Little-Pengelly denies she misled Stormont committee over Wimbledon trip

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly has denied that she misled a Stormont committee over her attendance at Wimbledon in the summer.

Ms Little-Pengelly has faced questions over why she had prioritised the trip ahead of appearing before MLAs.

The deputy First Minister has said she was representing Northern Ireland when she attended Wimbledon in July.

It was reported that almost £1,000 in public funds was spent on flights and accommodation for Ms Little-Pengelly and her husband, Education Authority chief executive Richard Pengelly, to attend the tournament.

Executive Office committee chair Paula Bradshaw said Ms Little-Pengelly and First Minister Michelle O’Neill had originally been scheduled to appear before the committee in June.

She said this was postponed because Ms O’Neill was unwell and then Ms Little-Pengelly had advised she could not appear in the first week of July because she was in London.

Ms Bradshaw said: “Then it transpired you were in London at Wimbledon.

“We weren’t yet in recess. I am just wondering what judgment you exercised in terms of prioritising Wimbledon over coming here to hold yourself accountable to this committee?

“We had not had a briefing from you in terms of programme for government, we hadn’t had you in front of us since last September.

“I am wondering what judgment was exercised and how you feel that was a good use of public money to put your travel expenses on your trip to Wimbledon?”

Ms Little-Pengelly responded: “I was fully ready to go at the scheduled appointment time.

“We were unable to do so because the First Minister wasn’t well.”

The deputy First Minister said she had offered to appear at the committee alone, but was told the appearance would be rescheduled.

She said: “I was not scheduled the next week to be in front of this committee.”

Ms Little-Pengelly said she had told the committee she would be in London.

She added: “That was a fact, nobody misled anybody.”

Ms Bradshaw said: “Under the circumstances, the fact you had not been here… should you not have thought this was a leisure trip?

“If it was just a leisure trip to London should you not have made yourself available to this committee to come with the rest of your ministers to engage with the MLAs.”

Ms Little-Pengelly asked the committee chair to clarify previous reported remarks from her that the committee had been “misled”.

Ms Bradshaw said she had used “choice words”.

Ms Little-Pengelly said: “I was scheduled to appear in front of this committee, I was available to appear in front of this committee and indeed when we were not able to because of the health of the First Minister, I offered to come along.

“I was not scheduled to come to the committee the following week. I was otherwise occupied.

“I had been officially invited to attend that event as deputy First Minister.

“It was communicated to you very factually I was in London and no further questions were asked by you or your team.”

Ms Bradshaw said: “We weren’t yet in summer recess.”

Ms Little-Pengelly said: “I was not scheduled to be in front of this committee that week, I made myself available when I was scheduled and that was indicated to you.

“I have nothing further to add.”