1. Ms Nicholl asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister to outline what plans they have to widen the scope of the central good relations fund. (AQO 540/22-27)

Since 2016, we have allocated over £25 million through the central good relations fund to support more than 780 projects across all geographical areas, to the benefit of more than 260,000 people. The central good relations fund is an annual, merit-based programme designed to deliver and support projects in areas where there is a good relations need. The projects are a key aspect of building peace and reconciliation, while bringing people together through common interests such as sports and arts and improving mental health. In addition, the projects often provide opportunities for participants to build new skills, gain qualifications and employment opportunities and develop new friendships. We remain committed to the central good relations fund delivery, with a clear focus on prioritising and maximising the number of projects delivered.

I thank the deputy First Minister for her answer. Does she agree that Northern Ireland is now a more diverse society and therefore the good relations fund could widen to include newcomer communities, while acknowledging that lots of brilliant work is being done by the voluntary and community sector, which cannot avail itself of that funding because it is so oversubscribed?

The central good relations fund was developed to be a flexible scheme, sitting in the centre. It was never designed to replace other funding, and other funding schemes are dedicated or ring-fenced for particular purposes. The central good relations fund is probably the most flexible scheme that we have. It is founded very much in section 75(2) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, which, of course, extends not only to political and religious viewpoints but to different racial groups. When it was designed, it took into account newcomer groups and other aspects of that. There is flexibility, but it is oversubscribed, and I suspect that it will continue to be oversubscribed because of the demand for it.

Will the deputy First Minister provide an update on the Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) review? Does she think there is merit in engaging with the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition (FICT) recommendations?

Yes, indeed. It provides a perfect opportunity to look not just at the recommendations coming out of the FICT report but at the thinking and considerations in that substantive report. The review is well under way. The stakeholder engagement process has concluded. There has also been an extensive paper research exercise in conjunction with the universities here — Ulster University and Queen's University — to look at the developments in key policy areas. That will all be woven into the consideration of the revised strategy. It would be absolutely appropriate, given the alignment between FICT and T:BUC, for that to be fully taken into account as part of that review process.

Will the deputy First Minister outline how the impacts of the good relations projects are measured?

It is incredibly important that we measure projects and interventions to ensure that the funding support goes into the right types of interventions in the right places. That is why we have a baseline for all of the individual projects. We monitor the improvement of relationships and attitudes within the cohort that takes part in the projects. We do that at individual project level but also across the programme by measuring all kinds of indicators, which are picked to give us a sense of how effective these things are. Yes, we monitor it continuously, and it is critical that those evaluations are woven into our consideration of the way forward when making amendments or changes to future funding schemes.

Does the deputy First Minister agree that, 26 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, evidence of young teenagers pulling down party electoral posters to put on bonfires are not good examples of progress on good relations? Will she condemn those actions and, further, agree that modelling a proper commitment to good relations should start with political leaders calling that out and calling out the proliferation of paramilitary flags?

Building on the good debate that we had in the Assembly, I believe that all parties are strongly united against paramilitarism and the demonstration of that through flags or in other ways. Likewise, it is a critical part of democracy that every candidate can stand and promote what they want voters to examine so as to give voters the opportunity to be as informed as they can be and to do so without intimidation. I believe that everyone across the House would be united in that approach.

I call Philip McGuigan.

Ceist a 3.

[Translation: Question 3.]

It is question 4, I think, Mr McGuigan.

Sorry. Ceist a 4.

[Translation: Question 4.]