Minutes of Proceedings

Members observed two minutes’ silence.

2.    Executive Committee Business

2.1   Motion - To Continue Operation of the Department of Justice from 1 May 2012

Proposed:

That, pursuant to paragraph 8(1) of Schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland Act 2009, the Department of Justice established by the Department of Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 is to continue operating from 1 May 2012.

Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister

2.2   Amendment

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘2009,’ and insert:

‘a second Act of the Assembly, which results in the Minister of Justice being appointed by d’Hondt, is brought forward to ensure that the Department of Justice is to continue operating from 1 May 2012.’

Mr A Maginness
Dr A McDonnell
Mr C McDevitt
Mr C Eastwood

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the Amendment fell (Division 1).

The Question being put, the Motion was carried with cross-community support (Division 2).  

The sitting was suspended at 12.29pm.

The sitting resumed at 2.00pm with the Principal Deputy Speaker (Mr Molloy) in the Chair.

3.    Question Time

3.1   Environment

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of the Environment, Mr Alex Attwood.

3.2   Finance and Personnel

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Finance and Personnel, Mr Sammy Wilson.

4.    Executive Committee Business (Cont’d)

4.1   Royal Assent

The Speaker informed Members that Royal Assent had been signified on 28 February 2012 to the Rates Amendment Act (Northern Ireland) 2012.

4.2   Statement - Management of Article 31 Planning Applications and Article 31 Planning Decisions

The Minister of the Environment, Mr Alex Attwood, made a statement regarding the Management of Article 31 Planning Applications and Article 31 Planning Decisions, following which he replied to questions.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr Beggs) took the Chair.

5.    Private Members’ Business

5.1   Motion - Car-jacking Crimes

Proposed:

That this Assembly calls on the Minister of Justice to respond to public concerns about the recent pattern of car-jackings, particularly in relation to the role of prolific offenders and the conditions on which they are given bail; and further calls on the Minister to develop and resource a strategy to curb this crime and engender public confidence.

Mr P Maskey
Mr P Sheehan
Ms J McCann

5.2   Amendment

Proposed:

At end insert:

‘, including introducing tougher sentences.’

Mr P Weir
Mr D McIlveen
Mr J Craig
Mr J Wells

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the Amendment was made without division. 

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

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

5.3   Motion - Securing Undeveloped Sites

Proposed:

That this Assembly notes that there are a number of sites in urban areas where buildings, or other structures, have been demolished or removed pending future development, and that neither local councils nor the Health and Safety Executive have the power to require that they are made secure; and calls on the Minister of the Environment to bring forward proposals to empower local councils to require that sites, which contain no existing buildings or structures and are awaiting development, be made secure.

Miss M McIlveen
Mr P Weir

5.4   Amendment

Proposed:

Leave out all after the second ‘to require that’ and insert:

‘incomplete sites and derelict buildings be made secure.’

Mr D Kinahan
Mrs S Overend

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the Amendment was made without division. 

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

The Deputy Speaker (Mr Dallat) took the Chair.

6.    Adjournment

Mrs Judith Cochrane spoke to her topic on support for children and young people with cancer in East Belfast. 

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

The Assembly adjourned at 7.19pm.

Mr William Hay
The Speaker
28 February 2012

Northern Ireland Assembly

28 February 2012
Divisions

Division No. 1

To Continue Operation of the Department of Justice from 1 May 2012 - Amendment

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘2009,’ and insert:

‘a second Act of the Assembly, which results in the Minister of Justice being appointed by d’Hondt, is brought forward to ensure that the Department of Justice is to continue operating from 1 May 2012.’

Mr A Maginness
Dr A McDonnell
Mr C McDevitt
Mr C Eastwood

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 13
Noes: 78

Ayes

Mr Agnew, Mr D Bradley, Mr Byrne, Mr Dallat, Mr Durkan, Mr Eastwood, Mrs D Kelly,
Mr McDevitt, Dr McDonnell, Mrs McKevitt, Mr A Maginness, Mr P Ramsey, Ms Ritchie.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Byrne and Mr Eastwood.

Noes

Ms M Anderson, Mr S Anderson, Mr Beggs, Mr Bell, Mr Boylan, Ms Boyle, Ms P Bradley,
Mr Brady, Mr Buchanan, Mr Campbell, Mr T Clarke, Mr W Clarke, Mrs Cochrane, Mr Copeland,
Mr Craig, Mr Dickson, Mrs Dobson, Mr Douglas, Mr Easton, Mr Elliott, Dr Farry, Mr Flanagan,
Mr Ford, Mrs Foster, Mr Frew, Mr Gardiner, Mr Girvan, Mr Givan, Mrs Hale, Mr Hilditch,
Mr Humphrey, Mr Hussey, Mr Irwin, Mr G Kelly, Mr Kennedy, Mr Kinahan, Ms Lewis, Ms Lo,
Mr Lunn, Mr Lynch, Mr Lyttle, Mr McCallister, Ms J McCann, Mr McCarthy, Mr McCartney,
Mr McCausland, Mr McClarty, Mr B McCrea, Mr I McCrea, Mr McElduff, Mr M McGuinness,
Mr D McIlveen, Miss M McIlveen, Mr McLaughlin, Mr McMullan, Mr McNarry, Mr McQuillan,
Mr P Maskey, Mr Molloy, Lord Morrow, Mr Moutray, Mr Murphy, Mr Nesbitt, Ms Ní Chuilín,
Mr Ó hOisín, Mrs O’Neill, Mrs Overend, Mr Poots, Ms S Ramsey, Mr G Robinson,
Rt Hon P Robinson, Mr Ross, Mr Sheehan, Mr Storey, Mr Swann, Mr Weir, Mr Wells, Mr Wilson.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr W Clarke and Mr G Robinson.

The following Member voted in both Lobbies and is therefore not counted in the result: Mr Allister.

The Amendment fell.

Northern Ireland Assembly

28 February 2012
Divisions

Division No. 2

To Continue Operation of the Department of Justice from 1 May 2012 - Motion

Proposed:

That, pursuant to paragraph 8(1) of Schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland Act 2009, the Department of Justice established by the Department of Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 is to continue operating from 1 May 2012.

Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 78
Noes: 13

Ayes

Nationalist:

Ms M Anderson, Mr Boylan, Ms Boyle, Mr Brady, Mr W Clarke, Mr Flanagan, Mr G Kelly,
Mr Lynch, Ms J McCann, Mr McCartney, Mr McElduff, Mr Mzz McGuinness, Mr McLaughlin,
Mr McMullan, Mr P Maskey, Mr Molloy, Mr Murphy, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr Ó hOisín, Mr O’Dowd,
Mrs O’Neill, Ms S Ramsey, Mr Sheehan.

Unionist:

Mr S Anderson, Mr Beggs, Mr Bell, Ms P Bradley, Mr Buchanan, Mr Campbell, Mr T Clarke,
Mr Copeland, Mr Craig, Mrs Dobson, Mr Douglas, Mr Easton, Mr Elliott, Mrs Foster, Mr Frew,
Mr Gardiner, Mr Girvan, Mr Givan, Mrs Hale, Mr Hilditch, Mr Humphrey, Mr Hussey, Mr Irwin,
Mr Kennedy, Mr Kinahan, Ms Lewis, Mr McCallister, Mr McCausland, Mr McClarty, Mr I McCrea, Mr D McIlveen, Miss M McIlveen, Mr McNarry, Mr McQuillan, Lord Morrow, Mr Moutray,
Mr Nesbitt, Mrs Overend, Mr Poots, Mr G Robinson, Rt Hon P Robinson, Mr Ross, Mr Storey,
Mr Swann, Mr Weir, Mr Wells, Mr Wilson.

Other:

Mrs Cochrane, Mr Dickson, Dr Farry, Mr Ford, Ms Lo, Mr Lunn, Mr Lyttle, Mr McCarthy.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr W Clarke and Mr G Robinson.

Noes

Nationalist:

Mr D Bradley, Mr Byrne, Mr Dallat, Mr Durkan, Mr Eastwood, Mrs D Kelly, Mr McDevitt, Dr McDonnell, Mrs McKevitt, Mr A Maginness, Mr P Ramsey.

Unionist:

Mr Allister.

Other:

Mr Agnew

Tellers for the Noes: Mr Eastwood and Mrs McKevitt.

Total votes                                               91                           Total Ayes                            78           [85.7%%]

Nationalist Votes                                    34                           Nationalist Ayes                   23           [67.6%%]

Unionist Votes                                         48                           Unionist Ayes                       47           [97.9%%]

Other Votes                                             9                              Other Ayes                           8            [88.9%%]

The Motion was carried (cross-community vote).  

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on
28 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

Charitable Donations and Bequests Annual Report to 31/03/2011 (DSD)

Northern Ireland Central Investment Fund for Charities Annual Report to 30/09/2011 (DSD)

5.    Assembly Reports

6.    Statutory Rules

• S.R. 2012/62 The Education (Student Support) (No.2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 (DEL)
• S.R. 2012/64 Police Service of Northern Ireland Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (DOJ)
• S.R. 2012/70 The Westbourne Avenue, Ballymena (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012 (DRD)
  
  

7.   Written Ministerial Statements

8.    Consultation Documents

9.    Departmental Publications

10.   Agency Publications

11.   Westminster Publications

12.   Miscellaneous Publications

Northern Ireland Assembly Legislation:

Stages in Consideration of Public Bills

First Stage: Introduction of Bill.

Second Stage: General debate of the Bill with an opportunity for Members to vote on its general principles.

Committee Stage (Comm. Stage): Detailed investigation by a Committee which concludes with the publication of a report for consideration by the Assembly.

Consideration Stage (CS): Consideration by the Assembly of, and an opportunity for Members to vote on, the details of the Bill including amendments proposed to the Bill.

Further Consideration Stage (FCS): Consideration by the Assembly of, and an opportunity for Members to vote on, further amendments to the Bill.

Final Stage: Passing or rejecting of Bill by the Assembly, without further amendment.

Royal Assent.

Proceedings as at 28 FEBRUARY 2012

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