Jemma Dolan
Fermanagh and South Tyrone · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“Minister, I am really shocked at that response, because I am not aware of any Western Trust engagement on the vision plan. My question was going to be, "Will you outline how you will ensure that the public are aware of this planning, so that they can engage with it?".”
“Minister, thank you for your statement. Last week, the Irish Government announced a further €30 million investment in the Ulster canal restoration project. That is transformative for the communities along the route and will benefit local economies and tourism. What is the current position of the Ulster canal project?”
“They are the result of years of chronic underfunding by successive British Governments and a funding model that has consistently failed to recognise the real needs of people here. That is the root cause of the problem.”
“Our public services are under immense pressure. Health workers, teachers and community organisations are all being asked to do more with less. Communities that have already endured years of austerity continue to feel the impact.”
“However, the second part of the motion is profoundly flawed and contradictory. On the one hand, it welcomes the efforts of local Ministers to press for more funding for public services, while, on the other hand, it states that the Executive are purposely deciding to "impose further austerity" by not agreeing to a Budget.”
“There is an onus on us as elected representatives to deliver better front-line services. However, we cannot get away from the fact that we are a devolved region with limited fiscal powers. Almost all our funding comes through the block grant.”
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“As Sinn Féin spokesperson on workers' rights, I say from the outset that we support legislation that advances workers' rights and strengthens trade unions. Therefore, we broadly support the principles of the trade union freedom Bill and its passage through Second Stage. The Bill ties in well with our legislation to ban zero-hours contracts and create a better work-life balance for workers and with our policies to give workers a real living wage. While there is insufficient time in this mandate to advance this legislation, we hope that, in a new mandate, a landmark employment Bill can be introduced to strengthen the rights of workers and trade unions and deliver on many of the aims in the private Members' Bills. <BR /> <BR />Trade unions play an important role in standing up for workers and protecting their rights.”
“Minister, the former EU rural development programme was a ring-fenced, dedicated pot of money for rural communities. That is in stark contrast to the British Government's Levelling Up Fund, which will see rural communities in the North competing for funding against big infrastructure projects in cities such as Manchester. When that is the case, are we really expected to believe that our rural communities will get anything like their fair share?”
“Minister, I have listened with interest to comments about the work that is going into flood alleviation in parts of Belfast. The community in Boho in my constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone is at its wits' end from dealing with the damage from dangerous and seemingly endless flooding issues that blight the area. Will you commit to visiting Boho to meet residents and to listen to their concerns in order to better understand their difficulties and start putting solutions in place?”
“Minister, you briefly touched on this matter in a previous answer. The Department of Justice has confirmed that it intends to cut the legal aid budget. Have you engaged with or had representations from the Law Society regarding the potential implications of that?”
“I thank the Minister for his detailed answers. It is deeply concerning that BT has chosen to hike its broadband prices when we are already in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis that is hitting thousands of workers and families. Can you confirm whether there are any price controls in the Project Stratum tender to prevent such unfair price hikes for customers?”
“It is my pleasure to support the Bill's passing Final Stage.”
“<BR /> <BR />As we heard from support groups, victims' organisations and, most importantly of all, victims themselves, I listened in earnest to the harrowing impact that stalking has on victims' mental and physical health. I am grateful to and humbled by those who were courageous enough to share their experiences. They really helped us ensure that we focused on getting the Bill right, and I think that we have done that. I recently watched a programme on BBC 3 titled 'Stalkers', which showed the devastating impact of stalking. Many people were afraid to cross their front door, while others had to leave their home to build a life elsewhere. That is the reality for many people. We therefore cannot and will not tolerate stalking. If implemented correctly, the legislation will bring with it long-overdue protections.”
“The introduction of a new stalking offence marks another milestone on our journey towards building a society that protects women and girls and that challenges and tackles the behaviour of stalkers and abusers. Today is a really positive day. The passing of the Protection from Stalking Bill will bring reassurance and protection to victims of stalking across the North. It will send a very public message that stalking cannot and will not be tolerated in our society. <BR /> <BR />For too long, the North has been an outlier on these islands, as it is the only jurisdiction without a stalking offence. That ends now. Protection from stalking legislation will help make our legal system more human-rights compliant, and the inclusion of stalking protection orders will be vital for protecting victims.”
“That is an important protection, as we know that there are no limits to the things that trafficked and exploited victims are forced to carry out. Sinn Féin is happy to support that amendment. <BR /> <BR />Finally, Sinn Féin is also happy to support amendment No 17, which would place a statutory duty on the Department of Justice to bring forward protective measures for victims of slavery or trafficking within 24 months. It is anticipated that the measures will take the form of the important slavery and trafficking risk orders. I know that the Department will soon do a public consultation on STROs, and I look forward to my party engaging with that consultation to identify the best way forward in protecting victims.”
“<BR /> <BR />At present, confirmed victims of human trafficking and slavery have a statutory defence in court in relation to certain offences that they carried out under their exploitation and because of their exploitation. That defence applies to class B and below drug offences but not to class A drug offences. Amendment No 16 will insert class A drug offences into the list of offences where victims are entitled to use that statutory defence.”
“<BR /> <BR />Given that existing legislation provides the Department with the discretionary power to provide support for an unspecified period, which may be more or less than the 12 months, I am not convinced that the case has been made that amendment Nos 14 and 15 are necessary. I am concerned that amendment Nos 14 and 15 have not been sufficiently discussed, examined or tested and that we are totally unaware of the financial implications of such changes. Whilst I am sympathetic to the motivations behind the amendments, I fear that making legislation without having that crucial information will be bad practice and could have huge implications. Sinn Féin will, therefore, oppose amendment Nos 14 and 15.”
“The legislation specifies a period of 45 days for the provision of support for confirmed victims, albeit it also provides the Department of Justice with a discretionary power to provide the support for a longer period if it thinks that that is necessary. <BR /> <BR />Amendment Nos 12 and 13 would remove the 45-day period specified and would instead ensure that the support be provided for up to 12 months, or fewer if it is not required. I appreciate the will of the Justice Committee to guarantee that support be provided for an appropriate length of time, and I believe that amendment Nos 12 and 13 do that by providing support for up to 12 months based on need.”
“I am pleased to support Part 2 of the Bill, which improves support for victims of human trafficking and modern slavery and which will allow the human trafficking and slavery strategy to be published every three years instead of annually. That will allow us to put in place more effective long-term actions to address the scale of trafficking and exploitation. <BR /> <BR />Turning to the proposed amendments to the Bill, I will say that, when the Justice Committee heard evidence from a range of organisations on the Bill, concerns were raised that the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Act 2015 is too restrictive in the support that it offers to confirmed victims of trafficking.”
“Figures that were released in August last year show that there has been a 750% increase in the numbers of suspected victims of human trafficking in the North over the last eight years. In 2012, there were 15 referrals to the national referral mechanism, which is the framework for identifying and supporting victims of human trafficking and modern slavery, and there were 128 referrals in 2020. Those figures may be influenced by other factors, such as an increased awareness of human trafficking and better methods of identifying and supporting victims. However, the upward trend is still extremely worrying. It shows that the scale of human trafficking and modern slavery in our society is huge, yet those figures likely represent only a fraction of those who suffer from the cruelty of this criminal exploitation.”
“Minister, the Department of Justice is required by prison rules to review and provide agreement on applications to extend a prisoner's segregation in a CSU beyond 72 hours. However, the report demonstrates that, in practice, the Prison Service approves the applications without monitoring or oversight. Do you accept that that essentially allowed the Prison Service, which clearly was not meeting the required standards, to mark its own homework? How has that been allowed to go unchecked for so long?”
“In the long run, it may save them money on recruitment through retaining staff. <BR /> <BR />That is a quick summation of the views expressed on the Bill. I am sorry if I have not included all the points made, but I look forward to working with all Members and, hopefully, the Committee, in the time ahead to see how the Bill can progress and change the lives of workers in our society.”
“I thank the Minister for his question. Originally, we had 12 months in the Bill but, as a result of the consultation, we changed it. The views in the consultation were that 12 months was too long. Respondents to the consultation thought it should be three months. <BR /> <BR />The Minister raised the issue that people on zero-hours contracts do not want more hours. However, that is not the issue that we are dealing with. We are creating fairness and certainty for workers; it is nothing to do with how many hours they work. The issue is that they have fairness and certainty from week to week, so that they know how many hours they will work. <BR /> <BR />The Minister also asked about the cost to employers. There should not be a huge increase in costs to employers, because they are paying the employees anyway.”
“Employers who treat workers like that will soon find themselves struggling to recruit, especially if other employers use banded hours and treat their workers fairly. The Bill is not perfect, I admit, but it closes loopholes and gives more certainty to workers. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the views that the Committee has and the fact that it will carry out a more extensive consultation. Stewart said that the Committee would sculpt the Bill, and I am excited to see what the Committee will bring forward. This type of legislation has already proven workable in the Twenty-six Counties, and the Bill will provide parity across the island for workers.”
“<BR /> <BR />I welcome the point of view that Órlaithí Flynn brought to the Bill: the impact on our workers' mental health and the implications of the financial stress, anxiety and worry caused to workers. <BR /> <BR />I also welcome Pat Catney's point of view, which highlighted the importance of treating workers well. Pat came at the Bill as a former employer. It is important that we treat workers like that and take on board all views. <BR /> <BR />A number of Members, Peter Weir in particular, pointed out that some employers might abuse this. We acknowledge that there will always be a minority of employers who try to get round legislation and exploit workers. However, there are ways to counteract that through unions, advice agencies and access to tribunals.”
“The Bill's purpose is to provide workers with the option of being on a banded-hours contract or to stay on a zero-hours contract. It is not forcing them. The option is there, and if, after three months, the offer is made and they still do not want it, that is their prerogative. <BR /> <BR />Matthew O'Toole and John O'Dowd used examples of how, if the Bill passes, it will show our front-line workers how much we value them. John's example of the paramedic was really good and is exactly why we are bringing the Bill forward. We want to show how much we value the workers whom we clapped for on Thursday evenings and those who kept food on shelves in the shops. We value their rights as employees.”
“As I said at the Committee, the consultation was public and was published on the Assembly's website. It was open to responses from all sectors, including business organisations. We cannot make organisations respond, but we were proactive and carried out as much engagement as possible. As has already been pointed out, a consultation with businesses on the Employment Act 2016 was carried out in the last mandate. As my colleague Pádraig Delargy pointed out, the reality is that the vast majority of businesses do not use the contracts, so the Bill will affect only a minority of businesses. If the Bill is passed, however, it will have a huge impact on the lives of the workers who are on those contracts. <BR /> <BR />The other issue that Members raised was flexibility. My colleagues Órlaithí Flynn and John O'Dowd touched on it.”
“Go raibh maith agaibh to all who have contributed to the debate. They have raised important points, and the contributions were informative and detailed. There were issues raised that I will certainly look into because we want the Bill and, in turn, the Assembly to deliver for workers and their families. <BR /> <BR />As Members know, the legislative process allows for deeper scrutiny of the clauses and for possible additions. It is proper that Members raise questions and concerns. I will cover some of those concerns, and I apologise if I do not get to them all: I do not want the Deputy Speaker to cut me off. I hope that the Bill can continue to the next stage to allow the Committee to carry out its scrutiny. <BR /> <BR />Members raised concerns around consultation.”
“It will give people more certainty over their household income at a time when there is so much uncertainty around price rises in energy bills and household goods. I am happy to take feedback from Members, and I look forward to working with them in the time ahead.”
“While Minister Dodds was in post, she confirmed to me that she did not intend to bring forward the banded-hours contract proposal in order to resolve the issue. Similar legislation was passed in the Oireachtas in the form of the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018, and a private Member's Bill is in progress at Westminster. In the absence of legislation on the issue here, there is nothing to realistically prevent such contracts being used. As I have said, I feel that change on this matter is even more relevant and necessary due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the precarious economic circumstances that workers and their families find themselves in. <BR /> <BR />I hope that Members will support the Bill and see that it will benefit workers and their families.”
“Despite that political consensus, however, consecutive Economy Ministers have failed to move on the issue.”
“<BR /> <BR />The banning of zero-hours contracts was part of the New Decade, New Approach (NDNA) agreement, to which all parties in the Executive signed up.”
“The original proposal was confined to giving the worker the right to request a banded-hours contract once the qualification period was served. In the light of the feedback received, I decided to change that and place the duty on the employer to offer the banded-hours contract. That is more beneficial, as workers would generally be apprehensive about making a request of that nature, so placing the duty on the employer makes it more deliverable. Once the employer offers the banded-hours contract, the worker has the choice to accept or decline it. <BR /> <BR />I briefed the Economy Committee on the principles of the Bill on 8 December, and I am sure that members of that Committee will make their views heard.”
“Having considered the issue, I decided to revise the original proposal and reduce the qualification period to three months. That allows the employer sufficient time to work out how many weekly hours they need the worker to work. The three-month period also ensures that the worker is not left waiting for a year while working on a precarious contract. The three-month qualification period is beneficial, as it is largely consistent with the 12-week qualification periods that apply to other employment rights pertaining to agency workers, such as the right to sick pay and holiday entitlements. <BR /> <BR />Another suggestion was to place a legal duty on an employer to offer a banded-hours contract rather than the have the worker request it.”
“In employment law, there is a distinction between the definitions of worker and employee. That has often meant that agency workers are not entitled to the same rights as employees. I was keen to avoid that when developing the Bill. <BR /> <BR />Respondents made suggestions for improving the Bill, and those were largely confined to technical issues. The original proposal had contained a 12-month qualification period. That meant that workers would have to work on a short-hours contract for 12 months before they could request a banded-hours contract. I received feedback that that was too long. Some respondents proposed that the right be available from the first day of work or that the qualification period be at least shortened to three months.”
“<BR /> <BR />Clause 15 gives the Department the power to make regulations concerning the paperwork that employers must keep on the subject of banded weekly working hours. <BR /> <BR />As is the norm, I carried out an eight-week consultation on the Bill, to which I received 478 responses. The consultation showed that 93% of respondents agreed that zero-hours contracts should be banned from the labour market, while 90% agreed that the proposal to create banded-hours contracts was a good way in which to achieve that. The feedback on and support for the Bill in the consultation largely confirmed that the Bill would have a positive impact and that it was fit for purpose. <BR /> <BR />Respondents highlighted the importance of ensuring that the right to a banded-hours contract was inclusive of workers and employees.”
“Trade unions have said that they want to be proactive about enforcement and will pursue employers to ensure that they comply with the legislation. The Labour Relations Agency will take on the role of conciliation and dispute resolution. <BR /> <BR />Clauses 12 and 13 give workers the right to bring a claim in an industrial tribunal for the failure of an employer to place them in a band of weekly working hours. The standard three-month time limit for bringing a claim in the industrial tribunal applies. The remedy is that, if the employer has not complied, it will be legally required to place the worker on a banded-hours contract. The employer must keep a record of offering a banded-hours contract to employees whether or not they accept it.”
“It gives effect to other protections in the Bill. For example, it ensures that workers cannot be penalised or dismissed for requesting to be put on a banded-hours contract. <BR /> <BR />Clause 6 deals with unfair dismissal. If an employer tries to enforce an exclusivity clause on a worker, the worker has legal protections. If workers are dismissed by an employer for seeking a second job, that would automatically be treated as unfair dismissal, and they would have a right to compensation or other remedies. <BR /> <BR />Clauses 7 and 16 refer to the role of the Labour Relations Agency in conciliation. The Labour Relations Agency already has a role in promoting conciliation in a list of employment disputes. The clauses mean that workers and employers can take cases relating to zero-hours or banded-hours contracts.”
“The worker can make the request at any time and may, if the circumstances have changed, make a request even after a previous request has been refused. The Bill will place a statutory duty on the employer to offer the banded contract after an employee has served a three-month qualification period. It is optional for workers to accept the contract, but, once they accept a banded-hours contract, they must begin to work on that contract within a month of its being agreed. <BR /> <BR />Clause 11 sets out the exceptions to the worker's entitlement to be placed in a band. Those include circumstances in which there is insufficient evidence to justify being placed in a band or in which the weekly hours have been in flux for some reason. <BR /> <BR />Clause 5 ensures that workers who exercise their rights under the Bill cannot be penalised.”
“The legislation will set out eight bands of weekly working hours as follows: three to six, six to 11, 11 to 16, 16 to 21, 21 to 26, 26 to 31, 31 to 36, and 36 and over. That will benefit workers and families, as it will provide them with greater certainty over their household incomes from week to week. It will also be beneficial to employers and the wider economy, as it will reduce the high staff turnovers and regular recruitment costs incurred by employers associated with precarious work. <BR /> <BR />Clause 10 sets out the procedure for a worker to be placed in a band of weekly working hours. After the worker makes the request, the employer has four weeks to comply. The band is calculated with reference to the average weekly working hours over the previous three months.”
“No, sorry. I want to get through this. <BR /> <BR />Clause 3 will ban the use of exclusivity clauses. They have been used to stop employees on part-time contracts taking on a second job to bump up their earnings. The Bill will ban that and prevent employers from stopping workers getting second jobs. <BR /> <BR />Clauses 8 and 9 will give workers a legal right to a banded-hour contract if the hours that they have worked over the three months do not reflect the number of hours in their employment contract. For instance, if the contract says that they are to work between three and six hours each week and the majority of their time is spent working more than that, they are entitled to request and be given a banded-hour contract that reflects the hours that they usually work.”
“If that happens, workers will be entitled to three hours' wages to compensate for it. For example, if a worker is called in for six hours and is sent home after one hour, the worker will be paid the one hour's wages and an additional three hours' wages to compensate for the five hours of work that was promised but not given.”
“On top of that, the contracts have created precarious working arrangements that have led to stress and uncertainty for people. They make it difficult, if not impossible, for workers to manage their household budgets and make long-term financial commitments such as taking out a mortgage. As a result, the contracts worsen in-work poverty, economic inactivity and financial anxiety. <BR /> <BR />I turn to the details of the Bill. It has 16 clauses that I will briefly take you through. Clause 1 will ensure that the legislation applies to agency workers and employees and mean that both will be entitled to a banded-hour contract. <BR /> <BR />Clause 2 will protect and compensate workers in cases where an employer calls the worker in and promises them work but, instead, gives them no work or less than one hour of work.”
“In its report on COVID clusters in occupational settings, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) found that workers on precarious contracts were more at risk of presenting themselves for work while experiencing COVID symptoms. The lack of paid leave and uncertainty about their regular income was found to put them more at risk than workers on standard employment contacts if they were required to self-isolate. That was also identified by the former First Minister Arlene Foster, on 14 September 2020:”
“In reality, that means that workers are expected to be readily available to work shifts that may never materialise. The contracts also disrupt access to social security. Due to the unreliable and unpredictable nature of the contracts, it is difficult for workers to maintain consistency in their eligibility and entitlement. That can also impact on passported benefits such as help with health costs and free school meals. It can, in some cases, lead to the benefit cap being applied. <BR /> <BR />The COVID pandemic laid bare the harsh reality of zero-hours contracts for workers and their families. The difficulties that those workers have faced during the pandemic have justified the need for such contracts to be banned as soon as possible.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle, for the opportunity to address the Assembly at the Second Stage of my private Member's Bill to ban zero-hours contracts. I thank Members and the Minister for the Economy for being here, and I look forward to their contributions and comments on the Bill. I also look forward to speaking to and working with everyone to ensure that the Bill is passed. <BR /> <BR />The Bill has been taken forward in recognition of the fact that, in 2019, around 11,000 zero-hours contract workers were employed in the North. On meeting the Labour Relations Agency (LRA), I learned that it reckons that that figure is a vast underestimation. Zero-hours contracts do not provide workers with guaranteed hours or income.”
“I want to see that changed or, at least, the patient given a choice as to where they want their prescription to be delivered. <BR /> <BR />I return to the topic at hand. We need investment in the recruitment and retention of GPs in rural areas and in training a new generation of GPs to secure GP practices for the future.”
“An additional related issue that is faced by those in rural areas is the inability for out-of-hours GPs to fax prescriptions to the closest pharmacy. I had a constituent in Garrison who managed to speak to an out-of-hours doctor on a Saturday. The doctor prescribed her medication but would not fax the prescription to the pharmacy in Garrison, which resulted in the woman having to travel 25 miles, which is a 50-mile round trip, to pick up a prescription. The Health and Social Care Board was very helpful when I raised the issue with it. It reassured me that processes are in place in emergency situations, when the patient is very old or vulnerable or there is a genuine and urgent need to get the medication before their local pharmacy closes, but that process is not widely encouraged.”
“Those rising workloads in GP practices oftentimes mean that our existing GPs cannot manage to put in the hours that are required to run out-of-hours clinics, meaning that time slots are not being filled. That puts patients' lives at risk. The Minister of Health must roll out multidisciplinary teams to as many GP practices as possible. In my eyes, that would reduce the workloads of our GPs, meaning that they could give up more time to cover out-of-hours services. <BR /> <BR />I turn to an issue specific to Fermanagh. When you add our GP shortage locally to our large rural community, which is serviced centrally from Enniskillen, you see that the service, through no fault of the people who work in it, is at crisis point.”
“I thank and commend the Member for securing the debate this afternoon. It is quite clear that GP out-of-hours services across the North face sustained and significant pressures, with demand for out-of-hours GP services increasing and added difficulties in filling GP shifts. Fermanagh and South Tyrone is not immune to that. Many blame the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is clear that GP out-of-hours services face wider, systemic pressures. <BR /> <BR />Out-of-hours services are at risk of becoming unsustainable. A lack of GPs in the North, especially in rural areas like Fermanagh, coupled with the rising workloads of our hard-pressed GPs, means that little capacity is left in the system.”
“<BR /> <BR />As has been said, the Bill is significant legislation that will help to protect many people across the North from living in the fear that this kind of crime creates.”
“Police officers are often the first responders to incidents and have to provide comfort and reassurance to victims, as well as being responsible for collecting evidence and building a case against the perpetrator. Most police officers who deal with that behaviour do so diligently, so it is important that they are supported in their efforts and equipped with the right tools to tackle it. The introduction of stalking protection orders (SPOs) will be a key tool for the police. They will enable them to intervene prior to any conviction to address stalking behaviours before they become entrenched or escalate in severity and to protect victims quickly when there is an immediate risk of harm.”
“Therefore, it is welcome that amendment Nos 1, 2 and 3 outline that the Department must issue guidance about the effect of the legislation and other matters that it considers appropriate as to the criminal law or the procedure relating to stalking. It is also welcome that amendment No 5 provides for mandatory training for relevant personnel involved in the operation of the legislation. <BR /> <BR />Across the legislation that we have dealt with, one of the key lessons that we have learned is the importance of training police officers, prosecutors, judges and all those involved in stalking cases to recognise stalking and understand the risks associated with stalking behaviour.”
“The new offence accurately captures behaviours that are commonly regarded as stalking. Importantly, it carries greater and more appropriate penalties and protections than are available under existing harassment legislation. Whilst the new offence will apply only where there is a pattern of behaviour, ie two or more occasions, I welcome the introduction of the alternative offence of threatening or abusive behaviour that will cover isolated incidents. <BR /> <BR />Even if threats are not made, stalking is a serious issue that causes many victims to live in fear. A new law alone will not improve the lives of stalking victims. If we want the legislation to be effective, it will require training to ensure the right attitudes towards stalking, improve investigations and secure prosecutions.”
“However, we still have a long way to go before women and girls are afforded at least the same protections as women across these islands so that the full scale of gender-based violence can be tackled. Although victims of stalking are not always women and girls, stalking is overwhelmingly gender-based and is usually carried out by men against women. <BR /> <BR />Currently, people who end up in court on charges that are regarded as stalking behaviour can be charged only under existing harassment or intimidation legislation. Stalking is separate from and can be more serious than harassment. It needs to be treated with the seriousness that it deserves. Harassment laws do not accurately capture the heinous nature of stalking and do not appropriately capture the intense fear that is felt by victims of stalking and nor do the penalties.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak in the Consideration Stage debate on the Protection from Stalking Bill. This is yet another Bill that has the potential to change the lives of victims. Any law that is formulated should be victim-focused and be able to deal with the realities of stalking and the seemingly minor behaviours that, in conjunction, cause fear and alarm. Stalking is an extremely prevalent issue in our society. For too long, protections in the North for crimes such as stalking, which disproportionately impact on women, have been less than those in other jurisdictions. The progress made on issues including domestic abuse legislation, tackling the rough sex defence, and the Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Bill that is going through Committee at the minute is welcome.”