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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 qualifying, uncertain or not yet analysed.
I am always happy to allow officials to engage with councils to see what role, if any, we can play in that regard. It is not solely a matter for my Department; there are ways in which the Department for Infrastructure and the Department for the Economy can work together. We saw that most recently in some of the work…
It is important to note that I did not, at any stage, commit to bringing forward legislation in my response to the report. However, I have continued to progress a number of commitments, including a public consultation to explore how the liquor licensing regime can better support innovation and market diversity. That…
I have not met the representatives of the night-time economy following the publication of my response to the report of the independent review of the liquor licensing system in Northern Ireland on 18 November 2025. Indeed, given the ongoing legal proceedings, any potential engagement requires careful consideration, and…
The Member and I have been blessed this evening in having a lack of interventions. Members may just be getting fed up with some of it. On that point, how is the Member assured that that would not be the case? How does he ensure that somebody in that circumstance cannot be considered to be a victim? What does that mean…
I understand the wish to enact legislation like this to ensure that people do not abuse people or force them to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. On the face of it, that seems to be a worthy objective. However, that does not mean that it can or should be turned into criminal law. Attempting to do so…
I did not hear what Mr McCrossan said from across the Chamber, but I am sure that it was very cheeky, so I am just going to ignore him. If he wants to make an intervention, he can. Behave yourself. Come on now, Daniel. Sorry, that is your job, Mr Deputy Speaker. Throw him out. Just throw him out.
Yes, I agree with the Member. That experience is valuable, and we can see what has happened elsewhere. On that point, we need to be careful when some Members say, "Oh, they have Bills like this in Malta" or other countries. Yes, they do, but not all of those are drafted the same. Some of the concerns are specific to…
I am grateful to the Member for the intervention. He obviously disagrees with my interpretation of the Bill, and he obviously disagrees with my interpretation of my interpretation of the Bill as well. We have been over that a few times, but I still believe on the basis of what is written in front of us that, if the…
I am glad that the Member has acknowledged that that reassurance needs to be given. I recognise his other point as well, but I will come to that shortly. Of course, this is all about definitions. What does it mean to intend to suppress or change someone's gender identity? We have been over, time and again, what that…
I will not ask her to go to the Back Benches and make it again, because I get her point. We have heard it in here time and time again, and there have almost been guffaws and an attitude of, "A judge would never do that". First, we will have to wait and see what is in the legislation, because that is what a judge would…
I thank all Members who have contributed to the debate over the past couple of days, or is it weeks? I have genuinely lost track. It has been a useful debate, however. We have been able to tease out issues, and having that time has allowed Members to consider some of the issues that have been raised. Before I go any…
I am grateful to the Member for giving way. There is another issue that the Bill sponsor needs to address when considering to whom the Bill applies. We have talked about the freedom that a minister, a pastor or whoever may have at the pulpit to express certain views. During the debate at some stage last week, it was…
If the Member wants to make an intervention, she is able to do that, but I doubt that she will, because I do not think that she has the ability to properly articulate an argument. Sinn Féin today seems more interested in just shouting across the Chamber. Is it not the case that there is so much laughing and guffawing…
I am grateful to the Member for giving way. I assure her and the House that what Mr Tennyson insinuated about me is not correct at all. Crimes are crimes, and, whether they happen in public view, behind closed doors or in a domestic setting, they should be dealt with appropriately and fully. I am not giving any excuse…
I thank the Member for giving way. One of the core issues that we are dealing with in some of the defence that Mr Tennyson gives is that he says, "A court would not do that", or, "It would never be the case that this would be allowed through", or, "The courts would throw this out", or, "It would never get as far as…
I appreciate the Member's giving way. First, will she agree that "general principles" does not mean that we have to speak in generalities about this? Secondly, it is not just about what the Member says the Bill does; we have to look at what it actually does by interrogating the text. That why the Deputy Speaker, who…
I am grateful to the Member for giving way. Is it not fascinating that, in his response, Mr Tennyson said that he is happy to provide clarity but did not say that he is happy to change that. He is not happy to amend it so that we can make it crystal clear. Providing clarity? He has been trying to do that for all of…
Sorry, I know that the Member is trying to move on, but this, for me, is the key point in the Bill. I do not agree with what Mr Tennyson said about the definition of "conversion therapy". It does not need to be in a clinical or therapeutic setting. How do we know that? We know it because clause 4 defines "conversion…