Alliance Leader blasts Executive parties for sending seven Ministers to US

10.45.03pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 26th Jun 2007

Alliance Leader David Ford has slammed the Executive Parties for sending seven Ministers to the United States to the Smithsonian festival, stating that only Enterprise and Culture Ministers should be attending. The seven Ministers are in Washington for the event

The Smithsonian festival is taking place in the centre of Washington DC

David Ford said: "It is ridiculous that seven of the Executive Ministers are going to the US to the Smithsonian festival. Only the Enterprise and Culture Ministers can rightly say they should be attending, with possibly the First and Deputy First Ministers, if they can help maximise the impact of the festival.

"Obviously, we must maximise the potential for tourism and investment opportunities that this event could bring; however, one must ask why so many other Ministers felt the need to attend.

"They should be here in the Assembly focusing on their work before the Summer recess.

"It is time that the Executive got serious and got down to real work instead of most of them taking a trip to the US, which is only relevant to a couple of Ministers."