The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has launched a public appointment process to appoint a Deputy Chair and up to 18 Members to the Board of the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI).
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has paid tribute to front-line staff in the Department who worked around the clock in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn.
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has hosted the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) Minister Fleur Anderson at visits showcasing the diversity of work carried out by his Department.
Responding to new data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (1) showing that the global temperature was the highest on record for a January, Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer MP said:
“In light of this latest scientific evidence, it would be dangerously foolish to do anything to put our burning world in even greater danger.
“Yet that is exactly what the government is doing – determined to expand Heathrow and Gatwick airports and refusing to rule out giant new oil and gas fields at Rosebank and Jackdaw coming on stream.
“Indeed, Equinor, one of the oil giants wanting to exploit the Rosebank field, has decided to cut promised investments in renewables in favour of increased oil and gas production. (2)
“The government is sending totally the wrong signals to the markets. We need a government committed to speeding up the transition away from fossil fuels. The government must make it clear now that it will not allow new North Sea oil and gas drilling go ahead.
“We must also get serious about how we make our communities more resilient to the now-unavoidable impacts of climate change. We need our homes and our communities to be fit for the future.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
Green Party Co-Leader Adrian Ramsay MP has responded to the news that local elections in a number of parts of England this May will cancelled saying: “It’s hard to think of anything more anti-democratic than cancelling elections ahead of a significant change in local democracy. It’s straight out of an authoritarian playbook.
“How can the Government claim an electoral mandate for these major changes if those most impacted see their elections cancelled?
“The Green Party is urging the Government to protect democracy, allow these long-planned elections to take place and get around the table with elected representatives of all parties to discuss how to make devolution work for people in local areas across the country.
“We want decisions closest to where they have the greatest impact with significant devolution of powers and funding from Westminster. That is the way to keep the vital connection between the politicians making decisions and those affected by them and avoid further alienation from the political process. The imposition of huge, remote councils against the will of local people would fly in the face of local democracy.”