The North's Finance Minister, Mr Mark Durkan, has defended a rise in regional rates as the only method open to him to raise extra revenue. Mr Durkan came under attack not only from fellow MLAs but also from some 20 traders who staged a demonstration outside Parliament Buildings protesting against the 8 per cent increase. Carrying a mock coffin, they warned of substantial job losses in small and medium-sized businesses if the Assembly approved it. In the chamber, the Finance Minister said he recognised that the rating system was unpopular and seen in many quarters as unfair. "We recognise the strong concern that people feel whether they are domestic ratepayers or non-domestic ratepayers. That's one of the reasons we want to pursue a review," he added. Mr Durkan also confirmed that errors were made in the calculation of rate revenue payments to 26 district councils, 12 of which were overpaid while the other 14 were underpaid between 1997 and 1999. The Regional Development Minister, Mr Gregory Campbell, defended his Department against cross-party criticism that it had failed to provide adequate road-gritting during the post-Christmas freeze.
Gritters and snowploughs had sprayed 17,000 tonnes of salt at a cost of £850,000 to keep main routes open over the four-day period. This amounted to nearly one-fifth of the winter maintenance budget. He admitted, however, that lessons needed to be learnt, particularly with regard to the treatment of minor roads and rural areas. During Ministers' question time, the Education Minister announced the establishment of a working group to look at the issue of teacher welfare. Teachers were falling ill due to work pressures and had to have access to occupational health care, Mr Martin McGuinness said.
Unionist MLAs questioned him on his decision to abolish school league tables, saying parents would be deprived of valuable performance indicators. The Minister said he had every faith in local schools to provide parents directly with the fullest possible information.
The chairman of the Social Development Committee, Mr Fred Cobain, accused the Department's Minister, Mr Maurice Morrow, of failing to provide sufficient funds in his budget for the Housing Executive. He called on the Executive to make up for possible shortfalls out of its reallocation budget. In other business, the Department of Enterprise defended the new all-Ireland tourism company after an SDLP MLA, Mr Billy Leonard, described it as "unrepresentative" as it failed to include representatives from outside the hotel sector. A spokeswoman for the Department said the board's composition offered the "necessary spectrum of experience and expertise vital for success in the company's formative years".
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein's candidate for Newry and Armagh in the forthcoming Westminster parliamentary elections, Mr Conor Murphy, said he was confident he could capture the seat from its current holder, the Deputy First Minister and SDLP deputy leader, Mr Seamus Mallon, despite a gap of 11,700 votes at the last general election.