Speeches by Anderson.

“The Secretary of State has already answered the question on the roads. It is important that we look at and address all parts of the infrastructure that are holding Northern Ireland back in any way.”

“That is why the Secretary of State has been extolling and making clear how important the SPS agreement is. We are not taking our foot off the pedal in any way towards that. It is not only agri-science, but life sciences that are leading the way for Northern Ireland and the UK and across the world. We want to ensure tha…”

“Many different types of business—not only public sector broadcasters, but tech companies, fintech, cyber-security and advanced manufacturing, such as Catagen, which I met last week—are all part of the strong ecosystem in Northern Ireland. The fact that broadcasters can talk to advanced manufacturers which can talk to o…”

“The hon. Member is an excellent representative for his constituency and the opportunities there. I am sure his plea and bid has been heard.”

“Belfast is already at the heart of the UK’s industrial strategy on cyber and tech and is leading the world. The Government have a bold vision to be, by 2035, one of the top three places in the world to invest, create and scale up a tech business. Belfast and the growth and city deals, which are at the heart of that, is…”

“The industrial strategy is good news for Northern Ireland. It is a bold long-term plan to give businesses and investors the certainty they need to thrive. The eight sectors of the strategy map well with Northern Ireland’s world-class strengths, including advanced manufacturing, cyber, defence, the creative industries, …”

“We know that violence against women and girls is an epidemic, and online safety is an important part of that. Coupled with Northern Ireland being an AI superpower, as my hon. Friend rightly says, there are opportunities for AI companies, many of which I have met, to work on the tech to ensure that perpetrators are caug…”

“I take every opportunity to promote investment into Northern Ireland, and our tech companies in particular. I recently spoke at the Big Data conference in New York and at London Tech Week to highlight our cutting-edge companies in Northern Ireland. I held a roundtable with tech business leaders and visited Catagen in B…”

“I am Fleur Anderson. I am the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.”

“I am aware of them. I have met with the Bishop of Armagh, and I have talked to both cathedrals in Armagh. Just two weeks ago, I was in St Anne’s cathedral, hearing from Trevor and the team about that and giving what advice I could—that is both from a Government perspective, and I have also raised money for community pr…”

“We can create the environment in which that can happen. We cannot tell the individuals what to do, but we can certainly play a very large role in the environment in which it can happen, and we can do that from the top to the bottom of society as well. So it is about leadership at the top—the leadership by the First Min…”

“We are working on an independently led official history. That might be what you are referring to. There is the digitisation programme for the National Archives as well. For that independently led official history, we are working with academics on what would be the best form for that programme to be working and going fo…”

“I saw that. What was started by a violent act against a girl then led to police being taken away from the frontline. It is a devolved matter, so it is up to the Executive to work, with their funding, but that is why I particularly welcome the additional funding being given to PSNI to bolster support for its work on vio…”

“I am delighted that you as a Committee have decided to look into this area more, because that statistic is shocking. There are many areas that we can work on together. The Northern Ireland Office is working with the Executive, community organisations, the public and the police in Northern Ireland. One of those areas is…”

“You are absolutely right to ask about the wider issue of reconciliation. Ever since my appointment, I have been asking lots of community groups what reconciliation means for them. I am sure you were asking that when you were in your inquiry. There is the really important aspect of justice for those individuals and fami…”

“I thank Members for those contributions, which I will go through one by one. The independent expert is currently being recruited. The UK Government and the Government of Ireland have agreed to appoint that expert, who will operate within the existing Independent Reporting Commission framework and be asked to undertake …”

“The process is now up to talking with potential candidates. We want the expert to be in place as soon as possible. I will not give a precise date, but I thank the hon. Member for raising that. In 2023, the Director of Public Prosecutions issued 20 certificates for non-jury trials and refused three, and, in 2024, issued…”

“I am not privy to all the deliberations and projects that were considered but then not put through to the public sector transformation board, so I do not know; that would be a question for the Executive, as would the proposal of a sentencing council. I will not give any opinions on that because it is a devolved matter,…”

“I beg to move, That this Committee has considered the draft Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 (Extension of Duration of Non-jury Trial Provisions) Order 2025. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Twigg. I thank all Members who have come this evening to discuss this important piece of legisl…”

“I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend about tackling attitudes. I have met and I am supporting many groups, and I will highlight two that I have visited. The excellent Foyle Family Justice Centre in Derry/Londonderry supports victims, and the St Joseph’s Boys’ school in Creggan is doing fantastic work, with the suppor…”