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 7 of 34.
“<BR /> <BR />Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom without a ban on hunting with dogs, despite widespread public support for such a ban. I commend my Alliance Party colleague John Blair MLA for introducing the Bill. The Bill will reform legislation on hunting wild mammals with dogs in Northern Ireland, if MLAs give it the opportunity to do so, and it will bring our legislation into line with that of other jurisdictions where the practice has been illegal for nearly 20 years. <BR /> <BR />I note the 18,000-strong response to the public consultation, 78% of which is in support of the proposals. That must be unprecedented; it is a remarkable consultation response by any assessment. I note that there has also been widespread public support and some political backing for the introduction of a ban on fox hunting in Ireland.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak in support of the Hunting of Wild Mammals Bill, as proposed by my Alliance Party colleague John Blair MLA. The Bill gives every MLA an opportunity to stand up for animal welfare and to ban hunting with dogs in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The pursuit and killing of wild mammals by hunting dogs for the purposes of enjoyment is cruel and unnecessary. Quick kills are rare. Many animals suffer a prolonged chase and a painful death. No animal should be chased to the point of exhaustion or rupturing of organs, to then be ripped to shreds by the pack of hounds that was pursuing it. That is blood sport: a practice that should be consigned to history, where it belongs.”
“It is regrettable that it required legal action for schools to follow Department of Education guidance. What action is the Education Minister taking to implement the 'A Fair Start' expert panel recommendation that the "systemic inequality" of academic selection for admissions be addressed as a priority?”
“Is the Economy Department on schedule to meet the targeted removal of red diesel from our roads?”
“I thank the Chair for giving way. I realise that reference to Committee business is a significant part of his position, but how many Bills is the AERA Committee considering? I am aware that the Health Committee, for example, is considering multiple Bills at this stage. Surely the pressures on the schedule can be overcome if MLAs put their shoulder to the wheel.”
“I thank the Justice Minister for the leadership that she has shown in delivering the legislative change and executive decision-making that will keep communities safe, and for doing so frequently in the face of death threats and heinous misogynistic online abuse. Thank you, Minister, for the courage that you show in that regard. There have been many times in the mandate when I have been extremely grateful that Naomi Long is Justice Minister. Can the Minister give an update on her work to prevent abuse in sport and faith settings?”
“I welcome the Justice Minister's commitment to early intervention to prevent offending by women and girls. We will require prison accommodation for those who enter our care, so will the Minister provide an update on the new female facility?”
“Thanks, Jim. <BR /> <BR />What work is the Minister for Infrastructure doing to raise public awareness of the benefits of electrical vehicle use and to incentivise their private purchase in Northern Ireland?”
“Can I ask the Education Minister what work she is doing to raise —?”
“This is Anti-bullying Week, the theme for which is "One Kind Word", so I offer a kind word of compliment to the Education Minister on the odd socks that she is sporting today in support of Anti-bullying Week. I also ask the Minister how far over capacity and how under-resourced our SEN provision is. Who is accountable for responding to that matter?”
“The Bill has the potential to be another important step forward for the campaign to destigmatise menstruation, eradicate period poverty and deliver equal opportunity and dignity for people who menstruate in our community.”
“<BR /> <BR />It seems to me that the Period Products (Free Provision) Bill seeks to achieve that aim and to enact provision in Northern Ireland that is similar to legislation seeking to eradicate period poverty in the rest of the UK. In the rest of the UK, the objective is to provide free period products in schools, colleges and universities. Scotland has the potential to extend that provision to include public buildings. I support the ambition to deliver a similar model in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />It is time to address the clear call for action on the matter. It will require significant work, and I know that the Bill's sponsor is up for that work.”
“No young person should have their education disrupted by a bodily function as natural as their period. Free period products in schools ensure that every child has equal opportunity to learn and achieve their potential. <BR /> <BR />The Education Committee also wrote to the Education Department expressing its support for free period products in schools and welcomed Executive funding for the free period products in schools pilot launched by former Education Minister Weir. It is my understanding that it was also launched in higher education institutions by former Economy Minister Dodds. However, I agree with the Bill's sponsor that it is clear that more needs to be done.”
“The Homeless Period Belfast conducted a survey of 200 girls in Northern Ireland that found that 74% left school early or missed school because of a lack of period products. Some 87% said that a lack of period products negatively impacted on their attention in class, and 91% had used toilet roll as a temporary measure due to a lack of access to period products. In a Homeless Period Belfast survey of 100 teachers in Northern Ireland, 60% had bought period products for use in their school. The survey also asked pupils how access to free period products would impact on their experience at school. One girl said:”
“The Homeless Period Belfast's Menstruation Matters campaign called on the Education Minister to bring Northern Ireland into line with other parts of the UK by providing free period products in all schools. The Menstruation Matters campaign argued persuasively that we would never accept children having to bring essential items like toilet roll, hand soap and hand towels to school and that period products should be no different.”
“<BR /> <BR />The work to address period poverty and ensure period dignity has made significant progress in recent years. The Assembly Education Committee has worked for some time in support of free period products in schools in Northern Ireland. It was my privilege to invite the charity, the Homeless Period Belfast, to give evidence to the Education Committee and to present a petition to the Assembly in December 2020 for free period products in schools on behalf of over 5,000 people. The campaign for that provision was led by the Homeless Period Belfast. That volunteer-led initiative, which was founded and is managed by Katrina McDonnell, works to alleviate period poverty by providing period packs and campaigning for universal access to free period products, like a number of other organisations such as Red Box and EqualityPeriod.”
“I commend the Bill's sponsor, Pat Catney MLA, for the work that has gone into the Bill and, in a personal capacity, thank him for his very kind words to me. <BR /> <BR />I support the general objective of the Period Products (Free Provision) Bill and its passage to Committee Stage. However, as acknowledged by the Bill's sponsor, significant work on it will be required by a number of Assembly Committees, including Education, Health, Economy and perhaps even Finance, together with the Bill's sponsor, to ensure that fit-for-purpose legislation can be enacted on this important matter. The Education Committee has agreed in principle to act as the lead Committee for the Committee Stage of the Bill, but we will need the partnership of other relevant Committees for the timely completion of our work.”
“I thank the Minister for his response. Further to the significant job announcement, what additional work has the Economy Minister undertaken with Invest NI to promote Northern Ireland as an investment location?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. I understand that the 14-19 strategy consultation started in 2018, and, recently, the Department for the Economy and the Department of Education cancelled briefings to the Committee for Education and the Committee for the Economy on the 14-19 strategy. That is despite the fact that one in five young people is misaligning their educational pathways and their career aspirations, and 84% of students are unaware of the Department for the Economy's Careers Service. What is complicating the pathway to the delivery of such an important strategy?”
“I thank the Minister for giving way briefly. This is a debate about an important principle. Does she not accept that there are some key areas that require standardisation in terms of curriculum delivery?”
“I give my commitment to progressing the Bill, if passed to Committee Stage, in a timely manner and ensuring that the Education Committee and the Assembly play a part in improving the ability of this community to change the face of cardiac arrest survival rates in Northern Ireland.”
“Even higher levels of respondents believe that it is the Government's responsibility to ensure that that training is provided. <BR /> <BR />It is my hope, as Education Committee Chairperson, Alliance education spokesperson, a sports coach and a member of this community who cares for the health of my family, friends and constituents, that the Bill and the work of the Education Minister will provide pupils in Northern Ireland with the training and awareness that is afforded to other young people on these islands and empower them with the type of skills that saved the life of Christian Eriksen. <BR /> <BR />Time is critical in the context of cardiac arrest.”
“The Education Minister here announced on 21 September that CPR will be taught to Key Stage 3 pupils from the 2022-23 school year onwards. It is my understanding that the proposer of the Bill, Colin McGrath MLA, welcomes that development and is seeking to provide an opportunity for the Assembly to enact that commitment in legislation. The Member seeks to address this critical matter in a concise Bill, with one substantive clause that obliges the Department of Education to place training in CPR and defibrillation on the curriculum for Key Stage 3. The simple objective is to improve the survival rates from cardiac arrest in Northern Ireland. The Bill has enjoyed strong support from consultation, which found that 94% of respondents support compulsory CPR training in schools.”
“Pupils in Northern Ireland do not have access to the same training and awareness that is provided across the rest of these islands. Over the past two years, England, Scotland and Wales have all enhanced their curricula to include CPR training in schools.”
“CPR maintained oxygen flow to Christian's brain while his heart could not, and defibrillation restarted his heart's signal. Perhaps it is worth noting that Eriksen's native Denmark has adopted mandatory CPR training in schools, and that has improved survival rates from cardiac arrests to one in four. Tragically, people in Northern Ireland who suffer a similar out-of-hospital cardiac arrest experience have a survival rate of one in 10.”
“As Chairperson of the Education Committee, I can think of few more important matters to teach in our schools than the life-saving techniques of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillation. Northern Ireland can be proud that, in response to the deadly threat of cardiac arrest, the portable defibrillator was invented by Hillsborough man Frank Pantridge. That was one of the greatest innovations in history, and we must ensure that it can be readily and competently used by as many people as possible in his native Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The risk of cardiac arrest and the power of competently deployed CPR and AED were, of course, broadcast globally during Euro 2020, when the life of Christian Eriksen, an elite-level athlete, was saved due to the prompt and competent implementation of those techniques.”
“Thank you for those very kind words, Minister. <BR /> <BR />Minister, I welcome your recognition of the importance of sport and physical activity for the well-being of everyone in Northern Ireland. How do you intend to measure the success of the strategy?”
“The statement exposes the urgent need for serious leadership in order to reform health and education services in Northern Ireland when we see that 90% of resource allocation has gone to Health and that the Department of Education bid for almost £85 million but received only a quarter of that bid. <BR /> <BR />Ventilation is well established as a mitigation of the spread of COVID-19, so much so that Wales allocated £6 million to school air quality in the summer. Why have the Finance Minister and the Education Minister allocated only £2 million for that purpose to schools in Northern Ireland? Will that allocation fund not only CO2 monitors but air filtration devices in our schools?”
“However, there is an urgent need for us all to work together in order to deliver the social and affordable homes that are needed. EastSide Learning Partnership is a great model of cooperation that we, as MLAs in East Belfast, could look to in order to help us to take collective action in response to the housing challenge in East Belfast. We could consider the formation of an EastSide housing partnership to ensure that we work together to deliver the quality social and affordable housing that the people of East Belfast need and deserve.”
“I thank the Member for the intervention. That is important and, hopefully, we can get an update from the Minister in relation to those specific schemes. <BR /> <BR />As other Members have said, we have in excess of 2,500 people waiting for accommodation in East Belfast, over 1,000 of whom are in housing stress. That will take a comprehensive social housing development programme, including for East Belfast. Hopefully, the Minister can tell us more about that programme today. <BR /> <BR />I have also helped with the outcomes of heinous sectarian and racist intimidation in our social housing stock. The active promotion and delivery of shared and mixed housing is needed to build a more united community. <BR /> <BR />As other Members have mentioned, East Belfast is a fantastic place in which to make your home.”
“As other Members have done, I seek updates in relation to the particular need in the Kings Road flats at Tullycarnet, the relocation of tenants from Kilbroney House and Clarawood House and the Housing Executive's external wall insulation programme that is scheduled for residents in Wandsworth.”
“I have seen a number of positive examples of social and affordable housing development, including shared neighbourhood programmes and the inclusion of social and affordable housing in the planned flagship Sirocco Works development in our constituency. However, like other Members, I have experienced many examples of inadequate housing conditions, unacceptable waiting lists and housing maintenance stress across the constituency. One of the worst examples that comes to mind was the collapse of a ceiling in the home of a lone woman pensioner. That was a completely unacceptable situation for anyone to find their home in. There are examples of unacceptable damp conditions and other living conditions that we have to improve in our community. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the Minister's attendance at the debate.”
“<BR /> <BR />Alliance also supports the New Decade, New Approach proposal to include housing as a specific Programme for Government priority. Measures to address the housing stress that exists for many people must also be included. Specifically, there should be investment in and targets for new social and affordable homes and a reduction in the maintenance backlog for Housing Executive properties. We also support the proposed legislation to reclassify housing associations in order to enable them to build new social and affordable homes in East Belfast. <BR /> <BR />As an Alliance MLA for East Belfast since 2010, housing has been the single biggest issue on which my constituency team and I work for constituents.”
“Ensuring that everyone in Northern Ireland has access to a good-quality home is an Alliance Party priority. A safe, high-quality home is essential to health, life opportunities and security. <BR /> <BR />The Alliance Party's 'A Green New Deal' calls for an ambitious plan for social and affordable housing, including retrofitting social housing with "renewable energy sources and insulation"; prioritising energy-efficient measures that will provide low-cost and free insulation and home heating; ensuring that housing standards provide for sustainable and well-built homes; developing a land register to ensure that sites suitable for housing are identified; and developing an empty homes strategy to bring derelict and unused properties back into stock.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the need for improved social and affordable housing provision in my constituency of East Belfast. I thank the Member for securing the debate today. When we consider the extent of the housing crisis in Northern Ireland, the waiting lists and the financial crisis in education, we find it hard to believe that anyone would ever think that it is acceptable for the House and our Executive not to be in place to work together on those issues. <BR /> <BR />Housing is a human right. It affords people human dignity. It is essential for an adequate standard of living and for community cohesion. A Northern Ireland and an East Belfast in which everyone has adequate housing must be a key outcome achieved by the Assembly.”
“Of course, there are always matters on which improvements can be made. In that regard, the Office of the Police Ombudsman is overseen by a range of mechanisms, including the Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland, to which other Members have referred, the Information Commissioner's Office, the Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office and other bodies. <BR /> <BR />As I said at the outset, we do not believe that the case for an independent review has been well made. On those grounds, we will not support the motion.”
“I will do my best not to use it, Mr Speaker. <BR /> <BR />I acknowledge the Member's intervention. Indeed, I was going to reference the NISRA statistics that found that 79% of officers felt that they had been treated fairly; 91% of officers felt that they had been treated with respect; and 74% of officers felt that staff were knowledgeable.”
“As other Members have referenced, the independent Northern Ireland life and times survey findings simply do not support that assertion.”
“As we know, that is vital for a police service in a democratic society. I do not believe in any way that the case for an independent review of the Police Ombudsman aspect of the framework has been well made. In the interaction between the Member for East Belfast and the Justice Minister, Naomi Long, the CJINI 2011 report was cited as supporting the case for the independent review. Despite the Justice Minister's confirmation that issues raised in that 2011 report had been addressed in the 2013 report, the Member continued to use the 2011 report as a basis for the independent review, which seems illogical in the extreme. <BR /> <BR />The motion says that the Assembly:”
“I take the opportunity to thank the Police Service of Northern Ireland for the service that it gives the community. As Members referenced earlier, the Police Service of Northern Ireland is one of the most accountable police services in the world. We have the Policing Board, district policing partnerships and the Police Ombudsman contributing to that framework. It was a privilege for me to serve as a member of the district policing partnerships and to see at first hand the excellent work being done in engagement and accountability through those mechanisms. <BR /> <BR />The Alliance Party is a party of the rule of law and is absolutely clear that independent, robust complaints processes are vital to ensure the highest standards of best practice, accountability and public confidence in any organisation.”
“The Finance Minister will be aware that a number of residents, such as those in Titanic Arc apartments in my East Belfast constituency, have been seriously concerned to learn that they may be living in buildings with unsafe cladding. What total funding will those residents receive, and when will they receive it, to complete the necessary remedial works to make their properties safe?”
“How will the Minister ensure that independent advocacy is retained for key sectors such as the arts and sport as part of that review?”
“Minister, by how much is the Strule Shared Education Campus over-budget, and what is the total amount by which the project is predicted to be over-budget?”
“We could change it to "generation courageous".”
“We can look to Scotland, where there are local authority partnerships with tech companies such as Apple to deliver devices and internet connectivity to all pupils to help them with education recovery. We can look to organisations in Northern Ireland such as BlendEd for best-practice support for remote learning. <BR /> <BR />We need proper area planning to identify, assess and meet parental preferences for, for example, integrated education and post-primary reform, not least because the panel on educational underachievement's 'A Fair Start' report referred to that as a "systemic inequality". That should be the priority for the Assembly. We support the motion.”
“Alliance's vision is for an integrated education system that delivers equality of opportunity for all children and young people to develop their unique talent and ability together. We need direct investment in early education and in the childcare strategy; timely assessment and support for SEN; delivery of the early years SEN framework; full-time preschool provision for all children; a flexible school starting age; food equality and widening of free school meals eligibility; and physical education provision at the guideline amount for primary-school and post-primary children, given that physical and emotional health and well-being are vital to ensuring equal opportunity for all. <BR /> <BR />We also need digital equality.”
“Children and young people with special educational needs experienced particular difficulty. We strongly advised the Education Minister at the start of the pandemic to include the Special Schools' Strategic Leadership Group (SSSLG) among the Department's consulted bodies. Regrettably, it took so long to get on top of the disruption to special educational needs provision, and, indeed, therapeutic provision, that many families felt as though they had been abandoned. Eventually, a multidisciplinary panel was put in place, which still needs enhanced cooperation between the Department of Education and the Department of Health to truly respond to the needs of our SEN pupils. <BR /> <BR />Education reform and recovery and social, emotional and physical recovery for children and young people must be priorities for the Assembly and the Executive.”
“<BR /> <BR />Children and young people sacrificed so much to keep everyone in our community safe. The pandemic revealed the inequality to which many of them are subjected across the phases of our education system, particularly, as has been mentioned, the rigid, inflexible, unadaptable, flawed, unfair and unnecessary use of academic criteria for the transfer of 11-year-olds to the Key Stage 3 common post-primary curriculum.”
“All that was despite, at times, grossly inadequate communications from the Education Minister and the Department of Education at key stages and phases of the pandemic, including the most recent change to the pupil testing, contact tracing and isolation policy. I ask Mr Newton to acknowledge that there have been difficulties with that change and the communication of that change to the pupil testing, contact tracing and isolation policy. The provision of an air quality fund for teachers and pupils in our schools has also been delayed, despite the delivery of such interventions in other jurisdictions such as Wales. At times, the extent of this, as it was conveyed to me, was such that our health service staff felt as though they had a Health Minister, but our teachers felt as though they had no Minister. We have to acknowledge that reality.”
“I welcome the opportunity to consider the impact of COVID-19 on education and, hopefully and perhaps most importantly, what action the Assembly and Executive can take in response. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed much, including and in particular the centrality of education, particularly schools and early education/childcare, to our way of life. It has exposed the inequalities of our education system and impacted greatly on teachers, children and young people, in particular children and young people with special needs. <BR /> <BR />The COVID-19 pandemic turned principals and teachers into risk assessors and remote learning coordinators overnight. In response, they showed courage to make sure that our schools remained open to key worker pupils. They established their own best practice blended learning networks.”