Andy Allen
East Belfast · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Member for her question. There are two accessible toilet cubicles available to visitors on the ground floor, one designated for male use and one for female use. On the first floor, there is an additional accessible toilet facility that is available for use by all visitors.”
“Before I begin, I declare an interest as a trustee of a charity. Through that role, I have seen at first hand the valuable work that charities carry out and the responsibilities that fall on trustees to ensure that organisations are properly governed.”
“I thank the Member for her follow-up question. While no formal assessment has been undertaken to establish a direct correlation between facilities and attendance by people with disabilities, we regularly engage with and welcome to Parliament Buildings people with disabilities through a range of forums, including involvement with the Youth…”
“<BR /> <BR />Perhaps the most significant issue for scrutiny is the extent to which important operational detail is being transferred from primary legislation into regulations.”
“Nevertheless, it would be useful to know how concerns relating to such organisations, should they arise, would be addressed and how cooperation between regulators would operate should issues arise.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The Assembly Commission installed a Changing Places facility in Parliament Buildings in 2011. Standard accessible toilets do not meet the needs of many people, including those with profound and multiple learning disabilities.”
The complete record
Every one of 703 lines we hold for Andy Allen, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 15.
“The Programme for Government acknowledges the clear link between poverty, education and long-term health. Alongside that, we call on the Minister of Education to review the recent increase in school meal costs and consider whether the current eligibility threshold for free school meals remains appropriate. Many families sit just above the threshold but cannot absorb the rising costs of food. Supporting those families would be a fair and practical step that directly benefits children. <BR /> <BR />Food pressures are part of a wider picture, and fuel poverty remains a major concern.”
“For many children, the school meal may be the most reliable and nutritious meal of their day. When the cost of school meals increases, families who are already struggling face even greater difficulty. Hunger affects behaviour, concentration and learning, and it can affect the entire classroom environment. That is why our amendment emphasises the importance of:”
“Those referred to food banks were living on an average of £171 a week after housing costs, which is roughly 30% of an ordinary household's income, and most had no savings. The overwhelming majority were already in debt or arrears. Those are not exceptional cases. They reflect the everyday reality of too many people across Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />At the human level, we all know what that looks like. A recent BBC report featured a working mother who said that she regularly skips meals so that her daughter has enough to eat. She summed it up simply by saying, "My daughter comes first". That sentiment is familiar to many parents who are quietly making sacrifices not because of poor choices but because the cost of feeding a family has outpaced their income. <BR /> <BR />Those pressures are especially visible in our schools.”
“<BR /> <BR />Mr Deputy Speaker, I, perhaps, should have declared an interest as a father with three school-age children. <BR /> <BR />Balancing the books on the backs of those who are already struggling is not a sustainable or fair way of tackling poverty. <BR /> <BR />There is a crossover from the previous debate. When products become more expensive to move, the pressures show up in the cost and availability of those everyday products. Those costs do not fall evenly across society; low-income households feel them most. <BR /> <BR />The evidence is stark. Around 520,000 people, including 130,000 children, in Northern Ireland are in food insecurity. In the past year, as we have heard from the Communities Committee Chair, 77,000 emergency food parcels were issued.”
“Those changes may appear minor in isolation, but, for families who are already stretched to the limit, the cumulative impact is substantial. That is why we have also highlighted the recent decision by the Education Authority (EA) to increase the cost of school meals. A 50p rise — an increase of around 20% — may not seem significant to some, but, for many families who are already under pressure, it will hit hard. Some will point to the fact that school meal prices have not risen since 2017. I commend all involved for keeping costs down for so long, but we will hear throughout today's debate why increasing them now, against the backdrop of severe cost-of-living pressures, is the wrong approach and one that sits uneasily with the aims of an anti-poverty strategy.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Our amendment is offered in a constructive spirit. The motion rightly highlights the pressures that households face, and we support its intention. The amendment would complement it by adding a particular focus on an issue that is becoming increasingly urgent: the rising cost of food and growing food insecurity. Headline inflation may have eased somewhat, but, for many families, the pressure has not. The essential items that people rely on week in, week out have not returned to previous prices. Food costs remain significantly higher, and, while some products appear unchanged, the reality of shrinkflation means that households get less for the same money or, in many cases, pay more for less.”
“Will the Minister expand on the information that the Housing Executive will use to determine where the properties will be located?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement and the actions contained therein. Will the Minister advise on whether his Department has carried out any analysis to make sure that similar issues are not present in other sports bodies across Northern Ireland?”
“— who work day and night behind the scenes to deliver services for our wider armed forces community. Thank you.”
“In closing, I, too, pay tribute to the current Veterans Commissioner, David Johnstone, and my former party colleague Danny Kinahan, who charted the way in establishing the office. There were many challenges. Both Veterans Commissioners have done sterling work, and there is much more work to be done. I pay tribute to all those volunteers —”
“I implore the UK Government and the MOD to look at how they can ensure that every veteran or serviceperson, upon transition, can have those qualifications actively mapped into their civilian equivalents. <BR /> <BR />The recent removal of the Northern Ireland Veterans' Support Office has created challenges. The Veterans' Support Office provided a dedicated pathway that could bring together that coordination function. The loss of funding for the office makes the call for those armed forces liaison officers more important, because they can act as that coordination function. <BR /> <BR />I know that I am running out of time, so I will probably not get to address Members' contributions. I apologise for that.”
“I emphasise that that would come at no additional cost, because the liaison officer could be identified within the existing staff complement, but it would provide a dedicated point of contact that would create better coordination across government at all levels. That is needed to make the covenant work in real terms. <BR /> <BR />For some, the move from service to civilian life can be difficult, as we have heard. Access to housing, healthcare and employment support is essential. As we have heard, whilst military qualifications are vast and can contribute to our economy, they do not always map across to the civilian equivalent. There is a process by which to be able to do that.”
“I thank the Member for making that point, and I wholeheartedly agree. Threats, wherever they come from, are wrong. They must be called out and challenged. I do not care where they come from: they are wrong, and I will challenge them. <BR /> <BR />I am running out of time. Perhaps Members will not make any further interventions, as I do not want to refuse them. <BR /> <BR />As has been stated, public bodies rightly have a legal duty to uphold the covenant, but delivery, as has been highlighted, remains inconsistent. The Defence Committee's recent report highlighted confusion about what "due regard" means in practice. Each Department should take responsibility, with a named liaison officer to ensure that its obligations are met.”
“I thank the Member for her point, but she is missing the point of the motion. It is not about elevating members of the armed forces above others in society. It is about saying that, where a disadvantage exists, we recognise it, and we will face it head on and address it. We would do that for any other section of society that faces disadvantage, and I have highlighted examples of disadvantage that may exist. Where no disadvantage is highlighted or is supported by evidence, nothing needs to be done, but there is disadvantage, and the greatest message that Members can send out, if they are truly for tackling and addressing disadvantage, is to support the motion. I know that they will not do that, but they could at least abstain.”
“The Member has made an interesting point. I was proud to serve and stand on a battlefield with many courageous and selfless individuals. Indeed, some of them put themselves in harm's way to extract me from a danger zone. They rushed in, not knowing that there were several other IEDs that had not detonated, and many of those individuals came from a different background from mine. It is that cultural enrichment that has helped me.”
“It absolutely is, and I have highlighted that. I was going on to say that a powerful message to show how far we have come as a society would perhaps be for the Members on the other side of the House to abstain instead of going through the No Lobby. I know that that would not send the entire message to the veterans' community, but it would at least be progress.”
“They are afraid of that, and we need to break that down and address it. It will take a very long time. A start could be for all of us to send the message in the Chamber, and I understand that, perhaps, Members across the Chamber cannot be convinced to support the motion.”
“Whether in relation to housing, healthcare, education or employment, they should not face disadvantage, but, in some respects, they do. Many have challenges, and Members across the Chamber asked us to highlight some of those disadvantages. There are many, but one element that creates a disadvantage is hypervigilance, and it is not perceived by many in the community that I am proud to represent. They still live with the fear of what has gone on in this place. They are restricted in where they can put down as an area of choice for housing, for example, so that is a disadvantage. They are limited; they still have that hypervigilance. They still have challenges when they go to their GP service. They have challenges when they interact with the health service. They do not want to divulge their background.”
“I have seen and supported many veterans through the vast array of organisations that I have the privilege of working with in delivering tangible outcomes and making sure that veterans are connected with employment opportunities and with local community groups and organisations. One example is that many veterans have gained qualifications in football through the Irish Football Association (IFA) and have gone on to deliver those skills and outputs in football clubs across our community and society. <BR /> <BR />The next and, perhaps, key part of the motion refers to the fact that no service person or veteran should face disadvantage. The key is disadvantage. They should not face disadvantage, and I think that every Member has rightly referenced that no one should face disadvantage, not least those who serve our country.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I declare an interest not only as a veteran but as a trustee of a veterans' charity that delivers many of the services that have been highlighted by Members across the House. <BR /> <BR />The motion can be broken down into distinct areas. First, the fact that veterans — service personnel — have transferable skills, which many Members have spoken about, for example, their dedication to service; commitment to leadership, teamwork and professional development; and the practical skills that can strengthen communities, businesses and voluntary work. Their contribution continues well beyond service and should rightly be recognised. I have the immense honour of getting to see much of it being delivered in practice.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. The Member highlights some of his difficulty in supporting the text of the motion, and it seems to be around the armed forces liaison officer. Would it not be fair to say that that would be at no additional cost, and it is important that we have the ability for Departments to engage and interact with those affected, and, in turn, remove that disadvantage that we talk about?”
“It appears to me that the Member is struggling to conjure up words to oppose the motion. There is no difficulty in the motion about having "due regard", and that is clearly set out. She then talked about individuals not being disadvantaged, and that is what the motion is about. If they fundamentally believe in individuals not being disadvantaged, there will be no difficulty in supporting the motion.”
“Therefore, the role of commissioner is an important part of the framework to ensure that high standards of conduct in public life are upheld at the Assembly. The Assembly Commission believes that Mr Stephen Wright has the relevant skills and experience to serve the Assembly well as Commissioner for Standards for the period of five years set out in the 2011 Act. Therefore, on behalf of the Assembly Commission, I commend to the House the nomination of Mr Stephen Wright as Commissioner for Standards.”
“The Assembly Commission is today asking the Assembly to support the appointment of Mr Stephen Wright as the new Commissioner for Standards. <BR /> <BR />Stephen Wright has 30 years' service in the PSNI. The majority of his roles in that time have been investigatory in the crime department, including as senior investigating officer (SIO) for serious organised crime and head of the anti-corruption unit. He has also held other posts in the PSNI, including head of training, a brief period as head of human resources and, most recently, head of professional standards. <BR /> <BR />The primary role of the commissioner is to carry out investigations into complaints relating to the Assembly's code of conduct and ministerial code of conduct and to report the outcome of those investigations to the Assembly.”
“The Assembly Commission undertook that function on behalf of the Assembly, and the House is aware that the recruitment panel comprised the Speaker, on behalf of the Assembly Commission; the Chairperson of the Committee on Standards and Privileges, Cathy Mason; the Clerk/Chief Executive, Lesley Hogg; and the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards at Westminster, Daniel Greenberg CB. The Assembly Commission previously thanked the Chairperson of the Committee on Standards and Privileges and Daniel Greenberg for giving of their time to sit on the panel. <BR /> <BR />Following the completion of the recruitment competition, the Assembly Commission was able to identify a number of strong suitable candidates for appointment and is therefore pleased to be able to make a further nomination today.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Assembly Members (Independent Financial Review and Standards) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 requires that the person to be appointed as Commissioner for Standards be:”
“On behalf of the Assembly Commission, I ask the Assembly to support the appointment of a Commissioner for Standards to fill the current vacancy. On 8 September 2025, as the House is aware, the Assembly agreed the appointment of Mr Mark McEwan as Commissioner for Standards. The Speaker then wrote to Members on 16 September 2025 to inform them that Mr McEwan had submitted his resignation. The Assembly Commission would, of course, have preferred not to have returned to the Chamber on this matter so soon. However, it is recognised that the position of deputy chief constable of Surrey Police is a significant appointment for Mr McEwan, and the Assembly Commission wishes him every success with it.”
“In his statement, the Minister mentioned writing to the chief executives of councils to set out the expectations and obligations placed on councils by the respective legislation. Will he share a copy of that correspondence with Members so that we are clear as to the position of the Department with councils?”
“Earlier in his remarks, the Member mentioned the "well-researched and co-designed work" taken forward by the Minister's predecessor. Will the Member enlighten the House as to what was contained in the previous Minister's work that is not in this strategy?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer and the work that has been undertaken on that important strategy to date. Will the Minister commit today to ensuring that the fuel poverty strategy includes clear, measurable and time-bound outcomes to lift households out of fuel poverty?”
“The Minister may be aware that the Pension Schemes Bill is currently going through Parliament. We will receive a legislative consent motion (LCM) on it shortly. Can he look at whether that could be a vehicle by which to take forward the change?”
“Does the Member agree that the Minister should have followed the approach that he took with the disability and work strategy by including targets in the anti-poverty strategy at the outset?”
“I have heard about how the Irish language is intertwined throughout the fabric of our city. I have no difficulty with that. However, you have to recognise that there are many in our communities who do. Their voices are as important as those who wish to have Irish, and to dismiss them is doing them a disservice. <BR /> <BR />I will finish on this: those who have used the language as a political tool, or, as I refer to it, as weaponisation, should reflect on the disservice that they have done and why we are where we are now. I support the motion and call on Belfast City Council not only to review the policy but to redouble its efforts as to how it can build community cohesion.”
“To reduce it to the 15% and then to go beyond that, as we have heard from other Members who have said, "You know what? Actually, we are not even happy with the 15%. We will just disregard that because, in reality, the 15% threshold has been met, but the majority in the street do not support that approach, but we will push it through", is wrong. We would be much better served by investing in promoting the language, not railroading it on to communities and not through the current policies of Belfast City Council. <BR /> <BR />I am not anti-Irish. I support those who wish to speak the language. I personally do not wish to speak it, and I know many who share the same views. Equally, I know people who do wish to speak it. I have met Linda Ervine, who is a massive promoter of the language, and I have engaged with her.”
“I served in an Irish regiment, and I am proud of the regiment that I served in. Its regimental motto, "faugh a ballagh", has its origins in the Irish language. <BR /> <BR />We cannot deny the fact that the Irish language has been weaponised by some. There may be people who will laugh at that or try to dismiss it, but that is the reality. I speak to many who identify as unionist, as nationalist, as other or none of the above, and they do not support the approach around the dual language signage. That is a fundamental issue when signage is being railroaded through and people do not support it. It further entrenches communities, it sows division, and it does a disservice to the language. What good is that? It is no good. Fundamentally, we have to look at the policy. The policy is, in part, to blame.”
“Yes, there were streets that had over 50% support, but the majority were within the range of 20% to 40%. There were also many that did not have the majority support. We have heard about those streets from other Members. We can look at Shandon Park, in my constituency, where 49% — 121 people — of the people surveyed did not support the imposition of a dual language sign on their street, and many fewer did support it. However, that was railroaded through. <BR /> <BR />The crux of the issue before us is not the Irish language. I go back to my comments. I will perhaps be labelled as anti-Irish, but that is not the case. When the Shandon Park street sign was vandalised, just recently, I highlighted in my comments of condemnation that it was wrong — unequivocally wrong.”
“No doubt, as we have heard already, those of us who speak in support of the motion will be labelled as intolerant, regressive or anti-Irish. Those are labels that I do not agree with, but, perhaps, in supporting the motion, I will be adding my name, and those of my colleagues, to the list labelled as such. However, we do not agree with those labels. <BR /> <BR />Public policy should seek to unite communities, not divide them. At its core, the motion highlights that, since 2022, only around 12% of Irish language street sign applications received by Belfast City Council had majority residential support. In preparing for the debate, I spent time going through the various people and communities committee documents that contain the streets on which the signage was proposed and analysing that information.”
“I am not often on Twitter, for some of the very reasons that have been discussed, but I immediately took to Twitter to show my solidarity with Naomi and Michael. In this place, we often have robust debate, and that is what it is: robust debate. Ministers, Members and parties are held to account, but there is no justification for the actions that we saw last week. Those who were responsible should not only desist from but reflect on their actions. Anybody who attempts to justify such actions is plainly wrong, and I challenge them also.”
“Mr Speaker, I associate myself and my party with your remarks at the outset. Normally, on matters such as this, most Members say, "I would like to associate myself with the comments of all Members", but, unfortunately, on this occasion, I cannot do that. <BR />What we saw last week was wholly unacceptable. There is no justification whatsoever for it. The intimidation outside the Sinn Féin constituency office of Dáire Hughes MP and Minister Liz Kimmins was totally unacceptable. Those are actions of the past that nobody in this place wants to see happen now and many did not want to see happen in the past. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Member for submitting the Matter of the Day. When I heard what had occurred outside Naomi and Michael Long's home, I was appalled.”
“Let us make sure that no one in Northern Ireland has to choose between heating and eating.”
“<BR /> <BR />Our amendment raises important points about grid infrastructure and energy regulation. A secure and affordable energy supply matters, and reform is needed, but the truth is that energy security begins at home. A strong grid and an ambitious renewables target are extremely important, but so too is supporting households that cannot afford to turn the heating on because the heat leaks straight out through the roof and walls. The two approaches — system reform and household efficiency — must go hand in hand. One without the other will not solve the problem. <BR /> <BR />Fuel poverty is not inevitable. It is the result of poor housing, high costs and years of underinvestment. The consultation and stakeholder report make clear what needs to happen. I believe that the will is there. We just need the funding to do it.”
“<BR /> <BR />There are sensible and pragmatic steps that we can take, but they will need coordination across Departments. The strategy stresses the need for joined-up delivery, consistency and better public awareness so that households know what help they can access. <BR /> <BR />In June 2025, the UK Government announced £13·2 billion for their warm homes plan, bringing significant Barnett consequentials to Northern Ireland. While I appreciate that that funding is not ring-fenced, it offers a crucial opportunity for the Northern Ireland Executive to invest in retrofitting and home energy-efficiency schemes. Boosting support programmes such as the affordable warmth scheme or its planned successor, the warm healthy homes scheme, would help more households, whilst cutting energy bills and carbon emissions.”
“Add to that draughty windows and doors, and you will see that much of the heat that we pay for simply escapes. Poor insulation and energy inefficiency, which the motion references, trap people in a cycle of high bills and low comfort. The Department's stakeholder engagement report, which involved more than 365 organisations and individuals, reinforced that message. Participants were clear that we need sustained investment and a whole-house, fabric-first approach — one of insulating walls, lofts and floors, improving ventilation and modernising heating systems together, rather than in isolation. The consultation also proposes new standards that deserve our full support. I look forward to hearing more detail from the Minister today and in response to my question for oral answer, next week.”
“<BR /> <BR />According to the Department for Communities' draft fuel poverty strategy, around 27% of households in Northern Ireland are in fuel poverty, but National Energy Action puts the figures much higher — about 40% overall, and over half of all social tenants. Those are not abstract figures. They represent individuals and families who are making impossible choices. One in 10 is cutting back on food, and over a quarter has gone without heating or electricity at least once in the past two years. The draft strategy reminds us that the energy efficiency of our housing stock is among the lowest in Europe. It also highlights why. A typical uninsulated home loses around 33% of its heat through the walls, 25% through the roof and another 10% to 20% through the floor.”
“I thank my Committee colleague for proposing this important motion. It goes to the core of an urgent social and economic issue, which is fuel poverty. We all know that rising energy prices have become unaffordable, pushing many households beyond the brink. They have also exposed a deeper problem: the poor condition of too many of our homes. When a house is cold, damp, poorly insulated or a combination thereof, people pay more to heat it, yet they still live in the cold. The result is predictable. It impacts on health and well-being and drives higher costs. While there have been slight reductions in energy prices, they remain far beyond what many households can reasonably afford, especially when combined with homes that are energy inefficient.”
“I echo the comments of others that intimidation is wrong. There never was a place for it, and there never will be a place for it. <BR /> <BR />I have been contacted recently by constituents who are concerned about the number of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). While it is important that we provide temporary accommodation for those who need it, there is concern in communities about the number of HMOs that are popping up. Where does the Minister see the balance between HMOs and the delivery of temporary accommodation? Ultimately, we want to deliver more long-term, sustainable accommodation, rather than having to place people in temporary provision.”
“In his statement, the Minister referenced barriers on several occasions. He has highlighted to the Committee Chair the options around working hours. Will the JobStart scheme remove any other barriers that were identified under previous iterations of the scheme?”
“It is concerning that individuals might not have the confidence to raise the issue of disabilities or conditions that may impact on their employment. What aspects of the strategy does the Minister foresee as addressing that?”
“I thank the Minister for bringing forward the draft strategy and for the work that the Department has undertaken on it to date. His statement referred to the desire:”
“I thank the Minister for his answer and the intervention that he and his Department have made. <BR /> <BR />Minister, I recently corresponded with you on behalf of a constituent regarding transport issues within the trust, and there does appear to be an issue that has not been rectified. Will the Minister commit himself to meeting me and my constituent, and indeed with the Belfast Trust, to better understand those concerns, even though it is not directly within his remit?”