All of Ms Claire Sugden’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
To ask the Minister of Justice what engagement her Department has had with children’s rights stakeholders, including the NSPCC and the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, regarding the defence of reasonable chastisement.
To ask the Minister of Justice what legal protections are currently in place for children who are physically punished under the defence of reasonable chastisement.
To ask the Minister of Justice what guidance is currently issued to the (i) PSNI; (ii) Public Prosecution Service; and (iii) safeguarding professionals, on the application and limits of the reasonable chastisement defence.
To ask the Minister of Justice what assessment her Department has made of the impact of physical punishment on children’s (i) mental health; (ii) development; and (iii) long-term outcomes.
To ask the Minister of Justice whether she intends to introduce provisions in the Justice Bill to remove the defence of reasonable chastisement in law.
To ask the Minister of Education to detail whether his Department has undertaken an equality or poverty impact assessment on the current eligibility thresholds for free school meals, in light of recent statistics showing a rise in both relative and absolute child poverty.
To ask the Minister of Education to detail any consideration his Department has given to extending free school meal eligibility to include all children in households in receipt of Universal Credit, in line with England.
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail whether he intends to match the expanded eligibility criteria for Winter Fuel Payments announced by the Chancellor for pensioners in England and Wales.
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail whether his Department has received Barnett consequentials following the UK Government’s expansion of Winter Fuel Payments in England and Wales.
To ask the Minister for Communities to outline what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost of extending Winter Fuel Payments to all pensioners with an income under £35,000.
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs how his Department ensures that environmental responsibilities are applied fairly across all sectors, including public infrastructure and agriculture.
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to outline (i) what monitoring requirements the Northern Ireland Environment Agency places on consented sewage discharges; and (ii) whether there are plans to strengthen these.
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (i) how many sewage discharge consents are currently active; and (ii) whether his Department assesses their cumulative impact on water quality.
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail (i) how NI Water’s sewage discharge data is currently collected; and (ii) whether any independent verification of that data takes place.
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure whether NI Water intends to introduce continuous or real-time monitoring at sewage discharge points, as is now required of water companies in other parts of the UK.
When I became an MLA, I, like every MLA in the House, was required, under the Northern Ireland Act 1998, to designate as unionist, nationalist or other. I have no difficulty in being honest about a view that I have every right to hold, as provided for in the Good Friday Agreement. In fact, I have a responsibility to…
I have written to many of your predecessors about a road at Riverside retail park in Coleraine. The issue in that instance is that we cannot ascertain who owns the road, so there is no right of redress. It is getting to the point where the road is becoming unsafe, and I expect that the PSNI might look at closing it.…
Ms Sugden asked the Minister for Infrastructure to outline whether there is any discretion in policy or legislation to repair roads that are not in public ownership but have a significant public use and cause damage to cars without there being any right of redress.
Extension of Sitting on Monday 2 June 2025 under Standing Order 10(3A) That, in accordance with Standing Order 10(3A), the sitting on Monday 2 June 2025 be extended to no later than 8.30pm.
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs what steps have been taken to ensure the scientific basis for the proposed Nutrients Action Programme for 2026-2029 is robust and reflects on-farm conditions.
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs how the proposed Nutrients Action Programme for 2026-2029 aligns with voluntary measures under the Farming with Nature Transition Scheme.
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs what economic assessment has been made of the impact on small and medium farms from the proposed Nutrients Action Programme for 2026 - 2029.
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure the final Nutrients Action Programme for 2026 - 2029 reflects the views of farmers and the realities of food production.