Claire Sugden
East Londonderry · Independent · Northern Ireland
“That is, gosh, almost 35 years ago, yet we are still having the conversation in 2026. If I were to speak to that eight-year-old girl, I would tell her, "When you are 40, Claire, this will not even be a consideration for you". Sadly, however, it still is. It is deeply disappointing that, when we had an opportunity, it was not taken.”
“Indeed, I tabled an amendment to that Bill to achieve the desired outcome, but, sadly, the opportunity was not taken. One of the strengths of the Assembly is that Committees can identify where Executive legislation has fallen short and produce their own practical, targeted solutions.”
“Frankly, we should be listening. Sometimes, we talk about equality in broad terms, but the Bill reminds us that equality is often about practical things. It is about removing unnecessary barriers from everyday life and ensuring that opportunities and choices do not depend on arbitrary differences between schools.”
“That is ridiculous. The point that we should all pay attention to is that of girls feeling less exposed. We should focus on that even if there were no other reasons to pass the legislation. Girls simply want to get on with their school day without having to think about something that most boys take for granted.”
“That meeting was a reminder that issues that can appear small to adults — there have been adults who have asked why the Assembly is legislating on this — can be issues on which we need to legislate. When people do not behave appropriately, we as a legislature have a responsibility to legislate.”
“Around one in seven couples in Northern Ireland experiences fertility problems, yet Northern Ireland continues to offer one of the most limited publicly funded fertility services anywhere in the United Kingdom. Couples face lengthy waits, restricted eligibility criteria and fewer publicly funded IVF opportunities than elsewhere.”
The complete record
Every one of 2,208 lines we hold for Claire Sugden, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 30 of 45.
“No, it is not the case. The NCA has not put a bid in for Fresh Start moneys since the money became available. Indeed, we expect a bid from the NCA to be forthcoming. When that happens, the Department and the Executive will consider that.”
“Indeed, we have seen some successes from that, so there is a real pragmatic opportunity in tackling types of organised crime because of the border arrangements. Again, my meetings with the Tánaiste, Frances Fitzgerald, have been very positive in how we do this moving forward.”
“As the House is aware, I have a formal arrangement with the Tánaiste and Justice Minister, Frances Fitzgerald, in the form of an inter-governmental agreement. We met most recently in September to discuss a number of initiatives, particularly the joint agency task force and the work of the Organised Crime Task Force in respect of strategy and information-sharing. I will meet the Tánaiste again at the end of this month to go over similar issues. I have found the meetings very useful because we have shared interests in some of the issues that we both face. It is reflective of the new joint agency task force that came out of the Fresh Start Agreement, in that it was work that was almost happening anyway; however, this has put it on a formal footing.”
“I thank the Member for her questions. I can confirm all three. It is not the case that the Northern Ireland Office or the Secretary of State have refused any money. Indeed, they sit on our programme board and are working with us on when we want to draw this money down. We will not draw down money for the sake of the optics; we will draw it down for the sake of using it in the most effective and efficient way, and that has been the process to date. To clear up the confusion around the money that has been available from Her Majesty's Treasury: we have not drawn down money, and it is not the case that they have not given it to us.”
“As part of our work to implement a Fresh Start, I will also be launching a public campaign before Christmas to raise awareness of the harm caused by organised crime and to encourage the public to support a lawful society and report information to the police. My Department is also reviewing the legislative framework with a view to consulting on proposals for new organised crime offences in early 2017.”
“Its first months of operation have seen many operations targeting the initial priority areas of rural crime, child sexual exploitation, financial crime, illicit drugs, excise fraud and human trafficking, and these have led to a number of arrests with prosecutions being taken forward. <BR /> <BR />There is a clear focus in the Fresh Start Agreement and the subsequent Executive action plan on tackling organised crime and criminality linked to paramilitary groups, and as part of the implementation of the action plan, the PSNI has set up a dedicated investigative capacity to focus specifically on those issues. In the action plan, we have made commitments to promote a stand against criminality and to promote a culture of lawfulness, including reporting such activity to the police.”
“The Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF), which I chair, sets priorities to develop strategies and agreed actions to confront organised crime in Northern Ireland in all its guises. The Organised Crime Task Force undertakes regular threat assessments to identify known and emerging trends and threats and looks at how they may be tackled. <BR /> <BR />Since the Fresh Start Agreement, we also have the joint agency task force, and, unlike the OCTF, the new task force is operational. It is led jointly by senior officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland, an Garda Síochána, the Revenue Commissioners and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs. A number of other organisations, including the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Irish Criminal Assets Bureau are also involved in this operational activity.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I met the Finance Minister at the end of last week. Whilst negotiations are ongoing with the various associations linked to the Prison Service, it would be inappropriate for me to suggest what the outcome might be, but I am hopeful that, for the pay policy for the Prison Service, we will have a conclusion very soon.”
“We need to be mindful that we still operate in challenging times, particularly in relation to budgets and public pay policy. We need to work within the guidelines. It is a valid point. I am doing all I can to ensure that our prison officers in particular are supported. Their role is a challenging one. Enabling them to move forward has to be about more than just pay rises; there needs to be support, training and development. It is something that I am keen to look at. Everything else will follow from it. Our prisoners will be better looked after as a result. I am taking an all-encompassing approach. Regrettably, it will not happen overnight, but it is something that I am working towards.”
“Indeed there is an urgency to address this issue. I have been treating it as a matter of urgency. As I said, my most recent conversations with the Finance Minister took place at the end of last week. I hope to see those coming to a conclusion very soon.”
“I thank the Member for his questions and his consistent focus on the issue. I am keen to ensure that prison officers are supported in the work that they do. I have reiterated that time and again in the House. I hope that my negotiations with the Finance Minister on how we can move forward on a pay policy will come to a conclusion. We expect to hear news of that after we have had our negotiations with the Prison Officers' Association and the Prison Governors Association. There is work to be done in looking after our prison staff. I hope to announce a number of initiatives that may do that. I assure the Member that I very much have the prison officers and the work that they do at the heart of things moving forward. It is something that I am keen to keep pressing on.”
“I am keen to reach an agreement at the earliest opportunity on a 2016 pay award for Northern Ireland Prison Service operational staff. Given his role in respect of the Northern Ireland Civil Service pay policy, I have been in contact with the Finance Minister on a number of occasions, most recently at the end of last week. At the request of the respective staff associations, some staff have received payments in respect of contractual entitlements due, which is a one-step progression for qualifying staff in their August 2016 pay. Whilst recognising public pay policy constraints, I must also have regard to the different environment and challenges that prison-grade staff are working in and facing.”
“I thank the Member for her question. Indeed, I have had a number of conversations with the Probation Board. It will be a key stakeholder in helping prisoners with mental health issues, particularly when they come out of prison. One of my difficulties around mental health is that we need to take a before-, during- and after-custody approach with people who present with these particular issues, because if we can ideally get to a situation where we have stabilised any issues whilst they are in our care, the difficulty is whether, when they come out of prison, that support is maintained. Hopefully, that will mean that they do not offend again. That is where the Probation Board comes in, as well as the various health trusts that the prisoners will go back to.”
“We need to look at mental health provision in prisons and perhaps even at whether they should find themselves in that environment.”
“A significant number of the prison population present with mental health issues; that has been demonstrated. I do not have the exact figure to mind, but it is considerable. Yes, I think that we do need to look at why we put these people into institutions, because I am not quite sure that they are the best place for them. However, as I said in my response to Mr Lynch, it is something that I will need to work on alongside the Health Minister because ultimately mental health, whether inside or outside prison, is the responsibility of the Health Minister. However, because there are such a significant number of such people in prisons, it is something that I am keen to take forward. As I have said time and time again in the past, these issues encourage people to offend. Ultimately, I want to ensure that it does not happen again.”
“I am not sure that any Minister would admit to having enough funding resource to address this particular issue. I will have to work with the budget with which I have been presented. With mental health, there are other approaches that we could potentially take. I have said on record time and time again that we need to perhaps strengthen the skill set of prison officers with regard to how they identify mental health issues amongst the people in their care and how we can better facilitate prisoners to develop through their time in prison. We need to take a number of initiatives. It is heartening that we are focusing on mental health. Again, I have said in the House before that I believe that mental health is one of the lasting legacies of the Troubles. Indeed, we are starting to see that. In particular, I see it within my prisons.”
“Indeed, on a number of initiatives, I am keen to introduce an approach of problem-solving justice to perhaps, at the point of sentencing, look to see whether there are more appropriate forms of sentencing for offenders who present with particular difficulties. I have put on record before that I am also keen to look at this in respect of mental health.”
“I thank the Member for his question. From a number of responses that I have given around the issue of mental health in prisons, the Member will be aware that I have been working with the Health Minister in respect of tackling this particular issue. Ultimately, mental health issues in prison are a matter for the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust. However, I am keen, as I said, to work with the Health Minister to see whether we can find a way to move forward in respect of alternatives to custody. Currently, those decisions would be taken by the South Eastern Trust, but I think that we need to find a new way of moving forward.”
“My officials in the Northern Ireland Prison Service work closely with staff in the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust to facilitate appointments and treatment for students with mental health issues. Following the inspection, action plans have been compiled, and work is due to begin shortly to implement the recommendations. Work will take place between the Prison Service and the trust to ensure that the healthcare recommendations are taken forward. The occupational health team at Hydebank Wood has developed new, creative initiatives, including a student/staff choir, health promotion days and a sensory garden. Hydebank Wood is the first custodial setting in the United Kingdom to have a sensory garden, which will be used to help those with mental health issues.”
“I thank the Member for his question. In addition to looking at the number of officers working in our prisons, we need to take a wider look at how to strengthen the training of the prison officers currently in position on that type of activity. It is something that I am keen to look at. I am keen to support prison officers in their role, with the aim of enabling them to mitigate the behaviour. It is something that we are always mindful of. We look across the water at how prisons operate in Great Britain. However, it needs to be noted that, in Northern Ireland, we work in exceptional circumstances and there are difficult challenges presented by the legacy of the past. As I said, moving forward, I am keen to explore this when the new director general is in position.”
“I do not have the figures to hand, but I reiterate my earlier point: drug and alcohol misuse in prisons is a concentrated reflection of what happens outside. We need a wider concept of how drugs find their way into prison. As I said in response to Mr McGuigan's initial question, we have measures in place, but we are reviewing our drug and alcohol misuse policy to see whether there are better ways of mitigating that type of behaviour.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I have met the Prisoner Ombudsman in the past; indeed, prior to the reports being published, he sends me a copy so that I can issue them for publication. I am meeting Criminal Justice Inspection tomorrow, and we discuss a number of these issues. I put it on record that the reports, whilst highlighting some of the challenges that we face in prisons, are useful because they put forward recommendations. In particular, there were recommendations on substance misuse in the most recent Criminal Justice Inspection report that we, along with the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, are working on to see how we can implement some of them.”
“We need to remain vigilant. I outlined in my initial answer a number of the measures that we intend to use. It is something that we need to keep on top of, because prisoners will find other ways. We will keep a close eye on this, because we recognise the difficulties that it presents.”
“One of the challenges with drug and alcohol misuse in prisons is that those things almost become a currency, and that leads to issues such as you have described, where we have seen the victimisation and bullying of students in Hydebank Wood. One of the initiatives that Hydebank has put forward is about challenging antisocial behaviour, and there is an opportunity there to encourage those who are being victimised to come forward to prison officers. It also enables prison officers to be trained in this type of prisoner behaviour to see if we can challenge it. <BR /> <BR />The difficulty with drug and alcohol misuse in prisons is that it is almost a microcosm of what happens in wider society. Regrettably, drug and alcohol misuse is on the increase, and stopping that manifesting itself in prison will remain a challenge.”
“Number two, demand reduction, is about support services provided to men and women in Hydebank Wood by Start360. Number three, harm minimisation, is about comprehensive screening on committal by healthcare staff, detoxification, maintenance therapy and referral to the clinical addictions team and Start360. Number four, throughcare, is about pre-release planning with Start360 and referral to AD:EPT2. As a measure of the steps being taken to detect and deter the introduction of unauthorised articles into Hydebank Wood, there are currently two women in Hydebank Wood College sentenced to a period of custody for conveying a list-A article into or out of a prison.”
“The Northern Ireland Prison Service has a zero tolerance approach to all drug misuse, both illicit and prescription, and alcohol misuse in prisons. Hydebank Wood College's drug and alcohol policy outlines four core tenets that have been designed to tackle the issues related to alcohol or drug misuse in the college. Number one is supply reduction, which is the steps taken to interfere with the supply of drugs coming into the college, including searching and the use of passive detection dogs; the use of CCTV; drug testing; closed visits where intelligence or evidence suggests attempts to obtain illicit substances through visits; banning of visitors found trying to smuggle illicit substances into the college; training and drug awareness sessions for students; and joint initiatives with the PSNI.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I do not have a timescale for that until we can reach political agreement. Yes, those institutions fall under my remit. However, this requires the agreement of the Northern Ireland Executive alongside the Northern Ireland Office. Again, I maintain that I hope that this will happen, and I am confident that it will, because, either way, we are addressing these issues and, in order to address our past, we need to do it as soon as possible.”
“I can confirm that I am working alongside the NIO to progress this as soon as possible. The Secretary of State has said publicly that he will move towards the draft consultation phase; indeed, I imagine that, during the process, there will be an opportunity to address some of the issues that the Member has raised.”
“I am keen to see this progressed as soon as possible, because that responsibility is still there. We will continue with the legacy inquests, but, as I have reiterated in the House time and time again, whether we do that in five years or 25 years, it is a matter of trying to progress this as soon as possible and get agreement on that. The responsibility for the HIU falls to the PSNI and the other justice agencies. As a Department and, indeed, as a Northern Ireland Executive, we are not resourced to do that. We need to find agreement on this as soon as possible, and I am working with my Executive colleagues, along with the Secretary of State and the Northern Ireland Office, to see if we can do that.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. I think that, in dealing with and tackling legacy deaths during our troubled period, we need to have a consistent approach. I would be keen to see the HIU move forward along with the legacy inquests. A number of these are outstanding. I believe the approach we have to legacy inquests needs to put victims at its heart.”
“I thank the Member for his question. He raises a number of points concerning the difficulties with addressing legacy issues. When we move towards setting up the Historical Investigations Unit, these are issues that we will definitely need to consider. I imagine that the director of the HIU will take them into account when deciding what cases to take forward.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. Again, when the Secretary of State moves to publish his Bill for consultation, there will be an opportunity to put those views forward. Any appeals mechanism would, I imagine, happen on a statutory footing.”
“I understand that the Secretary of State intends to consult before a Bill is introduced in Parliament. That should provide a vehicle for wider discussion, suitably informed by the Bill.”
“As Members will know, the Stormont House Agreement was an agreement between the Northern Ireland Executive and the British and Irish Governments. Since coming to office, I have been in discussion with my Executive colleagues and the United Kingdom Government to play my part in the delivery of the justice elements of that agreement. <BR /> <BR />Political discussions continue between Executive parties and the Secretary of State to finalise the outstanding policy issues. One of the issues under discussion is a proposed appeals mechanism on family reports. As that mechanism concerns material that would engage national security, the Secretary of State has been leading on its inclusion in a Bill to establish the Stormont House Agreement institutions for dealing with the past.”
“We must act now to resolve the issues of our past and finally bring some measure of closure to those who lost loved ones as a consequence of that past. I am working with Executive colleagues to make progress on the establishment of the HIU and to obtain the release of funds to progress the Lord Chief Justice's proposals for legacy inquests. <BR /> <BR />I support the motion, and I will continue to work with Executive colleagues and Members to resolve this issue in an urgent and timely manner for the benefit of everyone in Northern Ireland.”
“From my engagement with Executive colleagues and the Secretary of State, I know that there is a strong desire to resolve the outstanding issues and move ahead with the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, it is important that, when considering legacy matters, we keep the needs of the victims' families at the heart of our thinking. The continued impact of our current arrangements on victims' families and our wider community is unacceptable. Our justice system is neither designed nor funded to deal with the legacy of our past. We must act now to obtain adequate funding for the Stormont House Agreement institutions for dealing with the past, including improving our legacy inquest arrangements.”
“Unfortunately, I cannot give you a time frame. I would like to be in a position to do so, but I assure the House that I am confident that it will move forward. I know that I have said this before, but in respect of how we deal with addressing the past, the Stormont House Agreement and Fresh Start Agreement are what was agreed, and we need to use both mechanisms so that we can finally move on. <BR /> <BR />I come now to amendment No 2, and I agree that, as mentioned, we need to support the Lord Chief Justice's proposals as "a matter of urgency". I have been clear on that from the outset, particularly in a number of meetings that I have had with the Lord Chief Justice.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. I have made it clear to the Secretary of State that I believe that legacy inquests are a way of progressing this within a five-year time frame, and I have made my feelings quite clear about the fact that we need to fully resource it. I do not have that resource in my Department, so it has to come from a wider Northern Ireland Executive resource or outside of that, whether that is the Northern Ireland Office or elsewhere. <BR /> <BR />I can speak only about my time as Justice Minister. The previous Justice Minister mentioned what he felt the impediment was. Five months into the mandate, we are at the stage of looking at it again. We have to appreciate that we have another Secretary of State in position, and he will look at how he wants to progress it. It is a matter of process at this stage.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. I think that he is alluding to the necessity for funding for addressing the past. Indeed, I agree that we need to resource properly all the mechanisms that we are taking forward in dealing with addressing our past. It is something that I and my Executive colleagues, and the Northern Ireland Office, are working towards progressing.”
“I thank the Member for her intervention. I can speak for my time as Justice Minister by saying that I am not aware of anything particular about a hierarchy of investigations. I am merely referring to what the amendment refers to.”
“I am certainly not in favour of any hierarchy of investigations. I believe that all families should have access to a review or investigation of their loved one's death. That is why I support the full implementation of the Stormont House Agreement. It is only through its implementation that the outstanding investigations will be completed in a professional, impartial and timely manner.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. Truthfully, I do not have a specific timescale for how we are going to progress legacy inquests. I have said in the House on previous occasions that I am keen for it to happen sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, that is the only answer that I can give now. I assure the Member and other Members that it is something that I am progressing with my Executive colleagues and the Northern Ireland Office in order to see how we can move forward with the Historical Investigations Unit and legacy inquests together. <BR /> <BR />I am somewhat unclear as to whether amendment No 1 is supporting the Lord Chief Justice's proposals. He is our most senior judge, so it is important that we listen when he makes proposals on such an important issue and that we act on his carefully considered recommendations.”
“I am confident that the new Historical Investigations Unit, when established under the agreement, will make a real difference in progressing future cases and will ease the burden on coroners in conducting the often complex investigations that have fallen, by default, to legacy inquests in the past. <BR /> <BR />I am unclear from amendment No 1 —”
“Improved listing arrangements, for example, have helped clear the backlog and ensure the more timely progression of inquests, with fewer adjournments. <BR /> <BR />Progressing the Lord Chief Justice's proposals to streamline and reform the legacy inquest system is essential. However, progress in dealing with the past, including the Lord Chief Justice's proposed enhancement of the legacy inquest process, can be made only following agreement on the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement and the release of the associated funding that it provides. <BR /> <BR />Resolving the legacy inquest blockage is only one part of the necessary solution to dealing with the past.”
“<BR /> <BR />In addition to those improvements, Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland was commissioned to undertake an inspection of the arrangements in place in the PSNI to manage and disclose information in support of the coronial process in Northern Ireland, and its report is expected to be published in the near future. <BR /> <BR />Members will recall that the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service undertook a review of the overall operations of the Coroners Service, with a view to ensuring resilience in the service and to contribute to the development and implementation of arrangements for the processing of legacy inquests in the context of the Stormont House Agreement. Ten of the 13 recommendations arising from the review have been fully implemented and are already bearing fruit.”
“The Lord Chief Justice has assigned a County Court judge to deal with some of the more complex inquests. New counsel were appointed to the panel of counsel in November last year to provide advice to the coroner and to present evidence at inquests. In March of this year, a coroner's investigator was appointed to provide advice and guidance on appropriate and effective investigative opportunities in practice and procedures for inquests as required by the coroners. She also conducts investigative opportunities with the relevant legal officer.”
“A new coroner was also sworn in in February and a further coroner was appointed in April, bringing the Coroners Service back to its full judicial complement.”
“However, it is important to recognise that any funding bid under the Stormont House Agreement will have to be agreed by the Northern Ireland Executive before being submitted to Her Majesty’s Government as part of the overall funding package for dealing with the past. <BR /> <BR />Since the Lord Chief Justice’s appointment, a review of the available resources has been undertaken, and he has made a number of significant improvements in advance of agreement on his wider proposals. In February, a High Court judge was appointed as presiding coroner to oversee the management of cases and consider issues relating to scope and disclosure. The presiding coroner, in conjunction with the Lord Chief Justice, determines which cases will be listed for hearing and when.”
“<BR /> <BR />Funding forms an important part of those discussions, including access to funds for progressing the Lord Chief Justice’s proposals. The justice system was never funded to address legacy issues. This funding gap has exacerbated the situation and undermined our capacity to address this complex problem. I am working with Executive colleagues to resolve the outstanding issues and to secure the funding needed to allow legacy inquests to proceed in line with the proposals by the Lord Chief Justice. I have asked my Department to review the funding requirements of the Lord Chief Justice's proposals for legacy inquests, and that work is ongoing.”
“The UK Government subsequently held cross-party talks to consider how best to progress the existing commitments to address the complex issues relating to Northern Ireland’s past. Those talks resulted in the Fresh Start Agreement. Whilst that agreement paved the way to resolving a number of difficult issues, including an end to paramilitarism, it did not address how we deal with the legacy issues of our past. However, discussions are continuing between the Northern Ireland Executive and the United Kingdom Government to resolve those outstanding issues, and I remain confident that agreement will be reached on establishing the new institutions proposed in the Stormont House Agreement and on improving legacy inquest arrangements.”