290 people in Northern Ireland die every winter due to cold homes.  Fuel poverty in Northern Ireland is much higher than in England, Wales at Scotland. According to research from the House of Commons Library, around 13% of households in England were classed as fuel poor, 20% in Scotland, 14% in Wales, and 24% in Northern Ireland. We all deserve to have a warm home, free from illness over the winter. Stormont has mitigated cuts from GB before. It must do so again, and keep the Winter Fuel Allowance in Northern Ireland - and protect the vulnerable this winter.

It is both astonishing and shocking that Mr Campbell watched this deeply moving edition of Songs of Praise, full of love and praise for God, and saw only skin colour. Is he uncomfortable watching a programme where Black British people and culture are celebrated centre-stage? Did he think the BBC was racist when other programmes – night after night, decade after decade – only featured white people? We call upon Mr Campbell to provide any evidence that the five singers were there on the basis of anything other than their obvious skills, or that the three judges were selected for their skin colour rather than their expertise. Mr Campbell’s statement is not a trivial matter; it is deeply irresponsible. It is deeply worrying that Mr Campbell can confidently display such clear bias, apparently without fear of challenge or accountability. Given his role as an elected representative and public servant, Mr Campbell’s statement cannot go unchallenged; the potential costs are too high. Just weeks since the horrific attack on the Belfast Multicultural Association, it is alarming that a political leader thinks it appropriate to use this kind of race-baiting to secure some sort of perceived political advantage, regardless of the consequences. Black and ethnic minority people are not ‘other’; they are equal citizens in an increasingly diverse country, including in Mr Campbell’s constituency. He needs to withdraw his ignorant and insulting post and make a full public apology to the Black and minority ethnic community of his constituency and beyond. But on its own, that will not be enough. Mr Campbell’s statement shows contempt for The Executive Office’s professed vision of “a united community, based on equality of opportunity, the desirability of good relations and reconciliation - one which is strengthened by its diversity, where cultural expression is celebrated and embraced and where everyone can live, learn, work and socialise together, free from prejudice, hate and intolerance.” As First Minister, Arlene Foster is responsible for advancing this vision. As Mr Campbell’s party leader, we expect her to ensure that he is held accountable for his words. Failure to do so will mean the words of that Executive vision will ring hollow. Meanwhile, we commit ourselves to challenging racism and building a society that fully respects and celebrates diversity.

It has been one year since Parliament voted to ensure that women and pregnant people in Northern Ireland have access to abortion. Minister for Health Robin Swann has failed to commission the services now required by law. Over 100 women have had to travel to England, during a pandemic, to access abortion care. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has taken the unprecedented step of laying regulations in Westminster to allow him to direct the Department for Health to commission services. Now more than ever, we need to show Robin Swann that we support the commissioning of abortion services here. The current impasse in abortion access for women, girls and pregnant people impacts especially on those who are already marginalised, including people with disabilities, those in violent relationships, migrant women and LGBTQ+ people. Covid-19 has compounded these discriminations. Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, women and girls have been forced to travel to England to access abortion, against public health advice to 'stay at home'. Two women attempted suicide after flights were cancelled and they were unable to travel. This must end here. The North is Now!

Free public transport means people are able to socialise, meet their family and take part in society with fewer obstacles. In a cost of living crisis, it's vital that people retain this support.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where an opt-out system is not yet in place. It's wrong that people and children's lives are at risk because of the DUP boycott at Stormont. The Secretary of State must use his powers to put this law in place now.

Birth partners are not visitors; they often are the other parent to the baby/babies and provide essential physical, mental and emotional support during pregnancy and birth. While pregnancy is not an illness, pregnant people are particularly vulnerable emotionally and mentally, and having to attend appointments without the support of a trusted partner can leave them feeling alone, scared and anxious. This can lead to mental health issues. Prior to the pandemic, one-third of women found their birth experience traumatic, which can significantly affect their lives, their relationships and their transition to parenthood; restrictions are compounding this. Birthing people and their partners should be treated in an holistic way, protecting their physical, emotional and mental health.

National Energy Action (NEA) NI research is showing that 80% of households here have already cut down on their central heating, and most worryingly more than 1 in 10 households have had to forego meals to meet the rising energy costs. NI householders have received significantly less help in the energy crisis than those in England Scotland and Wales. They did not benefit from the £150 council tax rebate and nor do they benefit from Household Support Fund. Furthermore, NI homes are not part of the Warm Homes discount scheme meaning vulnerable households miss out on an additional £150 every winter. There is a clear need to ensure the £400 per household support reaches people in Northern Ireland as quickly as possible, to protect vulnerable households form the worst impacts of living in a cold home, including needless deaths and morbidity along with increased pressure on our healthcare services in the months ahead. We ask that you approach this issue with the urgency it requires and commit to ensuring the emergency payments are allocated to households as quickly as possible.

This is the largest adult safeguarding investigation in the UK of its kind. The PSNI has examined CCTV footage and has so far established that there have been more than 1500 criminal assaults on patients in a 6 bed ward in a time period of 6 months. Two weeks ago yet another staff member was sacked from the hospital for abuse on a patient. The abuse is continuing. There can be no tolerance of abuse and it is critical that the individuals and institutions responsible should be held to account. That includes those who were directly responsible for the abuses but crucially also, the institutions and individuals responsible for systemic failures or whose action or inaction otherwise permitted the abuse to occur. These people were in the care of the state and are amongst the most vulnerable in society.

This planning application has been the subject of chaos and confusion since it came before Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (ABC) Borough Council’s Planning and Regulatory Services Committee in January. Despite council officers recommending permission be refused, elected members voted to approve the application. A number of members excluded themselves from voting after wrongly assuming that they weren't permitted to do so, having not attended a site visit. The algae and pollution at Lough Neagh has already caused people here great concern and fear. The Minister must use his powers to call this decision in, and refuse planning permission for the landfill site extension. Source: https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/environment/department-considering-call-in-on-controversial-lough-neagh-landfill-application/a1430311281.html?

Unlike England, Scotland and Wales, NI still does not have a budget or scheme in place for free period products in all school toilets. Yet again, we have been left behind. Schools already provide free toilet roll, hand soap, hand towels and sanitary waste disposal bins in toilets. What makes period products any different? We firmly believe that any toilet that requires toilet roll, requires period products in exactly the same way. In June 2020, a Plan international UK study showed how 3 in 10 UK girls have struggled to afford or access sanitary wear during lockdown, with over half (54%) of these girls having used toilet paper as an alternative. There is no doubt that period poverty has been exacerbated as a result of the current pandemic and the need to maintain good hygiene has never been more important. Due to extensive job losses, an increase in people using food banks, and many other local support services being cut, families have been hard hit and are under more financial pressure than ever. At the Homeless Period Belfast, we have seen an exponential increase in demand and requests for our own period packs. In April – June 2020 we received 3 times the demand than previous years. Now, more than ever, a free period products scheme in schools across NI will relieve the financial pressure on parents and students purchasing these items. It will also alleviate the pressure of school students having to remember to carry period products in their bags when there are many other things to worry about and remember to bring (exams, books, homework, hand sanitiser/masks, bus passes etc.), meaning students can go about their daily lives without getting caught out. Free period products in schools will ensure that every young person can learn and be their very best, without the worry of their next pad or tampon holding them back.

Randox received £23 million in public funds through Invest NI in 2018, and benefited from a research partnership with our two universities QUB and UU. Now they are selling at an extortionate price (£120 per test) at a time when people are worried about food and job security and how they'll keep a roof over their heads. Meanwhile our NHS is struggling as they don't have enough tests so that key healthcare professionals can continue to do their vital work on the frontline of the fight against this global pandemic. Demand that Randox releases the Covid-19 tests free of charge to the NHS and stops profiteering from this crisis. See: https://www.randoxhealth.com/product/coronavirus-covid-19-home-testing-kit/ and: https://www.randox.com/tag/invest-ni/

The hospice is a local charity that provides specialist palliative care for more than 350 babies, children, and their families each year. It's the only facility of it's kind in Northern Ireland. Extremely sick children and their families depend on the Hospice. This funding must be restored immediately. Dáithí uses the hospice four or times a year and we would be lost without it. The Northern Ireland Children's Hospice is such a magical place and I like to say to people that 'the hospice and the people who work there make the impossible possible'."