John Blair]: To ask the Minister for the Economy whether his Department is implementing any measures to reduce general waste in buildings used by his Department or its arm's-length bodies.

[Mr John Blair]: To ask the Minister for the Economy whether his Department is implementing any measures to increase recycling rates in buildings used by his Department or its arm's-length bodies.

[Mr John Blair]: To ask the Minister of Justice whether her Department is implementing any measures to increase recycling rates in buildings used by her Department or its arm's-length bodies.

TASHKENT, 20 May 2015 – A two-day workshop on cyber and ICT security issues began in Tashkent today. The event brought together some 40 participants, including 10 international experts from Austria, Estonia, France, Germany, Switzerland, UK, USA as well as representatives of the national parliament, judiciary, ministries for information technology, foreign affairs, academia and law enforcement agencies.

The event facilitated discussions among international and national experts on global, regional and bilateral efforts to enhance international Cyber Security. Best practice and lessons learned in investigations in the field of counter-narrative strategies to counter extremism online as well as countering the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes were also debated. Participants also discussed current threats in cybercrime, local legislations and strategies in use.

“Cybercrime is a new kind of threat that makes people vulnerable to cyber-criminals who can commit crimes against victims located thousands of kilometres away”, stated Deputy Head of Police Academy, Abror Otajonov, in his opening remarks. “This threat to our security can only be addressed by ensuring close international cooperation and adopting comprehensive national policies and developing relevant capacities”.

Ben Hiller, Cyber Security Officer of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, said: ”With its comprehensive and inclusive approach the OSCE represents a bridge between different national and international approaches to tackling cyber/ICT threats and allows various stakeholders dealing with different cyber threats to move forward in a complementary manner.“

This event was organized in co-operation with the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, as part of the multi-year support provided by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan to the National Police Academy to improve the staff training system. 

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TASHKENT, 22 June 2015 – A two-day training course on improving judicial responses to human trafficking, organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, in co-operation with the Lawyers’ Training Centre under the Uzbek Justice Ministry, was launched today in Tashkent.

Some 20 newly-appointed judges from all regions of Uzbekistan will discuss effective ways to use international and national legal tools in dealing with criminal cases on trafficking in human beings as well as relevant good judicial practices and challenges.

“The training course is designed to help the judges to assess the implementation of the non-punishment principle for victims while handling the criminal cases,” said Ambassador Gyorgy Szabo, Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan. “This kind of training course serves as a platform for the exchange of experience and professional expertise related to Human Rights Protection.”

Askar Gafurov, Director of the Lawyers’ Training Centre, said: “The training course is one of the commitments of Uzbekistan to improve the effectiveness of countering human trafficking and to develop a comprehensive victim-support system through expert advice and in service training activities.”

The training course is part of  the OSCE Project Co-ordinator’ s long-term project to assist Uzbekistan in combating trafficking in human beings.

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TASHKENT, 24 August 2015 – A two-day Regional Conference “On increasing potential of horticultural trade” jointly organised by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, USAID, Uzbek Ministry of Agriculture and the Farmers’ Council of Uzbekistan, started today in Tashkent.

Representatives from the agricultural sector from a number of Central Asian countries will be able to acquaint themselves with technical standards and regulations in major export markets. This will include experts and regulators from states member of the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union discussing norms regarding horticultural imports.

“This is an opportunity for representatives of the agricultural sector from all corners of Uzbekistan, and Central Asia, to get the information they need to be able to export to the most relevant markets,” said Nataša Rašić, PCU Senior Project Officer.

During the conference, the participants will learn about best practices regarding various developments relevant to the production and export of horticultural products such as Public Private Partnerships or Organic Agriculture.

The event was designed to bring together producers and importers from various countries of the region. While the sector plays a significant role in Central Asian economies, intra-regional trade in agriculture products remains limited. The participants will be able to establish business relationships with producers and importers from neighbouring countries.

“This is an opportunity for all to meet, interact, exchange, and build relationships that will form the basis for the enduring business ties of tomorrow,” said Rašić.

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TASHKENT, 21 September 2015 – An OSCE-organized week-long training course for Uzbek law enforcement bodies on identifying and tracing illegitimate assets and the various instruments of asset forfeiture and recovery began today in Tashkent.

Experts from the Basel Institute of Governance will share international best practices with senior representatives in charge of international legal co-operation and the fight against corruption and money laundering within the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Interior and other law enforcement bodies.

“The ability to launder ill-acquired assets outside of the jurisdiction of their country of origin is one of the major enablers of corrupt behaviours,” said Ambassador Gyorgy Szabo, Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan. “This is why the OSCE regards the identification and recovery of illegitimate assets, no matter where they might be hidden, as a crucial element of the fight against corruption.”

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan organized the training course jointly with the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation, the Basel Institute of Governance and the General Prosecutor’s Office of Uzbekistan.

During the course, participants will also learn about the mechanisms of international mutual legal assistance and how they can be used during anti-corruption investigations.

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TASHKENT, 15 October 2015 – An OSCE-supported roundtable discussion introducing representatives of local law enforcement bodies to the methodology of a national assessment of money-laundering and terrorism-financing risks in Uzbekistan was held today in Tashkent.

International experts invited by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan presented the results of their work on devising a comprehensive and tailored methodology for conducting a national risk assessment in the country.

“The OSCE continues to support international efforts that have made national risk assessment the standard in the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism,” said the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan Gyorgy Szabo. “We see this as an essential step on the road to eliminating money laundering and terrorism financing in Uzbekistan.”

The discussion is part of a wider process of consultations with representatives of Uzbek law-enforcement agencies and the private sector to implement a national risk assessment on money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

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TASHKENT, 5 November 2015 – Addressing and preventing human trafficking in the hospitality and tourism sector is the topic of a two-day OSCE-supported training course, launched today in Tashkent, for 25 representatives from Uzbekistan’s tourism infrastructure, airlines, airport services and police.

The course, organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan and the National Inter-agency Commission on Counteracting Human Trafficking, aims to contribute to preventing human trafficking through awareness raising and developing the anti-trafficking codes of conduct for personnel.

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan Gyorgy Szabo said the training course would help representatives from private businesses develop corporate responsibility for preventing human trafficking in the tourism infrastructure.  

Astrid Winkler, representative of the ECPAT International (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes), said that “It is important that all stakeholders, including the tourism business, understand what human trafficking is and take a stance against it. Business can do a lot in terms of prevention.”

The training course is part of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator’s project to assist Uzbekistan in combating the trafficking in human beings.

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TASHKENT, 2 December 2015 - Effective criminal justice responses to terrorism, based on the rule of law, were the focus of a two-day seminar organized by the OSCE Secretariat’s Action against Terrorism Unit, in co-operation with the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, which concluded today in Tashkent.

The seminar gathered about 30 representatives of national agencies involved in counter-terrorism and focused on the Global Counterterrorism Forum’s (GCTF) Rabat Memorandum on Good Practices for Effective Counterterrorism Practice in the Criminal Justice Sector. Experts in the field of criminal justice presented good counter-terrorism practices developed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the work the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) is pursuing in this area.

“This two-day seminar is a follow-up to an assessment visit by the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (UN CTED) in April this year, which the OSCE contributed to,” said the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan Gyorgy Szabo in his opening remarks. “The seminar aims at promoting internationally recognized good practices that show how to balance rule of law concerns with effectively preventing and combating terrorism.”

Among other topics, the participants discussed the effective co-ordination between domestic government agencies and the importance of international co-operation, particularly when being confronted with terrorism. The seminar also highlighted the need to ensure the protection of sensitive intelligence and law enforcement information in terrorism cases, as well as for adopting incentives for suspects to co-operate with state authorities in the investigation and prosecution of terrorism offenses.

All OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation have committed to furthering international co-operative efforts in promoting effective and rule of law-based responses of their national criminal justice systems as part of a global strategy to counter terrorism.

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TASHKENT, 7 April 2016 – The implementation of traffic management and effective road safety measures were the focus of an OSCE-supported roundtable discussion for some 40 representatives of the Interior Ministry, Parliament, state agencies, media and civil society, and a two-day seminar for 25 traffic police officers, held in Tashkent from 5 to 7 April. 

The roundtable saw discussions focus on the measures Uzbekistan has been taking in implementing the state programme on traffic safety and ways to strengthen road traffic security. Three experts from Turkey and Serbia shared best practices on traffic management, public awareness campaigns and road safety measures implemented in their countries. Special emphasis was put on the importance of effective communication between different stakeholders with the overall aim of preventing traffic accidents and promoting good practices.

“It is important to maintain a constructive dialogue between different stakeholders involved in implementing newly-adopted regulations aimed at enhancing the efficiency of traffic-safety measures and raising awareness among the population about road-related risks,” said Nataša Rašić, Acting OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan.

Following the roundtable discussion, officers from the Interior Ministry’s Traffic Safety Police Department enhanced their knowledge during a seminar about best practices in enforcing traffic regulations. The experts from Turkey and Serbia provided a comprehensive overview of the road safety situation in their countries while highlighting the advantages of integrated road systems and new technologies in road safety, including the video control of roads.

The seminar’s participants also exchanged views on new methods of traffic police training and stressed the importance of improving driver education as well as the procedures for granting driver’s licences.

The events were organized in co-operation with the Interior Ministry as part of a joint project aimed at improving the efficiency of traffic safety measures in Uzbekistan.

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TASHKENT, 12 July 2016 – A three-day seminar for journalists to improve their skills in reporting on human trafficking, organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan and the Office of the Prosecutor General, began yesterday.

The seminar brings together 26 journalists from all the regions of Uzbekistan to discuss the challenges of reporting on human trafficking and effective ways to overcome them by drawing on international and national good practices. “For better coverage of human trafficking, it is important to both see it as a global phenomenon and understand its specifics in your own country,” said Anatoly Verbin, an international media expert, addressing the media specialists.  

Ambassador John MacGregor, the Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, said that OSCE anti-trafficking commitments include the cultivation of partnership with journalists to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the complexity of the phenomenon, which is a composite of many serious crimes as well as denials of rights. “Prevention of human trafficking cannot be effective if the media do not join us in raising awareness of this crime. The trafficked persons need understanding and assistance in restoring their rights, not moral accusations, judgment or pity,’’ he noted.

Gyulnoza Rakhimova, the head of the press service of the Office of the Prosecutor General, stressed that the training will cover current legislative and law enforcement practices, how to make the information more interesting for readers and not to violate the rights of victims of trafficking.”

The training is part of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator’s project to assist Uzbekistan in combating trafficking in human beings and to develop a comprehensive victim-support system through expert advice and information.

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