Paula Bradley
North Belfast · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I am especially grateful to all the women who, especially in my first mandate here, were a constant support and encouragement to me as a new MLA. Nothing ever prepares you for this role, but many inside and outside this Building are the glue that holds it all together.”
“I thank them for their support, especially over the last week, with the phone calls, emails, cards and flowers, but, most of all, for allowing me to be part of their lives, sometimes at the most difficult times. Secondly, I want to thank my party, of which I have been a member for 20 years.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will try my very best to get through these three minutes without tears in my eyes, though I doubt that that is going to happen. <BR /> <BR />I will begin by thanking you, Mr Speaker.”
“After much discussion with officials concerning the objectives of the Bill, the detail of an SMI loan, the process of registering and removing the statutory charge and how and when an SMI loan is repaid, the Committee was content with the Bill as drafted. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the Final Stage of the Bill.”
“I welcome the Final Stage of the Bill. It is probably the shortest Bill that the Committee considered, but it is no less important, as it aims to protect owner-occupiers in receipt of an income-related benefit from the threat of repossession.”
“I know that I have caused a few headaches over the past two years, but you have always delivered week in, week out and put the needs of the Committee first and foremost. You have made my role as Committee Chair so much easier. For all that you have done, I am truly thankful.”
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“I know that I have caused a few headaches over the past two years, but you have always delivered week in, week out and put the needs of the Committee first and foremost. You have made my role as Committee Chair so much easier. For all that you have done, I am truly thankful. <BR /> <BR />To my Deputy Chair, Kellie Armstrong, and all Committee members, past and present, you have shown a willingness to work together and a commitment to try to make life better for the people we represent. I know that we had a few heated moments, but there really were only a few of those. I most sincerely wish you all well as you embark on the next chapter of your political life.”
“After much discussion with officials concerning the objectives of the Bill, the detail of an SMI loan, the process of registering and removing the statutory charge and how and when an SMI loan is repaid, the Committee was content with the Bill as drafted. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the Final Stage of the Bill. I put on record our thanks to officials and the Minister for their assistance in scrutinising it. As this is my very last speech in the Chamber, I pay tribute to the wonderful Committee team: Janice, Sean, Antoinette, Rachel, Jonathan, Kevin, and Oliver. I also want to say a big thank you to Claire in the Bill Office and those in the Assembly Research and Information Service. I cannot thank you enough for your tremendous support.”
“I welcome the Final Stage of the Bill. It is probably the shortest Bill that the Committee considered, but it is no less important, as it aims to protect owner-occupiers in receipt of an income-related benefit from the threat of repossession. <BR /> <BR />Whilst it is a small Bill, the Committee made sure to carry out its usual in-depth scrutiny. It requested evidence from interested organisations and received two written submissions. The Committee also took briefings from the Minister, departmental officials and the Law Society and considered additional letters and papers as necessary throughout the process. We then considered and deliberated on the Bill's provisions at three meetings.”
“I also thank all my friends here — you are friends — for the support that you have given me. I wish you all the very best for the future.”
“Behind this woman, maybe not so great at times, has been her mother, and I thank her for that.”
“He went on to say, "Behind every great woman", and my mum piped up from the congregation, "Is her mother".”
“I am especially grateful to all the women who, especially in my first mandate here, were a constant support and encouragement to me as a new MLA. Nothing ever prepares you for this role, but many inside and outside this Building are the glue that holds it all together. <BR /> <BR />This has been the strangest of mandates because of the pandemic, and I pay tribute to all those who have held our country together. <BR /> <BR />Finally, I want to say a few words about the most important people in my life, my family. They are the people who really do make the sacrifices to allow us to do the job that we do. My children were in their early teens when I was first elected, and they found it really difficult. I also thank my parents. One Sunday in church, the pastor was giving a message, and he said, "Behind every great man is his wife".”
“I thank them for their support, especially over the last week, with the phone calls, emails, cards and flowers, but, most of all, for allowing me to be part of their lives, sometimes at the most difficult times. Secondly, I want to thank my party, of which I have been a member for 20 years. I have had the privilege of representing it electorally for the last 17 years. I was given opportunities that I never would have thought possible and formed steadfast friendships that I will cherish forever. <BR /> <BR />To my office staff, especially Linda and Samantha, who are here today, thank you. You have always been there, advising me, supporting me and, generally, holding it all together over the years. I have formed many friendships across the Chamber and beyond, some from the unlikeliest of quarters.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will try my very best to get through these three minutes without tears in my eyes, though I doubt that that is going to happen. <BR /> <BR />I will begin by thanking you, Mr Speaker. You were one my first Chairpersons in Committee, back in the old days of the Department for Social Development — those five years when we had Mr Allister, Sammy Wilson, Gregory Campbell, Fra McCann and Mickey Brady. It was a turbulent time. You were a really excellent Chair, and that most definitely prepared you for this role. So, thank you so much for your service. <BR /> <BR />I want to say a few thank-yous. First, I want to thank the people of North Belfast who, on three occasions, placed their trust in me to represent them in the Assembly.”
“As I said, it would be much better if a more permanent arrangement were in place. I am encouraged by what the Minister said in her opening speech about the consultation and its results, and I would hope that a more permanent arrangement could be found. As the Minister said, it has been a lifeline for many people to be able to come in virtually and through hybrid meetings, whether they were people who were vulnerable during coronavirus or some of the many people who had caring responsibilities. It has enabled them to continue to do the job that they love and want to do. Looking at that more permanent model is most definitely something that the Assembly needs to get a grasp of in the new mandate. Other than that, although we wish that the permanent arrangement were in place now, we understand why that has not happened.”
“We understand that the enabling power in the Local Government (Meetings and Performance) Act (Northern Ireland) 2021 will, indeed, allow for such regulations. We welcome the fact that further engagement is taking place between officials and the local government sector. Although the Committee supports the extension, members look forward to further consultation and discussion on those matters. <BR /> <BR />The Committee agreed to recommend that the Coronavirus Act 2020 (Extension of Provisions Relating to Local Authority Meetings) Order (NI) 2022 be confirmed by the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />As the DUP's spokesperson on — I was going to say DSD, but it is not that — communities, I will just say that we are disappointed that we are having to further progress the Coronavirus Act 2020 in order for those meetings to continue to take place.”
“<BR /> <BR />At the Committee's meeting on 16 March, members noted the change of name of the regulations to the Coronavirus Act 2020 (Extension of Provisions Relating to Local Authority Meetings) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022 but were content that there had been no changes to the policy since the SL1 was agreed. Although the Committee noted the need for the regulations to be extended, members discussed the pros and cons of hybrid meetings going forward into the new mandate and the need for more permanent and fit-for-purpose legislation. When the Committee considered the SL1, it wrote to the Department to ask whether there were plans to enable councils to have the option of permanently conducting hybrid meetings in the future.”
“The Committee considered the statutory rule (SR) at its meeting of 16 March 2022 and understands that it is to be made under section 92 of the Coronavirus Act 2020. The regulations will extend the expiry date of section 78 of that Act — "Local authority meetings" — by six months. Section 78 includes an enabling power for the Department to make regulations regarding remote hybrid council meetings. The statutory rule will make provision for a further six months, extending that until 24 September 2022, to continue to provide local authorities with the flexibility to hold meetings remotely or by hybrid means.”
“The regulations also include a provision in consequence of the Pension Schemes Act (Northern Ireland) 2021 to control the level and range of charges. <BR /> <BR />It seems that I speak regularly on pensions regulations. Whilst the regulations that have come before the Assembly in recent weeks are technical in nature, they are no less important to protect the individuals who have money invested in the schemes. The aim is to ensure that occupational defined contribution pension scheme members benefit from efficient administration, sound investment governance and access to innovative and diversified investment strategies. Therefore, the Committee agreed to recommend that the Occupational Pension Schemes (Administration, Investment and Charges and Governance) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 be confirmed by the Assembly.”
“Thank you for those kind words, Mr Deputy Speaker. Apologies for my slight lateness in getting down to the Chamber; everything has gone a wee bit ahead of time. <BR /> <BR />The Committee considered the statutory rule at its meeting on 7 October 2021 and understands that the regulations amend a number of existing sets of regulations and will place administration and governance requirements on trustees of occupational defined contribution pension schemes. The regulations will increase the flexibility of those schemes to take account of performance fees to fund managers when calculating the cap on charges that apply to default investment arrangements. There are other small technical changes, including to the way that specific types of pension schemes must comply with the requirements to produce a statement of investment principles.”
“Again, I thank the Minister for taking forward the amendments that we requested, because the Bill is stronger as a result. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the Final Stage of the Bill and put on record the Committee's thanks to the officials and the Minister for their assistance in the scrutiny of it. I offer a final word of thanks to the Bill Office, the Business Office and the Committee team, all of whom have played a role in assisting the Committee with the Bill.”
“The Bill will bring welcome changes: a requirement for all private tenants to receive written notice of details of the tenancy and a receipt for all payments in cash made by the tenant in respect of the tenancy — an issue that the Committee was pleased that the Minister took forward at its request; improved notice to quit periods that landlords must give tenants in a prescribed format; a requirement to consult on methods of rent payments — another issue that was brought to the fore by the Committee; a restriction on rent increases; a limit on deposits; an obligation on private landlords, for the first time, to provide and keep in proper working order smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and to carry out periodical electrical safety checks; and new powers for councils to introduce and enforce minimum energy efficiency standards in private rented homes.”
“Some issues need to be dealt with over a longer timescale, and the Committee recognises that this is a first phase of reform, with the second to follow in the new mandate. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the fact that the Bill will offer tenants better protection and make the duties of landlords and tenants clearer.”
“Since it was established in 2020, the Committee for Communities has taken a keen interest in all housing matters, and, on behalf of the Committee, I welcome the Bill's Final Stage. <BR /> <BR />We have been debating the Bill in the context of a private rented sector that now accounts for over 17% of housing stock in Northern Ireland and that is also home to a considerable number of vulnerable households. The Committee remained focused throughout in seeking to find a balance between protecting tenants and over-regulation, which could drive landlords from the sector, thus further compounding housing problems. <BR /> <BR />The Bill has had a somewhat rocky path over the past couple of weeks, but we have reached the last stage. We know that it will not solve all housing problems.”
“The regulations set out how the value of the resources of employers are to be determined and calculated by the Pensions Regulator in order to assess any impact of the act or failure to act on an employer's ability to support their defined benefit pension scheme. <BR /> <BR />As I have said before when speaking about secondary legislation on pensions, vast sums of money are involved in those schemes, and the granting of any additional powers to the regulator is to be welcomed. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, the Committee agreed to recommend that the Pensions Regulator (Employer Resources Test) Regulations be confirmed by the Assembly.”
“The Committee understands the value of the Pensions Regulator in protecting the benefits of members of work-based pensions, reducing the risk of situations arising that may result in calls on the Pension Protection Fund and promoting the good administration of work-based pensions. <BR /> <BR />The Committee was pleased to hear that the regulations provide the technical details of the employer resources test. That is one of the additional tests provided by the Pensions Scheme Act 2021 to the contribution notice regime, which, if met, would allow the Pensions Regulator to issue a contribution notice when all other requirements have also been met.”
“The Committee considered the statutory rule at its meeting on 30 September 2021. It understands that the regulations make provisions for Northern Ireland that correspond to those contained in regulations that were made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. <BR /> <BR />The Committee heard that the statutory rule is set in the context of the Pensions Regulator's anti-avoidance tools, which are used to protect pension scheme members' benefits and include the ability of the regulator to issue contribution notices that require money to be put into pension schemes under certain conditions.”
“Those parties can continue to ignore the political reality, or they can join us in supporting solutions that get support to those most in need as soon as possible. The people of Northern Ireland need and want us all to move forward together, and we are committed to getting support in place and out to those most in need as soon as possible.”
“The problem is not the lack of a First Minister but the lack of political agreement from some to table and support a plan that delivers for hard-pressed households across Northern Ireland. Actions, not words, will help those in need. Decisions, not delays, will provide the mechanisms to deliver this support. A plan, not political positioning, is the basis of moving that forward. <BR /> <BR />The DUP warned the pro-protocol parties last September that the First Minister would step down if the protocol remained. They ignored the calls from every unionist party. They ignored the fact that the protocol continued to raise prices and inhibited Westminster from delivering support schemes for hard-pressed households on a UK-wide basis.”
“We have proposed to the Chancellor that he cut duties on petrol and diesel, cut VAT on petrol and diesel, cancel the increase in National Insurance, pause plans to remove the rebate on red diesel and deliver targeted support to households in hardship. We have called on parties here to support our plan to discount rates bills for households, extend eligibility for the energy support scheme and introduce targeted support for households to combat rising prices. <BR /> <BR />Party leaders have been engaged extensively in finding solutions, and that will be the template for success. The DUP is always prepared to look at all solutions, including legislation here and at Westminster.”
“I also give my best wishes to the Speaker and all the other Members who are unwell at present. <BR /> <BR />The cost-of-living crisis facing the people of Northern Ireland requires parties to make decisions in the interests of all our people, not to peddle division. It requires solutions to be found, not the creation of obstacles through political rhetoric. The simple reality is that, if there is a political will amongst Members, there is a way to deliver much-needed support to those most in need. <BR /> <BR />To deliver support, you need a plan, and the DUP has one. We have tabled proposals, both in London and here in the Assembly, for support for households, families and communities across Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />Through some of the amendments that were made to the Bill, we have much stronger legislation than the Bill as drafted. I am glad that it is in place. As I say, whoever the next Committee members might be in the next mandate, I wish them well. I also wish the next Minister well, as this will be a massive piece of work for the next Assembly.”
“Finally, thanks should go to Bill Office staff and the Committee team, who all worked so diligently to assist the Committee and get the Bill to its Final Stage. <BR /> <BR />I will say a few words as a private Member. To say that we are disappointed that we have extended the opening hours for gambling is an understatement, given the health advice that the Committee received. We know that gambling is now the second-largest addiction in Northern Ireland after pornography. Alcohol and smoking come lower down, which could in some part be due to the work of the Public Health Agency (PHA) and its messaging on alcohol and smoking. I hope that any money that is raised through the levy will be used in the way that it should be, because we know that there are next to no addiction services in Northern Ireland.”
“We know that a much wider overhaul of the regulatory controls on gambling is long overdue, and we would all have liked to see a more ambitious Bill. The Department made us aware, however, that a Bill of well over 300 clauses will be coming the way of the new Committee in the new mandate for that full overhaul. I would like to say that I am looking forward to that, but I am not sure that that would be entirely truthful. It will be massive. <BR /> <BR />On behalf of the Committee, I record our sincere thanks to all those who provided evidence to it. Thanks must also go to departmental officials, who worked well with us to ensure a flow of timely information to allow the Committee to meet its tight deadline for reporting.”
“As a result, the Committee requested amendments to clause 9 to increase the maximum ticket price for societies' lotteries and to clause 14 to ensure consultation with more specific persons and groups on the development of the levy. We again thank the Minister for taking forward those amendments. WE also requested significant amendments to the explanatory and financial memorandum (EFM) on clauses 8 and 11 and the schedule in order to ensure a better explanation of forms of payment and of what does or does not constitute payment to participate in a prize draw or competition. We also requested amendments to the draft code of practice. Again, we are thankful to the Minister and the Department for making those changes. <BR /> <BR />The Committee knows that the Bill is limited in scope.”
“On behalf of the Committee for Communities, I welcome the Bill's Final Stage. The Committee considered it at 11 meetings in total. We concluded in-depth scrutiny of the Bill, receiving 51 responses to our call for evidence from a diverse range of organisations, businesses, government bodies, researchers and individuals and holding 12 oral evidence sessions. The Committee was also pleased to hold a Zoom event with an invited group of under-18s to discuss the potential impacts of the Bill on young people. The views expressed at that event were very informative, and I take the opportunity to thank those young people again for giving up their time. <BR /> <BR />During our deliberations, the Committee explored with departmental officials, through oral briefings and written responses, the range of issues raised in the evidence.”
“If sufficient additional funding is not available, that will impact on the ability to introduce any new mitigations that may flow from the work of the independent advisory panel. <BR /> <BR />On the capital position, the Committee heard that the net capital allocation generally showed significant reductions against the opening 2021-22 position. <BR /> <BR />I note that I am almost out of time, so I again thank the Committee for Finance for collating the information.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee also wishes to highlight the substantial amount of failed bids to support benefit delivery, as there have been significant increases in working-age benefit caseloads. Over 800 additional staff have been recruited and brought into the Department to deliver that work. <BR /> <BR />Officials advised the Committee that bids totalling over £670 million over the three years to progress planned work in areas that the Committee views as vital were not met. Bids included those in the areas of housing revitalisation; culture, arts and heritage sector recovery; the community sector recovery fund; the Housing Executive's fundamental review of allocations; climate change; and potential new welfare mitigations, including mitigation of the two-child policy.”
“The Committee wishes to highlight a number of bids that were not met in the draft Budget, as they clearly show pressures that the Department will face: the £45 million bid for the COVID-19 benefit delivery response was not met in each of the three years; homelessness bids totalling around £43 million were not met over the total of the three years; COVID recovery labour market intervention bids totalling just over £21 million were not met over the total of the three years; pay and inflationary pressure bids totalling just over £37 million were not met over the total of the three years; and an inescapable pressures bid of £1·8 million was not met in each of the three years for the North/South Language Body, the Building Safety Bill and the review of liquor licensing.”
“The stark reality is that, over the 2022-25 period, the proposed allocation reflected only 15%, 13% and 14% of the Department's bids in each respective year. The Department effectively faced a real-term budget reduction, which would increase in each year of the draft Budget.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee accepted that it had not been a straightforward task for the Department to arrange its bids in priority order, given its wide range of responsibilities, and the Committee supported the view that all the resource bids were critical. The Committee supported the Department's approach to capital bids, which grouped bids by business area with the agreement of the Department of Finance. <BR /> <BR />The Committee noted that the Department submitted significant resource bids to reflect COVID recovery pressures and New Decade, New Approach commitments, in addition to the pressures faced in order to maintain existing baseline services. The Committee expresses grave concerns that the resource bids were very far from being met in the draft Budget.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee had a briefing session with officials on 13 January on the draft Budget, and I want to highlight some of the key issues that arose. The Committee was extremely concerned about the Department's position in the draft Budget as it presented significant challenges in the constrained spending review outcome against existing baselines in the context of recovery from the pandemic. The Committee heard that the Department had developed its resource bids in line with the four COVID-19 recovery strategy pillars endorsed by the Executive: sustainable economic growth, green growth and sustainability, tackling inequalities and health of population.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the draft Budget 2022-25. I thank the Committee for Finance for collating Committee responses to the draft Budget. Even in the circumstances of this draft Budget, it is good that we are discussing departmental spending plans and financial concerns, as that gives us all an indication of the key pressures. <BR /> <BR />The Committee had welcomed the opportunity to have a three-year draft Budget as the Department for Communities provides many life-changing support programmes and services that need continuity of funding beyond a one-year budget. The Committee remains supportive of the Minister as she continues to lobby the Minister for Finance for additional funding to support the people who are most vulnerable.”
“Thankfully, when we spoke to the Department about the amendments that the Minister has now tabled, we were content that those amendments will save the Bill. That is what we are doing: we are saving the Bill, because we do not want it to fail. The Committee worked really hard on the Bill, and there is some really good stuff in it that our private rented sector relies on and needs. We will support the Minister's amendments because, if we do not, the Bill will inevitably fall. That is the last thing that we want to see. <BR /> <BR />Again, I remind Members that what is populist and what is right are two different things.”
“We worked with the Bill Clerk, and we spoke to the Department to see how we could assist, because we felt that we were letting people down. We worked so hard on the Bill, and we wanted to see a really good, effective Bill being brought back into competence. Last week, all those four parties worked hard and worked closely together to try to bring that about.”
“It was extremely disappointing to see how that ended up. <BR /> <BR />I understand the work that the Department has done. Indeed, the DUP, the Ulster Unionist Party, the Alliance Party and the SDLP all worked on amendments last week to try to bring the Bill back into competence.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention and absolutely agree with him. I fail to understand how Sinn Féin, after everything that its Members said during that debate, could support Mr Carroll's amendment. I fail to understand the SDLP, who also shouted in favour of it. <BR /> <BR />We are at the end of the mandate and an election is looming, but we have to look at what is populist legislation, good legislation and right legislation. Two weeks ago, we ran the risk of the Bill's falling. Some will say, "Then why did the DUP not shout from the Benches and stop it?". We did shout from the Benches, but we decided not to push the vote, because we were not going to be the Bill's saviours. The Bill belongs to all of us — to every Member of the House. It is the responsibility of all Members to make good, not populist, legislation.”
“We have to look at how we do legislation here. This morning, on the radio, I heard some nonsense reported about how MLAs did not know what they had voted for and had made a mistake. That was absolute nonsense; it was absolutely wrong. The vote was purely political; populist decisions were being made. That is wrong.”
“Following what I would call a shambles two weeks ago, I received many phone calls from people who work in the sector, especially from those in the voluntary and community sector, who raised major concerns about what had been passed in the House. Many housing providers and those working in the voluntary and community sector felt that, taken together, Mr Carroll and Ms Ferguson's amendments, which are major, would be detrimental to our private housing sector. <BR /> <BR />I will turn to Mr Carroll's amendment. We spoke against the amendment and its competency, as did the Ulster Unionist Party, the Alliance Party, the SDLP and Sinn Féin. We all spoke about it and said, in the Chamber — it is on the record — that none of us could support it. Yet, when it came to the oral vote, that was not the case.”
“The aim is also to lessen potential confusion by reducing the number of tiers to four and by stating the longer notice periods in weeks and months rather than days. The Committee was advised that, in the interim, the amendment makes a transitional provision — that is, the notice periods in the Bill as originally laid — from the day after the Private Tenancies (Coronavirus Modifications) Act 2020 ends or as soon as possible after that, depending on when Royal Assent is given. The Committee understands that the amendments have been drafted to be closely aligned with the amendment that was passed at Consideration Stage and that it is the Department's view that, if passed, they would bring the Bill back within competence. <BR /> <BR />I will now make a few comments of my own.”
“We were put in a difficult and unusual position, as the Department's consultation on notices to quit commenced during our deliberations and ended after the Committee reported on the Bill. During Committee Stage, we sought legal advice on clause 11 but decided to reserve our position in order to allow the consultation to run its course. <BR /> <BR />At our meeting last Thursday, officials advised us that much work had been done on clause 11 since Consideration Stage. We were advised that the amendments now ensure that the new, longer notices will not be introduced until exemptions are in place. The clause gives some details of those exemptions and provides that they and other changes can be made by draft affirmative regulations.”
“As the Committee has no official position on the amendments, I will simply highlight the key points of our briefing to assist Members with the decisions before us. <BR /> <BR />Officials advised the Committee that the Minister's amendments to clause 7 aim to keep Mr Carroll's policy intentions but to ensure legal competence. It places a duty on the Department to consult on the issue of rent decreases and rent freezes and to lay a report on the outcome of that consultation before the Assembly within six months of Royal Assent. It also gives the Department powers to make regulations to reduce or freeze rent following the consultation. We were advised that those powers align with the proposal in Mr Carroll's original amendment. <BR /> <BR />I move on to clause 11. I highlighted the Committee's position on the clause at Consideration Stage.”
“The Committee also aimed to find a balance between protecting tenants and over-regulation that may drive landlords from the sector, thus compounding housing problems. The legal fate of the Bill may well hinge on what is decided today in the House regarding the proposed amendments. <BR /> <BR />At its meeting last Thursday, the Committee was briefed on the Minister's amendments. We were advised that they are to refine and address issues arising from amendments passed at Consideration Stage and to protect the integrity of the Bill. The Committee was also advised that the Department is of the view that, if the amendments are passed, the Bill would be brought back within competence.”
“On behalf of the Committee for Communities, I welcome the Further Consideration Stage of the Bill. As we debate the amendments, I will reiterate a couple of points that I made at Consideration Stage. <BR /> <BR />During its deliberations, the Committee bore in mind that the private rented sector accounts for a significant proportion — over 17% — of the housing stock in Northern Ireland and that the sector is home to a considerable number of vulnerable households. We focused on the purpose of the Bill — to amend the Private Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 — as the first stage of a further long-term programme of reform, which, we were assured, will include dealing with issues of fair rents.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee also welcomes the powers that the regulations give to the Pensions Regulator in issuing, for example, compliance notices and penalty notices, including a mandatory penalty of at least £2,500 if the regulator feels that an individual has not complied with a requirement to publish a report free of charge on a publicly available, accessible website. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, the Committee agreed to recommend that the Occupational Pension Schemes (Climate Change Governance and Reporting) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 be affirmed by the Assembly.”