Oeddech chi'n golygu child benefit and?
Ben Goldsborough: .... The privilege of representing the people of the constituency is not one that I take lightly. I look forward to working with colleagues across the House to ensure that their voices are heard and their needs addressed. At the outset, I will take a moment to pay tribute to my predecessor, Mr Richard Bacon, who served South Norfolk for over two decades. Mr Bacon’s tireless commitment to...
Naomi Long: As I mentioned at the beginning of the debate, progressing this legislation to improve the effectiveness and operation of the justice system is a priority for me. I thank all the Members for their mainly constructive, positive and always lively engagements in the Chamber today. As the Bill moves through its stages in the Assembly, I hope that we can continue in that spirit in order to ensure...
Naomi Long: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am pleased to do this a second time. I am pleased to bring the Justice Bill to the Assembly today. On my reappointment as Minister of Justice in February 2024, I agreed my legislative programme to continue reform of our justice system into a better system for everyone concerned. That includes this general justice Bill, a sentencing Bill and a victims Bill. The...
Marie McNair: I am pleased to speak in this debate and thank my colleague Rona Mackay for bringing this important topic to the chamber. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder awareness month is a time to educate ourselves and our communities about the impact of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and to advocate for those who are affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Exposure to alcohol during...
Baroness Smith of Malvern: The government believes that creative subjects like arts, music and drama are important elements of the rounded and enriching education every child deserves to receive. Under this government, the arts and music will no longer be the preserve of a privileged few. Music is in the current National Curriculum, which is compulsory in all maintained schools from the age of 5 to 14 years. The...
Baroness Smith of Malvern: Forest schools provide children with frequent opportunities for outdoor play and exploration. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements that all early years providers must follow to ensure every child has the best start in life. The EYFS framework states that providers must provide access to an outdoor play area. If that is not possible,...
John Mason: It is good to have a bit more freedom, now that I am technically an independent MSP. I think that I am also the only member of the Finance and Public Administration Committee to speak, but I do not pretend to speak for it. As we consider the upcoming UK budget, there are some issues that deal with the here and now that will impact on the Scottish budgets for 2024-25 and 2025-26,...
Brian Kingston: I thank Nuala McAllister for bringing the topic to the Floor. As she referenced, the Public Accounts Committee conducted an inquiry into child poverty in Northern Ireland, with the Audit Office publishing the report in March this year. The report stated that the percentage of children in Northern Ireland living in relative poverty is 18%, with 8% having lived in persistent poverty for at...
Gordon Lyons: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. This rule primarily makes two technical amendments to the principal regulations — the Occupational Pension Schemes (Collective Money Purchase Schemes) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 — to clarify certain provisions and to ensure that the regulations meet the original policy intention. The principal regulations provide for an authorisation and supervision...
Diane Dodds: As vice chair of the all-party group on childcare and early education, I am delighted to say that almost 12,000 children in Northern Ireland are now registered with, and their families benefiting from, the childcare subsidy scheme. That includes 880 children from my Upper Bann constituency, and I am delighted that, after Lagan Valley and South Belfast, Upper Bann has the highest take-up...
Sian Mulholland: I rise to talk about an issue that has impacted over 185,000 people in Northern Ireland to date: the five-week wait for the initial universal credit (UC) payment. As I have highlighted before in the Chamber, that five-week wait is not an inadvertent issue; it is an explicit feature of the universal credit system that is forcing people into poverty, into hunger and to live in cold homes....
Jenny Gilruth: Today, I am pleased to set out the Scottish Government’s next steps on qualifications reform in response to the recommendations from the independent review of qualifications and assessment. I once again thank Professor Louise Hayward and the independent review group for the significant care and attention that they took in producing the final report. Last year, when I became...
Neil Gray: The suggestion that the Scottish child payment is not having an impact is demonstrably untrue. The authors of the report note: “A number of organisations, including the Scottish Government, have collected qualitative data that indicates that families who receive the payment have benefited from it.” Other experts have also underlined the impact of the Scottish child...
Lorna Slater: I thank Willie Rennie. One of the things that I am imagining is a modern country. A challenge that Douglas Ross laid before us was to imagine Scotland as a modern country. It is very difficult for me to imagine Scotland as a modern country with a crumbling dinosaur of an institution such as the House of Lords—unelected lords, including hereditary ones—and the anachronism of a...
Emma Reynolds: We are determined to support pensioners and give them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. The Government has committed to reviewing the pensions landscape. The first phase, focusing on investment outcomes, began in July and we will follow that later this year with the next phase that will consider further steps to improve pension outcomes, including assessing retirement...
Peter Martin: The first 1,000 days of life from conception to the age of two are a critical phase. That has been widely recognised by clinicians, psychologists and researchers. During that period, crucial foundations are laid for a child's development. If a child's body and brain develop positively, their life chances are considerably improved. However, exposure to stress or adversity during that phase can...
Sian Mulholland: Today, on International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, I want to address the desperate lack of an anti-poverty strategy in Northern Ireland. Despite the urgent need, we still have no clear plan to tackle poverty, especially child poverty. I am tired of hearing vague promises, such as, "We are progressing at pace", or "Actively considering the development and delivery of the strategy"....
Baroness Smith of Malvern: The department recognises that there is a strong evidence base for early intervention to support families stay together and thrive. This will be at the heart of this government’s system reform of children’s social care. Through the £45 million Families First for Children Pathfinder and Family Network Pilot, the department is testing the implementation of intensive whole-family support in...
Liz Kimmins: I rise to urgently highlight the recent news of the worrying closure of Newry Early Years Children and Family Centre at Orana House. The news has been a massive blow for many families in my constituency, who have described the services as a lifeline for them and their children. The closure comes as a result of the current lease coming to an end. Unfortunately, to date, despite many months of...
Alison McGovern: Whilst food banks are independent, charitable organisations and government has no role in their operation, we are committed to tackling poverty and reducing mass dependence on emergency food parcels. On 30th July, the Secretary of State held the first food poverty roundtable with food poverty experts to understand the priorities in this area. We promised concrete actions in our manifesto to...
