Mervyn Storey
North Antrim · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for his statement. It will be noted that there are those who cry much about the environment and purport to be the champions of the environment who did not have the courtesy to come to the House and be present when the statement was being made.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Clearly, there are some in the House who want to continue with the same old, same old and get the same outcomes at a huge cost to the public purse and to farms in Northern Ireland. The Minister is absolutely right: it is a scourge.”
“I am sure that the Minister will be aware, having listened to the Member who spoke before me, that the farmers of North Antrim will make an informed choice about who best supported farmers during this mandate of the Assembly.”
“A pilot scheme has been operating with the Education Authority, the PSNI and the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust across 60 schools in the south Down area since September 2021 and was extended to a further 77 schools in the Newry and south Armagh areas at the start of February 2022.”
“As Chair of the Justice Committee, I am pleased to welcome the motion. It implements the provisions taken forward by the Committee in the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland) 2021 to establish an Operation Encompass model in Northern Ireland, which is, as the Minister has outlined, a police and early intervention pa…”
“We had our final meeting of that Committee this morning, and I want to place on the public record our appreciation and thanks to our Committee staff of for all the work that they have done.”
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“Thank you, Mr Speaker. The DUP welcomes the opportunity to bring forward the motion as the issues that it raises are far-reaching and critical to increasing public confidence in the criminal justice system. We want to make it clear from the outset that the debate is not about calling into question the need for impartial, effective and robust structures for investigating alleged police misconduct and criminality. That should be at the heart of any democracy. We stand four-square behind the principle that everyone should be equally subject to the law. Instead, the motion is about ensuring that the core principles underpinning Police Ombudsman's remit are delivered upon in a way that is lawful and procedurally fair. It is about ensuring that investigations are completed both to a high standard and in a timely fashion.”
“I thank the Minister for his answers thus far and for the work that he has done to ensure that the issues of concern to us all in our constituencies, particularly in terms of economic recovery, are addressed. <BR /> <BR />In an earlier comment, he mentioned the changing environment. Obviously, we are subject to the current crisis in fuel prices and so on, as we have heard about. What flexibility is there in the schemes to ensure that the Department can respond in a way that is meaningful to the economy?”
“— to the well-being of our citizens in North Antrim.”
“I encourage us all, collectively, as elected representatives, to work with our local councils, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council and Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, to ensure that the vision that has been set out is achieved. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to the day when places like the Dark Hedges, Stranocum, Armoy and Ballycastle — that whole region — is regenerated. If the old narrow-gauge railway carried something in the region of 85,000 people every year, the thousands who benefited from that connectivity would make a huge contribution —”
“Yes, it is a challenge, and it is estimated that it would cost somewhere in the region of £10 million. There are also challenges to be faced with the acquisition of the land, but no one looking at the Comber greenway — a scheme that will benefit from further lighting work that is to be carried out — would say that it has not been a success or that it was not worth doing. <BR /> <BR />I encourage the Minister to continue on the road that she is on and to follow the road map that she has set out.”
“<BR /> <BR />As he was coming to the end of his remarks, Philip spoke about having a greenway between Ballymoney and Ballycastle. Some 71 years ago, on 2 July 1950, the last train left Ballycastle railway station. That was, of course, a very sad day, because the narrow gauge between Ballycastle and Ballymoney closed. My late father was born and brought up in Cape Castle. To this very day, the tunnel is just outside the hamlet of Cape Castle. Not far from there is the school that my father went to. He used to refer to it as "Cloughanmurray Academy", a very rural school. There you have a number of communities, from Ballycastle through to Ballymoney, who had the benefit of the narrow gauge. It was taken away, but there is now an opportunity.”
“<BR /> <BR />Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is to be commended for the recent report that it produced, in which it outlined its vision. I welcome the fact that Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council eventually took up opportunities. There has been a more intense engagement over the past number of months, and I welcome recent correspondence from the Minister outlining how that has progressed over the recent period. Indeed, that council submitted an application for somewhere in the region of £450,000. That will be only for development of the integrated ICT team and management costs, but that figure does not come anywhere near to what the cost of the build of a particular greenway will be, and that is what I want to come on to.”
“Of course, that comes from a report that was published in 2016. It is interesting that the report went on to outline the comprehensive nature of who needs to be involved. Yes, it would be very easy to focus on one particular element or to place all the responsibility on the Minister's shoulders, as we may have done in the previous debate. That report clearly set out, however, that there was a need for work from the Department for Infrastructure, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, the Department for the Economy, the Department of Health — Philip outlined the issues around improving access in order to improve the overall physical and mental health and well-being of our citizens — the Department for Communities and, most importantly, our local councils.”
“This is a unique opportunity for us to discuss issues on which we can all concur. <BR /> <BR />The Minister's Department's strategic plan for greenways talks about:”
“I thank Philip McGuigan for securing this evening's Adjournment debate. I concur with him and extend our congratulations to those whom he mentioned at the commencement of his contribution. I also thank him for a very comprehensive overview of many of the opportunities and challenges that we face. The Minister will not be surprised to hear, however, that this is the only occasion on which I will be happy to support the greening of North Antrim.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. One thing that has not been mentioned is the fact that the Minister and her Department have a duty under article 149 of the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006. There has been a lot of talk in the House today about money, but clearly there is a legislative requirement for the Minister to ensure that she is compliant with article 149. <BR /> <BR />Will the Member also accept that, when the Minister's officials came to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council in January 2001, they said that they were ready to provide engineering solutions to short-term constraints where possible and would help new housing and business developments to go ahead. We have not seen any of that to date, and I would like the Minister to outline to us, at some stage, what those are.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. The hypocrisy of the party opposite never ceases to amaze me. Here we have a Member of the House advising the Minister to go to private finance, but her party blocked, when I was Minister for Social Development, going to the private sector to get money to build more houses. You cannot pick and choose to go the private sector whenever it suits you.”
“— about the sectarian nature of the IRA campaign. Let us have the truth. Let Dublin tell us what they know. Let Members in this House face up to the reality of the past.”
“I welcome the fact that Members have talked about ensuring that all victims are entitled to the truth. I have no fear of the truth. I have no fear of looking at the past and asking questions as to who was responsible for pulling the trigger, planting the bomb and creating the widows and orphans. However, I will not tolerate or give succour to the idea that, by some political means, we will try to sanitise that past, to change it and to have it rewritten. <BR /> <BR />In my constituency, a week before Ian Sproule was murdered, the IRA planted a bomb in the town of Ballycastle, which resulted in the death of Spence McGarry, a 46-year-old father of three. What was his crime? He was a Protestant, who came from the town of Ballycastle and wore the uniform of the RUC. My colleague Tom Buchanan made a very telling point —”
“Mrs Dodds told us about the number of bullets that were used by those who came in the dead of night and shot him through the back of the head. Say, for example, that the weapon that was used had been discovered and that the ballistics that had been taken from that were brought into the public domain. As a result of what was passed in the Dáil and in Parliament, it could not be used to bring those people to justice. That is an amnesty. It never should have happened.”
“The Member needs to take a history lesson: the prison gates were opened as a result of a political agreement that his party signed up to. <BR /> <BR />You then see what that has led to. This is a sad reality: it has led to a corruption of the justice process in Northern Ireland. Subsequent to that, we had decommissioning. All the parties in the House talk about openness, transparency and truth. Let us remember that legislation was passed in the Houses of Parliament of the Irish Republic and Westminster that allowed for no ballistics to be garnered as a result of the weapons that were decommissioned. What is that? That is an amnesty. It is letting terrorists off the hook. Let us take, for example, the murder of Ian Sproule. It was a dirty, dastardly deed.”
“<BR /> <BR />Given all that the republican community are saying about the statute of limitation and drawing a line under the past, I wonder whether some of them are beginning to get worried about a knock on their door and being held accountable for their deeds. What about Operation Kenova? What about the investigation into Freddie Scappaticci? What about the investigations into the hundreds of murders that that squad was responsible for? We want truth. Truth cannot be hidden. Truth will come to the fore. <BR /> <BR />I am glad to see that the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party has rejoined us. He, as is his right, raised concerns about Stormont House. He made reference to the fact that elements of it were a de facto amnesty. What was the opening of the prison gates when his party — not us — signed the Belfast Agreement?”
“Here is a party that tells us that it wants openness and truthfulness, but when it had the opportunity to tell the truth, what did it do? It hid behind the coat-tails of a terrorist organisation's code of ethics and conduct. <BR /> <BR />Liz Kimmins said that there is an issue of consistency and that we need to see accountability. You are absolutely right. What happened to Jean McConville? For 40 years, the IRA told us that it had nothing to do with her murder. It was then dragged in to the public arena and reminded of its dirty, dastardly deed: it murdered an innocent woman on the streets of Belfast.”
“Do the Members opposite still believe that that is the case? We have heard a lot today about truth, justice, openness and transparency. Let us remind ourselves of what the former deputy First Minister told the Saville inquiry — the most expensive inquiry to shine a spotlight on the past — in the city of Londonderry. When he was asked about the arms dump, he said:”
“That was a failed attempt from the Alliance Party to gain consensus, and, on that basis, we will not accept the amendment. <BR /> <BR />I will turn to Sinn Féin. In 1983, the previous leader of Sinn Féin said:”
“They did not say that when it sadly happened on their own streets. It was murder in Monaghan. It was also murder in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />We heard from a number of Members today. The Alliance Party attempted to somehow say that it wants to gain consensus. Well, it did not gain consensus in the House last week when it was not prepared to stand up for victims by supporting a Bill that would have ensured that those with a criminal record were punished for their deeds. A few days after that, the Justice Minister came out with a victims of crime commissioner, which is a toothless organisation that will not be able to do anything, and yet the Alliance Party tells us that it will support victims and that it is to ensure that victims are at the centre of what we do.”
“There was no thought of the Dunlop family when she was prepared to glorify the actions that led to murder on the streets of Ballymena. <BR /> <BR />Today, we heard the catalogue of our sad past. The focus of the motion is to put the spotlight on the Irish Government. My colleague Diane Dodds referred to the 113 requests for extradition, of which only eight were granted. If anyone takes the time to look at that list, the reasons given by the Irish Government for most of the refusals were that extradition had been refused on grounds that the offence was political. Those offences included escape from custody; murder of members of the RUC; possession of firearms and ammunition; arson; attempted murder; and armed robbery. The Irish Government were complicit, saying, "Oh, what happened there was for political purposes".”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I commend my colleagues Diane Dodds and Tom Buchanan for tabling the motion. I also commend them for their work over many years to ensure that the memory of Ian Sproule and his family is not forgotten. <BR /> <BR />Sadly, there are those in the House who want to airbrush the past. They want to change the past. Let us nail it for what it was. It was murder. It was the vilest of the vile. It was not, as the deputy First Minister described it when glorifying another IRA terrorist, that "He died for Irish freedom". When she said that, she was referring to an individual who was responsible for the murder of a constituent of mine. Of course, the deputy First Minister did not think it fit to think of that family.”
“Will the deputy First Minister clarify whose responsibility it is to run the scheme? It seems as though the Minister of Justice has said, "I have created it, and now it is over to the Executive Office". Is that the case?”
“It is so sad that we have come to a place where we have to provide money for people who have permanent disablement as a result of the acts of terrorists and those who endeavoured to take life. It is ironic that, in the House today, there are people who talk about preserving life but were quite happy to justify the taking of life.”
“I place on record my appreciation to the chief executive of the RQIA, to the chief executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and to their staff for the conversations that we have had with them over the past number of days. In the notice of decision issued by the RQIA, we see that the current registered provider raised concerns with RQIA by way of an email and in a meeting in July about the integrity of the new applicant and the financial arrangements underpinning the application, specifically a scheme known as Invest in Rooms. Following further research by the RQIA, it seems that that issue had been ongoing for some time. Therefore, I ask that the Health Minister and everyone concerned do all that they can to ensure that the issue is investigated and the care of the nursing home residents is provided.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is in that context, therefore, with sadness, I pay attention to the decision to close the Court Care nursing home in Ballymoney. The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) has withdrawn the registration for that facility, and the fact that this situation has arisen has caused untold alarm and concern to the staff, to the families and particularly to the residents of Court Care Home. I pay tribute to the staff of the home for their care, because this decision is no reflection of the care that has been provided in that facility. It is, however, a telling reflection of the way in which the place was being managed.”
“I concur with the comments of my colleague from North Antrim Mr Allister on what was a magnificent display outside these Buildings and also the words of my other colleague in North Antrim sending our best wishes to the Northern Ireland ladies' football team — our national ladies' team. We wish them well for tonight. <BR /> <BR />Today is World Alzheimer's Day. Later, the Health Minister will join with the Alzheimer's Society of Northern Ireland to commemorate the day. Sadly, it is in the context that our care home residents have accounted for some 51% of all COVID-19-related deaths compared with 50% in Scotland, 39% in England and 34% in Wales. Of course, the statistics have confirmed that over a third of all deaths in Northern Ireland relating to the virus were those of people with dementia.”
“The Minister outlined that not all the legislative provisions that she would have liked to bring to the House — namely, in a miscellaneous provisions Bill — have been brought, but I trust that, as an Assembly, we will focus our time on issues that are paramount. That is not to say that other issues are not important, but, given the challenge with our time frame, I trust that the House will give the Bill the support that it deserves. Along with the Minister, I look forward to hearing the contributions of others so that we will have some sense of how the Bill will ultimately conclude when it completes its legislative passage through the Assembly.”
“In that context, I put on record my thanks to the Free For Good campaign, the coalition of 27 anti-trafficking bodies campaigning for the provision of 12-month statutory support to facilitate the recovery of confirmed victims of modern slavery, and I hope that we will have the opportunity to debate amendments that address that shortfall. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, I place on record my appreciation and thanks to the Minister and her officials for the work that has been done to date. A considerable amount of work has been done in order to have the Second Stage debate in the House today.”
“<BR /> <BR />Before I move on from the modern slavery provisions in the Bill, it is important to acknowledge an important support provision that is not in the Bill. In that regard, I congratulate my friend, colleague and Chief Whip, Joanne Bunting, who is a Member of the Assembly for East Belfast, on securing a critical debate on 13 October last year to mark Anti-Slavery Day. She used that debate to highlight the indefensible lack of statutory support for victims of modern slavery across the UK from the moment of their conclusive grounds decision when they leave the NRM. It is extraordinary that statutory support is provided to potential victims but denied to actual victims, when our moral responsibility is clearly greater to those who have been confirmed to have been subjected to slavery.”
“In that context, I wholeheartedly support clause 16, which will amend section 18 of the 2015 Act by extending the statutory assistance and support provided to potential victims of human trafficking to victims of servitude or forced labour where there has been no element of trafficking. That constitutes a very welcome, humane and logical development. <BR /> <BR />I am also content with clause 17, which will amend section 12 of the 2015 Act and introduces a change from having an annual modern slavery strategy to having one on a three-year cycle. I would, however, like the Department of Justice to produce an annual progress report so that we can track progress during the three-year period as well as between such periods, and I trust that the Minister will give consideration to that.”
“The timely passing of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Criminal Justice and Support for Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 represented the first comprehensive piece of legislation on this subject to be passed in the United Kingdom. Moreover, the Act goes beyond the current provisions made in England and Wales by enshrining support for adult victims of human trafficking in law and providing for the introduction of independent guardians for unaccompanied migrant and trafficked children. That piece of legislation is a great credit to former Assembly Member and good friend of mine, Lord Morrow. He introduced the Bill in the House and it was passed into law. Six years later, we need to act again to build on the good foundation that has been set and enhance the existing protections.”
“<BR /> <BR />Moreover, in considering that challenge, we must always remember that we are not talking about just statistics but, as I said, real people. We are talking about someone's son or daughter, and even more troubling is the fact that some of the victims are children. Of the 128 referrals in 2020, 20 were children. Five of those children were trafficked for sexual exploitation. As parents and grandparents, we can only but think of the horror that has been inflicted on those children. That is happening here in Northern Ireland, and it is sad that we have to say in the House that it is happening today in Northern Ireland in our towns and our neighbourhoods. <BR /> <BR />Northern Ireland has a strong history of taking a stand for victims of modern slavery.”
“I thank the Minister for the intervention and clarification on that point; her comments are noted. <BR /> <BR />I turn to the provisions of the Bill, particularly clauses 16 and 17. There has been much media attention on human trafficking in Northern Ireland in recent months, with revelations that the numbers of potential victims entering the national referral mechanism (NRM) increased by 750%. I want Members to take that percentage and remember that, behind it, there are individuals. These are real people. A 750% increase between 2012 and 2020: that is deeply disturbing, especially when we remember that not all existing victims are identified and offered the NRM and not all victims who are identified agree to enter the national referral mechanism.”
“It is up to other Ministers to see whether they can match that in the time that is available to them. Does the Minister want to intervene?”
“That will not, however, preclude us from undertaking robust and detailed scrutiny of the provisions in the Bill and proposed amendments to it, with the assistance of the key stakeholders, to ensure that the legislation is comprehensive, workable and as effective as possible. The issues covered in the Bill can have a profound and lasting impact on victims and cannot be missed or minimised in any way. That is why the legislation is needed, and on behalf of the Committee for Justice I support the principles of the Bill. <BR /> <BR />I will make a few comments as a Member of the House and a member of my party. I am glad to see that the first salvo has been fired in the election campaign: the Minister did not miss the opportunity to set out how she, as Minister, and her Department had brought forward more legislation than any other Minister.”
“For that reason, the Committee agreed, on an exceptional basis, to issue a call for written evidence on the Bill following its introduction into the Assembly and prior to the Second Stage taking place today. I assure the House and the Minister that this was in no way to pre-empt the views of the House but was simply a pragmatic decision, given the very limited time available to us, to give the Bill a chance of completing the legislative process before the mandate ends. Despite already dealing with a very heavy legislative programme, the Committee is determined to play its part in progressing the Bill, assuming its successful passage today.”
“<BR /> <BR />Members also discussed in detail the new offences of upskirting and downblousing, including whether they are framed appropriately and are workable. I am sure that the Committee will want to explore all these issues, and others, further as we move into the Bill's Committee Stage, assuming its success in the House today. <BR /> <BR />The Bill was introduced into the Assembly on 5 July. It was originally to be introduced in March. While it may not include all the provisions originally intended by the Department, it is still a very important piece of legislation that the Committee wants to see go through the Assembly before the end of this mandate.”
“During the briefing, members explored a range of issues, including the concerns expressed by legal advisers regarding making anonymity of a victim of a sexual offence permanent after death; how the Department decided on the 25-year period now included at clause 4; the operational concerns relating to sexual offences prevention orders and violent offences prevention orders that prompted the provisions to strengthen their effectiveness; the rationale for the provisions that amend article 64A of the Sexual Offences (Northern Ireland) Order 2008 relating to the offence of paying for the sexual services of a person, and whether they change the intention of the original legislation; the particular effect of clause 16; and the extent to which the proposed amendments will widen the abuse of trust law.”
“The Committee welcomes the proposal for amendments to address this. <BR /> <BR />The Committee also welcomes the proposal to bring forward amendments to widen the scope of, and strengthen, the current law on abuse of trust. There was widespread support for that in the responses to the Department's consultation. The Committee was disappointed that the Department originally did not intend to legislate for it in this mandate. <BR /> <BR />The Committee received an oral briefing from departmental officials on the principles of the Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Bill at its meeting of 9 September 2021.”
“Clause 16 places on a statutory footing the current practice of providing support and assistance to potential victims of slavery or servitude, or of forced or compulsory labour, where there is no element of trafficking. That is to be welcomed. <BR /> <BR />The Department advised the Committee of the Minister's intention to bring forward amendments on four issues, which I thank the Minister for outlining in the House today. As part of the evidence that the Committee received on the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Bill, concerns were raised that the mitigation of rough sex gone wrong appeared to be increasingly used to explain a death. The Committee noted at the time that amendments had been made to the Westminster Domestic Abuse Bill to ensure that such a defence was outlawed in cases of serious injury or death.”
“Implementation of Sir John Gillen's recommendations must continue to be a priority. The Committee is committed to ensuring that they are implemented in full. It considers progress regularly, with the next update due from the Department at the end of September. The Committee, therefore, welcomes the inclusion of Part 1, chapter 2, which includes clauses to extend the current lifelong anonymity of the victim of a sexual offence, provide for the anonymity of the suspect in a sexual offence case up to the point of charge, and exclude the public from hearings of serious sexual offence cases. <BR /> <BR />Parts 2 and 3 cover trafficking and exploitation, and prevention orders. Departmental officials advised the Committee that these clauses make minor adjustments to the existing provisions and aim to improve effectiveness.”
“That situation is totally unacceptable and must be addressed. Providing victims with confidence in the system, and ensuring that they are treated with dignity and respect during the criminal process, in no way impacts on the accused receiving a fair trial. It is simply the right thing to do, and the proposed changes are long overdue.”
“Committee members are well acquainted with the views of victims of such offences: the criminal justice system lets them down, and those who go through it often feel that they have been re-traumatised by the experience.”
“The fact that Northern Ireland will be the first part of the United Kingdom to legislate for downblousing sends a message that such behaviour, together with upskirting, has no place in our society and provides the PSNI and the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) with the tools to prosecute individuals. <BR /> <BR />The Bill will also implement four of the recommendations in Sir John Gillen's report on his review of the law and procedures on sexual offences in Northern Ireland. As Sir John outlined, deep concerns about how serious sexual offences are prosecuted and determined in Northern Ireland have been expressed for a number of years. Such offences are largely under-reported, the attrition rates are high, and successful prosecutions are pitifully few.”
“The Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJINI) report in June 2020 on child sexual exploitation highlighted that such exploitation is happening in towns, cities and rural communities across Northern Ireland and involves children who live with their parents and children in care. That is the stark reality, Members, and we in the House must endeavour to do all that we can to prevent it. <BR /> <BR />The Committee also supports the inclusion of the new offences to capture behaviours known as upskirting and downblousing. Such behaviour is, unfortunately, becoming more prevalent and is frequently used to coerce, control or humiliate.”
“The Committee considered the results of the consultation in November 2020, supported the proposals to bring forward the legislative provisions in the Bill and discussed with officials other legislative proposals that had received support during the consultation but that the Department did not intend to progress in this mandate due to time and resource constraints. The Committee noted that there would be an opportunity to consider some of those other proposals further in the context of the Bill. I am sure that Members will do the same, assuming that, as I expect, the Bill passes its Second Stage today. <BR /> <BR />The strengthening of the law on sexual offending to better protect children from sexual exploitation and, in particular, the aim to address such behaviour at an earlier stage are welcome and, sadly, necessary.”
“I thank the Minister for bringing the Second Stage of the Bill to the House. I am pleased to speak as Chairman of the Committee for Justice. The Committee welcomes the Bill. We look forward to working with the key stakeholders and the Department during the Bill's scrutiny stage in the Committee. <BR /> <BR />As the Minister has outlined, the Bill consists of 22 clauses and is divided into three Parts. The Committee fully supports the aims of improving the operation and effectiveness of the justice system and the principles of enhancing public safety and improving services for victims of trafficking and exploitation. Chapter 1 and Part 1 cover a range of provisions being brought forward following a consultation on a review of the law on child sexual exploitation and aim to strengthen the law in that area.”
“The Member opposite refused to give way. The question that was to be put to him was whether he will in the House name the "shadowy figures", as he called them, who are members of the army council today, not 50 years ago. If it is truth that we want, we need to know who is still on the army council.”