Phillip Brett
North Belfast · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Paula has been a diligent Chair who has championed the interests of victims and survivors. I personally thank her for her work on the Bill. I pay tribute to Committee members, who also dedicated their time to the Bill, and to our Committee staff.”
“At the outset, I pay tribute to the Member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone for her heartfelt and valuable contribution. As you rightly said, Mr Deputy Speaker, her family will be very proud of the contribution that she has just made. <BR /> <BR />Today marks a truly significant moment.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am therefore delighted to report to the House that a U-turn has been secured. This year, the Twelfth has been promoted through Discover Northern Ireland's social media channels.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Bill will establish a statutory public inquiry alongside a redress scheme, both of which are important. Their establishment recognises that there is a responsibility not only to uncover truth but to acknowledge the profound harm that was caused.”
“I warmly welcome the progress that has been achieved in the promotion of the Twelfth of July and our wider Orange and Ulster-Scots traditions by Tourism Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />Today's debate is not about rewriting history but about confronting history honestly. It is about recognising that vulnerable women and children were failed by institutions, by society and by the state.”
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“I ask the Minister to articulate why he is not passing on a legal duty to councils to ensure that they live up to their responsibilities. <BR /> <BR />I will also pick up on something in relation to clause 24. The Bill mentions derelict properties, but I want to know whether it touches, in particular, on unregistered land. There are swathes of land in my constituency that have no owner. It has Japanese knotweed growing on it that is impacting on residential homes. However, the Bill seems to articulate that the interpretation of the Act can apply only if someone has a registered person on that land. I have concerns that perhaps the Bill could be seen as something that could help to tackle unregistered land and unregistered sites. Perhaps the Minister could give some clarity in relation to clause 24's "interested persons".”
“I welcomed the purpose of the Bill, in particular because it will bring a uniform approach across council areas. Like many representatives in the Chamber today, my constituency overlaps with two local government areas. The approach taken by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council is much more proactive than that taken by Belfast City Council. On occasions, residents who live on the border of those local government areas can look across the road or across the bridge and see their council taking action and wonder why other local authorities are not doing so. However, I was slightly concerned when the Minister went on to articulate that those are discretionary powers for councils and not mandatory, legislative steps that councils should take.”
“As the Member for South Belfast articulated, that obviously impacts on our town centres as well.”
“I really welcome the Bill. I welcome it so much because it will ensure that the communities that I represent that live in BT15, BT14, BT36 and BT37 get the same treatment as those who live in BT9. The dilapidated conditions that some people whom I represent are expected to put up with and live beside would not be accepted in BT9. They would not be accepted on the Malone Road or in other parts of Northern Ireland, but working-class communities are expected to suck them up. I see one of the other Members for North Belfast in the Chamber today and I am sure that she could add many more examples. I have seen people living beside derelict properties for year after year and people who have spent their life savings purchasing their home only to be surrounded by derelict properties with no future option of selling their home.”
“I warmly welcome the Second Stage of the Bill. I am not a member of the Agriculture Committee, and I do not represent a rural constituency, but, given the speeches that have been made today, it is clear that, for those of us who represent inner-city constituencies, the purpose of the Bill is very welcome indeed. As other Members articulated, the Bill and its genesis have been floating around in the ether since 2012, and communities that I represent have been warmly welcoming them. <BR /> <BR />Mr Butler articulated the fact that the Ulster Unionist Party has been discussing the matter for 53 years, so I am sure that Alliance election material will say, "People talk about it for 53 years, and Alliance delivers it within 18 months."”
“The Member has just said that the Fiscal Council has advocated pay cuts. Will the Member point out where that was said, because that is a serious charge to lay at the Fiscal Council? I have read all the reports and have never seen the council once use the words, "There should be pay cuts for public-sector workers". Will he highlight, for the record, where the council said that? That would be useful.”
“Minister, when it comes to North/South bodies, there seems to be a struggle within the organisation to account for its spend of public money. As your statement outlines, it has only now submitted annual accounts to this House for 2023. We are two financial years past that deadline. If that had been Northern Ireland Water, you may have called in forensic accountants once again. Will the Minister explain why public money is not being accounted for properly by those bodies?”
“Minister, fuel poverty is a scourge on our society. In my constituency of North Belfast, one of the best ways to tackle it was through the affordable warmth scheme. I understand that the Minister made a bid to the Department of Finance in the June monitoring round to ensure that we could continue to roll out the scheme. Given the importance of that, did the Minister of Finance meet your bid?”
“I particularly welcome the agreement of the terms of reference and the establishment of Intertrade UK. Last week, the Northern Ireland Federation of Small Businesses published a report that showed that only 14% of firms in Northern Ireland believe that they are benefiting from dual market access. Does the deputy First Minister agree that that once again busts the myths that are being pushed by the rigorous implementers of the protocol?”
“First Minister, your statement outlines that there were discussions on a wide range of issues of mutual interest and concern. One of the biggest issues of concern for the people of Northern Ireland is the approach by the Irish Government to the issue of legacy, and I think of the families of the Omagh bombing in particular. First Minister, what action did you take at the meeting to call out the hypocritical approach of the Irish Government and to call for them to hold a public inquiry into their role, which led to the murder of innocent people?”
“I appreciate the Minister's giving way. Can he outline why we have not been able to calculate an exact cost at this stage, given that the legislation passed nine years ago? It is difficult for us, as Members, to go a solicitor and say that we voted through these regulations, but we cannot tell you how much it will cost. I know that there is an approximation, but surely the work of calculating that could have been carried out before we vote on these regulations.”
“My thoughts are with all those who are concerned by the judgement. Minister, my constituents in North Belfast are also concerned by the judgement, in which the judge makes clear that other infrastructure projects may have to be sacrificed. The York Street interchange project, which has been continually delayed, is a transformational project for the entirety of the island of Ireland. Will the Minister confirm that she remains committed to delivering the York Street interchange without delay?”
“I thank the Minister for her strong words. I also thank her for agreeing to meet me next Tuesday to discuss the possibility of introducing Harper's law in Northern Ireland. In advance of that meeting, Minister, will you consider amending your forthcoming sentencing Bill to ensure that anyone who tries to murder our police officers will receive the life sentence that they deserve?”
“Will the Minister outline any discussions that she has had with the Minister for Communities about the ongoing review of the Housing Executive's common selection scheme in order to ensure that victims of domestic violence are properly reflected in the new points system?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. I agree with the Minister that it is disappointing that the board was not able to manage the budget, but I also agree with the Minister in her statement when she says that the Department needs to carefully profile its funding. Given that, can the Minister tell the House how much was profiled for the report and how much it cost?”
“If political parties are interested in developing our city centre economically, they have the opportunity at 3.00 pm today to stand in the Great Hall with the Belfast night tsar, who has had over 1,000 businesses sign up to the campaign to extend public transport at night throughout the year. I pay tribute to my colleague Deborah Erskine MLA, who continues to champion that vital cause. That will be the test for those parties that support workers.”
“Given that party's support for the Windsor framework and the economic damage that it inflicts on businesses across Northern Ireland, its economic illiteracy is not surprising. I pay tribute to the trade union movement, workers and community voices that forced politicians into a U-turn and the abandonment of the policy.”
“I welcome the decision by Belfast City Council to abandon its flawed policy of defining the city centre as a "holiday resort" so that large retailers could open on a Sunday morning. Sunday mornings are one of the few times that our low-paid and overworked retail staff can rely on to be off to enjoy, spend with their families or, indeed, attend their place of worship. I welcome Sinn Féin's decision to U-turn on the proposal and stand with the DUP, trade unions and other political parties to vote it down. <BR /> <BR />Of course, the policy was championed by the Alliance Party, which claimed that, by opening the Tesco store in the city centre on a Sunday, we would have an economic revolution and a booming economy in Belfast.”
“It is not a U-turn that we disagree with. I am not even sure that it is a U-turn that all members of the Opposition disagree with, given that we can see who is in attendance at the debate this afternoon and who is not. <BR /> <BR />I will leave it to the SDLP and Sinn Féin to fight amongst themselves on the issue, and the DUP will oppose the motion.”
“The motion brought to the House today is a very good attempt by the Opposition to call out what some might say is hypocrisy, in that you say one thing in opposition and then, when you hold office and the ability to deliver that, you do something else. The Minister, in her answer to those queries, said that she was legally bound to release those licences and allow them to take place. However, most people will see that it is a U-turn in the position of Sinn Féin on the issue.”
“The following are not my words; they are the words of the then Chair of the Economy Committee and current Minister for the Economy, Dr Caoimhe Archibald:”
“This is an important debate. The Minister has articulated once again, in his budget allocations two weeks ago, that there will be £750,000 for instruments for bands and organisations across Northern Ireland. Of course, that may not be the cultural aspiration of some in the House, but it is vital for Northern Ireland. We look forward to receiving details of this financial year's £500,000 scheme to support small venues across Northern Ireland so that we can ensure that our arts sector continues to thrive.”
“I hope that, when the Opposition sum up their motion and rightly call for more funding for the arts, they can articulate to the House where they want the funding to come from and which programme or project they would like to see cut. I forcefully but politely disagree with Mr McHugh's remark that Northern Ireland wants to celebrate the work of Kneecap. An artist who is before the courts for chants of "Kill your MP" is not something that we want to celebrate on the world stage.”
“The Oh Yeah Music Centre, which will be well known to the Member for North Antrim, recently received vital funding from the Levelling Up Fund, which will ensure that artists have somewhere in the city centre where they can thrive and grow. The Department for Communities continues to support the MAC theatre in the heart of North Belfast through the Arts Council. The Arts Council, however, needs to be more reflective of the society that it serves. It needs to support the arts in all forms and ensure that its board and membership are made up of people from all parts of Northern Ireland and all backgrounds and traditions because it is meant to be a force for public good and should reflect the community that it serves.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. First, I will focus on my constituency of North Belfast, where the arts sector thrives. I want to pay tribute to some of the organisations that do fantastic work daily. The Newtownabbey Arts and Cultural Network, which the Minister visited on a number of occasions, brings disadvantaged young people together to produce their own music and make their own games. We now have young people at the forefront of developing gaming technology that is used in all parts of the globe. I pay tribute to New Lodge Arts and Arts for All, which receive funding from the Department for Communities for the important work that they do in supporting the arts sector. <BR /> <BR />North Belfast is home to some key cultural attractions.”
“Minister, the hypocrisy in the Chamber will not be lost on the people of Northern Ireland. The so-called Opposition held the position of Minister for Social Development and did not deliver the strategy. Sinn Féin held the Department for Communities and did not deliver the strategy. You, Minister, have delivered the strategy. Will you confirm that all Executive parties and colleagues had the opportunity to feed in to the process?”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. In light of recent events, it is clear that public confidence in the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has completely evaporated. Have you been informed as to whether the Justice Minister plans to make a statement to the House, given the fact that the position of the Police Ombudsman is now untenable?”
“Northern Ireland is once again flying the flag across the globe.”
“Northern Ireland is no stranger to success in sport on the international stage, but I think that I can speak for the whole House in congratulating the Northern Ireland darts team, which won the World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt on Sunday for the first time. Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney have done this part of the world hugely proud. It was the first time that the pair had played darts together, and what a success it was. They fended off challenges from teams across the globe that were more highly ranked than them, defeating the Republic of Ireland in the quarter-final and going on to win the final on Sunday evening. The whole of our Province was glued to the television as the historic 10-9 victory came late on Sunday evening. It is only right that the House expresses its congratulations.”
“I have to put on record points that I have raised before. The Minister raised concern about laws being made by our sovereign Parliament without the input of elected representatives in Northern Ireland, but neither she nor her party has any similar issue with the European Union making legislation that governs the role of the Assembly. The hypocrisy of that will be clear for all to see. The DUP will support the LCM that is in the Order Paper.”
“At the same time, though, we are mindful that, whilst this is not a substantial and long-term answer, a level playing field, irrespective of whether it was promoted by this Bill or separate terms, has the potential to reduce trade disruption in the UK internal market. We cannot close our eyes to that. The security of Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom remains the Democratic Unionist Party's overriding aim. Withholding consent for the LCM could mean more divergence between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Democratic Unionist Party will not allow that to happen.”
“It has never been our preference for the harm of the protocol to be addressed by subjecting Parliament, businesses and consumers in the rest of the United Kingdom to undemocratic and oppressive arrangements similar to those imposed on Northern Ireland.”
“At Westminster, DUP MPs worked with like-minded unionists to co-sign amendments that would have seen increased scrutiny of changes to product regulations, including through the re-establishment of a European scrutiny Committee. We also signed amendments that would have clarified that the powers to change product rules to match those in the EU could be used for other countries as well. <BR /> <BR />The Government have so far resisted those calls, which is regrettable. We do not believe that the Government's approach to regulations should be wedded to one market. That is not in the interests of the UK economy or of global free trade.”
“Should the Government opt to use the mechanisms in the Bill to align product regulations in Great Britain with those in the European Union, the people of England, Scotland and Wales will be similarly faced with the democratic affront of living to abide by rules made in other jurisdictions, without any input from their locally elected representatives. <BR /> <BR />Although the Government have gone so far as to make an amendment to the Bill that would require devolved consent where regulations cut across our devolved competencies, that, in our view, does not go far enough. Proper parliamentary scrutiny is needed, not just on product regulation but on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regulation.”
“<BR /> <BR />I will now make some remarks as a DUP MLA. The Democratic Unionist Party recognises that the powers contained in the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill will potentially be used to prevent divergence between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We are, however, also categorically clear that that does not deal with the root problem at the heart of the Windsor framework, namely the European Union's jurisdiction over laws that govern large swathes of our economy. That is why my party opposed the Windsor framework.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee also considered proposed UK Government amendments to the Bill, which would require the agreement of relevant Northern Ireland Departments prior to the passage of related delegated legislation associated with the Bill. Based on assurances about the relevant consent amendment, the Committee agreed that it was content to support the request for legislative consent. The Minister recently wrote to the Committee explaining the Bill's scheduling difficulties with the UK Government, but, to be fair to the Department, officials have in this instance kept the Committee updated. It is, however, my understanding that there have been issues with other legislative consent memorandums, and clearly those issues are coming forward today. The Committee's view was that it would support what was in the Order Paper.”
“The Department provided evidence on the Bill at Committee meetings on 29 January and 14 May 2025. It advised that the Bill would permit the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to introduce delegated legislation to extend changes to EU product regulation and metrology rules that might apply in Northern Ireland under the Windsor framework to the rest of the United Kingdom. In that way, it is understood that divergence between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK internal market would be minimised. Officials advised that the legislation would apply across a range of relevant matters, including but not limited to eco-design, product safety, artificial intelligence and lithium-ion batteries.”
“To be clear, the motion in the Order Paper is very clear on what the Assembly is due to discuss. The Minister moved the motion. She is entitled to give her view on the issue, but what we are discussing and voting on is in the Order Paper, and that has not been amended. <BR /> <BR />I will first speak as the Chair of the Economy Committee. The Product Regulation and Metrology Bill was introduced in Westminster on 4 September 2024. The Bill deals with the UK product safety and metrology framework, which was derived from European Union law but, since Brexit, has become an independent UK framework. The Bill is described as providing powers to the UK Government:”
“I thank the Minister for her statement and for meeting me this morning. That is typical of the courtesy that she has shown me since taking office. I can speak on behalf of the whole House in paying tribute to the campaigners who have been involved in this matter. It is a testament to their work that we have advanced this important cause. As the statement indicates, there is much to do, and interdepartmental cooperation will be required. Is the Minister able to outline timescales for the completion of the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) review of existing provision and the scoping of what may prove to be considerable additional costs?”
“I pay tribute to the deputy First Minister for being on the ground at those scenes. Rather than engaging in megaphone diplomacy, she spoke with those who were truly impacted on. Does she agree that we should pay tribute to community leaders, particularly those involved in CIT areas, who have been out on the ground with real elected representatives to ensure that tensions have been defused? Will she continue to work across the spectrum to calm things down and not engage in nonsense, unlike some Members?”
“I congratulate the Minister, who, despite Members' charges changing continually as their "facts" are disproved, continues to call them out. They clearly are not listening to the facts, Minister; hopefully, they will listen to you now. Will you make it clear that you will not resign and that you will continue to deliver for all communities in Northern Ireland?”
“I thank the Minister for his update. The Minister of Health made a bid for ring-fenced funding to tackle waiting lists. Can the Minister confirm whether the Department of Justice, through the Justice Minister, has put forward a business case requesting ring-fenced funding for the PSNI?”
“I want to tease out the point raised by my colleague on FTC. As the Minister rightly outlined, there are a number of options in relation to FTC: either equity or repayment. Is the Minister saying that, despite the announcement last week by the UK Government, details have still not been provided as to whether the UK Government will own part of Casement Park or whether the GAA will be required to make a repayment to the Northern Ireland taxpayer?”
“I thank the Minister for her detailed update. However, when it comes to energy in the Department for the Economy, dither and delay seem to be the order of the day. Tomorrow, the Committee will receive an update from the Department and Invest Northern Ireland on the pausing of the capital grant energy scheme, as a result of concerns that the scheme is supporting questionable energy efficiency practices. When will the Minister get to grips with the energy division?”
“The Minister will be aware, from a series of questions for written answer that I have submitted to him, of my concern about the disparity in funding between the two language bodies and the underfunding of Ulster Scots here in Northern Ireland. The Minister has made some progress on that through a further award to the agency. Was there any discussion at the Council meeting about how we can ensure fairness and equality and that those languages that are important to all communities in Northern Ireland are fairly funded?”
“I am calling on political parties and community leaders in all parts of North Belfast to call that behaviour out. When we see other incidents of disgraceful sectarianism in North Belfast, our party rightly calls it out. <BR /> <BR />The media give coverage to some elements of that but are deathly silent when it comes to attacks on the community in lower North Belfast. I make it clear that Mr Kingston and I will continue to stand up for that community. We will give a voice to it and ensure that it is given the same protections as any other part of North Belfast. Sectarianism may be uncomfortable for some, but it must be called out. As a party, we will continue to stand by the families that were subjected to those disgraceful attacks.”
“I raise my deep concern at the rise in sectarian hate crimes aimed at the community of lower North Belfast. This weekend, my young teenage constituent Cooper Mason was set upon by a group of two dozen masked individuals armed with sticks and a knife. Cooper spent the weekend in hospital with a fractured jaw and broken bones, and, only for the intervention of a passer-by, he could have been in a much worse situation. <BR /> <BR />In recent weeks, Alexandra park has been used as a means for attacks on the community of lower North Belfast. I pay tribute to Belfast City Council and to the police, who have now listened to requests from my party colleagues Brian Kingston and Dean McCullough and from me to close those gates in order to protect that community.”
“Minister, the private rental market in my constituency of North Belfast is out of control. On a weekly basis, constituents who have been long-term tenants come to me because they have been evicted by their landlord to be replaced by tenants through Mears contracts. It is absolutely disgraceful. I see some Members shaking their heads; clearly, they are not in touch with their real constituents. Will the Minister outline what actions he can take to ensure that the impact of illegal immigration is not increasing rent prices in my constituency?”
“Deputy First Minister, we often hear the line that political agreements need to be honoured. There was a clear commitment given by the UK Government to fund the work of the Castlereagh Foundation and, indeed, to restore Craigavon House. Does the deputy First Minister agree that they need to get on with doing so? Will she further support the campaign by my colleague Frank McCoubrey to have Fernhill House brought back into use as soon as possible?”
“<BR /> <BR />I am keen for the Minister of Finance to respond in particular to the June monitoring round position in his closing remarks. The Minister for the Economy has said that she wrote to Executive colleagues to seek additional funding for our higher education sector, and I am keen to ascertain how much she has requested at this stage. It seems that there is already a claim on some of the June monitoring round allocations, so it would be useful if Members could understand how much it is anticipated will be available to all Departments, how much has already been earmarked and what will be left up for grabs, although I appreciate that the Minister will not be able to give an exact figure, given that there will be underspends in some Departments. With that, I bring my remarks to a close.”