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Mr Gordon Lyons: Assembly records
All of Mr Gordon Lyons’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
I am sure that she will not want me to step out of the agreed protocol, which is that the Department of Finance leads on these issues. It is right that we make the case, and I am happy to do that. However, it is more appropriately a matter for her party colleague.
Looking at solutions is what is most important. I have been raising those concerns at Executive level and with UK Ministers. I am sure that she will not —.
The Department of Finance leads on engagement with the UK Government and other stakeholders on the local growth fund and other funds that are delivered directly from Westminster. I have already raised concerns at the Executive about the proposed reduction in resource funding in 2026-27, which will have a direct impact…
Yes, it will include a review of section 167 of the 2008 Act. I am sure that everyone in the House knows that section of the Act. The review will provide certainty for institutions that are not established under the law of Northern Ireland but operate here for charitable purposes.
Absolutely. I want it to be introduced as soon as possible. The Bill's Consideration Stage will facilitate the scrutiny that the Member mentioned. It is anticipated that that will take place late this year or early next year. It is anticipated that the Bill will be before the Chamber for a final vote before the end of…
Of course, I want to make sure that we make it as simple and straightforward as we can for charities to operate. We know the work that they do and that many charities have had to stop work because of some of their more onerous commitments. We will keep this under review. I have mentioned the changes that we want to…
My Department is developing regulations to establish a registration threshold, below which charities will no longer be required to register with, or report to, the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Those regulations are expected to be brought before the Committee for Communities in the coming weeks. My…
It certainly has not been. The Member can see the actions that I have taken so far for sport. I have introduced the Olympic medallist fund and the Olympic legacy fund and am making sure that we are focusing on where we can get more people involved in sport. I was also delighted to increase the budget for the Your…
Yes, I am delighted to. I have committed to recognising the remarkable achievements of our Olympians and Paralympians at the Paris games in 2024. We all remember the incredible sporting moments and the incredible medal haul, which, I know, will encourage future generations to reach the pinnacle of their sport. We are…
I just gave the answer to the Member. If he has —. Perhaps he should let me answer the question before shaking his head. It is always better to listen first. That is how Question Time should work. I am telling him that that is the letter that has been issued to the sports bodies. I was about to say that, if the Member…
I have made no such assessment, because I will not be in a position to determine the level of Exchequer funding for Sport NI until the Executive have agreed the Department's budget. The Member will be aware that Sport NI also disburses National Lottery funding, and that is operated independently of my Department. The…
The capacity is there, but, unfortunately, communication with those who need the service is not always what it should be. The Member asked specifically about resources, and I can tell him that, in the year that I came into office, the funding for SWEP was £9,837. In the most recent financial year, it was £51,523. That…
Absolutely. If you take a deep dive into many individual cases, you will see that, unfortunately, many of the issues are health-related. It is not just about the lack of provision. There are often issues such as addiction and other tragic circumstances as well. That is why it is important that this is a collective…
First, the Member is right to highlight the weather that is currently being experienced. That is why the SWEP was put in place last night and is in place for tonight and tomorrow night. On the night in question, the service was provided to those who required it. My understanding is that some calls to the Housing…
I do not want anyone to find themselves in this position. I have supported the Housing Executive in putting a severe weather emergency protocol in place during periods of extreme weather for anyone who is sleeping rough. That is in addition to the statutory homelessness services that are already provided by the…
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the proposer of the motion and all those who have contributed to today's debate. I fully recognise the depth of concern expressed by Members about rising rents. It is something that I experience, week after week, in my constituency, through those who come to me. As recently as…
Legislative Consent Motion: Pension Schemes Bill That this Assembly agrees, in line with section 87 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, to the principle of the extension to Northern Ireland of the provisions of the Pension Schemes Bill relating to clause 109, Pre-97 Indexation, and clause 116(4) and (5), Funding of the…
Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. I welcome the debate and, indeed, congratulate the Member for securing it. I am sure that she and others in the Chamber will have heard the jokes and guffaws around the Building today about our debating the issue of poverty in North Down, as if that is somewhere where poverty…
First, I thank the Member for his kind words about Seán. I was at an event that paid tribute to him last week at City Hall. I have no doubt that he made a significant contribution to the document through his work in the groups. I pay tribute to him and to the work that he carried out. It was great to meet his family…
The specific details are still being worked out. The Member raises an important issue, however, because we want to make sure that the forum will be fully representative of the sectors and individuals that need to be on it, and I have stated that it will be. As for timelines, we can do some preparatory work now, but we…
I wish to make a statement to the Assembly regarding my plans to bring forward a new Executive disability strategy for Northern Ireland. Around one in four people in Northern Ireland experience some form of disability, and it is fair to say that we are all impacted to some extent. Everyone’s experience of living with…
The Bill is going through Westminster, and, if we cannot get the Executive's agreement on the matter, we will not have the same enhanced measures to detect, prevent and deter fraud and to recover money that has been overpaid or stolen. It means that the Treasury may consider penalising the Northern Ireland block…
I have two papers with the Executive on fraud and error. I cannot comprehend why the party opposite is not allowing them on to the agenda. The Treasury has committed to a business case that would see Northern Ireland recover some of the money that is lost to fraud. When we have Ministers going around saying how tight…
Absolutely. We have another expansion of the JobStart scheme to ensure that we can get more people into work and give them the support that they need. Certainly, I will make a bid for that, because it is a programme that has had a high success rate.