Rachel Woods
North Down · Green Party · Northern Ireland
“We have to get it right, but we are not starting from scratch. We only have to look across the water or down the road to the public and private sectors that already offer that type of leave. <BR /> <BR />I now turn to the comments of other Members.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is time to end the coercive control that criminal gangs have over our communities. Victim and survivors' voices must be heard and reflected in our laws and policies. Minority groups should not be sidelined or silenced. We need to educate from a very young age.”
“There is no direct cost to employers from safe leave, and it is needed to deal with the issues related to abuse. We need to destigmatise abuse and tackle root causes, misogyny and toxic masculinity. <BR /> <BR />I agree with Mr Weir's comments. We should not need to have the protections in place.”
“I thank every Member who spoke during the debate for their comments and support for the Bill. I will address the Minister's comments first. I thank him for being here, and I am glad that he is feeling better. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly cares, and we need to work constructively together to help.”
“<BR /> <BR />As I said at Second Stage, period poverty must be viewed through the lens of children's rights and how the Bill meets our obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).”
“<BR /> <BR />I take this opportunity at Final Stage to thank officials and members of the councils who took the time to discuss with me their policies, the background to them and how they are working in practice: thank you for everything that you are doing for your staff, and I hope that, should the Bill pass, your regional Parliaments an…”
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“Much more work needs to be done to recognise the unique circumstances and experience of women in the criminal justice system, for instance. The prison system was built by men for men: that is recognised. We need to look at those who find themselves homeless as a result of being trafficked, exploited and abused. <BR /> <BR />I could go on all day, but, to give an answer to the question that I posed at the start, the national Parliaments with the highest percentage of females elected are Rwanda, Cuba and the UAE. <BR /> <BR />I thank the members of the caucus for bringing forward the motion. I choose to challenge each and every one of us in the Assembly to celebrate women's achievement, to raise awareness against bias and to take action for equality.”
“<BR /> <BR />On a wider point, there is a worrying trend in many policies to neutralise gender and the realities that we actually live in. If that trend continues, it will be to our detriment. If we fail to recognise the gendered nature of specific societal issues, we will fail to deal with them. It is my firm belief that the blind pursuit of policies that neutralise gendered issues is a failure of government. Gender is not neutral. Societal problems such as domestic abuse and sexual violence are gendered issues, and, if we fail to recognise that in government, we fail to effectively tackle such issues. We cannot bury our heads in the sand.”
“Too often, the only option available is poorly paid work or a zero-hours contract. Having to spend the little money that they have on childcare pushes women back into a vicious cycle of struggling to balance work and looking after family. <BR /> <BR />Women bore the brunt of so-called welfare reform, and still do, and women are disproportionately affected by climate breakdown. Women are there to pick up the pieces to ensure that they not only stand as representatives but do so in positions of leadership, as well as looking at other groups that are traditionally sidelined, such as those who are disabled, as Mike mentioned, but also those who identify as LGBTQ+ and BAME women. Where are they? How do we get to 50:50 representation? Those are all questions that political parties and Departments must address sooner rather than later.”
“<BR /> <BR />Vile comments are made about women in the political arena, especially in party leadership, about what they wear, what shoes they wear, what they look like, their hair, their make-up, their personal life and their relationship status, why they are not married, why they do not have children and what age they are. That has to stop. Personal attacks, abuse and harassment disproportionately affect women in public life, and not enough is being done to give a positive platform and credit to women who lead in our society. That is why debates on days like this are so important. <BR /> <BR />I will touch on what has already been mentioned: where is our childcare strategy? Juggling the demands of work and family is so difficult and renders many women unable to seek meaningful employment.”
“We have to ask ourselves why that is and what we are going to do about it. What are the barriers to women becoming elected here? Could it be the toxic masculinity of some areas of politics and the constant misogyny? Is it acceptable for female politicians to be told that they, as the only women present in a room full of men, are there to make up the gender balance or to make cups of tea? Of course not. It is totally wrong, and things need to change. <BR /> <BR />Paula has already mentioned this, but I was one of the female MLAs who was recently interviewed by Suzanne Breen about our experiences as female politicians, and we all must have said similar things. Seventy per cent of us have had sexist remarks made to our face by men, and three quarters have experienced sexism on social media.”
“I thank the Women's Caucus for tabling the motion. On International Women's Day, it is especially timely and significant that we should be debating the issue. The motion talks of the Assembly adopting measures to create a gender-sensitive Assembly, and I totally agree, but I want to put a question to you all listening here today. What national Parliaments across the world have the highest percentage of women elected? Just think about it. I will tell you at the end, and no cheating. Do not look it up on Google. I will give you a clue. The UK ranks thirty-ninth. <BR /> <BR />We have only to look around the Assembly to see the imbalance that we have with the representation of female MLAs. There are 32 of us, which is similar to Westminster, which has around 33%, and at our council level.”
“Can the Minister provide an update on that legislation being brought to the Assembly?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. On 16 February, when discussing the bedroom tax, the Minister stated:”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Official figures show that one in five children here lives in absolute poverty. Worryingly, there has been an upward trend in child poverty levels since 2018, which is set to continue as a result of the pandemic. In response to previous questions for written answer, the Minister indicated that the child poverty strategy has never been allocated funding specifically. Why is that the case? Is the Minister minded to support fully funded delivery models or mechanisms to accompany the development of the next strategy, including cross-departmental budgets, given that the Children's Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 would surely facilitate that?”
“The statement was received by my office, via email, at 3.23 pm. The statement was scheduled for and made at 3.45 pm, which was within 30 minutes of my office receiving it. Can your office look into that to ensure that, as required by Standing Orders, we get statements 30 minutes before they are made?”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Standing Order 18A(2) states that the statement should be:”
“Mr Speaker, can you advise whether there is anything that you can do, using the power of your office, to ensure that, in the future, Members receive the courtesy that should be afforded to them under Standing Orders when it comes to ministerial statements?”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Standing Order 18A dictates operations on oral ministerial statements. Standing Order 18A(2) holds:”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for making the statement. Yet again, Members were shown discourtesy by having to get information about the statement from the media. The document looks like a copy-and-paste job of what was published last May, and that plan was not worth the paper it was written on. I ask the deputy First Minister this: are the Executive finally ready to take politics out of our response to COVID-19? What input has the expert task force had in this recovery plan? What role will it play in moving forward to ensure that the plan is not going to be about competing political priorities?”
“Mr Bradley must have seen my questions on puppy smuggling. The Minister mentioned the multi-agency forum and its aims. What engagement has there been to stop illegal cross-border puppy smuggling, given that we do not have Lucy's law in place in Northern Ireland?”
“We have much to do regarding awareness, not least in education, of domestic abuse, coercive control and what a healthy relationship is. What additional budget and resource has the Department allocated to implement fully the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act once it receives Royal Assent this year?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement and for her specific comments about future-proofing. She will know of my interest in the need for zero-carbon Passivhaus standards, insulation and retrofitting. I also note the mention of collaborative work to address homelessness in light of the pandemic. However, we need to continue to provide permanent housing solutions for people who are homeless, and we need to ensure that those are sustainable. Will the Minister bring the housing supply strategy to the Executive with a budget and resources attached?”
“However, there is no mention of climate-based reforms of planning in the forward work programme. Does she agree that it is not a challenge but a crisis that we face and that there is not an opportunity but an urgent need to address climate breakdown? How does she envisage the spatial planning work sector of the BIC playing a role in improving accountability in our planning system when it comes to climate impacts?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement and her answers so far, especially on raising the voices of those who are traditionally silenced in the community on planning. We need to have equal rights of appeal in our Planning Act as a starter. <BR /> <BR />The Minister said:”
“I thank the Minister for her answers so far. She will be aware that many have fallen through the net for support from many of the schemes that were issued by the Executive, not least the sports and social clubs that have a hospitality element. They are being pointed to the sports sustainability fund, which is administered by your Department, but it closed on 20 January. Therefore, is the Minister minded to reopen that fund and to look at the eligibility criteria with the Minister of Finance?”
“It may be very scary to do so, and you may be fearful of doing so, but there are people and organisations out there that can help. <BR /> <BR />Stalking can be a life-or-death situation, and the Bill has the potential to save lives. Giving victims and survivors the protection that they need is long overdue. We must now ensure that it is fit for purpose, in law as quickly as possible and properly implemented.”
“How can we educate on what stalking is, especially as we legislate for it as a specific offence? I hope that the Minister and Department can address some of those needs as we go forward and dovetail with the creation of any new offence. <BR /> <BR />There will be a need for public awareness, but there will also be a need to educate people of all ages on harassment and stalking. We need education in schools, and we need workplace policies. We also need to ensure that employers and trade unions have guidance and policy on it. We all know of horrific incidents where women have been stalked and then murdered outside their workplace. <BR /> <BR />Lastly, and crucially, for those listening who have been affected by stalking or wish to get some advice and assistance, please reach out.”
“<BR /> <BR />As I have said before on training, agencies must be allocated resources in order to investigate new offences. That was evident in the responses to the consultation calling for specialist police units to be set up, complaints to be investigated fully, provision for victims' services, perpetrator programmes and problem-solving justice options and so on. <BR /> <BR />I note the budget issues that the Committee was briefed on last week and the financial implications of the Bill. Like others, I am concerned that the more we legislate with no resource or budget attached, the more we risk legislation not working for victims effectively. It shows that we have much to do. <BR /> <BR />Why is behaviour going unreported? What can we do to encourage people to report? How can we better support them through this?”
“Quite frankly, the level of data and information that we collect is appalling. <BR /> <BR />Harassment data is collected by some criminal justice agencies differently, and it does not specify stalking as a new offence. Much like the arguments that I made during the passage of the Domestic Abuse Bill, we need to know what we are dealing with not just in incidents and offences that are reported to the PSNI but in how data travels the whole way through the criminal justice system. In order to ensure that we know if there are any gaps and if the new offence is or is not working, we should try to capture as much data as possible. We know that data not only drives policy decisions but, in turn, contributes to resource allocations. Again, without going into it too much here, adequate resources must be allocated to the new legislation.”
“We know that stalking behaviour is far more prevalent than what is reported to the police or dealt with in the criminal justice system. In Scotland, before its new legislation was enacted, researchers found that less than half of the 700 respondents had reported their experience to the police. That was despite the fact that more than 25% of the stalking that they experienced involved violence. We face a similar situation with domestic abuse. What is reported is the tip of the iceberg. <BR /> <BR />Another avenue that I will be keen to explore, hopefully, with the Committee and the Department is reporting and data collection. Much like a number of behaviours that have previously not been legislated for as being criminal, we do not have an accurate picture of the level of stalking in Northern Ireland.”
“without engaging the powers that are reserved to Westminster or, indeed, engaging and getting full agreement with online social media operators, for example? <BR /> <BR />I am aware that we cannot introduce legislation that is under the remit of Westminster, and Ms Bradley and Mr Beattie mentioned reserved powers, but I wonder if the Minister, in her summing up, would outline what engagement the Department has had on that, considering the recommendations of the recently published hate crime review by Judge Marrinan. Could all online stalking behaviours be captured in this offence? <BR /> <BR />At Committee, we heard that a conviction could be sought under the Bill if all the behaviour were online. That may be the case with purely online harassment and persistent trolling if they are considered to be forms of stalking.”
“How can we fully protect victims against behaviour listed under clause 1(4), for example, with regard to:”
“The report also suggested that a more integrated strategy to end violence against women and girls would support a better statutory response to stalking and a more joined-up approach to supporting victims and managing the behaviour of perpetrators. What discussions has the Department has had in conjunction with Westminster about such a register and its merits, and what consideration has been given to it?”
“There is clearly a balancing act here with regard to human rights. However, can the Minister tell me whether her Department looked at any other ways to mitigate that problem, possibly through placing a duty on employers or, say, religious organisations to ensure that protection orders do what they are intended to do? What about A's access to religious beliefs, their workplace or education? <BR /> <BR />In 2018, the House of Commons Select Committee recommended that a national register of serial stalkers and perpetrators of domestic violence be introduced as a matter of urgency and that individuals placed on that register should, like sex offenders, be managed through multi-agency public protection arrangements.”
“Is the interim order a more immediate way to get protection in place for someone who requires it before a full SPO is in place? Is it because there is no requirement for conviction in order to get one of the orders, or could there be any undue delay? I am also concerned that, under "Power to make orders", clause 8(4) refers to specific circumstances in which an order, under its:”
“I thank the Member for her intervention. I have engaged with the Justice Minister on that. I note that she had brought that discussion to the Executive. I encourage all Ministers who did not respond to the Justice Minister on that matter to do so, and then we can have the debate in the Chamber. I also ask the Minister and the House this question: how many more criminal offences will we introduce before we deal with the issue of the age of criminal responsibility? That needs to be addressed urgently in legislation. <BR /> <BR />Another area in the Bill is the introduction and operation of stalking protection orders, covered in clauses 6 to 17. Those are welcome. However, I note that we have interim protection orders as well as full stalking protection orders, so what is the rationale for having both?”
“We also need to look at whether additional safeguards can be put in place to ensure that children who are at risk of harm are properly protected and that children who display harmful behaviour related to the new stalking offence receive appropriate and effective interventions. What about the children and young people who are stalked?”
“Too often, we have heard from victims that they were told that nothing could be done. I urge the Minister to table amendments to the Bill similar to those on the mandatory training for criminal justice agencies with regard to domestic abuse offences and, insofar as is possible, to encourage training to be provided and sustained for the judiciary, too. <BR /> <BR />I also note that there is no age limit in the Bill. Unlike the domestic abuse legislation that we have just passed, there are no distinctions in when the offence would apply in the case of children. Again, that highlights how horrendously low the age of criminal responsibility is here. It means that the offence can apply to anyone over 10 years old. We need to look at that.”
“Respondents stated that they were not taken seriously by police and that targeted training should be provided; indeed, a 'Review of the Need for Stalking Legislation in Northern Ireland', conducted by Queen's University Belfast, concluded:”
“Have there been any issues with prosecutions as a result of the defence provisions that have been to the detriment of victims? Can any lessons be learned from Scotland? Those valid questions could lead to ideas for strengthening the Bill and its effectiveness, given, as I say, the complexity of what we are dealing with and the issue of reasonableness and the "reasonable person" test, which is difficult. <BR /> <BR />It is clear that, in order to make the law work, guidance and training will be crucial. I point specifically to that not only because it was important in our deliberations on the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Bill but because of the lack of understanding and awareness of stalking and harassing behaviour that came through overwhelmingly in the responses to the Department's consultation prior to the Bill being drawn up.”
“<BR /> <BR />Victims often endure years of abuse before a crime is taken seriously. We know that, too often, many existing responses are ineffective in stopping perpetrators and protecting victims. There is much more that we can do to increase the understanding and awareness of stalking throughout society. I want to draw attention to a few matters that are worth exploring in the Committee for Justice and the Chamber in order to raise a few points about where the Bill can be strengthened. <BR /> <BR />In clause 1(5), the reasonableness defence is clearly copied from the Scottish legislation, Part 2 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010. I am interested to hear from the Minister about her Department's engagement with its counterpart in Scotland and its assessment of how effective the Scottish law has been.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak at the Second Stage of the Protection from Stalking Bill. I sincerely hope that it proceeds efficiently through the Chamber and the Committee towards becoming law. <BR /> <BR />Victims and survivors of this crime have waited for far too long. Despite the work started previously by the Committee, we remain the only part of the UK without adequate and specific legislation to deal with such a serious and complex problem. That is shameful. Scotland created a stalking offence in 2010, and changes to English and Welsh law were brought in in 2012. The current legislative framework is primarily focused on the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and is not fit for purpose, so I welcome the fact and am glad that the Minister has introduced the Bill.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Another aspect brought up during the recent debate was Shared Environmental Service. Will the Minister outline her rationale for refusing requests from Shared Environmental Service for the additional funding to carry out the habitats regulations assessment?”
“Does the Minister have any information on when the new scheme for taxi drivers will be launched? How will that be communicated to taxi drivers?”
“When exactly will teaching staff be provided with the necessary guidance and support as to what evidence can be used? When will they get this clarity and will it ensure consistency?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I join in the condemnation of the graffiti attacks on Kellie Armstrong and all other political representatives and their offices. <BR />The Minister mentioned evidence a number of times and said:”
“Will the Minister provide an update on the draft Budget's allocation to the Department for Communities, specifically regarding funding for welfare mitigations, current and future, and funding for crucial independent advice agencies?”
“I thank the junior Minister for giving way. I will make one suggestion. A Northern Ireland Youth Forum political panel and press conference was arranged by the Executive Office last year. Unfortunately, that was cancelled because of political fallout. I suggest to the Executive Office that it rearranges that with the Northern Ireland Youth Forum as soon as possible.”
“I thank the junior Minister for giving way. Could my contact details also be forwarded to that team?”
“What we need, above all, is a clear and consistent approach to deal with the crisis. We do not need any more confusion, ambiguity or toing and froing from pandering to populism. We must get on top of this, once and for all. There has been too much unnecessary suffering. The Executive must get support to those who need it. Thank you, Mr Speaker.”
“There has been a failure to deliver an effective test, track, trace and isolate system that compensates people who miss out from lost income. As, I am sure, others have, I have had constituents contact me to tell me that they have been turned down for support, even for grants that are set up for them to apply for, and are being told that they are not eligible. As an Assembly, we need to protect the most vulnerable — the people who cannot afford to self-isolate — and those who have missed out on forms of financial assistance for their business or livelihood. <BR /> <BR />As I have said, the restrictions before us were to be expected. We were warned that infection rates would rise and that our health service would become dangerously overwhelmed, but it did not have to be this way. The pandemic is far from over.”
“Our NHS staff are struggling. They are frustrated, stressed and stretched beyond what we can only imagine, and they have every right to be angry with those who flout the rules, but it is not a few reckless individuals or young people who are responsible for the near collapse of our health service. It is not the public's fault that hundreds of people had their cancer surgery cancelled last week. The BMA's medical ethics committee pointed out:”
“Where is their ongoing opportunity during this most uncertain of years in their lives, as they deal with massive changes and ongoing restrictions? Worst of all is the underlying tone that is evident in some communications that ordinary people are to blame for the virus getting out of control. As the dean and vice dean of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine in England noted:”
“I appreciate that this is a fast-moving picture, but people deserve information to get their questions answered or, at least, to have an avenue to do so. I fully support Kellie Armstrong's call for a single point of contact for MLAs to utilise to get the answers that their constituents need. <BR /> <BR />I repeat, again, my call for press conferences to be more regular and, specifically, this question: when will Ministers conduct a youth press conference? I have written to the First Minister and deputy First Minister twice — both unanswered — not to mention the questions for written answer. When will children and young people get their questions answered? <BR /> <BR />Today, the Education Minister launched the Northern Ireland Executive's children and young people's strategy 2020-2030. One aspect of that strategy, apparently:”
“One day, we have room to relax, but, less than two weeks later, we have arrived at our worst point; we are told that we can mix with other households for several days over Christmas, then, sorry, no, just one 24-hour period; and we are told to travel only if it is necessary but that there would be no restrictions other than for those in and out of tier 4 in England. All of that was in the amendment (No. 22) regulations, as outlined, and in the amendment (No. 23) regulations. <BR /> <BR />Confusion, mixed messaging and no, or very little, information are recurring themes. We continue to find out what has been, or will be, discussed by the Executive through Twitter or Facebook posts by journalists. As MLAs, we are not given the information to answer our constituents' questions. Perhaps, however, it is just those in the opposition.”