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 Member for giving way. I am sure that he noted my frustration when he gave way to the Minister but not me. The Member will know that I am steeped in the coercive control legislation and that I have fought, as he and his party have, against controlling and coercive behaviours. We have championed that…
I appreciate the Member's giving way. I think that he fundamentally misunderstands my position, because I absolutely have an issue with some of the horrible, degrading treatments that have taken place in the past. There should be no place for violence in our society. Therefore, it is not contradictory to want to make…
I appreciate the Member's giving way. There are good, key issues of debate here, and I would have hoped that he would engage. I feel that we have gone through this very quickly, and there are lots of things that I want to ask him. I will ask this question now. I draw the attention of the House to clause 5, which…
The Member is absolutely correct. As I said, we looked closely at the domestic abuse framework. The concepts of "coercion" and "harm" are already defined in law and are already successfully operated and interpreted by the courts, and there have been no examples of perverse or unintended consequences from the…
I appreciate the Member's giving way. Of course, it is right that there be scrutiny of all legislation, and I recognise the Member's acknowledgement of that. I wondered — it is something to reflect on — about the comparison that he drew between the coercive behaviour provisions in this Bill and the provisions in other…
I will make some progress and come back to the Minister. The Minister claimed that a preacher speaking from a pulpit on ordinary Church teaching on sexuality could be criminalised. That is also false. The behaviour in question has to be targeted at a specific identified individual, and general statements of opinion…
I will not at this stage. In relation to definitions in the Bill, the definition of a coercive course of behaviour is lifted from the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland) 2021. The Minister's own colleague Paul Givan, now the Minister of Education, called that the gold standard for defining…
I think that every Member understands that legitimate conversations do not tend to be coercive or to result in harm. I have set out the clarification that could be offered if Members have a genuine concern about the interpretation of the first offence versus the second offence.
I very much appreciate the Member giving way. Not to go back to what we were discussing a few moments ago, but that is why definitions are so important, and should absolutely be part of the debate. What we say here does matter, and it is important that we talk about definitions. I think that the Member has said twice…
I thank the Member for giving way. The legislation will capture parents. I am a parent. My daughter might come to me when she is older and want to talk things through. Clause 4 includes: "counselling or any form of talking therapy". Talking with your child is therapy. Clause 4 also includes "coaching or instruction".…
Mr Burrows is right about clause 6: there is reference to the court having regard both to what the victim considers it to be and to what the alleged perpetrator reasonably considered it to be. That is essential. The alleged perpetrator has to be knowledgeable that the person with whom they are dealing is gay or…
Thank you. It is important, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, that we conduct the debate with compassion and tact but also with precision. They are criminal offences that we are looking to create. Will the Member accept — rightly or wrongly and acknowledging that we can have different views — that the definition of…
On a point of order, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. Obviously, your role as Chair is to facilitate debate and discussion, and, obviously, if Members who hold the office of Speaker or Principal Deputy Speaker wish to contribute to a debate, they can do so from the Back Benches and not from the Chair. The point on…
On a point of order, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I hope that you appreciate that I asked that question genuinely. I have the Bill in front of me, but I am not clear from clause 6 exactly what is entailed. If the Member could outline the number of gender identities that, he believes, the Bill entails, I would…