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.”
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“Should more capital funding come through the spending review, as the Minister mentioned, is his Department ready to go, and what number of homes could it deliver with additional funding?”
“On that very point about public land, one of the major criticisms highlighted by housing associations is the affordability of that land. Will that be looked at as part of the conversation?”
“Minister, in yesterday's statement, you mentioned that it is not enough to simply ask for more money and said that we need to do things differently, which is why you will bring a proposal to the Executive shortly on how we can do more with the money that we have to build more homes. Will you give a broad outline of what that entails?”
“There are many areas where housing could be delivered, but it is just not being taken forward. <BR /> <BR />I recognise the challenges and the fact that East Belfast is a great place, but we really need to get on with delivering housing in East Belfast and across Northern Ireland.”
“In reality, however, that is only part of the solution. We have also seen initiatives being taken forward around the housing selection scheme. I have had that engagement with people myself. Whilst it is part of the solution whereby they can increase the number of areas of choice that they can put down, it is, in part, tinkering around the edges. Unless we build enough houses for the demand that is the reality, people can put down any number of areas of choice. <BR /> <BR />Ms Armstrong will recognise these comments, because we highlight it continually at Committee but are not getting the progress on it that we would have hoped for. The place-shaping team in the Housing Executive and how it assesses need in an area does not look fundamentally at the reality.”
“The Opposition tabled a motion about the availability of public land, and I am sure that Members can point to a plethora of derelict sites. I think of sites in the Mount on the lower Newtownards Road and across East Belfast that could be available to deliver much-needed housing. <BR /> <BR />Statistics have already been highlighted about the number of people on social housing waiting lists, which equates to one in 32 people across Northern Ireland. Thousands of those people are in East Belfast. We have also heard about East Belfast Mission, for example, which does not just talk about the issue but has taken action. East Belfast Mission has taken proactive steps with the likes of Commonweal Housing. They secured funding to purchase five homes in order to support individuals and families to move on outside of its temporary accommodation.”
“I hope that I have not misquoted the Minister, but the genesis of what he says is deeply concerning. I ask the Minister for an update. I know that the Communities Minister is not the lead Minister in relation to getting borrowing powers for the Housing Executive, but, if we cast our minds back to when the reclassification of the Housing Executive was first announced, which was way back nearly five years ago, we see that the progress that has been made has been slow. We need to see significant progress. Likewise, we need to learn from the steps that the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has taken in relation to housebuilding in other areas. We need to see that learning being lifted and taken forward as part of a wider piece.”
“The announcement of the affordable rent scheme and £10 million for the loan to acquire move-on accommodation will also go some way to easing the pressures, particularly for those stuck in temporary accommodation or insecure housing. Efforts to secure borrowing powers for the Housing Executive and to allow the use of its reserves to purchase properties to address the temporary housing challenges are also welcome. However, I turn back to the former. I think that I heard the Finance Minister say in the Chamber just a short while ago that Treasury:”
“The Communities Committee has had numerous engagements with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, and, in one of those meetings, it highlighted its assessed need, which would appear to go much beyond what the housing supply strategy is aiming to deliver. That is not just a criticism for the sake of making a criticism, recognising all the challenges that we have; it is about the reality and the reality of what we are delivering for our people.”
“For example, just this week, families were relocated to Portrush for temporary accommodation because it was the only available temporary accommodation, despite their children going to school in East Belfast. We have some terrific schools in East Belfast, as the Member highlighted. East Belfast is a wonderful place to live, grow up, have a business, bring your family up etc, but there are challenges with housing. <BR /> <BR />The housing supply strategy, likewise, is a positive and necessary step forward. It sets out a long-term direction, but the challenge now is delivery. We need homes on the ground, not just ambition on paper. However — the Minister will have noted this, as I have previously highlighted it — does the ambition of the housing supply strategy truly meet the reality?”
“I, too, thank my constituency colleague for securing this important Adjournment debate. It is not the first; it is one of many that we have had about all constituencies right across Northern Ireland. It is one of just a plethora of debates that we have had declaring a housing crisis — a housing emergency. We all accept, right across Northern Ireland, that the time for action is now. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the Minister's commitment to tackling homelessness and increasing the supply of housing. The issue affects, as I have already said, every community, and we have already heard about its impact, and about individuals having to be lifted from the communities in which they live, where they want to be and where they have their support networks.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. To what extent has the levy contributed to Northern Ireland's overall recycling and waste reduction targets?”
“The Minister provided an overview of the many areas that his Department covers, but his statement was limited insofar as it did not include extensive detail on tackling poverty. I appreciate that the anti-poverty strategy is to come forward, but will the Minister detail what further actions his Department will take, through this Budget allocation, to tackle poverty, including fuel poverty?”
“Will the Member define his interpretation of "super-rich"?”
“I ask the Minister for his thoughts on that and on whether any of it will form part of the forthcoming disability strategy or the disability and work strategy. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, it is imperative that the Minister and the Department engage fully with the UK Government, not just to oppose these cruel proposals but to help shape a new compassionate vision for support and inclusion, because things can get better, but only if we choose to make them so.”
“Many disabled people rely on that support to sustain employment. We must focus on solutions that support people back into work, where appropriate and possible, and not force them into destitution. That is why we fully support the call for a UK-wide commission to develop cross-departmental, holistic approaches to tackling economic inactivity among people with long-term illnesses and disabilities. That cannot be done in silos. Health, employment, education and social security must be part of the conversation. There are many who wish to work and could work with the right support, but the current system does not enable that to happen. These proposals will do nothing to change that reality. <BR /> <BR />An individual with lived experience, who has said that they are "stuck in the system", said:”
“If the Government move forward with these cuts, we will see even more families pushed to the brink, more children growing up cold and hungry and more people turning to food banks just to get by. The Trussell Trust's latest data makes for grim reading. Food bank usage in Northern Ireland has reached record levels, and nearly half of all people who were referred to a food bank in 2023 were disabled. What kind of reform is it that makes life harder for those who are already struggling the most? <BR /> <BR />The Assembly must send a clear message: social security should be a lifeline, not a trapdoor. We need an approach that is rooted in fairness and dignity. It is also important to state that there is often a misunderstanding that PIP is an out-of-work support payment, but it is not.”
“Many are now asking how broad the shoulders are of those who are being targeted by this Government. Let me be crystal clear: the Ulster Unionist Party opposes the UK Government's approach. The proposals, if implemented, will serve only to fail those who need help the most, and they will actively deepen the hardship that is already being endured by thousands across our communities. Stripping back support for disabled people under the guise of reform is not only unjust but economically reckless. It may offer the Treasury short-term savings on a spreadsheet, but the long-term cost to society, our health services and public trust will be immeasurable. <BR /> <BR />We know from the Northern Ireland Audit Office that child poverty alone costs Northern Ireland up to £1 billion every year.”
“However, when lobbied to raise the pension credit minimum income threshold to ensure that more low-income pensioner households could access the winter fuel payment, Labour chose not to do so. He went on to say that there was a Budget coming in October and that it was going to be "painful", so those with the:”
“In a speech delivered on 27 August 2024, the Prime Minister stated many things about fixing the foundations of our country. He said:”
“To paraphrase my party colleague the Member of Parliament for South Antrim, Robin Swann MP, they keep talking about their £22 billion black hole, but they have just filled it with pensioners, farmers, National Insurance increases and now the disabled. What Labour has done since coming into government seems to be the complete opposite to its manifesto commitments and to the old Labour tradition of supporting working-class people and those in need. Every decision that it has made so far flies in the face of that. I know that Robin will continue to speak up for Northern Ireland and challenge the Labour Government on their reckless approach.”
“As the rumours began to swirl about the looming cuts to social security and as the plans became clearer, I could not help but recall the moment outside Downing Street — I have mentioned this before, and I make no apologies for highlighting it again — when the rain was pouring down and the then PM came out to call the election with the sound of 'Things Can Only Get Better' blaring in the background. So many expected that to be the case; indeed, some promoted it as being so. How wrong so many were.”
“Obviously, the Assembly Commission takes security very seriously. There are measures in place to mitigate such incidents. I do not have any detail about any serious incidents that have taken place, so I will have to come back to the Member.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The most recent review of security at Parliament Buildings was carried out in 2022 by the PSNI. That followed earlier reviews carried out in 2011 and 2015. The PSNI has agreed to carry out another security review, which it hopes to commence this month.”
“I thank the Member for his question. As I emphasised, the settlement agreement is full and final, and it is confidential. It is subject to legal privilege.”
“The Assembly Commission had initially hoped to reach a settlement with the original contractors to repair the roof while avoiding legal proceedings. Unfortunately, the commencement of legal proceedings was unavoidable, and the Assembly Commission is pleased to have reached a full and final settlement in that regard. While it is disappointing that more progress has not been made, Assembly officials have been working closely with staff from Construction and Procurement Delivery to ensure that the roof repairs are completed with the utmost care and attention. That will ensure that the work is carried out in full compliance with the Building's grade A listed status, with all necessary approvals being secured before work commences.”
“As I highlighted in the original answer and the follow-up, there are two distinct phases. They will encompass all the works that are required to be taken forward.”
“As I mentioned, phase 1 of the works will be carried out during the summer recess. The remainder of the repairs will commence, following the award of a contract by construction division, in early 2026. The timescales for the remainder of the repairs are in keeping with a project of this scale.”
“<BR /> <BR />Phase 1 is planned to be carried out during the summer recess by properties division. The remainder of the works will be carried out by construction division and will address all areas of water ingress. Construction division formally agreed in December 2024 to carry out the repairs. Due to the scale of the project, it is anticipated that the work will commence in early 2026.”
“With your permission, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, I will group questions 4, 10 and 11. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Members for their questions. The Assembly Commission is pleased to have reached a full and final confidential settlement in relation to the legal proceedings initiated following the previous work project. Following that agreement, all legal proceedings have now concluded, and the focus is on carrying out the remedial repairs. <BR /> <BR />Work to repair the roof will be carried out in two distinct phases. Phase 1 will address the issues at the rear of the Building. Officials are considering whether three internal courtyards should be included in that phase or whether all the courtyard works should be completed as part of phase 2, which will encompass the remainder of the repairs.”
“The Minister has highlighted his pressing on the revitalisation of the Housing Executive, but we have not yet achieved it. Will he expand on the cause of the delay?”
“I am not for one moment suggesting that we can lift those models and apply them directly, but there is important learning that we can perhaps take from them. <BR /> <BR />I am happy to support the motion.”
“They want to see us deliver. <BR /> <BR />I acknowledge the steps that the Minister has taken over recent months on co-ownership, intermediate rent and other initiatives. Those steps have been taken in the context of the extremely difficult budget landscape that he faces. I am happy to support the motion, and I look forward to hearing from the Minister his thoughts on the issue. I encourage him, if his Department has not already done this, to look at international models. There are models in Singapore, the Netherlands and, closer to home, in London, for example, and I am sure a plethora of others. It is important that we analyse and assess the models that operate in other jurisdictions.”
“It is because the fundamental reality is that we are not opposed to it for the simple fact that we will not oppose any proposal that will help bring about and achieve that delivery for all our people across Northern Ireland. However, fundamental questions need to be asked. We heard from Mr Kingston about the public land registry. I have been a Member for almost 10 years, and we have been hearing about that registry for a long time, so where is it? Why does everything in this place work at such a slow pace? Where is that public land registry? As I said, I am happy to support the call for a public land registry, but it cannot be just another meaningless body. It needs to have teeth and the ability to deliver, because the thousands of people who are on our housing waiting lists do not care how we go about achieving the homes that they need.”
“It represents many more homes than we are currently delivering, and it will deliver more much-needed homes for those for whom we are striving to deliver, but it appears to be out of sync with need. Again, however, I appreciate the context of the challenging Budget landscape that all our Departments face. The debate, rightly, focuses on the need for delivery for those whom I already highlighted and the many others who are in need of a home. An important component of that delivery is land. Land is not a technical detail; it is the foundation. Without land, nothing else happens. <BR /> <BR />That brings me to the crux of the motion, which is the call to "establish a public land agency". There appear to be differing views on that, but we are not opposed to that idea. Why do I say that?”
“For those affected, however, every day without action feels like a lifetime. As we have heard so many times, it is about people who are in desperate need of a place to call home. While we welcome the Department's commitment to deliver at least 33,000 social homes under the housing supply strategy, we need to be honest and ask whether that is enough. At a recent Communities Committee meeting, the Housing Executive provided a briefing detailing the need for 25,000 new social homes between 2023 and 2028, which is obviously a five-year period — I raised this point with the Minister recently — whereas the housing supply strategy commitment to deliver 33,000 homes covers the period from 2024 to 2039. I am not dismissive of that, and I appreciate that other Members have highlighted the fact that it is ambitious.”
“When we talk about there being tens of thousands of people on our housing waiting lists, it is important to remember, as other Members have highlighted and as the Minister will no doubt highlight, that they are individuals, families and people, young and old, who are languishing in a housing system that is broken. Many of them despair of the housing system delivering for them and their family. There are older people in accommodation that is much larger than they need it to be. Indeed, many of them — I have spoken to them — want to downsize, especially in the context of a cost-of-living crisis, when individuals are trying to heat homes that are larger than they require, but the system does not support or enable them to do so. <BR /> <BR />As has been highlighted, it is not a new crisis but one that we have spoken about time and time again.”
“Importantly, the Member highlights the fact that we could have already debated a motion had this place been up and running. Equally, however, we could have had a Minister pulling ministerial levers to try to address the problem.”
“Minister, in a recent engagement with the Committee for Communities on housing, Northern Ireland Water highlighted a requirement of £1·8 billion, which has been highlighted repeatedly, but there is no funding for that. At what stage will the Department for Infrastructure accept that the current funding model really is not working?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. On nearly every issue, he has highlighted the challenging budget scenario that his Department faces. Will he give a guarantee that the fuel poverty strategy will be robust and will lift households out of poverty in the context of the challenging environment that he faces?”
“Can the Minister advise what steps her Department is taking to scale up energy efficiency support for domestic households?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I do not think that anybody in the House will deny that intimidation and, indeed, paramilitary intimidation still happens in our communities, irrespective of the 200-point award. Can the Minister advise the House what steps the Executive have taken collectively to eradicate paramilitarism?”
“I thank the Minister for that important update. Will the Minister commit to assessing whether the length of time that it has taken to get to this juncture can be justified? I do not feel that it can. Will he also outline what engagement his Department has had with the Department for Communities on streamlining the application process for those who will not be captured by any legislative change?”
“Just last week, the Communities Committee received a briefing from NI Water on the challenges that it faces. The officials from NI Water said that the capital investment required is nearly double that which is forecast. The Minister has repeatedly highlighted and then ruled out mutualisation, for example. Will he point us to the recent information that he has used to assess how mutualisation will lead to water charges?”
“While we can learn from worldwide examples, as I have highlighted, we must also implement learning from our own experiences, such as the findings in the recently published Public Accounts Committee 'Report on Child Poverty in Northern Ireland.' <BR /> <BR />We cannot stand idly by while families suffer. Poverty is not inevitable. It is a challenge that can be overcome with the right policies, the right investment and the right will. We must act swiftly and decisively to ensure that no child in Northern Ireland grows up hungry, cold or without hope. Let us not just discuss poverty. Let us end it.”
“<BR /> <BR />We can draw inspiration from other nations. In Norway and Sweden, for example, robust child benefit systems and subsidised childcare have drastically reduced child poverty. Canada's child benefit system has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty with targeted direct financial support. New Zealand's well-being budget prioritises measurable social outcomes, targeting investment to where it will have the greatest impact. Those examples prove that, with the right policies, poverty can be reduced and even eradicated. The amendment acknowledges the commitment of the Minister for Communities to a new anti-poverty strategy. That is a step forward, but we cannot delay. We need the strategy to be brought to the Executive, published and opened for public consultation.”
“It must be short-term focused because families need immediate financial support, as I already highlighted. An enhanced fuel allowance and emergency food grants can provide a lifeline, and, as has already been outlined, those have been provided by so many organisations. In the medium term, as we have already heard, reforming the social security system is essential. We must work with the Department for Work and Pensions to design support that truly meets the needs of families, whether through increased child benefits, free school meals or affordable childcare, with the latter two being within the scope of the Executive. In the long term, addressing poverty requires investment in education, housing and jobs. Economic development must focus on creating opportunities so that families can build secure, sustainable futures.”
“Equally, far too many find themselves heating their homes only for the heat to escape through poorly insulated cavity walls, which is another area on which we need to do more. One action to support households and improve energy efficiency could be for the Department for the Economy to supplement the Northern Ireland sustainable energy programme, which I have already raised with the Minister. Meanwhile, the soaring costs of food and essentials have left too many parents having to make impossible choices. That is not a sustainable or acceptable reality. <BR /> <BR />Short-term relief is crucial, but we must think beyond emergency measures. We need a coordinated, multi-tiered approach to tackle poverty at its roots. The response must be immediate, strategic and long term. There must be three pillars to the approach.”
“<BR /> <BR />Regularly, my office, like so many others, is approached by individuals and families in desperate need of support for the basic essentials of food, electricity and heating. Far too often, it is the third sector that steps in to provide that critical assistance. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the wide range of organisations, such as the Trussell Trust, National Energy Action and the Bryson Charitable Group, that work tirelessly, day and night, to support households. Their dedication and compassion is a lifeline for so many in our communities. <BR /> <BR />Many households are unable to keep their homes warm, especially during the winter months. For children, cold homes mean more than discomfort; they mean higher risk of respiratory illness, poor educational outcomes and emotional stress.”
“I, too, thank the proposers for tabling this important motion. Today, we are confronted with the grim reality that, over the past five years, the number of emergency food parcels distributed by Trussell Trust food banks to children in Northern Ireland has risen by 90%. That is a staggering and shameful figure. Worse still, the number of food parcels provided to children here is proportionately higher than that in any other region of the United Kingdom. Those numbers tell us something that we cannot ignore: we need to do more. Child poverty is not just a statistic; it is a daily struggle for families who must choose between heating their home or feeding their children. Some do not even have that choice.”