451
That's the number of issues on which Peter Robinson says the current Executive has agreed. In a speech on the Justice Bill the First Minister claimed this far exceeded the 320 agreements achieved in the old UUP-SDLP led Executive.
So the UUP's George Savage asked Mr Robinson to list the 451 issues and all those matters on which the current Executuve has not agreed. At the start of the month he got the same answer to both questions: "It is not our practice to disclose details of Executive business. The content of Executive papers and all aspects of Executive business are confidential."
Mr Savage is now awaiting a reply to a follow up question wondering whether the First Minister's original comment amounted to a breach of Executive confidentiality.
During a fairly quiet day at Stormont, the First Minister did get in a little dig on the UUP's Danny Kennedy. Mr Kennedy had declared an interest before asking a question about the Presbyerian Mutual Society. The UUP Deputy Leader told MLAs he had a modest investment in the PMS. Mr Robinson responded that this was the only modest thing about him.
In the body of his answer, the First Minister floated the idea of the troubled PMS being linked to a local bank, if the regulatory obstacles can be overcome. So which bank might be in the frame - could it be the Ulster, whose staff appear extremely concerned about management proposals to downgrade their terms and conditions, the Northern, or one of the other High Street banks?
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