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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“<BR /> <BR />Education initiatives, including the motorcycle action project (MAP) in west Belfast, have been undertaken across communities in Northern Ireland to inform the public about the use of scramblers and e-scooters. That successful work should continue and be encouraged. Many Members have no doubt attended road safety roadshows that are run in partnership with local policing and community safety partnerships (PCSPs) to make young people aware of road dangers. The use of scramblers and e-scooters should be incorporated into those already successful events. <BR /> <BR />We also cannot overlook the role of parental responsibility in ensuring that such vehicles, when purchased for their children, are used legally.”
“Currently, when owners make a legal challenge to have seized vehicles returned, it often succeeds, resulting in more antisocial behaviour, owing to the inadequacy of current police powers in Northern Ireland. We should also all be concerned about the cost to the PSNI of storing seized vehicles that have not yet been destroyed. The Minister is aware of proposals to reduce the disposal time frames for seized vehicles. The question remains of whether she plans to explore similar legislation for Northern Ireland. We should move to allow the destruction of confiscated vehicles or to deprive the user of them permanently. Small fines are proven to be ineffective if users have such vehicles for involvement in crime, as some do.”
“We now need to see action on that undertaking. <BR /> <BR />I have raised the matter many times with senior police officers. They have told me that they avoid engaging in high-speed chases with the drivers of such vehicles, owing to the danger involved to all, but they do seek to identify ownership and to seize vehicles that are being used inappropriately. Our amendment therefore highlights the benefit to the PSNI of providing it with resources for drone-equipped officers to gather evidence and identify ownership. <BR /> <BR />Our amendment also calls for the introduction of legislation that emulates clause 8 of the Crime and Policing Bill, as currently amended, in England and Wales. The clause removes the requirement for officers to issue a warning before seizing a vehicle that is being driven antisocially and illegally.”
“In her reply, the Minister of Justice stated that her Department:”
“It is clear that legislation needs to keep up with that growing danger and that it is not currently doing so in Northern Ireland. Recently, I submitted an Assembly question for written answer to the Justice Minister, asking for her assessment of the adequacy of existing legislation in that regard. My colleagues Phillip Brett and David Brooks have submitted similar questions for written answer to the Minister, pointing in particular to clause 8 of the Crime and Policing Bill, as currently amended, in England and Wales.”
“Such vehicles are not permitted in parks, nor are they to be used on public roads unless they abide by the same regulations as any other motorised vehicle; that is, be registered with a number plate, have their road tax paid, be the subject of an insurance policy, and be approved as roadworthy, including working lights and indicators. Without those, they should only be used on private land, with the permission of the landowner. <BR /> <BR />In recent years, the invention and inappropriate use of electric scooters and scramblers has taken things to another level and greatly increased the danger that is posed. I expect that all Members have seen young people using those vehicles on roads and footpaths irresponsibly, including without lights on dark nights, posing a risk to themselves and to pedestrians and motorists.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. On behalf of the DUP, I rise to propose our amendment, which takes nothing away from the SDLP motion but adds some important action points that we hope all parties will support. <BR /> <BR />The misuse of small motorised vehicles in public spaces is a growing danger for everyone, including those who ride them. For over 25 years, communities such as mine in North Belfast have suffered from the inappropriate use of petrol scramblers and quad bikes on public roads, footpaths and grassed areas, where they cause immense damage and a danger to the public.”
“Minister, you have answered my main question. With the news that there is now a clear pathway for the replacement of the Finlock gutters on blocks of houses in mixed ownership, there will be celebrations in Ballysillan tonight. I thank the Minister for his attention to the matter. I ask him to continue to lobby for the works to proceed post-haste and thank him again for his good work on the matter.”
“I understand that the review has now reported to the Minister, and I would welcome the Minister's reporting on and giving us an insight into the conclusions and recommendations of that review, which surely will be key to reversing the current decline in NHS dentistry in North Belfast and across Northern Ireland.”
“That widening gap has destabilised the entire dental system. <BR /> <BR />We are told that the proportion of the UK's health budget that is spent on dentistry is the smallest of any European nation and that Northern Ireland invests less in NHS dental services per head of population than the other parts of the United Kingdom. In 2023-24, government spend on NHS dentistry per capita was £52 in Northern Ireland compared with £56 in Wales and £67 in Scotland. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the fact that the Minister has taken the time to attend the debate. Last year, he commissioned the general dental services to carry out a cost-of-service review, led by Professor Ciaran O'Neill.”
“The BDA reports that the proportion of time that dentists spend working on NHS dentistry is falling more rapidly in Northern Ireland than in the rest of the UK, falling here from 46% in 2024 to 43% in 2025 and just 39% in 2026. It is clear that something is fundamentally wrong. The BDA says that there is a:”
“That is a drop of around 28% in three years. <BR /> <BR />The fall in dental activity is even starker. The number of NHS dental treatments delivered in Northern Ireland in December 2025 was 40% lower than in December 2018. The BDA says that that collapse is due to the NHS payment system across the UK being insufficient to meet the cost of providing a modern dental service, meaning that practices prioritise private dental care. Those who seek NHS dentistry find themselves with literally nowhere to go, and the consequences are pain, poor dental health and debt. <BR /> <BR />The BDA says that a record number of dentists — 47,901 — are registered to practice in the United Kingdom. That number has increased by 17% over the past decade to an all-time high, yet a record number of people are unable to get on a dental register.”
“In all cases, the surgeries were not able to accommodate the large volume of NHS patient requests, so they had a blanket refusal. All said that the financial payment for NHS dentistry was insufficient to cover all the actual costs, as others have pointed out, and, obviously, private dental work gives them a better and more sustainable financial return. A number of surgeries have also stopped taking on new private patients as they are at full capacity and cannot cope with any more. <BR /> <BR />Statistics from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) and the British Dental Association show that patient registrations for dental services in Northern Ireland have been falling at an alarming rate over the past three years, with over 389,000 fewer registered patients in Northern Ireland now compared with early 2023.”
“I thank my North Belfast colleague, Phillip Brett, for tabling the Adjournment debate on the lack of NHS dental places in our constituency. The situation in North Belfast is, of course, part of a wider trend across Northern Ireland and, indeed, the United Kingdom. However, it is worst here. All the statistics reveal a steep decline in NHS dentistry. The prognosis for NHS dental care in North Belfast and across Northern Ireland is deeply concerning. It is one of continuing decline that will need significant intervention to reverse. <BR /> <BR />This week, my office staff contacted a number of dental practices in North Belfast. Of those they spoke to, all had closed their books to new NHS patients. In one case, that was due to the so-called NHS dentist leaving.”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Is amendment No 22 in the first group?”
“I commend the Minister for building on the strength of the historic contribution of Ulstermen and Ulsterwomen to the development of the United States of America and for winning benefits for us from that. Does the Minister agree that there is a stark difference between the performance of the First Minister and that of the deputy First Minister? One talks about being "First Minister for all", while the other does the work to represent the interests of the people of Northern Ireland.”
“Does the Minister believe that those trends should be ignored when considering the long-term effectiveness of minimum unit pricing?”
“I thank the Minister for his answers so far. Further to the previous question, I refer you, Minister, to an evaluation by Public Health Scotland in 2023, which found "no consistent evidence" of any impact from MUP on:”
“However, that needs to come from his Department, which should take the lead and be a champion. We in the DUP will be a champion for the people's money. It is taxpayers' money, and it needs to be well spent in Northern Ireland. We need to challenge where it is not being well spent.”
“No, my time is running out. <BR /> <BR />I will finish with the Minister of Finance's remarks. He said that such a drive for efficiency and cutting out waste needs to be applied across the Executive, and he is right. I have already pointed out that our motion:”
“Time is moving on, so —. <BR /> <BR />Matthew O'Toole made the point that the debate was like getting into a taxi when a taxi driver is mid rant. It is not just taxi drivers who like to rant, in fairness to them; there are plenty in here who do. Jemma Dolan spoke about how multi-year budgets and five-year plans can help with greater financial planning, which is true. Harry Harvey spoke of the need to tackle duplication and bureaucracy for bureaucracy's sake. Timothy Gaston agreed with our concerns about funding being allocated to ideologically driven pet projects, such as trying to change common sense when it comes to how people speak and live their lives. He rightly raised the issue of the toilets in Parliament Buildings, which is a matter for the Assembly Commission that needs to be addressed.”
“I will give way if another Member who has the detail wishes to respond.”
“The focus should be on psychological support. That is where it is needed.”
“We have stood against puberty blockers being prescribed to children in Northern Ireland.”
“I come to Members from the Ulster Unionist Party. Again, Jon Burrows came up with a DUP-related list. He did not mention the maternity hospital at the Royal Victoria Hospital, which successive Health Ministers from his party have mismanaged. Its costs have doubled, and it will be at least four years behind date.”
“The DUP will very much continue to champion efficiency. We will not be put off by the Alliance Party's attempts to distract us from the need for efficiencies and savings to be made in how we deliver for Northern Ireland by turning the debate into a party political matter. <BR /> <BR />Colm Gildernew and Pat Sheehan from Sinn Féin also decided to turn the debate into a party political matter and attack our party. As I have already mentioned, that party's Finance Minister has called for cooperation on the matter. It is a task for us all and one on which we should all focus. I could talk about the £13 million that was spent on a new state-of-the-art kitchen and cafe at Magilligan prison, but that did not make it on to the Alliance Party's list. Mr Tennyson focused only on DUP Ministers.”
“As I said, we have not called for a moratorium; we have asked for the case to be made. That education sector does not have the support that other education sectors receive. Rightly, in the interests of equality, the sector needs a supporting body to champion its case. We stand by that proposal from the Minister of Education. <BR /> <BR />I will respond to some of the comments that were made. Diane Forsythe pointed out how the deputy leader of the Alliance Party seemed to spend his time attacking the DUP. I wonder whether it is a smokescreen and that, in fact, his party likes to have all the public bodies and to see money going to lots of its pet projects. The Alliance Party likes to see money going to net zero proposals that have damaged our economy and prevented much-needed roads, such as the A4 and A5, being built.”
“That is not a moratorium, if a strong case can be made, but we should push back against the creation of new public bodies and challenge why some of them cannot be merged or brought in-house. <BR /> <BR />I will give way briefly to the leader of the Opposition.”
“Let me finish my point. A new public body typically means extra costs for administration, staffing, public relations, human resources, publicity, office and IT costs and so on. We must therefore ask whether all public bodies are really necessary. Could some of them be combined? Could some of their functions be brought in-house by sponsoring Departments? Instead of creating a new one, could some new requests be tagged on to an existing public body ? That is why our motion calls for:”
“The word "agree" is important. Collaboration on the Executive will be needed, but the Department of Finance is the Department that holds the purse strings, so it must take the lead on the matter. <BR /> <BR />If Members around the Chamber were asked to name all the arm's-length bodies in Northern Ireland, I wonder how many we would be able to name and what total we would get to. At the Finance Committee, we recently received a report telling us that there are 140 arm's-length bodies across the nine Departments. I do not think that we would have got to that number. In various Bills that are brought to the Assembly, we see proposals to create more arm's-length bodies with, typically, a million-pound budget for each new commissioner or public body.”
“No. Let me make some progress. <BR /> <BR />A culture of efficiency must be led from the top. That is why we have called on the Minister of Finance to take the lead. I point out to him that our motion speaks of the need:”
“Posts that come at a higher cost to the public purse through paying an agency to employ people do not represent best value for money. That cannot continue.”
“We have addressed our motion to the Finance Minister, and his Department has to take the lead in getting a grip on the issues that were identified: weak workforce planning; a growing over-reliance on temporary and agency staff; rising costs; and a lack of strategic clarity about what skills are needed to deliver public services effectively. As others have said, there is no point in having such reports if we do not take action to follow up on them. <BR /> <BR />The report shows that, as of April 2025, almost 5,000 agency workers were employed across the Northern Ireland Civil Service. I will return to the Minister's comment about that. That figure is more than double that in 2019, at a cost over five years exceeding half a billion pounds.”
“No, let me make some headway. <BR /> <BR />I thank those who have contributed to a debate that Diane Forsythe, Harry Harvey and I brought as DUP members of the Finance Committee. We want every pound spent on public services in Northern Ireland to be well spent, and we will continue to challenge where that is not the case. At the same time, I hope that all of us will campaign for a block grant settlement from His Majesty's Treasury in Whitehall that is larger than the £19 billion that we receive annually. We must also examine our own finances and see where we can make savings. <BR /> <BR />We have referenced the Northern Ireland Audit Office report, 'Leading and Resourcing the Northern Ireland Civil Service', which was published in January. That report sets out a range of serious concerns.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. <BR /> <BR />Whilst plenty of Members have tried to distract with party political attacks during the debate, there is, perhaps, to put a positive spin on things, some agreement on the need to prioritise efficiency savings. I remind Sinn Féin Members that their Minister John O'Dowd said that he was in listening mode and wanted to hear proposals and hear people pushing to make savings. The DUP will champion the need to make savings from the public purse so that we can deliver front-line services that matter to people, not have money spent on pet projects and ideologically driven projects. <BR /> <BR />I thank those who contributed to the debate.”
“<BR /> <BR />At the Finance Committee, we were told that, since 2024, 113 new businesses have availed themselves of the scheme. That is 113 commercial premises that have been brought back into use, businesses established and jobs created. Ultimately, those premises will be paying the full rates liability after the two-year period, rather than the 50% liability that is payable while the premises is vacant. It, therefore, brings money into the public purse, ultimately. <BR /> <BR />We support the motion to further extend the scheme.”
“I rise as a DUP member of the Finance Committee in support of the extension of the Back in Business scheme through the Rates (Temporary Rebate) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026. It encourages the bringing back into use of commercial premises that have been vacant for 12 months or more in order to tackle dereliction on the high street. Through the order, a 50% reduction in the rates payable is provided for the first two years of the reoccupation of the premises. The scheme has operated on and off, over recent years. It ran from 2012 to 2017, was reintroduced in May 2022, lapsed in March 2023 and was restored in 2024, following the restoration of the Assembly. The SR will extend the rebate order for the forthcoming year, until March 2027.”
“When the Minister saw the increases coming through for hospitality — for hotels and pubs — did he consider any mitigation scheme, as was introduced in England, to reduce the sharpness of the increase in valuations?”
“Setting the regional rate is an important function of the Assembly, and I assure the public that we will continue to exhaust every opportunity to bring in other funds and to make efficiency savings in our public services.”
“We continue to make that case, and we assure ratepayers in Northern Ireland that we will treat with great seriousness the funds that we raise from them for the public purse. <BR /> <BR />We highlight again that there are other opportunities to bring in extra funding. We champion the city deals that are now delivering across Northern Ireland. We also have the opportunity to seriously tackle benefit fraud and error and to return an element of those savings to the public purse for public services in Northern Ireland. I would appreciate it if the Minister could touch again on how that is moving forward. That is a serious opportunity to increase our funds so that we are not always, as a first resort, looking to local families, our property owners and our taxpayers. <BR /> <BR />We will support the motion.”
“Our role on rates is the only taxation role that we have, and we treat every pound with great seriousness. <BR /> <BR />We in the DUP welcome the open-book exercise that is being supported by the Home Civil Service as it looks at where it can find efficiencies and considers whether we can justify the expenses in our public services. The Committee is carrying out a review to examine where efficiencies and savings can be made in the Civil Service and all the policies that are pursued. We should constantly seek other ways to bring more funding for public services. We continue to highlight the need for a sufficient block grant that is based on our true level of need. We currently receive 124% of the funding average across the UK, and that should be at a higher rate, as other studies have found.”
“I rise to speak on this matter as a DUP member of the Finance Committee. As others have said, we have an important and fundamental legislative role in setting the regional rate. Those of us who previously sat on councils were responsible for setting the district rate and, likewise, legislating to set a tax on residential and non-residential property holders is a solemn responsibility. We take that responsibility solemnly and seriously, and we treat every pound raised in taxation with great responsibility, because we are taxing hard-working families — people who are struggling to make ends meet. We have had a spike in fuel costs this week. We hope that that will come down as quickly, or nearly as quickly, as it has gone up as the situation moves forward.”
“The Minister will be aware that the 64% cut in funding for third-sector economic inactivity support projects will result in 400 redundancies in two weeks' time and that the number of beneficiaries of those projects — 1,100 — will be cut in half. Is the Minister's Department in a position to plug the gap created by the reduction in funding from the local growth fund?”
“I join others in welcoming the prompt statement on this matter from the Minister. He set out some of the many demands that there will be for that funding. I note that the majority of the resource funding is being provided in the forthcoming financial year. As the Minister is aware, in the same year, there is a restriction on the application of local growth funding, which is having an impact on economic inactivity projects at community level. Does the Minister recognise that the squeeze will be in the forthcoming year? After that, I understand, local growth funding will come under the control of the Northern Ireland Executive, and this might provide an opportunity to lessen the reduction in the number of projects and where they are active in Northern Ireland.”
“The Minister provided no clarity on extending the north Belfast Glider route to Glengormley. It sounds as though it will not happen. The Shore Road was not selected, despite its having the width and access to Newtownabbey, so what is the Minister doing to improve public transport links, especially for people in Newtownabbey, who could have benefited from the Glider service? In particular, I refer to the opportunities to create additional stations for the Northern Ireland rail network, such as at the Abbey Centre and at Seaview.”
“Will the deputy First Minister say a bit more about what the delivery unit is, for the benefit of Members but particularly for the benefit of some from the SDLP who, going by some of their recent Assembly questions, do not seem to have a clear understanding of what it is?”
“People visit the site in times of emergency, as well as for the full gamut of medical procedures, including maternity services. The hospital was renamed after Queen Victoria in 1899, which is before any of us were born. It should not be targeted in violent political protest. If it is not possible for a major hospital to be a safe place in west Belfast, how could a major sporting venue or even a concert venue be viewed as a safe place to visit? <BR /> <BR />Let me be clear to those who think that they can erase the British identity from Northern Ireland: we are going nowhere.”
“That is a disgraceful and chilling threat. The vandalism belongs to the same category of so-called cultural cleansing as the actions of the Islamic State in Syria, when it systematically destroyed and damaged pre-Islamic world heritage sites at Palmyra and elsewhere because it wanted to erase items that did not suit its narrow view of cultural heritage. <BR /> <BR />Regarding the vandalism of the statue, where are the words of condemnation of that criminal act of intolerance and hate crime from the Sinn Féin MP for West Belfast, Paul Maskey, and the four Sinn Féin MLAs for West Belfast? Will they speak about the matter in the Chamber today? The Royal Victoria Hospital is the major trauma hospital for Belfast and beyond, where doctors, nurses and staff work tirelessly to save lives.”
“Last Friday, a number of masked individuals carried out a paint attack on the statue of Queen Victoria at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. Those responsible claim that the attack was about events that occurred over 125 years ago during the reign of Queen Victoria, but, in truth, they are just pathetic attention-seekers who carried out a hate crime. They have demonstrated once again that Irish republicanism readily descends into hatred, intolerance and, indeed, violence against what republicans consider to be British symbols, British culture and, indeed, British people. Where is the respect for cultural wealth and diversity? <BR /> <BR />Those responsible said in a statement:”
“The Member has plenty of time. Does he agree that it is also important that we do what we can to grow our economy and to play up the strengths of Northern Ireland and what it offers so that we secure foreign direct investment?”