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Utter rubbish from the Member. Utter rubbish. He asked me what I have done, and I outlined the list of the things that I have done during my time in office. He is shaking his head: well, it is factual. That is absolutely what I have done. I assure the Member that he is not rattling me. He is making me excited because…
I apologise for rattling the Minister. It would be terrible if he were to lose his voice in the midst of the answer to that question. Minister, over £18 million was spent on temporary accommodation in 2023-24 — again, on your watch — including £6·5 million in the Derry and Strabane District Council area and £6 million…
I will tell you what I am doing about it: I am doing things that no Minister has done before. I am bringing in intermediate rent using financial transactions capital, bringing in loans for move-on accommodation and working with housing associations to make sure that we deal with void properties. I have pushed more…
My Department's review of the Executive's People and Place strategy has broadly concluded with the development of a draft strategic framework. That has been informed by the views expressed by stakeholders through a wide-ranging sectoral engagement exercise. The draft strategic framework, which will align with the…
In the next number of days, I will launch a public consultation on the draft fuel poverty strategy to provide a long-term framework to reduce fuel poverty, recognising that it will have positive impacts on mental and physical health, especially for the most vulnerable in our society. The fuel poverty strategy proposes…
I hope that the Minister's throat recovery has not been set back by answering questions. The fire in his belly has certainly not been reduced, however. As we heard earlier, tomorrow is Fuel Poverty Awareness Day across the UK, which is organised by National Energy Action. Will the Minister update us on the progress…
The Member is absolutely right, and that is why any new scheme will be considered in the light of what came before and also the success of the scheme that is in place. Let me make this very clear: I want to do everything that I can to make it as easy as possible to live in a warm and safe home. That is why, in the…
I thank the Minister for his answer. He correctly referred to the success of the previous boiler replacement scheme and the importance of getting a new scheme in place, which he has done. The Minister will know that many people are unable to avail themselves of that scheme because of its criteria. Does he agree that…
On 21 September 2023, owing to budgetary constraints, my Department announced the closure of the boiler replacement scheme. Prior to that decision, the scheme had seen a significant decrease in the number of enquiries and application forms received in the previous two financial years. It was therefore decided to…
The Member says that he knows that, but he spent the opening monologue to his question saying all of that. There has been a bit of a mixed message from him today. I am about promoting Northern Ireland. I want to tell people in the United States who we are, what we have done and what we are about. That is what I will…
I thank the Member because, knowing that I am struggling with my voice, he decided to talk and talk and talk to give me a break. I am very grateful. Let me say this: I did not mention divisions or difference. Those are words that the Member used. This is not about opposition or one side against another. What I am…
I am all in favour of that agenda. It is an important one, even if the good Ulster-Scots quality of parsimony was not on display when it came to the cost of your visit to the United States. Some of the divisions that we think about, such as Ulster Scots versus Irish, were utterly irrelevant in the 18th century and are…
In the group, from the Department for Communities, we have officials from culture division and the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI); the Executive Office; the Northern Ireland Bureau; the Ulster-Scots Agency; the North/South Ministerial Council; Invest NI; Tourism NI; Tourism Ireland; the US Consulate;…
Fair play to you, Minister, for fronting up today when you are not feeling so well. The Minister has mentioned some of the groups that are involved in the cultural working group. Will he give us an idea of all the groups that will be involved in that working group and how they were selected?
There are a number of ways in which the Member's constituency will benefit. First, we have been highlighting the people who left these shores to go to the United States and whose descendants ascended to the highest office in the land. In his constituency, he will be aware of Chester A Arthur, whose father was born in…
I thank the Minister for his answer. Given the significant history between the US and my constituency of North Antrim, how will my constituency benefit from that link?
The most recent meeting of the United States/Northern Ireland cultural working group was hosted by Historic Royal Palaces at Hillsborough Castle yesterday, Monday 25 November. National Museums Northern Ireland was invited to that meeting to update the group on its exhibitions and programming plans for 2025-26 to…
The Member will be aware of the regulations that I am progressing through this place. I think that it was just last week that I took through some of the additional regulations that came about as a result of the 2022 Act. We will introduce longer notice-to-quit periods, as set out in section 11 of the Act, which was…
The Minister has been asked about Renters' Voice. We have also heard an assessment of the Minister's voice; mine is that he has perhaps been shouting a bit too much in here. Will the Minister give more specific details on the measures that he will bring forward to increase security of tenure for private renters? Two…
I do not have timescales at this time. I hope that she recognises that I have limited resources. The staff in the Department are fully focused on this piece of work. It will be a challenge to complete what has already been agreed by the Assembly. However, we are determined to keep going and make sure that we have…
Minister, congratulations on keeping your voice so far. We can tell that you have a sore throat. I hope that you get better soon. I was delighted to hear your response about no-fault evictions. The Scottish model leaves a lot to be desired. In order to bring forward no-fault evictions, we need Part 2 of the Private…
The Member is right to raise the situation in Scotland. Scotland tried to put in place what is, in theory, a no-fault eviction ban, but, in practice, it has been something very different. There are 18 exemptions and grounds on which a landlord can apply for an eviction order. The notice period for an eviction depends…
I thank the Minister for his visit to Park Avenue in Dundonald earlier today. As a private renter, I understand the anxiety that it causes renters. Will the Minister give his assessment of the no-fault eviction ban that has been in place in Scotland?