The Bill terms positions that involve work with vulnerable adults as "care positions". In broad terms, those are positions that involve regular contact with adults in a residential care or nursing home, and positions that involve regular contact with adults to whom prescribed services are provided by a health services body or private hospital. Those who provide prescribed services in their own homes for persons who, due to illness, infirmity or disability, are unable to provide them for themselves are also included. People in receipt of such services are considered to be vulnerable. Those responsible for employing the individuals who provide such services will be required to carry out checks and to make referrals where the relevant criteria apply. Employment agencies, nursing agencies and employment businesses will also have a duty to make referrals under certain conditions where an individual has harmed, or placed at risk of harm, a vulnerable adult.

I have touched only on the Bill's main provisions. The Bill is complex, and the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety will pay particular attention to the details. I wish to leave time for Members to comment, and I am keen to hear their views at this stage. The Bill will significantly improve arrangements for the protection of children and vulnerable adults, and will form the basis of a very comprehensive and practical system of safeguards.

The Chairperson of the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Dr Hendron): The Committee warmly welcomes the introduction of the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults Bill. The Bill coincides with the Committee's inquiry into child protection services in Northern Ireland. The Committee notes that all 58 responses to the Department's consultation process supported the proposals to strengthen the current arrangements. My Colleagues and I look forward to Committee Stage, when we shall scrutinise its provisions in detail and recommend amendments, if necessary.

The Barnardo's case and the Fleming Fulton Special School case that were highlighted in the media recently have graphically demonstrated the danger of abuse that children face at the hands of those professionals entrusted with their care and protection. Therefore, it is vital that all reasonable steps be taken to safeguard children and vulnerable adults from the risk of harm and abuse.

The Committee accepts the need for a statutory list of those deemed unsuitable to work with children and vulnerable adults, and for the requirement for childcare organisations to carry out checks on prospective employees against that list. Further clarification will be sought at Committee Stage on the extent of the criteria for listing individuals, the application of the criteria equally across other jurisdictions and how the new requirements will be enforced.

The accreditation system for groups that work with children but do not fall within the legal definition of a childcare organisation is also important, as it is an indication that those groups follow the proper standards for the protection of children and vulnerable adults. The Committee will wish to consider whether that provision fully satisfies concerns that the requirement to carry out checks or to make referrals should be extended to all organisations that work with children or vulnerable adults.

The fact that there are two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland, coupled with the ease with which workers can move between European Union countries, makes the provision for disqualification in other jurisdictions especially relevant to Northern Ireland. Close collaboration will be needed between North and South to minimise the potential for exploitation of the system by those who are intent on harming children and vulnerable adults. In the absence of a similar list in the Republic of Ireland, the Committee will want to know what steps can be taken to determine the suitability of individuals moving from there to take up employment in Northern Ireland.

To protect human rights, it is important that an independent tribunal be established to hear appeals against any decision by the Department to list a person as one who poses a risk to children or vulnerable adults. The Committee will want to consider carefully whether this right of appeal adequately protects the human rights of the individual.

As always, there will be questions on the financing of the new arrangements and how they will be managed. We will need effective cross-departmental co-operation for access to information and an information campaign to heighten awareness of the need to protect children and vulnerable adults. Guidance will also be needed on how organisations use information gleaned from checks.

This is a substantial Bill with 51 clauses and a schedule. The Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety will want to consult widely and take evidence from organisations dedicated to the well-being of children and vulnerable adults. My Colleagues and I look forward to the Committee Stage of the Bill, when we will be able to consider its provisions in detail.

Rev Robert Coulter: I welcome this Bill. As a member of the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety I take a close interest in the need to ensure that the statutory and voluntary arrangements for protecting children are as robust and comprehensive as possible. How we provide and care for children is a measure of how civilised we are. While children continue to be abused, we must examine how we protect them. Failure to do so indicts us all as a society, so I welcome the Bill.

Setting the pre-employment consultancy service, which is a voluntary arrangement to vet those working with children, on to a statutory basis is a positive move that will strengthen the safeguards for children. The Bill also seeks to tighten arrangements for checking the suitability of people working, or seeking to work, with vulnerable adults. I am pleased that the needs of this often-neglected group are being addressed. Children are automatically deemed vulnerable due to their young age, so it is important that older members of society, who are infirm or require care, are also protected. It is vital that the carers of vulnerable people, who may not have close relatives caring for them, should be vetted as children's carers are. This is another sign of a caring society. The providers of care services, including private and public healthcare agencies, will now have to refer the names of harmful individuals for inclusion on a list of those deemed unsuitable for working with vulnerable adults. That is good.

The Bill is important and will help to protect the most vulnerable members of our community. However, those people affected by it should be able to appeal against inclusion on a list. This is not a perfect world, and people may be incorrectly listed. The Bill allows those who have been disqualified from work with children or vulnerable adults to seek to have that disqualification reviewed. The Chairperson of the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety referred to this when he spoke about protecting human rights. A fair society must give everyone the right of appeal, and this provision has been included. This measure will place a heavy burden on the social care tribunals, and the Committee will want to see how this works in practice.

I am pleased that definitive statements have been made on offences against children and on those who commit the offences. For instance, it is clearly set out that those who supply, or offer to supply, class A drugs to a child, or are concerned in the supplying of such a drug to a child, or are concerned in the making of an offer to supply such a drug to a child, will be included under this Bill. I am sure we all agree that those vultures who tear apart the lives of young people and feed on them for their personal gain will now be targeted in a very special way.

I look forward to considering the detail of the Bill at the Committee Stage.

This is another complex Bill, but the Health Committee will scrutinise it closely and propose relevant amendments. The Alliance Party supports the Bill's broad principles, which will put the PECS register on a statutory basis. As the Minister said, it will strengthen existing arrangements and safeguards.

I hope that the Bill will go a long way toward preventing those who would be deemed a risk to children and vulnerable adults from coming into contact with them as part of their employment. The Bill alone will not do that, because clearly not all those who are a risk to children are on the register. According to children's charities such as the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), there are currently only 22 people in Northern Ireland on that register. At least the Bill will make a start. Perhaps the fact that there are only 22 people on the current non-statutory register highlights the need for this piece of legislation. Charities and childcare organisations will work closely with the Minister to ensure that the legislation is implemented properly.

We welcome the system of disqualification on offences, but we also welcome the fact that the Bill provides for the right of appeal for those included on the register. That is important in protecting individual rights.

We also welcome the list of organisations required to carry out checks on prospective employees. We welcome the fact that those organisations will also be required to submit to the Department the name of anyone in their employment who they have reason to believe may be a danger, or whom they may have dismissed because of conduct that could raise doubts about their suitability to work with children. This is a practical attitude to a sensitive area.

However, I am concerned by the plan to create two separate lists - one for those unsuitable to work with children and one for those unsuitable to work with vulnerable adults. I would like to see the mechanism for deciding which register someone should be placed on, or for deciding if someone should be placed on both. Will it be possible to allow someone who has been assessed as a potential risk to children to get a job that might put them into contact with vulnerable adults, or vice versa? How can we be sure that the safeguards are sufficient? I would like that clarified.

I mentioned the important right of appeal for those on the register. The Bill states that if someone is put on the register before becoming an adult, they will be on the list for five years and can then appeal. If that is unsuccessful, they can appeal again after a further five years. However, someone who is put on the list as an adult can appeal only after 10 years, and then must wait another 10 years if that is unsuccessful. That seems to be a disparity, and I would like that clarified. Perhaps the timescale after an unsuccessful appeal should be five years for both; the Committee might look at that when considering the Bill in detail.

In clauses 9 and 40, which deal with appeals against inclusion, there appear to be some more anomalies. Clause 9(3) reads "either of the following", when it probably should say "both of the following". There are also two other places where the Bill uses the term "or" when it probably should read "either . or". I hope that the Department or the Committee will tidy up those points, as they could affect human rights.

There is merit in the suggestion, supported by the NSPCC and others, that the list of organisations required to refer people to the Department for possible inclusion on the register should include all organisations working with children, including voluntary and uniformed organisations. The concept of the accreditation of organisations proposed in clause 16 will help the situation. We hope that that will lead to a more proactive approach and more confidence in child protection standards generally.

As a probation board member, I have seen many vulnerable children and adults, and recognise the necessity of strengthening the legislation in that regard. I have known several people whose lives and reputations have been severely undermined because of the absence of proper legislation.

They were tried and persecuted by fellow citizens who made their own judgements.

The Bill should require the North/South Ministerial Council to keep an eye on the processes for vetting and monitoring citizens from other EU states, where they may have been disqualified from working with children by equivalent vetting systems. The Chairperson of the Committee for Health, Social Services and Personal Safety has mentioned that point, so I am confident that it will be dealt with.

The Assembly has a duty to be seen to provide legislation that supports the vulnerable and unprotected in society. We have seen the trauma and anguish caused by drawing up lists of paedophiles and homosexuals, and I hope that that anguish will be mitigated by the Bill, which must be seen by all as balanced and transparent. Its implementation should be monitored constantly.

We welcome the introduction of the Bill if it is in tandem with education and training that will protect children and vulnerable adults. We look forward to considering the Bill at Committee Stage.

I commend the Minister and her officials for introducing this legislation. It will play a part in protecting children and vulnerable adults from unsuitable people who would abuse positions of trust.

People who criticise this Administration for simply enacting catch-up legislation should look at some of the innovative aspects of the Bill, which, while ensuring consistency with other jurisdictions, also deals with some of Northern Ireland's particular needs.

The Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults Bill does not sit in isolation or in a vacuum. Last year, almost to the day, I sponsored a private Member's motion on vetting arrangements and the need to take measures to promote the Department's PECS arrangements.

I am pleased to note that the Department has made considerable progress on a range of issues to raise awareness of the need to carry out suitability checking and promote good employment practices. That will continue to run in tandem with the Bill. It will take on a new imperative and be as important as the legislation.

The Bill is part of a range of measures for protecting children, such as the regulation of the social care workforce and new assessment and management arrangements for sex offenders. However, other measures are urgently required, and the Minister will be aware of the need for her Department to develop a comprehensive child protection strategy that will interface and dovetail with the children's strategy being developed by the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister. That must entail much greater investment in the family of childcare services in the statutory and voluntary sectors. The Minister will be acutely aware that we are running at average investment levels of 40% below equivalent regions in other jurisdictions. Additionally, there are several policy developments, which, if implemented, could make a difference, and we need to move away from seeing measures in terms of cost.

The need to improve our record on child protection is one reason why I intend to introduce a private Member's Bill in the next session. It will improve the functioning and status of area child protection committees. In addition to their many responsibilities, area child protection committees will also have an important role in implementing aspects of this Bill, such as reporting, regulation, and public awareness raising, through their key strategic child protection role in each of the boards.

The Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults Bill is one of the most important and far-reaching pieces of legislation to be introduced by the Executive. The Minister has outlined some of its key components, and I want to expand on several issues.

First, accreditation is a fundamentally important provision and highly significant in promoting and developing improved child protection standards in many uniform and sporting organisations. It will build on much of the good work of organisations such as the Volunteer Development Agency, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and others. A requirement to carry out suitability checking will be added, and those who have been dismissed for harming children will be reported.

Accreditation is a much more proactive concept, akin to the Kitemark, and it will be welcomed by both parents and carers. Accreditation will require considerable further investment, which will have several implications. I hope that the Minister will provide resources for her Department and, in particular, the childcare unit, to meet those new requirements. The resources made available by other Departments will be a key issue.

The protection of children is everyone's responsibility. Accreditation will have costs for organisations that fall under the remit of the Department of Education, the Department for Social Development and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. I hope that other Departments will embrace the Bill's requirements, and that the Executive will make funding a priority.

The Bill makes provision for accreditation and access to the Department's list for payment of fees. I understand the Department's need to charge for that service; however, fees may have implications for small voluntary organisations, especially those that have many volunteers. The Home Office and the Scottish Executive have waived fees for suitability checking for those types of organisations. I hope that the Minister will consider doing the same in this jurisdiction.

The Bill rightly places the issue of vetting in a wider European context. It has the capacity to recognise equivalent listings in other jurisdictions and provides for access to those from outside Northern Ireland. The position with regard to the Republic is that there is still fluid movement of personnel, yet there are radically different standards of vetting on both parts of the island.

The situation in the Republic is unsatisfactory. Although it has a criminal records office, there is no equivalent consultancy register of people who have been dismissed from their posts for harming children. Most of the time, for various reasons, individuals are not prosecuted. That disparity is of much concern to organisations such as the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) and the NSPCC, as well as Barnardo's, both North and South. I hope that the Minister will ensure that that matter is placed on the North/South Ministerial Council's agenda as a matter of urgency. Attempts to improve the system of suitable vetting are made more problematic by that state of affairs.

The decision in clause 2 to list an individual as unsuitable to work with children is a serious one, and must follow careful consideration under a due process. I welcome the inclusion, in clause 9, of an appeal to a social care tribunal, as that recognises the rights of those referred. However, the process outlined in clause 2 raises several issues. Protecting children is a multi-agency issue and often involves complex decisions. Listing those unsuitable to work with children and adults will also call for good assessment and clear decision making. I hope that the Minister will consider using experts inside and outside the Department to carry out that important task.

Clause 17 provides a clear mechanism for whistle-blowing by a person connected with a childcare organisation or any other accredited body. The process is dependent on individuals in childcare organisations reporting a failure to comply with the requirements of clause 2. The Minister may wish to consider situations in which that information is referred to the Department anonymously, or where individuals feel unwilling to reveal their identity. There may be situations in which an individual is unable to report information out of fear of reprisal. Therefore, there may be merit in altering slightly the wording of clause 2 to reflect those situations.

I welcome the provision made for vulnerable adults, who often suffer considerable social disadvantage. They rely on others to speak for them, because they are unable to speak for themselves. It is essential that they be afforded the same protection regardless of their age. However, the definition of vulnerable adults does not include adults who have suffered brain injury. Those people have had damage to their cognitive processes and should be regarded as vulnerable. Adults with physical disabilities must also be included in that category.

The SDLP welcomes the Bill. It is an important building block in the measures required to protect children. It contains some innovative thinking and is an improvement on the Protection of Children Act 1999. The idea of accreditation is far-reaching and could improve safeguards for children in organisations through encouraging the improvement of standards - something that any reputable organisation should be happy about.

The Bill is only one measure to protect children and must be seen in the context of a broader strategic approach by the Department. The disparity with other jurisdictions as regards child protection and registration rates is growing, as is chronic underinvestment. The implementation of the Bill will require investment in the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety by other Departments and agencies. I support the Bill.

I support the Bill; it is long overdue. All Members who spoke in the debate are in favour of its provisions. It is natural for Members to press for stronger childcare regulations. It is good that the Bill also applies to vulnerable adults. I congratulate the Minister for introducing it, and I am sure that it will have the support of the Health Committee when its members consider it at Committee Stage. Even though I welcome the Bill, I am conscious of the need for us to ensure that it does in practice exactly what it was said it would do on paper.

I particularly welcome its provision for whistle-blowers. That is vital. People who work in organisations dealing with children and vulnerable adults must be protected if they become aware of potential abuse or unsuitable staff. They must be confident that they can bring information to the authorities without any danger of losing their jobs or being discriminated against.

I also welcome the right of appeal, through an independent tribunal, against inclusion on the register. Any organisation working with children and vulnerable adults that fails to carry out checks or make a referral to the protection register is guilty of a serious breach of its duty to protect these vulnerable people. The Assembly must therefore ensure that staff know that they can alert the authorities without fear of any consequences.

As the SDLP's spokesperson on health, I welcome and support the overall aim of the Bill.

I have listened to Members' comments with interest, and I thank those who spoke. I am particularly grateful for their welcome of the Bill and their recognition that it contains innovative measures to meet local needs. I will attempt to respond to the points that were raised, but I will not deal with each in detail, because some Members said that they would be voicing their concerns during the Bill's Committee Stage.

There is no doubt that we need continued collaboration with the South, and, as I said at the outset, this Bill is only part of a wider set of work. Child protection is being dealt with in the education sectoral format of the North/South Ministerial Council, which will be very interested in the progress of the Bill.

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has been working on a comprehensive children's strategy that will dovetail with the work of the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister. The Department's children's strategy would have been produced earlier had the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister not announced that it was to produce its strategy. Officials intend to make draft suggestions to children's organisations and to seek their comments before bringing the matter to me when it has been further developed.

It was asked whether whistle-blowing should be done anonymously. An individual who avails of whistle-blowing arrangements may fear reprisals and may be reluctant to disclose his or her name. It is a difficult matter, as the Department must guard against spurious or malicious reports. However, the Department wishes to make it possible for individuals to report failures by organisations to carry out checks or to make referrals. The Department wishes to consider that further to see what might be done.

We must get the appeals process right. The Department will have to develop and operate detailed criteria for deciding whether a person should be included on the list, as will the tribunal when hearing appeals.

There will undoubtedly be difficult decisions on whether some individuals pose a risk sufficient to warrant listing. It would be counterproductive if the Department were to list people only to have its decisions routinely overturned by the tribunal. The Department will develop this as an important part of implementing the new legislation.

The use of the words "and" or "or" is a drafting matter. The Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety will study the provisions of the Bill; that process will involve close scrutiny of its drafting. An individual may be placed on a list relating to children and also on one list relating to vulnerable adults. A person who is considered a risk to children will have to be regarded as a risk to vulnerable adults also. Detailed criteria will be developed to assess risk in all cases.

The imposition of fees dovetails with the question of whether there would be sufficient money for implementation. In some instances, it is not envisaged that there will be major resource implications as checks and referrals are part of an established system for children and for adults with learning disabilities. However, provision exists for the Department to prescribe fees to offset the additional costs.

Some are concerned about the imposition of charges. Including powers to prescribe fees recognises that an increase in demand for services may make it impossible for the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to continue to provide them free of charge. By introducing costs, the Department would be able to bring about service quality improvements by greater use of technology. The Department has yet to decide the charges that are to be imposed on small voluntary organisations. Charges will not be imposed for checks on volunteers in England, Wales and Scotland, and I am sure that the Department wishes to take a similar position.

The difficult decision to list a person will rest with the Department. It is willing to see what can be done by drawing on outside expertise. The person to be listed will have the chance to make representations against the decision to list.

Members have welcomed the accreditation system. It is intended that it will go some way toward allaying concerns about the breadth of the requirement to carry out checks and make referrals. It is also intended that the promotion of the accreditation scheme among parents and carers will help to drive up standards and lead to greater protection of children. It has already been pointed out that the accreditation scheme is innovative.

The disqualification order is subject to certain conditions, including a requirement that a suitable period must have elapsed since its imposition. The intention behind that is to avoid repeated applications, and I understand that the Committee will want to look at the detail of that during the Committee Stage.

The Bill creates real opportunities to improve protection for some of the most vulnerable members of society. My Department will wish to work closely with the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety on the detail of the provisions as the Bill progresses.

In case any Members feel that they have not had their questions answered during today's debate, and are hoping for an answer before the Committee Stage of the Bill, my officials will study the Official Report, and I will respond in writing.

The Bill stands referred to the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety.

Health and Personal Social Services Bill (NIA 06/01):
Further Consideration Stage

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Mr Deputy Speaker:

No amendments to the Bill have been tabled. The Further Consideration Stage of the Health and Personal Social Services Bill is, therefore, concluded. The Bill stands referred to the Speaker.

Railway Safety Bill: 
Final Stage

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The Minister for Regional Development (Mr P Robinson):

I beg to move

The Bill was introduced to the Assembly on 18 February 2002, and the Committee Stage commenced on 27 February. During the Committee Stage, evidence was taken from the main interested parties and my Department. The Committee's approach has been thorough, and I am grateful to its members for their attention to the detail of the Bill. I thank the Committee for its support, as evidenced by its published report.

In my statement to the House on 10 June 2002 on the accident at Downhill on 4 June, I outlined how important the Bill is to the enhancement of railway safety in Northern Ireland. The crash at Potters Bar and the recent collision between a freight train and a lorry in Great Britain continue to emphasise the need for a focused legislative and operational approach to modern and safe travel by railway. The Bill, together with the secondary legislation that I outlined to the House during the Consideration Stage, seeks to achieve that. I reaffirm my intention to consult the departmental Committee and interested parties on those Regulations, and that process will commence in the next few weeks.

I thank Members for their attention to this important Bill during its progress through the House. I commend the Bill to the Assembly.

Regional Transportation Strategy for
 Northern Ireland 2002-2012

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I beg to move

I am pleased to present the regional transportation strategy for Northern Ireland, 2002-12, and to invite Members to approve its strategic direction and underlying principles. I hope that Members have received their copies of the strategy, which was made available on 27 June 2002. They will, of course, receive the properly printed, hardback shelf copy during the summer. I hope that it will bear the imprint, "Approved by the Assembly on 3 July 2002".

I want to thank the Members, local councillors and other key stakeholders who contributed to the development of the strategy through their participation in the consultative process - most recently, in response to the proposed strategy that I launched in the Chamber five months ago. In particular, the active engagement of the Committee for Regional Development during the past two years has been extremely welcome. I acknowledge the significant role that Committee members have played in helping to shape the final document. There are other key individuals to whom I want to record my appreciation. I intend to do that in my winding-up speech.

During the debate on the proposed regional transportation strategy in February, I was heartened by the broad indications of support for the direction that the draft strategy was taking. I was also struck by the high level of interest and the quality of the debate. Transportation is clearly an issue that affects everyone and impacts on all the Assembly's priority policy areas. I will outline shortly the key differences between the earlier draft - with which Members are familiar - and the final strategy. I hope that it will be clear how I have responded to remarks that were made in the previous debate, and to the feedback to the consultation exercise that was launched that day.

Two years ago, the House acknowledged the poor state of Northern Ireland's transportation assets and called unanimously for increased funding for public transport and roads. I am pleased to note that there has been progress since then, which includes a decision made by the Assembly in September 2000 to invest £103 million in improving the rail network following the report of the railways task force. Significantly, transportation is now a priority area for investment, alongside health, education, water and sewerage.

I want to acknowledge the contribution to transportation in the initial allocation of funds for the reinvestment and reform initiative. It will kick-start the strategy through highway improvements in key transport corridors, a reduction in the road maintenance backlog and a start to the bus replacement programme. It is a welcome investment, and I hope that it is a sign that the Assembly is determined to tackle the decades of neglect and underinvestment in the transportation network. However, I emphasise to the Minister of Finance and Personnel that I trust that it will be a harbinger of things to come.

In contrast to the preceding decades of underinvestment and the ad hoc approach of transportation planning this strategy provides the framework for the development of Northern Ireland's transportation system in the next 10 years. The £3·5 billion strategy establishes strategic transportation priorities, identifies the measures that are required to meet its objectives, and considers the potential additional sources of funding that will be explored in the Department's endeavours to develop the initiatives in the strategy.

There are several exciting initiatives in the regional transportation strategy that I will come to shortly. However, before doing so I want to draw Members' attention to the strategic direction and underlying principles that they are being asked to endorse. The strategy identifies a requirement for additional investment in transportation in the next 10 years of £1·37 billion. That is, of course, £1·37 billion over and above what public transport and roads would receive if current levels of funding were to continue during that period.

In setting the total figure of £3·5 billion, I wanted to strike a balance between the level of resources that would be required to significantly modernise our transportation network and the budgetary pressures that arise from other priorities. The figure of £3·5 billion is not on a par with the level of investment in Great Britain or the Republic. However, if secured in full, it will enable the Department to tackle deficiencies in the current transportation system, make best use of existing assets, and begin to make several important enhancements to the infrastructure and services.

The level of additional investment required in the regional transportation strategy will support the 'Shaping Our Future: Regional Development Strategy for Northern Ireland 2025' document, which the Assembly approved last September. Moreover, that additional investment will help us significantly towards achieving the regional development strategy's 25-year transportation vision during the 10 years of the regional transportation strategy. The regional development strategy's objective was to have a modern, sustainable, safe transportation system that benefits society, the economy and the environment, and that actively contributes to social inclusion and everyone's quality of life.

For many reasons, it would be entirely inappropriate to seek the Assembly's approval for expenditure of that magnitude, which will stretch over the decade. I make it clear from the outset that the level of public expenditure for the strategy will be determined through the normal budgetary process. The strategy initiatives will be subject to economic appraisals, as well as the various statutory processes.

However, it is entirely sensible - indeed, it is essential - to secure endorsement of the strategic direction and underlying principles of the regional transportation strategy. That will create a clear and credible framework for the planning and delivery of our transportation systems throughout the decade.

The regional transportation strategy's main features include providing a transport system in which walking, cycling and public transport will be more viable, attractive options on many trips. The focus is on moving people and goods, rather than vehicles. It focuses on making people more aware of the full cost and impact of their transport choices and on reducing the need to travel. It will start the strategic move away from a transport system that is dominated by car use towards a more balanced and integrated system.

A second feature of the strategic direction is a significant shift in the level of funding towards public transport to make it a more attractive travel option, especially in the Belfast metropolitan area, where there is a greater population density and, therefore, the greatest potential to make a noticeable difference in the numbers of people using bus and rail.

At the same time, the investment plan for public transport in rural areas will initiate new and flexible services. Those will not necessarily be traditional bus services. Rather, we shall work in partnership with local communities to respond to residents' travel needs.

One outcome of the level of investment in public transport will be the upgrading of the existing rail network. The enhanced level of funding for public transport will also provide modern trains and increased railway capacity, improved bus services, and quality bus corridors on all main Belfast commuter routes. A rapid transit network in the Belfast metropolitan area will be introduced and new bus services provided in towns.

Tackling the road maintenance backlog would result in fewer roadworks, better quality roads, safer roads and improved journey times throughout Northern Ireland. The level of investment will remove about three quarters of the backlog, about two thirds of which will be on rural roads.

The focus on strategic highway improvements is aimed at removing bottlenecks, reducing journey times and improving reliability of travel, which benefits freight and buses as well as private car users. Investment in the strategic highway network will enhance economic development and accessibility to key services throughout Northern Ireland.

I do not propose to go through the details of all the strategy's initiatives and schemes. However, Members will find it helpful if I draw their attention to the changes that have been made since February. Those changes are directly linked to the constructive feedback that I received in response to the consultation paper.

Consultees were asked for their views on the split of funding by area and mode, relative priorities, funding sources, targets and implementation proposals. One overarching message that I took from the feedback was that the proposed strategy did not take us far enough towards achievement of the regional development strategy transportation vision. Even the proposed additional funding was seen to be inadequate to give us a transportation system that we need to meet our economic, social and environmental objectives. I was impressed by the mature nature of the debate, which, by and large, did not seek to score one mode off against another. There was a call for increased investment, for example, in both roads and public transport.

Furthermore, people were strongly of the view that the proposals could be even more ambitious, particularly on public transport. In a nutshell, as Prof David Begg, chairman of the Commission for Integrated Transport, reminded me:

I set out to address the messages sent to me, including calls for improvements to the strategic road network, more visionary public transport and further measures to improve transport opportunities for people with disabilities. The changes represent an additional £76 million for the pilot rapid transit system; an additional £20 million for quality bus corridors in the Belfast metropolitan area; a further £12 million for bus-based park-and-ride; and £10 million for additional Goldline services on key transport corridors not served by rail.

The rapid transit system funding now includes an additional £24 million to increase railway capacity in the latter period of the strategy. That will depend on successful results from our earlier investments.

Proposals for investing in the railways were already in the proposed strategy, and Members will note that it has been necessary to include a further £74 million to fund them. That amount is due to inflationary cost increases in the rail industry, supply difficulties and ever-rising standards in railway safety.

I have also included a further £12 million investment in capital to allow services to continue on the Antrim to Knockmore line. We must, however, await the outcome of the spending review on that issue.

I have added a further £163 million for strategic highway improvements on the regional strategic transport network. Figure 5·5 of the strategy shows the illustrative schemes that could be delivered. I use the word "illustrative" because commitments cannot be given before the application of the proper statutory procedures and the securing of the necessary funding from the budgetary processes.

I have substantially increased the provision for the transport programme for people with disabilities to £12 million; £14 million is required to fund an extension of the concessionary fares scheme to include them. The detail of how that will apply will follow the review of the scheme, which is scheduled for October 2002. Moreover, I have given a commitment to prepare a transport strategy to examine the scope for a more co-ordinated approach to the planning and provision of transport services for older people and for those with disabilities. That will take place across the statutory, private and community sectors. Similar strategies elsewhere in the United Kingdom showed that such a study could make a tangible difference in the medium to long term for people who have difficulties in accessing transport services and facilities.

A further addition is the earmarking of £10 million over 10 years to establish a regional planning and transportation division, together with a technical data monitoring and modelling unit in my Department. That will ensure an integrated approach to land use and transportation planning. The new division will undertake research and initiate policy developments as well as monitor and review the implementation of the regional development strategy and the regional transportation strategy. The new technical unit will further the knowledge-base in transportation issues, and the opportunity will be taken to increase access to transportation planning and other relevant skills.

I intend to establish an external advisory body with representatives from the private, voluntary and community sectors to assist the Department in the effective implementation of the regional transportation strategy.

I take this opportunity to announce my plans to review the planning, delivery and governance of public transport. I want a new start for public transport in Northern Ireland. The regional transportation strategy can provide that. However, we must realise that the scale of investment for public transport envisaged in the regional transportation strategy is unlikely to be provided by public expenditure alone. We must attract private sector finance, management skills and innovation in delivering public transport. In September, I shall issue for consultation a broad outline of my proposals in a paper called 'A New Start for Public Transport in Northern Ireland'.

One key element will be the establishment of an independent public transport regulatory body. Moreover, the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company and Translink will be developed into a new, dynamic, publicly owned operating company, to be known as Transport Northern Ireland. I am not advocating privatisation or unfettered deregulation, but a model that retains a publicly owned, public transport company that operates in a public transport market, which would be progressively opened up to private sector participation.

In advancing new partnerships with the private sector, I want to ensure that the proposed arrangements make sound commercial sense and are acceptable to the wider community. With prudent planning, we can accelerate the rate of investment in transportation by securing private sector expertise and finance.

Funding is difficult and complex. We know the amount that is required for our transportation vision. The strategy cites potential sources of additional funding, which, professional advice has shown, are not unreasonable to plan for. Alternative sources of funding are identified in chapter 6 of the strategy. The strategy may be regarded as ambitious, but it is achievable. It may be regarded as a major challenge, but I am convinced that the collective determination of the stakeholders is more than equal to that challenge. It may be regarded as a massive undertaking, but, given the enormous infrastructural deficit in Northern Ireland, no lesser strategy would deliver the out-turn that our people deserve.

I commend the strategy to the Assembly. It is a product of almost two years of work by my Department. It is based on extensive consultation in the community, rigorous analysis and a robust methodology. It was independently quality-controlled by the panel of experts, whose advice was invaluable to its development.

In contrast to the preceding decades of underinvestment and the ad hoc approach to transportation planning during direct rule, this is a strategic framework for the future planning, funding and delivery of transportation in Northern Ireland. As Northern Ireland continues to develop, the strategy has the potential to facilitate economic development; to promote accessibility; to overcome social exclusion; and to enhance the quality of life of all our citizens. The strategy remains faithful to the goal of balanced regional growth and development as set out in the regional development strategy.

To strike the right balance between public transport and roads, and between areas - east versus west and rural versus urban - will always be a challenge and give rise to competing perspectives. Members have their preferences for individual schemes and constituency priorities. However, it is important that we assess the strategy holistically or, as a former Secretary of State might have said, in the round. We must accord importance to the interdependencies in Northern Ireland, whereby accessibility to key regional and sub-regional health, educational, leisure and employment services is dependent on a strategic transportation network that serves the whole of Northern Ireland.

I invite the House to offer its view of the strategy, and I am eager to hear Members' opinions. If Members support the strategic direction and underlying principles of the strategy, I assure the House that it will be my intention to treat it not as a dream or vision of what could be, but as a pragmatic business plan that delivers a modern, safe and sustainable transportation system for our region. I look to the House for support in reaching that goal.

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