Unfortunately, the Chairperson of the Regional Development Committee is unable to be here because of a family bereavement. I tender both my sympathy and that of the Committee to him at this time.

Before responding to some of the issues addressed by the Minister, I extend my thanks and the thanks of the Committee to the Minister and his officials. In particular I would like to add to the Minister's comments and extend my thanks to departmental officials for the manner in which they have so ably taken forward this major project. They have made themselves available to the Committee on numerous occasions, sometimes at very short notice. They have responded positively to the views and comments of all the Committees, and this is clearly reflected in the latest draft of the strategy.

The Department for Regional Development is to be commended for the unprecedented level of consultation that took place. The support of a panel of international experts, the public examination and the appointment of an independent panel has ensured a rigorous examination that has taken into account a wide spectrum of views, right across Northern Ireland. The extent of the consultation process reflects the importance of the regional development strategy to Northern Ireland. I hope that this extensive consultation process, which has taken account of many different interests, will help to ensure that the strategy is successfully implemented.

The document produced by the Department sets out the proposed strategy for the future development of Northern Ireland to 2025. The proposals aim to provide and sustain a high quality of life for all citizens in the twenty-first century.

As stated in the Programme for Government, this will be the framework for tackling the deficiencies of our infrastructure and for helping the overall development of our society.

It cannot be overstressed that the framework is not simply for the Department for Regional Development but for all Departments, as it will impact on a wide range of areas, such as environment, housing, rural development, tourism, business and employment opportunities. It is a framework that must overarch the work of all Departments. This strategy represents a golden opportunity to create a vibrant and cohesive society with a strong local economy, supported by excellent public services throughout Northern Ireland.

As the Minister rightly points out, a key concern of many of the Committees was the issue of the development of housing in existing urban areas known as brownfield sites. My Committee and others were greatly concerned that there was no clear target for brownfield development. Discussions on this topic went on until the eleventh hour. I met with the Minister and officials on 25 June, and officials attended the Committee meeting last Wednesday to discuss the matter further.

The Committee members pushed the Department very hard on this issue. It is vital to send a clear message to developers and to make the rules clear to planners, that brownfield options must be explored and exhausted before consideration is given to building on greenfield sites. In Belfast this means utilising brownfield sites and then, according to the strategy, developing out through the Lagan valley and the M2/Glengormley corridor. This is crucial to ensure that our cities and towns are regenerated and made much more attractive. The regional development strategy sets the rules for future planning, and it must be right.

I am grateful to the Minister and his officials for the efforts that they have made, within tight deadlines, to revise the text of the document on the issue of brownfield sites. A target of 60% is now specified. That will be revisited in light of the urban capacity studies being carried out by the Department of the Environment.

I urge developers and planners to abide by the rules laid down in the document. Future local area plans will be based on this document. I also strongly urge my Colleague, the Minister of the Environment, to quickly process the urban capacity studies which will provide a database of all brownfield sites.

I trust that the Planning Division will take account of all brownfield sites, regardless of size, so that an accurate figure is reached. It is to be hoped that this will lead to figures in excess of 60% being achieved for urban development to accommodate the 160,000 new dwellings required over the next 15 years. I caution against limiting the scope of the database. I understand that there are some proposals to include only those sites with more than a 10-house capacity. This will suit the larger developer, because he will sooner get out onto the greenfield sites. The parameters of the database must be brought down, or it will not identify all sites available for brownfield development, particularly in the large cities.

I would like to touch upon the issue of overzoning. This was another area that exercised the Regional Development Committee. In the past, developers have been allowed to overzone a housing development by as much as 25% in some cases. The Committee was concerned that developers were treating overzoning as a standard planning practice. The major consequence of this practice has been sizeable encroachments onto the green belt. It was also noted that in England there was no allowance for overzoning. Following discussions with the Minister and his officials, the ability of developers to overzone has been greatly reduced. Although the Minister has limited overzoning to a maximum level of 10%, I am reassured that he regards this as the exception, rather than the rule. In the light of this, however, I ask the Minister to liase with his ministerial Colleague, Mr Foster, to ensure that stringent rules are put in place to assess developers' requests for overzoning.

The Minister also referred to the need to provide affordable housing for first-time buyers and those on low incomes. This is to be welcomed. There has been a growing trend among developers to target the more affluent areas, as a means of maximising returns. We need to be conscious of developing a cohesive and inclusive society. This can be partly addressed by seeking to provide those at the lower end of the social scale with affordable and accessible housing.

I am pleased that the Minister acknowledged that a balance must be struck between rural and urban development. Indeed, the regional development strategy will undoubtedly play a critical role in rural development. Provincial towns and their rural hinterland are heavily dependent on good physical infrastructure and an efficient and effective public transport system in order to support local commerce and allow businesses to remain competitive and continue to grow.

Many Members felt that too strong an emphasis was placed on the Belfast metropolitan area, and references to other areas were simply a bolt-on to the plans for the Greater Belfast area. The Committee for Regional Development was of the view that the strategy must provide opportunities for all parts of our community and that there must be balanced development across all of Northern Ireland.

I am pleased to report to the Assembly that the Department responded positively to the Committees' comments and subsequently made amendments to the document, including significant improvements to the section on Londonderry as the regional city for the north-west. There was also a notably stronger emphasis on developing the major provincial towns as main hubs, providing key public services and employment opportunities for both townspeople and the rural communities.

I caution, however, that the success of rural development, as with all other areas of the strategy, is dependent on how the strategy is implemented. That was a major concern for the Committee. There is little point in developing a plan if it cannot be successfully implemented. Other Departments must be fully committed to the strategy and play their role in its implementation. To this end, the Committee recommended that ministerial weight should be given to those tasked with implementation. I am pleased to note that an interdepartmental group, to be chaired by the Minister for Regional Development, will be set up.

I note the Minister's intention to bring forward amending legislation, whereby development plans and schemes must be in general conformity with the regional development strategy, and his reassurance that that amendment will not dilute the authority of the regional development strategy. Given that all Departments, particularly the Department of the Environment, must fully embrace the regional development strategy, I seek assurance from the Minister that that will be carefully monitored and areas of non-compliance speedily addressed.

As a general plea, I urge the Minister and the Department to implement the strategy promptly, and for all other Departments, district councils and all others involved to fully and honestly play their roles in its implementation. I also urge the Department to press on with development and implementation of the regional transportation strategy, which will complement the regional development strategy and, indeed, is vital to it.

We must all look very critically at how the necessary funding for the regional development strategy is to be found. The Committee for Regional Development has examined the position report issued by the Executive Committee and will write to the Committee for Finance and Personnel on implications. It is clear that alternative means of funding must be found to ensure that the improvements to our roads and water infrastructure, and the transport system, can go ahead. The Committee for Regional Development will be carefully monitoring and examining progress on that issue.

Finally, I thank all Committees that provided constructive comments on the draft regional strategy. On behalf of the Chairperson, I want to pay particular tribute to the members of the Committee for Regional Development who have painstakingly examined and studied the various drafts of the regional development strategies. They have made very useful and constructive comments and suggestions to guide and advise the Department so that we now have a strategy that provides a vital framework for the planned future development of our country over the next 25 years and beyond. I support the motion.

I welcome the opportunity to debate the Department for Regional Development's draft regional development strategy and commend the Minister for bringing forward the motion. The devising of a regional development strategy has been a complex process and will be of fundamental importance in addressing the needs of Northern Ireland, which has experienced uneven and unequal development over the last 30 years or more. That uneven development has led to social exclusion, which has underscored the political upheaval experienced within the restrictive political and geographic boundaries of this region. With devolution, the Assembly now has the opportunity to deliver real change to Northern Ireland and to implement a sustainable and comprehensive regional development strategy that can, as the Programme for Government states, make a difference to the everyday lives of our people.

I welcome the draft regional development strategy's recognition that the promotion of social cohesion, together with economic development, is of critical importance along with the promotion of equality of opportunity and spatial equity throughout the region as a whole.

The key objectives of any comprehensive regional development strategy should include the following: balanced and sustainable growth; social and economic inclusion; protection of the physical, natural and man- made assets of the region; and the provision of a spatial framework for the development of key public services. All those factors are addressed, and, importantly, the regional development strategy recognises the needs of both urban and rural communities. The spatial development strategy promotes a balance between urban and rural development and takes into consideration the environment and the quality of life. It is of fundamental importance that urban and rural development must co-exist and complement each other. Increased urbanisation should not be regarded as the primary economic driver.

The concept of decentralisation of services is addressed in the RDS, and that is welcome. However, the Executive should lead by example. Entire sections of Government Departments should be relocated from Belfast to what the RDS designates as the main urban hubs. Such a policy would help us to achieve more balanced growth beyond the Greater Belfast area. Overall, the regional development strategy is innovative and dynamic. It addresses many of our concerns about issues covered in earlier drafts, and contains many positive proposals relating to urban and rural development, transportation strategy, housing needs, environmental concerns and the tourism infrastructure.

Transport policy should include the core principles of equality, choice, efficiency and accessibility, as well as taking into consideration environmental concerns and public safety. The regional development strategy takes an innovative look at how to obtain the right mix of private and public transport. The strategy recognises that, if economic development and social inclusion are to be encouraged, Northern Ireland needs an integrated transportation system. I am pleased to find that the strategy contains some new proposals for improving public transport. However, it is a long-term policy, with targets set over a period of 10 years. More needs to be done in the medium term to enhance public transport and make it a viable option for commuters. We all await the regional transportation strategy because of its vital role in enabling the regional development strategy to be realised.

The commitments to improve cross-border road and rail links are also welcome. It is important that the transport infrastructure be upgraded in an all-Ireland and European context. The measures to upgrade the roads in rural Northern Ireland are long overdue, and I am pleased to read that the strategy proposes a more integrated approach to transportation in rural areas. That will improve accessibility, with the objective of sustaining rural communities.

There was a welcome acknowledgement in the strategy that different parts of the region require different planning processes. Developments in the Belfast travel-to-work area must be more constrained. I am from a rural area and, therefore, have not been heavily involved in the discussions on brownfield development. However, I welcome the fact that the Minister has set more challenging targets for brownfield development in Belfast.

The expansion of the North's links with the rest of the world is of key importance for the economic development of the region. Our airports and seaports must be developed. The ports at Warrenpoint and Lisahally provide an important service to their respective hinterlands.

The regional development strategy is an imaginative document, which has the capacity to address the problems associated with uneven development in the region. Its proposals are not rigid and can be adapted and tailored as circumstances require to ensure that the principles of equality and social justice remain at its core. During the consultation period, my party suggested that the regional development strategy should be reviewed every five years to assess its success in meeting its objectives and assess the need for any adjustments. We welcome the Minister's commitment in that regard.

We welcome the fact that district councils will be consulted in the coming months on how they can play an active role in the implementation of the strategy.

As 'Shaping Our Future' states, it is vital that we obtain a more joined-up and co-ordinated approach that meets the needs of local communities, and we welcome the commitment given to participate in the decision- making process. In the past, the North did not have any proper development proposals that sought to achieve social equity as well as economic regeneration.

It is important that the Department implements a sustainable regional development strategy with the capacity and flexibility to meet the developing needs of the region and to improve the quality of life for everyone in Northern Ireland irrespective of location or class.

I welcome what the Minister said about implementation and trying to promote stronger co-operation between the Department for Regional Development and the Department of the Environment. That is vital as we try to realise implementation over the next 20 years. Decentralisation was flagged up and it is contained in the document in a positive way that will be good for the entire region.

I congratulate the Minister for Regional Development in bringing the draft to the Assembly. In particular, I endorse the remarks made concerning the Warrenpoint and Londonderry ports. I had the pleasure of touring both ports, and I saw the valuable work that they do and the great potential for development there. I hope that none of us will forget the Belfast port - how could we? The House will return to that subject before too long when it looks at the future of the port and the surrounding land that could be developed.

I join the Minister in his words of praise and commendation for those who were closely associated with the preparation of the draft strategy; the team leader, in particular. From my sojourn in that Department I know about the valuable work that he and his team have done and how reliable they are. I congratulate him on being awarded the CBE. Many people will see that as a well-deserved honour, and I am sure that the Assembly congratulates him.

We must not forget the director of the regional plan team who was also closely associated with the preparation of the report, and the deputy secretary who had an overseeing role. From my days in the Department I know that the permanent secretary was very supportive of the project; he put a lot of enthusiasm into it and gave a great deal of encouragement to those who were involved. They will all be delighted - even to simply get it out of their office - to see it come to this stage of preparation and fruition.

It is important that the Assembly recognise the considerable work that went into producing the pictures and text in front of us and the work carried out by the independent panel that consulted perhaps more widely than for any previous consultation on Government policy. It provided a report that I was happy to receive when I was Minister for that Department and am happy to welcome now.

It might be worthwhile, while I am in the praising mood, to mention the Committee for Regional Development. I am sure that the Minister benefited from its work to the same extent as I did. The Committee provided me with valuable advice about the plan, as I am sure it did for the Minister, and it has made its mark on the draft that was produced.

I want to deal with two issues that seem to have changed from when I was more intimately involved with the preparation of the plan. I would like to know the Department's thinking on these matters. First, there is the status of the report. There had been a legal basis for the report, which is set out on page three of the draft. The Strategic Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 requires Northern Ireland Departments to

in exercising any functions in relation to development. In particular, planning policy, development plans and development schemes prepared by the Department of the Environment and the Department for Social Development are required in future to be

The report says that this means that in practice they should be in broad harmony with the strategic objectives and policies of the regional development strategy.

I note that an attempt has been made in that "addendum" to give some type of definition to the legislation, which says

However, page 200 of the report, which covers the legal framework, states - as the Minister did - that we can expect proposals to be brought before the Assembly in the near future, if the Assembly survives. The proposals will promote amending legislation, which would substitute the original wording with a requirement that development plans

I am sure that lawyers could make a meal out of the difference between the words "consistent with" and "in broad conformity with". As a layman, I would be happy if the Minister told me why it is necessary to bring in amending legislation to change the wording. Are people unhappy with their Departments acting consistently with the regional development strategy? Why have we produced what seems to be a more flexible or loose approach to the strategy? I would like to know the reasoning behind the slight of hand in the draft. It may be that there is no major reason behind it - alarm bells may be ringing unnecessarily.

The second issue, raised by the Deputy Chairperson of the Committee, concerns brownfield sites. The most significant policy statement in the regional development strategy deals with the issue of brownfield and greenfield development. Anyone who has taken a careful interest throughout the process will be aware of the evolution of the strategy in that regard. The Regional Development Committee is correct in drawing attention to such a key issue.

As a Member for a Belfast constituency, I see the absolute necessity of revitalising the inner-city parts of Belfast. Even the middle of the city needs to be revitalised. I am sure that Members can advance similar cases for more rural areas. The public examination recommended 40% brownfield development. The latest graphs show a target of 60%, but the target is dependent on the urban capacity studies.

I welcome the direction of the policy aspiration. However, I am not convinced about how it advances the brownfield site case to have a target of 40% or 60%. I suspect it is more likely to be used in areas as a maximum rather than a target. For example, what argument would be advanced if, in a town somewhere in Northern Ireland, they can produce brownfield sites representing 80% of the requirement? Would people simply stay at the figure of 60%, rather than go beyond it? Under the draft, they might have to stop at 60%, but I am sure that that was not the intention of the report. The House can agree that we should strive to encourage as much brownfield development as possible. That would be consistent with concerns that many of us have about town cramming.

As a representative of a local government borough, I am appalled by the number of applications for high- density apartment developments, almost invariably to be built in existing residential areas where one or two houses will be knocked down with perhaps 10 or 20 being built in their place.

There is a danger that putting a quota on brownfield development will force the planning department towards town cramming. However, brownfield development is good not only because it helps to regenerate inner- and middle-city areas, but it breathes new life into areas that have become run-down and dilapidated over the years. It offers those areas a fresh start and revitalisation for communities.

Brownfield development also brings an economic boost to shopkeepers in inner- and middle-city areas who must vie with the out-of-town shopping centres and major supermarket developments that have eaten into the retail market. It is a more sustainable form of development and enables the provision of a more effective public transport system.

A key difficulty we face in encouraging people to get out of their cars and onto public transport is land-use pattern. That has made the provision of an effective public transport system almost impossible. Northern Ireland is a society that has two and a half times as many road miles as the rest of the UK, and disparate settlement patterns are not easily accommodated by any public transport system.

The strategy will not solve all our problems, but it is a start. Over the next 30 years it will give us an opportunity to make a difference to some of the problems that have been created over the past 30 years. That is why land- use planning is so important.

I am delighted that we now have a strategic framework for Northern Ireland which will soon be backed by the Belfast metropolitan area plan and the other area plans so that we can move forward strategically on planning matters. For too long planning applications for major developments have come forward on a piecemeal basis, often decided by article 31 inquiries that form no part of the overall planning strategy but rather are developer led.

However, I am concerned that the percentage figure is being submitted. Regardless of what the urban capacity study brings forward as available brownfield sites, should we not use the maximum number of sites, no matter what that number might be? We should tie ourselves to the outcome of the urban capacity study rather than to an artificial or aspirational figure. The Committee - and I suspect the Minister - has made it very clear that the aspiration is to use the maximum number of sites under the urban capacity study. Can the Minister tell me the advantage of putting a percentage figure into the draft, as opposed to a requirement, that the planners operate on the maximum number of sites in the urban capacity study?

Finally, I would like to alert the Minister to something. Every Member of the House has probably received a letter from the Construction Employers Federation (it arrived with general Assembly correspondence). For those of us who have the instinctive ability to read between the lines, it is fairly clear that in that communication the potential for legal challenge is being pointed up, should the Minister depart from the procedures that have been laid down.

Is the Minister satisfied that if he departs from the panel's report in this way, that he will not find that the courts, as opposed to the Assembly, will decide the report? The construction industry may well say that it was not consulted about the change. What steps can he take to ensure that the primacy for the future of development is with the Assembly rather than with the courts?

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Ba mhaith liom cupla pointe gearr a dhéanamh i dtaobh an rúin. I want to make a few brief points on the draft regional development strategy. At the outset I have to say that I am somewhat concerned about the unfortunate timing of the debate. This document sets out the strategic framework for the development of this part of Ireland for the next 25 years. It comes to the Assembly when some people are in recess mode or in resignation mode, and the importance of this document has been overshadowed by other events today. There might have been a more appropriate time for this matter to be debated.

This is an important document, and it will have interdepartmental consequences. It will be an overarching strategy, which will guide the strategies of individual Departments in relation to housing and other development, transportation, the environment and economic development. Given this, I recommend that all Members consider this the final form of the document and take on board its content. As a strategic document it is significant, for it will influence the shaping of this region for the next 25 years.

It is clear from the Minister's contribution and from discussions we have had with departmental officials over the last few months that they have taken on board the views of the Regional Development Committee and of other Committees that contributed to the consultation on the document. Each of the issues raised by the Committee during the consultation has been listened to and dealt with in the redrafting of the document. As a member of the Regional Development Committee, I welcome the praise and thanks that the Minister and other Members have expressed to the Committee.

One of the issues raised at the outset was the sense of imbalance in the initial draft of the document with its focus on the Belfast metropolitan area and the city of Derry, as opposed to the rural regions of the North. The document now indicates that there will be a balanced approach to the entire region. In identifying the key transport corridors and the regional centres and rural hubs, it has addressed concerns about the overemphasis on the Belfast metropolitan area as opposed to the rural areas. In stating that, while the document sets out to promote equality of life and availability of services to everyone, we have to bear in mind that two thirds of the population of this region live in smaller towns and the countryside.

The section on transportation addresses the existing rail network provision, while the overall aim of the document is to provide a vision of development in the next 25 years. The rail network in the Belfast metropolitan area and the key links between Belfast and Derry, and Belfast and Dublin, are examined. However, I am disappointed that, although this is a vision document, it does not deal with the further development and expansion of the rail network between, for instance, Portadown, Armagh, Dungannon, Omagh, Strabane and Derry.

In recent months a significant part of the Committee's time has been spent in establishing appropriate levels of brownfield site development and discussing the overzoning which has taken place in area plans. There was an initial concern that the Belfast metropolitan area was being overemphasised. However, that area has - and will continue to have - the largest population and the highest level of economic activity in the region, and its development is important to the whole region. At present Belfast metropolitan area is expanding, but the city centre is declining, and much of that centre is relatively underpopulated. A target for the development of brownfield sites is needed to deal with this. I welcome the Minister's statement that there needs to be a clear signal in regard to the development of brownfield sites.

When the land database has been completed and assessed, there will need to be a much more ambitious target for the Belfast metropolitan area than would be feasible or achievable in any other urban centre in the region. We will need to revisit this matter when the land database is completed and when we are assessing the potential in that field.

The document is strategy-based, and it will only be successful if it is effectively implemented. The Minister proposed the introduction of amending legislation to create a requirement that other Departments' policies be "in general conformity" rather than consistent with the regional development strategy. This amendment is designed to create more flexibility in the planning system. I accept that point, but I hope that the term "must be in general conformity" will not weaken the basic strategy inherent in the document.

An interdepartmental steering group of officials, chaired by the Minister, to monitor the progress of the strategy's implementation, is proposed. The group will report annually to the Assembly, and I am sure that the Minister for Regional Development and the officials on this steering group at any given time will be very capable. However, I hope that during the monitoring process, there will be ongoing consultation with other Committees and Ministers on the implementation of the strategy

I thank the departmental officials who had to endure the many questions raised by Committee members, who were not prepared to accept woolly answers. The officials considered our concerns and returned to the Committee several times before producing their final draft.

There is much to commend the strategy document, and for that I praise the Minister and his officials. However, I have some concerns. There is little point in repeating what other Members have said, but I concur with the points that Mr Peter Robinson and Mr McNamee made about how determined we must be to see the strategy implemented.

I have a couple of difficulties with the strategy. I do not believe that it adequately defines the requirements - I emphasise the word "requirements" - of our society with regard to greenfield and brownfield development. The Minister has the capacity to create a new ethos. I have said that before. Rather than go round counting brownfield sites and the number of buildings that might be erected on such sites, we should be proactive in the development and creation of brownfield sites.

We should encourage developers to believe that there is a genuine opportunity and that they should use brownfield sites because they will have to wait a long time for a greenfield site. We have not addressed the matter fully. The strategy document says that the proportion of housing development in urban areas should be double the current level of 25-30%. That means 50% to, at most, 60%. In that respect, the document does not set out a clear indicator or indicate a decisive, determined attitude on the part of the Minister and the Assembly. It is not enough.

Vehicular travel is up by 3%, although we have a policy of asking people to use public transport, to use bicycles or to walk. Brownfield sites are already on transport corridors, which would ensure that people have ample opportunity to avail themselves of the daily services that pass by their door, street or avenue. There is much to commend the strategy, and I do not want to be too churlish, but I must flag up the fact that that issue will be raised repeatedly.

Overzoning will disrupt the percentage balance between brownfield and greenfield development. I want someone to do the mathematics and tell me that we will maintain the balance between brownfield and greenfield sites at the rate that the Minister and the Assembly would like. We are not likely to overzone too many brownfield sites, but we will overzone greenfield sites. The Minister must consider that carefully. There should not have been any overzoning. It has been of benefit only to the developer, against the best interests of our society. Perhaps that is not what the Department has in mind, but that is what has happened.

This is a valuable and important document, which sets out a plan for the strategic development of Northern Ireland over the next 25 years. It is a tremendously important tome. While other Members have focused mainly on the brownfield/greenfield variation, I want to come to that at a later stage, along with other issues.

I want to point out what I think is one of the most serious flaws in this regional development strategy. I have done a little research of my own, and I have discovered that Northern Ireland has the highest birth rate and one of the youngest populations in the European Union. Yet this regional development strategy concentrates more on our cars than on our kids. If you typed the word "children" in to your computer you could count on your fingers the number of times it would come up. If you typed in the word "car" it would be there - you would need more than 100 fingers to count the number of times it came up.

We have a car culture, instead of a kid culture. It is disgraceful that 26% of this population is under the age of 17 and, according to our regulations, cannot drive a car, and yet there is virtually nothing to accommodate kids and young people in this regional development strategy. That is about 400,000 children - if my calculations are correct. Where are children and young people to be found here?

Under the transport strategy.

The transport strategy I am told. I am sorry; kids do not drive. Let me explain where I am coming from on this.

Public transport strategy.

If I am allowed to continue, I will get to public transport. I am going to recommend that public transport prices should be brought down and reduced greatly to accommodate children.

There are sprawling housing estates all over this country, accommodating thousands of families, and yet there are no communal swings or slides among them. New housing developments are being built, but there is no public transport, no community facilities and not one children's play area. However, there is plenty of room for cars to be parked.

Planning Policy Statement 7 states that

Here we have wonderful guidelines, which I do not condemn - in fact I applaud - respecting the context; the character; the built heritage; open space - certainly; grass lands - great; woodlands; discreet groups of trees - great; local neighbourhood facilities - we are getting closer; walking and cycling; people whose mobility is impaired; traffic-calming measures - excellent; one whole piece for adequate and appropriate provision for parking - I am assuming that it is referring to our cars, not our kids. There is not one mention here of children.

What about a play area for children? Even seating for the elderly could have been brought in there. There is a huge lack. I am appealing to civil servants for just one more addition saying "communal play areas for kids". In creating areas of new high-density housing development, we are establishing a kid in a cul-de-sac culture. How many people move in to new housing developments and find that their kids have nowhere to play but on the streets between the cars? We often wonder why some kids turn to joyriding. Something must be done for our children.

The Republic of Ireland have brought in new legislation saying that every 100 houses should have communal - [Interruption]

Would the Member look at the strategic framework document that we are meant to be debating today?

May I ask which page the Member would like me to refer to, and I will?

So far the Member has looked at the Republic of Ireland and a policy guidance note, but I have heard nothing about this document.

With respect, Mr Deputy Speaker, allow me to go to our regional framework document. On each page, I have underlined areas that focus on car parking and transport - but no kids, no kids, no kids. Here is one example from page 123. 'Criteria for an expanded or new settlement proposal'. Very good. It says:

Walking, cycling and the use of public transport are mentioned, but there is no mention of children. 26% of our population is under the age of 17, and they are not mentioned.

I have mentioned the Republic of Ireland. I will also mention Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece and France. Walk around and you will see children's play areas on every street corner. In Belfast, town centre managers wonder why they have to compete with out-of-town shopping developments. Yet I ask you - if a mother with three children under the age of six comes into Belfast, where does she put her children? There is not one swing, not one slide - nowhere for children to play in the centre of town.

Will the Member give way?

Yes.

The Member might like to look at page 74. She might be happy to read the section on Community Greenways, which provides for cycle routes, wildlife habitat, parks, playing fields, school grounds, open spaces, private lands and golf courses.

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