Minutes of Proceedings

Session: 2011/2012

Date: 20 February 2012

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

1. Personal Prayer or Meditation

Members observed two minutes’ silence.

2. Assembly Business

2.1 Motion - Committee Membership

Proposed:

That Ms Paula Bradley replace Mr Gregory Campbell as a member of the Committee for Social Development; and that Mr Gregory Campbell replace Ms Paula Bradley as a member of the Committee for the Environment.

Mr P Weir
Lord Morrow

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

3. Speaker’s Business

3.1 Public Petition - Save Drumcree College, Portadown

Mrs Dolores Kelly was granted leave, in accordance with Standing Order 22, to present a Public Petition relating to Saving Drumcree College, Portadown.

4. Executive Committee Business

4.1 Consideration Stage - Budget Bill (NIA Bill 4/11-15)

The Minister of Finance and Personnel, Mr Sammy Wilson, moved the Consideration Stage of the Budget Bill.

No amendments were tabled to the Bill.

Clauses

The question being put, it was agreed without division that Clauses 1 to 7 stand part of the Bill.

Schedules

The question being put, it was agreed without division that Schedules 1 to 4 stand part of the Bill.

Long Title

The question being put, the Long Title was agreed without division.

Bill NIA 4/11-15 stood referred to the Speaker.

4.2 Motion - Social Security (Loss of Benefit) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

Proposed:

That the Social Security (Loss of Benefit) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 be approved.

Minister for Social Development

Debate ensued.

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

5. Private Members’ Business

5.1 Motion - Emergency Life Support Skills

Proposed:

That this Assembly is concerned that heart and circulatory disease remains Northern Ireland's biggest killer; notes that for every minute that passes after a cardiac arrest without defibrillation, the chance of survival is reduced by around 10 per cent, but that immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can improve the chances of survival by up to a factor of three; further notes that, last year, more than 30,000 people were trained in Emergency Life Support Skills (ELS), including CPR, by the British Heart Foundation's (BHF) Heartstart Programme; supports BHF's campaign to ensure that all schools, communities, and workplaces, provide ELS training; and calls on the Executive, the Health and Social Care Trusts and the education bodies to work together to provide the necessary investment to deliver this training to every school, community and workplace.

Mr P Weir
Mr K McCarthy
Mr J McCallister
Ms M Gildernew
Mr M Durkan

Debate ensued.

The Principal deputy Speaker (Mr Molloy) took the Chair.

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

5.2 Motion - Welfare Reform

Proposed:

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

5.3 Amendment No.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
Ms P Lewis

5.4 Amendment No. 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

Debate ensued.

The debate was suspended for Question Time.

6. Question Time

The Deputy Speaker (Mr Beggs) took the Chair.

6.1 Culture, Arts and Leisure

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Ms Carál Ní Chuilín.

6.2 Education

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Education, Mr John O’Dowd.

7. Private Members’ Business (Cont’d)

7.1 Motion - Welfare Reform (Cont’d)

Debate resumed on the motion.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr Dallat) took the Chair.

Amendment No. 1 being put, the Amendment fell (Division 1).

Amendment No. 2 being put, the Amendment fell (Division 2).

The Question being put, the Motion was negatived (Division 3).

8. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

The Assembly adjourned at 5.18pm.

Mr William Hay
The Speaker
20 February 2012

Northern Ireland Assembly

20 February 2012
Division 1

Welfare Reform - Amendment 1

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘Assembly’ and insert:

Mr S Hamilton
Mr S Douglas
Mr A Easton
Ms P Lewis

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 44

Noes: 44

Ayes

Mr Allister, Mr S Anderson, Mr Beggs, Ms P Bradley, Mr Campbell, Mr T Clarke, Mr Copeland,
Mr Craig, Mr Cree, Mrs Dobson, Mr Douglas, Mr Dunne, Mr Easton, Mr Elliott, Mr Frew, Mr Gardiner, Mr Girvan, Mr Givan, Mrs Hale, Mr Hilditch, Mr Humphrey, Mr Hussey, Mr Irwin, Mr Kennedy,
Mr Kinahan, Mr McCallister, Mr McCausland, Mr McClarty, Mr B McCrea, Mr I McCrea, Mr McGimpsey, Mr D McIlveen, Miss M McIlveen, Mr McQuillan, Lord Morrow, Mr Moutray, Mr Nesbitt, Mrs Overend, Mr G Robinson, Mr Ross, Mr Storey, Mr Swann, Mr Weir, Mr Wilson.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Douglas and Mr G Robinson.

Noes

Mr Agnew, Ms M Anderson, Mr Boylan, Ms Boyle, Mr Brady, Mr Byrne, Mr W Clarke, Mrs Cochrane,
Mr Dickson, Mr Doherty, Mr Durkan, Mr Eastwood, Dr Farry, Mr Ford, Mrs D Kelly, Mr G Kelly, Ms Lo,
Mr Lunn, Mr Lynch, Mr Lyttle, Mr F McCann, Ms J McCann, Mr McCarthy, Mr McCartney, Mr McDevitt, Dr McDonnell, Mr McElduff, Mr McGlone, Mr McKay, Mrs McKevitt, Mr McLaughlin, Mr McMullan,
Mr A Maginness, Mr A Maskey, Mr P Maskey, Mr Murphy, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr Ó hOisín, Mr O’Dowd,
Mr P Ramsey, Ms S Ramsey, Ms Ritchie, Ms Ruane, Mr Sheehan.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr Byrne and Mrs McKevitt.

The Amendment fell.

Northern Ireland Assembly

20 February 2012
Division 2

Welfare Reform - Amendment 2

Proposed:

After ‘impact on our community’ insert:

Mr A Maskey
Mr M Brady
Mr F McCann

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 44

Noes: 45

Ayes

Ms M Anderson, Mr Attwood, Mr Boylan, Ms Boyle, Mr Brady, Mr Byrne, Mr W Clarke, Mrs Cochrane, Mr Dickson, Mr Doherty, Mr Durkan, Mr Eastwood, Dr Farry, Mr Ford, Mrs D Kelly, Mr G Kelly, Ms Lo, Mr Lunn, Mr Lynch, Mr Lyttle, Mr F McCann, Ms J McCann, Mr McCarthy, Mr McCartney, Mr McDevitt, Dr McDonnell, Mr McElduff, Mr McGlone, Mr McKay, Mrs McKevitt, Mr McLaughlin, Mr McMullan,
Mr A Maginness, Mr A Maskey, Mr P Maskey, Mr Murphy, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr Ó hOisín, Mr O’Dowd,
Mr P Ramsey, Ms S Ramsey, Ms Ritchie, Ms Ruane, Mr Sheehan.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Brady and Mr A Maskey.

Noes

Mr Agnew, Mr Allister, Mr S Anderson, Mr Beggs, Ms P Bradley, Mr Campbell, Mr T Clarke,
Mr Copeland, Mr Craig, Mr Cree, Mrs Dobson, Mr Douglas, Mr Dunne, Mr Easton, Mr Elliott, Mr Frew, Mr Gardiner, Mr Girvan, Mr Givan, Mrs Hale, Mr Hilditch, Mr Humphrey, Mr Hussey, Mr Irwin,
Mr Kennedy, Mr Kinahan, Mr McCallister, Mr McCausland, Mr McClarty, Mr B McCrea, Mr I McCrea,
Mr McGimpsey, Mr D McIlveen, Miss M McIlveen, Mr McQuillan, Lord Morrow, Mr Moutray, Mr Nesbitt, Mrs Overend, Mr G Robinson, Mr Ross, Mr Storey, Mr Swann, Mr Weir, Mr Wilson.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr Douglas and Mr G Robinson.

The Amendment fell.

Northern Ireland Assembly

20 February 2012
Division 3

Welfare Reform - Motion

Proposed:

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

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 38

Noes: 44

Ayes

Mr Agnew, Ms M Anderson, Mr Attwood, Mr Boylan, Ms Boyle, Mr Brady, Mr Byrne, Mr W Clarke,
Mr Doherty, Mr Durkan, Mr Eastwood, Mrs D Kelly, Mr G Kelly, Mr Lynch, Mr F McCann, Ms J McCann, Mr McCarthy, Mr McCartney, Mr McDevitt, Dr McDonnell, Mr McElduff, Mr McGlone, Mr McKay,
Mrs McKevitt, Mr McLaughlin, Mr McMullan, Mr A Maginness, Mr A Maskey, Mr P Maskey, Mr Murphy, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr Ó hOisín, Mr O’Dowd, Mr P Ramsey, Ms S Ramsey, Ms Ritchie, Ms Ruane, Mr Sheehan.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Byrne and Mrs McKevitt.

Noes

Tellers for the Noes: Mr Douglas and Mr G Robinson.

The Motion was negatived.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on
15 - 20 February 2012

1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly

2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly

3. Orders in Council

4. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly

CITB – ConstructionSkills Northern Ireland Annual Report 2010/2011 (DEL)

5. Assembly Reports

6. Statutory Rules

(The Department identified after each rule is for reference purposes only)

S.R. 2012/42 The Health and Personal Social Services (Superannuation Scheme, Injury Benefits and Additional Voluntary Contributions), Health and Social Care (Pension Scheme) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 (DHSSPS)
S.R. 2012/43 The Old Church Road, Newtownabbey (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012 (DRD)
S.R. 2012/46 The Rates (Regional Rates) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012 (DFP)
S.R. 2012/47 The Rates (Microgeneration) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012 (DFP)
Draft S.R. 2012/ The Welfare of Animals (Permitted Procedures by Lay Persons) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 (DARD)

For Information Only: