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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“I thank the Member for his question. Under the current housing selection scheme, priority is awarded on the basis of objective housing need, as we have said. Points will be awarded where the applicant or a member of the applicant's household is returning to civilian life at the end of their service in the armed forces and no suitable alternative accommodation is available or the applicant could not reasonably be expected to seek such accommodation. <BR /> <BR />Points will also be awarded where the applicant or a member of the applicant's household is the widow or civil partner of a recently deceased serviceman or servicewoman and is no longer eligible for married or other service quarters and no suitable alternative accommodation is available or the applicant could not reasonably be expected to seek such accommodation.”
“However, he will also have to appreciate that I am trying to move a number of organisations at different paces and at different times. I have rehearsed the point that the one objective for them collectively is to keep the focus on the delivery of good-quality homes, because that is the one thing that will transform and change our society. We have had many examples in Northern Ireland of when we have delivered good-quality housing for our communities and our people.”
“During the journey that I have been on for the past number of months, I have endeavoured to work with all the housing providers that we have. Housing is a very complex issue, and it is not solely down to one organisation. I appreciate the work that has been done, although there are times when we have had our differences with the Housing Executive and the housing associations. <BR /> <BR />Let us remember, however, that we also need the other providers, be they co-ownership or private sector. I said recently at the Federation of Housing Associations annual conference that I want to work continually and collectively with all the housing providers to give the best outcome. What is the best outcome? It is to continue to provide good-quality homes. Consideration should be given to the Member's point.”
“The work that we have done to date and the recommendations that we are considering are all part of how we can come to an agreed position. I say that for this reason: I am concerned that this will become another very divisive issue. There is nothing more sensitive, and there is nothing that could be more easily used by others for all the wrong reasons to generate opposition and strife around an issue on which there should be general, broad acceptance, which is ensuring that we meet the needs of people in need of priority housing.”
“I thank the Member for his interest in the issue. We, as Members of the House, have to deal with it day and daily in our constituency offices, as people seek to find appropriate accommodation and, in some cases, accommodation. <BR /> <BR />This question is always asked: will housing need to continue to feature in the allocation process? That is a fundamental question that we need answered. There are no proposals at this time to move away from prioritising housing need. The research found that there is strong and continued support for the prioritisation of applications and the allocation of accommodation primarily on the basis of housing need. Stakeholders agreed that there was, and needed to be, a continual debate on how well the current system captures objective housing need.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am continuing to give my consideration to the proposals for change as they develop and to ensure that any proposals are supported by evidence of the need for, and benefits of, changes to the scheme. My officials are working with the Housing Executive to consider the evidence available. Any proposals will be presented to the Social Development Committee as soon as possible.”
“<BR /> <BR />Independent research was commissioned by my Department to consider the operation of the scheme in Northern Ireland, examples of good practice elsewhere and recommendations for change. This research was made available with a number of recommendations that would significantly alter the current scheme. The research was published by my Department for discussion in 2013, and, last year, I published a summary of the responses. I am of the view that changes are needed to the current scheme to ensure that those in the greatest objective need are prioritised and to ensure that the common waiting list operates smoothly and effectively to enable those who are in the greatest housing need to access accommodation.”
“Thank you, John, for eventually getting to question 1. The current housing selection scheme has been in place since 2000. A consultation published in 2011 by the Housing Executive suggested four changes to the scheme. My predecessor took the view that a more fundamental review of the scheme was required, and this has been taken forward by my Department in close discussion with the Housing Executive and the Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations. It is clear from this review that there is strong support for many aspects of the current scheme. However, it is also clear that, after 15 years in operation, the scheme may benefit from some changes to make it operationally more effective.”
“<BR /> <BR />I conclude by simply saying to the House that we have a choice tonight: approve what is set before the Assembly as a means of dealing with the impasse and the political realities; or allow the situation to continue to fester and, ultimately, have an agreement that would collapse and lead to the institutions coming to an end. What we have heard from the public in recent days is that, while they may have reservations about many individuals in the House and about the way in which we behave in the House, they still want us to make progress. They want us to do our job and our duty: to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland, with all the difficulties that that brings. Therefore, I ask the Assembly to approve the motion before it.”
“That brings us to a debate that is not for today, but it is one that we must have very soon, and it is on the structures and shape of housing provision in Northern Ireland. There are huge issues, and Members from all parties in the House regularly come to me about particular issues in their constituency. We have the social housing reform programme, and there are things that need to be moved on a lot more speedily to address our serious housing issues, but we have said that this element — the bedroom tax — will not be implemented. <BR /> <BR />Mr Agnew raised the issue of sanctions. I assure him that the Department has not, and will not, set targets for sanctions and benefits. We do not do it now and have no intention of doing it in the future.”
“<BR /> <BR />As Members are keen to go through all these documents and refer to particular paragraphs and comments, I refer them to 1.4 of section C of the Fresh Start Agreement, which states that, within welfare funding, it has been agreed that the so-called bedroom tax will not apply. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, the Executive, as Mr Agnew referred to, have set out the way in which the matter will be dealt with. We are setting aside money in the welfare funding pot to pay the Treasury the cost of not applying the bedroom tax. We have made it very clear that it will not be implemented, and that is why we agreed what we did. <BR /> <BR />There is an issue to which I, as Minister for housing, have to give consideration.”
“I thank the Member. Again, the Member demonstrates that he takes a keen interest in the issue and has a working knowledge of the matters that he raises. That is why I made the comment at the beginning that there are issues that I want to consider, and I will respond to the Member on those particular issues. The one relating to child poverty is clear on where it sits with regard to the issue, and I assure the Member that I will write to him on the issues that he raised. <BR /> <BR />I better be very careful about how I say this, and I do not say it tongue in cheek, but I want to put to bed the issue of the bedroom tax. How many times do we have to say that the Executive have agreed that it will not be implemented in Northern Ireland? That is the reason why we have set aside money for it.”
“Therefore, it is disappointing that, having started that journey in 2012, some Members are still seeking to hold principled positions of opposition to this and still cannot see the merit and the value in trying to find a solution to the problem. <BR /> <BR />Mr Agnew also —”
“The Member is correct in that there are provisions within the Welfare Reform and Work Bill that relate to the proposals on child poverty that is currently measured and reported on, as well as proposals going forward. However, the agreement or the consent that is being sought in principle — it deals with the issue that he raised with regard to "in principle" — relates to the social security aspects of the Welfare Reform and Work Bill only. That is the only sensible approach, as the measures in the Bill being considered by Westminster build on the reform measures introduced gradually across the UK since 2012. <BR /> <BR />Members, let us remind ourselves that this process of welfare reform commenced in 2012, and there have been many challenges and difficulties.”
“The professor brings a wealth of experience and understanding of the issues from a legislative point of view, and also from a very practical point of view about how to bring about an agreed position with regard to the amount of money that has been set aside. <BR /> <BR />Again, I thank him for his insight into many of the issues that he raised. They are practical and deal with the day-to-day modalities of how, when you have a piece of legislation, it comes into existence. One of those issues was about child poverty and the legislative consent motion before the Assembly. Let me give him some assurance on that issue. The legislative consent motion before the Assembly today has nothing to do with child poverty.”
“I thank the Member for his question, although I think that it is better answered by the Chair of the Committee as opposed to me. You have posed the question, and I am sure that his colleagues will convey that question to him. <BR /> <BR />I have a few comments in relation to Mr Attwood. As I said at the beginning, I appreciate the work that he has done. I also endorse his comments regarding Professor Eileen Evason and the sterling work that she has done down through the years. I appreciate the fact that she has agreed to undertake this task. It will be challenging; no one is in any doubt about the difficulties.”
“This tries to go some way towards addressing that. <BR /> <BR />Mr Dickson raised concerns about the Assembly's scrutiny of the regulations. The regulations in relation to the draft Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order will go through the Westminster process, except for any regulations that are necessary to implement the Evason group's recommendations for mitigation. Those regulations will be draft affirmative and, therefore, they must be subject to Assembly debate and approval before they can be made. There is no formal role for the Assembly or its Committees in scrutinising the regulations that flow from or follow the Westminster process. The Member will realise that is the case. However, regulations under the remit of the mitigation schemes will be brought to the Assembly.”
“The Member will be aware that my Department published information some time ago in relation to the impact of the Chancellor's Budget announcement on tax credit customers in Northern Ireland. That information is available for Members on the Department's website. The information showed the impact that reducing tax credits would have. We have to have a system that, as I have said, is affordable. We have ensured that we establish the independent panel to bring forward recommendations on how best we can spend the allocated £60 million. Many of us have been spoken to by various organisations that have raised serious concerns about tax credits. Again, this information is available to Members. When you look at the breakdown across our constituencies, you see that very few, in fact none, are not impacted.”
“Members, it is time that we realise that we could not go on in the way that we were. There had to be an arrangement and an agreement that addressed those issues. <BR /> <BR />Mr Beggs referred to the amendments and provisions agreed in previous consideration of the Bill. I reiterate what I said in my opening comments. I reassure Members that the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015 will reflect the amendments and provisions that were agreed by the Assembly at Consideration Stage and Further Consideration Stage of the Welfare Reform Bill. I also reiterate this: what are we about? We are about endeavouring to create a fair, affordable and deliverable welfare system. <BR /> <BR />Mr Beggs also asked about the allocation of the £60 million for tax credits in each of the four years.”
“He also raised the issue, as did Mr Dickson and other Members, that we are being asked to diminish aspects of devolution and that we are somehow on a road to diminishing the devolved Administration. Let me make it very clear that social security remains a devolved matter and will remain within the competence of the Assembly. The arrangement does not diminish or dilute the legislative competence of the Assembly, nor does the creation of the panel to be chaired by Professor Evason. The period during which Her Majesty's Government will have a parallel power is limited — I thank that this answers Mr McNarry's point — to the time it takes to ensure that welfare reform can be achieved in a way that reflects the needs of Northern Ireland, and also ends the imposition of financial penalties.”
“— for a lot of the debate, I am not going to give way. I want to make progress. <BR /> <BR />Fearghal McKinney raised a valid point about child poverty targets. Let me deal with that. The Welfare Reform and Work Bill includes the abolition of the duty to report child poverty targets. However, the agreement refers only to the welfare aspects of that Bill, which do not include child poverty provisions. I will give the Member even more information about that, but it sets the context, and I think that it answers his query about child poverty targets.”
“For someone who has not been in the Chamber —”
“We will apply ourselves to that in the future, as, I trust, I ensured that we applied ourselves in the past. <BR /> <BR />I may not cover particular issues, but I will endeavour to come back to those Members in writing in the next number of days.”
“It is easy to have a political comment and use that as a cover for saying that you are taking a principled position. <BR /> <BR />Members made many comments, and I am not going to go through them all tonight. I will deal with one issue now and come back to some of the specifics that Mr Attwood mentioned. I appreciate the work that he and his colleagues have done in recent days. It is not work that was done and shabbily discarded. I appreciate his comments about the efforts that my officials and I have made. That work will continue. Today, we are not lowering the drawbridge on welfare, with my handing over all the power and responsibility to the Department for Work and Pensions, even though the Member still believes that I am in the payroll of that Westminster Department. We have much more work to do in the weeks and months that lie ahead.”
“We could have said that we would take the easy option, but we have made a decision to do what we have done. I hear a lot of people talking about the £585 million. Let me remind Members again, as I have done repeatedly in the House, that the spend on welfare in Northern Ireland is in excess of £4·6 billion. Let us remember that that is money that goes to our pensioners. It is money that goes to families who are in need and have particular issues that some Members in the House know nothing about. We sometimes have a very condescending attitude to the way in which we present and deliver our welfare system. Between now and 2020, on the projected spend on welfare, we will have a welfare budget in excess of £6 billion. It is easy to have throwaway lines.”
“Why do I say that? Because of our experience and because, in the past, as a party, we were very good at finding fault, difficulties, problems and issues. <BR /> <BR />That leads me to another statement. There comes a time when you have to face certain realities. You have to deal with things as they are, not as you would like them to be, especially when you do not have all the control and ability to do everything that you want to do. We were faced with certain realities, like the impasse that was created by what had happened at the beginning of the year and the outcome of the Westminster election in May. Those created a set of circumstances and a situation that we had to deal with. <BR /> <BR />We could have said that it is too difficult or challenging.”
“No, I will make my way through this. I have listened to a lot in the House today, and there are a few other preliminary comments that I wish to make. <BR /> <BR />Here is the other problem: there are some in the House to whom it would not matter if we said it was black, because they would say that it was white; if we said it was right, they would say that it was wrong. It would not matter what arrangements we came up with: it is always easy to find fault.”
“I will make some concluding remarks on the debate this afternoon. I find it bizarre that there are those in the House who claim to be unionists and see it as dangerous or even undesirable to have any working relationship with the sovereign Parliament at Westminster. I find that a strange position. There is no doubt that they will beat their chests and tell people that they are committed unionists. However, when it comes to a relationship and a working arrangement with the House of Commons or when it comes to the legislative arrangements at Westminster, that suddenly becomes undesirable; it suddenly becomes dangerous. I find that strange for those who claim to be unionists.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I have listened carefully to him, and I will come back to some of his comments when I sum up. Do he and his party — I tried to make the point earlier — wash their hands of the crisis that they created by signing a petition of concern? When I stood in the Chamber to move the legislation that would have brought welfare reform to Northern Ireland, the SDLP signed the petition of concern that led to the delay and the difficulties and compounded the situation, as opposed to what the Member is trying to tell the House today, which is that somehow the problem is with everybody else.”
“However, it is important that we set that as a context, because what is this all about? It is to achieve those three objectives in very difficult and challenging financial circumstances and in the political realm of the challenges that we have had over the last number of months.”
“In my concluding remarks, I will come back to some of the specifics that the Member raises. However, I just want to say something about how the process has been guided. The First Minister and I have repeatedly said this, and those who were privy to the ongoing talks prior to and during Stormont House and Stormont Castle and, subsequently, since: any arrangement or any deal had to be within the financial envelope; it had to be legally competent; and it had to be practicably deliverable. In relation to this agreement, we have endeavoured to stay within that parameter, and I think that that extends to the work that Professor Evason is going to undertake in relation to the panel. I will give some more detail in my concluding remarks, because the Member raised a number of other points.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Let us not allow the SDLP to get out of the mist that I noticed it said, in one programme last night, was over this Building. Let us always remember that when I brought the Final Stage of the Welfare Reform Bill to the House, two parties brought it to its knees, not just one party. Now that party, the SDLP, from which we will no doubt hear later, will try to wash its hands clean of what it did in the past to stall the process. That brought us to the point where we are today.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I have listened to the Member through all the hours in which we in the House debated welfare ad infinitum, hours upon hours, and that was only the contribution from West Belfast Member Mr Attwood. However, Mr Dickson was always supportive. Can he tell the House what he actually disagrees with? It has been agreed to mitigate the more severe elements of welfare reform, to help families with working tax credits, to ensure that we end the penalties and fines, and to pass legislation that should been passed in 2012, and we are now in 2015. We are going to do all of that through this process; we are going to have all the amendments that were agreed in all the debates in the House. So what is he actually saying that he disagrees with?”
“We are dealing with real people; we are dealing with people across our country who have real challenges and issues. I believe that it is incumbent upon us to do everything that we can. Yes, there are challenges, and, yes, it has been difficult; but we have stayed at this in a way which, I believe, has brought us to the place where we can have a fresh start on welfare. I commend the motion to the House.”
“If the Assembly passes this legislative consent motion, it will bring the regime of financial penalties to an end, and, indeed, the Executive will be able to reclaim some of the penalties that the Treasury has already taken from the block grant. The Westminster Bill will include a sunset clause, which will ensure that these arrangements will apply only until the end of next year. <BR /> <BR />Members, let me assure you that I recognise that this is a difficult issue for many in the Chamber, but I believe that passing this motion represents the best way forward. <BR /> <BR />I conclude, Mr Speaker, with the comments I made when I first came to the House as Minister to introduce the process of welfare. Let us not forget that we are dealing with people's lives.”
“No one should underestimate the difficulties and challenges that would have been created for families had we not made such an agreement. <BR /> <BR />This fresh start to how we deal with welfare reform will help ensure that Northern Ireland has a welfare system that meets the needs of its people, and which is fair, affordable and deliverable. There are Members who, maybe, need that to be repeated: we want to ensure, for our people in Northern Ireland, a welfare system that meets their needs, and which is fair, affordable and deliverable. <BR /> <BR />Our critics have continually complained about the failure to reach agreement on welfare and about how that has led to public services in Northern Ireland being damaged because of the fines being imposed by Treasury.”
“Let me assure Members that the Welfare Reform Order 2015 will reflect the amendments and provisions that were agreed by the Assembly at Consideration Stage and Further Consideration Stage of the Welfare Reform Bill. <BR /> <BR />At the heart of the Fresh Start Agreement is, I believe, a recognition of the harsh fiscal realities that we, as an Executive, face, as well as a will to tackle the difficult issue of welfare and the protection of our most vulnerable citizens as we move forward. The Executive are committed to legislating for the implementation of a range of mitigation measures to offset the more adverse impacts of the Government's reform proposals. It builds on the work that was taken forward in the Stormont Castle agreement but also provides £240 million for families impacted by tax credits.”
“<BR /> <BR />This motion seeks agreement, in principle, from the Assembly for the Government to introduce the changes to the welfare system in Northern Ireland at Westminster through the Northern Ireland (Welfare Reform) Bill 2015. For those Members who claim that they have not seen it and wish to have sight of it, that information is available on the Northern Ireland Office website. <BR /> <BR />This motion also provides for the introduction of both the Welfare Reform Order 2015 and the welfare clauses of the Welfare Reform and Work Bill, which was introduced in Westminster earlier this year. <BR />The legislative consent motion will also ensure that the Executive will have the necessary powers to put the top-ups in place that follow from the agreement that was announced yesterday.”
“In order to make progress, it was essential that we were creative and innovative in finding a way to move forward whilst recognising and addressing the genuine concerns that many in the Chamber hold about the proposed changes to the welfare system. Indeed, many of those concerns are held by many of our constituents across Northern Ireland. This has been a difficult balance to achieve, but I believe that the proposals before the Assembly today represent the most practical way of achieving it. I am, therefore, asking the Assembly to pass this legislative consent motion, which will enable us to reform the welfare system whilst helping the most vulnerable and those hard-working families who would lose their tax credits under the plans announced by the Chancellor.”
“I am glad that that suspension was not as long as the previous one and that we are now able to proceed. As I was stating at the commencement, I, like many Members, have spent many hours in the Chamber over the past 12 months dealing with the issue of welfare reform. We can all remember the marathon sessions when we discussed the Welfare Reform Bill at Consideration Stage and Further Consideration Stage and how, ultimately, the Bill fell at its Final Stage. <BR /> <BR />We all recognise and understand the political and ethical challenges that the Welfare Reform Bill presents for all the parties in the Assembly. It has been clear for many months that getting the Welfare Reform Bill through the Assembly would be difficult and was not going to happen in the short term.”
“To comply with the Westminster timetable, it is necessary to suspend Standing Order 42(a) to enable the legislation to be passed. If the Standing Order were not suspended, it would introduce a delay of a minimum of four weeks, which would jeopardise the passage of the Welfare Bill at Westminster. Those are the reasons why I have decided to move to suspend the Standing Order and proceed with the Bill as set out.”
“For accuracy for the Member, the Bill has been published. I have a copy of it here. <BR /> <BR />The reasons for the utilisation of the Order rather than an Act of the Assembly are set out in the memorandum of understanding that has been tabled today. For the Member's information, I will read that to him. It states:”
“I am grateful for the opportunity, at long last, to bring this legislative consent motion to the Assembly. I have spent many hours in the Chamber —”
“You will recall that the Department's empty homes strategy and action plan seeks to address the issue. The strategy was introduced on 5 September 2013, and we are working our way through that action plan and strategy. I hope to be in a position to give a further detailed briefing to the Committee on empty homes, but suffice it to say that steady progress has been made in meeting the targets outlined in the plan since its launch, with 13 of the 16 actions listed in the action plan either being achieved or ongoing. We could give more detail on that. <BR /> <BR />Due to the time, I will conclude by saying that I take these responsibilities seriously. Housing is an important issue, and I will be judged, I trust, on my actions and on the sincerity of those actions and not trying to make cheap political points.”
“I want to say in response to Mr McCann that some antisocial behaviours are the result of mental illness. We all know that there is a variety of reasons. I have had some discussions with my colleagues in Upper Bann about recent events in the Dingwell Park area, and we all know the circumstances and challenges there. Social landlords are aware of issues around mental illness, and my Department has issued guidance that emphasises the need to provide appropriate support to tenants with particular challenges. We need to bear that in mind when we look at the issue. We would all like to have a society where we did not have to deal with these issues; however, the reality is far from that. <BR /> <BR />Let me conclude by reaffirming a point about empty homes, which repeatedly comes up and is always an issue of concern for Members.”
“Existing legislation only allows a limited range of information relating to certain court orders to be disclosed: it is therefore proposed to allow any person to disclose information about antisocial behaviour that may be required by social landlords for a comprehensive range of housing management purposes. Such purposes would include applying for an injunction, an anti-social behaviour order or an order for possession; conducting criminal proceedings for any offence; deciding whether to withhold consent to a mutual exchange of secure tenancy; deciding whether a tenant is entitled to exercise the right to buy; deciding whether the threat of the applicant is ineligible; deciding whether to allocate housing to any person; and deciding whether to take any other action. <BR /> <BR />Other issues were raised.”
“Given that, unlike social landlords, private landlords do not have a governing body, I do not consider that private landlords would be in a position to meet the strict requirements of data protection and the issues in relation to human rights. The sharing of information with private landlords has not been subject to public consultation. I believe that, given the far-reaching impact of the proposal, there should be an opportunity for those who would be affected to air their views. Apart from the other considerations that I have mentioned, the timescale for taking the Bill through the legislative process is already challenging. <BR /> <BR />Mr Douglas also raised the issue of how the proposal relating to sharing information about antisocial behaviour would represent an improvement on the existing arrangements.”
“My Bill as introduced will make provision for information to be shared with the Housing Executive or a registered housing association. Those are professional organisations that are governed or regulated by my Department, and they have governing boards and established policies and procedures in place for the proper management of what is deemed sensitive information. The Information Commissioner's Office has advised that social landlords should not disclose any personal information unless they are satisfied that the parties receiving the information have arrangements in place that conform to data protection and human rights requirements — for example, ensuring that information is held securely.”
“It was subsequently proposed that the Bill should also enable the courts to grant a more comprehensive injunction against antisocial behaviour and breach of tenancy agreement, including a power for courts to enable the PSNI to arrest without warrant persons who breach such injunctions. The timescale for progressing the Bill through the Assembly, as we all know, is tight, and, due to the requirements of making sure that we do this in a timely way, the Bill concentrates on the areas where there is a pressing need for legislation. <BR /> <BR />There was also an issue raised by my colleague Sammy Douglas and by the Chair about whether the Bill could amend the requirement of the Housing Executive to share information about antisocial behaviour with private landlords.”
“I welcome the fact that the Committee has now taken a proactive approach not only on this issue but on other issues. I appreciate what my officials have done to brief the Committee on numerous occasions around a number of those issues. <BR /> <BR />Some questions were raised by Members, and, with your indulgence, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, I will try to work my way through them. The Chair of the Committee raised the issue of why the Bill did not cover the whole range of topics set out in the consultation paper as of 2 December 2013. As you know, that consultation document proposed new legislation in regard to a new form of social housing tenancy and clarification of the legislation that provides for the Housing Executive homelessness duty to come to an end in cases of antisocial behaviour.”