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 begin by reiterating my support for the Bill. I want it to succeed and to be capable of delivering support to eligible children as quickly as possible. It is through that lens that we have evaluated the amendments at Further Consideration Stage. The Minister wrote to the Education Committee on 6 October about…
The SDLP welcomes the intention behind the Bill and acknowledges the work that has brought it to this stage. The principle of the Bill is straightforward. Children do not stop needing to eat when the school gates close for the holidays. Families who depend on free school meals during term time should not have to face…
I appreciate the Member's giving way. He will know about the anti-poverty strategy introduced by the Minister for Communities that his party colleague and I have fed into. I certainly did so on the role and input that Education could have. The Chairman of the Committee indicated that he wants the Executive to pull…
I will address the Bill, specifically the amendments. I support the Minister's amendments, and I will explain why. First of all, nobody is taking issue with the principle that the hunger of any child or adult in our society is a serious issue; the question is whether this Bill addresses the issue at hand. That is…
Thank you to the Chair of the Education Committee. I absolutely believe that, if we can provide alleviation to hungry children, we absolutely should, but I am clear that the Bill is not the vehicle by which to do that, regardless of whether we had £23 million. I am speaking to amendment No 6, Madam Principal Deputy…
Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I am conscious that we need to focus on the amendments, but amendment No 6 is being framed as one through which to address the issue of finance. If the Member is saying that this is the thing to do, which seems to be the message coming from DUP Members, and is certainly the…
My comments on the Bill will be brief, but they will reflect my party's position. I reiterate what the Education Minister said: the Bill has been brought forward by its sponsor with good intent. The concept of ending hunger amongst our children is admirable; in fact, the Assembly should aim to do that. I will come…
I thank the Chair of the Education Committee for allowing me an intervention. He has made a whole range of points, some of which I agree with and some of which I do not agree with. I was quite struck, however, by the examples that he used on the way through his contribution. He cited a few, and I will not repeat them…
I will make just a wee bit more progress. I will finish my remarks on finance and then bring you in. Another example that I will give — I have been labouring this point, possibly as a lone voice — is that £5 million is spent every year on placing two-year-olds in our nursery schools, and £5 million is not an…
I thank the Member for her question. The failure to meet some people's basic needs and address the pressures that they are facing is absolutely regrettable. Anybody who is on a waiting list for an indeterminate amount of time will come to other harm; there is absolutely no doubt about that. We are making progress, and…
Thank you very much, Minister. Yes, I would appreciate that written answer, given the fact that it is taking some departments four years before they are putting people on to waiting lists.
I thank the Minister —. I am elevating you before you retire. I thank the Member for her question. I am sorry that I was a little bit distracted; I thought that it was the Minister who had been told off. With regard to the Member's question, I absolutely remain agile and interested in that aspect. If you are content…
I thank the Member for his question. He is absolutely right to ask it. At this moment, absolutely nothing is at risk. The roll-out of Encompass is being done within the existing envelope. There is nothing at risk with regard to that. I have a day-1 brief concern that, I am sure, many of you will recognise, and it is a…
I thank the Minister for that answer. I hope that he accepts it when I say that there are many service providers across multiple sectors who would see £20 million as a very significant uplift. What they would ask, especially in relation to the health sector, is this: how can that cost be met, and what will now not be…
I have too many pages in this folder. The figure of £20 million represents not a sudden or unexplained overspend on Encompass but an increase of approximately £19·9 million between the original in-year capital requirement and the programme's latest forecast. The largest element is approximately £10 million arising…
I thank the Member for his question. I should have declared an interest at the start as a former member of the all-party group on neurology. The Member's question is one that has been written, emailed and messaged to me from people whom I know. It is really important that we get off on the right foot on that. I…
I thank the Minister for that response. The regional neurology alliance will form the core of that new neurology delivery team, but I have not heard what measurable outcomes the alliance has delivered since October 2025. What governance, decision-making authority and accountability arrangements will you put in place…
I thank the Member for his question. We recently announced £2·3 million of funding for that, which is not a significant amount of money given what we commit at the minute. The review team has been working at pace to do what it can with that pot of money. We have an idea of what the full cost would be over a number of…
I thank the Member for his point. It is a point that I have made many times regardless of the portfolio that I have held. It is inarguable that political dysfunction and not being financed appropriately is a recipe for disaster. Last week, we had Professor Bengoa with us. While, in public and private conversations,…
Thank you, Minister, for the reply. It is notable that some of the people shouting loudest for this place to be collapsed are not even of this parish; they are of a parish over in London. For five of the past 10 years, courtesy of Sinn Féin and the DUP, there has been no Executive. What impact has that had on getting…
I thank the Member for his question. I spent the weekend feeling genuinely concerned about the future of this place and about the ramifications of, shall we say, a staged walkout or if Stormont were to cease. The evidence shows us that, when we do not have Stormont for two or three years and we have compromised…
I thank the Member for his question. I assure him that the Department takes concerns regarding suspected cancer clusters very seriously and recognises the impact they can have on local communities. There is no higher priority than ensuring that any potential public health risk is properly investigated and addressed.…
I absolutely agree. Thank you for your question and for the manner in which you put it. My 10 years of working in this place have been incredibly frustrating. What I do know is that, when parties in this place have been pressurised into finding agreement, it has been on the back of the pressure felt by Health and…