Second stage of Private Tenancies Bill introduced by Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey
Justice Minister Naomi Long leads debate on Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Bill
Question Time for First Minister Paul Givan and Justice Minister Naomi Long
MLAs take part in new procedure of members' statements
The final item of business is the first stage of a private member's bill.
The long title of Clare Bailey's Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Bill is read into the record.
It'll reappear in the chamber soon for its second stage debate.
That's all from Stormont on this first day back after the summer holidays.
We'll be back tomorrow at 10:30 with another session of members' statements.
Image source, NI AssemblyThe minister, Deidre Hargey, replies to the debate.
She says the bill is part of a huge transformation of the housing sector being carried out.
"We know the system is broken," Ms Hargey says.
"If we had had the time, I would have liked to have had a full bill where all of these things can be concluded," she adds.
The minister says the global pandemic "has stalled or slowed down a lot of the work right across this whole assembly".
She addresses some of the issues raised by members, saying she has gone to court to combat property speculators.
The department is considering further work on rents, letting agents, rent controls and rent freezes.
The minister says that she and her officials will engage with members if they have concerns they wish to raise.
The bill passes its second stage on an oral vote.
Image source, NI AssemblyIndependent unionist Alex Easton is on his feet now, following his departure from the DUP over the summer.
The North Down MLA says that the average price of renting a house in Northern Ireland is increasing ahead of current wage levels and this bill "therefore seeks to protect tenants from such increases in their rent at short notices".
Mr Easton says the bill will help students, in particular, who often have year-long tenancy agreements. Under the bill, landlords cannot increase the cost of renting within a year of the tenancy being granted.
He adds that the bill will give increased protection to landlords, should their property be damaged by tenants.
Image source, Ni AssemblyGerry Carroll of People Before Profit is next to speak.
He says the housing crisis "should be the top of the list of this executive's priorities".
Mr Carroll says that as a representative for West Belfast, he is presented with "horror stories on a daily basis".
He says tens of thousands of people are affected across the north.
Green Party leader Clare Bailey opens up about her experience as a renter.
She was a lone parent and ended up living in a homeless hostel after being evicted from a rented property.
Ms Bailey says she has "lost count" of constituents who have contacted her after they were evicted from their properties "through no fault of their own and without any real prospect of being rehoused any time soon through the social housing sector".
Image source, NI Assembly"I know and understand the confusion and distress, the panic, that this causes because I've been there," she says.
"I know what it's like to be told that you've nowhere to go due to private rental systems that you, as the tenant, have no say, you've no power and limited rights."
Ms Bailey says the issue needs dealt with "as a matter of urgency".
Image source, NI AssemblyDeputy Speaker Roy Beggs invites the new Sinn Féin MLA for Foyle Ciara Ferguson to make her maiden speech.
This is unusual as new members usually take weeks before making their first speech and this is Ms Ferguson's first day at Stormont.
She pays tribute to her predecessor, Martina Anderson.
The new MLA says she studied housing and worked for the Housing Executive.
She also lived in private rented accommodation as a student and as a parent raising three children in the 1990s.
"I very much welcome the introduction of the private tenancy bill," she adds.
Alliance's Kellie Armstrong says another reason that the number of people privately renting has increased is because planning permission is "taking an absolute age".
"That means that more and more people, instead of being able to get a social house, are having to turn to what private rentals are out there," she says.
"I'm not down on all landlords, not all landlords are bad landlords, indeed any landlords looking at this bill - I suppose I should be pointing at Mr Allen of the Ulster Unionists - are very good and they will welcome the contents of this bill."
Image source, NI AssemblyUlster Unionist Andy Allen says he wants to declare at the outset that he is a private sector landlord.
He says it would represent the first major change to tenancy regulations in a decade.
"It's astounding the number of tenants across my constituency office that come in and they don't know their rights," the East Belfast MLA says.
He adds that many tenants have not even been given a copy of their tenancy agreement.
Image source, NI AssemblyThe SDLP's Mark H Durkan begins by thanking those people and organisations who have worked to try to improve the rented housing sector.
"The right to shelter is above all else," he says.
"It forms the building blocks for a successful society. It's the starting point for families to build their lives, making for happy, healthy, thriving people."
Mr Dukan says he welcomes the bill as a first step in improving housing standards.
Image source, NI AssemblySinéad Ennis of Sinn Féin speaks next.
"The right to a good quality, affordable and secure home is a fundamental human right," she says.
The minister's party colleague says the extension of the notice-to-quit period is a key aspect of the bill.
Ms Ennis says tenants in the private sector deserve to live "in dignity, security and peace".
Paula Bradley is first up after the communities minister.
The DUP deputy leader ichairs the Communities Committee.
She says the committee has a keen interest in housing issues but has not been able to do as much work as it would like in this area due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ms Bradley says members are now "very keen" to focus on the bill, particularly in relation to the private rental sector.
Image source, NI Assembly"In its scrutiny, the committee will be bearing in mind the context of the bill, that our private rental sector has grown considerably in the past decade, particularly for the 25 to 34-year-old age group," she says.
"It is now larger than the social housing sector and accounts for over 17% of the housing stock in Northern Ireland."
She says this figure is likely to rise as house prices increase, pricing many first-time buyers out of the market.
Image source, Ni AssemblyNext up, Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey opens the debate on the second stage of the Private Tenancies Bill.
The second-stage debate allows MLAs to discuss the general principles of the bill.
You can read more about the bill here., external
"This bill will make the private rented sector safer and more securer for tenants," Ms Hargey says.
"I know that the overwhelming majority of landlords want to provide good quality, safe homes for the tenants," she says, adding that there are "some bad landlords out there".
The minister says the bill is only "the first phase of a programme to work to improve the lives of those living within the privately-rented sector".
She outlines some of the key provisions of the bill.
For instance, rent increases will be restricted to once a year and any deposit will be limited to no more than one month's rent.
Image source, NI AssemblyNaomi Long notes that "it is important that we protect both those who are accused of serious sexual offences and those who are the victims of serious sexual offences".
But she says there is still a "shame and taboo" associated with being the victim of sexual assaults.
"If we do not deal with that shame and taboo, if we do not deal with the shaming culture which leaves many people afraid to come forward, to complain to police and then pursue their case, we will not be able to remove rapists and sexual abusers from our society."
The bill passes its second stage on an oral vote.
The justice minister responds to Green Party MLA Rachel Woods' earlier question on the motivation of perpetrators of upskirting and downblousing.
Naomi Long says she believes this is already covered in other legislation.
In response to TUV leader Jim Allister, she says she wishes to reassure him that the bill is not designed to take responsibility away from the courts, and stresses that the bill will not take away "open justice".
Mrs Long says the courts will retain responsibility for the extent of those who are excluded and can make allowances for members of the Press and others "where they see fit".
Image source, NI AssemblyJustice Minister Naomi Long winds down the debate.
She thanks the MLAs for their constructive engagement.
"It is clearly also a priority for them," the minister adds.
She then addresses some of the points raised in the debate.
Ms Long says it is "hugely important" that she brings forward her amendments as soon as possible for scrutiny.
She assures Justice Committee chair Mervyn Storey that the department will continue to produce annual progress reports.
DUP MLA Joanne Bunting finds it "deeply troubling" that modern slavery is an issue in Northern Ireland.
"It's an uncomfortable truth that modern slavery is happening in Northern Ireland today and sadly this is not an issue that can be relegated to the history books," she says.
Image source, NI AssemblyMs Bunting says she "cannot sit back" while modern slavery and human trafficking is happening in Northern Ireland.
Ms Bunting says politicians have a duty to ensure that survivors of modern slavery receive the support they need to rebuild their lives.
She "warmly welcomes" clause 16 of the bill which extends support for potential victims.
"As an assembly we need to do everything we can to stop these heinous crimes," she adds.
Image source, NI Assembly"One issue apart, I don't really have one fundamental objection to the content of this bill," says the TUV's Jim Allister.
He says he's concerned about clause 15 which introduces "a blanket ban on public access where a trial is taking place relating to a serious sexual offence".
The North Antrim MLA adds that "part of the confidence-building aspect of our justice system down through decades and centuries is the fact that we have open justice".
Image source, NI AssemblyGreen Party MLA Rachel Woods is up next.
She says the bill, in its current form, offers protection for most victims of upskirting and downblousing but not all.
Ms Woods asks, "Why is the motivation only confined to sexual gratification and not other considerations such as financial gain or banter or for a laugh or group bonding?"
She adds: "Without these other considerations, does this leave a legal loophole or serious difficulties down the line for prosecuting these cases?"
Image source, NI AssemblyNext on his feet is the minister's Alliance Party colleague, Chris Lyttle.
He says he particularly welcomes the sections of the bill "that will increase the scope of offences relating to child sexual exploitation".
"I welcome the robustness of the penalty for each of these new offences," he adds.
Mr Lyttle says he welcomes the seriousness that many sporting codes are taking towards the protection of children.
Image source, NI AssemblyIt's back to the second stage of the Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Bill now and the DUP's Peter Weir is up.
He says the DUP supports the bill but has not yet seen three amendments made by the justice minister.
They would be supportive of those amendments.
Mr Weir says he would agree with the SDLP's Sinead Bradley's earlier comments that the wording of the bill must be robustly scrutinised.
He also adds that "while there are many advantages of a world rapidly changing through technology", there are also many problems created.
The DUP MLA says measures should be taken to futureproof the bill as technology continues to advance.