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 apologise to the House for being late for the Minister's statement. Thank you, Minister, for your statement and your important work on this matter. Can you expand on the relationship with GB Energy? I see that as a really important opportunity to get some much-needed financial support, particularly for community-led energy projects, which I know you are committed to delivering. Can you outline ongoing work in that important regard?”
“They do not operate mystery companies with six-figure assets but no visible business; they do not have invisible customers and silent balance sheets; and they certainly do not get to walk away when asked reasonable questions. If Sinn Féin wants to be taken seriously, it needs to tell us where the bookshop is and where it got the £220,000. However, perhaps the best-selling title in this mystery bookshop is 'The Invisible Man', because, just like that book, Sinn Féin's honesty does not exist.”
“If the bookshop were genuine, Sinn Féin could have told us where it was; it could have invited us in to have a look; it could have shown us the shelves; and, indeed, it could have recommended us a good read. Instead, it was a case of 'Say Nothing' and 'The Sound of Silence', which suggests that the only thing that is harder to find than the bookshop is Sinn Féin's willingness to answer questions about it. <BR /> <BR />Ordinary working people whom I represent do not have the luxury of silence when asked about their finances. They cannot refuse to respond to the bank; they cannot ignore the electricity bills; and they cannot pretend that questions do not exist. That is the difference: working-class people live in the real world.”
“Green Cross (Art and Bookshop) Ltd, a company directed by a former Sinn Féin finance director and other senior republican figures, has accumulated more than £220,000 in assets. However, there appears to be one small problem: there is no bookshop. There are no premises, no customers, no staff and, indeed, no books. Most bookshops that I visit rely on people coming in, browsing the shelves and buying something; this one appears to rely on no one coming in and no one buying anything, yet it has somehow ended up with £220,000 in its bank account. Clearly, it is less a retail association and more a work of fiction. <BR /> <BR />Perhaps the most revealing part of all of this is that, when the 'Sunday Life' approached Sinn Féin, it refused to comment. We are used to the well-known title 'Say Nothing', but that is hugely disappointing.”
“The party opposite never tires of telling us that it is the party of transparency and the working class, but, according to a remarkable investigation by the 'Sunday Life', it may also be the party with the most successful invisible bookshop in history.”
“I welcome the Minister's update on the Bill and thank her officials and her for their important work on it. The Bill will be important if we are to get anywhere near to meeting our targets. <BR /> <BR />Another key aspect of meeting our targets will be the development of the renewable electricity price guarantee scheme. Will the Minister articulate the progress that has been made on drafting that Bill and the terms and conditions that will follow it?”
“To date, none of the funding has been spent, so I encourage our council colleagues to come forward with projects as soon as possible so that all regions of Northern Ireland can continue to ensure that our economy delivers for all sections of society.”
“I fully agree with the Member. During exercises this year, the Minister of Finance has made a number of important allocations and created a dedicated fund for skills. Hopefully, the £10 million that will be available to the Executive will focus on making sure that the next generation of young people in Northern Ireland have the skills to take advantage of the ADS sector here. <BR /> <BR />I also encourage the Minister for the Economy to encourage our council colleagues across the Province to submit projects to the local economic partnerships (LEPs) as soon as possible. The Minister of Finance made £45 million available to the Department for the Economy over the next three years to support economic growth right across Northern Ireland.”
“Three of the largest aerospace companies in the world are now based in Northern Ireland, so it is vital that we continue to take advantage of that fact.”
“There are, however, issues that I want to put on the record. A number of new Treasury funding models are available to the Department for the Economy. The EIZ represents a massive opportunity to deliver real and tangible benefits for communities right across Northern Ireland. I understand that the Executive are currently looking at proposed projects, but I encourage my Executive colleagues and all other Ministers to move those projects on as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />The defence growth deal that the Ministry of Defence announced before Christmas will make £10 million available to Northern Ireland. It offers a vital opportunity to invest in the ever-growing aerospace, defence, security and space (ADS) sector in Northern Ireland.”
“The Committee has noted that, if we are to assume that the key pressures for Department-related pay and the demand for skill interventions continue, including for traineeships and apprenticeships, it may become difficult to balance the books. If he can, will the Minister provide clarity on the future of the emerging enhanced investment zone (EIZ) arrangements? This past week, the Committee received an update about that spending. The Treasury has allocated £150 million of available spending for the Executive through the Department for the Economy. To date, however, progress has not materialised. <BR /> <BR />That concludes my remarks as Chair of the Economy Committee. I will now make some comments in my role as an MLA. Following my demotion from the Finance Committee, I do not get to contribute to finance debates any more.”
“The Department of Finance has overarching responsibility for delivering city and growth deals, so perhaps the Minister can articulate the Executive's continued commitment to delivering such deals across Northern Ireland in his winding-up speech. I particularly hope that he will reassure us that the higher education capital projects will happen largely as planned and that universities will not be left to foot inflated bills created by departmental delays. <BR /> <BR />If we strip out particular earmarked projects, the Department for the Economy's non-ring-fenced budget looks like being a flat-cash settlement over the next three years.”
“<BR /> <BR />On non-ring-fenced DEL, it appears that the Department is on course to not overspend its £821 million budget, thanks to the in-year allocation of over £40 million from the Executive to cover things such as skills, pay and higher education pressures. The challenges here are around the loss of £24 million in Shared Prosperity funding. <BR /> <BR />Regarding capital, it appears that the Department is also on course to not overspend its £244 million budget, again, thanks to in-year allocations from the Executive and earmarked support from Treasury for projects such as Project Gigabit and Project Stratum, which now make Northern Ireland the most connected part of these islands. <BR /> <BR />The Committee noted a £6·7 million decrease in the funding requirements for city and growth deals owing to delays with various projects.”
“It is also expected that, now that the new student loan model has been adopted, the ring-fenced DEL numbers will return to their usual position. <BR /> <BR />Other factors affecting the disclaimed accounts include the Northern Regional College. The Committee has seen the annual report and accounts, which include part of this financial year, for the colleges, but, yet again, the Northern Regional College annual accounts have not appeared before Committee. <BR /> <BR />The Committee will continue to scrutinise the Department as it makes its way back to a place where its accounts will no longer be disclaimed.”
“The Department has adopted a new model for estimating the future value of income from student loans and the value of residual loans that are not expected to be paid in full at the end of the loan period. That new model has generated a one-off, ring-fenced DEL charge of £1·7 billion, greatly exceeding the relevant budget. Usually, the related ring-fenced DEL budget is considerably larger than actual costs, owing to the different student loan plans in use here in Northern Ireland compared with other parts of the United Kingdom. It is also the case that those allocations can be used only for student loans and cannot be reallocated to other parts of the Northern Ireland block grant. Although it is an alarming set of figures, the Committee understands that that is a one-off technical exercise.”
“I rise on behalf of the Committee for the Economy to support both motions. I thank officials from the Department for the Economy who have recently provided written and oral evidence to the Committee on the anticipated 2025-26 spending out-turn. That included a spring Supplementary Estimates memorandum. <BR /> <BR />As the House is aware, the Department for the Economy had its 2024-25 accounts disclaimed by the Comptroller and Auditor General, and it expects to have its 2025-26 accounts disclaimed as well. That has been driven by a number of factors and, right across the Committee, has been a matter of concern. <BR /> <BR />The largest factor, in financial terms, is student loans.”
“I appreciate the Member giving way. I often listen to him talking in these debates about structural issues in the Department of Education and the need for schools to be closed or merged. When the Member makes those remarks, he never gives examples. Which schools does the Alliance Party want to close?”
“The Democratic Unionist Party stands with our council workers, and we will continue to call out the sectarian targeting of Protestants.”
“They do a job that many of us would never do. They go out early in the morning to clean up messes left by others and respond to elected representatives of all hues and political persuasions without fear or favour. If any other religious minority were targeted in this city, it would be on the front page of newspapers, and it would not take 37 minutes of Members' statements for the issue to be raised in the House. When it comes to Protestants being targeted, however, some people want to adopt the mantra that, if the person is a Protestant, it does not matter. <BR /> <BR />Under the leadership of the DUP's Sarah Bunting, a formal complaint has been made to the chief executive of Belfast City Council to ensure that any person, regardless of their religious background, can carry out the job that they are entitled to do.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I call out the continued sectarian campaign that is targeting members of the Protestant workforce at Belfast City Council. Just three weeks ago, three members of staff who were out doing their job, which is to keep our city clean and safe, were attacked for no reason other than their religion. In the past week, that targeted campaign against the Protestant workforce has intensified and put lives in danger. Other members of staff at Belfast City Council have falsely claimed that staff in the cleansing team in Belfast are members of a proscribed terrorist organisation. That has put a target on the back of our dedicated front-line workforce. <BR /> <BR />I do not know the religious background of the cleansing team in North Belfast, but I know that they are the salt of the earth.”
“I am very proud to say that I am British, I am Irish and I am proudly Northern Irish. You do not get to tell me. <BR /> <BR />The facts speak for themselves. Sinn Féin and other nationalists have failed to deliver Casement Park.”
“I will not give way. Unfortunately, we had to listen to your 10-minute rant at the start, and we will have to listen to another five minutes of your nonsense. <BR /> <BR />I turn to the issue of safety concerns at the stadium. It is a matter of fact that, in a tribunal case, Sport NI was forced to pay a settlement to Mr Paul Scott because he raised issues about safety concerns at Casement Park. None of the people involved was a DUP Minister or a DUP politician. <BR /> <BR />We then heard a rant from the Chief Whip of Sinn Féin, who said that she had not written a speech but then managed to read out every single word of one that she had written before coming to the Chamber. In her anti-unionist rant, she said that we did not care about Irishness and that we hate Irish people. You do not get to tell me what my identity is.”
“Those were the remarks of Mr Carroll, who stood on the picket line to oppose the development of Casement Park. He then comes to the House and throws out nonsense about the DUP and other unionist Ministers opposing the building of Casement Park. There is no branch of the Democratic Unionist Party on the Andersonstown Road in west Belfast, although I wish that there were. It was Mr Carroll and his comrades who stopped the building of Casement Park.”
“to oppose moving those plans forward. Were those remarks about opposing those plans made by a unionist? They were not. They were remarks from the SDLP, which happily opposed Casement Park for political expediency, hoping that Mr Attwood would hold onto his seat against Sinn Féin, but, in the end, he lost his seat and any credibility on Casement Park. <BR /> <BR />We then listened to the uninformed rant from Comrade Carroll about the reason for Casement Park not being built. He said that it was as a result of unionist Ministers, but he did not give one example of an action by a unionist Minister that contributed to why it has not been built. Again, let me read into the record comments by Mr Carroll on Casement Park:”
“You had the opportunity to apologise for breaking the law when you unlawfully approved Casement Park, but you have not done so to date. <BR /> <BR />Now that we are on the subject of the SDLP and Casement Park, let me read into the record some other remarks from members of that party. Mr Attwood, former SDLP MLA for West Belfast, said:”
“Who made that illegal and unlawful decision? It was none other than Mr Mark H Durkan, not the big, bad unionists whom some Members rant about when it comes to Casement Park.”
“The subregional stadia programme for football was held up by Sinn Féin Ministers because they did not want grassroots football in Northern Ireland to get the funding that it deserved. <BR /> <BR />Let us have the facts as to why Casement Park has not progressed. It was, frankly, laughable to listen to Mr Durkan as he tried with a straight face to lecture the House on why Casement Park has not been built. On many occasions, I have read this into the record, and I will do so again:”
“I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate and introduce some facts that, unfortunately, have been missing from the very outset. There have been some predictable and some unpredictable remarks made. I will start with the unpredictable ones. Mr Gaston said that the motion is not about opposing Casement Park. That must be a change in policy on Casement Park from the TUV. <BR /> <BR />I will set out very clearly the Democratic Unionist Party's position: we signed up to a fair and equitable agreement for all sports across Northern Ireland in 2011, which gave sports equal funding to ensure that they were able to deliver the stadiums that they required. Some of those projects have been held up as a result of sectarian politics, but Casement Park is not one of them.”
“I thank the Minister and her officials for their engagement with the Committee; in particular, although it is not common practice, I will namecheck Mr Reid for all his dedicated work. In coming back to the Committee with the information that we requested, he has been very dedicated. <BR /> <BR />The view of the Committee is that we support the amendment in the Minister's name.”
“The Committee felt that the draft affirmative resolution procedure should apply to all the delegated legislative powers associated with clause 119. It is therefore happy to support the amendment standing in the Minister's name.”
“On behalf of the Committee, I thank the Department for providing a Keeling schedule and for responding in such a timely manner to the number of queries raised by the Committee. <BR /> <BR />The Committee considered clause 119, which includes powers to make consequential provisions. Clause 119(3) indicates that, where such provisions amend Northern Ireland legislation, draft affirmative resolution shall apply. However, clause 119(4) indicates that any other regulations will be subject to negative resolution.”
“The Committee noted the provisions that introduce greater use of virtual creditor meetings, which are designed to reduce costs and streamline processes. Members were concerned that the increasing use of electronic media may be to the disadvantage of some people with limited access to virtual assets. However, the Department set out clearly its assurances on there being robust rules in that regard. The Committee considered other matters in respect of statements of affairs, deemed consent, the assignment of causes of action, petitions for insolvency and bankrupts' homes. The Committee felt that the provisions match those that have been in place in England and Wales for some time and were therefore uncontroversial. The Bill is very lengthy, with many important provisions.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee considered the regulation-making powers in the Bill and reviewed the interaction between the Bill and the European Convention on Human Rights and article 2 of the Windsor framework. The Committee noted that none of the provisions raised particular concerns in regard to their compatibility with the convention or the framework. The Committee deliberated informally on the Bill on 12 November and undertook formal clause-by-clause scrutiny on 26 November. The Committee ordered that its report be published in early December. <BR /> <BR />The Committee welcomed the Bill's provisions, which are designed to improve efficiency and reduce costs for insolvency proceedings and to bring Northern Ireland into line with England and Wales.”
“Before I address the amendment, I will, with your indulgence, Mr Deputy Speaker, briefly summarise the Committee's scrutiny of the Bill and outline its support for the Bill's progression today and the amendment tabled in the name of the Minister. <BR /> <BR />The Insolvency (Amendment) Bill was introduced in the Assembly on 23 June 2025, with the Committee Stage commencing on 1 July. The Assembly agreed on 8 September to extend the Committee Stage until 12 December. We launched our call for evidence on 2 July and received three substantive responses. The Committee took oral evidence on the Bill from the Law Society of Northern Ireland, the Bar of Northern Ireland, the Insolvency Practitioners Association and an insolvency practitioner.”
“I assure the Member for Mid Ulster that no one in the Chamber is crying; we are standing up for the rule of law. I encourage Sinn Féin to sometimes stand up for the rule of law. <BR /> <BR />Minister, you have admitted for the first time that a Sinn Féin billboard existed. Would you like to take this opportunity to apologise for your party's, once again, breaking the law?”
“Minister, I welcome your announcement, but, given that you understand its gravity, why is it that MLAs had to read about your decision on the front page of the 'News Letter' instead of hearing about it in the House, where ministerial announcements should be made?”
“First Minister, at a time when our public services are crumbling, the vast majority of the public will be appalled that you want to spend £3 million on yet another quango. When I asked you this question at Committee, you called me "a climate change denier", without any evidence to back up that claim. Could you outline to the House Northern Ireland's contribution to global emissions on an annual basis, please?”
“The Committee was therefore content to support the rule. We pay tribute to the Minister and her officials for their hard work and dedication on the issue.”
“On behalf of the Committee, I support the motion. As the Minister indicated, the rule will close the energy bill relief scheme and the energy bills discount scheme. The schemes were introduced across the UK during COVID. The energy bill relief scheme, which effectively closed on 1 April 2023, provided for discounts on the wholesale portion of energy bills for non-domestic users in the United Kingdom. The energy bills discount scheme, which closed on 31 March 2024, replaced the energy bill relief scheme and offered similar benefits to businesses. <BR /> <BR />As the Minister outlined, the Department made it clear that the original legislation created an obligation on suppliers to continue to provide a discount while the regulations were in place without the right to reclaim costs from the UK Government.”
“The courts in this country will never set the law. Politicians voted to proscribe that organisation as a terrorist organisation — that is what it is; that is what it remains — and those who champion a terrorist organisation should be ashamed of themselves.”
“I will read into the record some of the actions that Palestine Action has been involved in: a female police sergeant was left unable to drive, unable to shower and unable to dress herself as a result of an attack with a sledgehammer by Palestine Action. It is no wonder that the SDLP and Alliance Benches have remained silent on the issue. Those parties take every opportunity to claim that they stand up and speak up for the rights of women, but that terrorist organisation attacked a female police officer with a sledgehammer. Where are the remarks from the party opposite on that attack? Nowhere to be seen. <BR /> <BR />My party warmly welcomes the fact that the Home Secretary will appeal the judgement. Let me be clear: it is for Parliament to set the law and for government to ensure that it is policed.”
“The interpretation of the law and the rulings of the courts have never been a strength for some Members. Let us be clear about what the court ruling did and did not do. Palestine Action remains an illegal organisation and a proscribed terrorist organisation; the courts have made that clear. There are Members on my left and straight ahead of me who stand up in the House to praise the work of a proscribed terrorist organisation. <BR /> <BR />It is rather surprising that some Members who claim to take every opportunity to stand up and speak up for the rights of women have remained silent when the opportunity to speak on this issue has arisen.”
“All Members want to see better support for our public-sector workers and better outcomes for the public. It is important that we send a clear message that the motion has passed unanimously. Ultimately, when the next report on this is done, the test will be whether we have delivered the changes that we all want to see.”
“We need to be able to lead by example on that. <BR /> <BR />I would have been interested to hear from the Minister about the public-sector transformation board and how the £215 million that was secured as a result of the restoration package will fund the ongoing work in the next tranche. The Minister mentioned some of the work that is ongoing that will be funded through the public-sector transformation board. It is important, however, that we learn lessons, particularly from the people from the Imperial Civil Service who sit on that public-sector transformation board, and from the recommendations that they have implemented. <BR /> <BR />After a few days of robust debate and clear disagreement among parties, the clear consensus amongst all Members that they want to see the Civil Service deliver better is welcome.”
“As politicians, we need to give leadership to our civil servants to let them know that they have the ability to get on and make decisions. On that front, I welcome the Minister's commitment to deliver a time-bound plan for how to implement some of the recommendations in the NIAO report. <BR /> <BR />I do not think that it is acceptable, and I do not think that members of the public who are watching at home would say that it is acceptable, that the average number of days lost to sickness, per employee in the Northern Ireland Civil Service, is 13·4. It is not acceptable that staff are under such pressure in their work environment that they feel that they have to have that level of sickness. The public who fund that level of sickness absence get up every day to go to work and do not have the luxury of that amount of sick pay each year.”
“It is not about making people unemployed or having forced redundancies; it is about delivering a better service, not just for those who work in the Civil Service but for the public who pay for us and for the Civil Service. <BR /> <BR />As other Members have articulated, the overwhelming majority of those who work in our public service do so diligently and out of a sense of duty and public service. The processes within which they currently operate, however, are not as streamlined as they could be. I could pick numerous examples, but I am thinking of one that is topical: the pedestrianisation of a street in Belfast city centre. It took civil servants five years to deliver that. There were four consultations and three public meetings to deliver an outcome that had already been agreed and was universally supported.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I open my remarks by concurring with other Members who paid tribute to our civil servants and front-line workers. I say that not just because I am going home to a civil servant, but because, on my way home, I will be contacting civil servants in DFI Roads and our Education Department. They answer the phone to us public representatives outside their working hours on numerous occasions. <BR /> <BR />My party tabled today's motion not to overlap with the work of the PAC but because we have had ongoing discussions with and interest from parties about finally delivering the changes that the Civil Service needs.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is appalling that people face homelessness and housing stress through this winter while hundreds of properties are left empty. That is an insult to my constituents and every person across Northern Ireland. Today, I call on the Home Office to urgently release those homes back into the housing stock so that they can house my constituents and others. Others may remain silent on the issue, but the Democratic Unionist Party will not.”
“At a time of severe housing shortage, no public authority should be allowed to warehouse empty homes while people are left without a roof over their head. <BR /> <BR />The Home Office must explain why those properties are not being released back into the housing system immediately. Mears must explain how the situation has been allowed to develop and why it has put profit before people. There have been talks of discussions, reviews and looking at the processes, but families in North Belfast do not have time for talk; they need action, and that is what I am demanding. It goes far beyond one company or one contract, but it speaks to the lack of transparency in the Home Office and how it operates in Northern Ireland. It cannot continue.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Home Office has contracted Mears to secure those properties as the Labour Government continue to fail with their immigration policy. In doing so, Mears has made significant profits that have exceeded the permitted margins, but, more shockingly, hundreds of homes sit empty and unavailable to my constituents, who desperately need them. That equates to just over 1,000 empty bed spaces across Northern Ireland. Let that sink in: over 1,000 bed spaces are lying unused while families in North Belfast languish on waiting lists. That is not inefficiency; it is a moral failure, and taxpayers' money is being used to keep those homes empty. <BR /> <BR />I want to be clear that this is not about pitting communities against one another. It is about accountability, transparency and common sense.”