Minutes of Proceedings

Members observed two minutes’ silence.

2. Matter of the Day

2.1 The cessation of trading of Mivan and resultant job losses

Mr Trevor Clarke made a statement, under Standing Order 24, in relation to the cessation of trading of Mivan and resultant job losses. Other Members were also called to speak on the matter.

3. Executive Committee Business

3.1 Consideration Stage – Carrier Bags Bill (NIA 20/11-15)

The Minister of the Environment, Mr Mark H Durkan, moved the Consideration Stage of the Carrier Bags Bill (NIA 20/11-15).

Four amendments were tabled to the Bill.

Clauses

The question being put, it was agreed without division that Clauses 1 to 8 stand part of the Bill.

After debate, Amendment 1 inserting a new Clause 8A after Clause 8 was made without division and it was agreed that the new clause stand part of the Bill.

After debate, Amendment 2 to Clause 9 was made without division.

After debate, Amendment 3 to Clause 9 was made without division.

The question being put, it was agreed without division that Clause 9 as amended stand part of the Bill.

The question being put, it was agreed without division that Clause 10 stand part of the Bill.

After debate, Amendment 4 to the Long Title was made without division.

The question being put, it was agreed without division that the Long Title as amended stand part of the Bill.

The Carrier Bags Bill (NIA 20/11-15) stood referred to the Speaker.

3.2 Further Consideration Stage: Health and Social Care (Amendment) Bill (NIA 27/11-15)

The Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Mr Edwin Poots, moved the Further Consideration Stage of the Health and Social Care (Amendment) Bill (NIA 27/11-15).

No amendments were tabled to the Bill.

The Health and Social Care (Amendment) Bill (NIA 27/11-15) stood referred to the Speaker for consideration in accordance with section 10 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

3.3 Motion – The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Domestic Violence) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013              

Proposed:

That the Jobseeker's Allowance (Domestic Violence) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013 be approved.

Minister for Social Development

Debate ensued.

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

4. Private Members’ Business

4.1 Motion – Crisis Conditions at Accident and Emergency Departments       

Proposed:

That this Assembly notes with concern the crisis conditions recently experienced by patients at the Accident and Emergency departments in Craigavon Area Hospital and the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast; and calls on the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to investigate this, and other occurrences where Accident and Emergency departments have been over stretched, with the aim of providing adequate resources to ensure that every patient admitted to hospital is treated in a safe and controlled environment at all times.

Mrs D Kelly
Mr F McKinney

4.2 Amendment

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘concern’ and insert:

‘the pressures recently experienced at the Accident and Emergency departments in Craigavon Area Hospital and the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast and their impact on patients; notes that the operational escalation procedures invoked worked effectively, and expresses gratitude for the dedication and efforts of health care staff who can often work long hours in challenging environments; further notes that the Health and Social Care Board and the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust are reviewing the Royal Victoria Hospital incident to see whether refinement in Health and Social Care business continuity planning is required; and calls on the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to investigate this, and other occurrences where Accident and Emergency departments have been over stretched, with the aim of providing adequate resources to ensure that every patient admitted to hospital is treated in a safe and controlled environment at all times.’

Mr J Wells
Mrs P Cameron
Mr D McIlveen
Mr G Dunne

Debate ensued.

The sitting was suspended at 12.30pm.

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

5. Question Time

5.1 Justice

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

5.2 Regional Development

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister for Regional Development, Mr Danny Kennedy.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr Dallat) took the Chair.

6. Private Members’ Business (cont’d)

6.1 Motion – Crisis Conditions at Accident and Emergency Departments       

Debate resumed on the Motion.

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

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

The Speaker took the Chair.

7. Adjournment

Mr Paul Givan spoke to his topic regarding the Lagan Valley Hospital Accident and Emergency Department.

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

The Assembly adjourned at 5.50pm.

Mr William Hay
The Speaker
28 January 2014

Northern Ireland Assembly

28 January 2014
Division

Motion - Crisis Conditions at Accident and Emergency Departments - Amendment

Proposed:

Leave out all after ‘concern’ and insert:

‘the pressures recently experienced at the Accident and Emergency departments in Craigavon Area Hospital and the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast and their impact on patients; notes that the operational escalation procedures invoked worked effectively, and expresses gratitude for the dedication and efforts of health care staff who can often work long hours in challenging environments; further notes that the Health and Social Care Board and the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust are reviewing the Royal Victoria Hospital incident to see whether refinement in Health and Social Care business continuity planning is required; and calls on the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to investigate this, and other occurrences where Accident and Emergency departments have been over stretched, with the aim of providing adequate resources to ensure that every patient admitted to hospital is treated in a safe and controlled environment at all times.’

Mr J Wells
Mrs P Cameron
Mr D McIlveen
Mr G Dunne

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 31
Noes: 60

AYES

Mr Anderson, Mr Bell, Ms P Bradley, Mr Buchanan, Mrs Cameron, Mr Clarke, Mr Craig,
Mr Douglas, Mr Dunne, Mr Easton, Mr Frew, Mr Girvan, Mr Givan, Mrs Hale, Mr Hamilton,
 Mr Hilditch, Mr Humphrey, Mr Irwin, Mr McCausland, Mr I McCrea, Mr D McIlveen,
Miss M McIlveen, Mr Moutray, Mr Newton, Mr Poots, Mr G Robinson, Mr P Robinson,
Mr Spratt, Mr Storey, Mr Weir, Mr Wells.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Anderson and Mr G Robinson

NOES

Mr Agnew, Mr Allister, Mr Attwood, Mr Beggs, Mr Boylan, Ms Boyle, Mr Brady, Mr Byrne,
Mrs Cochrane, Mr Cree, Mr Dickson, Mrs Dobson, Mr Durkan, Mr Eastwood, Mr Elliott,
Ms Fearon, Mr Flanagan, Mr Ford, Mr Gardiner, Mr Hazzard, Mrs D Kelly, Mr G Kelly, Mr Kennedy, Mr Kinahan, Ms Lo, Mr Lunn, Mr Lynch, Mr Lyttle, Mr McAleer, Mr F McCann, Ms J McCann,
Mr McCarthy, Mr McCartney, Ms McCorley, Mr B McCrea, Dr McDonnell, Mr McElduff,
Ms McGahan, Mr McGlone, Mr M McGuinness, Mr McKay, Mrs McKevitt, Mr McKinney,
Ms Maeve McLaughlin, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, Mr McMullan, Mr A Maginness, Mr Maskey,
Mr Milne, Mr Nesbitt, Ms Ní Chuilín, 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 Mr McKinney

The Amendment fell.

Carrier Bags Bill

Annotated Marshalled List of Amendments

Consideration Stage

Tuesday 28 January 2014

Amendments tabled up to and including Thursday, 23 January 2014

Amendment 1            [Made without division] 

New Clause

After clause 8 insert-

‘Amendments of the 2013 Regulations

8A.-(1) The Single Use Carrier Bags Charge Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013 (“the 2013 Regulations”) are amended as follows.

(2) For regulation 3 substitute-

“Meaning of “carrier bag”

3. In these Regulations “carrier bag” means a bag of any material supplied or designed for the purpose of enabling goods to be taken away or delivered.”.

(3) Except in regulation 1(1) (citation) and regulation 3 (meaning of “single use carrier bag”)-

(a)  for “single use carrier bag” (wherever  occurring) substitute “carrier bag”;

(b) for “single use carrier bags” (wherever occurring) substitute “carrier bags”.

(4) In regulation 6, for the words from “for the purpose” to the end substitute “at a place where goods are sold”.

(5) In paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 (exemptions)-

(a) in sub-paragraph (1), after head (k) add-

               “(l)  bags which are sold to customers for a price of not less than 20 pence each;

               (m)  multiple reuse plastic bags that are issued as free replacements for a corresponding number of worn out multiple reuse plastic bags.”;

(b) in sub-paragraph (3), after the definition of “medicinal product” insert-

                  ““multiple reuse plastic bags” means bags which-

               (a)   are made wholly or mainly from plastic;

               (b)   have either maximum dimensions of 404 mm (both width and height) or a maximum dimension of 439 mm (either width or height);

               (c)   are manufactured from material which is greater than 49 microns in thickness;

               (d)   are purchased by the customer; and

               (e)   when worn out are returnable to the seller from whom they were purchased to be replaced free of charge;”.

 (6) This section comes into operation on 19th January 2015.

(7) Nothing in this section affects any power to amend or revoke the 2013 Regulations.’

Minister of the Environment

Amendment 2            [Made without division] 

Clause 9, Page 3, Line 21

Leave out ‘Act’ and insert ‘section’

Minister of the Environment

Amendment 3            [Made without division] 

Clause 9, Page 3, Line 30

Leave out subsection (4) and insert-

‘(4) Subsections (1) and (2) do not affect the generality of subsection (5).

(5) The Department may at any time review whether any description of carrier bag should attract the requirement to charge.

(6) Expressions used in subsection (5) and in the charging provisions have the same meaning in that subsection as in those provisions.

(7) In this section-

      “charging provisions” means section 77 of and Schedule 6 to the 2008 Act and any regulations made under those provisions;

      “the Department” means the Department of the Environment.’

Minister of the Environment

Amendment 4

Long Title      [Made without division] 

After ‘bags;’ insert ‘to amend the Single Use Carrier Bags Charge Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013;’

Minister of the Environment

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on
28 January 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

For Information Only:

7.    Written Ministerial Statements

8.    Consultation Documents

9.    Departmental Publications

10.  Agency Publications

11.  Westminster Publications

12.  Miscellaneous Publication

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 29 January 2014

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.