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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“It is not ideal at all that there is that criterion. I have spoken to people directly who feel that it is very unfair; it is simply not the way in which psychological injury works at times. However, there is an appeal mechanism, and I encourage people to appeal. In the meantime, we need to focus on how we better support those who are bereaved and try to put in place a particular scheme to support them, as opposed to many having to look at that scheme, which is for severely injured people, and finding that the criterion is not the fit that they need it to be.”
“The scheme is for the severely injured rather than the bereaved. I, too, have spoken to many of those widows and to those who have been bereaved, and I know that it is a source of frustration that no scheme is available to support those who lost loved ones during the Troubles. There will be people who have had mental and physical injuries due to the death of a loved one, and those people are being considered through the scheme.”
“<BR /> <BR />You will appreciate that, once the panel reaches out to some of those organisations and asks for information, they are, unfortunately, subject to the delays that those teams experience. Every organisation is pushed because of its resources, and it is no different in this case. Organisations generally have a team working on retrieving the historical records. That takes time, given their sheer scale. However, I welcome the fact that over £55 million has been paid out. We expect that to roll forward and to continue to speed up, given the changes that have happened.”
“Yes, I will be happy to write to the Member on that, but I can tell her that the key actions that we have taken are to have a business consultancy service review of operational effectiveness and performance and implementing the learning from that; to explore improvements to the overall victim journey through Capita's assessment process; to hold workshops with victims' groups on improving that process; and to work with the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission (NIJAC) to bring the board up to full complement. A regional model for gathering secondary care evidence is working well, and engagement continues with GPs and the MoD to address issues around medical reports and evidence gathering.”
“There is a particular cruelty in the loss of a loved one when people do not know what happened to their remains and that really important aspect of having a burial or funeral and to have a place that they can visit that loved one is taken from them. That is a particular cruelty that ought to be addressed. <BR /> <BR />I agree with the Member and appeal to anybody with information about any of the disappeared or, indeed, any of the violent acts of the Troubles to come forward and give that information to the PSNI. There is still an opportunity to get justice on the basis of new evidence. I encourage all to come forward and give families and those who are suffering what they need and what they should have, which is that respect and closure.”
“<BR /> <BR />I also assure the Member that we have conducted a business consultancy service review of operational effectiveness and performance. The process aspect of that is to take a look at all the processes involved and make recommendations. That has been done, and we continuously look at how we can speed up that process. We have also been working with victims' groups to improve the experience and the communication, because that is a big aspect of it. If the process takes that long, it is important that people understand where their application is and what will happen with it. You will be aware of the review that the Secretary of State has just carried out of how the process is operated. The situation is far from perfect and is frustrating, but we are doing what we can to speed things up.”
“I thank the Member for her follow-up question. My heart goes out to those who are waiting for that much-needed support. There was a huge battle to secure the scheme and get the redress put in place to support people who are living day in, day out with injuries from the past. We want the scheme to work, but, as the Member will be aware, there are a lot of complexities with many of the cases. The scheme has been designed so that, when a person puts in an application, it is not up to them to collect all the information from the statutory agencies. I assure the Member that we have been working with the Public Record Office, the Department of Health and the PSNI to support them with historic records. Many of the incidents are historic and could date back 30- or 40-plus years.”
“We are sure that the board is doing what it can at the moment to minimise delays in the determination process, and we welcome the ongoing efforts to increase the pace at which applications are processed. That is evidenced by the significant year-on-year increase in the amount paid to victims, with that trend continuing into the current year. <BR /> <BR />We wrote to the Secretary of State in April and May in support of the extension to the backdating deadline, and we were pleased that the deadline has been extended to align with the scheme closing date in August 2026.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 6 and 10 together. <BR /> <BR />As of 2 September, more than £55 million has been paid out by the Victims' Payments Board to eligible applicants since the scheme opened for applications on 31 August 2021. The payments recognise the suffering of those living with permanent injuries. <BR /> <BR />We understand that there are concerns about the length of time that it can take to process an application. Each application is unique and with its complexities, including the historic nature of much of the evidence required to support the applications. The board is working closely with the victims' groups to keep the scheme under review and look at ways of improving the throughput of cases.”
“That work is under way, and we expect a submission very shortly.”
“<BR /> <BR />In that context, we can confirm that officials are preparing advice to us on revisions to the ministerial code, principally to reflect the amendments made by the Executive Committee (Functions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2020.”
“First, if I may, I will explain that, when the First Minister and I took office, we agreed to provide the Committee with a copy of the first-day brief that officials had prepared before we were appointed. That brief contained references to decisions that, officials anticipated, would be put to Ministers in the first 100 days of the new Administration. They were not commitments given by Ministers. There was some confusion, because the Member referenced it a number of times, and I asked where it had come from. It came from a first-day brief to the Committee and to her as Chair, but it was put together before we were in post. It is and was about what officials anticipated would be put to Ministers. It is important that we clarify that.”
“I thank the Member for her question. Absolutely, we want to deliver for everyone throughout Northern Ireland. In the draft Programme for Government, we want to deliver through that prioritisation, recognising that we cannot do everything in the time frame that we have and with the Budget that we have, but we believe that the nine priorities in the draft document will make a really positive difference to the lives of the vast majority of people throughout Northern Ireland. We want to listen to people's views on that, but it is critical that all nine priorities benefit people equally throughout Northern Ireland and that we take into account the particular needs and circumstances of rural communities and those outside the greater Belfast area.”
“Locally, we have great nutritious and high-quality food that is produced in Northern Ireland because of our hard-working farmers, and, in the Programme for Government process, we will want to engage with the rural community, our farmers and the agri-food sector to make sure that the Programme for Government fully reflects their importance to our economy.”
“I thank the Member for her important question about this really critical industry for Northern Ireland. We have a really strong farming community that we all ought to be very proud of in Northern Ireland. Our agri-food products are world-leading and world-class, and that comes from, of course, the application and hard work of so many of our farmers across rural communities. We need to be champions of that. <BR /> <BR />I spoke recently at the Ulster Farmers' Union AGM and made it clear that, in the Executive, I am here to be a champion for farmers and for our farming community and to rightfully raise the important issues that they have. We want to support them and need to support them, and that is particularly acute at a time of global supply chain insecurity in relation to our food.”
“We are delighted that, earlier today, we launched the consultation on the draft Programme for Government. We are pleased to say that it will plan to support our agri-food sector. The industry is vital to our economy and our rural communities. We will work with our agri sector to support primary production and ensure food security by providing clarity on ammonia controls within planning and promoting sustainable environmental practices.”
“<BR /> <BR />You will be aware that the Urban Villages project was very much about doing things differently and really getting down into the community and asking people in the community about the challenges that they face and what issues they would prioritise and then working with communities to find local solutions to local problems. That is why it has been so successful in getting that level of buy-in and participation from the local community. Those are definitely lessons that we need to learn, and hopefully we can move forward with them in the roll-out of other programmes, including the new Together: Building a United Community revised strategy.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I mentioned the 13 capital projects, but, of course, the revenue schemes have proven to be very successful, with a very healthy uptake. Since the inception of the Urban Villages programme in 2016, over 34,000 people from the North Belfast community have engaged with or benefited from it. A total of 534 training places and 502 workshops have been delivered. Ninety-eight per cent of participants reported that the project had helped them, so that is a really good evaluation for those projects.”
“It is in the last number of projects coming through the business case process. Certainly, I will do everything that I can, and I look forward to visiting, perhaps with the Member, the Westland Community Group.”
“I thank the Member for his follow-up question. Yes, absolutely. I recall speaking to local representatives and the community group, back in the social investment fund days, about the new community centre. There is a real need there and a drive to secure that new building, so I am very pleased that we have confirmation that the Urban Villages project will be able to support that. Obviously, there are a number of processes to be gone through with regard to the business case and exactly what the centre will look like, and in supporting the community group in terms of capacity for the new centre. <BR /> <BR />I can assure the Member that the first phase of Urban Villages projects is due to come to an end in the next number of years, and we want Westland to be part of that first cohort and completed by that date. There is an urgency now.”
“Westland Community Group has invited us to meet to discuss the community centre, and I hope to take up that offer in the near future. <BR /> <BR />We look forward to updating Members once we have considered the capital plan and how best to continue with our aim of promoting thriving places and achieving the best outcome for our citizens.”
“Executive Office officials have developed a range of options on the future of the Urban Villages programme, along with the proposed inclusion of a small number of additional projects to the current capital plan. In total, 58 capital projects are now complete, including 13 in North Belfast. A further 13 projects are being progressed, while four others are being explored. The projects include shared facilities, parks and public realm opportunities. <BR /> <BR />The principles for a community centre at Westland have been proven and, as the project develops, TEO officials, with Belfast City Council, the Department for Communities and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, will continue to support and encourage the Westland Community Group to develop its capacity and programmes.”
“<BR /> <BR />I welcome the fact that we have decided to do a children's rights impact assessment, which is being released as part of this. Again, it will be interesting to hear the views on that to make sure that we have been looking at all the relevant areas that we ought to look at, and if there are any missing, that is, of course, something that we will address during the consultation.”
“I thank the Member for her question. Of course, we want to listen to children and young people. Sometimes, we say that we must listen to them because they are our future. They will point out, quite rightly, that they are our now and that the issues in the Programme for Government impact on them right now, therefore their views on it are very important. <BR /> <BR />The First Minister and I met the Children's Commissioner last week, and we raised that issue. We will want to do sectoral engagement in particular. We would encourage young people to participate in the whole range of the consultations and to jump online and participate in that way. However, we will have sectoral engagement with young people — and with older people, which was referenced as well — to listen to their issues and views because that is important.”
“We will monitor those for progress against the outcomes set out. I can assure the Member that there will be that monitoring, that assessment of progress, and a budget attached. However, that will follow the finalisation of those priorities. It would be presumptuous of us to assume that those priorities will simply remain after the consultation process.”
“Depending on the reporting mechanism, those will be monitored month by month, annually or biannually.”
“I thank the Member for his question. It is an important one that provides a good opportunity to clarify the process. At the moment, this is a draft that is asking people what their view is of the prioritisation. Following the finalisation of that prioritisation, a set of measurements will, of course, be put in place to ensure progress. The Member will see that there is a reference towards the end of the document to the "Wellbeing Framework". There will be a set of indicators that will be based on objective and subjective measurements. That will all be set out: it is live online at the moment. Those indicators may change, however, depending on the prioritisation and rightly so. For each finalised priority there will be a set of indicators that will be monitored.”
“We will look to the Committees and the House to help us to shape some of those policy proposals but also with the monitoring of progress and ensuring delivery on the ground.”
“Absolutely. We cannot continue to work in silos, not least because that can cause duplication and resources to be wasted at a time when we cannot afford that. This has to be collaborative, cross-departmental and cross-agency, but it has to be done hand in hand with the organisations that roll out the programmes. It has to be done in consultation with and with the consent of the people who are most impacted; it should not be something that is done to them by Departments. We are conscious of that: that is where policy development has got to generally, and that is very much at the heart of the Programme for Government. <BR /> <BR />If we are going to deliver, we will need to work right across the Northern Ireland Executive.”
“We are delighted that, earlier today, we launched our consultation on the draft Programme for Government (PFG). The draft programme sets out our proposed collective priorities for the mandate. A public consultation on the draft Programme for Government will run for eight weeks, and we invite everyone to have their say and get involved. Following the consultation period, we can agree a clear set of priorities for action.”
“I am really pleased with the strategy, and I hope that others will be when it is released on Monday. Those organisations will stay involved with the monitoring against delivery.”
“I thank the Member for her question. Absolutely. We will say more about that next week when we officially launch the strategy. It has been a number of years in the making, but it could not have been done without more than 50 partners working in a genuinely collaborative design process. It is the first fully collaborative co-design process in policy development that we have had across any Department, although we have had elements of that before. I pay huge tribute to those people for the volunteer time that they have put in. It is really important that we listen to those who are most impacted and those who work with women and girls in education but also to women and girls who have been touched by abuse and the trauma caused by the activities of others.”
“That is a big problem and a big challenge, and, as I said, we have a determination to tackle it and do what we can, despite the difficult budget situation.”
“I thank the Member for his question. We were able to secure over £1 million for the immediate actions. Two of the key actions will be around the change fund and the challenge fund and will involve work with the community and voluntary sector in the first instance. We are very aware that great organisations that work in that area already exist, such as Women's Aid and Nexus. They do vital work and have, at times, struggled to secure consistent funding. Those are all issues that we will have to address. We want to support the organisations that are doing that vital work. We want those campaigns. We want to change the social attitudes that can lead to damaging behaviours. <BR /> <BR />There are stark statistics. Some 19% of police time is spent on domestic abuse crimes, the vast majority of which are committed against women and girls.”
“We want to do more, however, so as soon as we are able to get additional budget, we will certainly increase the number of actions. There is scalability in this. As I said, we have a determination to do what we can even though it is a difficult fiscal environment at the moment.”
“There will be a range of actions under the Department of Health and the Department of Justice's joint strategy, which was agreed by the Executive so it becomes the Executive's strategy. There will be a range of key actions that involve working with the PSNI and other organisations and through those Departments. The immediate actions have been costed. Likewise, in our delivery plan, there will be key actions on training, providing support for the voluntary and community sector, which works with women who find themselves in those situations, and tackling and changing some of the cultural aspects around the attitudes that need to be addressed. <BR /> <BR />Of course, our ambition goes well beyond what the budget is. We were able to secure a budget through the June monitoring round and this year's Budget.”
“It is not just central government and councils but communities, families, the Churches and schools and the work to identify the issues and risks and tackle this unfortunately all-too-common issue throughout Northern Ireland.”
“I thank the Member for her question on this important issue. I know that there has been a lot of anticipation in the sector as it looks forward to the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls strategy being agreed, released and, importantly, implemented. I welcome the fact that the Executive have considered and agreed the domestic and sexual violence strategy, which, of course, will complement and be supplementary to that strategy. <BR /> <BR />It is important that we have that cross-departmental work. However, this is an issue not just for the Executive Office, the Justice Department and the Health Department but for all of us, and we can only tackle it together.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 1, 8 and 13 together. <BR /> <BR />Ending violence against women and girls remains a key priority. We are delighted to say that the Executive approved the strategic framework at their meeting on 5 September. We will provide further information on the framework when it is brought to the Assembly. It will be published along with the first delivery plan and the consultation summary report.”
“I welcome the fact that the Communities Minister has announced The Northern Ireland Football Fund and that he will do his best to go further in providing support and encouraging that vital need in communities. There are many volunteers and young people involved in sport, and it provides health and mental health benefits and builds a sense of community. I absolutely recognise the value of sport, and I welcome the fact that it is referenced in this document, but, as I have said, the key issues of deliverability, affordability and value for money will always be at the heart of what we do in the Executive.”
“I thank the Member for his question. As I have said, I am standing beside the Communities Minister who has primary responsibility for that issue. Of course, I jointly lead the Executive, along with the First Minister, and our duty, first and foremost, is to try to ensure that what we do has, at its heart, the issues of affordability, deliverability and value for money. That is a public duty that we have to discharge. <BR /> <BR />I agree with the Member that sport is something that can change lives for the better. We want to support our amazing sporting clubs throughout Northern Ireland, not just in football but across many other sports. I know that many of them, even in my constituency, are crying out for much-needed funds.”
“The draft Programme for Government has ambition, but that ambition can be realised only if we have the right resources — the right funding and Budget — to allow us to do so. We, of course, will try our best to work within the Budget that we have in order to support families throughout Northern Ireland, but we are limited in what we can do with the Budget that we are given. However, as I said, we will be unceasing in making that strong case to ensure that Northern Ireland gets the fair funding that it deserves.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The affordability of public transport is a really important issue — it is critical to many people, particularly those who do not drive — and cost is a big factor in trying to encourage people to use more sustainable transport. Investment in our public infrastructure and public transport will be focused on more in the investment strategy for Northern Ireland. There will, therefore, be more detail on that, and I look forward to engaging with him on that. <BR /> <BR />Ideally, of course, you would want our public transport to be more affordable and to bring those costs down, but there is the issue of sustainability. That goes back to the issue around our Budget and the case that we will make to the Chancellor, this Thursday, around the Budget. As indicated, we want to deliver.”
“We should be measuring progress against those outcomes, and this Executive have the ambition to do that.”
“That is a critical piece in the process that we have. We have not always been the best at delivering what we want to deliver. We can only look, particularly in capital projects, at where there is delay and where something is not delivered, even though there is a collective intention and agreement to do so. Costs can increase dramatically so that people who need those services or use those roads or facilities cannot do so, so the delivery aspect is important. This PFG, for me, is about delivery, delivery, delivery. It is not just about the intention set out in the priorities, but about how we do business, identify the priorities and solutions and make sure that they are rolled out in a truly cross-departmental collaborative way and in a way that meets the outcomes.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Even in the past week or so, we have seen how challenging it is for parents and children to get, in a timely way, the special educational needs support that they deserve and absolutely need. <BR /> <BR />Special educational needs statistics are stark. From 2017-18 to this financial year, there has been a growth of some 147% in demand. That, of course, puts pressure on supply, and the supply has not caught up with that trajectory of demand, so there are big challenges in the area, and that is why it is a priority. That is why we pulled it out: we know and have listened to so many parents and young people going through very difficult circumstances. <BR /> <BR />Your question pertains more to the transformation and reform piece. That is all about how we work better to tackle these big issues.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am standing beside the Communities Minister, and I am sure he has heard your question loud and clear. We have a statutory responsibility and obligation to bring forward the anti-poverty strategy. I know that he is actively working on that, and it will align with some of the key priorities identified in the Programme for Government. We have a determination to ensure that, as the First Minister has indicated, everyone is lifted up by tackling such things as affordable and social housing, waiting lists, support for hard-pressed families with affordable childcare, growing the economy and providing better jobs for people, which are all ways to lift people out of poverty. We need to do that collectively as an Executive.”
“I thank the Member for her question. Of course, tackling poverty is important. She will see that, throughout the Programme for Government, we have the aspiration to ensure that everyone can reach their full potential, and that must, of course, mean supporting people and tackling poverty, should that be financial poverty or educational underachievement. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the actions we have taken so far: £20 million towards tackling educational underachievement. However, we also felt it was important to have key priorities in the Programme for Government to tackle inequalities where they are most acutely felt. For example, on health inequalities, waiting lists and ill health, we know that far more people on lower incomes have chronic illnesses in their early fifties and have worse health outcomes.”
“<BR /> <BR />There are references in the draft Programme for Government — I hope that the Member has seen them — to focusing on addressing regional disparities and to ensuring that the programmes, as they roll out, roll out at least equally across Northern Ireland and that we address the particular issues facing our communities, should they be rural or urban, no matter where they are. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to engaging at the roadshows. I have no doubt that those issues will come up as we get out and about. We look forward to engaging with people about how we can best serve them.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Absolutely, we want to deliver not just for people who live in and around Belfast but everyone, no matter where they live in Northern Ireland. We recognise that, if we are to grow our economy and have good jobs and foreign direct investment and if we are to encourage companies to expand, to import and to do what we need them to do for us to have a robust, thriving, prosperous future for Northern Ireland, that has to be throughout Northern Ireland.”