Other News In Brief

Call For British Govt To Fund Legacy Investigations

Sinn Féin MLA Raymond McCartney is calling on the British government to fund legacy investigations and inquests.

Mr McCartney said: "There is a state obligation on the British government to fund investigations into the past and legacy inquests.

"The cases being investigated happened during the period of direct rule so it is logical that the British government should pay the costs, not the Executive.

"That is not just our view, it is also shared by Nils Muiznieks, the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights.

"The British government cannot continue to use cost as an excuse to continue to deny truth and justice to families, some of whom have been waiting for up to 40 years."

Decrease In Landfilling Of Waste

The landfilling of waste in Northern Ireland has decreased at its fastest rate ever, according to a new report.

The 2014/15 Northern Ireland local authority collected (LAC) municipal waste management statistics annual report revealed that energy recovery rate now sits at almost 15%, a year-on-year rise of almost five percentage points.

Environment Minister Mark H Durkan welcomed the report.

He said: "I make no excuse for reminding us all that this year our Councils have saved £2.9 million in tax alone by diverting an additional 36,235 tonnes of waste from landfill. Continuing the move towards zero waste, where waste is treated as a valuable resource, will increasingly pay economic dividends for local ratepayers and the community and also sends a message that our society recognises the need to be sustainable for future generations."

NI To Get 2,000 Extra Flights

Ulster Unionist Peer, Lord Empey of Shandon has welcomed the announcement of 2,000 extra flights for Northern Ireland as part of the Chancellor's £7 million Regional Air Connectivity Fund.

Lord Empey said: "I warmly welcome the decision of The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne to allocate additional funds from the regional air connectivity fund totalling £7m. This will involve opening up new routes from Belfast to Carlisle and Londonderry to Dublin. Other regions will also be benefitting from the fund, and this is good news for the United Kingdom as a whole.

"This decision inevitably leads to the position that I have been pursuing for some time with my Private Members Bill, the Airports (Amendment) Bill 2015. This seeks to protect direct flights from Belfast to London Heathrow, which is the UK's major hub airport.

"However, it seems that the Department of Transport is still not getting the message from the Chancellor that connectivity is key to regional growth and attracting inward investment."

(CD/LM)