AQO 2986/22-27 Oral question to the Minister for Communities
To ask the Minister for Communities to outline how his Department collates and uses data to inform legislative change.
Asked by Sian Mulholland MLA on 15 January 2026
- Answered
- Oral
- Answered in the Chamber
- Tabled
- 15 January 2026
- Answer due by
- 26 January 2026
- Answered
- 26 January 202611 days after tabling
- Department
- Department for Communities
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Answered in the Assembly Chamber on 26 January 2026. Extract from the Official Report (Hansard), including any supplementary questions:
Mr Lyons
My Department relies on official statistics produced to recognised professional standards and high-quality administrative data to inform legislative change across its wide range of functions. Data also underpins statutory impact assessments, including section 75 considerations. Where required, my officials undertake bespoke analysis to address specific policy questions, assess differential impacts and provide assurance.
Ms Mulholland
Take the anti-poverty strategy, for example, Minister. Academics have raised with me the fact that some references in the draft strategy go back as far as 2008. In fact, there is Joseph Rowntree Foundation research from 2012, which has been updated. What can your Department do to ensure that you liaise with academics to ensure that the research that you use is as up-to-date and current as possible?
Mr Lyons
I hope that others will have raised that issue as well during the consultation process. The Member raises it now, and we are happy to look at it as well. We engage regularly on the issue. We regularly seek out up-to-date information. If there are any gaps in that, I am more than happy to take those on board to ensure that we have up-to-date information, because that is key for us to make the decisions that we need to make.
Mr Robinson
What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that data held by his Department on issues that impact on deaf and disabled people is fit for purpose?
Mr Lyons
Absolutely. I appreciate the Member's question, because it is important to highlight the fact that we do not have the adequate capture of data that we need that represents the diversity of deaf and disabled people and the issues that they experience. Through the draft disability strategy, we are committed to working to improve collection and increase the availability of high-quality, reliable and inclusive disability data. My strategy commits the Department to publishing that information on a two-yearly basis, with all the disability data held by all Departments. That will increase the visibility of disability data, highlight any gaps and support the monitoring and reporting processes for the strategy, as well as policy development and legislative reform.