Every imported question, contribution and motion, with its classification. Unflagged, uncertain and not-yet-analysed records are all included so the analysis can be checked independently.
I welcome the chance today to speak on this really important topic. Autism is a condition that affects lots of people and in many different ways. As such, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to either diagnosis or support. What is clear, however, is that current provision is falling short of what is required, and…
I thank the Member for giving way. There is added complexity: think about the, potentially, many adults who are living with autism but have not gone through the process of being diagnosed. We have got better at diagnosing at an earlier age, but we are also dealing with a cohort of people who have possibly been living…
I thank the proposer of the motion today. Before I move to my notes, I want to highlight the fact that, last week, when I spoke on social media about this motion's coming up in the Assembly, a number of people who live with autism or have family members who do contacted me directly to share their experiences. An…
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Like Mr Boylan, I welcome the opportunity to speak to the motion. I do so as vice chair of the APG on autism. Mental health issues affect so many in our communities. Today is solely about mental health services for those living with autism, however. We all know the message "It's OK not to…
I beg to move I welcome the opportunity to speak once again on behalf of the autism community and those on the autism spectrum. The Assembly passed the Autism Act 2011 and the Autism (Amendment) Act 2022 under the sponsorship of past chairpersons of the all-party group (APG) on autism. It thus acknowledged that the…
The Member says that the party to his left said that the motion is not right and that it would not work, but, when offered the opportunity to table an amendment to the motion to recognise that, it did not take it.
I genuinely appreciate it. Do you recognise that, in a number of the contributions that were made in support of the motion, the vast majority of the time was spent talking about things that were not related to prisons, prisoners and that work? That is why it is fair for us to conclude that the debate is based on a…
It might not take 10 minutes. I spent time over the weekend thinking about what I might capture and cover in the debate. That has been clouded, and rightly so, by the need to ensure that the language that we use in the Chamber is —. I am conscious that it is a controversial topic to debate. It matters to a lot of…
I appreciate the Member giving way. As an Orwell fan, I am always pleased to talk about Orwell in the Chamber. Will the Member acknowledge that, in '1984', Orwell was talking about a totalitarian society in which one could not use those terms at all? The fact that the Member and other Members have, in the Chamber…
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Having listened to today's contributions, and considering the fact that my opponents simply did not engage with my arguments, I am more convinced than ever that there is nothing loving about housing men in female prisons. There is nothing progressive in rolling back rights that were won by women…
FlaggedGender, sexuality, abortion and related social issuesCriteria met: Identity framing, Dog-whistle messaging, Controversy escalation.
At the outset, I say that it was disappointing today, in a debate that purported to be about the protection of women's dignity and of women's rights, that a sequence of men in the Chamber chose to speak at us and for us rather than give way to listen to us as women. In fact, when the Ulster Unionist Party Member for…
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. As you are aware, the Secretary of State has refused to pull the Stormont brake in spite of the request to do so by every unionist in the House. Does not today's decision expose the basis on which devolution was restored as a sham? Mr Speaker, do you expect to remain in office in light…
FlaggedDecided on a second assessment.Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereigntyCriteria met: Identity framing.
The whole region will benefit. There are something like 17 actions. We brought together a wide range of people from the industry. I have a firm view, which I have always had, that, if you are going to design policies and action plans, you need to co-design those with people in the industry at the coalface who know…
It certainly increases the challenge. The difficulty is that that was introduced with no compensatory measures to support small businesses. It was, basically, introduced as a quick fix in one area without, in our view, any consideration of a region such as this in particular, where small and medium enterprises employ…
I thank the Minister for that comprehensive answer. What impact will the British Government's decision to increase National Insurance contributions for small business have? Will it make it more difficult for small businesses in particular to bring people into employment?
I do not have an assessment of the proportion of good jobs, but, as I said, we set four priorities across the Department on productivity and promoting good jobs that all of its agencies have also undertaken and that are now part of the draft Programme for Government, which, hopefully, will be finalised in the near…
As I mentioned in answer to one of the questions on skills, there are specific programmes for women in the skills programme. We have had many engagements with people who represent women in employment and other women's interest groups. People with disabilities, young people and women comprise a higher proportion of the…