Minutes of Proceedings

The Assembly met at noon, the Speaker in the Chair.

1. Prayers

Members observed two minutes' silence.

2. Speaker's Business

2.1 The Speaker congratulated Mr Gordon Dunne MLA and the Chief Executive, Mr Trevor Reaney, on receiving awards from Her Majesty in the Birthday Honours.

3. Matters of the Day

3.1 Mass Shooting in Orlando

Mr Mike Nesbitt made a statement, under Standing Order 24, in relation to the mass shooting in Orlando. Other Members were also called to speak on the matter.

3.2 Death of a Northern Ireland Football Fan in Nice

Mr Robin Swann made a statement, under Standing Order 24, in relation to the death of a Northern Ireland football fan in Nice. Other Members were also called to speak on the matter.

4. Assembly Business

4.1 Committee Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson Nominations

The Speaker informed the House that he had received the resignation of Mr William Irwin as Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Infrastructure, and that the nominating officer of the Democratic Unionist Party, Mrs Arlene Foster, had nominated Mr George Robinson to fill the vacancy with effect from 9 June 2016.

5. Public Petition

5.1 Public Petition – Save Bellgray Nursing Home, Newtownstewart

Ms Michaela Boyle was granted leave, in accordance with Standing Order 22, to present a Public Petition regarding Bellgray Nursing Home, Newtownstewart.

6. Assembly Business

6.1 Motion – Committee Membership

Proposed:

That Mr William Irwin replace Mr George Robinson as a member of the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

Mr T Clarke
Mr G Lyons

The Question being put, the Motion was carried without division.

6.2 Motion – Committee Membership

Proposed:

That Dr Stephen Farry be appointed as a member of the Business Committee.

Mr T Clarke
Ms C Ní Chuilín
Mr R Swann
Mr A Attwood
Mr S Dickson

The Question being put, the Motion was carried without division.

6.3 Motion – Nomination to the Regional Chamber of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

Proposed:

That this Assembly nominates Mr Stewart Dickson to be a full member of the Regional Chamber of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe with effect from October 2016.

Mr T Clarke
Mr C Ní Chuilín
Mr R Swann
Mr A Attwood
Mr S Dickson

The Question being put, the Motion was carried without division.

The Principal Deputy Speaker (Ms Ruane) took the Chair.

7. Executive Committee Business

7.1 Motion – Suspension of Standing Orders 10(2) to 10(4)

Proposed:

That Standing Orders 10(2) to 10(4) be suspended for 13 June 2016.

Minister of Finance

The Question being put, the Motion was carried with cross-community support (No dissenting voices).

7.2 Motion - Supply Resolution for the 2014/15 Excess Votes

Proposed:

That this Assembly approves that resources, not exceeding £69,281,105.15 be authorised for use by the Department of Finance and the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission, for the year ending 31 March 2015, as summarised in Part II of the 2014-15 Statement of Excesses that was laid before the Assembly on 1 June 2016.

Minister of Finance

7.3 Motion - Supply Resolution for the Northern Ireland Main Estimates 2016/17

Proposed:

That this Assembly approves that a sum, not exceeding £7,986,369,200, be granted out of the Consolidate Fund, for or towards defraying the charges for Northern Ireland Departments, the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission, the Food Standards Agency, the Northern Ireland Audit Office, the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman and the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland for the year ending 31 March 2017; and that resources, not exceeding £8,693,136,600 be authorised for use by Northern Ireland Departments, the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission, the Food Standards Agency, the Northern Ireland Audit Office, the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman and the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland for the year ending 31 March 2017 as summarised for each Department or other public body in Columns 3 (b) and 3 (a) of Table 1.3 in the volume of the Northern Ireland Estimates 2016-17 as laid before the Assembly on 1 June 2016.

Minister of Finance

A single debate ensued on both motions.

The debate was suspended for Question Time.

The Speaker took the Chair.

8. Question Time

8.1 The Executive Office

Questions were put to, and answered by, the deputy First Minister, Mr Martin McGuinness. The junior Minister, Ms Megan Fearon, also answered a number of questions.

8.2 Education

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Education, Mr Peter Weir.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr Kennedy) took the Chair.

9. Executive Committee Business (cont'd)

9.1 Motion - Supply Resolution for the 2014/15 Excess Votes

Motion - Supply Resolution for the Northern Ireland Main Estimates 2016/17

Debate resumed on both motions.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr McGlone) took the Chair.

The Question being put, the Motion on the Supply Resolution for the 2014-2015 Excess Votes was carried with cross-community support (No dissenting voices).

The Question being put, the Motion on the Supply Resolution for the Northern Ireland Main Estimates 2016/17 was carried with cross-community support (Division).

9.2 First Stage – Budget (No.2) Bill (NIA Bill 1/16-21)

A Bill to authorise the issue out of the Consolidated Fund of certain sums for the service of the year ending 31st March 2017; to appropriate those sums for specified purposes; to authorise the Department of Finance to borrow on the credit of the appropriated sums; to authorise the use for the public service of certain resources (including accruing resources) for the year ending 31st March 2017; to authorise the use of certain excess resources for the year ending 31st March 2015; and to repeal certain spent provisions.

The Budget (No.2) Bill (NIA Bill 1/16-21) passed First Stage and ordered to be printed.

The Speaker informed the House that confirmation had been received from the Chairperson of the Committee for Finance, in accordance with Standing Order 42(2), that the Committee was satisfied that there had been appropriate consultation with it on the public expenditure proposals contained in the Bill, and that the Bill can therefore proceed under the accelerated passage procedure.

8. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr McGlone).

The Assembly adjourned at 5.54pm.

Mr Robin Newton
The Speaker

13 June 2016

Northern Ireland Assembly

13 June 2016
Division

Motion - Supply Resolution for the Northern Ireland Main Estimates 2016/17

Minister of Finance

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 56
Noes: 10

AYES

NATIONALIST:

Ms Archibald, Mr Boylan, Ms Boyle, Ms Dillon, Ms Fearon, Ms Gildernew, Mr Hazzard, Mr Kearney, Mr Kelly, Mr Lynch, Mr McAleer, Mr F McCann, Ms J McCann, Mr McCartney, Mr McElduff, Mr McKay, Mr McMullan, Mr Maskey, Mr Milne, Mr Murphy, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr Ó Muilleoir, Mr O'Dowd, Ms Seeley, Mr Sheehan.

UNIONIST:

Mr Anderson, Mr Bell, Mr M Bradley, Ms P Bradley, Mr K Buchanan, Mrs Bunting, Mrs Cameron, Mr Clarke, Mr Douglas, Mr Dunne, Mr Easton, Mr Girvan, Mr Givan, Mrs Hale, Mr Hamilton, Mr Irwin, Mrs Little Pengelly, Ms Lockhart, Mr Logan, Mr Lyons, Mr McCausland, Miss McIlveen, Mr McQuillan, Mr Middleton, Mr Poots, Mr Robinson, Mr Ross, Mr Stalford, Mr Storey, Mr Weir, Mr Wells.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr O'Dowd, Mr Robinson.

NOES

UNIONIST:

Mr Allister.

OTHER:

Mr Agnew, Ms Armstrong, Ms Bradshaw, Mr Dickson, Dr Farry, Mr Ford, Mrs Long, Mr Lunn, Mr Lyttle.

Tellers for the Noes: Ms Bradshaw, Mr Dickson.

Total Votes 66 Total Ayes 56 [84.8%]

Nationalist Votes 25 Nationalist Ayes 25 [100.0%]

Unionist Votes 32 Unionist Ayes 31 [96.9%]

Other Votes 9 Other Ayes 0 [0.0%]

The Motion was carried on a cross-community vote.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on
8 – 13 June 2016

1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly

2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly

The Budget (No.2) Bill 2016 (NIA Bill 1/16-21).

3. Orders in Council

4. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly

Report of the Northern Ireland Assembly Commissioner for Standards for 2015-2016 (Commissioner for Standards).

Land and Property Services Trust Statement – Rate Levy Accruals Account; Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2015 (DoF).

5. Assembly Reports

Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules to the Assembly and the Appropriate Committees; First Report of Session 2016-2017 (NIA 3/16-21) (ESR).

6. Statutory Rules

S.R. 2016/000 (Draft) The Discretionary Support Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (DfC).

S.R. 2016/000 (Draft) The Welfare Supplementary Payment (Loss of Disability-Related Premiums) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (DfC).

S.R. 2016/000 (Draft) The Welfare Supplementary Payment (Loss of Disability Living Allowance) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (DfC).

S.R. 2016/000 (Draft) The Welfare Supplementary Payment (Loss of Carer Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (DfC).

For Information Only

S.R. 2016/242 The Posted Workers (Enforcement of Employment Rights) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (DfE).

7. Written Ministerial Statements

8. Consultation Documents

9. Departmental Publications

Department of Finance Memorandum on the Thirty Seventh Report from the Public Accounts Committee Mandate 2011-2016: Invest to Save Funding in Northern Ireland (DoF).

Department of Finance Memorandum on the Thirty Fifth Report from the Public Accounts Committee Mandate 2011-2016: Department of Education: Sustainability of Schools (DoF).

10. Agency Publications

11. Westminster Publications

12. Miscellaneous Publications