Brian Kingston
North Belfast · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“As a DUP member of the Justice Committee, I welcome the Victims and Witnesses of Crime Bill moving to Second Stage. As other Members have mentioned, we are currently handling three substantial Bills at Justice Committee: the Justice Bill, the amendments on which we completed voting on earlier today after seven days of debate; the Criminal…”
“We recognise, however, that the commissioner is not to be an appeal mechanism for when, for example, the outcome of a trial is considered to be unsatisfactory, such as when an unduly lenient sentence is handed down.”
“The special measures include ensuring that an alleged perpetrator is not allowed to cross-examine the victim of the alleged offence, including in sexual crime cases. <BR /> <BR />We heard comments from the Sinn Féin Member for Mid Ulster in praise of her party's support for victims' human rights.”
“We are aware that the trial process often focuses more on the defendant who is charged with an offence than it does on the victims of the alleged crime. Victims must be at the heart of the justice system, not peripheral to it.”
“We welcome the fact that, through the legislation, the post will be formally established and regulated. <BR /> <BR />The principal aim of the commissioner is to promote the interests of victims and witnesses. The commissioner is intended to have a strategic role rather than to become involved in individual cases. Indeed, clause 8 states:”
“Although the Minister notified us a week ago that he would make his statement, it was disappointing that we received the text of it less than an hour before he was scheduled to give it in the Chamber, which did not help us with scrutiny.”
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“The Member has answered his own point: the courts have determined that they are illegal immigrants, and they are returned. That is the point. People who are here should be treated fairly, but they should also be processed. There are people who are illegal immigrants and are abusing the system. I have no doubt that, for the vast majority of those coming across on boats from France, that is organised by crime gangs”
“All of that leads to a change in the resident population, often eroding the residential character of the areas affected and placing increased pressures on basic services and local amenities, including car parking, bin collection and access to GPs and dentists. There is also the real problem of additional noise disturbance and antisocial behaviour associated with HMOs, all of which negatively impacts on property valuations.”
“That is an entirely separate issue. We would be glad to see any matter of public finance brought to the Chamber. I would be happy to see a motion from the Member. However, every matter has its own importance. <BR /> <BR />Public bodies and political parties cannot simply bury their heads in the sand and do nothing. There ought to be meaningful dialogue with the communities that have been acutely impacted on, which are often in inner-city and working-class areas. Across Northern Ireland, landlords are buying or converting properties with a view to turning them into HMOs simply because they can get a better return under the Home Office asylum accommodation contract with Mears.”
“I do not quite understand the point there, so, if you do not mind, I will carry on. <BR /> <BR />This is a matter of huge public concern. The expression of such concerns should not be stifled, as we have witnessed during the debate. The public raise the issues and expect us to raise their concerns. That is what it means to be an elected representative. <BR /> <BR />As was reported recently in the news, the estimated cost of accommodation for asylum seekers in Northern Ireland in the current decade is now £400 million. That is four times the original estimate of £100 million.”
“I agree. That is a matter of great concern. We know that there are some organised gangs coming across. That is not to say that that is the case in all instances, but it is a matter of grave concern that this is very much an organised business and that some people are making huge amounts of money through illegal immigration.”
“<BR /> <BR />To be clear for those with selective hearing, the Democratic Unionist Party absolutely recognises and appreciates the vital contribution that migrant workers make to society in Northern Ireland, particularly those who work in our health service, care homes, agriculture, manufacturing and other sectors of the economy. However, the DUP also wants to see stronger measures taken by government to stem illegal immigration into all parts of the United Kingdom. Of those who commented during the debate that there is no such thing as illegal immigration or illegal immigrants I ask this: why are people deported? Why are they not given leave to remain, if they are not illegal immigrants? They are coming from a safe country — France — on boats. That is clearly not legal, and they are deported, if possible.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. <BR /> <BR />Illegal immigration is one of the hottest topics that people raise with me in political conversations, second only to housing. Our motion today combines those two issues in order to seek restrictions on the scale of the approval of houses of multiple occupancy, which, in some areas, are radically changing the nature of communities. Most HMOs are in areas of lower-value private housing, where landlords snap up such properties and seek to maximise their income by creating an HMO, including for asylum seekers through Mears, who pay a higher rate. That increases the density of population and demand on public services in the area. If it is left uncontrolled, we end up with high concentrations of HMOs in certain areas.”
“The British Empire was synonymous with economic development, building infrastructure, promoting education and providing medical treatment. Those facts are not convenient to detractors, as they expose as myths their claims of perpetual victimhood and nationalist struggles for freedom. <BR /> <BR />We will not support the Sinn Féin motion. The Ulster Unionist Party amendment replaces wording at the end of the motion, improving it by introducing more balanced wording, so we will support that amendment.”
“Exchange programmes between museums is one possible solution to that problem, as it would ensure that more people could admire more artefacts from different parts of the world. <BR /> <BR />The motion refers to the impact of colonialism "on this island". Professor of modern history at Trinity College Dublin Jane Ohlmeyer said:”
“so any generalisation comes with risk. Alongside a history of violence, there is a history of cosmopolitanism and trade. We saw the Benin Bronzes returned to the current oba — king — of Benin, and the Nigerian Government issued a decree to give the oba exclusive rights to all repatriated bronzes. Will the same fate befall all other repatriated artefacts such that, rather than being the common property of all the citizens of a nation, they become the personal property of its ruler? <BR /> <BR />The Communities Minister is committed to ensuring that our museums are accessible to as many people as possible so that people from around the globe can admire their collections. Recently, he announced £750,000 for the Ulster American Folk Park in County Tyrone. To simply return items to one country or another would be to segregate cultures.”
“No, I will not have time. Sorry. <BR /> <BR />Visitors are presented with the information and make their own judgement. It might be a surprise to some Members, but people are capable of using their critical judgement skills and reaching their own conclusions. They do not need to be lectured or told how or what to think. Museums should not hide from difficult areas of history or sanitise our history or their collections. Tristram Hunt, director of the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum, said:”
“What exactly is meant by "decolonising"? Without proper dialogue, it may be nothing short of virtue signalling. Speaking about empire, we need more nuance than to say that it was simply good or bad. Where does decolonisation end? With the bulldozing of the Colosseum? <BR /> <BR />The SDLP Member for East Londonderry took to social media recently claiming that "the coloniser mindset runs deep". If we were to decolonise museums, perhaps the SDLP could let us know whether unionists would be allowed to enter the building. We have fantastic museums in Northern Ireland; places where people can visit and see how machinery worked, how people lived and thought and what they created.”
“The relevance of that quote is that we cannot fairly judge the actions of history by our 21st-century standards. Empires have been normal throughout the history of the world. It has been a continual cycle of rise and fall that continues to this day, albeit in different forms. If nations or communities request items back that were acquired unlawfully, it is right that museums work with those communities and cooperate with their requests. We have seen the Ulster Museum's continued work with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. National Museums Northern Ireland acknowledges in its collections development policy that there is a complex and sensitive legacy to address today. We know that those issues are complex, but we should not be placing an undue burden on our museums to address the political activism of the 21st century.”
“The well-known opening sentence of L P Hartley's 'The Go-Between' is:”
“They include financial transactions capital to support intermediate rent; the purchase of 600 properties for emergency accommodation to take pressure off non-standard emergency accommodation; and, in the review of the points system, the removal of intimidation points, which were deemed by many to be unfair. <BR /> <BR />Finally, we had a briefing at the same Committee meeting on staffing levels, particularly for the administration of social security both in Northern Ireland and in GB through the Department for Work and Pensions. Currently, 22% of positions are vacant. There is a need to increase the rate of recruitment and to consider whether all posts are needed or whether appraisal of them could result in efficiency savings. Those are matters that the Committee will continue to monitor and will come back to.”
“Turning to the departmental capital budget for 2025-26, the allocation of £270 million capital DEL and £48·1 million financial transactions capital regrettably left a substantial shortfall of £161·3 million in the Department's bid, which is greatly disappointing. There is a desire to increase that allocation during the year, although we understand that in-year monitoring rounds are expected to result in lesser amounts than in previous years. Whilst the budget for new social housing during this year currently provides for 1,000 new units, we acknowledge that the Minister has brought forward some innovative ideas to address housing need.”
“The Minister has expressed his commitment to reducing error and fraud in the benefit system, with the potential to retain a substantial percentage of the resulting savings to fund public services in Northern Ireland through invest to save. We urge the Minister and officials to continue to make the case for that to His Majesty's Treasury and the Office for Budget Responsibility.”
“That need for groups receiving neighbourhood renewal funding was raised with the Minister during his recent visit to meet groups in Ballysillan and other parts of North Belfast. They also highlighted the need for confirmation of funding for the remainder of this financial year, which, we trust, will follow on quickly from the passing of the Budget Bill today. <BR /> <BR />Likewise, there is an increase of £3·8 million for various arm's-length bodies, and also to be welcomed is the additional £3·7 million for the Supporting People programme and other measures to tackle homelessness. For the administration of social security benefits, we welcome the funding of an extra 400 staff for this year, although that is not yet recurrent.”
“I rise as a DUP member of the Committee for Communities, along with my colleague Maurice Bradley and further to the Budget briefing that we received at the Committee on 8 May. We note with concern that the allocation to the Department for Communities for the new financial year has left a shortfall compared with the bid from the Minister. Whilst that is not a unique outcome, it has resulted in shortfalls in various work streams. Despite that, we welcome the fact that the Minister has made some important additional allocations, mentioning first the increase of £2·8 million to voluntary and community sector groups to cope with increases in employers' National Insurance contributions, the real living wage and other inflationary pressures.”
“Does the Minister recognise that the UK internal market is and always has been the largest marketplace for Northern Ireland businesses? Therefore, we must judge any change by how it improves access to that market and undoes the damage done by the Northern Ireland protocol. I ask the Minister specifically whether he regrets that he and his party called for the rigorous implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol, which, thanks to the stand taken by the DUP, was subsequently changed”
“Does the Minister agree that we should help more people with disabilities to get into work? What action will he take to ensure that that happens?”
“I finish by expressing my great appreciation of John's massive contribution to athletics and my deepest condolences to his family, close friends and colleagues.”
“A statement from the Belfast marathon committee included these words:”
“He served as Northern Ireland team manager at a Commonwealth Games and was previously chair of Athletics NI. In newspaper comments last week, David Seaton, another legend of Northern Ireland athletics and former race director and chair of the Belfast marathon, said that John was able to follow coverage of this year's marathon at home last Sunday. David said:”
“Having run the marathon six times in recent years, I am among the thousands who are indebted to John and the rest of the marathon board for all their organisation of a great event and to all the volunteers who make it happen. <BR /> <BR />On a personal note, it was always a pleasure to interact with John Allen, including when he attended Belfast City Council committee meetings on behalf of the marathon. He supported an event that we helped to organise at Paisley Park in 2017, which commemorated the 50th anniversary of the first breaking of the four-minute mile in Northern Ireland at that venue in 1967. <BR /> <BR />John was a member of Willowfield Temperance Harriers from an early age. He competed at international level in cross-country and track events.”
“I pay tribute to Mr John Allen, who made a massive, lifelong contribution to Northern Ireland athletics. In particular, he was a central figure in the development and growth of the Belfast marathon, serving as a director since the marathon's inception in 1982 and, more recently, as chair of the board for six years, including this year. John's passing last week was particularly poignant, as it came the day after this year's Belfast marathon. With record numbers participating this year and, it seemed to me, record numbers of people supporting the runners along the route, John's devotion to the Belfast marathon has left a strong legacy for many years to come.”
“They are the gender equality strategy; the sexual orientation strategy; the disability strategy; the disability in work strategy; and the active ageing strategy. We call for continued and timely work to complete the development of those draft strategies, and we commend our amendment to the House.”
“The independent review of gender identity services for children and young people, which was chaired by Dr Hilary Cass and commissioned by the previous UK Government, raised significant concerns about the use of puberty blockers on children. We are used to Mr Carroll regularly espousing positions that fly in the face of economic and fiscal reality, but, today, he wishes to foist puberty blockers on more children against professional and scientific evidence. Should we be surprised? <BR /> <BR />In closing, we recognise that the Communities Minister recently brought the draft anti-poverty strategy to the Executive table. We look forward to its being formally published and to the other social inclusion strategies following the same path to publication.”
“There should be no attempt to prevaricate or stall on full compliance with the ruling across Departments, and any gender equality strategy must reflect the common-sense ruling of the Supreme Court. I commend the Education Minister for providing clarity to schools today. <BR /> <BR />Regarding the alternative amendment from People Before Profit on the topic of puberty blockers, we in the DUP are clear that there should be no backsliding on the part of the Executive parties in showing leadership and clarity to protect children from undergoing those irreversible and life-changing treatments, including in the absence of parental consent.”
“Women who dared to speak out about their concerns were branded bigots, hounded out of their jobs and silenced in the public discourse. For years, women have been insulted by those who are in complete denial of reality. Fears about the safety of women and girls have been trampled on. <BR /> <BR />Although the Supreme Court judgement deals with how sex-based rights apply across England, Wales and Scotland under the Equality Act 2010, the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland has provided its initial view that the judgement is likely to be deemed by industrial tribunals and courts in Northern Ireland to be:”
“should not be permitted to use that space or service. That is a fundamental and common-sense clarification that emphasises the need to respect and protect single-sex spaces, services and categories, especially for women and girls, including in changing rooms and toilets, sports categories and where segregated accommodation exists, such as in prisons. It should also inform what is appropriate in intimate work duties, including for body searching and intimate care. It is sad but true to say that common sense on gender realities had been hijacked by a small yet extreme ideological minority, aided and abetted by parties such as Alliance, Sinn Féin and the SDLP, which pressurised businesses, civil administrations and the wider public into accepting a version of reality — their version — that denied all common sense.”
“It has been reported that the Equality and Human Rights Commission in England has since stated:”
“<BR /> <BR />Our amendment recognises that progress is being made across a range of social inclusion strategies that are being developed through a process that the Minister for Communities and his Department are leading before bringing them to the Executive Committee as a whole. Those include the gender equality strategy and the sexual orientation strategy, which are both progressing. We acknowledge the important input of the expert panels and co-design groups that have contributed to the development of those draft strategies. <BR /> <BR />Our amendment also references the significant recent Supreme Court ruling, which has brought clarity to the debate on sex-based protections, affirming that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological reality.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. The Democratic Unionist Party believes that unlawful discrimination, violence or harm perpetrated against anyone in society on the basis of their gender or sexual orientation is wrong. Every individual should be treated to respect and dignity, and, fundamentally, there can be no room for harmful or coercive practices. We have no difficulty with the first half of the motion, although I add that it is difficult not to view today's motion as a desperate effort by the Alliance Party to mitigate the fallout from its corporate exclusion from pride marches.”
“I also recognise that the number of people who live in the city centre is increasing, particularly in the northern sector, where there is accommodation for students and there are the night-time venues that attract them. <BR /> <BR />I am happy to lend my support — let us get this done; let us iron out any difficulties — and I look forward to the Minister's comments.”
“I do. As it happens, there was little saving in journey time, and it was obviously an inconvenience to the pedestrians who were on the street at the time. There is little demarcation between the road and the footpaths on that street. <BR /> <BR />Most importantly, the street has character. We sometimes create areas in order to try to create authentic character, but here we have character that has existed for centuries in one of the older streets in Belfast, and it should be valued. It has the cobbles, which might not be suitable for everyone, depending, as you mentioned, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, on people's footwear, and I recognise that they might not be suitable for people with disabilities, but, again, they have character, and that is what people want when they visit a city, especially for its cultural and music venues.”
“It saved a tiny amount of time, maybe, and I was quite annoyed that he went down Hill Street and then Skipper Street to take a short cut. I was annoyed that he did it, and I told him never to take me that route again.”
“As part of the Cathedral Quarter, it has the hospitality venues that have been mentioned, most prominently the Duke of York; the music venues, such as the Oh Yeah centre and the Black Box; and the Ulster Scots heritage centre. <BR /> <BR />The lack of pedestrianisation has, to use a music analogy, been a cause of 'Hill Street Blues', if you remember that series, but we can now see progress being made, and I look forward to the Minister's comments. I do not dismiss the need for consultation. We need to think about all the users of the street, including the businesses there that might need deliveries to happen. <BR /> <BR />I was once in a taxi that, not at my request, took a route down Hill Street. I told the driver off, saying, "Why are you going down this route? It should not be used".”
“I am happy, in following my colleague Phillip Brett, to speak in support of the proposal. I thank Matthew O'Toole for bringing the matter to the Floor, as Phillip did previously when he spoke in support of it. <BR /> <BR />Listening to Peter McReynolds reminded me of some of the debates that we had back in Belfast City Council days about traffic lanes, pedestrianisation and impacts on congestion. We did not always agree on those matters, but here we have one on which we do agree. There seems to be cross-party agreement on the value of pedestrianising Hill Street. It is a special street in the Cathedral Quarter and should be valued as such: it is a narrow cobbled street with the closeness of buildings around it.”
“A territory cannot have two heads of state. Our head of state remains the King. The Republic chooses to give passports to people who live outside the Republic of Ireland, but, even as passport holders, those people do not necessarily have all the rights of residency. Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom, and we cannot have two heads of state.”
“The Member talks about the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements. Does she accept, though, that they also make clear that Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom by the will of the people? Whatever the Republic of Ireland chooses to do regarding passports, the territory of Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom.”
“It is important for the public, and relevant for them, to seek clarity on the matter. This is not to dismiss the needs of trans people and seeing what is appropriate for them, but does the Minister also recognise her responsibility to respect and protect single-sex spaces, particularly for women? In light of the Supreme Court ruling, will she commit to agreeing that biological males should not be accommodated in designated female-only prison accommodation? That is what the public want to hear.”
“— the greatest act of evil in the history of humankind. We will not be silent.”
“We must never forget, as a warning from history, that unconstrained intolerance, scapegoating and the cultivation of hatred against a people can lead to genocide. It led to the Holocaust —”
“I have heard many speeches by elected representatives on the ongoing situation since that date, and I despair at the lack of balance in many of those speeches. Words have consequences, and many have chosen to speak irresponsibly and in a manner that has acted only to increase antisemitism and damage community relations in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />We long to see peace restored and an end to hostilities. Again, I call for the immediate release of the remaining Israeli hostages who were captured that day and are held captive by Hamas in Gaza. No country and no people are above criticism and scrutiny of their actions, but no democracy has been singled out for more politically motivated criticism than the state of Israel.”
“The first March of Life was held in 2007, organised by German people as a memorial and reconciliation march at a site connected to the Holocaust. Since then, marches have been held in 25 nations and hundreds of cities in cooperation with Christians from different denominations as well as Jewish communities. Events highlight the fact that the Holocaust perpetrated by the Nazis was made possible by the indifferent silence of many and the cooperation of others. <BR /> <BR />The clear message at the events is that antisemitism is wrong but is a growing danger, as are all forms of racism and religious hatred. It should greatly concern us all that we have witnessed an increase in antisemitism following the attack by Hamas on 7 October 2023.”
“This month marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany by British troops on 15 April 1945. Originally established as a prisoner of war camp, it became a concentration camp for Jewish people and others who did not conform to Nazi ideology. It is estimated that over 50,000 people died there due to inhumane conditions, including a lack of food and water, overcrowding and poor sanitation that caused disease. <BR /> <BR />The anniversary was a main theme of the March of Life, which I had the honour of attending and speaking at in Belfast city centre on Sunday afternoon past. The march paraded from the Jaffe fountain on Ann Street to the grounds of City Hall, where a commemoration was held.”
“During the passage of the Act, no thought was given to how a commissioner would interact with the Climate Change Committee or the Office for Environmental Protection. No financial modelling was provided, and there was no proper consultation or impact assessment. The Climate Change Committee's response to the consultation on the draft regulations for a Climate Commissioner was, in part, to point out the potential for its role to overlap with that of any new Climate Commissioner. It beggars belief that we are going down the road of a possible duplication, at a cost to the public purse, when no such office exists in any other region of the United Kingdom.”
“No, I will carry on; there is plenty of speaking time for all. <BR /> <BR />There has been a degree of revisionism in this place, and we have heard it in the debate, on the DUP's position on a Climate Commissioner. The record is clear: we opposed outright the establishment of such a position and voted against a host of amendments that sought to progress that proposal under various guises. At Consideration Stage of the Climate Change (No. 2) Bill, Tom Buchanan raised the following questions, which remain as valid today as they were then. <BR /> <BR />What will an additional body deliver:”
“It remains our view that, given the state of public services, including the pressures facing health, education, infrastructure, policing and all other services, any business case that is developed to operationalise the commissioner's office should not be railroaded through at the expense of projects that are, to all intents and purposes, more important and impactful for the people, communities and groups that face significant challenges in everyday life.”