Naomi Long
East Belfast · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“Underneath the Facebook posts to say that he had passed away, people speculated with such comments as, "Probably high on drugs", "Probably drunk", and, "Typical boy racer". There was all of that speculation. It was hurtful to the family, and it was inaccurate.”
“There are circumstances that we need to consider and be careful of. I was told, for example, that, when the issue of good character references at trial was being looked at in New South Wales — Committee members may wish to look at this for themselves — one of the groups that opposed their removal was representative of domestic abuse victi…”
“It sets out the strategic direction adopted by the Department and key partners to tackle those appalling crimes and protect vulnerable victims of exploitation.”
“The provision seeks to provide protection, via legal advice and representation for complainants, against the use of non-relevant personal material and evidence of previous sexual history being used in the court process.”
“<BR /> <BR />On the wider issue of ensuring that a withdrawal of services never happens again, I think that most of us agree that, although everyone has the right to take industrial action, no one has the right to derail and hold to ransom the entire justice system in that way.”
“Those measures will go some way towards helping to support complainants and enable them to have input into the decision-making process about what records containing their personal and sensitive information are required to be shared with the defence.”
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“We are committed to doing so while ensuring that there is no diminution of any other person's rights. Rights and equality are not finite. Their extension to one person or group does not diminish their availability to others. None of us are truly equal and protected until all of us are. <BR /> <BR />The placement of those from the transgender community in prison has recently been the subject of inaccurate media reporting. It is regrettable that the public discourse that led to this debate is about one individual from a minority group that all of us in the Chamber have a duty to protect and support. Every prisoner has the right to a degree of privacy and dignity in their personal business that we in the Department always endeavour to protect as a rule. Therefore, we do not comment on individuals committed to our care.”
“We also have a reasonable expectation that our differences will make us a part of society and not apart from society. <BR /> <BR />There is always a risk when issues of identity are the subject of public and political discourse that the discussion is marked by contention, fractiousness and a lack of compassion, nuance and understanding. Approaching issues in that way can inadvertently make individuals and groups in our community feel further marginalised, vulnerable or fearful. I am determined to guard against that. My Department is fully committed to providing continuous support for the LGBTQI+ community and to all other minority communities throughout Northern Ireland when they are in contact with the justice system, whether that is as a victim of crime, a witness, a complainant, a defendant or a perpetrator.”
“This is just one of many debates that we will have in the House, but, for some people, including those who are transgender and those who are raising transgender children, these debates, the words that we use and the things that we say are everything. We need to be conscious of that when we approach the issues. <BR /> <BR />When I look around today, I am struck by the fact that no one in the Chamber is the same as the person next to them. We all come from different backgrounds. We have all had different journeys through life. We have different fears, different hopes and different aspirations and, yes, even in the Chamber, different vulnerabilities. We see and experience the world through a different lens as a result. No two women are alike; no two men are alike; and no two people are alike.”
“No, I will not give way, because, interestingly enough, I think that, when a woman is holding the Floor and making her speech in response to the debate, it is appropriate that maybe she should be allowed to do so without interruption, given the discourtesy that was shown to us earlier. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the opportunity to respond to the motion. I thank the Members who acknowledged the sensitivity and complexity of the issues being discussed and the potential for what is said in the Chamber to impact on the lives of vulnerable people in our community. We can and should debate and discuss these issues. However, it is important that, when we do, we do so in a considered and temperate manner.”
“<BR /> <BR />I know that the Ulster Unionist Party is keen on preserving single-sex spaces; indeed, its Assembly team was a single-sex space until relatively recently, with their new Member joining. Therefore, I know that it is a long-standing commitment.”
“At the outset, I say that it was disappointing today, in a debate that purported to be about the protection of women's dignity and of women's rights, that a sequence of men in the Chamber chose to speak at us and for us rather than give way to listen to us as women. In fact, when the Ulster Unionist Party Member for Upper Bann was holding forth on things as unrelated to the motion as vaginal birth, breastfeeding and pregnancy, he refused to give way to a pregnant woman who has vaginally birthed two children and breastfed both of them and may be more experienced in such matters than the Member to my right. It says a lot that we are having a defence of single-sex spaces in a place where, today, women's voices could have been heard more clearly but others would not give way, with the notable exception, I have to say, of Mr Carroll.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I am aware that there has been a focus, particularly in recent years, on incidents that affected women negatively. Does the Member acknowledge that there have also been deaths in custody of trans prisoners due, at least in part, to policies that were extant in England and Wales?”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. This is the second time in the debate that we are discussing athletics and sport. With all due respect, I am the least qualified person to answer questions in that regard. Is it not a general rule of thumb that when we are engaging in debate in the Chamber, it should be on the body of the motion and not wandering off into other areas?”
“Will the Member inform us of when she has asked to see the policy on the housing of transgender prisoners?”
“Mr Speaker, you will recall that, at Question Time last week, I set the record straight about the court case to which the Member and the former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party have referred. There was no ruling against the courts in that case. Can we get that on the record? Perhaps Members will stop misrepresenting the factual position.”
“I do have a view on decriminalisation. It is one that I have raised with previous Health Ministers, who have the lead in drugs policy in their engagement with the Home Office and others. As I said, there seems to be no indication from the Government that there will be any review of the approach. I believe that the approach should be reviewed so that we can follow evidence-based policy and do all that we can to, first, prevent people becoming addicted to substances or engaging in substance misuse; secondly, to criminalise those who are involved in the procurement of those drugs for onward sale and distribution; and, thirdly, to ensure that those who are addicted to drugs are dealt with in a therapeutic manner.”
“A key focus of my Department is the promotion and support of preventative approaches to substance abuse and misuse and of the harm and vulnerabilities that are associated with addiction. We will succeed in improving outcomes only if we see substance misuse in the broader context. <BR /> <BR />Policing and community safety partnerships, which are funded by the DOJ and the Northern Ireland Policing Board, also deliver local interventions in each council area to address harm and vulnerability. That includes awareness-raising and education projects and initiatives on substance misuse, including drug awareness.”
“The policy and legal frameworks for the misuse of drugs, including the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, are reserved to the UK Government. It is therefore a matter for the Home Office to determine and bring forward any proposals on the benefits of decriminalising drugs. I have not been made aware of any plans in the Home Office to decriminalise or review the classification of drugs. Any change to the status quo would require the engagement of all four jurisdictions. <BR /> <BR />The organised crime task force drug subgroup provides a forum for engagement between the PSNI and other stakeholders in response to the challenges that the misuse of drugs and related threats pose and to identify solutions to effectively deal with the enforcement and supply of drugs.”
“I can make it categorically clear, as I just did in my original answer, that I have never sought to influence or in any way interfere in any live police investigation in my role as Minister. I can also make it categorically clear that I think that raising the issue in this manner and highlighting an individual in this context is completely and utterly scurrilous.”
“The investigation of crime is ultimately an operational matter for the Chief Constable, who is accountable to the Northern Ireland Policing Board. Given that I am committed to respecting the operational independence of both organisations, as I have made clear repeatedly in the House, it would not be appropriate for me to become involved in live police investigations other than in circumstances where I am either the complainant or a witness.”
“For my part and the part that I have responsibility for, I have said that I will make the bid to the Department of Finance in due course through the normal budget processes so that we can secure the funding to allow us not only to recruit enough members to stave off attrition but to actually progressively increase the number of officers in the PSNI to the more reflective level that we should have.”
“The Policing Board, the Chief Constable and I meet regularly on a tripartite basis now to discuss issues arising either to do with budget, to do with policy or, indeed, where appropriate, to do with recruitment. However, it remains for the Chief Constable to answer the question that the Member asked about whether the money is available and how long it will take to appoint officers. That can often be about more than just money; it can be about the availability of posts that are suitable for an officer who is coming out on probation to start their career. It is not often about simply the money.”
“Ultimately, the decision to go to recruitment is one for the Chief Constable, and it is for the Chief Constable to be confident that he has the money to recruit new officers. As I explained earlier, we do have a business case that is under preparation with my officials and the PSNI at the moment. We hope to take that to the Department of Finance, and hopefully that will secure funding not just for this year but over the next three years for us to grow the PSNI to a more stable and representative level. In the interim, I think that the Chief Constable has reached a conclusion that he has to go out to recruit, even if only to ensure that there is no further fall in numbers due to attrition.”
“In recent years, some of our prison staff developed an ONC qualification on healthy relationships, which they delivered to the women in Hydebank Wood prison, very effectively, identifying that a number of the women in that prison had been victims of trafficking and of sexual abuse and had been manipulated and abused by people whom they had previously viewed as intimate partners. We also work with the White Ribbon organisation, which comes in and delivers, to staff and to prisoners, its programmes on how to be a bystander and how to intervene. All those programmes are important, but we do have bespoke training on the issue for people who work in our prisons.”
“As you are aware, employees of the Northern Ireland Prison Service are NICS employees and therefore can avail themselves of all the online services and training programmes that are available. Bespoke training opportunities are also available for Prison Service staff. Those who work in prisons as prison officers are often dealing with people who have themselves been victims of abuse as well as the perpetrators of crime. Therefore, it is important that they understand the seriousness of the issues.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is an area that I am happy to look at in future to ensure that, if there are further areas where we can allow for additional support for people who are making disclosure or who feel that they are fearful for their safety, we are able to do that in conjunction with our other partners. However, the Member will appreciate that very little of the Northern Ireland Prison Service estate is open to the public and that the majority of it is there purely for the service provided to those who are already committed to our care.”
“The Member will know that the rationale for safe space advocates is part of the TEO-led ending violence against women and girls strategy. We have a number of strands of work that we do with prisoners — those who are themselves victims of domestic and sexual violence and abuse and those who are perpetrators, through perpetrator programmes. Given the living conditions of most of the people with whom we engage, the safe space is the prison itself. As I said earlier, it is our commitment to try to make that a safe space, not only for people to be able to make disclosure but for them to receive whatever counselling and support that they may need to recover.”
“There is also training in place right across the justice system for those with whom victims will come into contact. <BR /> <BR />I cannot guarantee — no Minister can — that everyone will have a perfect experience when they report a crime, but I can say, hand on heart, that the response to such situations has improved dramatically in recent years. I fully encourage people who report a crime but do not get the response that they are entitled to under the Victim Charter to come forward and make that known either to the Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime or to the Department, because we will act on that and raise it with those who are responsible.”
“I can give the assurance that, first of all, that formed my priority in the previous mandate, which is why, during that period, the legislation changed so dramatically around this issue, stalking, sexual offences and all of the other related issues. It continues to be my priority. It is important that anyone who is under threat from someone living in their household and feels fearful for their life or safety, or feels that they are being coerced and controlled into doing things with which they are uncomfortable, has the confidence to come forward and make those reports, and that they are believed. <BR /> <BR />As the Member will know, there is a programme of ongoing training for first responders in that area to ensure that they are ready to direct people to the right services.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is important that the PSNI has the tools, which we provided through the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act, to respond appropriately to those incidents and that we have the other support services in place to provide, as part of the domestic and sexual abuse strategy, front-line support to people who are affected directly by domestic violence and abuse. It is sad to see that those issues are seasonal, but it is also true to say that the police brace themselves for an increase in calls in the aftermath of large sporting events for largely the same reasons: people are at home, they have taken alcohol, their team loses or wins, and, sadly, the people who live in the household with them are the ones who suffer the most.”
“It is well known that, during periods in which people are confined to home and do not have access to work, school, employment or other diversions, sadly, the number of reports of domestic incidents, abuse and violence increases. Times where financial pressure is layered upon that, particularly around Christmas, can exacerbate that further, and, in a culture in which the celebrations often tend towards alcohol, that can further exacerbate any underlying issues in households. It is not unusual for there to be a spike in domestic incidents during the Christmas period. However, it is not acceptable that anyone should be in fear in their home at any time of year, be that Christmas, Easter or any other period.”
“Soft skills in interview techniques and CV writing are also offered as part of the range of employability skills programmes. Furthermore, higher education is accessible for prisoners in Northern Ireland through the Open University.”
“That includes essential skills training in literacy, numeracy and information computer technology; construction skills such as bricklaying, joinery and tiling; hospitality skills such as barista training, catering and food hygiene; and training in sectors such as barbering, hair and beauty.”
“Rehabilitation is a key priority for the Northern Ireland Prison Service. Individuals committed to its care are offered the opportunity to develop skills and employer-recognised qualifications in order to give them the best chance of securing gainful employment on release, which, evidence shows, is a key factor in the desisting of reoffending. Adopting the further education delivery model, Belfast Metropolitan College and North West Regional College deliver accredited training in all prison establishments, offering entry level 3 to level 3 in educational, vocational and employability skills.”
“An additional cost, however, results from separation, and I raise that matter with the NIO periodically.”
“My understanding from the last time that I looked is that the cost of the separated regime is somewhere between £2·5 million and £4 million per annum. That is a relatively small amount in the context of my overall budget, but, as the Member said, it is nevertheless significant. As I said in response to the Member's colleague's question, we raise the matter routinely with the NIO, which is ultimately responsible for whether people are committed into the separated regime. <BR /> <BR />We need to look carefully at the fact that, whether they are in the separated or normal regime, prisoners have to be accommodated and that there will be costs pertaining to their security and other issues. We should therefore not lose sight of the fact that there will be a cost to people being imprisoned, irrespective of how they are housed.”
“As does every other Department, we have to bid through the local devolved processes to obtain the resources that we need to run our Police Service, our Prison Service and all the other elements of justice that we have to cover within the budget. To date, we have managed to do that reasonably successfully. I again thank the Finance Minister for her work on that, because it is an uphill struggle.”
“Those costs are not affordable within my Department's budget under any circumstance. The Finance Minister would conclude that they are also not affordable within the Executive's Budget under any circumstance. I therefore continue to support the Finance Minister's efforts to secure a reserve claim from HM Treasury to fund those particular costs, which are outwith the normal workings of policing. <BR /> <BR />Finally, on the question of whether investment in police services here keeps pace with that elsewhere in GB and on these islands, none of the money is hypothecated when it arrives with us, with the exception of security funding, which is sent directly from Treasury to the PSNI.”
“I agree that it is extremely challenging, but I disagree that it is impossible. I do not believe that it is impossible. Rather, I believe that it is possible and that, if we work together, we can achieve it. The first and most important part of doing that is for us to get the business case together. That business case will need to be robust. Remember that there are costs associated with having too few police officers as well as with recruiting more. We need to consider what those costs will be. That will form part of the business case. <BR /> <BR />It is important to recognise, as the Member has done, that, in addition to the immediate pressures that it faces, my Department faces exceptional pressures of £227 million from McCloud injury to feelings legal claims, from the data breach and for holiday pay.”
“When the work has been completed, I will make the case to the Executive for additional funding for that purpose. For the affordability requirements to be met, however, we will need to deal with the additional £30 million pressure in the Department. Otherwise, the affordability component of any business case will not be met. It is therefore important that the Department continue to work to reduce that pressure insofar as we can and that the PSNI and our other arm's-length bodies seek to do likewise.”
“My officials are considering a business case from the PSNI on stabilisation and recruitment, and we continue to work closely with PSNI colleagues to help support them to prepare a robust business case for onward submission to the Department of Finance.”
“One of the Executive's priorities, under the New Decade, New Approach agreement, was to increase police numbers to 7,500. That is the same figure that was recommended by the Patten report 20 years ago. However, police officer numbers are at a record low. Without additional funding, it will not be possible for the PSNI to recover and grow as we would wish it to. In order for the PSNI to have adequate funding to stabilise and recover numbers to a sustainable position, I have repeatedly raised the need for a better financial settlement for my Department with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland as well as with the Finance Minister and other Executive colleagues. I pay tribute to the Finance Minister, who, in recent allocations, showed that she had listened to that argument.”
“<BR /> <BR />Whilst the allocations in 2025-26 are welcome, difficult decisions on the prioritisation of service provision will continue to be required to manage the remaining pressures. That will continue to present challenges for legal aid payment times, the ability to grow police numbers and delivery against the draft Programme for Government.”
“My Department's additional allocation from the Executive in draft Budget 2025-26 is £134 million, compared with our stabilisation pressures, initially reported, of £207 million. His Majesty's Treasury has earmarked £38 million of additional security funding for the PSNI. That funding, combined with a reported £5 million reduction in pressures, leaves my Department facing over £30 million of stabilisation pressures. That excludes an estimated £15 million pressure as a result of the Chancellor's changes to the rules on employer National Insurance contributions. My Department also submitted capital bids of £146 million and received an allocation of £100 million.”
“I have opted to accelerate it, albeit it means that there will not be stand-alone legislation. To be clear, there is no difference between legislative provisions being in a stand-alone Bill and their being included in other vehicles. When they are in legislation, they are the law.”
“I have no intention of revisiting that plan. I considered the issue carefully before opting for the course of action that I took. Had I decided to not decouple the elements of the hate crime Bill from each other and to proceed with them as I have, at pace, I would not be in a position to make any progress on hate crime in the mandate, because it would have been the fourth Justice Bill of the mandate and would have fallen off the end of the time frame. If I were to revisit the hate crime Bill now, I would not have sufficient time, first, for legislative counsel to advance it, and for the policy development work that would need to take place in my Department before the end of the mandate. Effectively, I would be slowing down progress on tackling hate crime rather than speeding it up.”
“It is important that those issues are advanced during the mandate and that we have the opportunity to look at, for example, legislation around a disclosure regime, protection for complainants and restriction of access to third-party material, particularly when it comes to things such as counselling records, about which I know many Members are concerned.”
“We are looking at a range of issues in relation to the victims and witnesses Bill, including, first, the potential to include some of the recommendations in Judge Marrinan's report around support for victims of hate crime and special measures in the courts. We also intend to bring forward additional measures to complete some of the legislative requirements of elements of the Gillen review that, we agreed, were necessary, and to put the Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime on a statutory footing. <BR /> <BR />We are looking at a number of other issues, but it is the third Justice Bill in the mandate, so there is ongoing development in what we intend to include in it.”
“They are a mixed-content Justice Bill, which was introduced to the Assembly on Tuesday 17 September 2024; a sentencing Bill, which is planned for introduction by autumn 2025; and a victims and witnesses of crime Bill, which is planned for introduction by March 2026.”
“As you will be aware, it was not possible to introduce any legislation or progress key policy decisions in the absence of Ministers, the Executive and the Northern Ireland Assembly during a significant portion of the early part of this mandate. I therefore had to review and re-prioritise my previous, more ambitious legislative plans on my return as Minister of Justice at the beginning of last year. <BR /> <BR />My revised legislative programme now includes plans to bring forward three Assembly Bills, which equates to one per annum, during the time remaining in this significantly shortened mandate.”
“Action to increase the diversity of the Northern Ireland Civil Service workforce is also being considered in the context of a new five-year people strategy for NICS. That is under development, and the Department of Finance is taking the lead. As I indicated in my response, 4·4% of employees in DOJ declared that they have a disability. The equivalent figure for the wider Northern Ireland Civil Service is around 6·1%, and that compares with the Northern Ireland economically active comparator of about 10·2%.”
“The Northern Ireland Civil Service, which is responsible for HR for the Department of Justice, operates a guaranteed interview scheme as part of its commitment to the employment of disabled people. The guaranteed interview scheme does not guarantee anyone a job. Its objective is to ensure that applicants who have a disability and who meet the minimum essential eligibility criteria for the role that they have applied for are offered an interview. <BR /> <BR />The Department has also offered placements under International Job Shadow Day, which is an opportunity to celebrate the valuable contribution that disabled people make to our workforce and an opportunity to promote inclusion in the workplace for people with disabilities.”
“When staff are being recruited to the Northern Ireland Civil Service, they have the option of indicating on the application form if they have a disability. At any stage following recruitment, staff may update their HR records to declare a disability. As of 1 January 2024, 148 employees in the Department of Justice had declared a disability. That equates to 4·4% of employees in the Department.”
“Again, it is part of the overall programme of improvements. I know that there is ongoing work at the courthouse on Bishop Street. There was, at one stage, a plan for an entirely new facility for the north-west. However, we have been able to obtain — potentially — additional land, which will allow us to instead look at refurbishing the existing courthouse, therefore maintaining the fabric of the building that the Member refers to while improving access for people who come to the courthouse to use the range of facilities and services that are provided in it.”
“No decision has been made on any courthouse that is part of the overall implementation of the estate strategy. There will, of course, be difficult decisions that need to be taken with respect to all the facilities that we have. However, any proposal to either reduce or change the operation of courthouses will be subject to public consultation and to the scrutiny of the House.”