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.
The current contract is for use by Assembly Commission business areas and does not, at present, extend to Members' individual constituency or party political requirements. As the contract is due to expire in April 2027, the scope of future provision can be considered as part of planning for the next contractual…
I thank you for your detailed answer. Is the Commission's sign language interpretation services contract available to Members, for instance, if they need to book interpreters?
I thank the Member for her question. The Sign Language Bill makes provision for the recognition and promotion of British Sign Language (BSL) and Irish Sign Language (ISL). Once enacted and commenced, it is expected to place duties on prescribed organisations, including duties to take reasonable steps to ensure that…
As the Member mentioned, one example is the Assembly's Women's Caucus, which has a particular focus on supporting women in public life and highlighting the increasing challenges that women face in the digital sphere, including online abuse. This year, the caucus is undertaking a gender-sensitive audit and is working…
I thank my colleague for that answer. As he said, it is extremely important that, as a facilitator of democratic debate and government here and as an employer, the Assembly is an exemplar. What are the formal or informal means whereby information or best practice, as has been gathered by, for example, the Youth…
With your permission, Mr Deputy Speaker, I may need an extra minute to answer this question. While the Assembly Commission is not a delivery body for the Executive’s strategic framework to end violence against women and girls, it supports its objectives, both as a democratic institution and as an employer. In its…
The Assembly Commission engages regularly with disability organisations and has a forum in place, which dates back over a decade. It engages regularly with outside stakeholders and, as I have already said, the Assembly Commission is keen to receive feedback from stakeholders, disabled people or, indeed, Members.
Can the Assembly Commission outline whether users from disability organisations have been consulted on any proposed upgrades in order to ensure that the facilities here meet a practical need?
I thank the Member for his follow-up question and, indeed, for raising that important matter. It is important that all Members, when they become aware of disability access issues, raise them so that the Assembly Commission can consider them. The Assembly Commission has no plans to install additional Changing Places…
I thank the Member for that response. I very much welcome the addition of a padded protective area, which is something that I had lobbied for. I am keen to know whether there are any plans to increase the number of Changing Places facilities in Parliament Buildings in order to improve accessibility for staff and…
I thank the Member for his question. The Assembly Commission installed a Changing Places facility in Parliament Buildings in 2011. Standard accessible toilets do not meet the needs of many people, including those with profound and multiple learning disabilities. Our Changing Places facility is designed to address such…
Can the Member offer a reassurance that that will continue so that we know the difference and know that only clearly identified pre-stun halal meat will be available?
I have full respect for our diverse communities across the United Kingdom. It is important that, in Northern Ireland, we have only halal meat products from animals that have been stunned. I am grateful for the reassurance from the Member representing the Assembly Commission that that is the case in our Blue Flax…
In providing catering services throughout Parliament Buildings, the Assembly Commission strives to meet the differing demands of the special dietary needs of our wide customer base. The service provider is required to provide various dietary options, such as diabetic and low-salt options, options relating to allergies…
I do not want to disagree with the Member, but some of us who have been here for longer than he has may have noticed that the offering is much larger than what we had previously. The room is much larger, but its size is fairly restrictive for doing what he suggests while acting as a coffee shop at the same time. I…
I have a very specific question to ask, and I genuinely ask it in good faith. The Speaker's Corner shop is staffed by wonderful Assembly staff, but, to be perfectly honest, the shop's offering is not very good. If one goes to other public facilities, such as the Ulster Museum, which is in my constituency, or, indeed,…
I thank the Member for those words and associate myself with them. Indeed, all Members will probably want to be associated with them. As I said in my original answer, staff are keen to point people in the direction of the Public Gallery and Committee meetings to encourage participation and to help others join in. It…
I thank the Member for his lengthy and detailed answer. I pay tribute to the Education Service, Usher Services and the events team, all of which provide an exemplary service here. It is with pride that we share this Building with them. Does the Member agree that, by making people aware that they can come into the…
Mr Deputy Speaker, with your permission, I may need an extra minute to answer the question, and I thank the Member for it. The Assembly Commission's public engagement strategy 2025-27 aims to increase awareness, improve understanding and enable participation in the work of the Assembly. A wide range of programmes and…
Yes, there will be an ongoing review. As and when we have that information, I am sure that the Commission will be happy to share it with Members. I know that the Member has a specific interest in that. I can take the Member's query on the agreed continuous improvement plan back to the Assembly Commission and will…
I thank the member of the Commission for that reply. It is good to hear that those reviews take place, of course. However, further to the information that was presented, will there be an ongoing review of the continuous improvement plan, and will that information be available to Members?
I thank the Member for his question. The Assembly Commission last reviewed its environmental and sustainability policies, which relate to energy efficiency, as part of its annual environmental management review. That review, which forms part of the Assembly's ISO 14001:2015 accredited environmental management system,…
In my opinion, engaging with those parents and advocacy groups on the scheme, the design of the scheme, the certificate and what would be on the certificate has been vital to the success of the scheme. At the end of the day, we were delivering it on their behalf, with full support for the scheme from across the House.
Well, at least one court case is ongoing, and I am conscious of that when I comment. However, I believe that infrastructure work can continue in conjunction with the Climate Change Act 2022. Let us await the outcome of the current judicial review and assess the situation after that.