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

Debate contribution by Mr Paul Givan on 29 September 2025.

MLA

Mr Paul Givan

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

29 September 2025

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill: Further Consideration Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5139352

Read the official Assembly record

Text

The Member is absolutely flat-out wrong. I appreciate that he has never been a Minister in the Executive. I do not think that anyone currently on the Sinn Féin Benches has ever been a Minister, but some of them have been the Chair or Deputy Chair of a Committee, and they know how the process works. This discussion might be more for the Final Stage of the Bill, because we have not talked about the actual amendments; it has been more about sentiment and concern about the process. However, when a Bill is brought to the Executive, all Executive parties participate in that and see what is in it. They are given the opportunity to ask for information, as the First Minister often does, and to seek to shape the legislation. Every Executive party — I will give the SDLP a bye ball on this, because it is not on the Executive — had an opportunity to shape the Bill. It was then introduced in the Assembly and voted on at Second Stage, and it was voted through. There was absolute integrity in the progress of the Bill through the various stages of Assembly scrutiny. When I was able to provide information to the Committee, I did so as soon as I could. I could not engage with the Committee Chair or Deputy Chair until I knew what amendments had been selected at Consideration Stage. I was not aware of that until the Friday evening or Saturday morning, when Consideration Stage was to take place on Monday. I immediately put pen to paper and advised the Committee. Similarly, when it came to Further Consideration Stage, as soon as I could table the amendments, in advance of the Speaker's selection of amendments — he did not select some of them — I sent a letter to the Committee to advise it at an early opportunity, saying, "Here are the amendments and the reasons for them". I have sought to engage with the Committee throughout the process. My officials have always been available to the Committee collectively and, indeed, to individual members. I reject Mr Sheehan's assertion. I appeal to Members to reflect on the substance of what we are debating and our role as MLAs. We are here to put into law clear wording that gives effect to what we want to do. I believe that we all want to make good legislation on this matter. The four amendments in group 2 that we debated seek only to provide greater legislative clarity in the language used and through the placing of provisions in the Bill. Amendment Nos 2 and 6 address an amendment from Consideration Stage by providing language that is more consistent with existing legislation, the Bill and day-to-day school practice. They deliver the intent from Consideration Stage that school uniform should support pupil learning. They place the explicit reference to "Foundation Stage" in a more appropriate clause in the Bill, which provides powers for differentiation, as needed, across school types, pupil age groups and, as the amendment makes explicit, Key Stages. When taken together, amendment Nos 3 and 4 move provisions that were voted on at Consideration Stage from clause 2 to a separate clause with a heading that signposts their purpose. Amendment No 4 further tidies language whilst delivering the Consideration Stage intention to limit or rule out single suppliers unless they demonstrate value for money and to ensure that information about any agreements that a school enters into is published unless they are put in place before the Bill comes into operation. That refines the Bill and ensures greater legal clarity in order to deliver the intention of the House. I commend those amendments to Members. Voting in support of them will demonstrate that we can work together and take our collective responsibility to the statute book seriously, and that we can deliver good legislation that is fit for purpose.

In conclusion, I will come back to my opening point, which was that my reason for introducing this legislation — indeed, Mr Mathison described the same objective, which he has shared throughout the process — was to address the affordability of school uniforms for parents and families who I know are struggling with the cost of living. This Bill will make a difference. If it passes Final Stage, it will make a difference to the cost of school uniforms from the 2026-27 academic year. I thank each Member for their contribution. I look forward to receiving the House's support when voting for these technical amendments. Doing so will put families first. Fundamentally, that is what the legislation is all about.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:18 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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