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 18 of 34.
“I thank the Minister for giving way. I accept his support for the DUP amendment today. Will he accept the important addition that proper efficient and effective consultation with local rural communities will be an important addition to the process?”
“Does the deputy First Minister agree that a legislative consent motion should be brought to allow the Assembly the opportunity to debate and consider the terms of any article 50 proposal?”
“Does the Minister support the Executive-agreed subregional football stadia funding programme commitment to redevelop the Oval, in partnership with Glentoran Football Club, on a budget of £10 million? Why has he refused to meet Naomi Long and me on this matter, despite meeting numerous DUP MLAs on the issue?”
“How will the Education Minister's failure to support the 1% pay increase for teachers in 2015-16 affect area planning for schools?”
“— from the Minister about from where in the education budget the resources will be taken to make the further investments.”
“I suggest, however, that it would be good to hear —”
“We also believe that nurture units must be part of a wider model of early intervention. The Green Party amendment rightly identifies the need for that approach; indeed, research clearly suggests that, as early as the age of two, there can as much as a six-month gap in language-processing skills between children from advantaged backgrounds and those from more disadvantaged backgrounds. The ETI chief inspector's report published in 2014 identified the importance of investment in early years health, childcare and education in supporting school readiness and achievement among our children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. <BR /> <BR />I am content to support the motion. I have no difficulty with either amendment. There is merit in all the content that has been put forward and, indeed, the contributions.”
“However, the ETI evaluation on nurture units takes a different view, calling for the roll-out of nurture units beyond areas of social and economic disadvantage and noting that nurturing needs are increasingly evident in all schools. I think that there is merit in the wider SDLP amendment, so we will not vote against it today. However, the Alliance Party believes that, in the context of scarce resource, nurture unit provision should be a targeted intervention for the pupil and child most in need of nurture support.”
“Whilst children participating in nurture units reported increased confidence in school and reduced behavioural challenges, the findings were not the same for an immediate improvement in numeracy and literacy skills. The Queen's report suggests, however, that it should be possible, with further research, to identify improvements in academic attainment in the medium to long term for pupils who have benefited from nurture units and achieved greater confidence and enjoyment in school. I, therefore, support the call for further research into the sustained impact on attendance and academic attainment as well as addressing behavioural challenges. <BR /> <BR />The report also recommends that nurture unit provision be targeted in the most deprived areas, and that appears to be a main thrust of the SDLP amendment.”
“Also, in cases of children with special educational needs, one in five participating in a nurture unit showed particular improvement. <BR /> <BR />The Queen's report has found that nurture units are not only beneficial for children but cost-effective. It has found that it will cost at least twice as much to provide a pupil with behavioural difficulties with just one of the many additional resources available between years 3 to 12 as it would to address those needs through early intervention nurture unit provision in years 1 to 3. The costs for the family and educational and social services are significant, and they can be mitigated by that intervention. <BR /> <BR />There are, however, some issues raised by the Queen's evaluation report that, I believe, are a good reason to support the call for further research into the area.”
“On behalf of the Alliance Party, I welcome the opportunity to speak in support of nurture units. The short-term, focused intervention for children with particular social, emotional and behavioural difficulties in small groups of six to 10 children, usually from years 1 to 3, led by a teacher and classroom assistant across around 32 schools in Northern Ireland is having a positive impact on pupils, staff and parents and, of course, across the wider school community. <BR /> <BR />The Queen's University evaluation report has identified a 57% reduction in the number of children exhibiting behavioural challenges when placed in a nurture unit compared with the normal school setting. Pupils are feeling more confident in school and are reporting as enjoying school much more as a result of the nurture units.”
“Can I ask the Justice Minister for her timescale for the establishment of the Historical Investigations Unit?”
“What level of investment will the Minister be making in the Safe Routes to Schools programme? Will he introduce level 2 on-road cycle training for all P6 and P7 pupils in Northern Ireland to encourage active travel choices to school?”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. She has expressed confidence in the establishment of improved legacy inquest arrangements and the Historical Investigations Unit. To try to reassure victims, does she have any idea of timescales? When does she think that those will be put in place?”
“Principal Deputy Speaker, may I request some guidance on what constitutes a question for urgent oral answer, given that I can see no more urgent issue than the one facing our schools at this time?”
“On a point of order, Principal Deputy Speaker. You may be aware of an increasing perception that the Executive will do whatever they can to evade the accountability of the Assembly. It is, I presume, the role of the Speaker to assist us to achieve such accountability, so I am at a total loss as to why the Speaker rejected my request today for a question for urgent oral answer to the Education Minister on what action he has taken to avert teacher industrial action in our community. We have the bizarre situation in which the Education Minister has given interviews to the media in the Great Hall of this Building but no statement to the Assembly on this urgent issue. I ask the Speaker —”
“On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. The First Minister and Justice Minister were present for a vote on the most recent motion on the serious issue of addressing legacy issues for victims and survivors in our community, yet not one of them was able to offer an Executive response to that motion. Is the Deputy Speaker willing to review ministerial responses to debates in the Assembly?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Far be it for me to stop you in your flow, but a lot of the proposals were put forward by victims and survivors, many of whom form the Victims Forum and have courageously worked to make some of the proposals. Does he accept that some people feel that some of those groups may improve access to justice and information and that they merit some consideration?”
“It is urgent for victims and survivors, but it is also urgent for our society and every member of it.”
“I believe that there would be fundamental social and economic consequences for everyone were we not to put the framework in place. The Alliance Party has consistently supported and worked for a comprehensive framework based on improved access to justice, information services for victims and survivors and wider reconciliation. <BR /> <BR />I proposed a motion on a comprehensive framework five years ago, in October 2011. I worked tirelessly with many people in the Chamber and across our community on the Haass talks process. It brought forward substantive proposals. We do not have time today to go into those in detail, but it is clear that Executive Ministers and the UK and Irish Governments have a moral obligation to dispense with the delay and to deliver on the proposals.”
“Despite their fundamental differences and the extremely challenging experiences and trauma that members of that forum had been through, they were able to make constructive proposals on which a lot of the frameworks are now based. They convinced me that it would be morally wrong for the Executive, the Governments and the Assembly not to deliver on that comprehensive framework. <BR /> <BR />I know that there are some in our society who say that we should now draw a line under the past. I can understand where they are coming from to a certain extent, but I challenge anyone to meet the inspirational victims and survivors in our community and not conclude that, as the motion states, we have to urgently redouble our efforts to implement that comprehensive framework. It is also vital for wider peace and progress in Northern Ireland.”
“Indeed, I am starting to wonder whether we have got to the point where the DUP thinks that, if it just keeps staying "fresh start" for long enough, the community and the parties in the Assembly will believe that it is actually a fresh start despite a lack of substance in much of that agreement, especially on such a sensitive and complex issue. <BR /> <BR />Many in our society and internationally have spent days, weeks and years dedicated to finding a comprehensive framework for dealing with the past. Healing Through Remembering, Eames/Bradley, Amnesty International, the Haass process and the Stormont House Agreement have all been driven by the courageous perseverance of many victims and survivors across our community, in particular the Victims Forum. It was an inspiration to meet the Victims Forum during the Haass process.”
“The Fresh Start Agreement, which was signed as long ago as November 2015, says nothing on dealing with the past other than that the parties were not able to reach agreement on the establishment of new bodies to deal with the past and to support the provisions of the Stormont House Agreement and to reflect on how we can move forward to achieve legislation to that regard. The Stormont House Agreement is now two years old, and the then Alliance leader, David Ford, rightly dismissed that as a false start, not a fresh start, for victims and survivors.”
“We in the Alliance Party, of course, firmly reject any attempt to evade justice as well, so we are content to support the motion and, indeed, the amendment that seeks a conclusion on these issues prior to public consultation. <BR /> <BR />However, we will not be supporting the DUP amendment, which, I have to say, adds no value whatsoever to the motion or to the debate today. In putting forward the DUP amendment, Mr Frew asked whether the Alliance Party supports the Fresh Start Agreement on dealing with the past.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. I think that it is a constructive and timely motion. The search for a comprehensive framework on addressing the past remains, and I think that the key aspects of the motion are worthy. We do need a victim-centred approach. We do need a comprehensive approach. It is urgent, and we do need to conclude legacy issues on the frameworks that have been put in place for some years around the Historical Investigations Unit, the Independent Commission on Information Retrieval and the Implementation and Reconciliation Group and around a search for improved services and storytelling and oral archiving experiences.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. The content of the motion is extremely detailed. It is an extremely constructive motion, which goes into many of the aspects that have been worked out over a number of years and which are well established for a comprehensive framework for dealing with the past. Will the Member tell the House and the public why the DUP felt the need to remove the vast majority of the content of that motion and replace it with a very short, abstract, early resolution for an issue that has been dealt with for years and which, I think, is at risk of actually offending victims and survivors in our community who are well past an early resolution of these matters?”
“In closing, it is impossible not to note with concern a pattern of potential closures of controlled non-selective post-primary schools, and the Assembly is required and entitled to ask why that is occurring and to look for solutions. I welcome the fact that the Education Committee is undertaking an inquiry into educational underachievement, with a look at post-primary transfer as well. Hopefully, we will be able to make a mature contribution to some of these issues.”
“I encourage the Minister to work with the Education Authority and all stakeholders to ensure that a proper plan for provision for children and young people in the area is put in place.”
“However, I join colleagues in welcoming the improvements and the progress that have been made, and I, of course, join them in congratulating everyone at Movilla High School on the best GCSE results it has had in its history. I welcome the leadership being shown by Jack Hawthorne, Mr Bell and the vice-principal, Simon Lemon, who says that the results are evidence that the changes that have been introduced are indeed bearing fruit. <BR /> <BR />It is, therefore, imperative that the Education Authority works to consider an innovative alternative solution to generate a sustainable, effective and non-selective post-primary solution that meets the needs of pupils and enables the local provision of suitable education to continue in the Newtownards area.”
“The Education Authority, therefore, has the ability to look at its existing school estate to consider an innovative way to ensure that appropriate education provision can continue in the best possible form available for children and young people in the area and in the right place, which may be across more than one campus. <BR /> <BR />Movilla High School has, as mentioned, faced challenges, but it has unique circumstances to overcome. It has a higher than average number of children in receipt of free school meals, a significant number of pupils with special educational needs and accommodation that is in need of investment and improvement.”
“We need to see innovative solutions in 'Providing Pathways'. The Education Authority will develop proposals to address school provision where sustainability is an issue. Alliance believes that funding should be directed to the pupil, that pupil needs must come first and that it must give children the best educational opportunities, provision and infrastructure possible. There are, I believe, six controlled post-primary schools in Ards and north Down, and Movilla High School is the only post-primary non-selective school in Newtownards.”
“It is, however, vital that local communities are involved in and listened to about what happens with education provision in their area. This evening has been a good opportunity for governors, elected representatives and all stakeholders involved in Movilla High School to put their views forward on the school and Newtownards. <BR /> <BR />We need proposals that are imaginative and put the needs of pupils at the centre of consideration, if the future of the school system in Northern Ireland is to be underpinned by an evidence-based plan and inclusive community consultation. The Minister himself has said:”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the topic this evening. I offer apologies on behalf of my colleague Kellie Armstrong, the Alliance Strangford MLA, who regrets that she is unable to be here this evening. As Alliance spokesperson for education, I am glad to contribute to the debate. <BR /> <BR />Alliance has a vision for a first-class integrated education system that supports equality of opportunity for everyone to reach their potential. That includes the children and young people of Movilla High School in Newtownards. The Education Minister recently set out his priorities for area planning in 'Providing Pathways: Draft Strategic Area Plan for School Provision 2017-2020'. That should create opportunity for innovative and sustainable provision not only in Ards and the north Down area but across the whole school estate.”
“— educational pathways; and supporting sound area-based planning in our constituency.”
“We have produced the EastSide Learning framework to run from 2015 to 2025, with five priority areas, which are raising aspiration; encouraging working in partnership, looking at whole-school and full-service models; early years development; valuing all —”
“<BR /> <BR />There is sound evidence for positive outcomes being achieved by the partnerships approach, and I welcome the comments that have been made about the West Belfast Partnership Board and the increase in attainment that it has achieved as a result of the partnership work in that area. That has indeed been recognised by DCU and the Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection. <BR /> <BR />There is increasing agreement that strong links between schools and communities will serve to improve educational outcomes in their area. Therefore, I am delighted to be involved in work with the EastSide Partnership, established to provide a strategic direction for cooperation between schools, the community and the business sector in east Belfast.”
“Indeed, former Minister for Employment and Learning Stephen Farry set as a priority that there is parity of esteem for vocational pathways such as apprenticeships. I welcome the recent development of the engineering apprenticeship that sees young people, as early as 16, being able to enter into that engineering pathway as a result of good work done by the Institution of Civil Engineers. It is also vital that there are partnership approaches to ensure entrepreneurship and business skills education in our schools and, indeed, that computer programming skills are developed.”
“I welcome the inquiry that the Education Committee will undertake into educational achievement and post-primary transfer. <BR /> <BR />We believe that early years investment is vital to improve our education system. It is vital to have high-quality, accessible childcare and family support services that will be provided by our community and voluntary sector, at times in cooperation with local schools. We also believe that children with disabilities deserve equal opportunity in the provision of education. <BR /> <BR />It is vital that the curriculum is provided in partnership between schools and the community sector to ensure that our children and young people have as wide a range of academic and vocational options as possible and that there is linkage into further and higher education to ensure wide-ranging career pathways.”
“<BR /> <BR />Nelson Mandela said that education is the most powerful weapon to change the world and that it is an engine room of personal development. I wholeheartedly agree with those sentiments and, indeed, with the well-known sentiment that it takes a village to raise a child. That goes to the heart of what is in the motion, and Alliance would have a vision of a fully integrated, world-class education system that supports equal opportunity for every person to fulfil their full potential. <BR /> <BR />We believe that it is fundamentally flawed to separate our education system on the basis of religion and, indeed, to have two unregulated tests to transfer young people in year 7 from a common curriculum to a common curriculum in years 8, 9 and 10.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion, to join colleagues in recognising the value of partnership working between schools and the community sector and the role that this plays in increasing educational achievement, and to support the calls that are being made on the Education Minister to adequately resource and develop expansion for these services. <BR /> <BR />I pay tribute to our schools and the community sector involved in education across Northern Ireland. They are playing a vital role in the development of our children and young people, at times within extremely constrained resources. I am sure they will welcome the additional £13 million that has been allocated today for minor works and the provision of equipment in their settings.”
“I note the Economy Minister has failed again to answer either of the two questions I attempted to ask on the single market. We heard today how a planned £100 million investment fund has been downgraded and repackaged, however skilfully, by Finance Minister Ó Muilleoir to a £30 million First Step Stimulus package because the European Investment Bank is no longer willing to take an active role in the fund. Why is the European Investment Bank no longer willing to take an active role, and is that in any way connected to the Brexit vote?”
“I welcome the Minister's assurances that he will represent and protect the interests of hard-working, highly skilled and highly productive Fujitsu employees in Northern Ireland. Will he also do all he can to encourage Fujitsu to ensure clear communications and consultations with the employees throughout the evaluation period?”
“What is the Minister's response to Mr Stitt's description of North Down Defenders flute band as "homeland security" who will defend north Down from anybody?”
“On 21 June this year, the Justice Minister said that, as a result of the support that she had from the First Minister and through the commitment of the Executive to work together, she was confident of progressing funding for the Lord Chief Justice's proposals to grant inquests, denied for decades, into the death of people's loved ones. How credible is that support and commitment, given the First Minister's ongoing veto of those legacy inquest proposals?”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. While he is on the topic of developing fit-for-purpose infrastructure, perhaps I can bring to his attention — he may already be aware of this — the need to improve the Dee Street roundabout/Sydenham bypass junction that leads to the Sydenham Road and into Titanic Quarter. Hopefully, that is something he can keep on his agenda as well.”
“<BR /> <BR />There are exciting plans in place for Titanic Quarter, with a possible further 1,000 construction jobs per annum, permanent employment of 9,000 jobs and payable rates of £4·5 million with a mix of residential, community, tourism, education, retail and innovation available. We want to see our Executive get behind that and make Titanic Quarter the local engine room for international economic growth, employment, creativity and innovation that it can be and, indeed, make it the shared space that can inspire a united and prosperous Northern Ireland.”
“The Dock Café, the Dock Market and the Arc apartments and, of course, the Reverend Chris Bennett have all been mentioned and have brought heart and soul into Titanic Quarter. We have the SSE Arena, led by the Odyssey Trust and home to the Belfast Giants, which has given us a real shared sport that everyone in Belfast and Northern Ireland has been able to get to. <BR /> <BR />There are key links from Titanic Quarter into East Belfast to sculptures like the Yardmen, in inner east Belfast. It is vital that we continue to ensure that there is infrastructure in Titanic Quarter that links it to the local communities, not least by some of the impressive cycling infrastructure that was previously supported by you, Deputy Speaker, in your time as Regional Development Minister. Hopefully, we can see more of that to link those communities.”
“As my colleague Naomi Long said, it is vital that we work with local and regional government to ensure that the huge potential of the sites across Titanic Quarter is used to nurture the creativity that we have among our people in Northern Ireland.”
“It has also inspired the type of innovation that we are now seeing and for which we want to seek further support for its development. <BR /> <BR />At Titanic Quarter, we also have extremely exciting projects such as T13. T13's anchor tenant is Belfast Urban Sports. People such as Liam Lynch do fantastic social entrepreneurship in that area. They host fantastic local media production companies such as Stellify Media, involving local people such as Kieran Doherty and Matt Worthy. They have produced a prime-time game show called 'Can't Touch This' that people may have seen on Saturday evenings. It was made in T13 in Titanic Quarter, Belfast.”
“Further to it being awarded the title of Europe's leading visitor attraction, we now have the opportunity to vote for Titanic Belfast to become the world's leading tourist attraction. I encourage all Members to promote that opportunity by directing people to titanicbelfast.com/vote and #VoteTitanicBelfast. I believe that voting remains open until 24 October. If we can garner enough public support, we can ensure that Titanic Belfast takes its rightful spot as the official number one world tourist attraction. <BR /> <BR />It is important to note that Titanic Belfast has struck the balance between the respectful commemoration of a tragic loss of life and human fallibility and the celebration of the historic human endeavour and innovation that has inspired people at that site for many years.”