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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“We urge the House to accept the amendment.”
“As Members will have seen, our amendment takes nothing away from the wording of the motion but adds that the right to peaceful protest, including for those who protested outside Parliament Buildings this morning, is a fundamental pillar of any democracy and must be protected and that those who resort to violence and orchestrate public disorder on our streets should face the full rigour of the law. Our amendment:”
“If we are to stop this happening again, it will require a collective response from the UK Government and the devolved Administrations to forge policies that sustainably address concerns, including around the control of our borders. There also needs to be a serious conversation about how we can do more to crack down on the anonymous social media accounts of malicious individuals who are instrumental in sowing the seeds of violence of this kind, often through misinformation. The authorities should not be left to pick up the pieces because of a failure to crack down on social media platforms that are not doing enough to tackle hate online.”
“As police forces in England and Wales receive offers of additional specialist support, the PSNI is working minor miracles to uphold the law with dwindling resources and record low numbers of police officers. We cannot reverse overnight the neglect of policing budgets under the watch of successive Justice Ministers. However, it is vital that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, working closely with Executive Ministers, urgently examine what additional support can be provided to the Chief Constable and his officers in the coming days. <BR /> <BR />We cannot ignore the fact that events on the streets of Belfast were part of a spate of violence seen nationally across the UK. There has also been societal unrest in Dublin and other parts of the Republic of Ireland.”
“Violence is never justified, nor should it be an excuse for public bodies or politicians to run away from the problems and do nothing. We commend the professionalism of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, whose officers stood in the gap to confront the thugs who were intent on wreaking havoc and to protect businesses and premises that were under threat of attack. This remains a very fast-moving situation, and it is to the credit of every officer that the service was able to respond effectively and that officers were visible on the streets of our capital city. The police investigation of the disorder and arrests should be evidence-led, wherever that leads.”
“I implore anyone who is thinking of joining a public demonstration in the coming days to think carefully about whether their attendance could give succour to the criminal elements who wish to undermine the rule of law. That includes those who wish to abuse protests, create mayhem and exploit young people from the shadows. In the same way that wrecking your own community is entirely counterproductive to securing investment in it, political leaders who ignore genuinely held concerns of protesters take us further away from a solution, not closer to it. <BR /> <BR />The DUP wants to see meaningful dialogue with communities throughout Belfast and, indeed, our Province, and that is what we are engaged in day and daily.”
“I thank the Member for her contribution. She is absolutely right: we must stand against violence and intimidation, and we must address the issues in local communities that people wish to raise — we will do that on an ongoing basis — but those issues should never be used as justification for violence or attacks. <BR /> <BR />We also recognise that the majority of those who participated in protests last weekend did so without malicious intent and took part in no criminality. Many of those protests did not make the news. We are disappointed that some parties have labelled all participants as racists or fascists. However, we also fully accept that with fundamental freedoms comes responsibility.”
“However, if we want to get to the root of the problem, all need to recognise that individuals have the right to lawfully express those concerns, including through engaging in peaceful protest. However, it is clear to me that some people are pushing those issues to direct anger specifically at foreign nationals who are living in our community. That is disgraceful. It is depressing to see that anger and hate, which are causing fear for many people, particularly foreign nationals who live and work in our community, including in our care homes, health service, local businesses and services. I appeal to people not to be exploited by those with a racist agenda. Unfortunately, you see a lot of incitement on social media. People should be wise to that.”
“It is appalling that they, along with many others who contribute to our society, suddenly feel unsafe in a way that they did not before. <BR /> <BR />I also listen to the concerns that residents raise every day, including on recent evenings, when I have been on the streets. They have concerns about difficulty in accessing housing, particularly social housing; concerns about the level of private-sector rents; and concerns about antisocial behaviour and so on. People will have different views on the extent to which migration to Northern Ireland, regular and irregular, has led to the pressures that we face. There are other factors at play, of course, not least the chronic underfunding of our public services.”
“It is abhorrent that some of our most dedicated health professionals have felt compelled to consider leaving Northern Ireland as a result of recent events. It is no exaggeration to say that, without their contribution, our health service and other essential provisions would collapse. <BR /> <BR />Yesterday, at the end of a day of meetings and interviews, I met three care assistants from the Philippines who live in the Woodvale and Ballygomartin area and work in a north Belfast care home. They have been here for some years, and they get on well with their neighbours, but they are now concerned for their safety after recent events. I assured them that I believe that there is no threat to their safety, and I left them my mobile number.”
“The targeting of homes, businesses and places of worship, including our mosques, is and always has been absolutely wrong. Let us be clear from the outset: anyone who perpetuates such attacks while citing love of Crown and country is deeply misguided. Civil and religious liberty is and always has been a cornerstone of our United Kingdom. Every July, as unionists, we celebrate and commemorate the defence of that principle in times past. It is something that our ancestors fought and died for, yet those who resort to racist and sectarian acts of violence serve only to besmirch their memory. <BR /> <BR />Northern Ireland has a proud history of welcoming those who seek better lives for themselves and their families and who have enriched our communities socially and economically. That will not change.”
“The Democratic Unionist Party unequivocally condemns the violence and wanton destruction that has been witnessed on the streets of Belfast and elsewhere in recent days. Our message to those who are responsible for organising, taking part in or inciting that disorder is simple: stop, and stop now. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been impacted on personally by that unacceptable wave of criminality: every business person whose premises have been destroyed or damaged, with their livelihood uprooted; every innocent person who has been assaulted or injured or feels fearful; and every police officer who has put themselves in harm's way to hold the line against rioters. <BR /> <BR />No one should have to live in fear because of where they were born, the colour of their skin or their religious beliefs.”
“I have to say, as a DUP representative, that when the DUP took a stand to undo the damage to Northern Ireland's place within the UK internal market, the Ulster Unionist Party was against that tactic. You are now saying, effectively, that we should bring down the Assembly by not approving a Budget and not enabling Departments to make spending plans and to complete procurement. Do you not see the hypocrisy in what you are saying?”
“There is also additional funding for discretionary support, the cladding safety scheme, the arts sector and £20 million for new social housing, which will enable provision of around 200 additional new social homes. As a member of the Committee for the Executive Office, I welcome the funding for the Communities in Transition programme and for good relations work. <BR /> <BR />Finance is essential for the delivery of all Executive, ministerial and departmental strategies and programmes. Securing that finance requires effective engagement at Westminster. Therefore, it is essential that the people of Northern Ireland return a strong team of MPs to represent them, speak up for them and vote for them in the House of Commons, and I urge the electorate to do so this week.”
“Whilst those additional allocations have been welcomed, we note that the resource bids across all Departments were for six times as much as was allocated, and capital bids were for nine times as much. <BR /> <BR />Notwithstanding those needs, we welcome the confirmation yesterday of funding for the Education Minister to take forward his childcare strategy, for the pay and grading review of educational support staff, for special educational needs provision and for other general educational needs. As a member of the Committee for Communities, I welcome the additional allocation for the Supporting People programme, which supports a range of vulnerable people, including the homeless.”
“I welcome the Budget (No. 2) Bill's progression to Second Stage. We should acknowledge the £25 billion that the Treasury has allocated to public services in Northern Ireland, including an annual subvention of around £10 billion. At the same time, we continue to press for an increased allocation and a final fiscal framework that recognises the level of need in Northern Ireland as a smaller region of the United Kingdom. <BR /> <BR />Yesterday, the Finance Minister announced additional allocations from the June monitoring round of over a quarter of a billion pounds, as agreed by the Executive. Once again, the Department of Health received over half of the available additional resource.”
“I will go straight to the supplementary question that I have for listed question 10. How will the Minister ensure that the new Government at Westminster support the need for a final fiscal framework?”
“In due course, as the Minister has said, we will need a wider package of legislation in Northern Ireland, similar to the Building Safety Act 2022 in England and Wales, but, for now, it is right that the Minister has enabled us to address establishing parity on the period of liability through this short Bill.”
“As a member of the Communities Committee, along with my colleague Maurice Bradley, I welcome that we have reached the Final Stage of the Defective Premises Bill. We are all too aware of the desire to establish parity with the rest of the United Kingdom on the matter. I commend the Minister for Communities for taking responsibility for the matter and introducing this short Bill, and all parties for accepting and supporting the use of accelerated passage for the Bill. The Bill will change the period of liability for defective premises in Northern Ireland from just six years to 15 years prospectively and 30 years retrospectively. We have heard concerns from some relevant bodies that represent elements of the construction industry, but we are satisfied that the short Bill is appropriate with regard to public needs and fairness.”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for her statement. She mentioned the importance of cooperation and shared learning. Will she give an example of how discussions at the British-Irish Council have helped to inform policy decisions for us in Northern Ireland?”
“— there is a particular need in that area. I will follow it up with officials, and I would appreciate it if the Minister could at least lean on them and ask, "Look, can this be looked at again?". That is the only supplementary comment that I want to make.”
“Thank you, Minister, for listing the ways in which this has been considered in the past; I am disappointed, though, that there is no undertaking to at least look again at it. The matter is raised regularly with me by residents close to Seaview Primary School and by the school principal and parents. I have raised it with departmental officials, and they gave me an undertaking that it would be looked at. It sounds from your answer as though it will not be looked at. It is an area of tightly packed, narrow streets and terraced housing from an era when many people did not have cars. Whilst I accept that congestion is always an issue around schools —”
“I ask the Minister to instruct his officials to look at the width of the path, which is less than a metre. Groups of cyclists like to go past at great speed.”
“As the Minister may recall, I wrote to him regarding the Comber greenway, with thanks to my colleagues from Strangford. I run along the greenway, and there is a section, about a mile from Comber, the responsibility for which falls to his Department, that is heavily overgrown by plants. It is a health and safety issue because, as he will know, it is a shared greenway for cyclists, runners, walkers and people with prams. That section is very narrow because of the extent of the growth. I understand all the issues around the environment and plants, but it is a dangerous section —.”
“When the DUP took a stand to restore our place in the UK internal market, the Member's party was calling for the rigorous implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol, which the EU then agreed to renegotiate. Will the Member and his colleagues not take the opportunity to apologise to the people of Northern Ireland for calling for the rigorous implementation of a document that was damaging to our place in the UK economy and that, subsequently, the EU agreed to renegotiate? It was the DUP that secured those improvements to our economic situation.”
“I welcome the statement, which launches the consultation on proposals to establish a public inquiry and a financial redress scheme. The First Minister mentioned access to records. Many of those who presented evidence to the Executive Office Committee raised that matter and their frustration about it. Will the First Minister say more on how the Executive Office will assist people in accessing their personal records?”
“As the Chair of the Committee said, from our correspondence with the 11 councils across Northern Ireland, we know that they await the passing of these regulations so that they can amend their standing orders and agree their individual arrangements according to their needs. <BR /> <BR />As a member of the Committee, I welcome the progress being made through this legislation. We recognise the advantages that it can provide for people with disabilities or caring responsibilities and particularly for more rural councils, where travelling distances are greater.”
“I join the Chair of the Committee in welcoming the Minister's introduction of the legislation. I was a member of Belfast City Council during the years of the pandemic. Like all councils, we suddenly had to introduce the option of online meetings, and, whilst we all recognised the limitations of attending online, it was a practical need and a reality. As the years of COVID progressed, we were able to advance to hybrid meetings and provide the option of a mixture of attendance according to what the regulations permitted. <BR /> <BR />Rather than continually extending the COVID-based regulations, the Minister has rightly introduced bespoke legislation, recognising that, in the modern era, the option of hybrid meetings exists for online attendance, as we have in the Assembly for Committees.”
“I welcome the increase in funding for the Supporting People programme and recognise that the Minister is operating in a very constrained budgetary environment. Will he make sure, as far as possible, that funding goes to those projects that make the greatest impact on people's lives, are strategic and have long-term benefits for the people of Northern Ireland?”
“<BR /> <BR />I wish to express particular thanks to Malcolm Roberts at the IFA for his information and assistance and for his work in promoting the tournament.”
“The tournament will result in a legacy of investment in some of those venues and strengthens the need for a national training centre, which is to include a grass pitch. There will also be fan zones and community activities during the tournament. <BR /> <BR />Whatever the outcome is for Northern Ireland sharing in the British/Irish hosting of the 2028 Euros, the hosting of the under-19 tournament this summer is a great credit to the Irish Football Association. In particular, it is part of the legacy of the work of the late Craig Stanfield, who did so much to attract major UEFA tournaments to Northern Ireland. It builds on our hosting of the women's UEFA Under-19 tournament in 2017 and the UEFA Super Cup in 2021. It is fitting that the Junior Cup is now named after Craig Stanfield, in recognition of his work.”
“Most of the top European players of today, such as Mbappé and Ronaldo, played in that tournament in their day. Tickets are very reasonably priced at just £2 for children and £5 for adults. I encourage folks to check out the section on the Irish Football Association (IFA) website. Taking part in the tournament is a big step up for Northern Ireland. We wish our under-19 manager and Northern Ireland legend, Gareth McAuley, and his young squad every success in the tournament that we are hosting. <BR /> <BR />Training sessions for the teams are being held at a range of local community venues. I know that the board of Paisley Park Sportsplex, off the West Circular Road in Belfast, is delighted to be hosting some of those training sessions on the restored 3G pitch.”
“We have been able to enjoy watching on television the UEFA European Championship matches in Germany these evenings, and the standard of football has been good so far. However, it will not finish for us here in Northern Ireland with the Euros final on Sunday 14 July. The next day, Monday 15 July, is the start of the men's UEFA Under-19 Championship in Northern Ireland, which will run for two weeks until Sunday 28 July. Eight countries will take part: Spain, Italy, France, Denmark, Norway, Ukraine, Turkey and Northern Ireland, as the hosts. The venues for the group matches will be the Seaview stadium in Belfast and Inver Park in Larne, with the semi-finals and final scheduled to be staged at the national football stadium at Windsor Park on Sunday 28 July. <BR /> <BR />It will be a great chance to see emerging stars of the future.”
“No one wants to take responsibility, and it is a real issue that affects many residents.”
“I thank the Minister for that stock reply. As the Minister, the Principal Deputy Speaker and other Members will be aware, unadopted alleyways are a major problem in Belfast, particularly in areas of older housing. No statutory agency will take responsibility, and, particularly with the growth of private landlords, you get alleyways that become a hazard for residents. They cannot put out their bins, and some areas get severely overgrown and become a fire risk because people cannot get out or a fire engine cannot get in. I note what the Minister said about a meeting held at the council. Is the Minister willing to continue or commence discussion with, in particular, Belfast City Council and the Housing Executive to find a solution or to support resolution of the matter?”
“It is important that victims and survivors, who have been waiting for many years, see completion on this matter during their lifetime, as many are at an advanced age. <BR /> <BR />As a member of those two Committees, I welcome the commitments made by the Ministers to progress those matters.”
“<BR /> <BR />Briefly, as a member of the Committee for the Executive Office, I welcome the commitment to introduce a Bill relating to mother-and-baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses between 1922 and 1995. There is a commitment to a public inquiry to investigate the range of responsibilities and establish further redress services. The Committee received delegations from a range of relevant agencies. What we heard was, at times, quite poignant and, indeed, harrowing. We heard from various groups representing victims and survivors, from the Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse and from departmental officials. For all concerned, this has been a long campaign for recognition, accountability and redress.”
“Thirdly, Members will be aware of the Minister for Communities' very timely and responsible actions in taking responsibility for defective premises. He is addressing an issue that was highlighted in the news by bringing forward legislation that, again, establishes parity with arrangements elsewhere in the United Kingdom. The periods of liability will be 30 years retrospectively and 15 years prospectively. With the approval of the full Executive, the Minister agreed to bring that forward under accelerated passage. The full Executive supported that. There was a matter on which there was confusion over where responsibility lay, but the Minister for Communities stepped forward. There will also be a sign language Bill to ensure access to British Sign Language and Irish Sign language.”
“The first is the Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) Bill, which was introduced last month and encourages employees, particularly young people, to take up the opportunity for automatic enrolment in pension schemes, where they will receive an employer's contribution. That will lower the minimum age and minimum salary level so that more young people have the opportunity to be automatically enrolled onto pension schemes and receive the employer's contribution. The second is the child support enforcement Bill. This will address lengthy court times, which are typically 22 weeks in Northern Ireland. In the rest of the UK, however, they have been reduced to typically six weeks. That will be welcomed by all, ensuring that payments are received by parents with responsibility.”
“I welcome the publication of the programme of legislation, which the Executive intend to bring forward during the remaining six months of 2024. Let us be mindful of the timescale: it not a full year's programme and is for the remaining six months of the year. As has been stated, the programme does not represent the totality of Ministers' intentions, but it is a clear commitment from each Minister to legislation that they will progress during the remainder of the year. <BR /> <BR />The programme responds to real needs in our society and the need to catch up with relevant legislation in the rest of the United Kingdom. As a member of the Committee for Communities, I welcome the undertaking by the Minister to bring forward four Bills.”
“Does the Member agree that the legislation is urgently required and that all parties should cooperate to ensure that progress is made at the earliest opportunity?”
“The deputy First Minister will agree that east-west relations through the East-West Council and the British-Irish Council (BIC) are just as vital as North/South relations through the North/South Ministerial Council. With the general election taking place on 4 July, will the next meeting of the British-Irish Council proceed as planned?”
“This afternoon, the Minister for Communities will bring before the Assembly a number of motions relating to statutory rules and regulations regarding pension matters and social security benefits. Each of those matters of legislation has its own importance. Whilst the technicality might not be the most exciting for a debate, they have their importance, particularly in establishing parity between arrangements in Northern Ireland and elsewhere in the United Kingdom, given that pensions are organised generally at that level. <BR /> <BR />As the Deputy Chair said, the Committee for Communities considered these matters, and my colleague on the Committee, Maurice Bradley, and I welcome the fact that the Minister is now bringing them before the Assembly.”
“<BR /> <BR />As has been mentioned, there are a bursary funds for pupils, one of which is run by the Boys' Model, one by the Aisling awards and one — the Baroness May Blood awards — by the Argyle Business Centre. Those three bursary awards cooperate to enable pupils to move on to further and higher education. <BR /> <BR />In closing, I welcome the opportunity to highlight some of the positive initiatives supporting educational achievement in the greater Shankill area.”
“Both Model schools are also part of the north Belfast area learning community, which involves 11 post-primary schools on a cross-community basis plus the Belfast Metropolitan colleges. It facilitates shared classes in some A-level subjects, for which one school alone could not provide sufficient numbers. A number of inter-school activities bring pupils together in the interests of shared education, including the inter-schools North Belfast Youth Choir, formerly known as Harmony North. <BR /> <BR />Returning to West Belfast before someone reminds me of the subject of the debate, I am pleased to note that the eight primary schools in the greater Shankill area are in the process of establishing a Shankill primary area learning community. That is a positive initiative that will benefit the entire school community.”
“The school principal, Mary Montgomery OBE, was a key member of the expert panel on educational underachievement in Northern Ireland. The panel submitted its final report and action plan entitled 'A Fair Start' to the Education Minister in May 2021, and the Northern Ireland Executive endorsed it.”
“<BR /> <BR />I say as a member of the Boys' Model School board of governors that the school consistently performs well above the expected level of exam results for its level of free school meal pupils.”
“In the Boys' Model School, it funds parent support; transition activities for P7 to year 8 pupils; pupil support teams of staff who engage with vulnerable young people who are at risk of dropping out; and learning mentor intervention, which is targeted academic support at GCSE and A level. Both Model schools have seen year-on-year improvements in results and pupil attendance, notwithstanding the COVID impact. That could not happen without Full Service extended schools money. That money is approved annually, and so it remains constantly under threat. It would be catastrophic for the Model schools if it were to be lost. Funding in young people's education is the best way in which to prevent negative consequences later in life.”
“<BR /> <BR />As Pat Sheehan mentioned, in the wider west Belfast area, Full Service Community Network funding flows through the West Belfast Partnership Board, and is used for interventions that are considered to be the most appropriate. In the greater Shankill area, Full Service extended schools money is given directly to the Boys' Model School and the Belfast Model School for Girls to put in place relevant interventions, including linking with community partners, such as the Greater Shankill Partnership. The Model schools submit a joint evaluative report to the Department of Education each year on that funding. I understand that the funding is approximately £185,000 per year for each school. It is considered invaluable by the school governors.”
“I spoke about that matter in a Member's statement this morning, in which I thanked the Minister and his predecessors for bringing about the confirmation of that long-awaited funding. The Minister also announced last week £20 million for a major programme of investment to deliver innovative and community-informed approaches to raising achievement and reducing educational disadvantage in Northern Ireland. In areas of multiple disadvantage, there are additional challenges and complexities that face children, their families and the education system. I will always speak up for the need for additional resources to help children, their families and the educational system to address and overcome those additional challenges.”