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.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,333 lines we hold for Phillip Brett, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 21 of 27.
“I thank the Minister for giving way. He will know that I have written to him on a number of occasions about extending Belfast Rapid Transit (BRT) to Glengormley. Can he confirm where the outline business case envisages the final destination to be at this stage for the north Belfast phase?”
“I thank the Minister for his excellent statement. It is yet another example of him and our party delivering for communities across Northern Ireland. Minister, will you confirm that the funding for the outdoor play equipment for schools in North Belfast, many of which you have visited, will be available in schools' accounts in this financial year so that pupils across my constituency can benefit from the excellent new announcement?”
“<BR /> <BR />The principles of the army are clear: courage, discipline, respect for others, integrity, loyalty and selfless commitment. The brave men and women of this force have shown those attributes in spades, however the Ministry of Defence has not. It has shown disrespect for their past service and disrespect for their future work. Today, I put on record my thanks to these brave men and women, who have provided armed guards and protection to people right across Northern Ireland during our darkest times. They have stood at our side to ensure that they were able to protect members of the public, and I and this party will continue to stand by them until the Ministry of Defence overturns its disgraceful decision.”
“Members were told that their roles would be replaced by 2028 and that that would be done in clear consultation with current staff. Just two months ago, members of the force were informed that their roles would now be replaced in 2025, and that was done without any consultation or any due regard to the brave and dedicated service that members of the force have given for many years. There is no guarantee that they will be able to apply for those new roles, there is no guarantee that they will be given the same terms and conditions if they are granted the new roles and there is no guarantee that they will have continuation of service, which, as Members will be aware, will be vital to their pension contributions. Having spoken to members of the force, I know that their disappointment at how they have been treated is palpable.”
“I rise to raise my concerns about how the Northern Ireland guard force has been treated in Northern Ireland by the Ministry of Defence. The Northern Ireland guard force provides armed protection to 11 Army Reserve camps across Northern Ireland, including in my constituency, which is also yours, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, at Dunmore in North Belfast. The role of the Northern Ireland guard force is to protect people and personnel as they carry out the vital work of the reserve services. It is its responsibility to search vehicles and to ensure that the public using those centres are protected. After many years of its members' dedication and brave service to the people of Northern Ireland, the Ministry of Defence earlier this year informed them that it plans to replace their roles.”
“I thank the Minister for her comprehensive statement. One of the greatest barriers to accessing justice in Northern Ireland can be the use and abuse of the judicial review process, particularly when it comes to major capital schemes being taken forward by government. I can think of a number of schemes in my constituency that have been stalled through the courts as a result of easily accessible but vexatious judicial review claims. Has the Minister given any thought to reviewing the bar to be cleared by a member of the public in order to be granted leave to apply for a judicial review and getting legal aid for that process?”
“The courts have awarded him a five-figure settlement, which is welcome but will not replace the aim of representing his country. <BR /> <BR />I will contact the Department for Communities and Belfast City Council today, both of which continue to pour millions of pounds into an organisation that, seemingly, does not want a Protestant about the place. Let me be clear: others may be silent on the issue of discrimination against young boxers who want to represent Northern Ireland, but I and my party will not be.”
“Those words on the front page of the 'Belfast Telegraph' were not mine but those of young Daryl Clarke, the boxing champion, who, in 2022, was denied a place on Northern Ireland's Commonwealth Games team because he was a Protestant. That is not my finding; it is the finding of the Equality Commission and the courts in Northern Ireland. The courts found that the Ulster Boxing Council changed its selection rules because it did not want a Protestant to be picked to represent Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />I pay tribute to Daryl Clarke and Paul Johnston from Monkstown Boxing Club, who, for the past two years, have been forced to go through the courts to seek redress for that young man. That young man had his life's ambition of proudly representing his country on the world stage denied to him because of one simple fact: he is a Protestant.”
“The media, the chattering classes and political parties of all hues would rightly have lined up to call for resignations and reforms. However, those who shout loudest on equality, fairness and equitable opportunity seem to fall silent when it comes to discrimination against Protestants and those in Northern Ireland who follow a British way of life.”
“Had that headline read for any other minority community in Northern Ireland, there would have been justifiable outrage.”
“The front page of the 'Belfast Telegraph' on Saturday exposed, once again, for the world to see, the sectarian and anti-British sentiment at the heart of the Ulster Boxing Council. It read as follows:”
“<BR /> <BR />Day and daily, our front-line healthcare workers do an extraordinary job. Day and daily, they work their fingers to the bone to deliver a service that we can all be proud of. They watch on and gasp, however, as £50 million is squandered on a delayed project. That is why the Minister of Health will have the full support of my party and, I hope, the House in holding to account the Belfast Trust on how we got into this situation. Who will take responsibility for this, and what disciplinary action will they face?”
“Each and every day, I am contacted by constituents who are unable to secure a place at an NHS dentist or a face-to-face GP appointment. That is why it is right that the House comes together to call on the Belfast Trust to give answers as to how this situation has arisen. The Minister has committed to doing all that he can to find the answers, and he will have our support in doing that. Our public finances cannot be used, however, as the plaything of public bodies that are unaccountable or unanswerable to the House. Members of the Health Committee have said, rightly, that they raised concerns on this issue at the Committee and were given contradictory information. That is why a strong message from the House saying that we want an inquiry in order to get answers is an important step.”
“Imagine the difference that 140 additional nurses could make in tackling our waiting lists. Imagine the impact that 140 additional nurses working for the past 10 years could have had on tackling the health inequalities that are prevalent in our society. Instead, the Belfast Trust has presided over a series of delays and the squandering of public funds. The public are concerned and angry about this, as they have the right to be. <BR /> <BR />Each and every day, like Members across the Chamber, I am contacted by parents who are unable to get the assessments that their children need. Each and every day, I am contacted by an older person in my constituency who is unable to get the hip replacement that they need.”
“Of course I will follow your ruling, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, but, at a time of shortage of public funds, it is important that we cover this issue. As was articulated by other Members, both projects are due to run 10 years over their projected dates. They are projected to run tens of millions of pounds over budget, and the Assembly has a right to come together to demand answers. The original estimate for the maternity hospital, as other Members have articulated, was £57·2 million. The current estimate is £97·1 million, with tens of millions still projected to be spent. <BR /> <BR />A decade over budget and £50 million overspent: to put that in perspective, we could have employed an additional 140 nurses for the past 10 years with the same funding that has been wasted on the project.”
“First, I disassociate myself and my party from the remarks in some elements of the media this morning when they covered this topic, stating that the debate was about "turning guns" on or "firing shots" at the Health Minister. That language is completely unhelpful and untrue. My party and, I think, the Chamber want to support the Minister in holding to account those who have wasted public funding — that does not fall at the door of the current Health Minister — and, together, we can find a solution to that. <BR /> <BR />I take exception to the remarks of the Member for Upper Bann who described the motion as "bizarre", "self-serving" and a deflection. I invite him to read his remarks in Hansard this evening, as they may be a better example of "bizarre" and "self-serving" and, indeed, of deflection.”
“On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to our security team and members of the PSNI, who have just been forced to remove anti-Israeli protesters from the Great Hall. People in this place are entitled to express their views in a democracy. They are not entitled to access parts of this Building, interrupting staff who are trying to work. I am proud to represent North Belfast, the home of the synagogue and the Jewish community in Northern Ireland. This place will not be used or abused by those who wish to express their anti-Israel views.”
“I politely point out to them that they may wish to attend a Northern Ireland football match. They will see young men from every corner of the country proudly working together to make its team the best that it can be. Those who proudly play under the Ulster flag are of all religions and none. I look forward to welcoming to Windsor Park those who have seemed so interested in recent days, as we cheer on our World Cup qualification team in December.”
“Ethan is a great talent with a very bright future. The average age of the team that started in Luxembourg on Monday was 22. I have been following Northern Ireland across the world for many years, but this is one of the most exciting eras in our history. We look forward to the World Cup qualification draw in December with excitement and anticipation. I pay tribute to Gary McAllister and all involved with the Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters' Clubs, who, during the campaign, put a huge effort into ensuring the return of the Windsor roar. <BR /> <BR />In recent days, we have seen interest in the flag of Northern Ireland and in our sporting bodies from quarters that, for many years, have not wanted and continue not to want this country to exist.”
“Last week, it was mission accomplished for our Northern Ireland national football team, as, for the first time in our history, we won our Nations League group. Mr Speaker, you will be aware that Michael O'Neill returned to the helm to manage the green and white army, and what a return it has been for him. Last weekend was the culmination of the campaign, with a double-header in Belfast and Luxembourg. I was delighted to see our sports Minister in attendance at the game on Friday evening, despite the protestations of the BBC, to support our national team. <BR /> <BR />As always, I try to make my contributions relevant to North Belfast. I am absolutely delighted that Ethan Galbraith, who is one of my constituents from Glengormley, got his first international start for Northern Ireland on Monday night in Luxembourg.”
“Minister, the York Aviation report commissioned by your Department highlighted the agnostic nature of the location of air links to this island by Tourism Ireland as having a disproportionately negative impact here in Northern Ireland. When will you bring forward your route development proposals, as highlighted in that report?”
“I join the deputy First Minister in paying tribute to the work of community organisations. Will she join me in paying tribute to the work of the Police Service of Northern Ireland? There have been disgraceful attempts in the Chamber to say that the Police Service of Northern Ireland stood idly by and allowed criminality to take place. There were disgraceful comments that undermined the work of the PSNI, saying that it polices different sections of our community in different ways. Does the deputy First Minister agree that, day and daily, the brave officers of the PSNI put on their uniforms to serve every single member of our society?”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. I sense a real commitment from him, particularly in relation to the developments of up to five years old. He does not have a magic wand and those older ones will be much more difficult. He has tasked officials with producing new guidance. When does he hope that it will be produced, brought up to him, approved and put in place? I ask that because, going by tonight's debate, people in those developments want to have some glimmer of hope that they will have a possibility of getting the upgrade that they deserve, sooner rather than later.”
“I would be grateful, Minister, if you could make clear what criteria your Department sets for taking enforcement action. Without enforcement, the list of unadopted roads and footpaths will continue to grow. The message from my constituents is that they want a simple answer on when the Department will use the powers that are available to it.”
“The longer we leave it, the higher the price will be for the adoptions. The developers clearly have no interest in ever finishing the roads. When the Department does not take action, the cost of materials increases, the price goes up and the bond level is not sufficient.”
“I do not intend to use this as an opportunity to bash the Department or the Minister, because that will not move the debate forward one iota. I am simply trying to get some answers for my constituents. However, I commend Ms Ferguson's ability to blame the Conservative Party for the Department's inability to use its enforcement powers or set bonds at a relevant level. <BR /> <BR />Minister, in a number of questions for written answer, I have raised the cases of Loughshore Manor and Willowbrook in my constituency. In your answers, you state that your Department has enforcement powers but has judged that it is not appropriate to use them at this time. All I am simply trying to find out, Minister, is when you or your Department think it is appropriate to use your enforcement powers? A bond sits in place.”
“My colleague is distracting me here. I declare an interest as someone who recently moved onto an adopted road. However, the Minister will be pleased to know that my neighbours do not want the road to be adopted. That one can be taken off the Minister's list.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. The statement rightly recognises the importance and opportunity of advanced manufacturing. The Minister will be aware that, as a result of the city deal project, Northern Ireland will have a new advanced manufacturing site on the edge of my constituency, and of yours, Mr Deputy Speaker. Will the Minister advise how we can ensure that the lessons from clustering, which has happened in other parts of these islands, are recognised at the Global Point site, and that all communities are able to benefit from job opportunities at that site?”
“I am delighted that Currie Primary School in my North Belfast constituency will be one of those moving to full-time provision. Can the Minister give any further updates on how his work impacts on residents right across North Belfast?”
“I thank the Finance Minister for coming to the House this afternoon to update Members. It is disappointing, however, that some Ministers found it appropriate to give a running commentary of events before Members had been informed of the outcomes. Can the Finance Minister confirm that, of the £631·5 million allocated, the £350 million allocated to the Department of Health represents 55% of the entire allocation and, furthermore, brings its overall budget to 51% of the entire Northern Ireland block grant?”
“<BR /> <BR />Our job, as public representatives, is to devote our lives, day and daily, to making the work of this place deliver for the most vulnerable in our society. I am very sorry that I never got to sit in this place or work with Anna Lo, but her legacy lives on. Let it be her epitaph that people in this Chamber learn to disagree well.”
“We arrived here and Anna was not in the Building. Instead of devoting her time to her constituency office in South Belfast, she drove from her office to Stormont. There was nothing for Anna to gain in doing that — we were all from North Belfast — but she knew the importance of ensuring that young people were interested in politics. She sat with us for 90 minutes. Her office staff were telling her that she had other engagements, but the people in that room were the most important to her that day. She taught us one thing, and that was that we need to learn to disagree well. Whilst we may have different political views and aspirations, our job as politicians is to serve the collective interests of the people whom we are honoured to represent. That day, Anna Lo, probably unintentionally, had an impact on me.”
“My thoughts are with those who knew Anna Lo and those who loved her. I had only one interaction with her, and that was in this place. I was a politics student at Belfast Royal Academy in 2009. Our class was very diverse, and we could not agree on a single thing. Our teacher, trying to get us to agree and not argue with us, decided that it would be a good idea to come up with a dream team, including who we could agree should be the First Minister. To a man and to a woman in that class, everyone agreed that that person should be Anna Lo. We came on our visit to Stormont and we had made signs to say "Anna Lo for First Minister".”
“I thank the Minister for his announcement. It is an important initiative that will be even more important this winter as a result of the decision taken by the Opposition's sister party in Parliament to cut the winter fuel allowance for pensioners. <BR /> <BR />Minister, how can we ensure that the funding that is awarded to councils will be spent fairly and equitably? Advice provision given to Belfast City Council is currently not spent fairly and equitably or on the basis of need. Compared with what is given to other parts of the city, parts of my constituency in lower north Belfast get absolutely zero funding to provide dedicated advice or to recruit debt workers. How can the Minister ensure that the communities that need support get it and that funding is not just put into certain parts of Belfast?”
“Thank you, Minister, for the update. I agree that the role of the board is to advise, but does the Minister have concerns about the decision by the public-sector transformation board to streamline the 47 bids that were received down to the 29 that reached your desk, meaning that 18 projects were not taken forward to the next stage? Does the Minister share my concern that the board's decisions are made by people who are not accountable to the House? Should those decisions be taken by you, Minister, not by unelected civil servants?”
“The campaign to reinstate that funding to ensure that our young people of the Shore Road and surrounding communities get the same opportunities as those who live in any part of our city will continue, in earnest. We will not allow the Government to ignore that community any longer.”
“<BR /> <BR />The people in the community that I represent in lower north Belfast are used to being expected by the Government to settle for second best. They are used to being told to settle for the crumbs from the table, but they made a very clear choice two years ago, when they elected me. They elected me to be a strong and consistent champion for their needs, to end the years of dereliction and underinvestment and to ensure that their proud community gets the investment that it deserves. I make clear to the Chancellor and to the House: as long as I have the privilege to serve in this place, North Belfast will not settle for second best.”
“Last week, the Chancellor of the Exchequer made the correct decision to unpause city deals across Northern Ireland. However, what the Chancellor of the Exchequer did not do was unpause the withholding of £2·5 million of funding for my constituency of North Belfast. Six months ago, the Shore Road skills centre was, rightly, awarded £2·5 million by the Treasury. That was £2·5 million to invest in vital community infrastructure, tackle educational underachievement in that working-class community and bring our communities together. The decision to continue the pause, and to write to the project organisers to state that the Government are minded to cancel that funding award, is nothing short of an absolute disgrace.”
“<BR /> <BR />After receiving the letter that was sent by the First Minister and the deputy First Minister on 12 October, Executive Ministers now have their tasks, and I think that the House speaks with one voice in saying that all Ministers need to get together and start to deliver for our town centres right across Northern Ireland.”
“We have a Department for Infrastructure that cannot seem to pedestrianise a single street in the cultural heart of our capital. Hopefully, with the £608 million that has been allocated in the Budget, Minister O'Dowd might be able to afford a few barriers so that we can ensure that Hill Street is finally pedestrianised and that Belfast city centre can continue to have that cultural heart. The Nightmovers scheme is vital to ensuring that our night-time economy is supported, but, again, the Department for Infrastructure says that it does not have the funding to run public transport late at night. That type of scheme is key to attracting people back into our city.”
“How often do businesses come to us to say that they want to expand and invest in our town centres, only for them to be told that they cannot get a planning permission in a timely manner, meaning that they instead decide to proceed with another investment?”
“I know that all parties will continue to push for that development to take place as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />I highlight the important work that the Department for Infrastructure needs to take forward in town and city centre regeneration. First, it is a well-rehearsed argument, but our planning system is not fit for purpose.”
“It needs to get the support that it deserves. <BR /> <BR />The amendments proposed by Members are important, and we will support them. We will support the amendment proposed by the Member for Foyle Ms McLaughlin. We will support Mr Carroll's amendment. He eloquently outlined the case against extending Sunday trading hours much better than I could have. I did not think that I would be saying that, so congratulations to Mr Carroll. <BR /> <BR />My party will also support Ms Armstrong's important amendment. Dereliction impacts massively on my constituency. The Castlebrooke development in the city of Belfast and my constituency of North Belfast is a complete and utter disgrace. It has been left derelict for years. Businesses that continue to pay rates and try their best in the economic climate are surrounded by scaffolding and dereliction.”
“The Finance Minister has the opportunity to introduce a rating scheme that, for once in a generation, is fair and balanced and ensures that high street businesses are not taxed to such a level that they are unprofitable or that makes them want to move online. It is an opportunity, as highlighted by the Member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone Mrs Armstrong, to ensure that the dereliction of our town centres is not rewarded but rightly penalised. There is a long-standing need for that reform, and I hope that that will be the focus of the proposals that the Finance Minister brings to the Executive. <BR /> <BR />We need to see support for our hospitality sector across Northern Ireland. In our current economic climate, our hospitality sector is the driving force that brings people into our town and city centres.”
“I welcome the fact that the First Minister and deputy First Minister wrote on 10 October to all relevant Ministers about the outworkings and recommendations of the task force's report and called for their work streams to take forward the important work. The junior Minister, who is more than ably standing in for the Economy Minister, will be able to inform the House of the work that the Department for the Economy will take forward in that regard. <BR /> <BR />The Department for the Economy needs to take a leading role on the issue, but it goes wider than that. It is a cross-cutting issue on which many Departments need to focus. In particular, following the Budget allocation and the decisions made by the Chancellor, there is a game-changing opportunity for the Finance Minister when she comes before the House in the coming weeks and months.”
“I thank the Member for South Belfast for moving this important motion. My party has for many years recognised how vital our town and city centres are to our communities across Northern Ireland. As the motion focuses on changing habits from the COVID pandemic, I again pay tribute to the work of the former Economy Minister, the Member for Upper Bann, who ensured that over £260 million of support went to our high streets and town centres during that very difficult time for our traders. <BR /> <BR />As the Member for Foyle articulated, the important work of the high street task force needs to continue in earnest.”
“Minister, do you agree that all minority languages are important in Northern Ireland, and that there is a clear focus by some elements in the House to pick out one language and not focus on the clear agreements that were made that all languages would be treated fairly and equitably here in Northern Ireland?”
“It is important that we recognise that, in this financial year, an extra £1·2 billion of in-year spending has been awarded to Northern Ireland by the Government. As the Finance Minister rightly says, the collective work of Members of this House and of other places has resulted in the un-pausing of two city deals. The Finance Minister will be aware that one funding stream that has not been un-paused is the Shore Road skills centre, which was due to receive £2·5 million under the Levelling Up Fund. The Finance Minister will also be aware that this is a vital facility in north Belfast for tackling educational underachievement. Will she commit to continuing to work with the First Minister and deputy First Minister and the Minister for Communities to ensure that north Belfast receives the £2·5 million that it deserves?”
“Under the stewardship of the RATH Community Group, Rathcoole Row on Row has grown from a small-scale project that, during the pandemic, afforded members of the community the opportunity to come together to remember our fallen heroes, to a highlight of the remembrance period, with hundreds of people coming together from across the community to stand together and remember those who laid down their lives. <BR /> <BR />I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the RATH Community Group, Dalaradia and those volunteers who give of their time freely to ensure that the people of North Belfast and Rathcoole, rightly, remember those who have gone before and ensure that we never forget them. We will remember them.”
“As we enter the period of national remembrance, across Northern Ireland communities will come together and fall silent as they remember those who came before us and made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms that we all enjoy today. <BR /> <BR />In my constituency of North Belfast, we are extremely proud of those who made the supreme sacrifice. At the weekend, we came together as a community in Rathcoole to launch this year's Rathcoole Row on Row celebrations.”