Debate contribution: School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill: Consideration Stage

Debate contribution by Mr Paul Givan on 15 September 2025.

MLA

Mr Paul Givan

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

15 September 2025

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill: Consideration Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5099697

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I begin by thanking all Members who have contributed to the debate on this important legislation. We are, first and foremost, Members of a legislative Assembly. Some have cast a view and made comments that sounded more like what would be said at Second Stage than what would be said in a debate on the detail of law and wording. I am not going to go into that, because, as a Minister, I have a duty to focus on discharging what the Assembly is meant to do, which is legislate and be careful about the wording of law, rather than engaging in broader commentary about what could have been and what should have been. It is our job to legislate. Some have tried to lay a trap. Some want to bait me and get me riled. I am not going to do it. It is Monday. I had a good weekend, so we are not going to go into that mode today. This is too serious for us to engage in that. I want to focus on legislation, because, when the Bill is passed, it is what schools and others will be held accountable to. If someone wants to go to court, this is what they will base that on, so we have a real responsibility. Legislation has been passed by the Assembly that has been flawed and has not been correct, so we need to do our job and do it really carefully. In my role as Education Minister, I want to make a difference to the everyday lives of real people. More affordable school uniforms will make a real difference to people across Northern Ireland. That is why I introduced the Bill, which every party on the Executive supported. I am delighted that we have reached Consideration Stage, and I hope that the Bill will be on the statute book later this year. Let us remember that making school uniforms more affordable is why I introduced the Bill in the first place. I want to recognise the effort that the Education Committee has made to submit its report in line with the revised Committee Stage time frame. Some Members were not happy that the lengthy proposed Committee Stage was brought back from December to August, but that was an important decision by Members, as it prevented a delay of an entire school year before parents could feel any benefit from the legislation. I am aware that some Members have questioned whether the amended timescale will make any difference to the time when parents will feel the benefit of the legislation: let me assure the House that it will. Because we are at Consideration Stage now instead of later in the year or even next year, once the Bill passes Final Stage — assuming that it does, which is, of course, a matter for Members to determine — schools will know in sufficient time what legal requirements will be in operation before the 2026-27 school year. My Department will advise schools of the matters that are expected to be in the guidelines once the Bill reaches its final form. Work continues on clarifying draft guidelines and communications to schools so that they will be ready to issue after Final Stage. The conclusion of Committee Stage by the end of August means that that is achievable and that schools must adhere to statutory guidelines for the 2026-27 school year. Parents will benefit. I recognise that the Committee reported at the beginning of July. Timing-wise, that was admirable. However, important legislative details are missing from some of the amendments that the Committee has tabled, and I will talk to those as we reach the relevant amendment. I am happy to give way to the Chairman.

630 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:08 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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