Debate contribution: Defective Premises Bill: Final Stage
Debate contribution by Mr Andy Allen MBE on .
- MLA
- Mr Andy Allen MBE
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 2 July 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- Defective Premises Bill: Final Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4529054
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I, too, thank the Minister and his officials for the manner in which they have engaged with all Members on this important piece of legislation. The Minister and other Members have outlined the importance of the legislation, so I do not intend to rehearse that. Clearly, as highlighted by the Member opposite, my Committee colleague Mr McCrossan, there are those who have significant concerns with the Bill. Those concerns have been highlighted by him, so I do not intend to restate them. However, I would like to hear from the Minister on the Department's position on that and on the engagement that it has had with those stakeholders to allay their concerns. I would also like a commitment that the Department will continue to monitor and observe. It is not always the case that we want to take things forward by accelerated passage, but there can be exceptional circumstances at certain times, as there are now, when we need to avail ourselves of the mechanism. It was the will of the House to take this piece of legislation forward by that mechanism. However, it is important that the Department does not stop in its duty. I am not suggesting that that is the case, but it is important that it continues to monitor and evaluate any piece of legislation. I am interested to hear from the Minister on how he intends to ensure that his officials and Department monitor the legislation as it is implemented and make sure that there are no unforeseen, unintended consequences impacting on the wider sector. Finally, I am keen to hear from the Minister on the time frame for what he will do, because it had been suggested that it might be the next mandate before we see the further piece of important work on building safety. What is he doing to ensure that that will come forward a bit quicker?
316 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.89).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.89 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 1.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
| Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 10:56 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
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