Minutes of Proceedings
Session: 2011/2012
Date: 28 November 2011
1. Personal Prayer or Meditation
Members observed two minutes’ silence.
2. Speaker’s Business
2.1 Public Petition - Reduction in Opening Hours of Community Libraries
Mr Dominic Bradley was granted leave, in accordance with Standing Order 22, to present a Public Petition relating to the reduction in opening hours of community libraries.
3. Executive Committee Business
3.1 Statement - DEL Related Teacher Training Issues
The Minister for Employment and Learning, Dr Stephen Farry, made a statement regarding DEL Related Teacher Training Issues, following which he replied to questions.
The Principal Deputy Speaker (Mr Molloy) took the Chair.
3.2 Motion: Rates (Payments by Owners by Agreement) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011
Proposed:
That the Rates (Payments by Owners by Agreement) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011 be affirmed.
Minister of Finance and Personnel
Debate ensued.
The Question being put, the Motion was carried without division.
4. Committee Business
4.1 (a) Motion - Amendment Standing Order 49A
Proposed:
Leave out Standing Order 49A and insert -
‘Committee for Justice
(1) The statutory committee established to advise and assist the Minister of Justice (in this Standing Order referred to as ‘the Committee for Justice’) shall –
(a) review the operation of the amendments made by Schedules 2 to 5 to the Northern Ireland Act 2009;
(b) report on its review by 30 April 2012; and
(c) include in its report any recommendations it has for changes to the way in which judicial office holders are appointed and removed.
(2) A person cannot be a member of the Committee for Justice if that person is a member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, a district policing partnership or a sub-group of the Belfast district policing partnership.’
Chairperson, Committee on Procedures
Debate ensued.
The Question being put, the Motion was carried with cross-community support nemine contradicente.
4.2 (b) Motion - Amend Standing Orders
Proposed:
Leave out Standing Order 49B.
Chairperson, Committee on Procedures
The Question being put, the Motion was carried with cross-community support nemine contradicente.
4.3 (c) Motion - Amend Standing Order 59
Proposed:
In Standing Order 59, leave out paragraph (4A).
Chairperson, Committee on Procedures
The Question being put, the Motion was carried with cross-community support nemine contradicente.
4.4 (d) Motion - Amend Standing Order 65(6)
Proposed:
In Standing Order 65(6) line 2, leave out -
', if he or she thinks it necessary, adjourn the Assembly without question put or suspend any sitting for one hour.'
and insert -
'- (a) suspend the sitting until a later time on that sitting day; or (b) adjourn the Assembly without question put.'
Chairperson, Committee on Procedures
The Question being put, the Motion was carried with cross-community support nemine contradicente.
5. Private Members’ Business
5.1 Motion - School Closures in the SEELB Area
Proposed:
That this Assembly notes with concern the school closures announced within the South Eastern Education and Library Board area to date; is concerned that the Board is making these decisions ahead of the outcome of the review of schools being conducted by the Department of Education; is further concerned that, unlike all other Education and Library Boards, this Board is run by Commissioners with no political input; and calls on the Minister of Education to intervene on this important matter.
Mr A Easton
Miss M McIlveen
Mr P Weir
Mrs B Hale
5.2 Amendment
Proposed:
Leave out all after ‘Minister of Education’ and insert:
‘to postpone any decisions until the viability audit has been completed.’
Mr C McDevitt
Mrs K McKevitt
Debate ensued.
The Speaker took the Chair.
The debate was suspended for Question Time.
6. Question Time
6.1 Agriculture and Rural Development
Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Michelle O’Neill.
6.2 Environment
Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of the Environment, Mr Alex Attwood.
7. Private Members’ Business (Cont’d)
7.1 Motion - School Closures in the SEELB Area (Cont’d)
Debate resumed on the Motion.
The Deputy Speaker (Mr Dallat) took the Chair.
The Question being put, the Amendment was made without division.
The Question being put, the Motion, as amended, was carried without division.
7.2 Motion - Retention and Release of Information from Police Officers
Following receipt of a valid Petition of Concern (See Appendix 1), under Standing Order 28, Members were informed that the vote on the motion would be taken at the start of business on Tuesday 29 November.
Proposed:
That this Assembly calls on the Minister of Justice to introduce effective measures to ensure that information and evidence provided by former or serving police officers is retained and released to any independent investigation into allegations of police wrongdoing.
Mr P Sheehan
Mr G Kelly
Mr R McCartney
Ms J McCann
7.3 Amendment
The following Amendment stood on the Marshalled List of Amendments in the names of Mr B McCrea, Mr J McCallister and Mr R Hussey.
Proposed:
Leave out all after ‘released’ and insert:
‘when necessary for any investigation.’
The Amendment was not moved.
Debate ensued on the Motion.
8. Adjournment
Proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
The Speaker
The Assembly adjourned at 6.15pm.
Mr William HayThe Speaker
28 November 2011
Appendix 1
NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY
PETITION OF CONCERN
MOTION: RETENTION AND RELEASE OF INFORMATION FROM POLICE OFFICERS
Date to be debated: 28 NOVEMBER 2011
The undersigned Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly present this Petition of Concern in accordance with Standing Order 28.
MR SYDNEY ANDERSON
MR JONATHAN BELL
MS PAULA BRADLEY
MR THOMAS BUCHANAN
MR GREGORY CAMPBELL
MR TREVOR CLARKE
MR JONATHAN CRAIG
MR SAMMY DOUGLAS
MR GORDON DUNNE
MR ALEX EASTON
MRS ARLENE FOSTER
MR PAUL FREW
MR PAUL GIRVAN
MR PAUL GIVAN
MRS BRENDA HALE
MR SIMON HAMILTON
MR DAVID HILDITCH
MR WILLIAM HUMPHREY
MR WILLIAM IRWIN
MS PAM LEWIS
MR NELSON MCCAUSLAND
MR IAN MCCREA
MR DAVID MCILVEEN
MISS MICHELLE MCILVEEN
MR ADRIAN MCQUILLAN
THE LORD MORROW
MR STEPHEN MOUTRAY
MR ROBIN NEWTON
MR EDWIN POOTS
MR GEORGE ROBINSON
RT HON PETER ROBINSON
MR ALASTAIR ROSS
MR JIMMY SPRATT
MR MERVYN STOREY
MR PETER WEIR
MR JIM WELLS
MR SAMMY WILSON
Northern Ireland Assembly
Papers Presented to the Assembly on23 -28 November 2011
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
The Southern Health and Social Care Trust Fund Accounts 2010-11 (DHSSPS)
5. Assembly Reports
6. Statutory Rules
(The Department identified after each rule is for reference purposes only)
7. Written Ministerial Statements
8. Consultation Documents
Defacement Removal Notices: Statutory Guidance for District Councils (DOE)
9. Departmental Publications
DETI: The Bioscience and Technology Institute (NIAO)
10. Agency Publications
11. Westminster Publications
Education Act 2011 - Chapter 21
Localism Act 2011 - Chapter 20
12. Miscellaneous Publications
