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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“I am happy to write to the Member about that. If there have been, I have not seen them in the documents that I have received so far. I will be happy to clarify that.”
“I apologise to the House. I was not aware that that question had gone unanswered. <BR /> <BR />A funding arrangement is in place for Casement Park that is similar to the funding arrangements that were put in place for Ravenhill and Windsor Park when funding was made available for their redevelopment. The Member will be aware, however, that the situation has moved on considerably since then and that any new arrangement that is come to for Casement Park would require the funding agreement to be looked at again.”
“It is concerning. They have disappeared in the New Lodge altogether. <BR /> <BR />It is something that we need to look at. I am happy to see what we can do to help with the circumstances that the Member has raised. He is right to talk about the skills issue. In the Department, we are continually trying to make sure that people have the necessary skills, especially to deal with some of the monuments in our historic environment.”
“I have not had any meetings with the Minister for Infrastructure on that yet, but I am tempted to. I do not know what is behind this, but, all of a sudden, a number of Members have become very interested in thatched roofs, which I recognise from the very many questions for written answer that I get on the subject. I am more than happy to take the matter up with the Member, if he thinks that it can be dealt with through a change to planning laws to take the pressure off those affected.”
“Should the Member wish to raise any specific issues with me, I am happy to look into them, but I would like to think that there is no disconnect between councils and the people whom they represent. If that is what the Member is referring to, I am happy to discuss the issue further with him.”
“I understand that it is an issue of concern. We have had 10 years since the changes to local government took place. It falls under the remit of my Department, and we will take forward work on that shortly.”
“I do not have specific details on that, but I am happy to write to the Member about it. He is correct to highlight the fact that we want to make sure that overpayment does not happen in the first place. Prevention is always better, and I am happy to look at that to see what we can do so that it does not happen again.”
“It is an issue of concern. I recognise the difficulty that it has caused for many people. We remain fully committed to assisting people who are repaying an overpayment debt and experiencing financial difficulties. The available support includes help to develop tailored and affordable repayment plans, waiving overpayment debt in exceptional circumstances and signposting people to independent debt advice. If the Member has any constituents whom he is concerned about and would like to refer to the Department's debt management team, I am more than happy to facilitate that.”
“First, I accept and recognise that improvement is necessary and that that performance is not good enough. It has fallen well below expectations, and I never want to be in a position in which HED unnecessarily acts as a barrier to development and growth because of delays in the system. I have instructed officials to look at the issue. I want to make sure that HED is properly resourced and gets the issues around the interface with the planning portal right. I want to make sure that advice is given to applicants beforehand. It is important that we implement policy reasonably and proportionately. We can protect our historic environment without inhibiting growth. That is really important.”
“Yes. The current target for the historic environment division is to respond to 75% of consultations within 21 days. I am disappointed that its performance has fallen from 54% in 2022-23 to 37% in quarter 3 of 2023-24. Whilst that can be attributed in part to issues with the new planning portal, I recognise that it is not good enough.”
“I am happy to get clarity on that for the Member. <BR /> <BR />Principal Deputy Speaker, I may have made a mistake: I may have been talking about the city deal for Strabane. I am sorry; I have so much in my file about Strabane that I may have given the Member the wrong information. I apologise to him and to the House. <BR /> <BR />The final business case was submitted to the Department on 16 April 2024. It requires my approval as well as that of DOF. Obviously, I have to wait to look at the Budget outcome before I can progress on that.”
“My Department is working closely with Derry City and Strabane District Council on its city deal proposals for regeneration. The council has now submitted the outline business case for Strabane town centre regeneration for approval.”
“That will be part of the framework and discussions that go on whenever that scheme begins, which will be very soon, and we can absolutely have that discussion. Our social housing has to be fit for those who have disabilities and need adaptations, so it is right that some of the homes that are available for intermediate rent are the same.”
“Progress against targets has been slow but the Housing Executive and housing associations continue to work to increase provision.”
“New social housing units for people with disabilities will be delivered through the social housing development programme, subject to confirmation of the annual housing budget. Housing Executive place-shaping teams will continue to liaise closely with housing associations to ensure that the housing mixes that are agreed for new social housing schemes reflect the requirements of people with disabilities. <BR /> <BR />All new wheelchair-accessible housing must be designed in accordance with the housing association guide. Incorporating generic, flexibly designed, future-proofed, wheelchair-accessible housing into new housing schemes should address the majority of wheelchair users' needs. Over time, that will help to alleviate the demand on the housing waiting list for that type of accommodation.”
“We do not necessarily need to wait for the strategy to be in place before we move forward on some of these issues. Some are straightforward and progress can be made on them. We will do that where we can. Any legislation that follows could be a substantial piece of work, but, of course, we will keep Members updated and involved in that.”
“It is really important that those who helped with the co-design of the strategy are kept up to date with what is happening, and for no other reason than to be a good sounding board for what we eventually come to, so I am more than happy to take that forward and discuss it further with those interested parties. <BR /> <BR />I do not have a timeline yet for the disability strategy, but it is important to me and is something that I will be looking to progress at pace.”
“Ensuring that disabled people in Northern Ireland have the same rights and opportunities as the rest of our community is a key priority for me. <BR /> <BR />I am considering the next steps in the development of an Executive disability strategy, which I intend to be taken forward at pace. The strategy will include consideration of the need for a review and reform of disability legislation, which will include consideration of the benefits to be gained by incorporating the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into devolved legislation. Final decisions on the timing of the implementation of the strategy will be subject to Executive agreement.”
“It is absolutely right for this issue to be raised again, as it has been before. It is horrendous when people are facing the threat of violence or violence from those outside their home, and it is even worse when it is coming from inside their home. We should not tolerate that in any way, shape or form. The Assembly has done a good job in standing together and saying that that is completely unacceptable, and it is absolutely right that we do that. I want to make sure that people who face that horrendous situation get all the help that they need, and that should be incorporated into how we allocate social housing.”
“There should be no tolerance of that whatsoever.”
“The Member is absolutely right to raise this issue. It is of huge concern to many people who are having to live through some horrendous examples of antisocial behaviour and whose health and mental health are being impacted on because of the behaviour of some of their neighbours. In some instances, the Housing Executive and housing associations will have the tools that they need, and I want to ensure that they are using those tools to crack down on those who are causing issues. If further work needs to be done in this area and they need additional tools, I am more than happy to help them, whether that is legislatively or in any other way. I am sure that we have all had experience of good people who are terrified of living in their own home because of just one or two problem people and who cannot get anywhere else to go.”
“The Member will be aware of the 20 proposals that were made for social housing allocations. Most of those were implemented, and one on intimidation has not been progressed. I am considering that. I have indicated that I think that there needs to be change in that area, so, once we get the report back and I get a further evidence base, I will make a decision on that.”
“As part of the ongoing fundamental review of social housing allocations, I will consider the future options for intimidation points, and the independent research on this subject is close to completion.”
“Intimidation in whatever form it takes is unacceptable, as is the impact that it can have on the wider community. As I confirmed during questions on 23 April, I am aware that there is significant concern that intimidation points are being abused. I confirm that the Housing Executive undertakes a robust verification process to ensure that points are awarded to those who meet the specified criteria. I believe, however, that change is needed to ensure that victims of trauma or violence, including victims of domestic abuse, are treated more consistently. People who are genuine victims of abuse must receive the priority that they deserve, and we must also ensure that the system cannot be abused.”
“On the hosting of the Euros, I am on record saying that I think that it would be fantastic if we could be part of that tournament. However, as we know, that is dependent on funding. That funding is not currently in place, and I await further clarity on that.”
“I am not so sure about the first part of his comment, which was about his fast bowling. I have yet to see evidence of that.”
“Yes. We need a longer-term strategy so that we can host more sporting events like that in the future. I think of the Giro in 2014 and what a great success that was for Northern Ireland. It really put the spotlight on many of our constituencies. Sometimes, we can be limited in what we are able to do because we have only certain pots of money that are available to assist those who might want to host sporting events and tournaments here in Northern Ireland, so I think that it is important that we look at a longer-term strategy. I would also like to see the Executive have a separate funding pot so that we could specifically target and promote those larger sporting events and bring them to Northern Ireland.”
“I am more than happy to meet Cricket Ireland.”
“I am delighted to hear that Northern Ireland will play host to its first ever Test match when Ireland takes to the field against Zimbabwe at Stormont in July. We know how important it is and what a feather in the cap it is for Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Sport NI's chief executive has confirmed that, over the past five years, a total of just under £1·4 million has been provided to Cricket Ireland as the governing body for cricket. In addition, a total of 151 service days for sporting expertise have been provided to Cricket Ireland team members since 2021. I welcome any contact from Cricket Ireland to discuss its plans. However, I would stress that there is still uncertainty regarding my Department's budget allocation and what additional support could be provided.”
“I absolutely agree with what the Member has said. I have worked with organisations, including Christians Against Poverty, in my constituency and can see the impact that they have had. I want to ensure that we can have partnerships and work with all those who are determined to help to address the issue right across Northern Ireland. We need to continue to look at best practice elsewhere, because there are issues with uptake of debt advice in Northern Ireland. That is where coordination with fantastic organisations like CAP can really make a difference.”
“My officials have worked with the advice sector and engaged extensively with stakeholders to develop proposals for how we will support the delivery of integrated advice and debt services in the future through our funding. I expect the consultation on those proposals to launch in the summertime.”
“Obviously, I received my Department's final budget settlement only in the past number of weeks. That is still being worked through. The Member will be aware of the funding that is being made available via the UK Government for that service. I hope that that will be able to continue. I hope to be able to give clarity as soon as possible.”
“My Department invests significant annual grant funding in the region of £6·6 million to support the delivery of independent community-based advice and debt services to people in communities across Northern Ireland. In 2022, my Department moved to a minimum two-year grant funding allocation, which will soon be extended for a third year, to assist with sustainability and stability of services.”
“Yes: I believe that we can and should ensure that football has what it needs, not just so that we can meet the needs of young people but because it is an investment in our future. Getting more people more active more of the time is key for me because it will have impacts on the health service, education system and justice system. This will be a good investment. I look forward to delivering it.”
“That sum of money was committed back in 2011. Nothing extra has been added in the interim.”
“I am not looking at the short term or the next two or three years; I am looking at the longer term.”
“We need substantially more than £36·2 million. That is why I am determined that we set out a long-term plan for football. This is a start. I want to see the £36·2 million disbursed soon, but it is not the height of our ambition. We will need more, and I look forward to working with premiership and grassroots clubs to deliver that.”
“That is what I look forward to doing for clubs such as Barn United.”
“I agree with the Member. The £36·2 million is not enough, but it is a start. We have been waiting for too long and for too many years to get that money out. I am determined to make sure that we get it delivered, but I accept that it is not enough. It is a start, but it is not the height of our ambitions. <BR /> <BR />I will continue to get more for football right across Northern Ireland. I want to be in a position where the Executive are able to give more funding to the subregional programme. In addition, I raised the matter directly with the UK Government when the UK sports Minister Stuart Andrew was over here. I impressed on him our need for facilities right across Northern Ireland. I am determined to deliver not just for performance clubs and our national training centre but for grassroots clubs.”
“With Madam Deputy Speaker's permission, I will group questions 4, 6 and 15. The subregional programme is a priority for me. My officials have been working closely with clubs at all levels to build strong relationships and understand needs, and they have been developing proposals in partnership with an advisory working group. They are continuing to push forward at pace, and I plan to make an announcement in the coming days. Once final approvals are confirmed and proposals are secured, I will be able to provide a time frame for the process for applying for funding.”
“There are more in my Department because it is a bigger Department. The percentage across the Civil Service is roughly the same, and we do not deviate from that. However, I will take the opportunity to correct Mr McCrossan, if he does not mind. At a previous Question Time, he claimed that there were 4,520 temporary promotions in my Department. In fact, it is 1,764. He inflated it by two and a half times, so I just thought that it was important to put that on the record.”
“My officials remain engaged with NICS HR in order to progress recruitment competitions that will fill more posts substantively and to improve and speed up recruitment processes through the NICS people plan. Following the lifting of the pause on NICS recruitment in 2023, my Department has recently seen an increase in the number of substantive new starts.”
“Those are essential skills that will help young people in particular in their educational journey, but those outcomes help in other ways and take pressure off Departments like Health and Justice. I am committed to supporting the arts, because I see the impact that they can have.”
“I absolutely believe that it can, and I say this to the Member: the fact that we have not had progress on the direct delivery of the recommendations does not mean that nothing is happening. We are putting together the arts, culture and heritage strategy, and I look forward to announcing that to the House soon, once I get the agreement of the Executive. It is important that that continues. I absolutely believe that the arts play a role in many of the outcomes that we will want to see in the Programme for Government. I have said before that sport and the arts help people to show up, be committed and demonstrate dedication to something and to working together.”
“Yes, absolutely. I do not think that the arts should be the preserve of any one community, any one area or any one town or city. I want to support the arts right across Northern Ireland. I want to ensure that we can support the development and sustainability of the arts and encourage them to develop in areas where they perhaps have not been that strong in the past. I am committed to doing that. <BR /> <BR />The Member specifically highlighted marching bands. At the end of the financial year, I was able to allocate a small sum of additional money to help marching bands across Northern Ireland, because I understand the value that those bands bring, especially to young people who might not otherwise be involved in the arts. That should be encouraged, and I hope to see that happening again this year.”
“Obviously, it is not for me to encroach on the work of other Departments. However, I agree that there is a disparity in what we spend on the arts. The Member is quoting the Arts Council or equivalent bodies. We spend a little bit more than that in some of the other sectors, but I take the point that our spend here is lower. It is not the fairest comparator, but it is a consequence of the funding cuts that have happened over a number of years. I absolutely want to be in a position to protect the arts, and, as the Member alluded to, I am looking for alternative sources and other ways in which we can support the arts to be sufficient, including other income streams, where possible.”
“Scotland has been very effective at finding other ways to support the arts, and I want to see that replicated here so that we are not just dependent on the funding that comes directly from my Department.”
“Yes, I am always happy to meet those who have concerns or other issues that they want to raise with me. On the budget, it is important for the House to know just how challenging a budget settlement my Department has received. It will be difficult in many areas. However, I have already stated how important I consider the arts to be. The arts can have an impact on people's development in their lives, especially young people, so I am determined to do everything that I can to support the arts in Northern Ireland. That does not just mean supporting the arts through the budget that we have. It means seeing what other funding sources are available to help the arts, and that is a conversation that I had in a recent UK Government Ministers meeting, which involved the other devolved Administrations as well.”
“The recommendations in 'Investing in Creative Delivery' have not yet been implemented, but the foundation of work to develop a comprehensive strategy for the support and development of the culture, arts and heritage sectors will be based on that work.”
“I was clear in my answer to Mrs Erskine that we need to ensure that any legislation is rights-compliant and that we therefore cannot introduce legislation that puts a prohibition on freedom of expression or belief or on people's right to express their religious beliefs. Those views may not be palatable to everybody, but, in a free society, we must have the freedom to express them even when others strongly disagree. That is why, for me, the definition of conversion therapy is so important.”