Ad Hoc Committee on the School Uniforms (Trousers) Bill
The Northern Ireland Assembly has agreed to establish an Ad Hoc Committee to consider the School Uniforms (Trousers) Bill.
The Committee will be responsible for undertaking Committee Stage scrutiny of the Bill, including gathering evidence, engaging with stakeholders and reporting its findings and recommendations to the Assembly.
Membership.
The membership of the Ad Hoc Committee is as follows:
- Robbie Butler MLA, UUP
- Pam Cameron MLA, DUP
- Deborah Erskine MLA, DUP
- Aoife Finnegan MLA, Sinn Fein
- Sinéad McLaughlin MLA, SDLP
- Andrew McMurray MLA, Alliance
- Emma Sheerin MLA, Sinn Fein
First Meeting.
The Committee will hold its first meeting on:
Date: Thursday 2nd July 2026
Time: 09:30
Location: Room 30, Parliament Buildings]
Watch: Home – Northern Ireland Assembly TV
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No girl should have to ask permission to wear trousers to school says Mason
South Down MLA Cathy Mason has said it is time to bring school uniform policy into the 21st century as the School Uniforms Bill passed its latest stage in the Assembly.
Cathy Mason said: “In the absence of leadership from the Education Minister and the DUP, MLAs from across the Assembly have come together to deliver the change that so many have been calling for.
“Today, across the North, many girls still do not have an automatic right to wear trousers to school.
“That is not equality. It is not dignity. And it has no place in a modern education system.
“No girl should have to ask permission to wear trousers to school. No parent should have to navigate unnecessary bureaucracy simply to secure what should already be a basic right for their child.
“We have the opportunity to put this issue beyond doubt, guarantee that right for every pupil, and finally bring school uniform policy into the 21st century.”
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