Maurice Bradley
East Londonderry · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“The proposal to establish formally the post of Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses of Crime, which is efficiently held in designate form by Geraldine Hanna at the moment, has the potential to provide victims with a stronger voice and ensure that public bodies are held to account for the services that they provide.”
“Good intentions alone are not enough. <BR /> <BR />I would argue that victims must never become an afterthought in our justice system, whether that be when considering road traffic offences, violence against women and girls, child criminal exploitation, hate crime or sentencing reform.”
“I will speak as a DUP member of the Justice Committee on the Second Stage of the Victims and Witnesses of Crime Bill. For me, the Bill is not simply about creating another office or changing another piece of legislation; it is about people.”
“<BR /> <BR />As the Bill progresses through Committee Stage, I will approach its policy objectives with an open mind. I look forward to hearing directly from victims' organisations, witnesses, legal professionals and criminal justice agencies. Where the Bill can be strengthened, it should be strengthened.”
“One of the comments that I hear most often is not about what happened but about how people felt afterwards. They felt forgotten, left in the dark and like just another case number moving slowly through a system that they did not understand. That should concern every one of us. Justice should not end when an offender is charged.”
“Minister, you have partially answered my question, but it was really about the fact that, when services are centralised in the greater Belfast area, services are denied to those elsewhere in the Province. There has been a continued reduction in services across Northern Ireland because of their centralisation in Belfast.”
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“It is stressful not only for the child but for parents, staff and other pupils. It has been a failure not to record any and all uses of restrictive practices and for parents not to have been informed or engaged with. Any incident in which a decision is made to intervene physically must be recorded and monitored. <BR /> <BR />The Department of Education has advised that it is setting up a working group, with part of its remit being to review current legislation, policies, guidance, training and audits and current recording, monitoring and follow-up processes. No child should ever be placed in a room unaccompanied and must be free to leave when they want to leave. Any use of that type of seclusion should cease immediately. We must learn lessons from the past and ensure that no child feels isolated or secluded in future.”
“Training and guidance are important, and staff need to have access to regular and up-to-date guidance and training on restraint and seclusion so that they are well informed about how to deal with a wide range of scenarios. It is key not to pass judgement unfairly on staff in our schools. I am in no way attributing blame. We are lucky to have such excellent staff, as evidenced throughout the entire pandemic. There should also be guidance for members of boards of governors, many of whom are not from an education background but from other fields of expertise. <BR /> <BR />Any use of seclusion or restraint must be recorded centrally. Moving forward, if that means changes to legislation to ensure that recording is mandatory, so be it. Parents must also be contacted after an incident of seclusion or restraint.”
“The association also suggests a need for mandatory training for all staff who work directly with children and young people with additional needs and opposes the use of seclusion or the isolation from others of a child or young person in a room or other area that they are prevented from leaving. <BR /> <BR />The existing guidance has remained unchanged since 1999. It needs to be updated urgently as it is no longer relevant. Although temporary guidance has now been provided to schools, recommending that every use of restraint should be recorded and noting that reasonable force restraint should be used only as a measure of last resort and never as a form of punishment, what can be learned from other jurisdictions? Are there lessons to be learned from England, Scotland or Wales?”
“I note that there is broad agreement amongst all parties in the Chamber and all members of the Committee for Education. I also note that the British Association of Social Workers in Northern Ireland has raised several concerns about the current practices around restriction and seclusion, including the lack of standardised policies and guidance from the Department of Education on the use of restrictive practices and seclusion involving children and young people with additional needs, including those with physical or learning disabilities. The physical, psychological and emotional effects that restraint and seclusion can have on children and young people, their classmates and their families cannot be quantified.”
“I thank the First Minister for that answer. Perhaps she could pass that on to Invest NI to encourage it to show the same commitment as the First Minister has to East Londonderry and to visit my constituency a wee bit more often.”
“I thank the Minister for appearing before us today and giving us the statement. Minister, how can you ensure the portability of GCSE qualifications so that students from Northern Ireland are not disadvantaged when competing for places at universities outside Northern Ireland?”
“We owe it to our children and to our children's children to protect our environment. On that note, I conclude by saying that I support the motion.”
“Altering drainage patterns and local hydro-geography can be costly, but that cost must be met, and it is well worth the expense to the Executive. <BR /> <BR />The loss of species by wildfires like that on the Mournes can take decades to repair. We need a strategy to reintroduce species where necessary and to enhance the recovery of other species that have been displaced. Peatlands provide an important habitat for many species, and restoration efforts will also have important benefits for biodiversity. Despite the economic hurdles, the technical capacity for restoring peatlands already exists and could be brought in very quickly. <BR />Yesterday, someone said — I think that it was Mr McGlone — that we should leave the environment in a better place than we inherited it. I agree.”
“I support the motion. It is both a timely and necessary realisation that our peatbogs, wetlands and forests should be a priority for the Executive. The Executive need to pay more attention to the protection and enhancement of our unique environment. <BR /> <BR />I join other Members in highlighting the bravery and dedication of our emergency services and members of the community who battled the Mournes wildfire. Those involved put their lives at risk to bring that fire under control, and it is right that they are praised and recognised for their efforts. <BR /> <BR />While we are about to launch a peatlands strategy document, the primary challenge to peatland restoration is economic. We have spent decades draining peatlands, grasslands and wetlands, all at a cost. However, reversing that drainage also comes at a cost.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Minister, I welcome the combined £85 million investment in CAFRE at Greenmount and Loughry and in AFBI, and I also welcome the discussions with the SIB about a veterinary college for Northern Ireland. I am very interested in that. Minister, will both investments that have been outlined today have an environmental improvement and sustainability element to their design?”
“I therefore prefer to wait until the Minister's climate change Bill can be heard, in order to see which better benefits all of us in Northern Ireland or to see whether the two Bills can complement each other. It is too important not to look at all the issues. <BR /> <BR />We are in the middle of an emergency. If we do not take stock now, it will be our children and our children's children who will suffer the consequences.”
“<BR /> <BR />In addition, the shipping and corporate haulage industries use massive amounts of fossil fuel, with too much of it used to bring beef and dairy products into Northern Ireland, while we export up to 80% from Northern Ireland. Burning home heating oil, gas and coal across Northern Ireland and having fossil-fuel vehicles that produce the worst emissions possible damage our environment. <BR /> <BR />Although I support having a climate change Bill, I would rather wait until the Minister's Bill is brought before the House. To that end, I encourage the Executive Committee to grant its introduction as soon as possible. I believe that it has been with the Executive Committee for the past four weeks. I fear that having two separate Bills on climate change will be counterproductive.”
“Where suitable, native broadleaf trees must be planted in preference to coniferous trees. <BR /> <BR />On renewable energy, whether that be wind farms or solar farms, we need to gravitate away from fossil fuels and use green energy. The Bill heralds a time when all stakeholders need to sit down and discuss a time frame for a strategy on the way forward. We need to involve processors, wholesalers, corporate food retailers, industry and the general public. We also need to look at airlines, both passenger and freight. Burning 5 litres of aviation fuel at 30,000 feet is the equivalent of burning 25 litres on the ground, yet many of us cannot wait to get away on holidays. A societal change is also necessary.”
“We are in the midst of an emergency, but it is an emergency that needs to be properly funded to ensure that any climate change Bill is a success. That cost has not been factored in as yet. <BR /> <BR />We need to be part of a joined-up strategy that is properly funded and has measurable outcomes, and that is in line with the rest of the UK and our neighbours in the Republic of Ireland. There are differences regionally in industrial usage. Here in Northern Ireland, agriculture is one of our main industries and employers, and we cannot overlook that industry. Its input is vital. One such measure is the reinstatement of bog and peatlands, and more needs to be achieved quickly on the reforestation of Northern Ireland. Here I agree with my colleague Mr Wells.”
“I agree wholeheartedly that a Climate Change Bill is necessary and urgent, and I thank my AERA Committee colleague Ms Bailey for introducing the Bill to the Assembly. However, I worry about its impact on the agri-food and farming industry, which will be most affected. <BR /> <BR />It has been a good debate so far, and I will try not to replicate some of the excellent points that Members have raised. Increasing rainfall, unpredictable storms, landslides and the threat to habitat and species, which was highlighted recently by the Mournes wildfire, are all warning signs that cannot be ignored. Climate change is the world's most pressing emergency, and I agree that we in Northern Ireland must do our bit to combat rising seas, rising temperatures and unstable weather patterns. We need more than words and lip service.”
“However, we need to commit to addressing those issues, and we should be under no illusion: that will require broad political support and appropriate funding. The expert panel will consider necessary actions as part of its final recommendations. I acknowledge that change is needed, but that change must have buy-in from all political parties, not just a few.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Assembly needs to address educational attainment beyond fixed positions on selection; not focus on the narrow debate around selection but give weight to the range of other factors that contribute to educational underachievement. The expert panel established by the Education Minister under NDNA to address educational underachievement has identified a range of areas where policy changes are needed: early years; championing emotional health and well-being; promoting a whole-community approach to education; and supporting the professional learning and well-being of school leadership — all have yet to be brought to the Chamber.”
“Unless schools choose an approach that takes them beyond what is in the law, admissions criteria are up to individual boards of governors. We fully respect that. We also support parental choice, and we respect the fact that there is strong parental demand for selection. Abolishing transfer tests will restrict choice and opportunity, and one cannot support grammar schools while wanting to get rid of transfer tests. <BR /> <BR />This party will support a single system of transfer test to make the process as accessible and straightforward as possible, unlike the current system where pupils have to undergo two systems and multiple exams. Change is inevitable.”
“Children have a right to apply and to influence the choice of the school that they wish to attend, based on what is best for their needs and interests. <BR /> <BR />Current academic success should be valued and enhanced. Both grammar and non-selective schools offer a fantastic opportunity and deliver excellent academic outcomes for our young people. Our pupils continue to consistently outperform their counterparts elsewhere in the UK in examinations, as has been alluded to. Many schools across the education system have never used academic selection or use it only partially, and they also get absolutely exceptional results. We welcome and support those schools and do not intend to force academic selection on anyone. <BR /> <BR />The DUP supports academic selection and the legal right of schools to use it for post-primary admissions.”
“I thank the Member for her clarification. <BR /> <BR />It is my understanding that the abolition of selection and the removal of grammar schools could see a proliferation of private schools across Northern Ireland, which will serve only those with significant income, who can afford to pay for such schooling. <BR /> <BR />What are the proposers' preferred criteria for selection? That is unclear. Is a criterion some sort of hereditary selection, based on an older brother or sister or a family member being in the school or having attended the school? Is it based on proximity to the school? Academic selection may not be perfect, and I would like to see some adjustments to the selection process.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. An MLA saying that about any grammar school, in any county in Northern Ireland, would have difficulties.”
“I speak against the motion and the amendment as they stand. This call, which seeks to cease academic selection, could lead to the abolition of grammar schools in Northern Ireland. Are we advocating the introduction of a fully comprehensive system?”
“I join other Members in offering praise for the Fire and Rescue Service, the PSNI, DAERA, Forest Service and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. They have all done a sterling job in trying to bring this wildfire under control, which they have successfully done. Does the Minister think that new technology could play a part in the early detection of wildfires across Northern Ireland, and will he identify the ways in which the new technology could be used by the Department to do this?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Minister, as you rightly said, recent developments have highlighted the shortage of vets across Northern Ireland. Will the Minister's Department provide a brief to the AERA Committee as soon as possible outlining progress? I have raised that issue at the Committee and in the House, and I am keen to see progress be made.”
“The Minister has, in part, answered my supplementary question. As we come out of the current restrictions, does he envisage the decentralisation of acute services, particularly in elective surgery, to other hospitals across Northern Ireland, especially as we are facing a massive backlog in such services as cancer treatment and other deferred acute and surgical procedures?”
“Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker. I will be brief. I thank the Minister for his answer. I remind the Minister that County Hall in my constituency is a building that once held several Departments. It is currently half-empty. During this rationalisation of the government estate, does the Minister have any plans to utilise that seven-storey building in the heart of East Londonderry?”
“I welcome the Minister's announcement about the return to sport. Can I ask the Minister about the possibility of opening the schools estate to youth clubs and community organisations that work with children over the summer months? Sometimes children attend the same schools and clubs, and it will make sure that the time lost in physical education can be made up over the summer months.”
“Thank you very much for your answer, Minister. My office has been contacted by a number of constituents about puppy smuggling. What steps is the Minister taking to tackle puppy smuggling? The problem is increasing across Northern Ireland.”
“The Minister mentioned charging. Will he outline his views on what impact charging for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks will have on business and consumers in Northern Ireland if left as is?”
“I join with colleagues in welcoming the Minister to his first meeting. I also extend my best wishes to Edwin for a full, successful and speedy recovery. Given what has happened at Larne and Belfast, will the Minister give a commitment to ensure the safety of his staff, that they are protected, and to keep the situation under review?”
“I will be brief, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. There is grave concern that people with health problems, and care teams that are required to visit them, cannot get parked outside their house. Will the Minister look at that issue urgently?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Mr Speaker, you will be delighted to know that I have a question. Can practical examinations, controlled assessments and completed coursework form part of the consideration of a student's qualification results?”
“Thank you, Minister, for your detailed answers. I refer to an 87-year-old constituent who was invited to attend a vaccination session at the Joey Dunlop centre in Ballymoney. My constituent is housebound and self-isolating, as is his daughter, and neither have any means to get to Ballymoney. That man and many like him are in need of a home visit. They have contacted their local health centre but have not heard any further word on a schedule for vaccination. Minister, it is for people like that, who may be falling through the net, that we need to have clear advice and guidance to ensure that everyone who is called for vaccination is dealt with in a timely fashion.”
“The aim is to ensure broad consistency and equity across Northern Ireland, but it is sufficiently flexible to allow special education schools and staff to adopt approaches that best suit their needs and those of their pupils. <BR /> <BR />I share the concerns of other Committee members, parents and teachers and hope that the motion will help to address some of those concerns. The motion highlights how vital it is that access to special educational needs support for vulnerable children is available and that it is sufficiently funded. We should be working towards that. Therefore, I support the motion. <BR /> <BR />Mr Deputy Speaker, in my previous life as a footballer, I never attacked anybody, because I felt that it was a weakness and a flaw in your character. It is better to attack in defence.”
“I implore the Minister and the Executive to place greater priority on offering vaccinations to staff in special educational needs schools, in particular, and all schools, in general. To that end, I ask the Minister, backed by the Education Committee, to apply pressure on the Health Minister to set aside an urgent timetable for the vaccination of teachers and school employees. <BR /> <BR />Bespoke guidance issued on 21 January was informed by judgements based on the scientific and public health advice, including the latest public health guidance, and provides guidance on how special schools in Northern Ireland can operate. That is what the Minister is compelled to use to form his judgements in an ongoing COVID environment.”
“Some special education schools can only remain open until 1.00 pm or 1.30 pm to ensure that proper educational needs-based programmes are in place for the following day. There must be flexibility within the system. One set of rules does not fit all circumstances. School opening hours are set by boards of governors in conjunction with senior staff, and not all schools will have the same hours or set of circumstances. <BR /> <BR />Many Members have referred at the Education Committee and in this place to the urgent need to offer protection to teachers and workers in special educational needs settings. I raised in the House just recently the question of vaccination priority for teachers.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention, but the Minister is here and can speak for himself. <BR /> <BR />Pupils who attend special schools are among our most vulnerable children, but, for their parents, school was a time of daily respite from what can be a challenging time at home. Therefore, it is important that special educational needs are catered for during the current lockdown. Many children in special educational needs schools require routine, and losing that routine can set children back and, in some cases, cause withdrawal. Not all special education schools can remain open all day. Lessons are prepared after each school day for the following day. Sometimes, lessons are complex, reflecting the needs of children and bearing in mind the safety and well-being of staff.”
“My colleague mentioned the difficulties around social distancing and wearing PPE, so I will not repeat that.”
“I thank the Minister for coming to answer the questions raised during the debate, and I also thank the Chair for bringing the motion to the House. I assure him of our support. <BR /> <BR />During the initial lockdown in March 2020, special schools closed and many respite and support services, such as trauma response, were suspended. Vulnerable children, some with complex needs and disability, had no support, and there was no support for their parents during the first lockdown either. Lack of services and support led to many issues, and many parents experienced setbacks in special education, affecting not only their children's education but their mental health. Lack of routine affected many vulnerable children in many different ways, including loss of appetite, mood changes and lethargy.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Will he give us an update on the state of the avian flu outbreak in Northern Ireland and how it is affecting trade?”
“We are all trying to make decisions that benefit those who send us here to represent them. My appeal is that we do what is best for all of our children and, in doing so, make every effort to consider the impact that our decisions will have, especially on vulnerable children and children who have educational statements. We must endeavour to give clarity and support, including transport, for children, their parents and teachers. <BR /> <BR />There is no normal in these abnormal times. As we peer through the mist of uncertainty, there is no abnormal answer to make normal again.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Member for that intervention. Being on the Education Committee, he should be fully aware of all the commitments that the Minister has given, financially and otherwise. <BR /> <BR />Has anyone assessed the role of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) lately? I imagine that its workload has increased dramatically during the pandemic. Does it have the staff and the resources to cope? <BR /> <BR />I provide no answers, only questions, and I do not for one minute underestimate the thankless task that the Minister has in trying to navigate the many complex issues that the pandemic has caused to the education of our children, young people and adults. None of it is of the Minister's making. We are all in this together.”
“<BR /> <BR />Going home from here last night, I drove past the local football field. There was a group of children playing in the multi-use games area under floodlights, about nine or 10 of them, and I thought, "What's the impact of all this COVID-19 on the mentality of our young people, on their mental health and on their physical well-being?". We have to take that into consideration too. There were about nine or 10 of them, but I ask that that be taken into consideration as well. <BR /> <BR />Schools take thousands of children under their care and nurturing every day. For some, it is an escape, perhaps from abuse at home, and for others it is an opportunity to have at least one full meal in the day. There is no one-size-fits-all solution; no matter what the Minister does, he will please some and disappoint others.”
“<BR /> <BR />I ask for consideration of the needs of vulnerable children and children who have educational statements; can we afford to interrupt their schedules again? For children and young people who suffer from autism, ADHD or other complex needs, school is a necessary routine and is often the only respite that some parents have. The needs of those children and young people must be given careful consideration. <BR /> <BR />There are other issues that are a priority. The top priority is education but there is also preparing children for the next stage of their development, whether it is for examinations, transfer from primary to post-primary education, further education or young people going out into employment. Vital learning, development time and experience has been lost.”
“I thank the Minister for attending today, as he has done on many occasions. There are calls for a change of attitude, but we all need to examine our attitudes in this place; there are more than the Minister in this place who need to change their attitudes. <BR /> <BR />Many teachers have been in contact with me to urge that children be kept at school. Many have expressed the opposite viewpoint. Opinion amongst parents is also divided. For some parents, their children not being at school will have a detrimental impact on their incomes. Many parents work in essential services, fitting their part-time working arrangements around school times. Therefore, no matter what the Minister announced here today, he was not going to please everyone. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.”
“Thank you, Minister, for your statement. Minister, can you clarify two points? Can schools and school leaders now choose which units they wish their pupils to be examined on? Secondly, can you confirm that no algorithms or z scores will be used to calculate a student's grade and that it is all now based on the student's performance? Is that the case?”
“As already mentioned by the Committee Chair, no issues were found in the legislation. The Committee has also been informed that no financial implications will be associated with the SR. Therefore, I support the motion.”
“I join my colleague in wishing the Minister a speedy recovery from his operation. Some of these points have been made, but we have to consider that the statutory rule has been before the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for approval, and the motion consequently seeks approval. <BR /> <BR />As there are no direct policy changes, the few amendments in the Bill are technical. The rule will ensure the continuation of legislation that is designed to protect and restrict movements of species into Northern Ireland from other parts of the UK and elsewhere that could pose a threat to aquaculture and the environment. Our habitats and environment need protection. The SR will ensure compliance with current EU regulations through the Northern Ireland protocol.”
“Does the Minister agree that it is vital that the PSNI does not draw personnel away from investigations into drugs and criminality to police COVID breaches? Are there sufficient numbers available to provide community protection, particularly patrols in the community and in my local area, which is rural?”
“Does the Minister agree that, irrespective of what grant support is made available, the best support that the Executive can give is to allow businesses to trade? The Minister previously launched a scheme to help businesses to get online, which will allow smaller businesses to continue to trade, even if they are shut. Does the Minister have plans to continue or enhance that scheme?”