Stewart Dickson
East Antrim · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“Thank you, Minister, for your answer. Minister, you will have noted that the Government recently announced a VAT cut for some family expenses for a range of activities over the summer. That is perhaps a change.”
“Many do not know how to apply; others do not even realise that the opportunities exist. If the process itself is a barrier to participation, it is really not open to all.”
“I was born in 1950 in Thorndale House, which was one of the homes that is named in the legislation. I was born to married parents, and Thorndale House was a maternity home. It was where you went to have your baby in 1950 on the Antrim Road. My mum and dad went there, I was born and, a few days later, I left with loving parents.”
“I agree with Mr Brett: amendment No 6 is important because it will deal with persons who refuse to provide information or evidence to the inquiry. Amendment No 8 to clause 20 is a tidying-up amendment that will allow the Committee to make interim reports, which will be of benefit to the inquiry process.”
“That is why I want the inquiry to succeed and why it is vital that it succeeds. That is why it is important for us to see that cruelty in the full glare of a public inquiry. That is why it is important that the scheme goes through without further delay. <BR /> <BR />Finally, I place on record my thanks to the Committee Chair.”
“The Assembly faces stark choices, and agreeing the draft Budget as it stands is not a silver bullet, nor is it sustainable for us to continue in the absence of a Budget. It is vital, therefore, that we break the cycle of crisis and collapse that has been destroying our public finances.”
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“<BR /> <BR />I want to hear from the Minister today about the planning that has been done over a long period in order to assess every classroom in Northern Ireland. Can we see the spreadsheet that sets out information about classrooms where the windows can be opened and an acceptable temperature achieved; classrooms where the windows cannot be opened; and classrooms where the windows can be opened but an acceptable temperature cannot be achieved? Let us have a look at the data to see what the Minister and her officials have done to achieve that in order to provide for the education of all our young people across Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />We heard a lot of scientific experts around the Chamber refer to filtration of the air. The whole purpose of opening a window is to exchange the air in the room. There are other methods of doing that. Quite simply, installing old-fashioned Vent-Axia-type electric fans in windows is a very cheap and low-tech solution to dealing with the problem where it is not practical to have the windows open or it is extremely cold in the classroom. We are told repeatedly on television advertisements and by scientific officers that it is about exchanging and not necessarily filtering the air in the room. It is about getting a change of air in the room. That can be achieved by other mechanical means. Quite often, the low-tech solution is the best solution.”
“I listened with interest to the debate, particularly the concerns about how it is very important that we keep our children and young people in schools and that we do that safely. That is what I want to hear from the Minister today. How have her plans evolved to keep young people in school and to keep them and all the staff who are working with them safe? <BR /> <BR />We are told that ventilation is vital in that respect. Therefore, it is unacceptable that classroom windows are wide open in the middle of winter and that young people and teachers have to put additional clothes on. I have a family member who is a teacher, and she has to wear a coat in her classroom. That is the choice that you have to make to stay warm and to do your job during the day.”
“Setting aside the setbacks that we have had in the past, we are now in a position to catch up with the rest of the United Kingdom. Indeed, England and Wales enacted this legislation in 2001. <BR /> <BR />Today, we can assure victims in Northern Ireland that they will no longer be compelled to go through the entirely traumatic dress rehearsal. The legislation will ensure that victims of serious offences are only required to give their evidence when necessary, which will speed up our justice system. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the legislation. It takes a necessary step forward in reforming and modernising our justice system and ensures delivery for the victim, the defendant and the taxpayer. Finally, once again, I commend the Minister and her officials for progressing the Bill and the work that was done by the Committee.”
“Like other Members, I will be brief in both supporting the Final Stage of the Criminal Justice (Committal Reform) Bill and congratulating the Minister and commending her and her officials for the work they have done to bring the legislation before us. <BR /> <BR />The need to reform direct committal proceedings has never been more evident, and the legislation will ensure that many offences, particularly serious sexual offences including rape, will be added to the list of specific offences under the 2015 Justice Act, which ensures that major offences go directly to the Crown Court. <BR /> <BR />As we have heard, the principle of the Bill is not new. Previous Ministers had pushed for this legislation to be enacted.”
“I wish that we would all work to protect one another. <BR /> <BR />This is not coercive legislation: it is humanitarian. It is about ensuring that, after months and years of hardship, businesses can remain open and we can protect our loved ones and ourselves. Of course, no one can be forced to get the vaccination. However, as we have seen across the globe, COVID passes provide a carrot-and-stick approach. I do not believe that they are negative. I believe that they are part of the armoury that we can deploy to help to protect one another. That is what I want to do for every single Member in the Chamber: I want us all to protect one another. I truly believe that we are all in this together.”
“I do not believe that anybody in the Chamber would wish for or relish a further lockdown. However, if we are to navigate the omicron variant while maintaining an open economy and functioning health service, we need to use all the tools at our disposal. None of us wants to move to plan B or C. <BR /> <BR />From a personal perspective, I wear my mask and carry my COVID pass to protect others — the stranger in the shop, on the train and in those places where we are required to by these regulations. It is important to me, as a cancer survivor, to provide that security to others. My plea is that they do the same for me. I went through chemotherapy and surgery. I am vulnerable, and remain so post that activity. I look to other people around me to protect me in the same way that I look around to try to protect others.”
“Handwashing, use of masks, social distancing and contact tracing have all been essential throughout the pandemic. What we are attempting to do today is to add one more piece in the wall to arm us against the virus. Often, we are affected by human error and behaviour. We know that transmission occurs before symptoms are apparent, and that many people could, quite simply, be unknowingly spreading the virus. Implementing COVID passes in high-risk, non-essential settings like bars and licensed restaurants creates an environment where favourable measures can be used to create optimal protection for the business, to keep it going, and for workers in situations where masks are down and people are moving around. That is the type of environment in which we have to work in the current circumstances.”
“More than that, the risk of clotting is much lower than with the contraceptive pill, and significantly lower than the risk of blood clots after the coronavirus infection.”
“<BR /> <BR />While one of the positive spin-offs of COVID passes is an increase in uptake, there is still work to be done to combat vaccine hesitancy, misinformation and lack of access to people in hard-to-reach communities. I make a plea to the Minister that what he is proposing today is a small part of a much bigger issue that needs to be dealt with, which is how we use our public messaging to get across to everyone that we are truly all in this together and that, if you can get vaccinated, you should get vaccinated. <BR /> <BR />The quick roll-out of the vaccine can be explained from the past SARS virus, which meant that a vaccine was already under way. Likewise, there was fear about blood clots: a genuine and understandable concern about a side effect. Out of 50 million doses of AstraZeneca, those have been extremely rare.”
“It is about attempting to deliver a safe environment in which businesses can continue to proceed. <BR /> <BR />As we have all heard, Northern Ireland is not unique in its approach. COVID pass schemes are in place in many countries across Europe, including Ireland and France, as well as the rest of the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, I understand that some people have concerns, and those who refuse to get vaccinated have their reasons. The regulations ensure that proof can be provided in place of a vaccine for medically exempt people, but, for those who refuse the vaccine on other grounds or because of conspiracy theories, we have to act to mitigate their concerns. Getting a COVID pass is a reasonable and proportionate demonstration that people have behaved responsibly, either through vaccination or through testing.”
“Undoubtedly, for many, this a very difficult situation and a very difficult decision, but showing proof of vaccination and a negative test or high immunity levels can play a positive role in reducing hospitalisation. It will deliver what we want to do, and that is to reopen our economy and keep businesses and those who work in them safe. <BR /> <BR />We all must do what we can to halt the rise in cases and reduce pressures on our health service. The regulations that the Minister has presented today are minimal, and I hope that they will add a further layer of protection in high-risk settings, allowing businesses to remain open. That has to be the fundamental message going out from here today. This is not about attempting to damage or close down businesses; it is quite the reverse.”
“With the new variant on our shores, it is, regrettably, only going to get worse. Sadly, today, we heard evidence of the first death from the new variant in the United Kingdom. We are now in a situation where COVID passes, together with all the other mitigating measures, are the way forward. They are a necessity. <BR /> <BR />Quite often, there was poor communication on regular testing, and decisions were made that ignored the scientific evidence, such as the opening of nightclubs and high-risk venues. We cannot and must not make the mistakes that were made last year, when the DUP prematurely forced the opening of venues, which saw soaring rates and hospitalisations.”
“There is an unquestionable desire to get back to normality. People want the economy back on track. People want the removal of masks and an end to further lockdowns, but, to do that, ultimately, we have to defeat the virus. <BR /> <BR />Undoubtedly, the question of COVID passes is a complex one, and, as we have heard from Members and have seen from emails that we have received and from protests that were outside the Building today, they are an emotional topic for many people. I have been contacted by numerous constituents who are willing to make sacrifices to halt the spread of the virus. For others, passes are a frightening prospect. It is all about providing assurance to the people with whom we come into contact. <BR /> <BR />Our health service is, by any stretch of the imagination, overwhelmed.”
“Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for his answer. You indicated, and we are aware, that the hospital is currently used as a post-COVID recovery centre. How many patients have benefited from that service?”
“Minister, you answered a question on payments to student nurses and those in other medical and allied health professions. MLAs spend a lot of time dealing with what might be described as the ping-pong between the Department of Health and the Department for the Economy when it comes to supporting students both with finance and student numbers. I welcome the number of student nurses that the Minister has provided. Can he set out a clear plan to deliver the whole cadre of professional medical students going forward in Northern Ireland and a clear pathway for their financing?”
“We need to ensure that Northern Ireland's regional capabilities are considered in all this, and we look to the Minister and to the Department for the Economy to work tirelessly to ensure not only that Northern Ireland gets its fair share, but that the information is disseminated so that we take full advantage of the legislation and that, as others said, once invention and projects become a reality, they will deliver in the community in Northern Ireland the jobs and the knock-on benefits from the quality of research that has been delivered.”
“<BR /> <BR />For the last 40-odd years, we have been doing the bulk of that with universities and other research institutions across the European Union, to many of which the UK Government have contributed financially in wide scientific areas of, for example, aeronautics and space exploration. We must not lose the investment that we made in that, as a nation, over the past 40 years. We must ensure that our universities and the research institutions and individuals who are likely beneficiaries of the research funding will have an open opportunity to be able to do that work. <BR /> <BR />I support Northern Ireland joining this strategic and ambitious approach to research goals and adding to the already excellent research base, not only in the United Kingdom but specifically in Northern Ireland, as was mentioned by others.”
“I agree with all the concerns that have been expressed by Members, but I have further concerns about the role of the United Kingdom in delivering, as well as supporting and funding, this type of research. We have cut ourselves off from a massive intellectual background in the European Union. We need assurance from the Minister that there will be no blocks or barriers to our universities and others sharing and innovating with the whole community of the European Union and, indeed, globally. Research cannot be done only in one small place such as Northern Ireland. Often, it has to be collaborative, and that means working with other institutions right around the world.”
“Some of the activities will be high-risk, but they will also be high reward in how they deliver for us. That is the importance of the ARIA Bill and initiative and what they will deliver.”
“Thank you for bringing the LCM to the House today, Minister. I will not repeat what colleagues from the Committee said about the way in which this legislative consent motion has come to us. It comes with some scrutiny difficulties. The overriding issue, however, is that of the importance of the legislation and the need to deliver it for future research in Northern Ireland, allowing the agencies and universities that can potentially gain from this resource to do so on an equal footing with the rest of those types of institutions throughout the United Kingdom. <BR /> <BR />Essentially, the provisions will ensure that Northern Ireland has, on a competitive basis, the same funding opportunities for scientific research as its counterparts, as well as filling the gaps that have been outlined by stakeholders in Northern Ireland.”
“I will be very brief. I thank the Minister for finally bringing the Bill to its conclusion. I regret the time that it has taken, through no fault of the Department of Justice but a hiatus in the Assembly. Perhaps a faster Committee Stage might have processed the Bill more expeditiously. Today is a day not for recriminations, however, but for welcoming the Committee's work and particularly that of the Minister and her officials in delivering this important legislation.”
“Will the Minister outline the plans to deliver the statutory youth provision in the area that may be lost as a result of the demolition of the old school building?”
“I thank my colleague from East Antrim for raising those important issues about Abbey Community College and Carrickfergus Academy. <BR /> <BR />Minister, while there is a general and important welcome of the planning application for the new Abbey Community College, concern has been raised with me by constituents about the potential loss of a statutory Education Authority youth provision in the existing school building. There is one in the existing school building, but none is planned for the new school building —.”
“Minister, the message from the Executive is that we are all in this together. Do your words today not rather undermine that message by giving mixed messages about COVID certification and lateral flow tests and to the supporting agencies such as the Health and Safety Executive, our public health officers and others? Are we not truly all in this together, and is it not important that the Assembly and, in particular, the Executive speak with one voice?”
“Minister, you will be aware that there was recently a leak of information around the report. That is unhelpful in that we need to have the report in front of us so that everybody can see it. Minister, will you indicate now the direction of travel that the Department will be taking in order to assure the public that we will no longer be exploring for petroleum or other carbon-based fuels in Northern Ireland and that those fuels will be left in the ground where they rightly belong? We need a very clear statement from you, Minister, and from your Department on that.”
“In Northern Ireland, many years ago, the qualifying period for the right to claim unfair dismissal was 26 weeks. It then moved to two years, before moving back to one year. In Northern Ireland, we are out of step with the UK. In fact, we in Northern Ireland provide better rights than the rest of the United Kingdom does when it comes to redundancy. Redundancy is based on age and length of service. There is, therefore, a whole raft of reasons why people qualify under employment law. I would like to see a great deal more harmonisation in all that, and the House should rise to that ambition. In this case, we have the opportunity today to bring forward new legislation that delivers for people a week-1 right, and that is the right and proper thing for us to do.”
“I, too, will be brief. I support the amendment and emphasise the Chair's comments. I see from the minutes of our Committee meeting that members commented on the importance of that being a week-1 right and that no one should face into the difficulties of bereavement, be it through miscarriage, stillbirth or early parental bereavement, knowing that, when it comes to financial considerations, a differentiation will be made between them and other employees with longer service. Earlier in the debate, my colleague Kellie Armstrong indicated that finance is not the key or driving issue for someone in those circumstances. <BR /> <BR />I want to address briefly Mr Weir's point on the different rates, if you like, of qualifying for various rights under employment law.”
“Apologies, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. I was just agreeing with the Member.”
“I appreciate the Minister giving way. You said that your amendment effectively says that your intention is that it is reasonable to consult. The interface between that position and that of the Committee is that we believe that "reasonable to consult" is not sufficient to deliver the imperative to provide for miscarriage. It allows too much latitude. That is why the amendment is present. The Department cannot be bound by "reasonable to consult". That is why there is a sincere intention to include a requirement in the legislation.”
“This is the day for the Assembly to make the bold decision to push the envelope as far as it can and to encourage the Department so that, hopefully, following today's debate, it will align with what the Committee is attempting to achieve by tabling its amendments. I hope that we will continue to work in the same direction to deliver for everybody who is affected by the Bill.”
“We have therefore pledged to bring forward legislation in the next mandate to deliver more comprehensive and compassionate leave, as we have heard requested by many of the people who came to the Committee. <BR /> <BR />In closing, I say that these provisions are long overdue. I thank the Minister and his predecessor for bringing the legislation forward; they are in the right place for having done so. They have considered this as part of their programme, and that is to be welcomed. In general, however, it is important that we do not just support the basic Bill but that we provide the enhancement that the Committee's amendments propose. The loss of a child is one of the worst things that anyone could imagine. Ensuring that workers are treated with compassion and given protection in those circumstances is simply the right thing to do.”
“<BR /> <BR />This Bill needs to cover miscarriage and ensure that that is a week-1 right. It is regrettable that the Department has not been able to work fully with us on these amendments. I accept that a lot of work has been done and a lot of discussion has taken place, but there is a gap that we need to narrow. We need to support these amendments. It is unfortunate, as others said, that the scope of the legislation has been affected by what has happened in the life of the Assembly, but we are where we are, and we have an opportunity to legislate. The Alliance Party believes that this is an important step towards fixing our outdated bereavement protections, and I am concerned that the playing field will continue to be uneven for everyone who falls outside the legislation.”
“We listened to trade unions, human rights organisations, bereavement charities and business representatives, all of whom encouraged us to table these amendments. They constantly raised one area of concern, which was that of when the payment should be provided. That goes beyond these amendments and into group 2, but I am happy to continue to speak to that at this stage. There is no justification for the protection coming only after 26 weeks of employment. No one should be any less entitled to compassion following the loss of a child. It is vital that we get legislation on such sensitive issues right. I understand what the Minister is saying, and I get the difficulties around this, but we are here to solve difficult problems; pushing them down the road will not solve this problem.”
“That is why the Committee did not consider the tabling of amendments lightly. Our first priority, and the first imperative on us, is to provide the comfort and financial support that is necessary not only for parental bereavement leave but for miscarriage leave. That is important, because miscarriage is a deeply traumatic and personal loss that requires protection identical to that which is in place for the loss of a child through stillbirth. It affects many women and their families and yet often continues to be discussed with hushed voices, if it is even discussed at all. I hope that extending the Bill to cover miscarriage can go some way towards ending the silence and the stigma. <BR /> <BR />We in the Economy Committee carefully considered the Bill. We listened to the words of individuals and stakeholders.”
“In Northern Ireland, some 450 employed parents struggle with the death of a child. There are, of course, many employers that are compassionate in such circumstances. I hope that today's debate will encourage more employers to think about how they can effectively implement what we are trying to achieve by way of legislation. There is absolutely nothing to stop them doing that today. <BR /> <BR />We need to ensure that, as a society, we have consistent and standardised statutory rights for workers. The Minister has brought forward a Bill that establishes an essential framework for the Department to build on. As you know, however, my fellow Committee members and I are concerned that the Bill does not go far enough. That is the goal that I seek to achieve today; that is where we need to move to.”
“I understand what the Minister is saying, but, at this point in the debate and given today's subsequent vote, I am not prepared to leave this legislation to chance — to the chance that we will have a consultation and that that consultation will guide a future Assembly, a future Committee and a future Minister in what to do. I want to grasp the opportunity today. I understand what the Minister is saying about how that has the potential to push the time frame back and perhaps make things more difficult, but we have time to continue those discussions. For today, it is important that the Assembly sends out a very clear message and sets down a very clear marker on delivery. <BR /> <BR />No parent or caregiver should be tasked with dealing with the additional pressures of loss of income at what is already a stressful time.”
“I thank the Minister for what he has said but, for me, this goes beyond parental bereavement leave and covers, as I will develop, miscarriage as well. It is vital that we embrace that holistically in the legislation. This is, perhaps, a one-off opportunity to introduce the legislation. My fear is that supporting the Minister's amendment would allow a Minister in the future to be blown off course in the delivery of what we are trying to achieve. It is important that we work as hard as we can, in this debate and in the time remaining, to ensure that we deliver the Committee's intention.”
“I do not pretend to understand all the technical nuances of what the Minister is telling us, but it seems to me that it should not be beyond the ability of the House or of those who have drafted and tabled the legislation to, in the space that remains between today and Further Consideration Stage, address that very issue to allow us to have the speediest implementation of the legislation. As I will develop in the discussion, that would also allow the Department the opportunity to come forward with further regulation. As my colleague Mr O'Toole indicated, the House would have absolute power over the delivery of that.”
“Therefore, it is important that we welcome the introduction of legislation to support parents and caregivers at a deeply challenging point in their life. It is imperative that we, as legislators, do everything within our power to help to alleviate the financial struggles of a family at that point in time and to assist and provide the space to start a sometimes very lengthy grieving process. <BR /> <BR />As the law on parental bereavement leave currently stands, there is no automatic right to paid leave in Northern Ireland after the death of a child. That starkly contrasts with the position in the rest of the United Kingdom, where, since April 2018, there has been access to maternity and paternity leave after the birth of a stillborn. We in Northern Ireland are therefore running remarkably behind.”
“However, there are people out there who either have been through or may ultimately face the circumstances that the Bill is trying to provide for. It is those people I am thinking of today, and they are the reason why the Alliance Party will support the Committee's amendments. Indeed, Kellie Armstrong, who is one of my colleagues and from whom you will hear later in the debate, indicated very strongly when the legislation was mooted that she wished to bring forward the very amendments that have been brought to the House today. The issue affects individuals. I have no doubt that, later in the debate, you will hear what she has to say and her personal story. <BR /> <BR />It goes without saying that the loss of a child is, of course, profoundly sad and life-changing for the parents.”
“Thank you to everybody who has worked so incredibly hard to get us to where we are with the debate today. In particular, I thank my colleagues on the Economy Committee, who worked on the issue with incredible diligence; the staff on the Committee, who assisted us; and, indeed, all those people who came to speak to us about their desire to see the legislation being delivered in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The debate is not an easy one for the people affected to listen to, and we need to acknowledge that. That is why I wish to open by saying that, on the one hand, I understand, from my previous career, the Minister's arguments and reasons, as well as the pressures on civil servants and others to bring forward legislation that works and delivers.”
“Thank you for giving away. The Member referred to the Minister's amendment and the amendment tabled by the Committee. Will you compare and contrast what those two amendments seek to achieve? The Committee amendment provides substantially more assurance for the House and those listening to us today that the outcome of the Bill will be delivered.”
“I look forward to the work that we will do in the Committee, and I am cognisant of the comments that the Chair and a member of the Business Committee made. It is important that legislation such as this is expedited as much possible, effectively and efficiently but taking into account all the serious issues that it raises, and that we pledge to deliver the Bill in this mandate.”
“I look forward to working alongside her, in my role on the Economy Committee, to ensure that the legislation is victim-centred. We need to look not only at the survivors of sexual assault in domestic circumstances but at anyone who has been sexually assaulted. Such survivors will be in similar circumstances in relation to confidentiality and to the shock and trauma that they have faced. I encourage the Committee and the Member sponsoring the Bill to look at whether, within the bounds of the Bill, it would be possible to extend its provisions beyond those in domestic violence circumstances. <BR /> <BR />We must not turn a blind eye to the issues of domestic and sexual violence, and the Bill is an essential step in increasing the necessary support. I thank the Member for bringing it forward.”
“The Economy Committee therefore needs to consider that issue in order to ensure that there is a higher level of confidentiality to protect victims from what might be described as "water-cooler conversations" and, indeed, to see that those who have, hold, are given and retain information in an employment context be held to a high level of confidentiality, perhaps even to that of criminal conviction, if they disclose a victim's information. <BR /> <BR />We should look also at extending safe leave or time off to victims and survivors of sexual assault, which is traumatic and life-changing. Ultimately, we want to support the victims of abuse, whether domestic or sexual, and that appears to be the right thing to do. <BR /> <BR />I conclude by thanking Rachel Woods for bringing forward the Bill.”
“One is about confidentiality, which is an area that we raised in Committee last week, and one that, like me, I hope that the Committee and the Bill sponsor will look forward to dealing with over the next few weeks. The issue came up when I worked on the Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill and relates to the embarrassment, perhaps, around miscarriage and not wanting that news to be circulated. That is completely understandable. In the case of this Bill, however, someone is in an abusive relationship. It is not about embarrassment: there is a risk to life and limb.”
“The Bill allows Northern Ireland to catch up with countries that have already introduced similar legislation, such as Australia, New Zealand and, as we have heard, the Republic of Ireland, where legislation is currently being progressed. It is so important that we offer the same protection to victims and survivors in Northern Ireland. Support in the form of paid leave is crucial to ensuring that they retain employment and have the economic flexibility to escape an abusive relationship in all the circumstances that are referred to, but not exhaustively so, in the Bill. <BR /> <BR />Having worked for some 30 years in the Labour Relations Agency (LRA), I think that the Bill is taking us in absolutely the right direction. I have some areas of concern, however.”
“Domestic violence may happen behind closed doors, but it has far-reaching consequences and impacts on the working life of those who live with an abusive partner. As others have mentioned, the scale of the problem is huge. A Trades Union Congress survey reported that in the UK, in any one year, more than one in five victims of domestic violence has to take time off work because of abuse, while 2% lose their job as a direct result. Those are shocking figures. <BR /> <BR />We can now say that domestic abuse has reached pandemic proportions. In Northern Ireland, we have some of the most concerning rates of domestic abuse in the United Kingdom. From April 2019 to March 2021, there were nearly 32,000 incidents of domestic abuse. That equates to an incident every 17 minutes in 2020.”
“On behalf of the Alliance Party, I support the Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill. As others have said, the Bill proposes allowing 10 days' annual leave for victims and survivors. The sexual, mental and physical abuse that is felt by victims cannot be overstated and must never be understated, as it is entirely shocking. I thank the Member for bringing forward this vital legislation. I must add that it builds on the tireless work of my colleague the Justice Minister, Naomi Long, when, earlier this year, she delivered the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland) 2021. <BR /> <BR />When we think of domestic violence, we do not typically think of the workplace, but we should.”