All of Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank Members for their contributions on this important topic and the proposer of the motion for giving us the opportunity to highlight what we are already doing to improve how we plan and deliver infrastructure and, importantly, the opportunity to reflect on what more needs to be done.…
It is an absolute honour to get the opportunity to stand in this place and extend my huge congratulations to Rory on a magnificent victory. Indeed, completing the career Grand Slam is an incredible and remarkable thing. I am glad that we have had the opportunity to come here to say a huge well done to Rory. I…
I offer my sincere condolences to all who are in mourning on the passing of Pope Francis. His journey was remarkable, from humble beginnings as a caretaker to joining the priesthood and then serving as Pope, breaking precedent to be the first Pope to come from Latin America. The many comments and messages over the…
I thank the First Minister for giving way. It is important to put on record that the First Minister is, indeed, responding to the debate on behalf of the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister. It is also important that I distance myself from some of the personal remarks that the First Minister has…
No, I do not agree with the Member. There is a significant amount of investment across language and cultural issues in Northern Ireland, including the Irish language. There is significant investment in everything from the broadcast fund to Irish-medium education and cultural organisations. We heard reference to…
It is important that we ask questions about all the issues. It is unclear why the decision has been made. Did the Minister make that decision and impose it on Translink? Did Translink make the decision under the direction of the Minister? Is there a justification? Many people will ask what the justification is for…
Yes, absolutely. I am pleased to confirm that, certainly from a Northern Ireland and UK perspective, those benefits will not be impacted by any payment. We are having discussions with the Republic of Ireland to make sure of that, because we are conscious that there has been movement north and south. Some people who…
I thank the Member for his question. That is important work for the Department. It is a sensitive piece of work, given what we are trying to achieve, and I am really pleased that we have been able to make some progress. The work that we are doing, particularly on the mother-and-baby homes, has been very much shaped by…
Yes, of course. We have been clear that we want to see Northern Ireland thrive, and that does not mean just Belfast and the greater Belfast area. We represent different constituencies across this place, and I know that we will always fight for the best deal for all of our constituencies. The Member is absolutely…
I thank the Member for her question. It is always fantastic to be up in the north-west. It was a successful visit. It was great to see a dynamic company such as Alchemy move into Ebrington Plaza and be its first tenant. That is good to see, because the Executive Office has invested so much. Over £30 million, I think,…
I thank the Member for her question. We see that clearly. At the moment, the victims' pension scheme is open. There is no doubt from the feedback that we get that many people are not just suffering trauma now but have suffered it for many decades and need help and support. The mental health side of things is huge. I…
I thank the Member for her question. The victims and survivors strategy has been published. Key actions and schemes arise from it. We have asked in particular that the Victims and Survivors Service (VSS) take a look at introducing a capital scheme to support some capital works. We are conscious that, across our…
Many will say this: be careful what you wish for. People had a sense that the current Government would spend and would invest in public services. As I have said, though, that did not happen, because there simply is not that economic growth across the UK. That is because of decisions that the Chancellor made at the…
I thank the Member for that really important question. I have no doubt that she, like me and many across the Chamber, will have been contacted over the weekend by many people who are apprehensive about what is being proposed and about how they will get by. The Chancellor needed economic growth. We do not have economic…
I assure the Member that I will continue to work for everyone throughout this place, because this one thing is for sure: I am focused on growing the economy, providing good jobs, getting an affordable childcare strategy and tackling those health waiting lists in order to support people throughout the community in…
Yes, absolutely. I very much hope that I have demonstrated that in the 14 months that I have been in this role. I am deeply proud of the place that we call "home". I am deeply proud of Northern Ireland. I will champion Northern Ireland at every opportunity. Our biggest strength is our people, the richness of our…
I thank the Member for her question. With a name like Hanna, of course, we know that there are strong Ulster-Scots links, and I commend the Member on all the work that she does to promote the rich heritage and culture of the Ulster-Scots community. It is a fantastic opportunity. It was notable, when I was in the US,…
Building on our successful visit to the US, the Northern Ireland Bureau in North America is developing a plan for engagement across the US and Canada. The plan will take into account the Programme for Government, the emerging priorities of the Trump Administration and our core strengths in relevant areas such as cyber…
I thank the Member for her question. Of course, we all want to see peace in that region, and I am sure that we want to extend our support to those who seek to cement that peace, because that is the best way of avoiding the terrible human toll of any conflict, no matter where that is. I did not have an opportunity to…
I assure the Member that, absolutely, I took the opportunity throughout the week to raise that issue with everyone who would listen, including the new UK ambassador to the US, Lord Mandelson. I asked for his support in his representations to and engagement with the US Administration. I raised it directly with the…
I thank the Member for his important question. This issue creates and will create some concern, particularly in the business community. It is a complicated issue. Significant work has been done at UK-US level to try to secure exemptions for the UK. That would benefit Northern Ireland, because, given that we operate in…
I thank the Member for his question. I recognise the incredible work that not just our businesses do. It is not just about US investment in business in Northern Ireland but about collaboration and our investment in the US. We have many examples, particularly through our universities and in the space of creativity,…
I thank the Member for that important question. Since we were in DC last year, there has been a change of Administration in the Republic of Ireland, the UK and, of course, the US, so it was an important time not just to engage with business on our economic potential but to engage politically. The visit was a good…
With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 6 and 11 together. The First Minister and I are fully committed to promoting Northern Ireland in the US. Earlier this month, we led a Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry delegation to North Carolina that deepened the economic and innovation…