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.
There can be absolutely no doubt that high streets and town centres play a vital role in the economic vibrancy and social cohesion of our communities, and we welcome the Alliance Party's motion. It is not an exaggeration to say that the businesses that we find on our high streets, big and small, represent the…
I beg to move Thank you, Principal Deputy Speaker. I am glad to propose the motion, which provides an opportunity to discuss further support that we can and should provide to our high streets. Alliance understands that high streets are at the heart of communities in cities, towns and villages across Northern Ireland.…
Mr Speaker, I apologise to you and the House for not being in my place during questions to the Minister for Communities. Minister, do you agree that it is vital that any member of the public who has any information, no matter how small, about the recent attacks brings that information immediately to the attention of…
I cannot reiterate enough how serious this is. There have been four attacks in a short time. On the topic of prevention, in the immediate aftermath, Minister, what assurances can you give right now to women like me who live in the north-west so that we feel safe? What will that look like? Is it self-defence classes?…
Like everybody else around the Chamber, I condemn the attacks against women and girls. We have the strategy and the framework, but we need funding to ensure that the likes of our community and voluntary sector can do the work and implement the aims of the strategy and the framework. In Fermanagh, Women's Aid had to…
Like others, my thoughts are with the victims of those horrific attacks, who were subjected to a terrifying and traumatic ordeal. I commend the courage of the women targeted. Minister, in response to a recent question for written answer, you told me that the Probation Board does not have a statutory role in where its…
I thank the Minister for coming here today to speak to this. Crimes of a sexual nature are some of the most heinous crimes, and my thoughts are very firmly with the women who were victims of those attacks. As we know, those types of crimes are significantly underreported and have low conviction rates due to the…
Thank you, Minister, for coming along this afternoon. There is considerable concern and alarm in my community after the four serious sexual assaults. Chief Superintendent Gillian Kearney and Detective Superintendent Lindsay Fisher have just finished a press conference in Derry, in which they reassured the community…
Minister, thank you for coming to the Chamber this afternoon. Like others, I condemn the recent attacks and the litany of violent incidents perpetrated against women, which has become endemic in our society. It is unacceptable. We have heard about strategies, but, Minister, how are you taking charge of the situation?
I thank the Minister for coming to the House today. My thoughts are with the women who were subjected to the attacks in the north-west. Minister, do you agree that, while a justice response is very important in ending violence against women and girls, it is more important that we stop it happening and that, to do so,…
I thank the Minister for her presence in the Chamber on this issue. We are all deeply concerned about the most recent attacks. Minister, it is important that we get this right with men and boys from an early age so that they understand the value of women in our society and that women cannot be treated in such ways.…
The recent sexual assaults in Derry were absolutely shocking. My heartfelt thoughts are with all the women affected. I will follow on from what the Minister said: given the recent spike in violence against women, what meetings is she aware of between the likes of the PSNI, Women's Aid and other support organisations…
I appreciate the Minister coming to the House to answer the question. Everyone in the Chamber supports the ending violence against women and girls strategy. However, the events that occurred in the north-west in recent weeks are immediate and concerning. What is the Minister doing, and how is she working with the PSNI…
I was shocked and saddened to learn of the attacks on two women in Derry/Londonderry over the past weekend. Rightly, we are all deeply concerned about the increase in incidents of violence against women over recent times. We must all do everything in our power to challenge and change the attitudes and behaviours on…
First, everyone should take stock of what the Member has just said: carers in Northern Ireland contribute £5·8 billion. If they were not there, that would be an incredible cost that would be put on the public purse, and one that we simply could not meet ourselves. Therefore, we all need to recognise the invaluable…
Thank you, Minister. In Northern Ireland, over 220,000 people provide unpaid care for ill and disabled family members. They save the Northern Ireland Executive up to £5·8 billion a year, yet they are not specifically mentioned in the Programme for Government. Will you ensure that these people, who provide such a…
I will certainly get that number for the Member, and I can confirm to her that we will be following in the footsteps of England and Wales. There will be some legislation that we will be required to put through, and my understanding is that we will have that in place for April 2025, subject to some agreement with DWP.…
I certainly will not be encouraging civil servants in my Department to pay too much attention to it, but the intention of it is to make sure that we treat people in the right way. I think that we should use our common sense, and I believe that we should treat other people as we would want to be treated. I think that…
I thank the Minister for his answer. Given the amount of pressure that there is on our public services and given the fact that there probably will have been a cost to put the document together, what is the Minister's advice on this guide to civil servants in his Department?
I think that the Member can guess what my view on that is. I am sure that there were good intentions behind the guide, but, let us be clear, there is a lot of nonsense in it as well, including not being able to say the word "Miss" and the phrase "ladies and gentlemen". My favourite is that you should not say that…
Whenever the issue was being touched on, I engaged with the Housing Executive. I said to it, "What can you do now to make sure that you are ready?". I do not want this rule change to come along and for us then to find ourselves looking at each other, asking what come next. I want to make sure that there is a plan in…
If the Member means the Housing Executive, we have been working closely with it on that, and it is ready to go, once it gets confirmation. It has a plan in place so that it can take advantage of the rule change and start investing more in the homes that we have and also ensure that we can build more homes. If she is…