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MLA Culture Wars

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107,469 records match, page 237 of 4299.

  2. Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage

    That is why I introduced legislation: so that it will be set out in law that the Education Minister will be responsible for making it. It almost sounded as though your colleague was having a bit of a go at you when he said that everything was rushed during COVID and not done properly, when you were sitting there as…

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  3. Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage

    I remember the meeting, and you said that you did not want to take responsibility for the payment. You said that it was nothing to do with you, to which I replied that the Department of Education held all the payment data and that the Department for Communities would continue to work closely with you to deliver it.…

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  5. Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage

    The Member talks about "progressive parties" and so on. However, he will note that — Michelle Guy referred to it — successive DUP Ministers brought forward this particular payment. I was the Minister at that time, and I was more than happy to do so, because I felt that it was necessary at that time. However, that was…

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  7. Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage

    I start by thanking everyone who helped me to get the Bill to Consideration Stage, particularly Jonathan and Stephen. We have worked back and forth on the amendments with the Committee. It was a very good Committee Stage, and that is what has made for quite a comfortable Consideration Stage, if I am brutally honest,…

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  8. Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage

    The Bill comes to us at Consideration Stage after scrutiny at the Education Committee. I state from the outset that I remain supportive of the principles of the Bill and its central proposition that children entitled to free school meals during term time should receive support during school holidays. In my role, I…

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  9. Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage

    The Minister's position on this is on the record, and it is the same position as I have expressed. The only thing that I will say in response to the Member's comments about COVID is that that was an emergency response. Many things were done during COVID without scrutiny and without proper consideration, as happens…

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  11. Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage

    I thank the Member for taking an intervention. Does that not speak to exactly why the Minister should be here today — to be part of the conversation, to listen, to engage and to have a two-way conversation with all the parties, particularly the one whose Member introduced the Bill? That is one reason why he absolutely…

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  12. Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage

    The Member said that the vehicle does not matter. Does the Member agree that it is important that we identify which Department is responsible for a particular area and that that Department is seen to fund it and deal with it? We could otherwise have a situation in which Education, which is already under £600 million…

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  14. Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage

    I find it very disappointing that the Minister is not here. That is similar to the debate that we had before the summer recess, on girls wearing trousers in schools, for which he was not here. That is insulting to all of us as Members but particularly to Danny Baker, who drafted this private Member's Bill. I do not…

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  15. Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage

    Mr Deputy Speaker, I will be brief. I ask that you give me some latitude on the overall principle of the Bill. I do not think that there is anyone in the House who believes that any child should go hungry in this country. As a food bank volunteer myself, I have given food bank parcels to children, and it was a…

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  16. Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage

    On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Would it be possible for all members to not face behind them as they speak? It means that they do not speak into the microphone, and it is really difficult to hear. That would be really appreciated.

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  17. Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage

    • Mr Paul Frew DUP
    • Private Members' Business

    I thank the Member for giving way. He is absolutely right to be cautious and nervous, because we have Sinn Féin trying to dictate to an Education Minister on a welfare payment in summer months when schools are off, but we know rightly that a Sinn Féin Finance Minister will not finance the Education Minister adequately…

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  19. Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage

    I will take the opportunity to respond to some of the things that have been said. The issues that he mentioned previously have direct relevance to children in schools. This is a holiday hunger payment, essentially. The issues in the evidence that he is talking about are addressed, and can be addressed, through a…

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  20. Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage

    You are on the Education Committee with me. You heard the evidence: you know that some children are returning to school four and a half months behind their peers who are not on free school meals; you know that children on free school meals are five times more likely to leave school without five GCSEs. The evidence is…

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  22. Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage

    Again, it goes back to talking about the Education budget. We could play this game, and I could knock it back and forward with you all day. He is spending multi millions of pounds on TransformEd; he is spending multi millions of pounds on football pitches that schools do not ask for; and he is spending money from the…

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  24. Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage

    This is the Bill's Consideration Stage, not its Second Stage, which was to debate its principles. Are you going to talk about the principles of the Bill again or about the proposed amendments to it? What is the DUP's position? Are you going to vote against the Bill at the end of the legislative process? I do not…

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