Minutes of Proceedings

Members observed two minutes’ silence.

2.   Speaker’s Business

2.1 Royal Assent

The Deputy Speaker informed Members that Royal Assent had been signified on 13 January 2015 to the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Criminal Justice and Support for Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) 2015.

3.    Public Petition

3.1  Public Petition – Dromore Central Primary School

Mrs Brenda Hale was granted leave, in accordance with Standing Order 22, to present a Public Petition relating to Dromore Central Primary School.

4.   Executive Committee Business

4.1 Statement – Pubic Expenditure: 2014-15 January Monitoring and Budget 2015-16

 The Minister of Finance and Personnel, Mr Simon Hamilton, made a statement regarding Public Expenditure: 2014-15 January Monitoring and Budget 2015-16, following which he replied to questions.

5.   Private Members’ Business

5.1 Motion – Protecting Core Public Services

Proposed:

That this Assembly commends the Executive parties on presenting a unified approach in highlighting the drastic reduction in the block grant and the consequent effect that this has on the Executive’s ability to defend public services; calls on the British government to recognise the unique challenges which we face as a society emerging from conflict with higher levels of socio-economic deprivation; and further calls on the Executive to maintain its protection of core public services, in particular health, welfare, and education.

 Ms J McCann
 Mr D McKay
 Mr A Maskey

Debate ensued.

The sitting was suspended at 1.52pm.

The sitting resumed at 2.00pm, with the Deputy Speaker (Mr Beggs) 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 First Minister the Rt. Hon Peter Robinson. The junior Minister, Mr Bell, also answered a number of questions.  

6.2   Employment and Learning

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister for Employment and Learning, Dr Stephen Farry.

7.    Private Members’ Business (Cont’d)

7.1   Motion – Protecting Core Public Services (Cont’d)

The Deputy Speaker (Mr Dallat) took the Chair.

Debate resumed on the motion.

7.2   Amendment

Proposed:

Delete all after ‘Executive to’:

‘define its understanding of all core public services as well as protect those services in relation to health, welfare and education.’

Mr F McKinney
Mrs D Kelly
Mr S Rogers

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 Beggs) took the Chair.

7.3   Motion – Employment Levels in the North West

Proposed:

That this Assembly notes the alarmingly low levels of employment in the Derry City, Strabane District and Limavady Borough council areas; further notes that investment in infrastructure and skills in the North West has suffered decades of neglect; recognises the importance of university expansion and improved transport links in growing the local economy; and calls on the Executive to work collaboratively to ensure balanced regional growth by resourcing and delivering the One Plan commitments to expand the Magee campus, dual the A5 and A6 and upgrade the Derry/Londonderry - Belfast rail line.

Mr P Ramsey
Mr C Eastwood
Mr J Byrne
Mr J Dallat

7.4       Amendment

Proposed:

Insert after ‘neglect;’:

‘notes the lack of decentralisation of public sector jobs to the North West and engagement of InvestNI and other bodies;’

Mr C Ó hOisín
Ms M McLaughlin
Mr R McCartney
Ms M Boyle

Debate ensued.

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

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

8.    Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

The Assembly adjourned at 6:20pm

Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
The Speaker

19 January 2014

Northern Ireland Assembly

19 January 2015
Division

Motion – Employment Levels in the North West – Amendment

Proposed:

Insert after ‘neglect;’:

‘notes the lack of decentralisation of public sector jobs to the North West and engagement of InvestNI and other bodies;’

Mr C Ó hOisín
Ms M McLaughlin
Mr R McCartney
Ms M Boyle

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 43
Noes: 43

AYES

Mr Agnew, Mr Attwood, Mr Boylan, Ms Boyle, Mr D Bradley, Mr Byrne, Mr Dallat, Mr Durkan, Mr Eastwood, Ms Fearon, Mr Hazzard, Mrs D Kelly, Mr G Kelly, Mr Lynch, Mr McAleer, Mr McCallister, Mr F McCann, Ms J McCann, Mr McCartney, Ms McCorley, Dr McDonnell, Mr McElduff, Ms McGahan, Mr McGlone, Mr M McGuinness, Mr McKay, Mrs McKevitt, Mr McKinney, Ms Maeve McLaughlin, Mr McMullan, Mr A Maginness, Mr Maskey, Mr Milne, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr Ó hOisín, Mr Ó Muilleoir, Mr O'Dowd, Mrs O'Neill, Mr Ramsey, Mr Rogers, Ms Ruane, Mr Sheehan, Ms Sugden.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Eastwood, Mr Ó hOisín.

NOES

Mr Allister, Mr Anderson, Mr Buchanan, Mrs Cameron, Mr Campbell, Mr Clarke, Mrs Cochrane, Mr Cree, Mr Devenney, Mr Dickson, Mr Douglas, Mr Dunne, Mr Easton, Mr Elliott, Dr Farry, Mr Frew, Mr Girvan, Mr Givan, Mrs Hale, Mr Hilditch, Mr Humphrey, Mr Hussey, Mr Irwin, Mr Kennedy, Ms Lo, Mr McCausland, Mr I McCrea, Mr D McIlveen, Miss M McIlveen, Lord Morrow, 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.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr Buchanan, Mr G Robinson.

The Amendment fell.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on
14 January – 19 January 2015

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

General Teaching Council for NI Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2014 (DE).

5.    Assembly Reports

Committee for Regional Development Inquiry into the Benefits of Cycling to the Economy – NIA 168/11-15 (Committee for Regional Development).

6.    Statutory Rules

S.R. 2015/XXX The Judicial Pensions Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 (DOJ).

S.R. 2015/XXX The Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2004 (Amendment of section 8 (4)) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015 (DOJ).

S.R. 2015/10 The New Firefighters' Pension Scheme (Amendment) (No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015 (DHSSPS).

S.R. 2015/11 The Firefighters' Pension Scheme (Amendment) (No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015 (DHSSPS).

7.    Written Ministerial Statements

8.    Consultation Documents

Department for Social Development: Social Housing Reform Programme Tenant Participation Strategy for Northern Ireland: 2015-2020 (DSD).

9.    Departmental Publications

10. Agency Publications

11.  Westminster Publications

12. Miscellaneous Publications