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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“I thank the Minister for his statement. It is sometimes said that you are soft on crime, but today's announcement is surely an indication that you are smart on crime, offering a different pathway to people when it comes to how they are dealt with in the justice system. In your statement, Minister, you have made it very clear that it is not just about your Department but about other Departments, particularly the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, which has to deal with many people with mental health and other issues. Do you agree that it is disgraceful that there is no Minister in place to deal with this important matter in conjunction with your Department?”
“I thank the Minister for her answers so far. The use of public funds to continue segregation, whether in education or other services, distorts our public service obligations in Northern Ireland and how we spend our money. For us to become the first-class region that we all aspire to be, we need to remove those distortions from our budgeting.”
“Those are words that were said in the Chamber today, but those who are refugees should be made welcome in the United Kingdom, and in this corner of the United Kingdom.”
“It is for those reasons that I know that the House will support the motion.”
“The United Kingdom Government must fulfil their international, legal and moral obligations and accept their fair share of refugees. We must show solidarity with our European neighbours, but, most of all, with the people escaping conflict from wretched regimes that seek to destroy the human spirit and denigrate utterly the value of human life.”
“Gulf states must certainly step up their support to their neighbours in the region. The fabulously wealthy nations of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE and Qatar have merely stood by while Europe, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan have shouldered much of the crisis. Some of those states themselves suffer and struggle to feed and support their own citizens. The small state of Lebanon has taken in an estimated 1·1 million refugees. We must provide serious support, both nationally and at EU level, to those states and ultimately seek a long-term, lasting solution to end the evil that we see in Syria and Iraq in the form of Assad and the group that calls itself Islamic State. <BR /> <BR />Compassion and action is what is needed to end this crisis.”
“Of course we need a solution to the problems, the fighting, the wars and the terror gangs that rule Syria at this point in time. I firmly believe that those who are currently refugees, given a stable country, will wish to return there as soon as possible. It is important that we have a strategy that includes refugee integration, assisting people in their new lives if this is where they choose to be and our Government permit them entry, and, to ensure that they do not become isolated, English language classes for those who do not speak English. OFMDFM and the Home Office must act now to prepare such a plan and ensure that the best possible welcome is extended to refugees when they arrive. <BR /> <BR />Ultimately, this is not only a United Kingdom, German, Greek or European problem; this is a world crisis.”
“I agree with the Member. It is important — indeed, it is vital — that we have a coordinated intergovernmental approach to dealing with these issues. It is for that reason that, yesterday, I wrote to the Home Secretary, urging the UK Government to rapidly reconsider their position of accepting only 20,000 refugees over the course of the next five years. That, quite simply, is a paltry figure, especially at a time when Germany's Interior Ministry says that it expects to receive more than 800,000 asylum applications by the end of this year. <BR /> <BR />Furthermore, to ensure that resettlement is as trauma-free as possible, we need rapid Government action to make effective social and financial provision for refugees who will come to the United Kingdom.”
“The photographs, however, have focused minds on the injustice and suffering being felt, and they reinforce the fact that, behind the statistics, there are thousands upon thousands of individual human stories. It is incumbent on us, as citizens of the world, to respond to such disasters in a compassionate but also meaningful way. I believe that those words have been stated by every Member in their contributions today. <BR /> <BR />In the past few weeks, people right across Northern Ireland — I pay tribute to people in east Antrim — have demonstrated such compassion by collecting items and funds for people in Calais and further afield in the Balkans and Italy. However, local voluntary action is not enough. The numbers are so large and the challenges so enormous that it takes —”
“For many, that was not truly brought home — others have made reference to this — until we saw the distressing and deeply sad images of that three-year-old child washed up on a beach in Turkey. Born in 2012, Aylan Kurdi never knew peace. By the time of his birth, the Syrian war had already begun. His parents sought to change that and to secure a stable life, free from the fear of oppression and death. They sought to reach other members of their family in a prosperous, free and stable Canada. Tragically, as we all know, Aylan and his brother and mother did not make it to Canada. Their story, as we know, is not unique. Since the beginning of the year, thousands have died making similar attempts to reach safety and freedom on the peripheries of Europe.”
“I start by thanking every Member who has contributed to the debate. I particularly thank Andy Allen and congratulate him on his maiden speech. He and others have made some challenging points in regard to all of this. <BR /> <BR />I do not intend to repeat the words that have been well said by individuals around the Chamber. Rather, after thanking all those who have spoken, I would like, first of all, to reference my colleague Anna Lo and to congratulate her for proposing the motion, which, as many will have heard in the speeches here today, is about one of the greatest humanitarian crises that Europe and the world has seen in the post-war era. Therefore, it is vital that she has brought that discussion to the House. <BR /> <BR />As we have heard, the world is experiencing a humanitarian disaster on a massive scale.”
“Can you indicate to the House, in your own time, how someone can discharge those duties given the in/out nature of recent appointments and particularly the appointment to be made this morning?”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I ask you to rule with regard to the appointment of a Minister, given that, in their Pledge of Office, Ministers are required to:”
“It is important that we acknowledge that higher education delivers a clear route out of deprivation for many citizens in Northern Ireland.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement and for the innovative way in which the consultation process will take place. It will clearly get to places that other consultations do not get to. I acknowledge that higher education is one of the routes out of deprivation and out of benefits. Will the Minister tell us how universities will be able to encourage students to become socially mobile once they have completed their courses?”
“Thank you, Minister, for your answers so far. Will you tell the House what plans you have for the Bill and how you intend to include shared future proofing in it, particularly given the number of hidden sectarian interfaces in rural areas?”
“That debate should continue, as it has done since 2013, in Committee.”
“However, I have to say that the fundamental message that the Alliance Party and I want to send out today is that we support the Housing Executive and its work. We are opposed to its wholesale dismantling or change for change's sake, but, like all organisations in the public sector, it needs to meet the challenges of change and those of delivering in this day and age. We cannot look back through rose-tinted glasses at what the Housing Executive has done through its many achievements. There have been many achievements, but, equally, there have been many failures. It is important that the Housing Executive is supported in its changing and evolving role, but I do not believe that today's motion aids that situation at all, and I encourage the Member to reflect on what he is asking the House to do.”
“On the one hand, we have housing associations that have a much more modern housing stock; on the other hand, we have a Housing Executive that has a decreasing quality of stock because it is ageing. That requires innovative ways forward, whether stock transfers or increases in rent. However, the party that is proposing the motion does not want anybody to spend any more on anything or give any more money towards how we take things forward. Expressing concerns that the Minister should take this matter up directly with the Housing Executive rings alarm bells with me. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the steps taken to address the issue in Committee. I believe that the Committee will see housing as its key focus in the remaining days of this mandate, however short or long that will be.”
“It is important that we have that discussion and that the new Minister — not so new now — comes to us when he is available, and we have a genuine opportunity to go through all the issues that have been raised and continue to need to be raised on how we deliver quality public-sector and social housing for all those citizens who require it today and in the future. I do not think that a motion like this will advance the cause of that debate in any direction at all. <BR /> <BR />Inevitably, there are very serious issues when it comes to the situation in which the Northern Ireland Housing Executive finds itself. We were told at a Committee meeting last week that some £1·5 billion will be required for repairs and maintenance over the next five years. The challenge is: from where will the funds come?”
“As a member of the Committee and in my time in the Assembly, I have had concerns about how many organisations operate, but I do not think that I share the concern that would require an instruction to a chairperson of an arm's-length organisation funded by the Department. <BR /> <BR />We are all aware that reforms of the Housing Executive remain in discussion. They are important and sometimes contentious issues, and, from that perspective, Sinn Féin is right. There are areas that need serious debate, but the nature and tenor of the motion is premature.”
“Like others, I am somewhat at a loss to understand the nature of the motion, although I understand the sentiments around it. I would like to start by saying that I started my married life as a tenant of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. It housed me at a time when it was appropriate for it to do so, and I was able to move on when it was equally appropriate for me to do so. I value the work done and the role played by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive over the many years since its inception. <BR /> <BR />I have to express some surprise and concern at the nature and content of the motion. The call on the Assembly to ask the Minister to "instruct" the chair of the Housing Executive certainly rings some alarm bells with me. The call for an instruction implies that something has gone wrong in a fundamental area of governance.”
“<BR /> <BR />I share some of the caution in respect of how we deal with amendments to a Bill that comes to us not only at the end of a mandate but of a mandate that is coming to an end in very difficult circumstances. However, I believe that, given a fair wind and the level of cooperation that has been clearly demonstrated by the Minister and the Committee in the past, we can have a successful Justice (No. 2) Bill.”
“<BR />In previous legislation the Committee has had a number of innovative ways of dealing with issues that perhaps attract a lot of attention. We have done that on the basis of bringing a number of people together to listen to what they say. That has also improved both the Committee's scrutiny and the timetabling of its work. <BR /> <BR />All of the elements of the Bill are important to us. I wish the Minister and the Department well, and I know that the Committee, under its Chair, Mr Ross, will do its job in delivering its critique of the Bill and working with the Department to deliver that for everyone. Those positive relationships that exist between the Department and the Committee will take the Bill through.”
“Working with the Department is an important aspect of what the Committee does. I genuinely do not think that you will get a better example of a Committee working with a Department than the Justice Department and Justice Committee. <BR /> <BR />Members have referred to the reform of fine collection. Having said that I do not want to go through each item in the Bill, I genuinely believe that that is one of the key areas in respect of it and it is important that we look at that. The Minister's description of the "can't-pays" versus the "won't-pays" is an important area for us. When it comes to the Committee's scrutiny of the legislation, I predict that that will be the one area that many outside bodies will want to come and speak to the Committee about, as well as about the mechanisms involved in dealing with that.”
“The Bill, if we get the time and space to progress it, will tackle important issues in the delivery of a fair and efficient justice system. It will be another step forward in the delivery of criminal justice reform that I genuinely believe the Minister and the Assembly can be proud of. It may indeed be one of the few lasting legacies of the Assembly, if and when it is enacted. <BR /> <BR />Many of the provisions have already been gone through in detail, and I do not think it is necessary for me to rehearse them again. I see sighs of relief around the Chamber. Obviously, I will support the Minister on the Bill, but it is equally important that the Committee has an opportunity to scrutinise the provisions as and when appropriate changes, ideas and suggestions come forward.”
“I welcome the introduction of the Bill and the detail that we have gained about it today, which I believe is very useful. <BR /> <BR />It might be useful to suggest that history will perhaps judge the Assembly rather harshly for its work rate, but I do not think that it will judge the Minister harshly, because he has an immense work rate when it comes to delivering justice and legislation on justice for all the citizens of Northern Ireland, looking to the previous Bill and at the way in which he worked with Lord Morrow on crafting the legislation on the Human Trafficking Bill.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is just amazing to watch the response of ordinary people in Northern Ireland as they rise above all that negativity and as we do what we all can to help to alleviate this horrendous humanitarian problem. Even if we can help only one small child or family, we should all be getting out there and doing that. I encourage the Assembly to do what it can to help alleviate these problems, working together with our Government and Governments internationally.”
“However, I have been heartened over the weekend by those ordinary citizens right across Northern Ireland who want to do something because we all know that it is the right thing to do. Whether it is to make financial donations to organisations like Red Cross, Save the Children or Christian Aid, or to get involved in spontaneous community collections of clothing and supplies for families, no matter where they are, if they are in need and if we can help alleviate their problems, we should do that. <BR /> <BR />It has also been saddening over the weekend to look at some of the negative comment that has been made about those of us who wish to help and who do not want to make political points but to genuinely get involved in providing for those who are suffering.”
“Northern Ireland has a very long and very proud history of helping those in need in similar situations in the past, and today is certainly no different. No one could fail to have been horrified when they looked at the newsprint and pictures emerging from this crisis; a crisis that has been there but that has been brought sharply into focus by those photographs of the pain and suffering of people wishing to escape the unfathomable horrors of war. <BR /> <BR />As others said, perhaps more could have been done and, indeed, should be done. We all need to take responsibility, and we will all have to answer for what we did in this particular crisis situation, as we will have to do for many other things that we have had to step up to the mark for.”
“<BR /> <BR />Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Alliance Party, it gives me the greatest of pleasure to congratulate Her Majesty The Queen and join you, in the correspondence that you sent to Buckingham Palace, and others in that sentiment.”
“I join those who have spoken in congratulating Her Majesty The Queen on this incredible milestone in her service to the United Kingdom. <BR /> <BR />We will, hopefully, all reflect on Wednesday and take the opportunity to celebrate the remarkable achievements of Her Majesty The Queen as our sovereign. Perhaps we should also be celebrating the achievements of a remarkable woman. At 89 years of age, as others have said, she is indomitable in her spirit and has time for everyone whom she speaks to. I had the great privilege of meeting Her Majesty at a reception in Buckingham Palace earlier this year, and it was incredible to watch how she met people and the amount of time that she gave individuals to listen to what they were saying to her, and to note that, at a very late hour, she was still ably engaged in conversation.”
“<BR /> <BR />The stages of this Bill have demonstrated the immense merit of the Department and the Assembly cooperating, as I have said before. I place on record my thanks to the Minister, his departmental officials and Committee officials for keeping the Committee informed and working thoroughly through the most difficult aspects of the Bill in a conciliatory and hugely constructive manner. I give my wholehearted support, and that of the Alliance Party, to the Bill at its Final Stage. We look forward to the Justice (No.2) Bill, which was introduced earlier today, supporting the Minister in continuing his work to build a judicial system and a justice system that are fit for the twenty-first century.”
“However, for the Alliance Party and me, this was to prevent what would have become bad and dysfunctional law. For mandatory sentences, and contrary to what some Members seem to think, an independent judiciary is hugely central to any democracy. Our judiciary should not be subservient to any other branch, be it executive or legislative. A nation is almost certainly a sham democracy when the judiciary is too timid to challenge other branches of government. I am grateful, therefore, that this amendment, among others proposed, was not incorporated into the Bill. However, this means that, going forward, we have a considerable set of highly positive reforms for our justice system. In the future, it will be more efficient, rationalised and responsive to the needs of citizens and, vitally, to the victims of crime.”
“It is regrettable, however, that the Assembly decided to retain preliminary investigations, even if it is in more exceptional circumstances. This system has the potential to remain costly to our legal system but can have a profoundly traumatising effect on vulnerable witnesses and victims who are asked, effectively, to give their evidence on more than one case at a time during a trial. Other common-law jurisdictions such as England and Wales and the Republic of Ireland have abolished such procedures successfully, and I hope that, one day, the Assembly will choose to take that step for Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />It is also worthwhile mentioning my regret for the need for petitions of concern more than once during the previous stages.”
“I commend the Minister and Mr Frew in particular for working closely together to ensure that the amendment is aligned with the procedures of the Department. <BR /> <BR />Vitally, the Bill will go a long way to make the justice system work better for victims and witnesses. The Committee did a great deal of work on that area. A new victim statement will be introduced that will allow for the impact of crime on victims and their families to be impressed on a court, giving peace of mind that the experience has not been forgotten in the often challenging legal processes of a court case. Victim information sharing will also help to provide victims with the information and support that they need in progressing through the legal system.”
“People with minor convictions will be able to appeal their inclusion on Access NI certificates, and there will be an automatic appeal for those who are convicted under the age of 18. That is very welcome and progressive. There is, indeed, progressive reform to ensure that people with convictions that are irrelevant to their job are not unfairly excluded from the labour market, which will aid their further and fuller integration into society. <BR /> <BR />In many ways, these are common-sense reforms that reduce costs and streamline our court system. As I have said on the amendments that have been made on child protection disclosure, although this was already available in some cases, the amendment formalises the process.”
“The Bill makes a number of very positive reforms to our justice system, which helps to take us forward to a 21st-century justice regime that, importantly, is fit to serve the interests of society and those who have to use the justice system. Following the passage of the Bill, a number of major reforms will come into the justice system, including our single court jurisdiction for County Courts and Magistrates' Courts. New prosecutorial fines will also be introduced for low-level offences, meaning that not every case needs to be heard in a Magistrates' Court, thus taking pressure out of the system. <BR /> <BR />Reform of the criminal records system, which the Minister referred to in his opening remarks, means that Access NI changes and checks will be much easier in the future.”
“Certain elements were not part of the Department's original proposals, and, on other issues, the Minister has shown considerable courtesy in the face of challenging opposition, particularly in dealing with emotional and sometimes contentious issues. Any commentary on the Bill should highlight how Members worked together, particularly the contributions of Mr Frew and Mrs Kelly in making changes.”
“<BR /> <BR />It would be remiss of me to not thank the Committee staff, Department of Justice staff and others, including those who came to us from outside, for all the work that they put into helping us shape the Bill, which is at its Final Stage this evening. I also wholeheartedly commend the Minister on the level of cooperation that he and his officials have given over the last few weeks, which has allowed for the refinement of some amendments and the welcome abandonment of others that might not have been appropriate. <BR />The ultimate aim is to ensure that we produce good law with the consent of the Assembly.”
“I very warmly welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill at its Final Stage. As others have said, the Bill went through very detailed scrutiny in the Committee. It really was Committee work at its best; of that there is absolutely no doubt. We have had two Chairpersons and the expertise of members around the table. We did not always agree — that is what this is all about — but we respectfully listened to each other's views and took all of them in, which was vital to the processing of the Bill. We have had a number of very lively and interesting debates in the Chamber as the Bill moved forward, including on issues that the Bill was perhaps never intended to deal with.”
“There is nothing totally bizarre about the statement at all. It is quite simply that we have to start from the premise that we accept the democratic outcome of the election. That is the reality. Once we have recognised that reality, we are in a position to negotiate with those people. Therefore, we know their position and we know the arguments that we need to make and deploy to rebut their arguments. At the end of the day, that is a democratic decision. It is the will of the people, and they have the right and the mandate to deliver what it is they wish to deliver. We have to negotiate and manoeuvre within that. It is simple.”
“I do not think that many in the Chamber, although there must be some, agree with that philosophy. Many in the Chamber profoundly disagree with it, but the way to disagree is to accept the outcome of a democratic election. Northern Ireland, whether you like it or not, is part of the United Kingdom. You had, along with the rest of us, the same opportunity to fight for, win and lose seats in that election. As a party, you were sufficiently fortunate to gain seats. Why do you not use them? Why do you not go and sit in their Chamber, eyeball the Chancellor and tell him what you are telling us today? That, in a mature democracy, is what parties should do to deal with the issues, rather than continually whining about what you want to do but never actually achieving it.”
“Perhaps "frustrated" is the right word, because there is a constant call for more talking and engagement, but we have had the election — it is over. We now have a Government in place, and they have set their policy and face in a particular direction. The Scots and the Welsh are in a slightly different situation when it comes to welfare reform because they do not have their hands on the levers in the way that we do, but, in essence, there is very little difference, except that we have the space to make some change. We made that change, and we all agreed to it in the Stormont House Agreement, yet people seem to want to unravel that agreement and walk away from it. <BR /> <BR />Very good arguments are being made in the House today about how we need to face up to austerity and deal with the political philosophy of the Tory party.”
“The Minister will no doubt be aware of an Audit Office report today that is highly critical of the Department of Education about duplication in schools. There are some 70,000 empty desks across Northern Ireland. How can the Minister justify that use of public finance, given the difficult times that we are in?”
“I thank the Minister for her answers thus far. Minister, when you are dealing with the current situation and the spending by Departments, you find that there are those that are prudent when it comes to discretionary spending and those that are spending regardless. How do you intend to deal with that?”
“I thank the Minister for the work that is done with Frances Fitzgerald and the cross-border cooperation between a wide range of security and justice agencies. <BR /> <BR />I have a question about psychoactive substances, which have caused a great deal of concern in many constituencies, not least in my constituency of East Antrim. What active work will be undertaken, particularly by Forensic Science NI, and in the control of psychoactive substances on a cross-border basis?”
“Thank you, Minister, for your answers so far. Do you share with me the concerns, which a hotelier in Carnlough raised with me yesterday, that Mid and East Antrim Council has not provided adequate tourist information, given the season that is upon us? Do you also acknowledge that opening up the glens and the Causeway coast to people effectively starts in Belfast and the Loughshore Park, and includes places like Carrickfergus Castle? There is a major tourism offering to be made in the area, but there is serious concern about the lack of promotional material available there.”
“Like others, my party and I have concerns about mandatory sentences for the very reasons that I outlined. Once we make law, it is our role to pass that to the judiciary, and it is for that arm of the law to determine the appropriate sentence for the crime that has been committed. In the circumstances, therefore, I will not support the amendment, and I call on the House to oppose it.”
“It is perhaps even less wise that we attempt to usurp the position of judges by sticking an amendment onto legislation that bears little resemblance to the legislation in the first place. One could, indeed, conjugate any number of circumstances that would mean that a person could go to prison as the result of a minor scuffle due to the loose wording of this poorly drafted amendment. <BR /> <BR />Violent crime against any member of society is, as I said, unacceptable. We must do what we can, and what we should do is prevent it through good crime prevention. When such crimes happen, we should rely on our judges to deliver justice. The proposed amendment will not do that. It will cause confusion, and that is an inappropriate way to deal with this matter.”