Chris Lyttle
East Belfast · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“The Department for Communities, councils, the Department for the Economy, further education stakeholders, the Department of Health and the Department of Finance all responded with their perspectives on and experiences of the provision of free period products and with ways in which the Bill's provisions could be coordinated and funded.”
“That is an important start in support of the implementation of the provisions of the Bill. <BR /> <BR />The Education Committee undertook Committee Stage scrutiny of this cross-cutting Bill — I am proud that we did — on behalf of other relevant subject Committees.”
“and fighting our corners in media studios. Perhaps the hosts of some of those programmes see fit to encourage that type of approach, but I am thankful for the level of cooperation between parties on the key issues and hope that that will be the legacy for the next Assembly.”
“Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I welcome the opportunity to move the Final Stage of the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill. It will remove the anachronistic exception of teachers from the Fair Employment and Treatment Order (FETO) and ensure that it is no longer possible for any teacher to be discriminated against because of their religio…”
“This opportunity has been made possible by a collective effort from many people, and I put on record my thanks to research officer Connie Egan and constituency officer Nick Mathison for the work that they contributed to the Bill's progress.”
“<BR /> <BR />I thank my Assembly colleagues without whom the Bill would not have progressed to this stage and would not pass. I thank Sinead for the role that she played as Chairperson of the Executive Office Committee and for the time that she made available to me outside of Bill stages and Committee meetings, which, as I said, made the…”
The complete record
Every one of 1,655 lines we hold for Chris Lyttle, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 14 of 34.
“The Education Committee wrote to CCEA on 3 June emphasising that fairness and transparency must be key to this approach and expressed considerable concern in respect of the statistical model that was to be used to inform the awarding of grades, which had yet to be fully developed or subjected to any testing, and concern that its characteristics and method of application had yet to be explained and communicated to schools, including how the CCEA model would link to similar models across the UK. The Committee indicated clearly that an examination and appeal process should allow for individual variation and that professional teacher assessment would be a reliable basis on which to proceed.”
“The Minister was questioned about why the rescheduling of exams was dismissed and rank ordering was used at the Ad Hoc Committee at which he announced the cancellation of exams, on 16 April, and the Education Committee held a number of sessions on those matters. We were absolutely clear that grades must be awarded on the basis of individual ability, and, for Christopher Stalford, I will refer to some of that.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I thank the Minister for the intervention. He will, obviously, have a bit more time to go into that in a bit more detail. <BR /> <BR />There is also a concerning pattern of failing to heed contributions of the Education Committee and, indeed, the education profession. The Assembly and the Education Committee consistently questioned the approach to this matter, particularly the key aspects of it that failed so many pupils so badly. In particular, those were the rank-ordering approach that I referred to and the past school performance.”
“I am happy to give way if you want to clarify that, Minister.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I seek clarification on that.”
“No, I will not give way. <BR /> <BR />I note that that is not exactly what the Minister has announced, so I seek clarification on it.”
“I sat in the Assembly on Wednesday 25 March as Chair of the Education Committee calling on the Education Minister to set a date for the planned closure of schools only to be told, "No. Now is not the time to close schools". Boris Johnson announced a closure of schools that same afternoon, and the Minister of Education immediately followed suit. I sat in the same place last Friday and put to the Education Minister that the only fair option was for him to award all pupils with whichever was highest of their AS-level, teacher-assessed or CCEA-calculated grade for GCSE and A level. I note —.”
“In one school department, further to the CCEA-calculated grades, the percentage of pupils attaining A* to C grades reduced from 90% to 60%, 20 of 126 pupils did not gain a university place, one pupil who was rank-ordered by the school as second in the B band was awarded a D grade by CCEA and a pupil who was rank-ordered 21st in the B band by the school was awarded a B grade by CCEA. Those are startling inconsistencies. <BR /> <BR />It is also seriously concerning that a pattern is emerging of a Minister who is consistently following a Conservative Government rather than leading for the people of Northern Ireland. That Conservative Government have adopted a slow, inadequate and flawed response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“The light was not on. Thank you. <BR /> <BR />I thank the children and young people of Northern Ireland for the sacrifice and the contribution that they have made to limit the impact of COVID in our community and, indeed, to save lives. I welcome the Minister's change of position on the award of grades on their behalf. I am delighted for the pupils, parents and teachers who have worked for this outcome, and I welcome the Minister's apologies for the distress that they have experienced. <BR /> <BR />However, there are concerns. It is concerning that the Minister could oversee an approach that produced such seriously flawed results for so many.”
“I thank the children and young people of Northern Ireland for the —. Is that microphone on and picking me up OK, Mr Speaker?”
“The Minister's statement refers to "greater obstacles" and barriers that some children must overcome to achieve their potential. I daresay that not having a school place four weeks prior to the start of term is a fairly significant obstacle and barrier. Will the Minister tell us how the expert panel will look particularly into the systemic failings for pupils with special educational needs?”
“In my capacity as an MLA, I say that it is slightly disappointing that the matter has not been brought to the Education Committee, which established an inquiry into educational underachievement and post-primary transfer in 2016 that, regrettably, was stopped by the collapse of the Executive in 2017. I recognise that this is an important New Decade, New Approach commitment, but the fundamental independent review of education is also an important New Decade, New Approach commitment. Why has the Minister not yet brought forward terms of reference for an independent review of education, and why do 50 children remain without a special school place for September 2020?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I recognise the consistency with which she has raised childcare provision at the Education Committee. Does she agree that it is vital that details of how to apply for that additional funding for childcare are made clear, as quickly as possible, to the childcare sector?”
“The dysfunction in special educational needs provision alone is reason to immediately lift the temporary suspension of work on the independent review of education. We need urgent delivery of the childcare strategy and the emotional health and well-being framework. <BR /> <BR />We need to work together with the education sector to overcome the risks and challenges of COVID-19 and deliver the quality, equal educational opportunity for all.”
“<BR /> <BR />I ask the Minister this: what is unsuitable about the admissions criteria recommended by his own Department for post-primary admissions? Also, I seek clarification from the Education Minister as to whether his guidance requires primary schools to return P7 classes on a full-time basis in August, regardless of the impact of that on other year groups' access to school. Why is year 7 prioritised and not year 8, which is an actual transitional year to a new school? <BR /> <BR />Also in relation to post-primary transfer, I ask the Minister to reconsider his decision to decline my request to meet parents to discuss post-primary transfer. <BR /> <BR />We need leadership in special educational needs.”
“He said that those who think that children should not be tested in November and December for post-primary admissions have to come up with an alternative. His Department recommends alternative admissions criteria and statutorily requires boards of governors to have regard to them. They include criteria such as free school meals, applicants from feeder and named primary schools, applicants residing in a named parish, applicants residing in a geographically defined area, applicants for whom the school is the nearest suitable school and applicants who have a sibling currently attending the school. They also recommend criteria that ought not to be used. Time will not allow me to go into those. However, I think that the Minister and I probably agree on some of them.”
“Additional support will also be needed for school accommodation, cleaning and staffing; classroom assistants; ICT equipment, whether devices, printers and broadband access to deliver digital equality; training for teachers in online learning, the like of which, I understand, is being provided via Stranmillis and C2K; guidance on blended learning; and a curriculum that is appropriate for the amount of time that children will be in learning, focused on educational, social and emotional recovery. <BR /> <BR />Leadership is also needed on post-primary transfer. It cannot be fair or necessary to test children in November and December 2020.I think that the Education Minister accepts that position somewhat.”
“I agree with the Member. As I say, I think that the Minister has established avenues through which improved communication can take place if they are used in lieu of some of those other times and avenues. <BR /> <BR />Clear guidance is needed on social distancing. Whether it is 2 metres, 1 metre or no social distancing, clarity is needed, and acknowledgement by the Minister that anything less than no social distancing may have an impact on the ability of a school to provide full-time access for parents and pupils. <BR /> <BR />An Education Restart budget is needed. Regardless of the social distancing in schools in August, parents and pupils will need additional support.”
“<BR /> <BR />We need to work together. There is enough ingenuity in our community to deliver the leadership, communication and support needed by dedicated and innovative teachers and hardworking parents to help pupils to access their right to education. To be fair to the Education Minister, he and his Department have established ways in which that can be achieved. Clearer communication and engagement are possible via the Education Restart programme, the stakeholder group, the practitioners' forum and the childcare reference group that I was glad to propose, with the addition of improved parental and pupil engagement, and the cessation of announcements via the media and social media on Fridays at 5.00pm.”
“I welcome the opportunity to consider how we work with our outstanding teaching and non-teaching staff, parents and guardians and pupils to rise to the challenges facing education. <BR /> <BR />The first task is to move beyond the unacceptable narrative that some in the education sector are attempting to avoid doing their job. Our teaching and non-teaching staff need us to back them, not attack them. <BR /> <BR />We also need to move beyond a situation whereby the Education Minister tells me, via the media, that my job is to not be convinced by anything that is said to me. I make no apologies for finding the school leaders, teachers, parents and pupils with whom I engage to be convincing on a wide range of issues. I can respectfully give way to the Education Minister if he wishes to specify by whom he thinks I ought not to be convinced.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Will he recognise the constructive meeting that the Education Committee had with the National Deaf Children's Society, which is a particular cohort of children whom we need to be conscious of in our response to COVID-19?”
“Will the Minister detail the purpose of the additional £10 million allocated to transport?”
“Thank you, Principal Deputy Speaker. It is good to see you back. <BR /> <BR />The Finance Minister expressed concern for the Department of Education overspend in 2019-2020. By how much did the Department of Education overspend? What explanation did the Finance Minister receive for that overspend? Does he agree that the Education Minister should lift his suspension of work on the independent review of education as one way to attempt to address this financial crisis in education?”
“I propose, therefore, that the Minister allocates a Department of Health official and coordinates the allocation of an appropriate official from all other relevant Departments to support the implementation of the youth-led "Elephant in the Room" proposals. <BR /> <BR />I hope that the Health Minister will take those proposals seriously and act on them. It is vital — indeed, it is a legal duty — that Ministers cooperate to improve mental health and well-being in our community. They will have the support of the Alliance Party to achieve that.”
“<BR /> <BR />I also ask the Health Minister to meet the Northern Ireland Youth Forum and other young people involved in the "Elephant in the Room" campaign and to allocate officials and resources at his disposal to support the delivery of the substantive proposals made by that youth-led campaign. They include the creation of a youth mental health and well-being website to serve as a safe online space that would host relevant signposting information and provide an online support platform that would allow young people to ask questions and receive real-time support to meet their need at an early stage of intervention. "Elephant in the Room" proposals include the explicit inclusion of mental health in addition to physical health in the curriculum.”
“I will be extremely brief. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the opportunity to speak in support of the need for the Northern Ireland Executive to prioritise and deliver improved mental health and well-being provision. I will speak briefly on the statutory duty on the Minister of Health to cooperate with Executive colleagues to deliver a joined-up, cross-departmental approach to improved mental health and well-being. I ask the Minister of Health to address the apparent failure to reference the Department of Education and Public Health Agency emotional health and well-being framework for children and young people in the Department of Health mental health action plan and to work closely with the Minister of Education to ensure that the framework is adequately resourced.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I will also use this time as an opportunity to continue thank our teachers across Northern Ireland for their hard work, dedication and innovation during the public health emergency and for continuing to work well beyond their contracted hours to achieve a return to education here. <BR /> <BR />We welcome this investment, but I imagine that most MLAs will be deeply concerned at reports today of a dispute between the DUP and Sinn Féin delaying investment in free school meals and, I understand, quite possibly childcare. Will the Minister update the Assembly on why there has been a delay in delivering that investment in free school meals and childcare and ensure that a political dispute will not lead to further delay in that investment?”
“Indeed, grassroots sport across Northern Ireland, including my own sport of football, has a need for information and clarity on the particular issue of whether and in what way it can resume non-contact, small group, team sports training. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, I thank the people of Northern Ireland for the vital role that they continue to play by complying with the coronavirus restrictions. They are protecting our NHS, which has served us invaluably. They are saving the lives of loved ones across Northern Ireland. It is vital, however, that the same care that people have applied to lockdown restrictions be applied to the measures that are in place that will allow us to ease safely the extent of the lockdown, which has saved so many lives. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. My concluding remarks on childcare are that the lifting of restrictions on informal childcare provision by grandparents is also in need of urgent consideration, as other MLAs have mentioned. Families are increasingly confused to hear that they can take kids to childminders but not grandchildren to grandparents. <BR /> <BR />Other MLAs mentioned sports, and that is a matter that I would like to speak to as well, Mr Deputy Speaker. The Executive Office has already given permission for outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people but has not yet, as far as I am aware, permitted the step 2 resumption of non-contact, small group, team sports training.”
“OK. I have mentioned restrictions on a number of occasions. I will be interested to watch the debate back, to be honest with you, to see how mine differs from other contributions.”
“Hopefully, sooner rather than later, that will be brought into line with those parents and guardians who are eligible to return to work. That statement should also make clear that childminders are key workers.”
“Therefore, I ask the Executive Office Ministers what the Chief Scientific Officer and the Chief Medical Officer's advice is on social distancing in schools and whether that advice will be published in advance of the Assembly debate on the matter next week. <BR /> <BR />There is obviously, as other MLAs have mentioned, significant pressure on childcare as a result of restrictions, not least in terms of access to funding. Indeed, it is of some concern that approximately 50% to 60% of childcare settings have applied for the coronavirus childcare support scheme, yet only approximately £600,000 of £12 million has been allocated. We also seek a detailed statement from the Minister on how restrictions relating to childcare will be eased going forward, particularly in relation to which parents and guardians are eligible to access childcare.”
“I pay tribute, as other MLAs have done, to the work of Children in Northern Ireland, to our secretariat to the all-party group on children and young people, which conducted an inquiry into holiday hunger that was mentioned earlier by other MLAs, and, of course, to Marcus Rashford, who appears to have forced the hand of the UK Prime Minister in relation to this matter. <BR /> <BR />The Education Minister has announced a date of 17 August for a return to school and a release of restrictions, however it is my opinion that the focus of the Education Minister ought to be on 17 June and the urgent need to deliver guidance to schools on social distancing, PPE and what the curriculum would look like.”
“Yes, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am, obviously, commenting on the regulations that this legislation extends for another 28 days. I consider that to be of significant relevance. <BR /> <BR />The Northern Ireland Executive coronavirus recovery plan step zero says that such services are in place for children with special educational needs, and, again, I call for those support services to be outlined in detail in this House. <BR /> <BR />We have provided for the extension of free school meal payments, and Alliance is clear that this must be extended this summer and that the Executive must work to ensure that the right to food is available to all children at all times in Northern Ireland, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic.”
“<BR /> <BR />I think that most MLAs will recognise that the statutory assessment or statementing process is absolutely vital to delivering essential and legally entitled access to support services for children with special educational needs in our community. I ask the Executive Office Ministers today what impact this modification is having on special educational needs pupils in our community. Indeed, in Learning Disability Week, I ask, for the second time in this Assembly, that the Education Minister give a detailed statement to the Assembly regarding the support services that are in place during these restrictions for children with special educational needs.”
“The temporary modification of education duties states that the Education Authority reports inadequate resources for the special educational needs statutory assessment process and that the Education Authority educational psychology service (EPS) has suspended face-to-face assessments. Whilst the EPS allows alternatives to face-to-face consultation, those alternatives have time implications and must be balanced against the requirement to obtain a professional and, insofar as possible, complete assessment. The Department of Health also reports that social care staff are having difficulty assessing children in suitable clinical environments to enable them to provide reports for the statutory assessment process.”
“It is also my understanding that those regulations reduce the obligations on a number of statutory authorities, including the Education Authority, health and social care trusts, boards of governors and principals, from a duty to a best endeavour in a number of key areas.”
“I welcome the opportunity to respond to a number of matters relating to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations (NI) 2020. It is my understanding that the Coronavirus Act 2020 Temporary Modification of Education Duties (No. 7) Notice (Northern Ireland) 2020 extends related education regulations from 4 June for another 28 days.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I will add to the previous question. My recollection is that the Executive, of which the Member's party is a leading part, made it fairly clear that passage through the steps would not be an entire step followed by another entire step. The Member should know well that that is the approach that the Executive laid out. I agree that we need to take care in the Assembly, yes, by all means, to relay concerns but not to add to them or to confuse further. We need to try to provide clarity on what is in the regulations.”
“I am sure that the Minister will agree that the agri-food sector is an essential and proudly diverse workforce. Can the Minister assure the Assembly that COVID-19 infection prevention and control guidance is being made available to agri-food workplaces in multi-lingual formats and that all workplaces are being supported to provide adequate PPE to our agri-food sector key workers?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. It has been a privilege to work with him on prison officers' health and well-being. Perhaps he would care to reflect that, obviously, while the Justice Minister is not here given that the matter pertains directly to the Department of Finance, she has already, early in her tenure, engaged with and visited prison officers?”
“I am grateful for Justice Minister Naomi Long's decisive action to commission a review of support services for former prison officers. I ask that the UK Government and Northern Ireland Executive consider the acute Troubles-related trauma experienced by many former prison officers and their families and find a way to deliver funded access to the Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust for former prison officers as well as current prison officers as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />It is right that we work to improve the health and well-being of prisoners. A healthier prison population will assist prison officers. However, we must do all that we can to protect the mental health and well-being of our prison officers in their performance of this challenging and vital role for our society.”
“I look forward to meeting the Prison Service to seek an update on progress on a wide range of issues and reports such as that of the former Prison Service head of psychology, Dr Jackie Bates-Gaston, which made constructive recommendations on prison officer well-being provision. <BR /> <BR />It has been my privilege to work with prison officers towards improved health and well-being support over a number of years. I pay tribute to the prison officers who have been involved in that campaign. I worked for and particularly welcomed the extension of the excellent Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust's services to serving prison officers. I hope that the referral pathway and timescale for access to that safe, secure and bespoke service can be improved and eligibility for it extended to former prison officers.”
“I welcome the work that the Justice Minister is undertaking to achieve that aim. Improved sickness absence procedures and, in particular, sickness absence communications are part of a wide range of matters that I have raised with the Department of Finance and the Department of Justice on behalf of prison officers. I do not believe, however, that ceasing issuing written warnings as part of sickness management procedures without having an alternative mechanism in place to manage sickness is a comprehensive or appropriate response to the matter at this stage. <BR /> <BR />Whilst improved sickness absence procedures are important, many other measures are needed to prevent prison officers experiencing physical and mental ill health in the first place. I welcome the Prisons WELL and Inspire health and well-being programmes.”
“I have met prison officers who have been harassed and threatened in the line of duty; intimidated with information gathered through terrorist surveillance of their loved ones; required to be first responders to serious self-harm, attempted suicide and actual suicide; assaulted; and trapped at knifepoint in cells. Today, I remember the prison officers who have been murdered in cowardly and brutal ways in Northern Ireland. None of what they do is in vain, and all of what they do is to keep us safe. <BR /> <BR />I have sat with serving and former male and female prison officers who are physically and mentally injured as a result of the trauma that they have endured on our behalf. They deserve our utmost respect and gratitude and the best, safest and most secure health and well-being provision that we can offer them.”
“As a member of the Alliance Party, a party that has stood for the rule of law, peace and justice since its foundation, I welcome the opportunity to speak in support of our prison officers today. There are few roles in society of which we ask more. Prison officers play a vital role, and we say, "Thank you", to them for it. As the Prison Officers' Association has stated, prison officers have risen to the challenge of COVID-19. They are key workers who demonstrate their professional qualities by attending work in dangerous circumstances, and we recognise the work that they carry out on our behalf. They are brave men and women, rising not only to the challenges of COVID-19 but to all other challenges that we see in our prisons daily.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I ask sincerely, does he take any responsibility for the passage of this legislation being as a result of failed leadership in Northern Ireland?”
“It is also an inescapable fact that the UK abortion legislation exists because the Northern Ireland Executive did not. I do not know if Northern Ireland legislation can amend primary UK legislation, but, if people are serious about delivering fit-for-purpose abortion legislation in Northern Ireland, a three-year Executive hiatus and private Member's motions will not achieve that. <BR /> <BR />I will continue to do my best to engage respectfully, openly and inclusively on the serious matter of abortion legislation with anyone who gives me the opportunity to do so.”
“My assessment of the amendment and the motion is that someone who is unable to support abortion on the grounds of non-fatal disabilities ought to vote in favour of the amendment and the motion. As far as I can see, they oppose abortion on the grounds of non-fatal disability, and I will, therefore, vote for the amendment and the motion on those grounds on this occasion. <BR /> <BR />It must be acknowledged, however, that neither the amendment nor the motion do anything to change what is a legal duty on the UK Government to implement CEDAW recommendations on abortion, which include the grounds of severe foetal abnormality. I had hoped that the UK legislation would have accepted fatal foetal abnormality to satisfy the CEDAW requirement, but that does not appear to be the case at this stage.”
“Indeed, the DUP and Sinn Féin appear to agree on that matter, but somehow have conspired to disagree in the debate today, which appears to be a real missed opportunity. As far as I can see, the text of the DUP motion rejects abortion legislation that extends to all non-fatal disabilities, and the same provision is contained in the amendment. It is a real shame and a disappointment that some degree of agreement was not reached in that regard. <BR /> <BR />I am not able to support legislative provision for abortion on what I believe are ill-defined grounds of severe foetal abnormality, particularly if it provides for abortion on the grounds of serious physical or mental disability.”