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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.
That is an issue about which we will all have been contacted. I am concerned about it because so many really good organisations that do brilliant work have had uncertainty for some time. There does not seem to be any clarification coming their way. The Executive, with the Finance Minister taking the lead, will…
Yes, there certainly will be an evaluation. I hope that the scheme can be funded again next year. I apologise that I did not answer the second part of the Member's first question, which was about funding from other Departments. I have had correspondence and discussions with the AERA Minister, and I will write to him…
Yes. I am pleased to confirm that the fund has received over 800 applications. I am also encouraged by the fact that we have had interest from a wide range of sectors, spread across every council area in Northern Ireland. That is a clear indication that we have a great need for the fund, and my officials are working…
I will confirm that for the Member, but the information that I have is that applications are open to everyone and everyone can apply on the same basis. It is up to councils to decide how they allocate their regeneration funding. Let me cut to the chase: you think that something untoward has gone on and that I am…
It is up to individual councils to identify their priorities for regeneration funding. My Department applies a consistent approach that is based on the applications and priorities, and it is great to see towns taking the initiative to apply for funding to deliver projects that enhance their town centre. Funding for…
We will stand out on the international stage next year at the special event that the US is organising. We also have the memorandum of understanding, which contains key benefits for Northern Ireland. We are also raising the cultural connections, which I would have thought the Chairman of the Communities Committee would…
I heard some of the comments from the Chair of the Communities Committee at the Public Accounts Committee last week. He was very negative about what we are trying to do on our connections with the United States. I do not know whether that is because of his distaste for Ulster-Scots culture or because Northern Ireland…
The difficulty is that there is a huge cost involved in our doing that on our own. I hope that the Government do the right thing and reverse the policy. That has been the united position of the Assembly, but, as we finalise the anti-poverty strategy, we will look at all options in order to ensure that we provide help…
The Member should not be surprised to hear that the UK Government have not provided us with information on their intentions. I am not sure how much use any information would be anyway, because it would probably change within a few hours.
My goodness, the Member is brave in asking the question that he has just asked. He is wondering why we are not able to host any games here. We know that Windsor Park does not have the required capacity. He has mentioned Casement Park in the past. We all know that to have built Casement Park in time for the Euros…
First and foremost, I am disappointed that we will not host any matches in Belfast. I would have very much appreciated the opportunity for that to happen, but we know why it will not. In the absence of hosting matches, it is incumbent on all of us to look at the ways that we might still benefit from the Euros being…
We have been engaging with the Department of Health at official level on our correspondence with the UK Government and to make sure that other Departments are aware of their responsibilities. As the Member will be aware, the purpose of the levy is to tackle gambling harm, for which the Department of Health has a…
Clearly, there has been engagement with the relevant UK Departments on the issue. There has also been significant cooperation in Northern Ireland. In my correspondence with the UK Government, we have written jointly, because gambling is an issue that does not affect the Department for Communities alone. I have worked…
My officials are undertaking a scoping exercise on the feasibility and sustainability of a Northern Ireland industry levy that is anticipated to be completed by the end of the financial year. The outworkings of that exercise will be used to help inform decisions on a way forward.
Oh, it is coming. It has taken him only 11 months, but it is on its way. I look forward to seeing that research. I will be guided by the research on this one.
I go by the evidence. The evidence indicates that they do not work; in fact, all the evidence demonstrates that. For some, the solution to affordability is introducing regulation on rent controls, such as freezes or reductions. However, the independent research highlights the potential unintended consequences of such…
All that will be kept under review. If we need to bring in additional measures and legislation is required, we will do that. I note what the Member said about banning no-fault evictions, but, of course, that is not watertight. There are always reasons why people can be evicted; in fact, in Scotland, there are 18…
My programme of private rented sector reform is focused on addressing the key issues of affordability, security and quality in a way that balances the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants. The key actions that I have already delivered are improving safety for tenants by setting minimum standards for…
I am not sure whether the Member is aware of the feeling, but I have received many letters from constituents and had meetings with people who feel that the support has not been there for them. Many people outside of Belfast and Londonderry do not feel that there has been enough funding for the arts and for their…
Absolutely. The Member will be aware that I have set that trajectory already. I have sent a letter of expectation to the Arts Council, outlining some of the issues that the Member has raised. I have also had the privilege of welcoming Nora Douds as the new chair of the Arts Council, along with new board members. I am…
I will just repeat my answer: through that programme, I will fill the void created by the absence of an Executive policy for the arts. That means that I will be bringing forward that policy.
In July 2024 I established the heritage, culture and creativity programme, through which I will fill the void created by the absence of an Executive policy for the arts and for the historic environment. I look forward to bringing that forward soon.
We certainly have not been in a holding pattern. We had a 14-week consultation period to give people the opportunity and the time to have their say. It has been less than two months since that consultation closed, and, in that period, we have been looking at the responses, analysing them and taking them forward. I am…
The Executive have taken some moves already. We have not waited until full publication of the strategy to move forward. We have included — we have been criticised for it — some of the work that we are already doing. Good progress has been made on the implementation of some of those issues. The Department for…
There is currently no set date for the publication of the Executive’s anti-poverty strategy. However, work remains ongoing at pace in the Department to drive forward that vital work. The public consultation on the draft anti-poverty strategy ran from June to September, and input was received from a wide range of…