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 listened to your questions. First of all, I would like to put on the record that I wrote to all the political parties on 7 July, including Mr Carroll's party, and offered a briefing and a sit-down over the summer to allow them to go through such queries. I could have talked them through the Bill. I remind you of…
I appreciate the Member giving way. He raises a very valid point that I will mention in my contribution later. You do not need the Bill sponsor to answer you. All you need to do is read paragraph 45 of the Bill's EFM, which clearly states: "The Bill could have potentially discriminated on the grounds of religious…
Well, hold on a second. You have not heard my concerns: you might backtrack quickly on that. If the Member can answer my questions correctly, I will be happy to support the Bill. If she cannot, I will have serious concerns outstanding. As I said, in its current form, it raises a few potential issues. I agree with the…
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for showing discretion. The first thing that I will say, to the Member for North Antrim, is this: do not assume because you will make a you-know-what of you-know-who. I want to put a series of questions to the Member about the Bill because, obviously, it has not been passed and has not…
I thank the Member for taking my intervention. Does he agree that, as the Minister rightly pointed out, the Department is under significant budgetary pressure when it comes to dealing with the issues that we raise with her in the Chamber weekly, such as potholes and road resurfacing? Does he agree that, if taking down…
I am happy to give way to Ms Bradshaw if she wants to come in and provide us with costings, but I presume that that will be another question that will be put down for her summing up and to which we may or may not get an answer. We would have operating systems, investigations, plenty of officials, contractors, removal…
FlaggedDecided on a second assessment.Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorialsCriteria met: Cultural grievance politics, Dog-whistle messaging, Controversy escalation.
I thank the Member for giving way, and I agree with everything that he has said tonight. Regardless of the bureaucratic nightmare and the new flags commission that it would create, he has rightly talked about the cost. We have seen some examples in recent months. Birmingham City Council has spent £2·6 million on…
Will the Member agree with me that the Linfield flag controversy was particularly pointed, given that Alliance had form there, in that its former MLA Stephen Farry had previously compared a Linfield away shirt to a UVF flag. It is therefore understandable that questions were raised about the issue.
FlaggedDecided on a second assessment.Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorialsCriteria met: Identity framing, Cultural grievance politics, Controversy escalation.
I could not quite pick up the answer from the Member, but I think that I can pick it up from the Bill. Subsection (2) of clause 1 sets out that, ultimately, there will be a test to assess whether: "it is in the public interest to remove a flag". The only way in which local residents' views will ever be sought is in…
That brings me to this thought process. There are laws in place at the minute; does anybody know why the Justice Minister is not pushing the button to ensure that those laws are followed? I would have thought that the Members giggling in the corner would be happy to speak to their party leader and ask why the PSNI is…
FlaggedFlags, emblems, symbols, names and memorialsCriteria met: Identity framing, Sectarian or communal antagonism, Cultural grievance politics, Dog-whistle messaging, Controversy escalation.
I thank the Member for giving way again. We have seen an expression of that this year. In Moygashel, there was offensive material: the police moved in. There were offensive flags in Londonderry. The police went in at an early stage to remove a bonfire, but, until the day that that bonfire was lit, a flag on it said,…
FlaggedFlags, emblems, symbols, names and memorialsCriteria met: Identity framing, Cultural grievance politics.
I would go a step further than that. If the legislation is enacted in its current form, we will soon see a number of no-go areas appear all over Northern Ireland, in republican areas and nationalist areas, where they will say to DFI, "Do not be coming into my area to remove any emblems". DFI will have no help from the…
FlaggedDecided on a second assessment.Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorialsCriteria met: Sectarian or communal antagonism, Dog-whistle messaging.
I appreciate Mr Gaston's giving way. Before he moves to clause 3, it is worth his focusing on the end of clause 2, which is probably the most dangerous part of the Bill. Subsection 3(d) provides that flags cannot go up in: "any ... place that persons of all national and cultural identities could reasonably be expected…
FlaggedFlags, emblems, symbols, names and memorialsCriteria met: Identity framing, Cultural grievance politics, Controversy escalation.
Does the Member agree that there is already evidence of that? A party that does not have any consideration of planning regulations when illegally putting up a statue or that ignores and plays games around the erection of a Sinn Féin billboard elsewhere is not going to have any regard for legislation about a flag.
I hear what you are saying about little helpers, and I probably agree, but where are the Members on the Benches opposite in their opposition to the Bill? I find it repulsive that the Irish tricolour flies in certain areas. Although the Bill stops that as well, those Members have remained silent tonight.
FlaggedFlags, emblems, symbols, names and memorialsCriteria met: Identity framing, Cultural grievance politics, Dog-whistle messaging, Controversy escalation.