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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“As part of its remit, the review is considering whether the legislation in Northern Ireland and the commission's work within the legal framework strike the right balance between supporting charities and deterring or dealing with misconduct. The review report is not yet published. We hope to have sight of it, or at least any key findings related to the Bill, before we have to report as a Committee on the Bill. <BR /> <BR />We will call relevant organisations and, potentially, some individuals to give oral evidence to hear their views on how the issues are to be dealt with on the scheme of delegation and on the power to provide for a threshold at some future time and to explore their concerns. Whilst the Department has stated that this is mainly a technical Bill, that is not quite the impression we are getting from submissions.”
“The aims are threefold: to address the issues from the judgements with retrospective effect; to make it clear what decisions Charity Commission staff are empowered to make; and to propose a power for the Department to introduce a registration threshold via subordinate legislation. We have received written submissions through the call for evidence, where organisations and individuals raised concerns about the intentions of the Bill and its outworkings. Also, the Bill is only part of the way forward in dealing with the impacts arising from the judgements. <BR /> <BR />As a Committee, we also need to consider how the findings of the independent review of charity regulations will impact on what the Bill proposes.”
“Two early statutory inquiries by the Charity Commission led to the disqualification of two charity trustees. Both brought challenges to the Charity Tribunal and, ultimately, to the High Court, where the former Attorney General intervened and determined that the orders made by commission staff were unlawful. That led to the McBride judgement in 2019, which found that the commission did not have the express or implied power to delegate its functions to staff acting alone. In February 2020, the Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal by the Charity Commission, thus rendering all orders and decisions made by staff until that date unlawful. <BR /> <BR />That brings me to the Bill. The Committee will need to scrutinise the key aims of the Bill and the effects it will have on the commission, on charities and, hence, on their trustees.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I rise to request Members' support to extend the Committee Stage of the Charities Bill to 10 December 2021. The Bill passed its Second Stage on 29 June, therefore we were already in Committee Stage just prior to the summer recess. The Committee agreed that, to move things forward, the call for evidence would be issued over the summer recess. <BR /> <BR />On the face of it, the Bill is short, consisting of only four clauses, but the importance of proper scrutiny cannot be overstated given the history of charities legislation here since the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 was enacted. <BR /> <BR />To highlight the need for the Committee not to rush its scrutiny, it is worth reminding the House of the history leading to the Bill.”
“We will bring the same vigour to our scrutiny of this Bill. Overall, the Committee is supportive of the principles of the Bill, and members look forward to working with the Department and stakeholders in the weeks ahead.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee supports the aim of the need to future-proof the private rented sector and to call time on the minority of rogue landlords operating in the sector. The Bill proposes welcome changes, but, as Members know, the devil is often in the detail. That is why I look forward to the scrutiny of the Bill at its Committee Stage, ensuring that we hear from key organisations, and making sure that the voices of tenants are heard. Although the Committee understands the need for the Bill to have a focused scope, Members can rest assured that, if our scrutiny uncovers gaps in the proposals or any vital aspects that have been overlooked, we will not hesitate to seek clarification and propose amendments. Our track record on detailed scrutiny, with the recent licensing Bill, speaks for itself in that regard.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee notes that the proposals in the Bill fall mainly in the areas of tenancy management, rental payments and deposits, property standards and security of tenure. Among the changes that the Bill will bring are a requirement for all private tenants to receive a written tenancy agreement; restrictions on rent increases; an increase in the eviction notice period from the current four-week minimum; a limit on deposits; an obligation on private landlords, for the first time, to provide smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and to carry out periodical electrical safety checks; and new powers to councils to introduce and enforce minimum energy efficiency standards in private rented homes.”
“The Department then established a working group to look at the key issues, resulting in the 2017 proposals for change document, which made proposals in areas of housing supply, affordability, security of tenure, tenancy management, property standards and dispute resolution. <BR /> <BR />The Committee is aware that the Bill deals with a number of those issues but does not address them all. Nevertheless, we will consider the Bill in the context of the background that I have just outlined and as a key step in the right direction, with the aim of better protecting tenants by ensuring that landlords and agents meet government regulations about the quality and safety of the accommodation offered.”
“Back in 2010, we had the Department for Social Development's private rented sector strategy, 'Building Sound Foundations', which introduced a tenancy deposit and landlord registration schemes. Then the housing strategy action plan 2012-17 committed the Department to undertaking a review of the role and regulations of the private rented sector. The Department carried out that review in two stages. First, consultation on a discussion paper was completed in February 2016, and that was followed by engagement with stakeholder groups. Secondly, recommendations were set out on how the sector could improve its support for a wider range of households.”
“The Committee is, of course, concerned that many are in private rented accommodation because of the shortage of social housing, and, no doubt, all Members have heard horror stories from constituents living in the private rented sector. <BR /> <BR />We cannot, however, solve all housing problems with this one Bill, and we know that some issues need to be dealt with over a longer timescale. It is only right to do what we can to ensure that good legislation is made to offer tenants better protection and make the duties of landlords and tenants clear. <BR /> <BR />Members are well aware that the journey to this Bill, like many of the Bills that we debate, has been fairly long, and I think that is helpful to briefly remind the House of that history.”
“This growth is likely to continue if first-time buyers are priced out of the market by rising house prices and a potential shortage of accessible mortgage products. It is also a fact that economic uncertainty, such as many are facing at this time, tends to boost demand for rental accommodation. <BR /> <BR />We will also bear in mind that almost half of private renters in Northern Ireland are in receipt of housing benefit or the housing element of universal credit. Also of concern is that there are twice as many families with children in the private rented sector than in social housing, and they deserve a safe and secure tenancy.”
“Unfortunately, however, given the Committee's packed work programme over the past year, in connection with the COVID response and primary legislation, we have not been able to undertake as much work in this area as we would like to have done. Given that, members are now very keen to take the opportunity that the Bill's Committee Stage presents to focus on the role and regulation of the private rented sector. <BR /> <BR />In its scrutiny, the Committee will bear in mind the context in which the Bill sits, which is that our private rented sector has grown considerably over the past decade, particularly for the 25-to-34-year-old age group. It is now larger than the social housing sector and accounts for over 17% of the housing stock in Northern Ireland.”
“On behalf of the Committee for Communities, I welcome the Bill's Second Stage. The Committee was briefed by departmental officials on 1 July 2021, and the Minister introduced the Bill just before recess. The Committee has taken a keen interest in housing matters since it was established in 2020 and, indeed, decided at a forward-planning day in September 2020 to devote considerable time to taking evidence on housing challenges. <BR /> <BR />Subsequently, we heard evidence from an economist on housing market challenges in a pre- and post-COVID world and research evidence from the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE).”
“I thank the First Minister for his answer. I take from that answer, then, that we should expect at some stage in our Committee to get something back from our Executive. Can I also ask that you also press, through your office, for the closing of the loopholes on the benefits cap and the bedroom tax as well?”
“None of us knows what lies ahead in the coming weeks or months or next year, so it is good that we will not be in the position that we were in in March of this year — sorry, maybe it was after March; I am totally confused — when councils were having to outlay money to hold their meetings in venues that were big enough to facilitate all their councillors. I am glad that we have got to this position. <BR /> <BR />Everyone knows my views on clause 2 from yesterday's debate, but I understand that the regulations will be subject to the draft affirmative procedure and that the Committee will have an input to any that may have to be changed. <BR /> <BR />Again, I thank the Minister and her officials for the work that they have done and for listening to the concerns of Members early on and setting about making changes to the Bill.”
“I thank the Minister and the officials in the Department for the work that has been done so swiftly on the Bill. I also thank the Department for briefing the Committee a couple of weeks ago. We are all in agreement that accelerated passage is most certainly not our chosen way for any legislation, and the number of issues and questions that have been raised by Members about the Bill has shown that. <BR /> <BR />I am glad that our councils will be able, as soon as the Bill receives Royal Assent, to hold their meetings in whatever form, whether it is in person, fully virtual or a hybrid.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am perfectly happy with amendment Nos 2, 3 and 4. I know that they are technical and need to be made because of the action that we took last week on clause 5. As I said, I am not fully supportive of amendment No 1, but I do not intend to push it to a vote.”
“<BR /> <BR />I want to make a point about the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA) and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE). Over the weekend, I bumped into a chief executive, and they told me that they were unaware of what we were doing in the Chamber. I have since heard from SOLACE that it was not formally asked for an opinion on the regulations. NILGA has not got back to me to let me know whether it was consulted or asked for a formal opinion. I find it pretty hard to take that neither organisation — both have so much invested in this Local Government Bill, and it will affect them — were not asked for a formal opinion. I am not overly happy, albeit I understand why it has to be done, and I am glad to see that the matter is to come back to us via regulations, which is much easier for us to manage.”
“I thank the Minister for tabling the amendments. It will come as no surprise that I am still a bit concerned about any changes that we might make that affect councils. The Minister said that, if any such changes were to be considered necessary, they would be made by way of regulation and the Committee will have a chance to look at them. <BR /> <BR />Many councillors have caring responsibilities, whether for children, older parents or other family members, and I fully understand how, whatever the situation might be in the future, continued remote access would help them in many ways. As I said, I am not overly happy about it, but I will not push it to a vote. I know that the other Members who are in the Chamber would not support me — maybe one would.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. As he knows, many of the social clauses cannot be utilised, especially in the construction sector, as they were not written very well and have been around for a long time. Has the Minister had any conversations with the Minister for the Economy about apprenticeships? In today's statement, the Minister mentioned bringing jobs to deprived areas. I can see how the social model could work in those areas.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Have we any indication of how this will affect the overall Budget, especially the budget of local councils?”
“As someone who has been in the House for over 10 years and has sat on the Social Development Committee for many of them, I know that the Bill has been before us many times and we have heard from many people. I am delighted that we are at the stage that we are at now. At some stages, I thought that we would never get here, but I am glad that we have. I thank the Committee members for the diligence and hard work that we have all put in to achieving the Bill.”
“Perhaps we will get a visit to some of those pubs and local producers at the first review — all in the interests of information gathering, of course. <BR /> <BR />I, of course, welcome the Bill and look forward to its gaining Royal Assent and coming into operation as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />I want to say a few words as a Committee member and MLA. I thank my Committee staff, Janice, Sean, Oliver and Antoinette, for their hard work on the Bill and the many sleepless nights that they probably had when we were discussing taprooms. <BR /> <BR />I absolutely agree with what the Minister said: we set out from the beginning to see a balanced Bill, to see something for everyone in it and to protect the public health message.”
“<BR /> <BR />It would be remiss of me at this stage not to thank the officials, Liam Quinn, Carol Reid and Suzanne Breen, and all the Bill Office staff, particularly Claire McCanny. They were all a great help to the Committee in its scrutiny of the Bill, patient in answering our many questions and always on hand at short notice. I hope that the good working relationship established between the Committee secretariat and departmental officials will be carried forward into other Bills that will soon come the Committee's way. <BR /> <BR />Some Committee members had one small regret in all this. Due to the pandemic, we did not get to undertake any of the visits to the hospitality sector that would usually accompany scrutiny of such a Bill.”
“<BR /> <BR />As a Committee, we recognised early on the need for reviews of the law to be built into the Bill to give us the chance to monitor the impact of the change and provide an opportunity to take stock in the not-too-distant future. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Minister for her willingness to table amendments that the Committee requested to amend existing clauses or insert new clauses and for other ministerial assurances. We made a number of Committee amendments. Members also proposed welcome amendments. Together, we have made the Bill much stronger and more innovative as a result. The Bill is a clear example of the Department, the Committee and the House working at their best to achieve a common goal.”
“The Committee accepted that it could not make all stakeholders happy. For example, those with a public health remit or with concerns for young people may feel that the Committee has not gone far enough on protection in those areas. Some in the hospitality sector may feel that they need further relaxations of licensing than the Bill provides. Local producers, in particular, may feel that the Bill does not go far enough. Many Committee members were kept awake at night with the many permutations of taprooms that we had at one stage, but Members will be pleased to hear that I do not intend to say any more on that subject today.”
“We now have as balanced a Bill as possible in that regard, and I hope that it goes some way towards helping the hospitality and tourism industries in post-COVID recovery while not causing undue alarm in public health circles.”
“Many wished that we could go faster through the Committee Stage, but, as the Bill will bring about the biggest changes in licensing laws in a generation, it was only right and proper that we took our time and listened to voices from the hospitality sector, local alcohol producers, the retail sector, the tourism sector, the public health sector, the wider justice system and those with an interest in safeguarding young people, sporting clubs and other clubs and individuals. <BR /> <BR />Throughout its consideration of the Bill, the Committee aimed to steer a balanced course to ensure that the Bill supported the consumption of alcohol in controlled environments.”
“On behalf of the Committee for Communities, I warmly welcome the Final Stage of the Bill. This is a red-letter day in the Chamber, as this has been a long journey, and I do not mean only this time round. We have been here before at different times with different versions of the Bill, and I welcome the fact that we will finally get new, modernised licensing laws over the line. <BR /> <BR />Anyone who has read the Committee's report — given the comments made at the various stages, I know that many have read it in considerable detail — will know the significant time and effort that the Committee put into giving the Bill the scrutiny that it deserved.”
“Fresh from scrutinising the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Bill, the Committee is very mindful of the need to look closely at the unintended consequences of seemingly minor changes to clauses or amendments. The Committee is very aware that, although the Bill is short, it will need a strong Committee Stage and sufficient scrutiny, as there are complex issues behind it. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, the Bill and the work of the independent review aim to make retrospective remedies and restore charities' and the public's confidence in effective and proportionate regulation. The Committee is supportive of the principles of the Bill and looks forward to considering it in further detail at Committee Stage.”
“Such a change is not in the Bill itself, because, as the Minister highlighted in Committee, it could have unintended consequences that cannot be properly investigated in the time frame required for the Bill, and the independent review is considering the registration process. The Bill provides for any such regulations to be subject to consultation and the draft affirmative resolution procedure in order to allow for debate and scrutiny in the Assembly, which is to be welcomed. <BR /> <BR />The Committee looks forward to engaging with stakeholders on the proposals for the registration process and the benefits that they could bring, while fully investigating any unintended consequences.”
“We look forward to engaging with the panel. <BR /> <BR />Members will be aware that many charities in Northern Ireland do not have a large income or reach; indeed, some, such as schools' parent teacher associations, rely almost entirely on their own fundraising abilities. Therefore, many will welcome the power in the Bill to introduce via subordinate legislation a registration threshold that will exempt any charity that falls below the threshold from registering with the Charity Commission and being subject to the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015.”
“As more of the Act is commenced, more decisions of varying complexity will be required. Given that staff of the charity regulators in England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland take decisions, clear decision-making powers for staff are needed. <BR /> <BR />The Committee supports clarifying which decisions staff can make but wishes to engage with stakeholders to ensure that the scheme of delegation is appropriate and that the treatment of staff in the Northern Ireland Charity Commission will not differ unnecessarily from that of staff in the regulatory bodies of our neighbouring jurisdictions, particularly as the Bill stipulates that certain decisions can never be delegated to staff. The Committee understands that the independent panel's work is likely to inform the types of decisions to be delegated.”
“To that end, the Bill includes fresh appeal rights for orders that were made lawful and will carve out other decisions that will remain unlawful to allow them to proceed to their natural conclusion, by way of the courts if necessary. <BR /> <BR />A further principle of the Bill is to ensure that it is clear which decisions Charity Commission staff are empowered to make. It does so by introducing a limited power for the future delegation of decision-making powers to staff, provided that those decisions are set out in a scheme of delegation brought forward by the Minister. It is not viable to continue with the current temporary arrangement of a decision-making committee, in accordance with schedule 1 to the Act, which has been in place since the McBride judgement.”
“The Bill will make an amendment to the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 with retrospective effect, as it has been determined that that is the only sensible way to render lawful the previous decisions made by commission staff. <BR /> <BR />The Committee understands that the principle is to fix a situation that was not of charities' making, and it will reinstate the status of 6,500 charities on the charity register and the benefits accruing from that. The Committee is pleased to note that the Bill is drafted in such a way as not to impinge on the rights of individuals who remain dissatisfied with previous decisions of the commission.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee was briefed by the independent review team on 27 May. We heard that the team will not revisit decisions made in individual cases but will examine the legal and regulatory framework and make recommendations for improvement in the commission's operations. The Committee looks forward to engaging with the independent panel again in due course and wishes it well as it concludes its review. <BR /> <BR />I turn to the main principles of the Bill. The overreaching objective is to deal with the issues raised by the judgements in a way that protects charities, protects rights and restores the pillars of the regulatory framework for charities. The Committee will bear that focus in mind as it moves into its detailed scrutiny in the autumn.”
“All decisions, except the opening of statutory inquiries, were taken by staff, as both the commission and the Department believed that it was lawful for them to do so, as is the case in other jurisdictions. <BR /> <BR />The Bill is one part of the way forward in dealing with the impacts arising from the Court of Appeal judgements. Those impacts are threefold: one, the need to deal with past decisions taken by staff that were deemed unlawful and to mitigate the potential harm to the affected charities; two, the need to look at how the Charity Commission discharges its decision-making functions in the future; and, three, the wider regulatory framework and the role of the Charity Commission in that, including its relationship with stakeholders. The last point led the Minister to commission the independent review of charity regulation.”
“<BR /> <BR />In February 2020, the Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal by the commission against the McBride judgement, thus rendering all orders and decisions made by staff unlawful, including the charity register, which had the knock-on effect of removing the legal requirement for annual accounting and reporting to the commission. The commission, the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) and, indeed, the Committee have encouraged charities to continue reporting on a voluntary basis. The Committee has been advised that, between 2013 and the McBride judgement in 2019, the commission registered approximately 6,500 charities, made 1,200 casework decisions, made approximately 220 orders and directions and opened 15 statutory inquiries.”
“Two early statutory inquiries led to the disqualification and ultimate removal of two charity trustees. Both parties brought challenges to the Charity Tribunal and, ultimately, to the High Court, where the former Attorney General intervened on the basis of his interpretation of the law that the orders made by commission staff were unlawful. That led to the McBride judgement in 2019, which found that the 2008 Act, taken together with section 19 of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954, did not provide an express or implied power for the commission to delegate its functions to staff acting alone. The judgement further found that all decisions could be taken only by the board acting collectively or by a committee established by the board in accordance with schedule 1 to the Act.”
“In its briefing with the Department, the Committee considered the difficult issues and legal background that have led to the Bill, and it has received considerable correspondence from individuals involved. <BR /> <BR />Although the Bill before us is a short one and has been described as essentially a "remedy", the background leading to its necessity is complex and covers decisions taken over a number of years. It impacts on over 7,000 decisions taken by Charity Commission staff that, when deemed not lawful, left many charities in confusion, causing anxiety for charity trustees. Therefore, I will summarise the context in which the Committee will scrutinise the Bill before commenting on it. The Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 introduced a regulatory framework and created the Charity Commission as a statutory regulator.”
“The Committee knows that the Minister has taken longer than many would have liked to introduce the Bill, but we are aware that she and the previous Minister were heavily invested in resolving the issues, took extensive legal advice and consulted the Attorney General. <BR /> <BR />As we all know, charities legislation has had a somewhat chequered history in Northern Ireland, and, although the Charity Commission was established in 2008, it did not take on its regulatory powers until 2013, when the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2013 rectified a deficiency in the public benefit test as set out in the 2008 Act. The Committee is keen to see the legislation progress, but it understands the considered approach that has been taken to the Bill and the wider issues being considered by the independent review.”
“On behalf of the Committee for Communities, I welcome the Second Stage of the Charities Bill. The Committee received a pre-introductory briefing from officials on 6 May and was pleased that the Minister was able to introduce the Bill on 21 June. That was welcomed by the Committee, as it means that we will be able to commence our call for evidence before the summer recess. <BR /> <BR />At its meeting on 6 May, the Committee was reminded of the background to the Bill and that it is being taken forward in parallel with the independent review of charity regulation and the role of the regulator, which plans to report in the autumn.”
“<BR /> <BR />I thank everybody for taking part in the debate. I have no doubt that we will be back to discuss the issue again in a couple of years' time. We need to start making the improvements in our housing stock really soon.”
“We have to do something. Many people who have lived in their homes for years have taken good care of them and take pride in them. For them, it is not a house; it is their home. We have a responsibility as their Government to make their home as comfortable as possible and to alleviate their health issues. We also need to do something about their fuel bills, which was mentioned earlier. <BR /> <BR />There have been lots of schemes over the years to replace this, that and the other, and it is great to have really efficient boiler systems, with a great composite front door and great windows. However, if you are spending many pounds every week trying to heat your house when the heat is just travelling out of the walls, it is a false economy for all those people who live in those homes.”
“Other Members spoke about inequalities when it comes to other aspects of our life, including education, relationships and all of those things. As someone said, you want your home to be your sanctuary. For many, the home is the last place that they want to be because of the conditions. It is the last place that our young people want to bring their friends to because their house smells of damp and damp spores. <BR /> <BR />Ms Bunting mentioned the flats in Tullycarnet and the competition for the flats from hell. Every one of us in the Chamber could enter that competition from somewhere in our constituencies where those problems exist. I heard the Minister say that the costs for cavity wall insulation amounted to between £150 million and £175 million. Those are eye-watering, staggering figures, but we cannot do nothing.”
“Yet again, that was another household who were accused of drying their washing in the middle of their living room, which is something that does not happen too often. <BR /> <BR />As other Members have said — I know that Karen certainly brought it up, as did others — this is not just the Housing Executive; it covers so much more than that. We have big issues in our private rented sector. We have issues in our housing association sector. Joanne Bunting made the point that the Housing Executive is the keeper of standards. Therefore, it should set an example. <BR /> <BR />Various Members brought up health issues. Kellie Armstrong and Pam Cameron talked about health inequalities for people who live in such conditions.”
“<BR /> <BR />My colleagues behind me both mentioned the 'Newtownabbey Times' article. One of our councillors — Councillor Ross — dealt with that. He had a fight on his hands to get an independent review and inspection done on houses in New Mossley. When an independent review and inspection was eventually done, it stated that there was most definitely a really bad case of damp in those houses. He is now working on that on behalf of William Humphrey and me in Skegoneill. Mark mentioned photographs that he had received and some of the horror stories that he had heard: we have all received them. I received photographs last week of a home where the damp was so bad that, when they lifted the carpet, which they had to lift, the cement floor of their home was black with mould spores. That was not just walls and ceilings; it was also the floor.”
“A Housing Executive official who came with me was able to tell me that they had been drying clothes in that room and had not opened the windows, which is the usual story that we all hear. That official did not go outside to check the brickwork. They did not get anybody outside to check the guttering. They did not think of going up to the attic to check what the insulation was like. No tests at all took place, but he was fit and able to tell me that it was due to closed windows and drying clothes. How many more times will we, as elected representatives, hear that old chestnut? We know better; we know that that is not the case. We all own or live in homes. Some of us, from time to time, will have damp in our home and will know the reason why. Hearing that excuse time and again is not good enough.”
“So many programmes have been rolled out over the past two decades — window schemes, composite doors, boiler replacement, the warm homes scheme and installation for roofs — to help people living in Housing Executive accommodation. However — Sinéad made this really good point — none of those schemes addressed the root cause issue for many: the insulation of the cavity walls in our homes. <BR /> <BR />When I first became an MLA, one of my first house visits was to a flat in Rathcoole estate, where there was a young family who had brought their newborn baby girl home from hospital a couple of weeks previously and had asked me to come down. There, in that beautiful, little pink nursery, were damp spores all over the walls.”
“You will all be glad to hear that I do not intend to go on for too long. I see that this place is slowly emptying: it must be the thought of me getting up to speak. <BR /> <BR />I thank all of the Members who took part in the debate today. There is unanimity around the House that we need to do something. I do not know what that something will look like, given the financial constraints that we have talked about, but doing nothing — Mark Durkan made this point — is not an option. Something has to be done. <BR /> <BR />I thank the proposer, Alex Easton. Anybody who knows Alex will know that he has raised this issue on many occasions over the past decade. It did not matter who the Minister was; it was raised. The Minister talked about the past two decades.”