Gordon Lyons
East Antrim · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Implementing other recommendations will require further legislation that, I trust, will come in the next mandate, but I can confirm that 60 of the recommendations have already been separately addressed by either the Department or the commission. I hope that that answers his questions.”
“Yes, I do and am happy to share those. The issue has been raised in the Chamber and through Assembly questions. My position is that we want to make it simple and straightforward for people.”
“They also introduce greater flexibility in financial reporting, allowing requirements to be tailored more appropriately, reducing burdens on smaller organisations and ensuring that the system can adapt over time through secondary legislation.”
“If they want to constitute as a Northern Ireland-only charity, they are able to do that, if they believe that that will bring certain benefits.”
“That is similar to what we are trying to do with trustees. Even though you leave your position as a trustee or your position as someone who holds an office in a charity or who has employment in the office, the commissioner will still be able to make a determination that says, "Even though you have left, we are still making this order to t…”
“I do not believe that it was. That was maybe picked up wrong. We are happy to look at and explore that, but that is the information that I have on it. Again, we will have the Committee Stage of the legislation, so we can look into that then.”
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“Obviously, we want to get people online as much as possible, because it is cheaper, easier and quicker to deliver services in that way, but there will be telephone support as well. Certainly, when DFC is delivering additional help to people in Northern Ireland, we must make that as accessible as possible. That happens in jobs and benefits offices, but, for the specific jobs that we are discussing today, it not likely or possible that we will have the face-to-face contact that the Member described. We should, however, celebrate and welcome the fact that those jobs are coming to Northern Ireland.”
“Should we all just take a moment to acknowledge and cheer that? I am glad that he has recognised that it is good news and that it is good news for his constituency. <BR /> <BR />Obviously, in this circumstance, where we are delivering jobs in Northern Ireland to provide a service for people in other parts of the United Kingdom, it will probably be a little difficult for people to travel from Burnley, London or Glasgow for the face-to-face time that the Member mentioned. The most important thing is that, when people need those services, they are as accessible as possible. Today, I visited people who are doing those jobs at the Great Northern Tower. They were talking directly to people on the phone, not just on a computer screen.”
“You will have to give me a moment, Mr Deputy Speaker, because, in the decade that I have known Mr Gaston, I do not think that I have ever received a compliment from him.”
“There will be, at a minimum, a five-year contract of commitment by DWP. It is worth noting, however, that we have been delivering services for DWP since 1993. That says something about the expertise and skills of the people whom we have here in Northern Ireland. I can assure the Member that, now that we have those jobs, we will not let them go. I will do everything that I can to ensure that they stay and that we get more; maybe even some for South Down.”
“Overall, that means that, in Northern Ireland, we will go from having 3,626 DWP jobs to having 4,634 jobs. Those numbers represent people from Northern Ireland in Northern Ireland delivering benefits and welfare to people in other parts of the United Kingdom. We are doing that because we are good at it. That is why I believe that we will have more employment in the future.”
“Yes: absolutely, I can. The Member is a passionate representative for his constituency and, particularly, for dealing with deprivation. We know that one of the ways in which we can deal with deprivation and poverty is to get people into secure long-term employment. I want to ensure that those jobs and any others that come forward in Northern Ireland are available to all those who need them. I will certainly play my part in that. We will make sure that we do everything that we can so that people are aware of those jobs, are able to apply for them, and, where necessary, are given help or have reasonable adjustments made for them. <BR /> <BR />The jobs in Belfast will be based at Great Northern Tower, Castle Court and Goodwood House. That will bring the number of jobs in Belfast from 2,556 to 3,151.”
“The recruitment processes will commence over the coming months. A number of recruitment processes have been launched by the Northern Ireland Civil Service within the past year, including an AO competition on 19 August. That will support the recruitment requirements for this expansion.”
“I do not believe that any conversation took place with Invest NI. I believe that the primary factors for location were underutilised office space and sites with sufficient capacity close to existing service centres. However, the Member, like Deborah Erskine, has rightly raised the issue of those staff and the many talented people in that constituency. I will do all that I can, along with Executive colleagues, to make sure that we have those jobs available for people in the Member's constituency and throughout Northern Ireland.”
“I will make a special note for East Londonderry on my list. I am aware of the space that is available in County Hall. It is my understanding that there were a few difficulties with the layout, which meant that it was not possible this time around for the jobs that were available. I will certainly keep East Londonderry and Coleraine on the list for next time, and hopefully we will use that space. However, the Member, rightly, touches on the wider issue of making sure that we use the public-sector estate wisely. If there are other options and possibilities for other jobs in NICS, those should be pursued, and I am sure that the Member will do that.”
“It is important that we are as flexible as possible with our staff. Obviously, for training purposes in the beginning there might be a greater requirement, but these are hybrid roles as well and I recognise the flexibility that that brings, and we want to see that continuing.”
“I hope that it is worthwhile working for the Civil Service. Many feel that way. It is certainly what my private office staff tell me, anyway.”
“I hope that it is only the start and that we will get more jobs, and more jobs right across Northern Ireland, including in Strangford.”
“Absolutely. For the record, I will do my best for all 18 constituencies in Northern Ireland. There is an important point to make here, however. This morning, I had a meeting with Andrew Western, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transformation in the Department for Work and Pensions. He was very excited about coming here, because he had been told so many good things about Northern Ireland and its people. He told me that all he hears is that we are brilliant at those jobs. It is therefore very clear from officials and Ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions that Northern Ireland is the place to go in order to get staff who will do the jobs well. He said that DWP is really happy with the partnership.”
“The jobs will not affect vacancy rates in the Department for Communities, because staff will be delivering services that will be paid for by DWP on its behalf to people in Great Britain. There will therefore be no impact on the vacancy rates in my Department. It is not that DFC vacancy rates are affected by a lack of staff but rather they are affected by a lack of money to hire those staff.”
“Yes, there will always be the opportunity for people to progress, and Civil Service careers allow routes for progression. I do not have an exact breakdown of each grade, but the posts will create opportunities from administrative officer (AO) grade to grade 6, representing significant opportunities for people to get involved in the Civil Service.”
“That is absolutely what we want to see. There was significant investment in that site, and we want to make sure that it is utilised. There are currently 284 DFC employees delivering services on behalf of DWP, and that number will rise to 311. That is welcome, but, of course, we want to see the decentralisation of jobs where that is possible, and I will certainly be advocating that around the Executive table.”
“As I have said already, we need to have flexibility, so there will be agency staff, but there will also be some part-time roles. That is simply because it is what some of the workers will want, so it is important that we have that flexibility. There will be a full competition process, and people will be able to choose what suits them best, whether that be a permanent or part-time position. It is also the case that some people appreciate the work that they can get through agencies, because that provides them with flexibility. I recognise the concerns that people have raised, however.”
“As I have said, we will have, roughly, a 70% permanent and 30% agency worker ratio, but those are exclusively in the DWP delivery. Some of the concerns that she and other Committee members raised were in relation to the wider DFC workforce that delivers in Northern Ireland for Northern Ireland. There will be a different figure for that. I know that some Members will not be happy that there are any agency workers at all, but a degree of flexibility is needed in the delivery of those services, which will, of course, be reviewed based on need. It would obviously be the preference to have more people in permanent roles, but that flexibility will be required.”
“I am grateful to the Member for his question. As he knows, 530 jobs exist there already, and that number will rise to 800. That will bring benefit to the economy. There are already people there bringing that benefit. Some additional capital work may be required to improve those sites. The money for that will come from DWP — there will not be any further cost to the Department — so there is some economic benefit in that regard. However, the greatest economic benefit will be the additional £30 million of salaries coming into the local economy. That will rise to around £150 million a year throughout Northern Ireland. That will be of significant benefit to his constituency, in particular, and we should all welcome that.”
“We will certainly do everything that we can, when the competition goes out, to ensure that people are aware of the jobs that are available and feel able to apply.”
“I am grateful to the Member for raising that issue. I was able to see at first-hand how the JobStart scheme has helped people to come into the Civil Service. Through that additional help and the work coaches that we were able to provide, we now have people working in the Civil Service who did not see it as a career option for them and thought that they would not have the ability or opportunity to do that. I am determined to ensure that we do everything that we can to make sure that people feel welcome to apply and that they have the help that they need to apply. The Member will be aware, as we have discussed this before, of my concern about the huge gap that exists in employment between those who are disabled and those who are not. We are working through that in the disability and work strategy.”
“First of all, I could not possibly agree with her first comment in relation to the best of the Antrim constituencies, but we will leave that conversation for another day. <BR /> <BR />I can confirm to the Member that there will be a mix of jobs: 70% will be permanent, and, because of the flexibility that is required, there will be some agency posts in there as well. I hope that the application process can start as soon as possible and we can get those jobs filled.”
“<BR /> <BR />I will be more than happy to work with the Member and others to ensure that all areas of Northern Ireland can benefit from not just jobs in the Northern Ireland Civil Service that deliver for people in Northern Ireland but the provision of more and more services in Northern Ireland for people across the United Kingdom.”
“I am grateful to the Member for her question, and for the fact that she also welcomes the announcement that has been made today. She is a dogged and determined representative for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, and I knew that she would ask a question on this. She will have heard the answer that I gave to the Chair of the Committee in relation to locations. She also asked about the future. Absolutely. I hope that we will secure further jobs and that some will be able to go to Fermanagh and South Tyrone. The most important issue will be to ensure that we have the capacity for the jobs to be able to go there. There is also a wider piece of work for us to do throughout the Northern Ireland Civil Service to make sure that there is a fair distribution of jobs.”
“I hope that there will be opportunities for further expansion in the future, and I will do everything that I can to ensure that there are those sites available elsewhere. I hope that everyone in the Chamber will welcome this as a start.”
“I welcome the fact that the Member has acknowledged that these are significant job numbers, that they are not all in the one location and that they are in different parts of Northern Ireland. I accept that many other places in Northern Ireland have not received jobs, yet. I might get a few more questions on that this afternoon, and I might hear more constituencies mentioned. However, in this process, we needed to find locations where there was underutilised office space that was in close proximity to existing service centres and had the capacity to stand up to the operational capacity that we are talking about. <BR /> <BR />I know that the people in Northern Ireland do a very good job, and I know that DWP is impressed with what we have been able to deliver so far.”
“I know that those issues were raised with the Finance Minister, who, obviously, has responsibility in that area. I hope that we will not have the same logistical challenges this time round and that these jobs will benefit people in all the parts of Northern Ireland that I mentioned.”
“First, I make the point that the jobs are being delivered by the Department for Communities on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. They are funded by the Department for Work and Pensions. The difficulty that we have had in Northern Ireland relates to budgetary issues. I do not think that I would have a problem filling the vacancies otherwise. It is not that the people are not there to fill the vacancies; they are not filled because we do not have the funding. This will be a separate funding stream from Westminster to deliver work on behalf of people elsewhere in the United Kingdom. <BR /> <BR />I am aware of the issues that have previously been of concern to those who applied. A significant number of candidates were unsuccessful, having experienced video or sound issues during the pre-recorded interview process.”
“This is an unrivalled opportunity to provide skills and jobs for people in all parts of Northern Ireland, and I commend the statement to the House.”
“That number will rise to 4,634 and represents an annual investment of £138 million. Those staff are making and will make an invaluable contribution daily, supporting citizens across the United Kingdom to access welfare, pensions and child maintenance services. My Department has a long-standing relationship with the Department for Work and Pensions, and I am pleased to announce the strengthening of that relationship with the creation of these jobs over the coming months. <BR /> <BR />I place on record my thanks for the sterling work of my senior management team and all front-line staff, who have ensured that we are the best equipped to deliver the services. In what has been a challenging number of months, I am delighted to deliver some positive news to the Assembly with these additional jobs.”
“I have ensured that we spread as many of the jobs as possible throughout Northern Ireland, and I am pleased to announce that over 40% of them will be outside Belfast — in Londonderry, Ballykelly and Ballymena. In Belfast, there will be 595 additional jobs; in Londonderry, an additional 270; in Ballymena, 116; and in Ballykelly, 27. When I came into office, I made clear my priority of supporting the work that my Department delivers in helping people into employment. That is a primary duty, a fundamental principle in tackling poverty and a cornerstone for any functioning society, and I am pleased to play my part in supporting it with the creation of these quality jobs. <BR /> <BR />Over 3,600 people in my Department are engaged in delivering services for the Department for Work and Pensions.”
“As many in the Chamber will know, the economic impact of that job creation will be felt most by our local economies. There will be better footfall in town centres, busier cafes and shops and more people using our public transport services. <BR /> <BR />Another successful outcome of this job announcement is that we will be able to fill underutilised office space. That will not only help with the sustainability and efficiency of our Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) assets but will allow us to hit the ground running on delivery without the need for significant upfront capital expenditure. <BR /> <BR />I am committed to greater regional balance. Rather than just talk about it, I have ensured that my Department delivers.”
“I wish to make a statement on the creation of additional jobs in Northern Ireland following an agreement to expand the services that the Department for Communities delivers in Great Britain on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. I am delighted to announce 1,000 new jobs that will bring a massive boost to the local economy. They are a testament to the quality of service being delivered by my Department. <BR /> <BR />This is a vote of confidence by the UK Government in the Department for Communities. It is a vote of confidence in the quality of people whom we are all proud to represent. Most importantly, it is a vote of confidence in Northern Ireland from the UK Government. The jobs will expand the workforce, delivering vital roles in areas such as universal credit, child maintenance and disability and retirement services.”
“I am considering consultation proposals from my officials to support the introduction of a £20,000 registration threshold below which charities in Northern Ireland would not be required to register with or report to the Charity Commission. Too many charities in Northern Ireland have to do too much work, and that puts some people off. We need to make registration as simple and as streamlined as possible for our charities to operate, and that change will help do that for the smallest ones.”
“The independent review of charity regulation report was published in January 2022. It made 93 interlinked and mutually dependent recommendations to improve the regulatory framework and the role of the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland within that framework.”
“That is another important element of making sure that we get the planning system right. The Member will be aware of the significant role that planners play in local government. They have a role to play in making sure that their planning systems are as efficient as possible. That means working with applicants to make sure that they know what information they are meant to give and that they respond as quickly as possible. A week here and a week there makes a lot of difference at the end and drives up costs. We want to make sure that housing is as affordable as possible for people in Northern Ireland, and that means that we cannot have unnecessary delays with planning and waste water connections.”
“As I indicated to Members earlier, dealing with delays will be an important element of the housing supply strategy. Delays are one of the barriers to the rapid building of the new homes that we need to see. I have engaged with the Department for Infrastructure and with Minister O'Dowd in order to highlight some of the particular things that can be done. He has just walked into the Chamber, so he will be able to confirm that I have raised with him the importance of statutory consultees responding more quickly to requests for information. If we want to see more homes built across Northern Ireland, we need to make sure that the planning system is fit for purpose and that we have the correct water infrastructure.”
“I am grateful to the Member for her comments. She is absolutely right: it lay for far too long. We saw no movement for 13 years. I am pleased that we are now making good progress and that the first letters of offer will be out to clubs by the end of this financial year. That is real progress and real delivery. I understand that some clubs do not have the necessary capacity to move forward with bidding for funding, which is why I have increased the number of staff who are working on the Northern Ireland Football Fund. They can provide assistance to clubs to make sure that they have what they need to complete their application successfully by providing the pertinent information so that they can progress their case as soon as possible. Those people have been waiting for far too long.”
“I am pleased to say that good progress is being made in advancing the Northern Ireland Football Fund. Many clubs have asked for funding to help them develop their business case. I am happy to announce today that a further five clubs will be provided with funding in order to do so. They are Newington, PSNI, Institute, Ards and Loughgall.”
“I am happy to speak to the Member specifically about this and any cases that are outstanding. I know that further engagement will take place to agree the new processes and amendments to the customer notifications that are needed to support the change. That should have been introduced last month. If there are further issues on that that he would like to raise with me, I will be happy to discuss them.”
“I am aware of the issue. Those overpayments have caused concern; a number of Members have highlighted that. I have also been made aware that not all customers are being given the same opportunity to access support from the Department to manage their debts. I can advise that work is being progressed to introduce a waiver facility for welfare supplementary payment customers.”
“In the longer term, we will deal with the issue by making sure that we have more homes across Northern Ireland in all tenures.”
“We spend too much money on temporary accommodation. That money should be spent on preventing homelessness, because that will save us in the long term. We need to do everything that we can to make sure that we help those who are most in need, because we understand that homelessness causes further problems for people down the line. It can cause educational difficulties and, in many cases, serious health issues. It also sometimes impacts on the Department of Justice. We need to make sure that the money that we spend is spent in the best way. When it comes to homelessness, that money should be spent on prevention. Unfortunately, due to the budgetary situation that I find myself in, we are spending far too much money on temporary accommodation. That means that resources are not going where they need to go.”
“Homelessness is a scourge on society. Far too many people do not have a stable home to live in, and that has impacts for them and their families, including children and their schooling. I do not have an update on youth homelessness for the Member, but, when I do, I will be able to share it with him.”
“We will look at that through the housing supply strategy, but there is a role for the rates system, for example, to put pressure on the owners of homes that have been vacant for, in some cases, years. Sometimes, they are a hub for antisocial behaviour, and they are homes that someone could be living in. There are ways in which we could use the rates system, for example, to tackle those issues. We need to make it as desirable as possible for people who own empty properties to do something with them. The Agriculture Minister, Minister Muir, will also seek to deal with that through the dilapidation Bill that he will bring forward.”
“I am trying to make sure that we have as many housing options as possible. We want affordable housing, social housing and a sustainable private rented sector. That is why we are taking forward changes under the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. As I said to the Member earlier, there are concerns about the impact that rent controls will have on supply, so our focus should be on making sure that we do everything in our power to increase the supply. That is where my focus will be.”
“That will form part of the housing supply strategy as well as the fuel poverty strategy that I hope to bring forward in due course. It is important that we look at all the available options for making homes more energy-efficient and helping with, for example, home generation of electricity through solar panels. That will cut across some of the Minister for the Economy's responsibilities and relates to the some of the priorities in the energy strategy. An action plan is associated with that strategy. That is where the money should be spent, because that it where it can have the greatest and longest-lasting impact.”
“I am sure that the Member will be aware of a number of things that we are doing on energy efficiency. He will be aware of the affordable warmth scheme and the potential for its replacements, as well as the development of the fuel poverty strategy, which, as I said earlier, is absolutely key. We want people to have homes, but we need those homes to be warm, safe and secure. I hope that, when we have developed the fuel poverty strategy further, we will have in place schemes that will be most effective in helping those most in need.”
“I am certainly happy to do that. I have a growing concern on hearing that, because it comes up more frequently that homes receive planning permission and are constructed but issues seem to arise later. That increases costs, makes it more difficult to build homes and creates uncertainty in the sector. I am happy to take that up on the Member's behalf and raise it with Executive colleagues if necessary.”
“I am not aware of any issues with the development that the Member has mentioned, but I will certainly speak to officials and see what the hold-up is, if there is one. I will come back to the Member in writing.”