Ms Renee Dempsey-Clifford:

I will be brief because a lot of those questions are outside my remit. I am not being unhelpful when I say that but on some, there is no offering I can make. On the question of the development of the new strategy, we have said that it is too slow. We have identified various reasons for this, including the fact that we are taking steps backwards rather than forwards in trying to formulate how that strategy could be developed as part of a consultation process. The role and function of developing the strategy lies with the lead Department but I believe that Department is probably not as well resourced to move forward as it might be. Deputy Feighan has touched on some of the reasons for resource changes, including the other challenges in that same Department. While we respect that, we would argue that we should not be last in the queue any more. That would be the DSG perspective on the development of the next strategy.

A further thing that happens, and it is an inevitability with public services, is that there might be somebody in charge of a particular unit who is very skilled, knowledgeable and energetic and then that person is moved on or changed. In many ways, one takes two steps forward and one step back in those circumstances. It is not a question of bad will, it is just the reality that personnel changes can slow down all progress. Resources, among other things, are one of the pivotal pieces contributing to the slow development of the next strategy.