Emma Pengelly
South Belfast · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“This week, I will travel to France to pay my respects to all those who fought and the many who fell at the Battle of the Somme as we mark its 110th anniversary. <BR /> <BR />From across Northern Ireland, generations have served their country.”
“One of the men who fought was James Sandford, my great-grandfather. He fought, he survived, he went on to fight again, and he was seriously injured in another battle. I am deeply proud of him, and I am proud of all those who stepped forward with such honour in the face of the horror of that war.”
“When I stand there this week, looking at the gravestones of so many who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedom, I will also remember — we must always remember — the responsibility that we carry forward. Remembrance is not only about honouring the past; it is about shaping the future.”
“Last night, people in north Belfast witnessed horrific scenes that have absolutely sickened and appalled people across Northern Ireland. It was a shocking and barbaric act of violence that has left a victim fighting the consequences of a truly savage attack.”
“Every person has the right to walk their streets, live in their community and feel safe in their own neighbourhood. This type of brutality has no place in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />This morning, I spoke with the Chief Constable and the Justice Minister.”
“<BR /> <BR />I have also been in contact with the Prime Minister, because the PSNI has confirmed that the 30-year-old male who has been arrested is believed to be of Somalian heritage.”
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“I thank the Member for her important question. I am fully supportive of the project. It is a fantastic project that brings together statutory services — in the health centre — the school and, importantly, the community sector. It really will breathe new life into that site in a genuinely shared way. It is a fantastic project that perhaps, in the past, has suffered from the fact that there is no dedicated fund to support it. There ought to be. That type of shared initiative opens up those spaces and gives them a new use that is genuinely about every part of our society and community being able to come and use them. That is a great thing. <BR /> <BR />Certainly, the then first Minister and deputy First Minister were more heavily involved in the project than I was; I was a special adviser at the time.”
“If we are to do that and increase the applications from GB, the UK Government should step up and make a contribution to the cost, which is likely to be significant. Fundamentally, we want everybody to get the support that they need, but funding fairness is an important aspect of this.”
“Absolutely. We are keen on that. It is important to remember that this is a scheme that comes from the Northern Ireland block grant, and our block grant exists primarily to benefit the people of Northern Ireland. However, we recognise that many, many hundreds, if not thousands, on the mainland were impacted on, physically and psychologically, by the Troubles. That includes many of those who served, for example, in the armed forces, and that support was not there for them at the time. <BR /> <BR />We have been in ongoing engagement with the UK Government about a financial contribution to the scheme. I believe very strongly that it makes sense that those based in GB are able to come forward to the scheme instead of GB having to set up a separate scheme, with all the administration costs that that would bring.”
“I am pleased to say that efforts have been made to promote that, including by using online social media messaging or by targeting newspapers in other places where people from here or those who may have been impacted on by the Troubles are likely to be. In Northern Ireland, in February 2024, a leaflet was put through every door to raise awareness, so we are confident that there is very wide awareness of that scheme in Northern Ireland. There have been a significant number of applications from GB. Indeed, the last time I looked, there were, I think, just over 500 applications from GB. It is clear that the message is getting through, but, of course, we encourage those who were physically or mentally injured during the Troubles to come forward and make sure that they are getting the benefit of that scheme.”
“We are at an advanced stage with the international relations strategy. The Member will appreciate that a number of global events have taken place, not least the change of president in the United States. That brought a very different direction in the global environment, particularly in relation to foreign direct investment and what we would be targeting. We have to be acutely aware of those changes and make sure that our international relations strategy is fit for purpose in that context. We are taking all those things into account. The picture of where we will land internationally with global trade and tariffs is still very unclear, but we will take all that into account and will shortly bring forward our international relations strategy.”
“Most people agree that it will be difficult to implement that type of tariff on this type of thing, but, of course, we will be vigilant and do everything in our power to make sure that people are aware of the importance of that sector to Northern Ireland and to make sure that we are mitigating the impact at every opportunity.”
“We have invested heavily in that, including through the city region deals, and, of course, Studio Ulster will open in mid-June 2025. Therefore, we were concerned to hear that there was the potential for tariffs on the film industry. We have a number of US investments in our creative industries, and we want that investment to continue. Of course, that is not the only aspect. We are engaging with many other countries to try to get production in Northern Ireland, and we will continue to do so. <BR /> <BR />Yes, we have been raising that issue, and we raised it just last week with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, and flagged that we are concerned about that. There are no details yet on how that will operate.”
“The film industry in Northern Ireland is genuinely fantastic. The First Minister and I have had the opportunity to promote the industry on many occasions and it is a key part of our offering.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I, for one, am glad of the support behind me.”
“We have been focusing on driving forward progress in this place and making Northern Ireland work.”
“They have nine key priorities. We have already seen the announcements on our actions for tackling waiting lists. That could only be done because the Executive have prioritised and ring-fenced funding for that purpose. The Executive Office has a priority to end violence against women and girls. We have produced not only a strategy on that but a framework, and money is already out the door with organisations for that purpose and campaigns are already running. A series of actions is taking place. I am sorry that the Member has not focused on those; perhaps he is unaware of them. I can assure you very strongly that we have not been focusing on some of the other wedge issues that your party has been focused on trying to find.”
“The Executive have delivered a Programme for Government and they have ambitions.”
“It is an absolute nonsense to say that there has not been delivery and commitment to driving things through. Quite frankly, the young people of Northern Ireland are sick of negativity and of people trying to put a spin on things because they want something to oppose.”
“Yes, a significant part of our role is about being out there, representing and championing Northern Ireland and showing our support for great organisations and events. I assure the Member, however, that we are continuing to work hard to drive progress against the nine key priorities in our agreed Programme for Government.”
“Thank you — actually, I am not sure whether to thank the Member for that question but I will answer it nonetheless. We are hugely busy with trying to drive forward an ambitious programme for change across the Executive. In the 14 or 15 months that we have been in post, we have secured unanimous agreement in the Executive on a Programme for Government — the first to be agreed in well over a decade. We have also secured Executive agreement on the transformation programme and the spending of that money. We secured agreement on the Budget and key reforms. We have achieved agreement on the establishment of a new AI unit and a delivery unit. We have been working on all those things because we are committed to doing things differently and driving forward that change.”
“I put on record once again our congratulations to Rory on his magnificent victory and on completing his career Grand Slam. People across the entirety of Northern Ireland are incredibly proud of Rory and what he has achieved. <BR /> <BR />We could not have imagined a better set-up for the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush. It will be the largest-ever sporting event held in Northern Ireland, showcasing its stunning beauty and hospitality to the world. The Open is one of the most prestigious events in the global sporting calendar, attracting international business leaders, investors, tourists, stakeholders and global media. It is predicted to generate more than £213 million in total economic benefits for Northern Ireland.”
“I thank the Member for his question. We promoted the Open during a visit to North Carolina as an example of Northern Ireland's attractiveness as a location for golf, major events, investment and tourism. I further highlighted the Open during my visit to Washington DC. Hosting the Open featured in speeches at the Northern Ireland Bureau breakfast in Washington DC, at which the Claret Jug was on display for the 250 guests and media outlets in attendance. <BR /> <BR />While I was in DC for St Patrick's Day, a number of people mentioned Rory McIlroy to me. What an incredible export we have in him. His name is internationally recognisable, and he is recognisably from Northern Ireland. There are promotional opportunities out of that, as there are with many of our sportspeople.”
“A significant number of applications — over 11,000 — have come through, so, understandably, the process has been logistically challenging. Nevertheless, we want people to get support as quickly as possible, so we and our officials will continue to work closely with the board to try to do everything in our power to speed up payments so that they are issued as quickly as possible.”
“We recently met the chairperson of the board to talk through those issues and to be assured that the board is continually reviewing its system. A number of significant changes have been made that you will be aware of from your role on the Committee. The key strands of the business improvement programme have been implemented. That came about following the recent innovation and consultancy services' review, which looked at all kinds of things, including improving IT systems, attempting to avoid duplication and trying to provide additional support. We are working with the health trusts, GP practices and the PSNI on many of the legacy files. Manual application is very often required in order to try to find and gather information, and that inevitably leads to delay.”
“I am pleased to say, however, that the amount paid out in 2023-24 was around the £24 million mark. In 2024-25, the amount has increased to in and around £46 million. That is almost double the amount that was paid out in the previous year. That is a very good indication that the processing of applications is speeding up and that money is being got out to people, with almost £90 million having now been paid out to give essential support to those who suffered the most during the Troubles.”
“I thank the Member for his important question. I have met many who applied to the scheme: those who were severely injured and those who have permanent mental scars as a result of what they experienced during the Troubles. The scheme is designed to try to support them. I am pleased to say that I have been very much involved in supporting the scheme throughout and in pushing the UK Government, at a time when this place was not sitting, to introduce legislation. I am on the record as really pushing the issue at Westminster. <BR /> <BR />As I outlined in my initial answer, the situation is very complex. At least one in three cases that comes before the payments board includes multiple incidents. Much of the data is historical and is across records that have been kept over many decades. Unfortunately, it is taking time to issue payments.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The First Minister is answerable for her own activities, of course, but I can say clearly to this place that I believe that any glorification of terrorism is wrong. Of course, families may want to remember their loved one, and they can do so privately. That is understandable, but the public glorification of those who have been convicted of terrorist activities is absolutely wrong in my view. It has no part to play in Northern Ireland, and it never did. It certainly has no part to play in our future. I want us all to stand united against paramilitarism, intimidation, threats and any glorification of same.”
“Having the data would be really useful for the planning of support services. As I outlined, at the moment, it is challenging to extract it from the system. <BR /> <BR />As of the week commencing 28 April 2025, more than 11,000 applications have been submitted to the scheme and a total of 3,204 determinations have been made, resulting in more than £89 million being paid to eligible applicants since the scheme opened for applications.”
“The Victims' Payments Board, which makes decisions on entitlement to payment through the victims' payments scheme, has advised that the inclusion of postcode information when applying is not mandatory. That means that a large number of applicants do not provide that data, which means that it is not possible to use the board's IT system to get a breakdown of successful applications by constituency. A manual review of applications would be required to retrieve that information. <BR /> <BR />I have communicated, though, that I believe that the information would be useful, particularly in the planning of services, were it communicated to the Department of Health. We know that many people have come forward to the board, and they have not been diagnosed with conditions, particularly on the mental health side.”
“Millions of people all over the globe will have watched the North West 200, and millions will watch the Open this summer. They will see our beautiful coastline and get to know about Northern Ireland, and we hope that they will say, "I am interested in finding out more". It is a real opportunity for us to attract those tourists or that investment and business through the unique aspects of what we can offer. We should use every opportunity to promote Northern Ireland.”
“Absolutely. I thank the Member for his timely question. I was at the North West 200 on Saturday, and the First Minister was there on Thursday evening, which, I believe, was her first time at it. It was a spectacular occasion. Over 100,000 spectators enjoyed the sunshine. There was sunshine for the second Saturday in a row in the north-west, and it really brought the spectators out. My goodness, what a showcase of our wonderful north coast through that event. <BR /> <BR />Events like that are not just about the spectators, riders and participants in Northern Ireland. I have no doubt that the Open and other events, such as the Balmoral show and the VE Day celebrations of last week, showcase our fantastic offering in Northern Ireland.”
“I appeal not only to my colleague in the Executive Office but others to use a pragmatic approach to allow some of the potential to be realised in the meantime, while we continue to look at some of those other tricky issues.”
“I thank the Member for his question. He will be aware that I have a constituency interest in the site as well. The site has huge potential. I would particularly love to see the economic potential of that site unlocked. The Member will be aware that, alas, there is no agreement on the listed and retained buildings. The then deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, set down that there would be no development above and beyond what had already been agreed until there was such agreement. There was a subsequent agreement to allow the Air Ambulance to be located on the site, and I welcomed that agreement. <BR /> <BR />At this stage the issue has stopped the economic and other potential of the site.”
“As the Member is likely to be aware, there is an obligation relating to maintenance of the listed and retained buildings, and that continues.”
“We would also like to highlight the fantastic work of the Ulster Aviation Society (UAS), which, as Members may well be aware, brought the Spitfire replica to Parliament Buildings last week as part of the commemoration and celebrations of the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. The UAS attends a variety of shows and events, but members of the public can arrange to visit the collection in the hangars, and I genuinely encourage people to do so. The UAS has a remarkable collection at the site, so it is a really good day out.”
“We are considering options for filling vacancies on the Maze/Long Kesh (MLK) Development Corporation board. We recognise that the vacancies place an additional burden on the remaining board members, and we are grateful to them for their continued efforts and commitment. <BR /> <BR />It would be remiss of us to discuss the Maze/Long Kesh site without mentioning the Balmoral show, which will take place later this week from 14 May to 17 May. It is a fantastic showcase for the region and, indeed, our agriculture and agrisector. We encourage everyone to visit if at all possible.”
“<BR /> <BR />I assure people that there are protections, but it is about also protecting places for women where they are particularly vulnerable, for example, or where there would be any unfairness in relation to inclusion.”
“Thank you. Significant protections remain in place for individuals from the trans community here. For individuals who are undergoing or have undergone gender reassignment, there is the Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976, as amended by the Sex Discrimination (Gender Reassignment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 and the Sex Discrimination Order 1976 (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016. There are also protections in the Employment Equality (Sex Discrimination) Regulations 2005. There is quite a bit of protection here, as, indeed, there is across the UK. The judgement referred to other legislation and guidance that may refer to "men" and "women" without the specific interpretations set out in those other pieces of legislation.”
“I thank the Member for his question. As I indicated in my initial response, the matters are under consideration, but there is no doubt that, legally speaking, it is not just a matter of opinion. It is clear that the Supreme Court judgement will have tangential impacts and that there will be significant impact across many areas of operation of Departments, agencies and arm's-length bodies. Clear guidance needs to be given on the law, and that is a duty on each Department and body. I know that there has been reference to the Equality Commission and other bodies. Those bodies can issue their own guidance, which we will look at carefully, but the legal position is the legal position, and bodies and Departments must make sure that they comply factually and legally with what the Supreme Court has said. We will look at these issues carefully.”
“Thank you. Let us be very clear that the Supreme Court is the court. It is the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. It is made up of people who sit and make a judgement on such legal matters. It is a matter of biology as well. A woman is a woman. I am a woman. I know what I am. With the greatest respect to the Member, as I said, we can engage in debate on this in a respectful way, but there are, nevertheless, strong views, and they should be respected. I have a strong view, as do many women and others, that the Supreme Court was correct, and they look forward to seeing its judgement being implemented in a way that does not harass or demean people but protects women.”
“Fundamentally, it is a common-sense approach that "male" and "female" relate to biological sex and that, in implementing that, we protect women in women-only spaces and should ensure that there is fairness in things such as sport.”
“I thank the Member for his question and assure him that I have engaged with the trans community on a number of occasions to date. I will say this very clearly: in everything that I say, I make it clear that no person should be subject to harassment or discrimination, and, indeed, that people should be attributed dignity — of course they should. I feel very strongly about this issue, which has been very toxic. Women who have taken a different view from the trans lobby, for example, have been subjected to vile abuse and threats, including death threats and threats of violence. That is wrong. <BR /> <BR />There are different views on the issue.”
“I think that the vast majority of people recognise that and do not want the debate to be carried out in a way that hurts or demeans people but instead want the rights of women to be stood up for and implemented in a way that protects women, particularly in spaces where they are vulnerable or where there could be significant unfairness.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. That is a topical question, for understandable reasons. I commend those who have campaigned on the issue — who have been subjected to a significant amount of abuse for trying to stand up and protect female-only spaces for women. We must always be conscious that the debate should be carried out in a way that is not about offending anybody; of course it is not. It is not about not recognising people's existence or demeaning them. It is about recognising biological reality and the right that women have to be protected in women-only spaces. It is about recognising what is, in my strong view, the fundamental and unfair advantage that somebody who is born male has in a sports team or sports arena. Fundamentally, it is common sense.”
“The recent Supreme Court judgement on the For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers ruled that, for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010, the definitions of "sex", "man" and "woman" refer to biological sex. The issue is under consideration in the Department and right across government. It is important to remember that the judgement is likely to have tangential and other impacts. It is likely to have an impact here in Northern Ireland. I have no doubt that, over the next number of weeks, there will be much discourse and debate and that guidance and other things will be issued. It is also important that our public bodies, Departments and others pay attention to the judgement and make sure that they comply with the law.”
“That is why that campaign is so important. It is about encouraging people to be active bystanders and call out that behaviour at the earliest possible opportunity. It is not just a bit of a laugh; it represents a certain type of view that makes people very uncomfortable. It starts at a very early stage. Unfortunately, we often see that come to a particular point at which there is threat, violence and worse. I am glad that the strategy deals with that in the broadest possible way. The campaign is important as part of that.”
“Indeed. We know that that type of abuse causes significant distress and can make people very scared. I felt afraid, and I continue to feel afraid when I think about the future, because of the actions of that individual. That is utterly wrong. I think that, despite our differences in political opinions and aspirations, we all get into public life to try to make a positive difference and to do what we can to push forward an agenda that we feel passionately about or to help and support individuals with their cases. It is fundamentally wrong that, in trying to do that, we can suffer abuse and threats and can be put in a position of feeling fearful about that. <BR /> <BR />Our strategy recognises that that behaviour starts at a much earlier stage; as I said, it starts at the point at which those values, prejudices and opinions are formed.”
“I do not want any woman or girl to suffer abuse online. I certainly do not want it to get to a level at which a young person feels that they do not want to go into politics or at which a woman feels that they want to step back from front-line politics. It is really important that we tackle the issue. It is important for inclusion to be there and for our public representative space to be a safe one in which people are able to do what they need to do.”
“I thank the Member for her sentiments and her important question. There is always a balance when it comes to free speech in all of this. In any democracy, people should be able to freely express a view, but, where that crosses over into abuse or threats, that is clearly wrong. I welcome the fact that it has been recognised that a number of tools are needed to deal with the issue, including not just the new offences under the Online Safety Act that we have seen in action already but the aspects of that legislation that compel social media and online companies to take action. That is why the current Ofcom consultation is really important. I believe that it is open until 23 May. I encourage Members to respond to that by telling of their own experiences and the types of issues that the guidance needs to cover. That will be vital.”
“It is an important issue that is right at the heart of our strategy to end violence against women and girls. It is one of many behaviours that takes place because of prejudice and misogyny. It needs to be stamped out.”
“Absolutely. Women have a right to participate in public life without suffering abuse or threats of violence. Indeed, we want to actively encourage women to get into public life. However, sadly, we know from personal experience — we have heard the stories from many people, not just in this place but in other public roles — that women in public life are subjected to serious, sustained and severe abuse on social media. Often, one cannot identify who the person is or that the threat may include a specific act or threat of violence. Nevertheless, we know that the abuse builds up and has a negative impact on not just those individuals but the participation of women generally, with women not wanting to be part of public life or to become a public representative due to that.”
“That is a good demonstration that the Online Safety Act can and will be used to successfully prosecute, and we await sentencing. It is incredibly important that the courts take these matters seriously. It is an issue that unites all of us: we stand shoulder to shoulder to say that it is absolutely wrong that there is abuse of, and threats and violence towards, any public person, never mind an elected representative, who is simply trying to do their job.”
“The Member will be aware of the UK-US trade agreement that was announced last week. We are working through the details of that. Many people will be pleased to see that that rumoured aspect did not feature. The Member will also be aware that, for many years, my colleagues and I have advocated stronger protections for women, in particular. In recent months, we have seen threats towards and abuse of public representatives — men and women — across the House. We have raised the fact that there is a particular issue, as recognised by a number of reports, for women. With the incident that I mentioned — I know that many of us get a significant amount of abuse — where a specific threat of death was communicated via online communications, I am glad that the legislation was there.”
“I am pleased that there has been a successful prosecution of that individual and that he will be sentenced very shortly.”
“The ending violence against women and girls small business research initiative (SBRI) challenge fund has identified a number of innovative solutions for women and girls' safety, including challenging problematic behaviours online. A current Ofcom consultation is looking specifically at the protection of women and girls online. <BR /> <BR />I am pleased to have got confirmation in the past couple of weeks that a person has been successfully prosecuted, under a section 181 charge, for making threats against me. The charge was of sending messages by way of online communication conveying a threat of death or serious harm, and at the time of sending, intending that the individual — me — would be in fear that the threat would be carried out. That is one of the more serious charges in that legislation.”