To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister whether their Department will implement all of its New Decade, New Approach commitments by the end of this mandate.

Mr Givan

We are committed to delivering all the Executive Office's NDNA commitments and to moving on those things that have been delayed. Our Department has made good progress in a number of areas, including provision of support for victims and survivors of historical abuse, the conduct of Executive business and the European Union's exit subcommittee.

Mr Givan

The Executive Office has been incredibly busy making sure that all the Departments that the First Minister and deputy First Minister have to oversee in their role on the Executive unlocked a whole series of legislation on a range of issues at the end of June, not least of which were the Criminal Justice (Committal Reform) Bill, for which the Minister from the Member's party is responsible, and the Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill. The Executive are taking forward many other Bills. If any Member looks at the Assembly's legislative programme, they will see that it is overwhelmingly led by the Executive. Of course, I also welcome private Members' Bills, not least my own, for which Christopher Stalford has taken on responsibility.

Ms Sheerin

Given that New Decade, New Approach was the basis on which these institutions were restored, does the Minister agree that the public have a right to expect it all to be delivered?

Mr Givan

When we look at all the NDNA commitments, we see that one that is critically important is the recognition and implementation of Northern Ireland as an integral part of the internal market. That is one of the commitments the United Kingdom Government entered into and was the basis on which my party entered into these institutions. That needs to be put right, so I agree that all of NDNA needs to be implemented.

Dr Aiken

I noticed that an NDNA commitment was about a lot of issues to do with dealing with the challenges identified by the renewable heat incentive (RHI) inquiry. I also noticed that, in his written statement last week, the Finance Minister referred to a lot of the things that are to be implemented, yet we have already seen correspondence from senior civil servants from as far back as December 2018, saying that actions were to be taken. Is that acceptable? Also, I welcome the new Member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone. I have just seen you. You are very welcome to the House.

Mr Givan

The Finance Minister provided a written statement to the Assembly outlining the Executive's response to the RHI inquiry report. Also in response to the report, the Assembly took forward the Functioning of Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, which was led by the Member for North Antrim and supported by my party. The Assembly and the Executive have been responding to the findings in the report on the RHI inquiry.

Mr Speaker

On a welcoming note, I call Deborah Erskine.

Mrs Erskine

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Will the First Minister detail what progress has been made on the NDNA commitment to increase police numbers?

Mr Givan

I, too, welcome Deborah, the new Member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, to the House. Deborah is a good friend of the family, and I am delighted that she has taken up the role of serving the people of the great constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone. My family are more from the south Tyrone end of that constituency, but it is a pleasure to have Deborah here, taking up her role in this House. I welcome her. The Member is right that the commitments on policing, which were put forward by my party, are a key part of NDNA. In respect of their implementation, in order to get us back up to 7,500 police officers, the budget had an in-year allocation of £12·3 million, £9·8 million of which will enable the police to retain their numbers at the current level of 7,000. The additional £2·5 million enabled the recruitment of 100 more officers. That is a step forward in reaching the NDNA target of 7,500. To get us to that target, this party will want to see that reflected in the budget for the following three years.

Mr Allister

Given that the First Minister's party returned to Government only on the basis that, as promised in NDNA, Her Majesty's Government would legislate to restore Northern Ireland's full position within the internal market of the United Kingdom, which has not happened, will he give us an update on his party's leader's promise that, if it does not happen in October, his party leader will resign him as First Minister, along with his colleagues?

Mr Givan

The Member knows that, as a result of actions taken by the Democratic Unionist Party, we have now got to a place where the European Union recognises the harm that is being done by the rigorous implementation of the protocol that most of the parties in the Assembly called for. I welcome the fact that people recognise that the protocol is not working and that change needs to be made. Of course, some people's assessment of change will likely differ from the assessment that my party will take of what comes forward. I look forward to the proposals from the European Union later this week and to seeing how the United Kingdom Government respond to them. Let us get to a place where there are no longer any east-west barriers. That is interdependent with the North/South relationship, and I look forward to us getting to that place.