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.”
The complete record
Every one of 2,188 lines we hold for Stewart Dickson, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 22 of 44.
“Minister, your answer sounds as though you are engaged in doing practical things to deal with the protocol. I congratulate you on that and encourage you to continue down that route rather than trying to oppose the protocol.”
“I thank the Minister for his answers. Minister, will you outline your plan and timescale for removing the protocol, given that you are likely to end up as First Minister?”
“I add my words to those of others in relation to the First Minister. I wish her well in the future. <BR /> <BR />Minister, looking forward from where we are in relation to recovery from COVID-19, you have a task force, the Minister for the Economy has a high street task force and the Minister for Infrastructure has responsibility around planning. Can you tell us what joined-up actions you will be taking in all those areas to reimagine our public spaces, particularly in the delivery of business on the high street?”
“Minister, thank you for your statement. I turn again to the Department for the Economy and the economic recovery strategy. Given the well-documented difficulties that that Department has had in distributing funds in the last financial year and in administering support schemes, what action will your Department and, indeed, your Executive colleagues take to ensure that we see a smoother distribution of the remaining COVID funds and a move to an economic recovery strategy on a cross-departmental basis?”
“Very briefly, I must say that we need to recover a world-class service in Northern Ireland. We need to deliver these changes quickly, but there are things that we need to do now in order to save lives in the future.”
“The first line of your conversation with your GP will not be about a lump or a bump; it will quite often be the second, third or fourth part of the conversation. It may even happen as you are going out the door. I know that our GPs understand, but it is vital that we return this service as quickly as possible.”
“I understand, as everyone does, that, at the beginning of the pandemic, it was necessary to adapt to fewer face-to-face interactions to protect our services. However, today I asked my charity colleagues what was the key question that they wanted me to ask in the House. It was that GP services be opened up as quickly as is practicably possible. It is very difficult to listen to lengthy telephone messages and be told that, if the GP is able to call you back, all that you can have is a telephone triage call. Those are time-limited and difficult services for people to work in and understand. Quite simply, they put people off. People are not availing themselves of the services at the point at which they need to most — that is, to see a GP. <BR /> <BR />I can honestly tell you that it is so difficult when you do not see a GP.”
“It is time to press play again. In fact, we need to press the fast-forward button. <BR /> <BR />When it comes to effective cancer services, we must start with early diagnosis. That often means not keeping suspicious pains, lumps or bumps to ourselves but discussing them with our GP and attending screening appointments when they are offered. <BR /> <BR />At the briefing by Macmillan Cancer Support to all MLAs today, it was noted that the pathology data suggests that some 1,300 patients missed a cancer diagnosis between March 2020 and February 2021. That is extremely worrying. <BR /> <BR />Most diagnoses start in primary care. I am concerned, and I ask the Health Minister directly, about the level of GP services that are available in Northern Ireland today.”
“The pandemic has put on pause or, in many cases, put a stop to our system of treating patients with cancer, meaning that waiting lists have grown even more. We have heard some of the figures set out in the Chamber today.”
“We need to fund our health service properly. No one should be left behind without care. People should not need to have private care. We need and must maintain our universal healthcare system. <BR /> <BR />I was impressed by and thankful for the professionalism of the exceptional and compassionate care that I received. Other Members have spoken of that care today, and I know that many others receive it from staff across our health service. I place on record my thanks to the healthcare staff. I recognise the challenging work that they undertake every day. <BR /> <BR />Unfortunately, our health service is not, to put it mildly, in a good place. Even before the pandemic, waiting lists were at unacceptable levels. Too many people were living in pain or worrying about the waiting times for procedures and tests.”
“In supporting the motion, I welcome the opportunity to speak. First, I declare an interest as a member of the board of Oesophageal Cancer NI, which is a cancer charity in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />I have experienced cancer. I received a diagnosis and treatment under two years ago. I have first-hand knowledge of the concerns and challenges of the journey and, indeed, of the continuing journey that diagnosis and treatment can be. All my treatment was free on behalf of our National Health Service. I did not have to worry about paying for the treatment that I received. All I had to be concerned about was my journey to get through the treatment that I was to have. <BR /> <BR />The concept of a free health service at the point of delivery is one that, as we must emphasise, is so important to retain.”
“Minister, what discussions have you had with the Treasury, particularly with the Chancellor, who, according to some media outlets, has done a disappearing act since he produced his Budget? What discussions have you had about rebuilding our economy and our community and about how the various schemes will be tapered as a consequence of the reopening of services?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I agree with him that this does not, at the moment, affect face-to-face or in-person card transactions, but we have just come through a year where more people in the United Kingdom have involved themselves in online or phone transactions. They have been doing that predominantly to order their groceries from supermarkets. Those payments will be included, so, as in-person activity declines, online and phone activity will increase. Therefore, I believe that the problem will increase.”
“Unfortunately, those old barriers are returning, and access to the world's biggest single market is being hindered. We see a tangible example of that before us today. Perhaps the words of Mrs Thatcher should be ringing in the ears of some of her former ardent supporters. That is why our amendment calls for card fees to be reversed where possible and for the United Kingdom to re-engage and reach reciprocal agreements with the EU to protect customers and break down the barriers to business, not raise them. I am delighted to hear that the proposer of the motion will accept our amendment, and I trust that the House will support the amendment unanimously today.”
“Further mitigations for groupage, customs declarations, parcels and property and properly communicating the changes through the UK and the EU are achievable if the UK Government and the EU are determined to reach agreement on them. <BR /> <BR />Ultimately, leaving the world's largest and most integrated trading bloc was never going to lead to anywhere but a tangle of red tape and extra cost for businesses and consumers. We had an open and free trading relationship with the EU for so long that the old barriers, physical and bureaucratic, had been forgotten. A very pro-single market United Kingdom Prime Minister — one whom I do not often quote or agree with — summarised the benefits in 1988 as follows:”
“Such an agreement has existed between the EU and New Zealand since the 1990s, meaning that New Zealand — a country more than 11,000 miles away — has simpler access to the EU than food products from the UK. As we move further into the year, more and more people from all sides are coming to realise that the situation is not workable. Shellfish, salmon, lamb and cheese exports, to name but a few, all across the UK are feeling the pain of delays not from the United Kingdom into Northern Ireland — this part of the United Kingdom — but from the United Kingdom into Europe. Negotiating a veterinary agreement should be a key and urgent priority for the UK Government. They should do so as quickly as possible.”
“<BR /> <BR />In addition to the issues relating to services, we believe that, with goodwill and pragmatism, much can be achieved in finding a way to streamline the flow of goods from Europe to GB and across the Irish Sea and make the protocol as light-touch as possible. We, as a party, have been leading the calls for practical solutions since the very beginning of the process. A clear and constructive way forward, for example, would be a veterinary agreement. A UK-EU agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) rules on the movement of animals and food products would go a long way to reducing checks on goods travelling between Europe, GB and across the Irish Sea.”
“<BR /> <BR />As an aside, another tangible benefit of the single market harmonisation was that there was no cost on mobile phone roaming. I hope that the UK Government will provide the assurance that they failed to provide in respect of debit cards and that we will see an agreement on that as quickly as possible. I note with concern today that one of the Finnish telecoms companies has already announced the return of roaming charges for customers travelling to the United Kingdom. That could be the thin end of the wedge. If those charges were to be reinstated, people would, understandably, be upset.”
“As a third country — yes, that is what we are — this would be outside the United Kingdom's ability to regulate. <BR /> <BR />Unfortunately, this is just one instance of how a hard Brexit, with its threadbare and rushed Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), has allowed for the reintroduction of barriers to trade. The issues need to be resolved, because they hurt businesses and consumers across the United Kingdom. The Government must engage with the EU with pragmatism and in good faith to build on the inadequate TCA. That should include reinstituting a reciprocal cap on card interchange fees, as proposed in our amendment. That is clearly possible, as it was done before and could form part of the financial services chapter of the TCA. Clearly, it would also be to the mutual benefit of consumers and businesses across the UK and the EEA.”
“We recognise that the United Kingdom Government could have retained regulations that would have maintained the cap on charges that the UK issuers levy on EEA merchants, and we call on the United Kingdom Government to act to protect UK customers from these unfair and unwarranted price rises and, indeed, the danger of further price rises. Nonetheless, even if the United Kingdom Government took that action, it would not offset the risk of higher fees being levied by the European card issuers on UK sellers, as the UK is no longer covered by the interchange fee regulation limits. That would make it more expensive for UK businesses to sell goods to Europe, as, although the merchant would be in the United Kingdom, the card issuer would be in the EEA and would be free to raise fees.”
“I note, however, that Visa and MasterCard have announced that they will delay a rise in online purchase fees planned for US customers until April 2022 to give businesses space to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. It is disappointing that United Kingdom businesses and consumers have not had such an approach extended to them, so I today call on Visa and MasterCard to rethink the massive increases. I have not seen any justification for them; in fact, it is pure opportunism. Nonetheless, this is a problem caused by Brexit, and we believe that the United Kingdom Government need to act to resolve it. <BR /> <BR />That brings me to the amendment.”
“It has been mentioned already but is worth repeating that those living in border regions or who source goods from the EEA are particularly vulnerable to increases in such fees, which will likely be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices and less choice. <BR /> <BR />Those painful charges are made even more acute as there are few alternatives to what is essentially a duopoly, with Visa and MasterCard essentially controlling the entire debit and credit card market in the United Kingdom. It is cynical and deeply damaging at this exceptionally difficult time, and, indeed, it benefits no one but big banks and multinational corporations that are concerned more about their shareholders than about consumers and small businesses.”
“The regulation itself was retained in UK law but, disappointingly, operates on a UK-wide basis, as the Government took the position that capping fees on UK-to-EEA transactions whilst EEA issuers did not face a similar cap would result in asymmetrical obligations on UK business. <BR /> <BR />It is no coincidence that, soon after the transition period ended, Visa and MasterCard announced their intention to massively increase the fees levied on online EEA purchases by UK debit cards by more than 400% and by 500% on credit cards. That announcement came during one of the most disruptive and painful years that many businesses and consumers have faced. They are looking towards reopening and recovery, and those additional costs are the last thing that they need.”
“I rise to propose the Alliance Party's amendment, and my colleague Mr Andrew Muir will make a winding-up speech on it. <BR /> <BR />The interchange fee regulation introduced in 2015 meant that, across the European Economic Area, a standardised cap existed on fees for cross-border transactions. The fees were calculated on the proportion of the total amount of the transaction and the payment method of 0·2% for debit cards and 0·3% for credit cards. Those are much lower rates than in other comparable countries and meant that a customer from Germany, for example, could buy goods in Northern Ireland without onerous interbank fees being incurred and vice versa. Of course, after the UK Government's decision to pursue the hardest possible Brexit and leave the single market, those protections have been rolled back.”
“Minister, you have launched a review of the energy strategy in Northern Ireland, but do you agree that it has perhaps had a rather inauspicious start, given the alleged reports that certain critical lines in the report from the University of Exeter were removed at the request of your Department?”
“Does the Minister agree that a public inquiry is inevitable, given the outcry about the project and, indeed, that it is a cross-cutting matter for the Executive and not one solely for his Department?”
“He was also inquisitive about what we had done and the contribution that we had made through our Churchill fellowships. That evening of 18 March 2016 will stay with me for a very long time. <BR /> <BR />On behalf of the Alliance Party and of my constituents in East Antrim, I express my deepest condolences to the royal family, to Her Majesty The Queen and to the wider family circle as we engage in a week of mourning and progress towards a funeral this coming weekend.”
“I will fast-forward to 2016, when I had the incredible privilege of being invited to Buckingham Palace to attend a reception to mark 50 years of the Winston Churchill fellowships. Her Majesty The Queen entertained 100 of us in the palace that evening, and members of the royal family were present. In the line-up was Her Majesty The Queen, and by her side was Prince Philip. As the evening progressed, people broke into small groups, and, of course, those of us from Northern Ireland tended to stand together. Individual members of the royal family came round the groups and chatted to us. The thing that struck me was his interest in and knowledge about everybody who was in the room that night. He was engaging. He reminisced with us about Winston Churchill, which was fascinating.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is important that we share some of the anecdotes and achievements of that incredible life. He is well remembered for his contribution to the World Wide Fund for Nature and for his early contribution to the National Playing Fields Association, an organisation that brought me, in part at least, into the life of my community. I spent 30 years as a leader in the Boys' Brigade, helping young men and others to reach bronze, silver and gold level in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme. <BR /> <BR />I remember the first time that I saw the Duke of Edinburgh. It was a wet day, and, as an 11-year-old schoolboy, I was standing in Carrickfergus when the Queen and Prince Philip arrived into the harbour. I do not think there has been a wetter day since in Northern Ireland, and it sticks out in my mind.”
“I want to add a few words to the tributes that have been paid today. First and foremost, I pay tribute to His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh for the public service that he gave not only to our nation but to many countries around the world. This is also about the personal loss of a husband, a father, a grandfather and, indeed, a great-grandfather. <BR /> <BR />His Royal Highness had a long and extremely eventful life, with a tempestuous beginning, as others have referred to, just after the First World War, escaping and finding his way to London through the turmoil of his family at that time, to marry a princess in 1947. Since that time and since becoming consort to Her Majesty The Queen, he provided steadfast support to her and was always at her side.”
“There is no two-tiered policing, and there is no room for it in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />It is incumbent on all of us to show leadership, dial down the rhetoric and seek solutions. We must all accept when we are wrong and apologise for it — me included. Our words and actions have consequences, especially when we are in positions of leadership. Let us go from this place today determined to address every one of the issues raised by Members in the Chamber.”
“I want to finish, thank you. <BR /> <BR />I call on everyone in the Chamber to work to defuse frictions, stop boycotts, stop deflection, stop whipping up tension and do what we have been saying here today: get round the table and work out how we can approach the UK Government together collectively to resolve and mitigate many of the issues. <BR /> <BR />The message from today is simply that the violence must stop. No one should be above the COVID restrictions or the law in general. As political representatives, we have to set an example. I invite Members to join my party in demonstrating our united condemnation of the violence and our full and unreserved support for the communities that have been harmed by violence and for the PSNI, from the Chief Constable down through every rank.”
“<BR /> <BR />The protocol has been mentioned today. The DUP's attempt to deflect on the matter is simply not working. No one wanted the protocol, but it was the consequence of the hard Brexit that was championed by that party, against the political, economic and social interests of Northern Ireland. The reality is that we have the protocol because that party sank the backstop, which would have seen no customs border throughout the whole of the UK or Ireland. It is time to wake up to the Brexit reality. It is time to stop and let us move to a light touch on Brexit instead of lighting the blue touch paper on every occasion.”
“There should be discussion about concerns rather than the pursuit of politicising our police because, simply put, that is what is expected of a First Minister. Undermining confidence in the leadership of the PSNI at such a sensitive time is clearly unhelpful. Sadly, we have seen the outworking of that on our streets. I hope that the First Minister's words today will be seen as a step forward as well. <BR /> <BR />I want to express my and my party's unequivocal support for the PSNI for the work that it does in extremely challenging circumstances. In addition, we send our best wishes to those who are injured and our sympathy to the members of the public who have faced distress while their property and their communities have been damaged and, indeed, to the bus drivers. The violence is unacceptable and must stop now.”
“The response of the DUP and the Ulster Unionist Party to the PPS announcement that it would not pursue any prosecution was also not constructive. Those parties must also understand that we have to end this two-faced approach of supporting PSNI officers but not their leadership. That is deeply undermining, and it has, in fact, put rank-and-file officers at risk. Rank-and-file officers look to their leadership for direction, and the opportunistic politicisation of the PSNI leadership by the DUP and the UUP is unacceptable and profoundly counterproductive. <BR /> <BR />Our First Minister needs to show leadership and to meet the Chief Constable, and I am pleased that that is likely to happen.”
“The people of Northern Ireland are understandably upset by the hypocrisy of delivering decisions on regulations that impact lives hugely and, yet, attending such a large event in the midst of severe restrictions. I share the feelings and frustrations of the community when they see that.”
“As expressed by many in the Chamber, there was no excuse for the actions of Sinn Féin, including our deputy First Minister, among others, in undermining the COVID restrictions at the funeral of Bobby Storey last year. No excuses. The deputy First Minister has much work to do to restore any public confidence following that. I do not believe that the immensity of that task has struck home entirely yet, but I hope that her words today were a step forward.”
“<BR /> <BR />Nonetheless, I am strongly encouraged by the resounding rejection of the violence on social media by people in many communities. It is not wanted. What is wanted, however, is peaceful political solutions to problems, solutions that the House must commit to. Regardless of the breadth of voices that have been expressed in the Chamber today, the one message that I heard coming through was a desire to sit down and talk and start to work out what those peaceful solutions are. <BR /> <BR />It is our job, as elected representatives, to lead by example and to set an example, so I was disappointed at the examples that have been set in recent weeks. Violence is completely unacceptable and counterproductive, and we have to acknowledge that the words and actions of political representatives have consequences.”
“Some have said that the violence has been orchestrated in many cases by sinister criminal elements, and, indeed, that may be true. However, those encouraged onto the streets are often vulnerable young people and children who are risking their futures, their safety and, indeed, sadly, in the past day, lives. I do not know whether any of those young people will ever listen to me, but I ask them to think twice before they get involved in that criminality. I appeal to mums and dads and, indeed, to anyone of good influence to speak up. It is extremely dangerous. You are destroying your community; you are hurting your friends and family; and your future prospects will be on the line, if you end up with a criminal record.”
“Those perpetrating the violence have themselves been injured, and, rightfully, there have been arrests. Like everyone in the Chamber, I am deeply concerned that young children appear to have been brought into the protests; indeed, I observed that when some young children were blocking traffic in Larne on Tuesday night. <BR /> <BR />Members have referred to the need to tackle the structural inadequacies in Northern Ireland. That is evident when we see what has gone on on the streets over the last number of nights. We need to build trust and confidence in this society, in those communities and all communities across Northern Ireland. That can be done only when we listen to everyone in the Chamber. Yes, we must listen to the voices, every one of them, of the Members who have spoken in the Chamber today.”
“I do not need to amplify what they said, but I place on record my thanks to the Executive, who met this morning, and welcome the joint statement by the First Minister and deputy First Minister on behalf of the Executive of the Northern Ireland Assembly about the issues that have been ongoing for some time. <BR /> <BR />The violence on our streets over the past weeks is wrong. Some of it has been opportunistic, but it serves only to undermine the communities in which the destruction has taken place. That includes communities in my constituency of East Antrim, where, regrettably, we have seen attacks on police and property. Police officers undertaking their duty to protect everyone have been attacked and injured; people have had cars stolen and destroyed; and public property has been damaged.”
“I trust that the words that I am about to give to the Assembly will not entirely fall on deaf ears — hopefully not. I thank Naomi Long, the leader of the Alliance Party, for tabling the motion and thank the House and you, Mr Speaker, for accepting the proposal to recall the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />Today is a day for leadership, to show our commitment to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, to show our commitment to the rule of law and to unite against all violence and lawlessness in our society. Put simply, this must stop. Some 19 Members were able to speak today, and they have put on record their views on the motion.”
“It falls to me to wind on the motion and the debate.”
“Obviously, for transparency, there is considerable benefit in understanding the value of gifts, so I welcome that change. In addition, a number of clarifying and tidying amendments are included that help to make the document clearer for easier use. I welcome that for ease of use for Members and for members of the public who wish to scrutinise our activities. <BR /> <BR />In closing, I am sure that all Members agree that clearer, meaningful and ethical rules are vital in order to ensure confidence in this place and that those reviews are a key part of ensuring that. I look forward to stage 2 ,when we will seek to review in detail issues that are of a more complex nature.”
“Typically, those thresholds were set as a proportion of salaries, which, as the Member who spoke previously said, is the case in the Welsh Parliament and the Scottish Parliament. However, both Houses of the UK Parliament and the Oireachtas follow a system of absolute rounded numbers that are not specifically aligned to salaries, which has been recommended by the Committee. That is a clearer and simpler way of doing things without the need for calculations. However, we will, of course, need to keep that under review. <BR /> <BR />In the clear interests of transparency, it is also recommended that gifts, benefits, hospitality and visit registrations include their value or estimated value. Previously, gifts of over £245 had to be declared, but no estimate of their value was required.”
“I welcome the opportunity to make a few remarks about the report, and particularly to support the motion on the Assembly's code of conduct. As Members representing the people of Northern Ireland, we must ensure and uphold the highest ethical standards and set an example. The standards to which we are to be held have not been updated since June 2016, so the Committee's review is overdue. The report covers stage 1 of the Committee's review of the code and seeks to deal with urgent and straightforward amendments. A lot of the amendments here are simply amendments in fact. The purpose of bringing the document into line with salary changes since 2016 is with regard to the threshold for declaring interests.”
“The Minister will, no doubt, be aware of a recent BBC 'Spotlight' programme in which the horrific murder of Glenn Quinn, a loved son and brother, was highlighted. It shone a much-needed light into a dark and murky corner of paramilitary activity in Carrickfergus. Will the Minister agree that condemnation on its own is wildly insufficient and that we need our communities and people to step up and speak out and to provide evidence of those vile activities to the PSNI and others? That murder is not the only one that has taken place in towns like Carrickfergus and in the wider east Antrim area. Today, while I think in particular of the Quinn family, I think of others going back as far as Simon Tang.”
“I appreciate all the difficulties with MOTs caused by COVID, but you have another difficulty in MOT centres, and that is with ramps. What progress has been made there? Are they all now operational?”
“Not all the messaging has necessarily been very clear on how we move through the pandemic and on the regulations that you placed in front of us, but now you are suggesting in the statement today that we are moving from staying at home to staying local. How will you get a very clear message out to people on how that should be handled, particularly over the Easter holidays and the days afterwards?”
“In conclusion, I encourage the Minister to listen to what has been said in the debate and to work to provide creative solutions that deliver £500 to more than the students to whom she has already provided the funds.”