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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“The airport and its operations supported over 12,000 jobs in our city and contributed £800 million to the Northern Ireland economy. While so much has already been achieved, the master plan that was launched this year in this very Building aims to deliver a transformative project for our country, unlock up to £200 million of private investment, create up to 1,100 new jobs in our capital city, welcome up to seven million passengers a year to Belfast and contribute £1·7 billion every single year. The proposals from Belfast City Airport are the single largest private-sector investment proposals on the table in Northern Ireland at present, and, as such, they should command the support of the House.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am delighted to move this motion, which recognises the vital role that Belfast City Airport plays in the economic life of our city, the Belfast region and, indeed, the country as a whole, and which commits the House to supporting the delivery of the 2040 master plan. I had the privilege of co-hosting the launch of the master plan for George Best Belfast City Airport here in the Northern Ireland Assembly a number of weeks ago, and today is an opportunity for the House to put on record its support for its ambitious proposals. <BR /> <BR />Belfast City Airport already plays a vital role in our economy and our country, connecting Northern Ireland to the rest of the world, the United Kingdom and vital hubs throughout the European Union. Some 2·4 million passengers travelled through the airport in 2024.”
“Will you commit to continuing in that vein and delivering for everyone in Northern Ireland?”
“First, I pay tribute to you, deputy First Minister, for engaging with the Ministry of Defence. Despite the population here representing only 3% of the UK's population, Northern Ireland has, through your work, secured 25% of UK-wide funding on this important aspect. Since becoming joint head of Government here, deputy First Minister, you have taken every opportunity to turn up, stand up and speak up for Northern Ireland.”
“Again, I rise as Chair of the Committee. As the House is aware, the call for evidence for the Committee Stage of the Utility Regulator (Support for Decarbonisation Preparation) Bill has now commenced. As Members are also aware, the Bill deals with the functions of the Utility Regulator. Stakeholders have previously signalled that they might wish to see the Bill amended in that regard. <BR /> <BR />In order to give the Committee time to understand whether such amendments might be necessary, the Committee unanimously agreed to seek an extension to the Committee Stage until 20 November 2026. In any event, and as indicated with the previous resolution, the Committee will endeavour to conclude its deliberations in advance of the date in motion. Therefore, on behalf of the Committee, I commend the extension of the Committee Stage to the House.”
“As the House will be aware, the call for evidence for the Committee Stage of the Petroleum Exploration and Licensing (Repeal) Bill has commenced. As Members will also be aware, there were a large number of responses received to the Department's related consultation. In order to give it time to engage with all the anticipated relevant stakeholders, the Committee unanimously agreed that it would seek an extension to the Bill's Committee Stage until 30 October 2026. If the motion is passed by the House, the Committee will endeavour to conclude its deliberations in advance of the date in the motion. On behalf of the Committee, I commend the motion to the House.”
“Despite attempts by Mr Gaston and me to seek information from the Office of the Irish Language Commissioner, the commissioner has refused to provide the details, stating that he is currently dealing with a freedom of information request from a private citizen. <BR /> <BR />Mr Speaker, are you aware of any rules or Standing Order that would prevent a body that is accountable to the Assembly from providing factual information to Committees if a freedom of information request is being dealt with?”
“Mr Sheehan, if you want to be Speaker, put a good word in with Ms Ennis, and she might take out Carál and put you in.”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. At the Executive Office Committee last Wednesday, despite numerous attempts by me and the Member for North Antrim —.”
“We see calls for a border poll to take place. The people of Northern Ireland see through the distraction politics. They see that, since 1998, the votes for the parties in Northern Ireland that want to break up our United Kingdom have not grown by 1%. <BR /> <BR />The leader of the Opposition seems to be the man most obsessed with Nigel Farage becoming Prime Minister. We will not have a general election in Northern Ireland for a number of years, but, in the SDLP's hope for relevance, it tries to scare the people of Northern Ireland into wanting to pursue a different constitutional settlement, because it knows, despite the arguments made by Sinn Féin, the SDLP and the Alliance Party, that the people of Northern Ireland know that the Union is best for all.”
“<BR /> <BR />The party opposite, having outsourced its failed attempts to break up the United Kingdom and blamed the Irish Government for that failure, is now trying to cling to the coat-tails of the outcomes of elections in other parts of the United Kingdom so that it can continue to tell its followers that it was not, in fact, lying to them when it promised the people of Northern Ireland a border poll in 2016; that the current First Minister, who promised one in 2020, was not lying to the people of Northern Ireland; and that Mary Lou McDonald, who set a date of 2035 for a border poll and was then quickly corrected by her party colleagues, who said that it had to be 2030, was not lying to the people of Northern Ireland. When polls for the party opposite continue to fall in Northern Ireland and in the Irish Republic, what do we see?”
“I welcome Sinn Féin's new-found interest in politics in other parts of our United Kingdom. Even by Sinn Féin's standards of rewriting the past, the Chief Whip of the party opposite has managed to completely gloss over the actual results of the election. Ms Ennis described the SNP victory as a historic victory for the people of Scotland: Mr Speaker, I have not been in politics for as long as you have, but, if my party had lost half a million votes and six seats, I would not call that "a historic victory". What there has been is a rejection of the Labour Party in other parts of the United Kingdom, just as the people of Northern Ireland rejected the Labour Party's sister party here, the SDLP, and voted it into opposition.”
“Those who come to the country and have no interest in adding to its wealth but, rather, want to benefit from it have no place in Northern Ireland. It is now time that we take a UK-wide approach to immigration that protects families here. <BR /> <BR />The Supreme Court has spoken. There can be no ambiguity, and there can be no questions. There is no need for the Equality Commission and the Human Rights Commission or any other faceless organisation to read the judgement. The judgement is clear: they are wrong. They have wasted public money, and it is now time for every one of them to consider their position.”
“As a member of the Executive Office Committee, I make it clear on behalf of my party that we expect the immediate appearance of the chief commissioner at our Committee to answer questions. It is not their budget that they have wasted on ongoing legal fights but money that belongs to hard-pressed taxpayers in Northern Ireland. It is money that should have been spent on our hospitals and roads but, instead, was wasted by political campaigners who were more interested in protecting woke ideology than in biological fact. <BR /> <BR />The UK Government can no longer hide behind the Windsor framework and the Northern Ireland protocol to deal with illegal immigration in Northern Ireland. The law is clear: immigration policy, which aims to stop the illegal arrival of people on small boats, is set at Westminster.”
“The highest court in the land has ruled on what the vast majority of the people of Northern Ireland already knew: a man is a man, a woman is a woman, and immigration policy is set by the Westminster Government, not faceless bureaucrats in Brussels. When I walked into the Chamber today, I thought that I was attending a wake: the ruling is a defeat for those who have been protocol cheerleaders; those who have been rigorous implementers; and those who took the word of faceless organisations ahead of common sense.”
“I am keen to get a definition of "reasonable request". <BR /> <BR />Another reasonable question to ask is this: why does the Bill not allow the Executive as a whole or other Departments individually to take advantage of the expertise that the Utility Regulator clearly has? The Utility Regulator is defined as being the strategic adviser to government, so why are we giving support or information just to the Department for the Economy and not to other Departments? For example, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, which sponsored what is now the Climate Change Act, may want to be included in the legislation. The Bill, which is a tidying-up exercise, is welcome progress. The Committee will engage with the Department, the Utility Regulator and consumers to see whether any changes to the Bill are required.”
“The Minister is right: the Bill is relatively short and tightly scoped, with just two clauses. Given the Utility Regulator's comments to the Committee that it believes that the Bill should have been more expansive, I wonder why that opportunity was not taken in the two years since the Department first briefed the Committee on it. <BR /> <BR />I ask the Minister to define what is meant by a "reasonable request". Subsection (2) of clause 1 states:”
“<BR /> <BR />On behalf of the Committee for the Economy, I am keen for the Minister to clarify why, in the two years since the Committee was first briefed by the Department on the Bill, additional provisions were not developed in line with other fair transition climate change measures, including customer redress, complaints handling and the linkage of consumer interests to decarbonisation. <BR /> <BR />I believe that the majority of Economy Committee members view the Bill as being an opportunity that could have gone further, but they will support it nonetheless. If the Bill passes its Second Stage today, I expect amendments on what I have outlined to be tabled, and the Committee may then have to come back to the House to seek an extension to the Committee Stage. <BR /> <BR />I will now make some remarks in my capacity as a DUP MLA.”
“Accordingly, as the House is aware, the Single Electricity Market Committee (SEMC) regulates all-island activity that involves the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), which is the energy regulator for the Republic of Ireland. Among other things, the SEMC also provides advice on climate change plans in Northern Ireland. It is understood, however, that there is no such provision for the Utility Regulator to develop its own plan in that regard. The Minister, in her comments later, can hopefully address why there is that gap in provision.”
“would have to be considered as part of consumers' interests.”
“<BR /> <BR />In evidence to the Committee, the Utility Regulator contrasted its vires with that of Ofgem, indicating that there have been at least 12 Acts to amend Ofgem's statutory powers, including primary legislation on microgeneration, information-gathering, promotion of reduction in carbon emissions, promotion of reduction in home heating costs, consumer redress and complaints-handling. The Utility Regulator also advised that the Energy Act 2023 in Great Britain introduced an amendment to the principal objective of Ofgem, stating that the:”
“legislative changes that have been passed in the House. The Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order 1992 and the Gas (Northern Ireland) Order 1996, which set out the role of the UR, are to be changed, therefore, to allow it to give advice on low-carbon energy solutions in line with the Climate Change Act and the energy strategy. The low-carbon solutions are understood to include offshore renewables, heat policy, hydrogen and systems services and new activities. The Bill deals with the provision of advice on those subjects to only the Department for the Economy. The Department has indicated that, following the passage of the legislation, should other Departments or arm's-length bodies (ALBs) need advice on decarbonisation, it would consider their requests and decide whether to route them through the Utility Regulator.”
“As Chair of the Committee for the Economy, I support the Bill at Second Stage. This is the fourth Economy Bill that has got as far as Second Stage, and I pay tribute to the Department and the Minister for that. That is probably a record for any Department in this mandate, so fair play to them. <BR /> <BR />The Department briefed the Committee in 2024 on the proposals in the Bill, and officials briefed the Committee on the Bill again just after Easter of this year. As the Minister indicated, the Utility Regulator needs to be able to support the Department in the development of low-carbon policies, which are essential to the energy sector. It is argued that the Utility Regulator is currently:”
“Minister, your statement mentioned the important pay settlement that you were able to secure for new teachers and the record increase for those teachers who are in post. Is there an Executive commitment, right across the political spectrum, to ensure that funding is in place to support that? That was one of the strongest messages that was sent to teachers because it showed that we value them by ensuring not only that the profession is recognised and that the starting salary is high but that those teachers who have experience and dedication continue to be remunerated correctly.”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. On 3 March, I submitted a question for priority written answer to the Department of Finance about the Sinn Féin-linked bookshop, the Green Cross. It was due to be answered on 19 March and was about when that bookshop had last paid rates. I have not received an answer to that question, despite having followed up on it on a number of occasions. If the Minister of Finance is refusing to answer a question about a Sinn Féin-linked bookshop, can you advise me how I can go about obtaining an answer that I, as an elected representative, am entitled to receive?”
“<BR /> <BR />The record of the Sinn Féin Ministers in charge of the Department for the Economy has been nothing short of a shambles. I hope that the people of Northern Ireland will see it for what it is: fantasy economics presided over by a party that is not fit to hold that office.”
“The university made it clear that, in practice, that means fewer engineers, nurses and teachers, less research capability and fewer students from Northern Ireland being able to study at home. That is not simply a challenge for higher education but a direct attack on the Northern Ireland economy. <BR /> <BR />The universities are central to innovation, to attracting investment and to equipping the next generation with the skills that our economy needs. Yet, instead of leadership, we see drift, and, instead of solutions, we hear the same old mantra from Sinn Féin: "Blame the Brits". Instead of backing growth, it is presiding over warnings from employers one week and our institutions this week. Northern Ireland deserves better than that. Our students, our universities and, ultimately, our economy deserve better than that.”
“At a Confederation of British Industry (CBI) event on Friday hosted at Queen's University and attended by business leaders and the Minister for the Economy, the university issued an unprecedented warning that funding failures implemented by Minister Archibald will cost 2,700 student places at the institution. That warning came in the wake of last week's deeply worrying news that 250 jobs will be lost at Ulster University as a result of the same policies by the Minister. <BR /> <BR />Taken together, those developments paint a deeply concerning picture of our higher education sector and the stewardship of that Department by Sinn Féin. One week, the business community is warning about policies that threaten growth, and, the next week, our universities are talking about cuts that will threaten skills, opportunities and our future workforce.”
“Another week and we have another front-page story that highlights failures at the Department for the Economy. Last week, the business community across Northern Ireland unprecedentedly united in opposition to the employment rights Bill that the Minister proposes to introduce. This week, it is an unprecedented intervention by our universities.”
“We will support the legislation moving to Committee Stage to allow the Committee to undertake its important work of testing the evidence that has been provided to it to date. We will ensure that a wide public consultation is carried out, so that the views of all the people of Northern Ireland can be heard and listened to. At the heart of the wider energy strategy required from the Department for the Economy are the issues of energy security and bills. The Member for Lagan Valley who will speak later will, no doubt, highlight that the Department needs to undertake important work to produce a master plan of how we will deliver energy security on these islands. <BR /> <BR />With that pretext, my party will support the Bill's moving to the next stage.”
“The Department previously argued that its approach to fracking was supported by the British Geological Survey desktop report, which indicated that there is not enough information on the current stress regime and state of the faults in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />To be clear, the Bill goes beyond banning fracking as a method of petroleum exploration or extraction; it bans all forms of onshore petroleum exploration or extraction and retains petroleum resources as being vested in the Department for the Economy. If the Second Stage passes today, I expect that the launch of the Committee Stage will generate a considerable response to our call for evidence and that the Committee may come back to the House to seek an extension to the Committee Stage. <BR /> <BR />I will now make some remarks from my party's perspective.”
“It also indicated that some of the impacts of fracking will be:”
“Furthermore, in respect of fracking, the report referred to:”
“The Hatch report also indicated that key information gaps persisted in respect of hydraulic fracturing, which is also known as "fracking", relating to the potential pollution of groundwater and, as a result, the long-term failure or deterioration of well integrity, as well as pollution in our community. Other information gaps related to:”
“that would be required to lower energy prices in Northern Ireland as a result of exploration.”
“of petroleum extraction and development were "shown to be relatively low" and”
“The Bill introduces a ban on issuing licences for all forms of onshore petroleum exploration and production in Northern Ireland by removing the licensing provision from the 1964 Act and revoking related regulations. The Bill stops any of the ongoing applications and provide a refund for those two applications. <BR /> <BR />The Bill follows a review in 2020 that found that the licensing system did not appear to give sufficient weight to societal or environmental issues compared with economic benefits. The Department had previously commissioned research by Hatch, which identified limited benefits associated with petroleum exploration and production in Northern Ireland. The report stated:”
“I will speak on behalf of the Economy Committee at the outset and will then make some remarks in my individual capacity. <BR /> <BR />This is the third Economy Bill that has got as far as Second Stage. The Department briefed the Committee on a related consultation in 2024, and officials briefed again on the legislation just before Easter. As the Minister indicated, the Petroleum (Production) Act (Northern Ireland) 1964 grants the Department powers to license exploration, boring and extraction of petroleum. The Committee understands that around 30 applications have been made in Northern Ireland since 1964 and that there are currently no active exploration or extraction licences. However, a further two applications had been received in 2016 and are subject to an ongoing moratorium.”
“Let that sink in. What could be more pressing for the First Minister than to be in the Chamber and send a united message that that action was wrong? She is nowhere to be seen. <BR /> <BR />The Members on the Benches opposite cannot be surprised: they said last week that there was no alternative to violence, and then violence was carried out at the weekend. They cannot celebrate last week a bloodthirsty sectarian murderer — Bobby Sands — and then say, this weekend, that those actions are wrong. They cannot say last week that rules do not apply to republicans and then be surprised when people try to blow up police officers. On behalf of the vast majority of the people of Northern Ireland, I say that it is time for Sinn Féin to put up or shut up.”
“<BR /> <BR />I must say that the remarks by the Member for South Belfast were nothing short of an absolute disgrace. I condemn without equivocation any wrongdoing that was inflicted on her family. However, for her to try to say that Members on these Benches supported loyalist paramilitaries — men of violence who inflicted murder on my family — I take as a great insult. Unlike the Member opposite, I can condemn all forms of violence, and I hope that, one day, her party colleagues will condemn the violence inflicted on the community of North Belfast, be it the Shankill bomb or anything else. <BR /> <BR />This action should be a wake-up call about the doublespeak by some in the House; indeed, it is disappointing that some cannot even be in the House today when this message is being read. Once again, our First Minister is AWOL.”
“The depraved and deranged actions of a bunch of cowardly terrorists at the weekend stands in stark contrast to the bravery displayed daily by police officers across Northern Ireland. Each morning, they wake up and put on their uniform, not to protect one section of our community but to serve, without fear or favour, everyone who has the privilege of calling Northern Ireland "home". While the terrorists ran from danger under the cover of darkness, our proud public servants in the Police Service of Northern Ireland ran towards it. This should be the joint message from the House today: we are blessed to have men and women who will serve, without fear or favour, every section of our community. In our most difficult times, it is they whom we turn to to defend us. If the House cannot unite to defend them when they are under attack, shame on us.”
“<BR /> <BR />It will take us a while to get legislation, so let us send a clear message to young people and parents today: you are risking lives, and it is only a matter of time before someone else is killed. You are inflicting anti-community behaviour on areas in which you live. You are destroying open spaces. Ultimately, if you are convicted for using one of those e-scooters and, God forbid, injuring someone, you will ruin your life chances moving forward. <BR /> <BR />It is important that we send a strong message. I will continue to engage with the Minister of Justice, and I encourage her to introduce legislation, either primary or through regulation, to ensure that the police have the power to tackle the matter properly. I fear that someone will be killed on the streets of our capital city very soon.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am not often one to look to the Republic of Ireland for best practice, but the work that has been initiated in the Republic of Ireland since January has been really great to see. They have seized and destroyed hundreds of e-scooters and issued fixed penalty fines not just to those who have purchased them but to those who have sold them to young people or their families for use on the public road. That is why our amendment calls for immediate action on mandatory registration at time of purchase and powers for seizure and destruction, with a clear message given to the Police Service of Northern Ireland that they need to put extra resources into doing that.”
“Thank you. <BR /> <BR />We will hear remarks from another member of the Policing Board here today, but I have no doubt that Cheryl Brownlee and other members have raised the issue. They will speak to the record about that. It is not difficult for the Minister of Justice to pick up the phone to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Outsourcing this to the Policing Board — the more people who raise it, the better. <BR /> <BR />The Member said that the Justice Minister has a willingness to look at legislation. A willingness does not deliver solutions. A willingness does not stop people using the scooters, nor does it empower the police to seize and destroy. That is why our amendment is so important.”
“To date, I have been disappointed by the response that has been given by the Minister of Justice when this has been raised. When I asked her whether she would encourage the Police Service of Northern Ireland to have a targeted campaign of education and enforcement on the issue, her response was that the Police Service of Northern Ireland is an autonomous organisation. The Minister of Justice can pick up the phone to the Chief Constable on a range of issues. For the Minister of Justice to wash her hands of this issue is a dereliction of duty.”
“They are afraid that, when they use the road, they will hit one of the young people using those scooters, or, when they are trying to enjoy open spaces, they are intimidated by those users. <BR /> <BR />We need to send a clear message: it is illegal to use an e-scooter on public roads. It is a simple message. Children of 11, 12 and younger do not have the resources to spend hundreds of pounds on the scooters; they are being bought for them by their parents. I have a simple message for people who are purchasing those scooters for their children: you need to wise up. You should not be buying your children things that could cause harm to them or others. <BR /> <BR />I am particularly concerned about the issue. In East Belfast, my colleague David Brooks has done a lot of important work on this.”
“There are occasions on which the Assembly spends time talking about things that may not be as important as this issue, which, in many cases, is a life-and-death scenario. It is a life-and-death scenario for the young people in my constituency who use e-scooters on public roads, footways and open spaces. It is a matter of life and death for other people using the road and for pedestrians trying to go about their business. <BR /> <BR />Footage that I released yesterday speaks to the epidemic in North Belfast: 35 young people drove along Shore Road and onto Antrim Road through Duncairn Gardens, circling drivers, pedestrians and the police. People contact me every day about the issue on my constituency email and Facebook Messenger.”
“First, I welcome the Minister back to the House and congratulate her on receiving Executive support for this important policy intent. It will have an important impact on our electricity generation. <BR /> <BR />On another support mechanism — the £81 million that will be made available by the UK Government — the Community Foundation Northern Ireland has met you and your officials to look at a voluntary opt-out for those of us who do not need the £30 support for our bills, which could be better used to support those more in need. The foundation wrote to you last week, seeking your support for such a scheme. Will you commit today to supporting that process to ensure that that £30 electricity support can go to those most in need rather than to all of us in the House, who do not need it?”
“As with Lemony Snicket, a series of unfortunate events has meant that the Minister cannot be here, but there is an important role that the Minister for Infrastructure may wish to highlight in her remarks: the possibility that biomethane could be used in public transport. Rather than looking at the electrification of some of our train provision, particularly on the Belfast to Dublin corridor, there might be an opportunity in her Department to use biomethane. <BR /> <BR />We will let the motion go through today, but I encourage Members to focus on a wider, all-encompassing energy delivery plan that will ensure lower prices and energy security for the people of Northern Ireland.”
“The Member for West Tyrone rightly outlined the issue of competition for silage, particularly in more rural communities. <BR /> <BR />The focus of the Assembly should be on a complete energy piece that finally brings together the issues that the Member for Lagan Valley, who sits on the Committee with me, continues to raise. We need deliverable, ambitious and structured energy proposals across all sectors of our economy in Northern Ireland. I commend the motion's sponsors for bringing forward one issue within that energy strategy, but we had hoped to hear from the Department and the Minister, and from her able replacement, that there will be a focus on a deliverable action plan.”