The cost of Policing and Justice

THE man who, while Chancellor of the Exchequer was associated with financial prudence, is preparing to write a fat cheque for Policing and Justice. After interminable Downing Street appearances from Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness, the Prime Minister Gordon Brown finally caved in…or did he?

Rumour has it he was threatening to charge the dynamic duo rent, if they popped in for another week of negotiations.

But, with a letter and a Parliamentary statement, Mr Brown’s offer is on the table…£ 1 billion to be precise.

Mr McGuinness was looking particularly chuffed and even the First Minister’s face was showing the faintest trace of a smile.

Mr Robinson did, of course, want the offer ‘Cameron-proofed’. The Conservative leader gave that reassurance.

So with the cheque all but ready to be deposited into the coffers of NI plc, Mr Robinson is running out of ‘confidence-building’ measures to delay on.

He must, however, have been reassured to find that TUV leader Jim Allister’s claim that the PM’s cash offer is really a loan has been scotched by the NIO. Apparently HM Treasury aren’t looking for it to be repaid (imagine the interest payable on £1 billion!)

Barristers stare poverty in the eye shocker

BARRISTERS in Northern Ireland are threatening to strike over pay-cut threat.

Poverty stricken barristers are faced with the horrible prospect of having to give up north Down mansions and leafy suburbia detached residences if Government plans to cut chunks out of the legal aid budget.

If such a thing were to happen, the poor downtrodden bewigged ones say they may form picket lines, whistle the Internationale and come over all Trotskyite.

After all, they claim, only a few of them earn six figure sums, still fewer have become millionaires in the enquiry frenzy, and they even have to pay for their own wigs.

If they don’t get top dollar for cases they may abandon criminal court for the more lucrative civil and judicial review merry-go-round.

Which, given the education mess around academic selection, means they can still coin it in - challenging the grammar schools’ new entrance exams.

If you want to see the list of the top 100 paid counsel in 2007/2008 click here (the lowest paid counsel got £37,496 and the highest paid got £716,915 not including VAT)

When is an Assembly answer not an assembly answer?

PATSY McGlone was getting his knickers in a twist over the amount of money spent on consultants by Executive departments, and the cost of the Review of Public Administration.
Imagine his surprise when Jonathan Craig asked a similar question and got a different set of figures altogether. The difference was about £10 million, no small amount.

So Patsy was right to get his knickers in a knot…

Was it just a ‘simple accountancy error’, or was the wrong amount put in the wrong column? We may never know, but department officials are said to be considering asking a consultancy firm to investigate…

That’ll be the full allowance please!

A LOT of MLAs seem to have had an unerring knack of claiming their maximum expenses entitlement.

It takes an almost unimaginable amount of financial dexterity to know going into the final weeks of the accounting period that you’ve claimed almost exactly the maximum amount allowed.

Assembly Director General Trevor Reaney was quick to point out that all the claims were within the rules and had been approved. That’s all right then…

The flip side of this is that as MLAs are so financially capable in claiming their expenses, surely they can sort out NI plc. If we just tell them it’s an expenses claim, they’ll have the economy whipped into shape in no time.

While the ministrations and machinations went on…

WHILE the ministrations and machinations over policing and justice went on, the US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton touched down with much fanfare.

With the singular failure of DUP and Sinn Féin to have an agreement in place Hillary had nothing to announce or endorse, so was left to gently say, keep going, you’re all doing well…

The hints about economic investment and task forces and forums were made…but then that seems to be a regular theme when the US is involved.

This visit also saw the first live blogging of the event, Twitter updates, live coverage of the Assembly on the tele, and more comments online than for any other political event other than elections.

So, those stuck in the office were able to follow events under the catch all of ‘doing research.’ Those privileged to receive an invitation to the appearance of Hillary at City Hall were just stuck.

Yep, the schedule of the visit had been completely knocked off track by the meeting with the ministers first thing.

Now, as there was no agreement, no final cash settlement, no answers to pertinent questions, it begs the further question: what were they actually talking about?

“Was your flight okay Hillary?”

“Very fine, thank you!”

“The hotel room nice?”

“I’ve stayed there before, so yes, thank you”

“Want a coffee?”

“Yes, please – now are you boys going to play nice?”

“Certainly!”

“Yes, certainly Hillary…at least till you get on yer plane, we’ll be the very picture of statesmen!”

Health service in meltdown (again)

BED closures; ending of in-patient surgery; no hot meals for visitors…Northern Ireland’s health service was this week portrayed as being in meltdown, with swingeing cuts being the order of the day.

Health and social care services represent the biggest cost to NI plc so any percentage based cuts are bound to have a proportionately larger effect.

One can’t help but wonder whether the health service is a victim of its own success.

More patients than ever are receiving better care, the general population is living longer, long term conditions such as asthma and diabetes are receiving better services, and cancer survival rates are improving.

All of which cost more.

So while the Stormont health committee rants at unions, managers and anyone else, the directive should be to stop being so good at your jobs! Yes, all you doctors and nurses out there – you are obviously letting the side down by helping patients live longer. This is a singularly poor approach to managing the budgets.

And, as for managers and administrators, the chief executive of the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust William McKee told the health committee this week that even if he fired everyone in administration it wouldn’t save the £93m that is needed in efficiency savings over the next three years.

Still it’s the thought that counts!

Peelers, politicians and the Treasury

IT is with a complete sense of boredom that we report on another week without agreement on the devolution of policing and justice.

With thousands of air miles clocked up, the not-so dynamic duo of First Minister Robinson and deputy First Minister McGuinness continued their shuttling back and forth between Stormont and Downing Street.

It has now become impossible to count the times that devolution of the said powers has been close…Queen’s University, Belfast are opening a Masters Degree in Maths based around the probability theory on just how many times two people can talk about the same bloody thing. This will complement their advanced probability on the Executive ever agreeing on education…

Meanwhile Robinson and McGuinness were taking the deal to their parties. The former was consulting with ‘Executive colleagues’, demanding clarification and the wonderfully titled ‘Tory-proofing’. The latter’s party colleagues have all said no problem to the cash deal and plan.

While most of the population are thoroughly bored with this, it must be a matter of vexation for the First Minister. If he holds out a wee while longer, he can present himself as a tough negotiator…albeit one who takes a very long time to negotiate!

He wants to be able to fend off TUV attacks on the devolution of policing and justice…the old unionist ‘we’re harder than you are’ argument.

But therein lies the rub. Should Sinn Féin feel that they are being given the runaround, the temptation for them will be to collapse the Assembly and hold an election coinciding with the Westminster poll.

With the unionist vote split (at least) three ways in most constituencies, McGuinness must fancy his chances of gaining the First Minister monicker and ditching the deputy tag.

Meanwhile boredom strikes even the political hacks…

Expensive MLAs

SINCE the summer it has been a consistent theme – elected members expenses. Headlines shout scandal; radio phone-in shows have callers incandescent with fury…but please remember that it was all within the rules.

Yes, the refrain that is almost consistent, from MPs through to MLAs is that the expenses they claim were approved by the ‘office’ and that they did not break any rules.

Of course, the bankers who reaped the massive bonuses weren’t breaking the rules. The super rich who use sophisticated tax avoidance schemes aren’t breaking any rules.

But, just because you can claim something doesn’t mean you should.

MLAs are, of course, elected to represent their constituents. They hear their constituents woes on an ongoing basis - mounting debt, struggling to claim benefits entitlements, not getting the public services they deserve...

And, they complete their expenses forms all within the rules.

Thankfully this is a cross-community effort. All shades of political hue are grabbing their expenses claims to the max.

In fact, one might surmise that this has the hallmark of a wonderful scheme by the Equality Commission…

Except for the fact family members don’t have to face the rigorous interviews the rest of the civil and public service must tackle, nor fill in the ‘what community…’ declaration.

Regulation & Quality Improvement Authority?

It would seem that the RQIA, which is charged with, among other things, encouraging improvements in the quality of of health and social care services in Northern Ireland, has a few issues with the quality of its own service delivery.

This frustrated blogger tried phoning its main number and got a "this number is currently unavailable" message.

On a second attempt, the caller was invited to leave a message on Vodafone voicemail.

Hurray, on the third attempt a real person answered the phone but the switchboard operator was unable to transfer calls. She helpfully suggested that she could email the person the caller was trying to reach. Hmmm....

There’s no justice – there’s just us

ULTIMATELY when devolution of policing and justice comes trundling down the length of verbose negotiations, party gains, party losses, compromises and confusion, the political classes will gaze upon it all and realise that they’ve managed to gain another headache.

This week the First Minister and deputy First Minister have been doing their bit in destroying the climate with flights back and forth to London, not to mention bringing the PM here.

Finally after a week of ‘intense negotiations’ it finally looks like it will be agreed.

Peter Robinson was, as seems to be his permanent posture, cautious. Martin McGuinness, on the other hand has the beginnings of a permanent grin.

They may not be working together but they’re growing into a double act.

But it is a double act of despair? Should McGuinness not be able to ‘deliver’ on a policing and justice agreement by Christmas, Sinn Féin will look impotent. The perception then: A DUP “win”

For Robinson, knowing that devolved policing and justice is inevitable, the budgetary agreement and general concept has to be in place before Christmas. This will give the DUP a clear run to the general election, arguing hither and thither about the minutiae of the legislation. If the First Minister can’t get some of his concessions before Christmas…the perception then: A Sinn Féin win.

They’re stuck on the horns of a dilemma. Should they for once depart from a Downing Street meeting together, they can mutter to each other….”There’s no justice…there’s just us”.