Marshalled List of Amendments 16 February 2012

Item 6:  Order Paper 50/11-15 – 20 February 2012

Private Members’ Business

Motion: Welfare Reform

That this Assembly believes that the Coalition Government’s welfare cuts and major aspects of its Welfare Reform agenda are having, and will continue to have, a significant detrimental impact on our community; recognises that the impact will be more severe for Northern Ireland given our historically high levels of disadvantage, and our higher proportions of families with children and people in receipt of Disability Living Allowance; notes that the accumulated cost of welfare cuts to the local economy could reach £450m; and calls on the Executive to make opposition to a wide range of the welfare reforms its highest priority, and to immediately pursue robust negotiations with the Coalition Government to pursue all possible legal and operational flexibilities and financial support to mitigate the impact of the welfare cuts and changes imposed on Northern Ireland.

[Mr M Durkan]
[Dr A McDonnell]
[Ms M Ritchie]
[Mrs D Kelly]

The Speaker has selected the following amendments for debate:

Amendment 1

Proposed: Leave out all after ‘Assembly’ and insert:

‘ reaffirms its unanimous support for welfare reforms that are aimed at simplifying the social security process and helping people to get back to work; notes with concern the negative impact that many of the Coalition Government’s proposed welfare reforms could have on vulnerable people in Northern Ireland; and calls on the Minister for Social Development to continue his robust engagement with the Coalition Government and to work with Executive colleagues via the Executive Sub-Group on Welfare Reform to pursue, where possible, measures to mitigate the negative impacts of the proposed welfare reforms on Northern Ireland.’

[Mr S Hamilton]
[Mr S Douglas]
[Mr A Easton]
[Mrs P Lewis]

Amendment 2

Proposed: After ‘impact on our community’ insert:

‘ and, given the British Government’s record of rejecting all proposed changes, even those championed by its own Second Chamber, calls on all parties to defend the objectives of the Programme for Government and use the powers of this institution to protect our most vulnerable citizens’

[Mr A Maskey]
[Mr M Brady]
[Mr F McCann]