Minutes of Proceedings

The Assembly met at 10.30am, the Speaker in the Chair.
1. Personal Prayer or Meditation
Members observed two minutes' silence.

2. Speaker's Business
The Speaker reminded Members of the standards of courtesy, good temper and moderation expected in the Chamber and that all remarks should be made through the Chair.

3. Executive Committee Business
3.1 Statement - Funding for Lending Scheme: Bank Lending to Business in Northern Ireland
The Minister of Finance and Personnel, Mr Sammy Wilson, made a statement regarding the Funding for Lending Scheme: Bank Lending to Business in Northern Ireland, following which he replied to questions.
The Deputy Speaker (Mr Dallat) took the Chair.

4. Committee Business
4.1 Motion - Amend Standing Order 49A
Proposed:
After Standing Order 49A insert –
'49B. Changes to Statutory Committees
(1) This order applies where all Northern Ireland Ministers cease to hold
office as a consequence of the application of section 18(1) of the
Northern Ireland Act 1998, for example, where a new department is
established or an existing one dissolved.
(2) All statutory committees shall be dissolved.
(3) After all Ministerial offices are subsequently filled, the procedures
referred to in paragraph (4) for constituting statutory committees shall
be run as they are run following the election of the Assembly.
(4) Those procedures are the procedures set out in Standing Orders for –
(a) determining the number of statutory committees;
(b) establishing them;
(c) appointing chairpersons and deputy chairpersons to them; and
(d) allocating seats on them.'
Chairperson, Committee on Procedures
Debate ensued.
The Question being put, the Motion was carried with cross-community support nemine contradicente.

4.2 Motion - Amend Standing Order 57(1)
Proposed:
Leave out Standing Order 57(1)(c) and insert –
'to consider any matter relating to the conduct of members;'
Leave out Standing Order 57(1)(e)
In Standing Order 57(1)(f) leave out 'Standing Orders 69B and 69C' and insert –
'Standing Orders 69A to 69C'
Debate ensued.
The Question being put, the Motion was carried with cross-community support nemine contradicente.

4.3 Motion - Amend Standing Order 69A
Proposed:
Leave out Standing Order 69A and insert –
'Northern Ireland Assembly Commissioner for Standards
(1) This order supplements Part 2 of the Assembly Members (Independent
Financial Review and Standards) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.
(2) In these Standing Orders "the Commissioner" means the Northern Ireland
Assembly Commissioner for Standards established by section 16 of the Act.
(3) The Committee on Standards and Privileges shall exercise the following
functions in respect of the Commissioner –
(a) considering any report made by the Commissioner under section 17(1)(c) or section 26 of the Act;
(b) requesting and considering advice from the Commissioner under section 17(1)(d);
(c) directing the Commissioner under section 24 (including specifying matters under section 24(2)(b)(i) and making requirements under section 24(2)(b)(ii));
(d) requesting a further investigation under section 26; and
(e) publishing a report under section 27(3).
(4) The consideration of a report or advice by the Committee on Standards and
Privileges does not preclude its consideration by the Assembly.
(5) The Commissioner must investigate a referral –
(a) made by the Committee on Standards and Privileges, that relates to –
(i) the conduct of members; or
(ii) members and Assembly privilege, including alleged breach of privilege by a member;
(b) made by the Clerk to the Assembly, that relates to –
(i) the conduct of members, and
(ii) the Clerk's duties as accounting officer within the meaning of the Government Resources and Accounts Act (Northern Ireland) 2001.'
Chairperson, Committee on Procedures
The Question being put, the Motion was carried with cross-community support nemine contradicente.

4.4 Motion - Amend Standing Order 69C
Proposed:
Leave out Standing Order 69C and insert –
'Members' Interests: Rectification of Minor Errors
(1) This order applies to a failure by a member –
(a) to register an interest in the Register of Members' Interests,
(b) to declare an interest.
(2) The Committee on Standards and Privileges may determine not to apply
Standing Order 69B in respect of that failure if–
(a) the Commissioner recommends it;
(b) the failure was minor or inadvertent; and
(c) the member acknowledges the failure and apologises to the Assembly for it.
(3) Where the failure is under paragraph (1)(a), the Register must also be
rectified.'
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 - Centenary of the Signing of the Ulster Covenant
Proposed:
That this Assembly recognises the signing of the Ulster Covenant on 28 September 1912, in its centenary year, as an historic and significant event in the history of Northern Ireland; notes the availability of all the digitised signatures of the Covenant via the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland website; and affirms the importance of Ulster Unionists Lord Carson and Lord Craigavon and their legacy which remains in place today.
Mr M Nesbitt
Mr R Swann
Mr M McGimpsey
Debate ensued.
The sitting was suspended at 12.32pm.
The sitting resumed at 2.00pm with the Deputy Speaker (Mr Beggs) in the Chair.

6. Question Time
6.1 Justice
Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Justice, Mr David Ford.

6.2 Social Development
Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister for Social Development, Mr Nelson McCausland.

7. Private Members' Business (Cont'd)
7.1 Motion - Centenary of the Signing of the Ulster Covenant (Cont'd)
Debate resumed on the Motion.
The Question being put, the Motion was carried without division.
The Speaker took the Chair.

7.2 Motion - Parades
Proposed:
That this Assembly calls on the leadership of the Loyal Orders to become involved urgently in direct dialogue with residents' groups to resolve the issue of contentious parades which still affects entire communities during the summer.
Mr G Kelly
Mr M McLaughlin
Mr D McKay

7.3 Amendment No. 1
Proposed:
Leave out all after 'Assembly' and insert:
'recognises the positive community contribution by the Loyal Orders; and calls on everyone in leadership roles within the community to ensure that their actions promote positive outcomes from all parades and other events organised by community groups that could be deemed contentious.'
Mr T Elliott
Mr M Nesbitt
Mr R Swann

7.4 Amendment No. 2
Proposed:
Leave out all after 'Assembly' and insert:
'affirms the right to peaceful assembly, parade and protest within the rule of law; condemns violence without equivocation; believes that local dialogue offers the best way of resolving differences over parades; and recognises that the contentious nature of parades may, where necessary, require an independent process.'
Mr C Lyttle
Mrs J Cochrane
Mr K McCarthy
Debate ensued.
The Question being put, Amendment No. 1 was made (Division 1).
Amendment No. 2 was not put.
The Question being put, the Motion, as amended, was carried (Division 2).
The Principal Deputy Speaker (Mr Molloy) took the Chair.

8. Adjournment
Mr Cathal Boylan spoke to his topic on Health Provision in Armagh City and district.
Proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker
The Assembly adjourned at 6.40pm.

Mr William Hay
The Speaker
18 September 2012

Northern Ireland Assembly
18 September 2012
Division 1
Parades - Amendment 1
Proposed:
Leave out all after 'Assembly' and insert:
'recognises the positive community contribution by the Loyal Orders; and calls on everyone in leadership roles within the community to ensure that their actions promote positive outcomes from all parades and other events organised by community groups that could be deemed contentious.'
Mr T Elliott
Mr M Nesbitt
Mr R Swann
The Question was put and the Assembly divided.
Ayes: 50
Noes: 48

Ayes
Mr Allister, Mr Anderson, Mr Beggs, Mr Bell, Ms P Bradley, Ms Brown, Mr Buchanan, Mr Clarke,
Mr Copeland, Mr Craig, Mr Cree, Mrs Dobson, Mr Douglas, Mr Dunne, Mr Easton, Mr Elliott, Mrs Foster, Mr Frew, Mr Gardiner, Mr Girvan, Mr Givan, Mrs Hale, Mr Hamilton, Mr Hilditch, Mr Humphrey,
Mr Hussey, Mr Irwin, Mr Kennedy, Mr Kinahan, Mr McCallister, Mr McCausland, Mr B McCrea,
Mr I McCrea, Mr McGimpsey, Mr D McIlveen, Miss M McIlveen, Mr McNarry, Mr McQuillan,
Lord Morrow, Mr Moutray, Mr Nesbitt, Mr Newton, Mrs Overend, Mr Poots, Mr G Robinson, Mr Ross,
Mr Storey, Mr Swann, Mr Weir, Mr Wells.
Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Copeland and Mr Kennedy.

Noes
Mr Agnew, Mr Attwood, Mr Boylan, Ms Boyle, Mr D Bradley, Mr Brady, Mr Byrne, Mrs Cochrane,
Mr Dallat, Mr Dickson, Mr Eastwood, Dr Farry, Ms Fearon, Mr Flanagan, Mr Ford, Mr Hazzard,
Mrs D Kelly, Mr G Kelly, Ms Lo, Mr Lunn, Mr Lynch, Mr Lyttle, Mr McAleer, Mr F McCann, Ms J McCann, Mr McCarthy, Mr McCartney, Ms McCorley, Mr McDevitt, Dr McDonnell, Mr McElduff, Mr McGlone,
Mr McKay, Mrs McKevitt, Ms Maeve McLaughlin, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, Mr McMullan,
Mr A Maginness, Mr Maskey, Mr Molloy, Mr Ó hOisín, Mr O'Dowd, Mrs O'Neill, Mr P Ramsey,
Ms S Ramsey, Mr Rogers, Ms Ruane, Mr Sheehan.
Tellers for the Noes: Mr G Kelly and Mr Mitchel McLaughlin.
The amendment was made.

Northern Ireland Assembly
18 September 2012
Division 2
Parades - Motion as amended
Proposed:
That this Assembly recognises the positive community contribution by the Loyal Orders; and calls on everyone in leadership roles within the community to ensure that their actions promote positive outcomes from all parades and other events organised by community groups that could be deemed contentious.
The Question was put and the Assembly divided.
Ayes: 50
Noes: 48

Ayes
Mr Allister, Mr Anderson, Mr Beggs, Mr Bell, Ms P Bradley, Ms Brown, Mr Buchanan, Mr Clarke,
Mr Copeland, Mr Craig, Mr Cree, Mrs Dobson, Mr Douglas, Mr Dunne, Mr Easton, Mr Elliott, Mrs Foster, Mr Frew, Mr Gardiner, Mr Girvan, Mr Givan, Mrs Hale, Mr Hamilton, Mr Hilditch, Mr Humphrey,
Mr Hussey, Mr Irwin, Mr Kennedy, Mr Kinahan, Mr McCallister, Mr McCausland, Mr B McCrea,
Mr I McCrea, Mr McGimpsey, Mr D McIlveen, Miss M McIlveen, Mr McNarry, Mr McQuillan,
Lord Morrow, Mr Moutray, Mr Nesbitt, Mr Newton, Mrs Overend, Mr Poots, Mr G Robinson, Mr Ross,
Mr Storey, Mr Swann, Mr Weir, Mr Wells.
Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Kennedy and Mr Nesbitt.

Noes
Mr Agnew, Mr Attwood, Mr Boylan, Ms Boyle, Mr D Bradley, Mr Brady, Mr Byrne, Mrs Cochrane,
Mr Dallat, Mr Dickson, Mr Eastwood, Dr Farry, Ms Fearon, Mr Flanagan, Mr Ford, Mr Hazzard,
Mrs D Kelly, Mr G Kelly, Ms Lo, Mr Lunn, Mr Lynch, Mr Lyttle, Mr McAleer, Mr F McCann, Ms J McCann, Mr McCarthy, Mr McCartney, Ms McCorley, Mr McDevitt, Dr McDonnell, Mr McElduff, Mr McGlone,
Mr McKay, Mrs McKevitt, Ms Maeve McLaughlin, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, Mr McMullan,
Mr A Maginness, Mr Maskey, Mr Molloy, Mr Ó hOisín, Mr O'Dowd, Mrs O'Neill, Mr P Ramsey,
Ms S Ramsey, Mr Rogers, Ms Ruane, Mr Sheehan.
Tellers for the Noes: Mr G Kelly and Mr Mitchel McLaughlin.
The Motion, as amended was carried.

Northern Ireland Assembly
Papers Presented to the Assembly on18 September 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
5. Assembly Reports

6. Statutory Rules

• S.R. 2012/339 The Trunk Road T14 (A55 Knock Road, Belfast) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012 (DRD)

For Information Only:

• S.R. 2012/340 The Private Accesses at A55 Knock Road, Belfast (Stopping-Up) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012 (DRD)

7. Written Ministerial Statements

8. Consultation Documents
Consultation on The Scrapie (Fees) (Amendment) Order (NI) 2013 (DARD)
Consultation on The Northern Ireland Poultry Health Assurance Scheme (Fees) (Amendment) Order (NI) 2013 (DARD)

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 18 SEPTEMBER 2012

2011-2015 Mandate
Executive Bills

2011-2015 Mandate
Non-Executive Bills

/ Bill progressing by accelerated passage

** Please note that any bills that received Royal Assent in the previous session have been removed from the table.