Minutes of Proceedings

Members observed two minutes’ silence.

2. Assembly Business

2.1 Motion - Committee Membership

Proposed:

That Mr Alastair Ross replace Mr George Robinson as a member of the Committee for Employment and Learning.

Mr P Weir
Lord Morrow

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

3. Executive Committee Business

3.1 Statement - Outcome of the EU Fisheries Council December 2012

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Michelle O’Neill, made a statement regarding the Outcome of the EU Fisheries Council December 2012, following which she replied to questions.

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

3.2 Statement - North South Ministerial Council meeting in Aquaculture and Marine sectoral format

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Michelle O’Neill, made a statement regarding the North South Ministerial Council meeting in Aquaculture and Marine sectoral format, held on 12 December 2012, following which she replied to questions.

4. Committee Business

4.1 Motion - Extension of Committee Stage: Welfare Reform Bill (NIA 13/11-15)

Proposed:

That, in accordance with Standing Order 33(4), the period referred to in Standing Order 33(2) be extended to 19 February 2013 in relation to the Committee Stage of the Welfare Reform Bill (NIA 13/11-15).

Chairperson, Committee for Social Development

Debate ensued.

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

5. Private Members’ Business

5.1 Motion - Programme For Government: Commitments to Tackle Social Disadvantage

Proposed:

That this Assembly calls on the Minister for Social Development to outline what steps his Department is taking to deliver on the commitments relating to tackling social disadvantage contained in the Programme for Government, which the Department for Social Development is responsible for delivering.

Mr A Maskey
Mr M Brady
Mr F McCann

Debate ensued.

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

The sitting was suspended at 2.10pm.

The sitting resumed at 2.30pm, with the Speaker in the Chair.

6. Question Time

6.1 Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister

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

6.2 Education

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

7. Question for Urgent Oral Answer

7.1 Co-operation between criminal justice agencies in response to the murder of Detective Garda Donohoe

The Minister of Justice, Mr David Ford, responded to a Question for Urgent Oral Answer tabled by Mr Conall McDevitt.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr Beggs) in the Chair.

8. Private Members’ Business (Cont’d)

8.1 Motion - Review of Public Administration

Proposed:

That this Assembly acknowledges the significant workload and substantial costs involved in the delivery of the Executive's Local Government reform transition as proposed under the Review of Public Administration; believes that the Executive should provide financial support for the reform process, including for future rates convergence; and calls on the Executive to provide financial support to councils to cover the upfront costs of RPA, which yield no short term savings, and to ensure that these costs do not result in rate increases.

Mrs D Kelly
Mr C Eastwood

8.2 Amendment

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘Administration;’ and insert:

‘recognises that Local Government will be the beneficiary of the savings that result from reform; and calls on the Minister of the Environment to engage with the Minister of Finance and Personnel on financing reform and, in particular, on the issue of rates convergence with the aim of developing a solution that does not result in rate increases.'

Mr S Hamilton
Mr P Weir

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the Amendment fell on division.

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

9. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

The Assembly adjourned at 5.32pm.

Mr William Hay
The Speaker
28 January 2013

Northern Ireland Assembly

28 January 2013
Division 1

Review of Public Administration - Amendment

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘Administration;’ and insert:

‘recognises that Local Government will be the beneficiary of the savings that result from reform; and calls on the Minister of the Environment to engage with the Minister of Finance and Personnel on financing reform and, in particular, on the issue of rates convergence with the aim of developing a solution that does not result in rate increases.'

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 36

Noes: 52

Ayes

Mr Agnew, Mr Anderson, Mr Bell, Ms P Bradley, Ms Brown, Mr Buchanan, Mr Clarke,
Mrs Cochrane, Mr Craig, Mr Dickson, Mr Dunne, Mr Easton, Dr Farry, Mr Girvan, Mr Givan,
Mrs Hale, Mr Hamilton, Mr Hilditch, Mr Humphrey, Mr Irwin, Ms Lo, Mr Lyttle, Mr McCarthy,
Mr McCausland, Mr I McCrea, Miss M McIlveen, Mr McQuillan, Lord Morrow, Mr Moutray,
Mr Newton, Mr G Robinson, Rt Hon P Robinson, Mr Ross, Mr Weir, Mr Wells, Mr Wilson.

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

Noes

Mr Allister, Mr Attwood, Mr Boylan, Ms Boyle, Mr Brady, Mr Byrne, Mr Copeland, Mr Cree,
Mr Dallat, Mrs Dobson, Mr Durkan, Mr Eastwood, Mr Elliott, Ms Fearon, Mr Flanagan,
Mr Hazzard, Mr Hussey, Mrs D Kelly, Mr Kennedy, Mr Kinahan, Mr Lynch, Mr McAleer,
Mr McCallister, Mr F McCann, Ms J McCann, Mr McCartney, Mr McClarty, Ms McCorley,
Mr B McCrea, Mr McDevitt, Dr McDonnell, Mr McElduff, Ms McGahan, Mr McGimpsey,
Mr McGlone, Mr M McGuinness, Mrs McKevitt, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, Mr McMullan,
Mr A Maginness, Mr Maskey, Mr Molloy, Mr Nesbitt, Mr Ó hOisín, Mr O'Dowd, Mrs O'Neill,
Mrs Overend, Mr P Ramsey, Mr Rogers, Ms Ruane, Mr Sheehan, Mr Swann.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr Byrne and Mrs McKevitt.

The Amendment fell.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on
23 - 28 January 2013

1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly

Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2013

Inquiry into Historical Institutional Abuse Act (Northern Ireland) 2013 

2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly

3. Orders in Council

4. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly

The Sports Council for Northern Ireland Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2012 (DCAL)

Legislative Consent Memorandum - Antarctic Bill (OFMDFM)

5. Assembly Reports

Report on whether the Provisions of the Welfare Reform Bill are in Conformity with the Requirements for Equality and Observance of Human Rights NIA 92/11-15 (Ad Hoc Committee on Conformity with Equality Requirements, Welfare Reform Bill)

6. Statutory Rules

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

• S.R. 2013/12 The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013 (DFP)

For Information Only:

• S. R. 2013/10 The Roads (Classification) Order (Northern Ireland) 2013 (DRD)
• S. R. 2013/13 The Waiting Restrictions (John Street, Castlederg) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2013 (DRD)
• S. R. 2013/14 The Parking Places, Loading Bays and Waiting Restrictions (Portadown) Order (Northern Ireland) 2013 (DRD)

7. Written Ministerial Statements

8. Consultation Documents

Consultation on proposals to Reform Public Service Pensions from April 2015 (DFP)

Northern Ireland Executive - Welfare Reform Rate Rebate Replacement Arrangements (DFP)

Department for Social Development Provision of Discretionary Support 2013: A consultation on the service design (DSD)

9. Departmental Publications

Building an Active Travel Future for Northern Ireland (DRD)

10. Agency Publications

11. Westminster Publications

12. Miscellaneous Publications