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MLA Culture Wars

Reassessment in progress: every record is being assessed again under the updated rubric. 32,181 of 97,616 records done (33.0%). Rankings are paused until it finishes, so results from the old and new rubrics are never mixed. Progress details

33.0%

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.

1,781 records match, page 5 of 72.

  2. Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage

    • Private Members' Business
    • As a minister

    I appreciate the Member's giving way. I want to come back on that point because the Bill sponsor is fundamentally wrong on two of the issues that he has just addressed. He said that there needs to be a formal course of therapy. That exists nowhere in the legislation. Read what it says in clause 4. It does not say that…

    Awaiting analysis

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  3. Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage

    • Private Members' Business
    • As a minister

    There has been literal rolling of the eyes and huffing and puffing coming from some corners of the Chamber about a number of issues that have been raised on this side of the House during the debate. Has the Member noted that what those Members have not done in response is go to the text of the Bill? That is the…

    Not qualifying

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  5. Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage

    • Private Members' Business
    • As a minister

    I thank the Member for giving way. This is a key point. The terms "fear", "alarm" and "distress" exist in other legislation, with one example being the Public Order Act 1986, which applies in England and Wales. How those terms are treated is important. Where there has been intent to cause "fear", "alarm" or…

    Awaiting analysis

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  6. Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage

    • Private Members' Business
    • As a minister

    I thank the Member for giving way. Does that not set out clearly why we need to have proper definitions in the Bill? What she has just mentioned could be interpreted by a young person as an attempt to suppress. As we do not have the word "suppression" defined in the legislation, we have to go to the dictionary…

    Awaiting analysis

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  7. Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage

    • Private Members' Business
    • As a minister

    That is not the case, because it is not just coercive behaviour. I will have lots more to say on that later. This is how clause 4 states that an offence is committed: "a person provides or carries out conversion therapy if the person provides or carries out any of the following— (a) counselling or any form of talking…

    Not qualifying

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  9. Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage

    • Private Members' Business
    • As a minister

    I appreciate the Member's giving way. I think that he fundamentally misunderstands my position, because I absolutely have an issue with some of the horrible, degrading treatments that have taken place in the past. There should be no place for violence in our society. Therefore, it is not contradictory to want to make…

    Awaiting analysis

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  10. Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage

    • Private Members' Business
    • As a minister

    I appreciate the Member's giving way. There are good, key issues of debate here, and I would have hoped that he would engage. I feel that we have gone through this very quickly, and there are lots of things that I want to ask him. I will ask this question now. I draw the attention of the House to clause 5, which…

    Awaiting analysis

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  12. Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage

    • Private Members' Business
    • As a minister

    I very much appreciate the Member giving way. Not to go back to what we were discussing a few moments ago, but that is why definitions are so important, and should absolutely be part of the debate. What we say here does matter, and it is important that we talk about definitions. I think that the Member has said twice…

    Awaiting analysis

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  14. Debate contribution: Anti-poverty Strategy

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    She keeps talking. If you do not listen, you will not learn. If you were to read the judgement, you would see exactly what the hold-up is and that it is an Executive strategy. All that she has done is continually interrupt me, because she has no defence. Her party has been found out. It cannot deliver, and not only…

    Awaiting analysis

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  18. Debate contribution: Anti-poverty Strategy

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    If you would listen, you would understand. There is a duty on the Executive to bring it forward. Executive colleagues have not come back to me. The Economy Minister has not come back to me. The Finance Minister refused to do anything other than to note it. The Infrastructure Minister was not happy. She said that she…

    Awaiting analysis

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  19. Debate contribution: Anti-poverty Strategy

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    See, this is the problem with Sinn Féin: when Sinn Féin Members get an answer that they do not like, they seek to blame other people. It is in black and white. The judge said that there is not a duty on me to bring it forward; there is a duty on the —

    Awaiting analysis

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  20. Debate contribution: Anti-poverty Strategy

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    "Absolutely not", she says. I encourage her to read the judgement to see who has not responded. The Minister for the Economy did not respond to me. Were the Member to read the judgement, she would understand that there is not a duty on me to —

    Awaiting analysis

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  22. Debate contribution: Anti-poverty Strategy

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    The anti-poverty strategy has not been published because further work is being done on it to ensure that there is support around the Chamber and that it has the confidence of those who have been lobbying on the issue. That work has progressed, and I look forward to its being completed so that we can get the strategy…

    Awaiting analysis

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  23. Debate contribution: Arts Sector: Concerns

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    Clearly, the Member did not listen to what I said about the work that has been done on an arts policy that, subject to Executive agreement, will be delivered. He should sit out the question on the Irish language strategy, because, according to the court judgement, his party has been the biggest blocker of that…

    Awaiting analysis

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  24. Debate contribution: Arts Sector: Concerns

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    Yes, I accept the concerns. The outcome of the meeting was that we had a good conversation, and I outlined what I have already said in the House on the increase in funding, the fact that more needs to be done and the fact that an arts policy will be delivered.

    Awaiting analysis

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

  25. Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill

    • Oral Answers to Questions
    • As a minister

    Yes, it is. If people read the Bill, they will see that it states: "a person provides or carries out conversion therapy if the person provides or carries out any ... coaching or instruction". When I go along to church, coaching and instruction is part of the religious activity. I think that Mr Tennyson would say that…

    Not qualifying

    Assessment details Official Assembly record

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