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.
It is important that we recognise that, in this financial year, an extra £1·2 billion of in-year spending has been awarded to Northern Ireland by the Government. As the Finance Minister rightly says, the collective work of Members of this House and of other places has resulted in the un-pausing of two city deals. The…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a ráitis. I also thank the Minister for the work that she has done in securing additional funds through the fiscal framework. Will the Minister outline when October monitoring will take place to allocate funds for the rest of this financial year and when we can expect to see a…
I thank the Minister for her remarks. She will be aware that the Chancellor, in her Budget statement last week, talked about the pressures on health and, in particular, about the fact that, across England and Wales, the health budget will be raised by 4·7% this year and 3·3% next year. That is above the general…
Minister, you will be aware that a number of public-sector pay deals are outstanding this year. Will you update the House on the timelines for negotiating and settling them?
I thank the Minister for her statement. Employer contributions and the increase in the minimum wage have rightly been highlighted as having significant impact on small businesses, but there will obviously be a huge impact on the delivery of our public services as well. The Minister outlined that the Treasury had…
I thank the Minister for the statement and acknowledge the significant work on the fiscal framework, albeit with the caveats that she outlined because of 14 years of austerity. I particularly welcome the un-pausing of the growth deals, given their impact in Fermanagh and South Tyrone, Mid Ulster, Armagh, Banbridge and…
I thank the Member for his question. In my commentary since the Budget was announced, I have acknowledged the additional funding for public services. It goes some way towards showing a different approach. However, as I have outlined, it does not meet the significant pressures that we face this year and that will…
Minister, we have all seen the impact of austerity from London and of chaos and collapse at Stormont, but now we have the opportunity to turn the page on both. This is not an austerity Budget and cannot be described as such. People want to hear about the decisions that you and your Executive colleagues are making,…
Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Last Wednesday, the Chancellor presented the autumn Budget. I want to update Members today — the earliest opportunity after recess — on the implications of that Budget for our public finances. I have been clear that delivering quality public services and a strong…
Thank you very much. On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. At the start of business today, the Speaker advised the House that he had written to Members to advise them of the so-called democratic consent vote on the continuing application of the protocol in Northern Ireland. Will the Speaker's Office confirm that…
FlaggedDecided on a second assessment.Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereigntyCriteria met: Identity framing.
Minister, the legal aid crisis is an access to justice issue. The legal profession is telling us that it can no longer afford to take legal cases, which means that it simply will not, so those who are in need of legal representation will find it harder to get. I am also concerned about sole practitioners in rural…
It is a bit rich to attack workers who have every right to withdraw their labour and take strike action to defend access to justice for everyone. If criminal barristers are not being fairly remunerated for legal aid work or are experiencing delays, we will potentially lose them to more profitable fields of law.…
Can the Minister tell us when the Burgess report will be shared officially with all stakeholders, particularly the Bar Council and the Law Society? Furthermore, when will the report be published for members of the public to read?
I thank the Minister for her statement. Minister, it is extraordinary for you as Justice Minister to refer to the actions of the legal profession as "precipitous". To what degree does your Department's policy of payment delay impact on the legal aid system and access to justice for the most vulnerable and marginalised…
Minister, thank you for the statement, which talks about examples of best practice. Why has the Minister not followed examples of best practice in neighbouring jurisdictions such as England and Scotland, where the Bellamy report and the Roberton review promptly published their findings, yet we have this announcement…
Will the Minister outline the expected impact of the strike action today, particularly the late notice of the Solicitors Criminal Bar Association's action?
Minister, you noted that the Law Society and the Bar say that the system is broken. There are sustained increases in work pressures, real-time cuts and payment delays. We have heard about solicitors walking away from legal aid. We also heard, just last week, that solicitors are failing to come to the north-west to…
Minister, we see high-profile, serious criminal cases in England being concluded within months of the crime being committed. In Northern Ireland, we do not see that urgent progress in serious cases. Will the Minister give her assessment of why that is and what can be done to expedite delivery of justice in criminal…
Minister, thank you for your statement. Commentary around the Burgess report has already been made today in your statement and in questions. Can you set out for the House your intentions on the potential publication date and the next steps for the Burgess report?
Thank you for coming to the Chamber. I know that the Committee asked for that, and it is important that this issue is debated here. The publication of the report and whatever recommendations may come is causing alarm bells. To try to reassure this part of our justice system, which provides access to justice for some…
Minister, it is clear that there has been a significant loss of confidence among the legal profession in what you say is a process of consultation. How many meetings have you had about reforming access to justice, and why is the Assembly only being told of this on the morning of industrial action occurring?
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I wish to make a statement on work that is ongoing to reform access to justice. I am conscious that the withdrawal of services by the Criminal Bar Association and the Solicitors Criminal Bar Association, and the potential impact of that on some of our most vulnerable citizens, will be on…
The Labour Government have proved that they have no empathy with farmers. If they did, they would not have dealt such a brutal blow to the future of family farming through their inheritance tax extension policy. Farmers are, indeed, asset-rich because of their land but cash-poor, with it being a struggle to meet the…