Minutes of Proceedings

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

1. Personal Prayer or Meditation

Members observed two minutes’ silence.

2. Public Petition

2.1 Public Petition – Ovarian Cancer Awareness Campaign

Mr Chris Lyttle was granted leave, in accordance with Standing Order 22, to present a Public Petition regarding an Ovarian Cancer Awareness Campaign.

3. Executive Committee Business

3.1 Assembly Consent Motion – Draft Public Bodies (Abolition of the National Consumer Council and Transfer of the Office of Fair Trading’s Functions in relation to Estate Agents etc) Order 2014

Proposed:

That this Assembly consents to the Public Bodies (Abolition of the National Consumer Council and Transfer of the Office of Fair Trading's Functions in relation to Estate Agents etc) Order 2014 in the form of the draft laid before the UK Parliament on 5 December 2013.

Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment

Debate ensued.

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

3.2 Motion – Rates (Regional Rates) Order (Northern Ireland) 2014

Proposed:

That the Rates (Regional Rates) Order (Northern Ireland) 2014 be affirmed.

Minister of Finance and Personnel

Debate ensued.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr Beggs) took the Chair.

The Question being put, the Motion was carried with cross-community support nemine contradicente.

4. Committee Business

4.1 Motion – Report on the Review into Electricity Policy, Part 2: Electricity Pricing

Proposed:

That this Assembly approves the second report of the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment on its Review into Electricity Policy: Part II - Electricity Pricing (NIA 14/11-15); and calls on the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, in conjunction with her Executive colleagues, the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation, the System Operator for Northern Ireland, the Single Electricity Market Operator and the Consumer Council to implement, as applicable, the recommendations contained therein.

Chairperson, Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment

Debate ensued.

The debate was suspended at 1.54pm for Question Time.

The sitting resumed at 2.00pm, with the Speaker in the Chair.

5. Question Time

5.1 Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister

Questions were put to, and answered by, the First Minister, the Rt Hon Peter Robinson. The junior Minister, Mr Jonathan Bell, also answered a number of questions.

5.2 Education

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

6. Question for Urgent Oral Answer

6.1 Legal Status of Administrative Scheme regarding on-the-runs

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

7. Committee Business (Cont’d)

7.1 Motion – Report on the Review into Electricity Policy, Part 2: Electricity Pricing

Debate resumed on the Motion.

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

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

8. Private Members’ Business

8.1 Motion – Pulse Oximetry

Proposed:

That this Assembly recognises that pulse oximetry offers a straightforward, cost effective and non-invasive screening test to detect levels of oxygen saturation in newborns; notes that recording oxygen saturation levels can be an early indicator for a range of medical problems, such as heart and respiratory defects; and calls on the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to introduce pulse oximetry to screen all newborns for early detection of life threatening congenital heart defects.

Mr R Swann
Mr F McKinney
Mr J Wells
Mr K McCarthy
Ms C Ruane

Debate ensued.

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

8.2 Motion – Fiscal Powers

Proposed:

That this Assembly notes the ongoing debate concerning the nature of devolution in the United Kingdom; and calls upon the Northern Ireland Executive to approach the UK Government to request a joint commission to review the case for the devolution of fiscal powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly and also for this commission to make recommendations that would improve the financial accountability of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the performance of the local economy.

Mr J McCallister
Mr B McCrea

8.3 Amendment

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘notes’ and insert:

‘the recent devolution of air passenger duty for direct long haul flights, the recent derogation from the Carbon Price Floor, and the Executive’s continued pursuit of the devolution of corporation tax powers; further notes the commitment in the ‘Building a Prosperous and United Community’ document agreed between HM Government and the Executive to ‘examine the potential for devolving specific additional fiscal powers’; and welcomes the commitment of the Minister of Finance and Personnel to report back to the Executive on this issue by Autumn 2014.’

Mr P Girvan
Mr P Weir
Mr A McQuillan
Mr I McCrea

Debate ensued.

The Speaker took the Chair.

The Question being put, the Amendment was made (Division).

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

9. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

The Assembly adjourned at 6.22pm.

Mr William Hay
The Speaker
3 March 2014  

Northern Ireland Assembly

3 March 2014
Division

Motion – Fiscal Powers - Amendment

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘notes’ and insert:

‘the recent devolution of air passenger duty for direct long haul flights, the recent derogation from the Carbon Price Floor, and the Executive’s continued pursuit of the devolution of corporation tax powers; further notes the commitment in the ‘Building a Prosperous and United Community’ document agreed between HM Government and the Executive to ‘examine the potential for devolving specific additional fiscal powers’; and welcomes the commitment of the Minister of Finance and Personnel to report back to the Executive on this issue by Autumn 2014.’

Mr P Girvan
Mr P Weir
Mr A McQuillan
Mr I McCrea

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 45
Noes: 41

AYES

Mr Anderson, Mr Beggs, Mrs P Bradley, Mr Buchanan, Mrs Cameron, Mr Campbell, Mr Clarke, Mrs Cochrane, Mr Craig, Mr Cree, Mr Dickson, Mrs Dodson, Mr Douglas, Mr Dunne, Mr Elliott, Mr Ford, Mr Frew, Mr Gardiner, Mr Girvan, Mr Givan, Mr Hamilton, Mr Hilditch, Mr Humprey, Mr Kennedy, Ms Lo, Mr Lyttle, Mr McCaulsand, Mr I McCrea, Mr D McIlveen, Miss M McIlveen, Mr McQuillan, Mr Moutray, Mr Nesbitt, Mr Newton, Mrs Overend, Mr Poots, Mr G Robinson, Mr P Robinson, Mr Ross, Mr Spratt, Mr Storey, Mr Swann, Mr Weir, Mr Wells, Mr Wilson.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr McQuillan and Mr G Robinson

NOES

Mr Agnew, Mr Allister, Mr Attwood, Mr Boylan, Ms Boyle, Mr D Bradley, Mr Brady, Mr Byrne, Mr Dallat, Mr Durkan, Ms Fearon, Mr Flanagan, Mr Hazzard, Mrs D Kelly, Mr G Kelly, Mr Lynch, Mr McAleer, Mr McCallister, Mr McCartney, Ms McCorley, Mr B McCrea, Dr McDonnell, Mr McElduff, Ms McGahan, Mr McGlone, Mr McKay, Mrs McKevitt, Mr McKinney, Ms Maeve McLaughlin, Mr Mitchell Mclaughlin, Mr McMullan, Mr A Maginness, Mr Maskey, Mr Milne,
Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr Ó hOisín, Mr O’Dowd, Mrs O’Neill, Mr Rogers, Ms Ruane, Mr Sheehan.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr McCallister and Mr B MCrea

The Amendment was made.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on
3 March 2014

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. 2014/60 The Gas (Individual Standards of Performance) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 (DETI)

For Information Only:

S. R. 2014/62 The Pneumoconiosis, etc., (Workers' Compensation) (Payment of Claims) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 (DSD)

S. R. 2014/63 The Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Conditions and Amounts) (Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 (DSD)

7. Written Ministerial Statements

8. Consultation Documents

From Fuel Poverty to Achieving Affordable Warmth Public Consultation February 2014 (DSD)

9. Departmental Publications

10. Agency Publications

11. Westminster Publications

12. Miscellaneous Publications