‘No malice’ in deleting term from RHI paper, says Spad
■ DUP adviser with links to chicken industry took out poultry reference ■ Inquiry chief asks why Andrew Crawford chose to remove ‘a true fact’
DUP leader Arlene Foster’s former special adviser has said there was “no malice” in his decision to remove a reference from a key Stormont paper blaming the poultry industry for the RHI spike.
Dr Andrew Crawford, who has family links to the industry, admitted under questioning at the RHI Inquiry yesterday that he should not have deleted the term.
The actions of Mrs Foster’s long-standing special adviser, who still works for the DUP, were placed under intense scrutiny at the hearing. The RHI Inquiry hearings continue next week.
ARLENE FOSTER’S former Spad (special adviser) has said there was “no malice” in his decision to remove a reference from a key Stormont paper blaming the poultry industry for the RHI spike.
Dr Andrew Crawford, who has family links to the industry, admitted under questioning at the RHI Inquiry yesterday that he should not have deleted the term.
He insisted it had nothing to do with his family connections and “no malice” was intended in what he did.
The actions of Mrs Foster’s long-standing special adviser, who still works for the DUP, were placed under intense scrutiny at the hearing.
Dr Crawford had three close relatives who produced chickens for poultry giant Moy Park, and had a total of 11 RHI boilers between them.
The inquiry has heard how he sent a confidential Stormont document recommending RHI cost controls to his cousin Richard.
The inquiry was told yesterday that the Department of Trade and Industry (Deti) prepared a draft letter to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) seeking urgent approval for cost-cutting measures to the RHI scheme.
The paper was shared with the Department of Finance and Personnel where Dr Crawford was Mrs Foster’s Spad.
The document referred to the “wholesale uptake” of RHI boilers by the poultry industry and how it had contributed financial pressure.
Dr Crawford hadn’t believed that one sector should be singled out as it was “not solely the poultry industry” responsible for the spike. “The issues for the scheme were wider,” he added.
But inquiry chair Sir Patrick Coghlin asked the former DUP spad: “Why remove a true fact?”
Dr Crawford replied: “My concern was the narrative it was creating”.
He said he had wanted to protect the poultry industry because it was important to Northern Ireland’s economy.
He was asked if he considered that he was withholding information from OFMDFM. “I don’t believe it did cross my mind,” he said.
At yesterday’s hearing, Dr Crawford was accused of making a “sales pitch” for poultry giant Moy Park. He had suggested a change to tiered cost controls due to be introduced in autumn 2015 to RHI which would have advantaged heavier users.
Deti officials wanted a 1,314hour threshold for running biomass boilers before payments would be reduced. Dr Crawford suggested 3,000 hours.
Sir Patrick suggested the former DUP Spad had been involved in “a sales pitch for Moy Park”, which Dr Crawford denied.