Image source, NI Allister

It's time for topical questions.

The members have 15 minutes in which to pose questions of a current nature that have not been included in oral questions.

Jim Allister asks the minister for her assessment of the level of unionist and loyalist confidence in the chief constable.

The minister says her job is "not merely to assess that situation".

"My job is to work with partners, with the chief constable and the other parts of the tripartite arrangements that are here and members in this chamber to build that confidence," she adds.

Sinn Féin's Nicola Brogan asks the justice minister for an update on the work her department is doing, in conjunction with her executive colleagues, to protect children from online child abuse.

Naomi Long says keeping young people safe is a priority for all departments.

She says her department strives to keep children safe in the online and offline worlds.

Ms Brogan says recent figures show that there has been a rise in online child sex abuse cases in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Mrs Long says she has taken "particular interest" in Westminster's plans for legislation on online child sex abuse and has some concerns that current proposals do not go far enough.

The justice minister is "confident" that Bishop Street Courthouse in Londonderry will reopen following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Responding to the SDLP's Sinead McLaughlin, Naomi Long says there are "ambitious" plans for courts across Northern Ireland.

"I can give an absolute guarantee that Bishop Street Courthouse will reopen and that there will be new facilities provided in the north west," she adds.

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The UUP's Doug Beattie asks a question on the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme.

The minister outlines progress made on the scheme.

Mr Beattie agrees that much work has been done but says he has been speaking to victims and "there is a degree of confusion out there as to who should apply, who should not apply".

He asks if there will be an advertising campaign.

Ms Long says there was a series of "virtual workshops" for the public over the summer.

She says any decision on a public advertising campaign would be a matter for the Executive Office.

Justice Minister Naomi Long sends her condolences to a Northern Ireland Prison Service staff member who died after contracting Covid-19.

Responding to a question from Sinn Féin's Declan McAleer on the review into vulnerable people in custody, Mrs Long says she understands the RQIA is due to publish this piece of work next week.

She says "significant" work has been done already, including the introduction of therapeutic spaces for prisoners, pending the review.

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Justice Minister Naomi Long returns to the chamber and into the Question Time spotlight.

Jemma Dolan of Sinn Féin has the first question.

She asks for an update on the Justice Department’s "review of the law around the disclosure of victims’ remains".

Ms Long refers to "the pain and ongoing anguish" suffered by families living with the knowledge that their loved one's remains cannot be located and that this "cannot be underestimated".

She says "a bespoke approach for Northern Ireland" offers "the best hope for securing disclosure" and this is why she commissioned the review.

"Good progress has been made over the summer," the minister says, adding that officials have met with victims' families.

Next up is topical questions.

Sinn Féin's Pat Sheehan asks a question about the implementation of the New Decade, New Approach deal.

Paul Givan says "in respect of where did it all go wrong in terms of Brexit, it has been the outworking and implementation of that by the UK government".

He says the DUP was very clear that Northern Ireland "should be treated just as the rest of the United Kingdom".

Addressing Mr Sheehan, he says that the Belfast Agreement makes provision for potential constitution changes.

"There was no approval of anybody in Northern Ireland on the changes that flowed from the Northern Ireland Protocol," he says.

The first minister says he wants "both communities and our whole community to be in the best of both worlds" where Northern Ireland has access to the EU single market and access to Great Britain's market in an unfettered matter.

His answer prompts Alliance's Kellie Armstrong to stand.

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"First minister, you have used a phrase that I find wholly insulting: 'Both communities'," she says.

"Do I not exist in Northern Ireland?"

Mr Givan says Ms Armstrong exists and makes her voice heard loud and clearly".

He adds that if Ms Armstrong has an issue with the term, its origins are in the 1998 Belfast Agreement which her party championed".

Cathal Boylan of Sinn Féin asks "for an update on the review of the Historical Institutional Abuse redress process".

The first minister says that "by the end of August 2021 the Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Board had received 1,844 applications and considered 1,374 for determination".

He says the board has made determinations "totalling just over £25m".

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Next up is the DUP's Harry Harvey.

He asks for an update on what engagement the High Streets Task Force has had with local councils regarding bids submitted to the UK Levelling Up fund for town centre regeneration projects.

First Minister Paul Givan hands over to his party colleague Gary Middleton who says that, to date, the UK government has not engaged with councils over the Levelling Up Fund.

He says departments in Northern Ireland have no authority over the fund.

But he adds that the High Streets Task Force is due to speak to councils and others as it develops the programme in the coming months.

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The UUP's Andy Allen asks what engagement the first and deputy first ministers "have had with the UK government on the Armed Forces Bill that has been introduced to Parliament".

Mr Givan says there has been engagement involving officials on the technical details of the bill.

Mr Allen asks how the executive will ensure that the bill, when it has passed, will be implemented in Northern Ireland "as it will be across the United Kingdom".

Mr Givan says there 150,000 veterans in Northern Ireland and "it's a very important issue".

He says the military covenant will become law and veterans will have that "additional legal protection in place".

Áine Murphy from Sinn Féin has asked for an update on plans to welcome Afghan refugees.

First Minister Paul Givan says the executive "wants Northern Ireland to play its part in responding to this humanitarian crisis".

He says the executive has formally written to the prime minister offering to relocate Afghan citizens.

the first minister says officials are working on agreeing on final numbers for those to be resettled in Northern Ireland.

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The SDLP's Sinéad Bradley asks Mr Givan "to outline the funding required for the implementation of the executive's Covid-19 recovery plan".

The first minister outlines the aims of the recovery plan and the funding position "of the 83 interventions".

The funding of 70 has been confirmed "with 60 funded and 10 partially funded".

He notes that the executive's 2021/22 budget set aside £1.148bn for Covid support and recovery and the allocation of a further £316m was agreed.

The UUP's John Stewart asks for an update on the policy document Moving Forward: The Executive’s Pathway Out Of Restrictions, external.

First Minister Paul Givan says the continued relaxation of Covid-19 rules are considered regularly but the rise in the Delta variant of the virus has slowed the rate at which the executive has been able to ease restrictions.

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He says it is important to communicate the public health message effectively.

"As we move away, as we have been doing, from regulations into guidance, that requires people to take personal responsibility," he says.

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First Minister Paul Givan is in the chamber to take his first session of Question Time.

Órlaithí Flynn of Sinn Féin asks him about "distressing reports" over the summer of sectarian attacks and intimidation and the burning of flags on bonfires.

"Over the summer there were incidents that happened that shouldn't have happened and that are to be condemned", says the first minister.

"I believe people should be able to celebrate their culture in a way that doesn't require denigrating somebody else's culture," he adds.

The next item on today's agenda is Question Time.

It takes place during plenary sessions every Monday and Tuesday between 14:00-15:30 and is an opportunity for members to question ministers about the work of their departments.

There are two slots during each Question Time session.

Thirty minutes is spent on Listed Questions , externalwith a further 15 allocated to Topical Questions.

Today it's the turn of First Minister Paul Givan and Justice Minister Naomi Long.

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Jemma Dolan of Sinn Féin says "the system should be about fairness and rights for both the victim and the defendant".

She says she believes the bill strikes the correct balance.

Ms Dolan echoes her party colleague Sinéad Ennis's fears that time is running out to pass the bill before the election.

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Paula Bradshaw says the legislation will largely align Northern Ireland with neighbouring jurisdictions.

The Alliance MLA welcomes the bill reaching this stage but says it is "frustrating" that the bill has not "been able to do more in terms of that alignment".

However she says Northern Ireland "will be taking the lead" in terms of legislation on downblousing, which was criminalised in countries such as Australia in 2015, she says.

Ms Bradshaw says it is likely that other UK countries will follow changes to legislation in due course.

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The UUP leader Doug Beattie says this is "the right bill to be brought forward at the right time".

He says the the committee will have to consider it "in great detail".

Mr Beattie says he has a couple of concerns.

Referring to the "Ulster Rugby rape trial" and that, regardless of the result, there were people who "attended that court hearing purely for self-gratification, to hear the details of what went on".

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The SDLP's Sinead Bradley says her party supports the bill but they have some concerns over "the operational reality of the bill".

She says she looks forward to working with members of the committee "in a robust way to scrutinise the contents of this bill and to make sure it does align with operational reality because, if it doesn't, it could be a very good academic piece of work that doesn't bring real effect and change on the ground".

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Sinéad Ennis of Sinn Féin is next to speak.

She says the bill is "a crucial piece of legislation".

Ms Ennis expresses her "disappointment" at the "serious and wholly unnecessary hurdles that have had to be overcome to get us to this point".

She says the DUP held the former Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill hostage for two months.