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 thank the Minister for that answer. It is heartening to hear that that high percentage of exemption certificates has been issued. However, only 140 of those dogs were registered in March 2024, and, come the end of December, there were almost 700. Given that increase in the number of registrations in that short…
It is now illegal for a person to own an XL bully-type dog without a valid exemption certificate. Any person who is in breach of the law could be subject to prosecution. As the Member will be aware, I introduced those measures in response to public safety concerns and to bring Northern Ireland into parity with the…
I do have a view on decriminalisation. It is one that I have raised with previous Health Ministers, who have the lead in drugs policy in their engagement with the Home Office and others. As I said, there seems to be no indication from the Government that there will be any review of the approach. I believe that the…
Minister, I appreciate the answer and the fact that this is a reserved matter, but I will come back to you on some of it. You will probably have a view on it, and, given the fact that 10,000 people here are affected by the issue, I would like to tease that out. Decriminalising drugs has proven to reduce addiction and…
The policy and legal frameworks for the misuse of drugs, including the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, are reserved to the UK Government. It is therefore a matter for the Home Office to determine and bring forward any proposals on the benefits of decriminalising drugs. I have not…
I can make it categorically clear, as I just did in my original answer, that I have never sought to influence or in any way interfere in any live police investigation in my role as Minister. I can also make it categorically clear that I think that raising the issue in this manner and highlighting an individual in this…
Thank you. I am aware of that, Mr Speaker. If I had been permitted to finish my question, it would have been clear that I was not going to stray into that territory. Given that this is a serious matter of public importance, I am attempting to offer the Minister an opportunity to make it clear categorically, yes or no,…
The investigation of crime is ultimately an operational matter for the Chief Constable, who is accountable to the Northern Ireland Policing Board. Given that I am committed to respecting the operational independence of both organisations, as I have made clear repeatedly in the House, it would not be appropriate for me…
The Policing Board, the Chief Constable and I meet regularly on a tripartite basis now to discuss issues arising either to do with budget, to do with policy or, indeed, where appropriate, to do with recruitment. However, it remains for the Chief Constable to answer the question that the Member asked about whether the…
I thank the Minister for her answer. I understand that it is the responsibility of the Chief Constable, but I am also aware that sometimes in the past there has been a long delay and a waiting list for officers appointed through a recruitment exercise. Has the Minister had some communication with the Chief Constable…
Ultimately, the decision to go to recruitment is one for the Chief Constable, and it is for the Chief Constable to be confident that he has the money to recruit new officers. As I explained earlier, we do have a business case that is under preparation with my officials and the PSNI at the moment. We hope to take that…
As you are aware, employees of the Northern Ireland Prison Service are NICS employees and therefore can avail themselves of all the online services and training programmes that are available. Bespoke training opportunities are also available for Prison Service staff. Those who work in prisons as prison officers are…
Thank you, Minister. You are right, and, in many ways, I am looking at training our workforce. The Northern Ireland Civil Service has implemented a domestic and sexual abuse e-learning package for staff. Can the Minister confirm whether that e-learning package has been rolled out in the Northern Ireland Prison Service…
The Member will know that the rationale for safe space advocates is part of the TEO-led ending violence against women and girls strategy. We have a number of strands of work that we do with prisoners — those who are themselves victims of domestic and sexual violence and abuse and those who are perpetrators, through…
I can give the assurance that, first of all, that formed my priority in the previous mandate, which is why, during that period, the legislation changed so dramatically around this issue, stalking, sexual offences and all of the other related issues. It continues to be my priority. It is important that anyone who is…
I thank the Minister for her answer. What reassurance can she give to victims of domestic violence and abuse who come forward that their case will be taken seriously at every stage of the justice system?
It is well known that, during periods in which people are confined to home and do not have access to work, school, employment or other diversions, sadly, the number of reports of domestic incidents, abuse and violence increases. Times where financial pressure is layered upon that, particularly around Christmas, can…
Rehabilitation is a key priority for the Northern Ireland Prison Service. Individuals committed to its care are offered the opportunity to develop skills and employer-recognised qualifications in order to give them the best chance of securing gainful employment on release, which, evidence shows, is a key factor in the…
My understanding from the last time that I looked is that the cost of the separated regime is somewhere between £2·5 million and £4 million per annum. That is a relatively small amount in the context of my overall budget, but, as the Member said, it is nevertheless significant. As I said in response to the Member's…
I wish the Minister a happy new year. Minister, the cost of the separated prison regime is significant. Has your Department been able to annualise the costs and look at their impact? Will you report those costs, please?
I agree that it is extremely challenging, but I disagree that it is impossible. I do not believe that it is impossible. Rather, I believe that it is possible and that, if we work together, we can achieve it. The first and most important part of doing that is for us to get the business case together. That business case…