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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“Thank you, Minister. As you have indicated to the House that you were aware that your experts had raised concerns about the adequacy of the assessment, why did you and your Department fail to act on those recommendations by not requiring further information or not refusing the application?”
“Thank you, Minister, for your answer. You halted an application for an equine and other commercial transportation of animals facility at Redlands Road in Larne. Can you assure the House that, with the additional inspections that are required, the appropriate level of animal welfare is being maintained? When will you allow the expansion of the current equine and other animals facility at Redlands Road, as per the planning application?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement and his words of encouragement to everybody in the House to speak with one voice on how we need to protect ourselves. <BR /> <BR />Minister, can you tell us what discussions you may have had over the weekend with the Economy Minister and, indeed, other Ministers who may have gone off-message, about the way in which we are moving forward to protect everyone in Northern Ireland? One of the objectives of the economy is to keep our businesses open: do you agree that one of the best ways of keeping businesses open is to follow the rules that you lay down through the health regulations and that there needs to be absolute clarity on those rules and regulations?”
“If we were to tackle issues and produce interventions at much earlier ages and stages in people's lives, before they, unfortunately, end up in prison, many of the reforms would be of even greater benefit. <BR /> <BR />We have to take the current system into consideration. It is slow, and there are delays. The Bill is a key building block to deliver that change. Delaying justice for defendants infringes on their right to a fair trial within a reasonable time frame, and that is required and outlined by article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the legislation and the amendment from the Department. The Bill is not just about accelerating justice, but it is a major step in addressing the cost that victims and defendants face when their lives are put on hold by a system that currently holds them back.”
“I thank the Member and the Minister for their interventions. I also thank the Minister for clearly setting out the complexity of and interrelationship between all the changes. <BR /> <BR />I agree with the Member opposite, who is the Chair of the Committee, that, while the Bill makes a fundamental change and will bring forward additional changes, there are other aspects of the justice system that require reform. I, for one, believe that there are far too many people in prison and that we need a much wider range of interventions that go way beyond the Department of Justice and its remit. There are responsibilities for the Department of Health and the Department of Education.”
“I thank the Member for the intervention. I do not disagree, but I will defer to the Minister.”
“He began with an ambitious programme for reform when he was Justice Minister, and, today, the Minister is continuing that tradition in reforming and improving our current system. The Bill is a vital step towards reforming the justice system, and it will improve it for the defendant, the victim and the taxpayer. It will ensure that the process is faster and that rights are respected, and, in doing so, it will build confidence in our justice system and in how it serves all the people of Northern Ireland.”
“It is worth noting that the committal process was abolished in England and Wales a number of years ago. I do not believe that there are any substantive reports that indicate that what happened as a consequence of that caused any detriment. <BR /> <BR />I support the Bill and the amendment tabled by the Department, which, although technical, refers to the issues of legal aid certification, but I cannot support the subsequent amendments from Mr Allister, which aim to revert provisions that were already legislated for in 2015. We have heard the Minister explain why the change in that regard has not happened. Committal reform has been on the agenda for some time. Much of this process was started by a previous Justice Minister David Ford.”
“Like others, I welcome the opportunity to debate the Consideration Stage of the committal reform Bill. It will greatly improve and modernise our justice system, as others have said, and it will, hopefully, deliver an enhanced victim experience by accelerating justice and ensure that the taxpayer receives value for money. The Bill has taken into account the recommendations from the Fresh Start Agreement, the Gillen review and the Northern Ireland Audit Office. It will end the need to give pretrial oral evidence at a committal hearing, which, unfortunately, can be a traumatic experience for victims in the justice system. More than that, if we do not address the issue now, people in Northern Ireland will continue to be affected by a long, drawn-out system, and delays in the system, which elevates costs for little tangible gain.”
“— the paramilitaries refuse to accept the funds. Minister, will the programme assist in dealing with the scourge of moneylending?”
“I appreciate your answer, Minister. Moneylending is one of the most difficult areas to tackle in relation to paramilitary crime. In my constituency of East Antrim, I am only too aware of the corrosive effect that it has had on families and individuals once they get into the cycle of borrowing from paramilitaries in their community. There are excellent community groups, such as Christians Against Poverty and others, that provide a great deal of support, but they, too, are hampered, because, when they go to assist a client to repay the debt —”
“It is of extreme urgency, given that many people will wish to download a domestic passport but require proof of two vaccinations and, indeed, of a booster vaccination.”
“I appreciate the work that the Minister's Department has put into that. There is, however, one recurring issue for many of my constituents and for me, which concerns instances where people have received their vaccinations in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, other parts of the United Kingdom or, indeed, overseas. One constituent received one vaccination in Canada and another in Northern Ireland. At the moment, it appears technically impossible for them to get the full international travel or, indeed, domestic passport because of where they received their vaccinations. Having one vaccination in one jurisdiction and one in another does not seem to match up. What is the Department doing to deal with that anomaly?”
“Thank you, Minister, for your statement. It is an important one today, particularly for families in Northern Ireland who find themselves in such circumstances. <BR /> <BR />Minister, Helen McCourt's parents have been actively involved in the group Support after Murder and Manslaughter (SAMM); in particular, they have been exploring an area of law regarding the crime of prevention of burial. That does not require perpetrators to indicate where or how they have disposed of remains, but it is a crime in itself and carries the penalty of life imprisonment. What action is the Department taking to ensure that it sits alongside all the actions that are taken to encourage and support the families?”
“We owe that to victims of life-changing injuries and the circumstances in which they find themselves. <BR /> <BR />I encourage the Assembly to join the voices that I have heard in the House today to support the Bill and not the amendment. I believe that the amendment would only lead to further inertia and stop people from receiving the appropriate 100% compensation to which they are entitled.”
“<BR /> <BR />I support the Bill completely, but, as others said, it is difficult to consider supporting the amendment, which, I believe, pushes the Bill in a less attractive or sensible direction. As the Chair of the Committee referenced, the amendment is untested within the framework. There is a previous example of an expert panel convened to advise on the discount rate, but it failed to reach any form of consensus. I believe that a panel, including representatives from both sides and defendants with a different competing vested interest, will only lead to more gridlock, not to mention very costly delays as a result of such a situation. Indeed, I understand that that has been the situation in other parts of the United Kingdom. <BR /> <BR />It is important that the Bill delivers change and delivers it quickly.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. It is very important and will ensure that compensation does precisely what it is supposed to do: returning an injured person to the financial position that they would be in if they were not injured, giving them financial security for the remainder of their life following life-changing injuries. <BR /> <BR />The Bill is transformative. It will end personal injury claim delays for those who have already suffered enough. It will ensure that people with life-changing injuries receive the compensation to which they are entitled, as others said, in respect of a framework that achieves 100% compensation: no more, no less.”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. Recent consumer reports have referred to a substantial backlog in the provision of home-charging points in the rest of the UK. What is the situation in Northern Ireland in relation to the provision of home-charging points through providers or one provider, as it is in the rest of the UK — British Gas, I understand? In addition, there are homes in Northern Ireland for which the electricity supply is insufficient to deliver home-charging points: what action does she intend to take with regard to that?”
“First Minister, in all the meetings that you have had with the Joint Committee, what positive aspects of the Northern Ireland protocol have you promoted? The vast majority of representatives of businesses tell Members of the House that there are great benefits to being in the economies of both the United Kingdom and the European Union. Those are great benefits to Northern Ireland; indeed, an Executive Minister was promoting those benefits in the Netherlands just last week. <BR /> <BR />Minister, will you tell the House what you have been doing to promote Northern Ireland positively? The situation stands in sharp contrast to national newspaper reports of empty shelves in supermarkets and other businesses across the UK —”
“Minister, will you outline for the House how your skills strategy will address the lack of gender diversity in qualifications, particularly those aligned to STEM-focused jobs?”
“Minister, given the cross-cutting nature of your decision, what consultation have you had with the Utility Regulator and the owners of the Scotland-Northern Ireland interconnector pipeline that transports gas from Scotland to Northern Ireland? In response to the answer that you have just given, I ask this: do you not recognise that the application is not for gas to be stored for Northern Ireland but for gas to be stored for the rest of the United Kingdom and for it to be sold at ransom prices in the rest of the United Kingdom? Where are the cross-cutting considerations? Will you be the Minister who leaves Northern Ireland with a hole under Larne lough and nobody else agreeing with you?”
“Given the deputy First Minister's response, how do the Executive plan to deal with applicants for funding? How do you intend to balance that funding between the organisations that the Assembly distributes funds to, particularly when the Executive has no say in the design, policy or direction of the fund?”
“Minister, I join Members in welcoming the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy accreditation for Glenarm Forest, which is in the constituency of East Antrim. I also acknowledge the number of visitors who go there and who will enjoy the forest many years into the future. Glenarm stands in stark contrast, however, to the situation at Woodburn Forest, which is also in East Antrim, where trees were removed to facilitate a futile attempt to explore for oil close to the public water supply; indeed, concern remains for the replacement trees at Woodburn, which are far from thriving. What action will you take, Minister, to protect and expand all our forests across Northern Ireland?”
“Many of my constituents — and, indeed, the Minister's constituents — in East Antrim are using their cards to pay for gas, electricity and oil: essentials for household living today, unfortunately. Can you explain to the House how that spending fits with your scheme's objectives of supporting and stimulating local businesses through the Spend Local prepaid card?”
“Finally, Mr Speaker, a question for a Minister who is not here today, our Economy Minister: where is our energy strategy?”
“Departments here need to grasp practical examples such as that. <BR /> <BR />The effects of unemployment and the COVID pandemic will be seen hard and long through the winter. An emergency fund would go some way to reducing fuel poverty but would be a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed. It is time to put long-term emphasis on restructuring our economy, ending dependency on unreliable and climate-destroying fossil fuels.”
“That is why my party's green new deal focuses on sustainable energy and ending fuel poverty, while recognising that we have to build a secure and thriving green economy that delivers for everyone. <BR /> <BR />The decisions that we take now will determine whether this is a crisis in which we support vulnerable households or a catastrophe into which we let them fall. We have an opportunity to reimagine our communities, but that must involve all-encompassing, cross-departmental schemes. An example of that is being showcased in London with the release of the Future Neighbourhoods 2030 plan that puts long-term emphasis on the restructuring of the economy, ending inequalities through a green new deal and focusing on disadvantaged residents who have been disproportionately affected by fuel poverty.”
“We need to fund energy programmes fully, insulate and retrofit homes to make them energy-efficient, and change the energy price framework, which currently charges the highest rates to those who use the least energy. <BR /> <BR />We have to make progress on tackling fuel poverty. We have not done enough. Unprecedented price rises threaten to wipe out all the good that has been done and put pressure on vulnerable households. Funding has to be put aside to ensure that people can heat their home. We need to invest in greener energy and sustainable, insulated housing. Our most disadvantaged live in poorly insulated homes. People will suffer from the rising costs of energy. Cold homes cost £50 more a month to heat, and many people are at breaking point.”
“<BR /> <BR />We cannot just pay lip service to fuel poverty, food poverty, clothing poverty and period poverty. We need to address all those issues on behalf of our constituents who can no longer afford the bare essentials. No one should be forced to choose between eating and heating. That choice represents an absolute failure of government policy, whether at Westminster or here, and it entrenches pre-existing inequalities. Some of our most disadvantaged are suffering in silence. Children from cold homes are twice as likely to suffer from respiratory problems as those living in warm homes. <BR /> <BR />We need urgent action in order to maintain and support people who are living in vulnerable circumstances, but we also need long-term solutions.”
“They face rising energy prices, cuts to welfare and a long, cold winter. Even before the pandemic, over 160,000 households in Northern Ireland were living in fuel poverty. With no end to high prices in sight, we need to address the issue now. We must deal with it. <BR /> <BR />The removal of the universal credit uplift, which others mentioned, could not have come at a more critical time. Reports by citizens' organisations have demonstrated that some of poorest households in Northern Ireland could lose up to £40 a week. Over 300,000 people in Northern Ireland already live on the breadline. The Northern Ireland poverty bulletin reported that one child in four lives in poverty. Taking away the universal credit uplift will only plunge another 11,000 children into poverty and misery.”
“The timing of the debate could not be more urgent. Our energy crisis has emphasised the need for real, meaningful and permanent change. As others said, the record high prices will sadly plunge thousands of households into fuel poverty this winter, with costs increasing at incredible rates in many areas. <BR /> <BR />The crisis has been sparked by a number of factors, but it is ultimately down to rising global demand for unsustainable energy. Prices have skyrocketed after the pandemic, as demand rebounded more quickly than expected. The rise in energy prices that we are seeing now will happen time and time again while we continue to rely on fossil fuels as our dominant energy system. In effect, we are in a perfect storm that has been brewing for some time. <BR /> <BR />People are desperate.”
“Does the Member agree that the European social fund played a crucial role in the courses and schemes that were being delivered by the Department for Communities and the Department for the Economy? We are moving into a very uncertain future with regards to the UK's Shared Prosperity Fund, which has still not been delivered and which the Assembly is in the dark about. It is highly unlikely that any local Minister or Assembly will have an influence in how those funds are spent.”
“— recovery plan shows that and limits impact. It is time to emphasise action, not strategy, to focus on people, society and economy.”
“We must engage with those who have missed out so far so that they do not miss out again. An all-encompassing skills strategy is needed now more than ever. <BR /> <BR />As I said, I have reservations about a ring-fenced fund. Ministers should be capable of managing their budgets across a range of headings. A ring-fenced fund provides a statement of intent, but it creates difficulties where underspends occur. Too often, long-term cross-departmental planning is a weakness in the Executive. The lack of engagement with other Departments on the economic —”
“The reality is that they represent a better alternative for many students, as we have an excellent further education sector, one that we need to continue to develop. <BR /> <BR />Overlooking the deepening disparities and inequalities in our society will lead only to more hardship. The Northern Ireland index of multiple deprivation measures reported that, in some of our communities, up to 80% of school-leavers are not gaining a level 2 qualification and over 60% of working-age people in those communities have few or no qualifications. It suggests that the impact of low employment and high deprivation rates and crime are detrimental to all of those communities. The skills strategy must place a focus on ending those inequalities. It must enable more individuals to have an opportunity to gain skills that will deliver a more balanced economy.”
“In the past year, employment for 16-to-24-year olds has faced the most significant drop. An ageing population and technological changes have created a two-tier labour market, providing those fortunate enough to have in-demand skills with flexibility, security and rising wages, while many traditional roles face uncertainty. We must address that by investing in skills and social development. More than that, we need to retain our students in Northern Ireland. However, the task is to prove to them that there are advantages in staying here. We must ensure that our further education colleges are a first-choice alternative for those who do not go to or do not want to go to local universities.”
“We must use investment as the key driver of economic growth and consider skills, research and infrastructure through a much greener lens. They are the building blocks of delivering a more sustainable economy. The Alliance Party's green new deal represents that and recognises that we must build a secure and thriving green economy — an economy that delivers for everyone through a revolutionary shift in policy focusing on and promoting sustainability and reducing inequalities. Our green new deal has the potential to create new skills strategies for citizens through a reformed and employer-driven apprenticeship system. It will combat youth unemployment and present new, fresh and sustainable opportunities. <BR /> <BR />A decrease in economic activity has hit our young people, school-leavers and the lowest qualified the hardest.”
“More than ever, we have the opportunity to invest in a green economy — an economic opportunity that prioritises the well-being of our people, our country and our planet. Before we do anything, we need to be able to finalise a new skills strategy and understand that there is a cross-cutting Executive responsibility, rather than cutting lumps out of one another. We need to be able to invest more in skills across the board; in fact, the Alliance Party believes that the Executive must and should invest at least a further £100 million per annum. A skills fund will have a role, but it is only one piece of a much larger offering. <BR /> <BR />Twenty years ago, many of the jobs that people in Northern Ireland do today simply did not exist.”
“I support the motion and the amendment, because they push our efforts in a more sensible direction. It is important that we support skills funding. We should not just pay lip service to improving the living standards of people in Northern Ireland; we need to invest in the development of their skills and encourage and support people to reach their full potential if we are to create a genuinely fair, equal and inclusive society, which is what, I believe, all of us around the Chamber want to achieve. <BR /> <BR />The skills and talents of our citizens in Northern Ireland are the fundamental basics of our economic success. They are what attract industry, jobs and investment, so we must create a skills framework to secure future jobs.”
“Minister, overwhelming scientific evidence shows that ventilation is vital in dealing with the current pandemic. The Scottish Government have recently introduced a £25 million grant to support businesses, factories and other buildings in dealing with ventilation issues. It is unacceptable just to prop doors open with fire extinguishers. Buildings are not always easy to ventilate. The sum total on this in your statement is that you are exploring CO2 meters. What more can you do? Will you consider a grant similar to that which the Scottish Government have given to deliver high-quality ventilation over the winter?”
“In the days and weeks ahead, it should be our responsibility as politicians to again highlight and pursue the need for a comprehensive way forward on legacy issues, but today is a day to show compassion and empathy for two bereaved families.”
“This morning, there are two grieving families to hold in our thoughts, two families connected by tragic circumstance. The first family's grief has been their constant companion for decades; the second family's bereavement journey has just begun. Out of respect for those families, who will both be grieving and in distress today, and in memory of John Pat Cunningham and Dennis Hutchings, let today not be a time for recriminations and political point-scoring. Let today be a day for compassion and sensitivity. People will struggle today with a terrible sense of loss, a feeling that we all have the misfortune to know and one with which we can empathise. <BR /> <BR />Events remind us of the long shadow that legacy casts over our community and of the ongoing pain and anguish that it causes.”
“— they should be dealt with internally between those two organisations.”
“The fact is that the negotiations are between the European Union and the United Kingdom. It is for them to resolve those matters between them, and, rather than our troubles and issues being taken to other bodies —”
“Thank you. I will defer to the Member on that. Of course, he will recognise that the EU and the United Kingdom must have a final arbitration system to determine where they are going. For the European Union, it is the European Court of Justice; in the United Kingdom, it is the Supreme Court. They both must have those mechanisms. Of course, what the Member fails to remember is that, in all the negotiations, past and current, there have been many resolution mechanisms that should resolve all those problems long before the two organs or bodies would ever go to their specific courts to deal with those matters. It is a red herring, at the end of the day.”
“I do not hear Northern Ireland businesses raising concern about the European Court of Justice, and nor, indeed, have I heard many Members in the Chamber refer to it in past debates.”
“We need to look to the EU and the UK sitting down to work their way through the issues. This is probably the first time in decades that Northern Ireland has had a genuine competitive advantage over surrounding regions. We need to grasp that challenge. Rather than remain a peripheral region of Europe, we could be a pivot point for trade between the United Kingdom and the EU, attracting multinationals, new start-ups and, of course, investment in jobs. The proposal from the EU Commission makes that an even more exciting economic advantage for Northern Ireland, providing stability for the future. That is one opportunity that we must not squander. <BR /> <BR />There is concern that the goalposts seem to be moving and that the European Court of Justice has been raised as an issue by Lord Frost, despite his role in agreeing the protocol in 2019.”
“One only has to look at the European free trade areas like the arrangements that the European Union has with Norway. I also strongly welcome the proposals last week from the EU Commission that would remove 80% of spot checks and cut paperwork by 50%. That is a major move and presents an opportunity, but it is not where we finally want to be. The United Kingdom and the EU need to enter into negotiations, and I am convinced that, by negotiation, a great many more of those barriers can be removed. For example, a lorry carrying food destined for retail in Northern Ireland will now require only one certificate if those proposals are taken on board. Animal products will see much lower levels of checks. <BR /> <BR />What I hear from businesses is that the protocol presents challenges but also benefits. Scrapping it is certainly not the solution.”
“That is what my party and its Member of Parliament at Westminster, Stephen Farry, have been doing: working behind the scenes and up front in proposing practical, workable solutions. Unfortunately, it seems that the United Kingdom Government seem somewhat uninterested in a full discussion on the long-term resolution of problems. They were given the opportunity, which, I hope, they will grasp now. <BR /> <BR />I welcome Vice President Šefcovic's support for formal dialogue between the Assembly and the European Parliament, because it is clear to me that the majority here want workable solutions to improve the operation of the protocol in order to maximise the benefits for Northern Ireland. There are plenty of examples of how that can be achieved.”
“It faces many of the difficulties that we face, and, in some ways, its situation is worse. Perhaps now some of my colleagues in the DUP will recognise that and agree with us that we need to negotiate rather than have stand-offs. <BR /> <BR />Ultimately, we recognise the need to maintain an open border on the island of Ireland and that the United Kingdom Government's decision to lead us to the need for a protocol was wrong. There are problems with the operation of the protocol, but we believe that many of those can be overcome. That is what politics is about at the end of the day. Rather than shouting from the sidelines and misleading people with comments and views about the protocol and Brexit, we need to work together to remove the uncertainties that surround the situation.”