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1. Minute of Proceedings No. 52/00 TUESDAY 29 MAY 2001 The Assembly met at 10.30am, the Speaker in the Chair 1. Personal Prayer or Meditation 1.1 Members observed two minutes’ silence. 2. Executive Committee Business 2.1 Statement – Foot-and-Mouth Disease The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Bríd Rodgers, made a statement to the Assembly on the current position in relation to foot-and-mouth disease in Northern Ireland, following which she replied to questions. 2.2 Statement – Budget Timings The Minister of Finance and Personnel, Mr Mark Durkan, made a statement to the Assembly on budget timings, following which he replied to questions. 2.3 Trustee Bill (NIA Bill 11/00) Consideration Stage Mr Mark Durkan, the Minister of Finance and Personnel, moved that the Consideration Stage of the Trustee Bill be agreed. No amendments were tabled to the Bill. Debate ensued on Clause 1. The Question being put, it was agreed without division that Clause 1 stand part of the Bill. The Question being put, it was agreed without division that Clauses 2-46 stand part of the Bill. The Question being put, it was agreed without division that Schedules 1-4 stand part of the Bill. The Question being put, the Long Title was agreed without division. NIA Bill 11/00 passed Consideration Stage and stood referred to the Speaker for consideration in accordance with Section 10 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. 2.4 Family Law Bill (NIA Bill 4/00) Further Consideration Stage Mr Mark Durkan, the Minister of Finance and Personnel, moved that the Further Consideration Stage of the Family Law Bill be agreed. No amendments were tabled to the Bill. The Question being put, it was agreed without division that Clauses 1-5 stand part of the Bill. The Question being put, the Long Title was agreed without division. NIA Bill 4/00 passed Further Consideration Stage and stood referred to the Speaker for consideration in accordance with Section 10 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. 2.5 Motion – Statutory Rule Subject to Confirmatory Resolution Proposed: That the Child Support (Collection and Enforcement and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 be approved. [Minister for Social Development] Following debate, the Question being put, the Motion was carried without division. 2.6 Motion – Statutory Rule Subject to Confirmatory Resolution Proposed: That the Child Support (Information, Evidence and Disclosure and Maintenance Arrangements and Jurisdiction) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 be approved. [Minister for Social Development] The Question being put, the Motion was carried without division. 2.7 Motion – Statutory Rule Subject to Confirmatory Resolution Proposed: That the Child Support (Maintenance Calculation Procedure) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 be approved. [Minister for Social Development] The Question being put, the Motion was carried without division. 2.8 Motion – Statutory Rule Subject to Confirmatory Resolution Proposed: That the Child Support (Maintenance Calculations and Special Cases) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 be approved. [Minister for Social Development] The Question being put, the Motion was carried without division. 2.9 Motion – Statutory Rule Subject to Confirmatory Resolution Proposed: That the Child Support (Variations) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 be approved. [Minister for Social Development] The Question being put, the Motion was carried without division. 3. Committee Business 3.1 Motion - Report of the Ad Hoc Committee – Proceeds of Crime Bill Proposed: That the Report of the Ad Hoc Committee set up to consider the draft clauses of the Proceeds of Crime Bill, as set out in Command Paper 5066, be submitted to the Secretary of State as a Report of the Northern Ireland Assembly. [Chairperson, Ad Hoc Committee – Proceeds of Crime Bill] Deputy Speaker (Ms Jane Morrice) in the Chair. Following debate, the Question being put, the Motion was carried without division. The Sitting was, by leave, suspended at 1.36 pm. 4. Question Time 4.1 Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister Questions were put to, and answered by, the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, Rt Hon David Trimble MP and Mr Séamus Mallon MP. Deputy Speaker (Mr Donovan McClelland) in the Chair. 4.2 Culture, Arts and Leisure Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister, Mr Michael McGimpsey. The Sitting was, by leave, suspended at 3.28 pm. 4.3 Agriculture and Rural Development Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister, Mrs Bríd Rodgers. 5. Adjournment 5.1 Proposed: That the Assembly do now adjourn. [The Speaker] The Assembly adjourned at 4.01 pm. THE LORD ALDERDICE NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY PAPERS PRESENTED TO THE ASSEMBLY
Committee for Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment: Second Report: Report on the Department for Learning and Employment Bill (NIA 12/00) (02/00/R) Ad Hoc Committee on the Draft Proceeds of Crime Bill (04/00/R) (The department identified after each rule is for reference purposes only.) SR No 90 The Pig Industry Restructuring (Capital Grant) Scheme (Northern Ireland) 2001 (DARD) SR No 185 Resident Magistrate, Justice of the Peace and Clerk of Petty Sessions (Costs) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 (Lord Chancellor) SR No 198 Motor Hackney Carriages (Belfast) (Amendment) By-Laws (Northern Ireland) 2001 (DOE) SR No 200 Route U3316 Ballyhacket Lane, Castlerock (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2001 (DRD) SR No 201 Route A26 Larne Road Link, Ballymena (Abandonment) (No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2001(DRD) SR No 204 Import and Export Restrictions (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 (DARD) SR No 207 Abbey Street, Bangor (Footway) (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2001 (DRD) SR No 208 Code of Practice (Access to Workers during Recognition and Derecognition Ballots) (Appointed Day) Order (Northern Ireland) 2001 (DHFETE) SR No 214 The Housing Benefit (Decisions and Appeals) (Transitional and Savings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 (DSD) SR No 215 The Housing Benefit (Decisions and Appeals and Discretionary Financial Assistance) (Consequential Amendments and Revocations) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 (DSD) SR No 216 The Discretionary Financial Assistance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 (DSD) SR No 220 Cumberland Drive, Dundonald (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2001 (DRD) Small Hydro-Electric Schemes – Impact on River Fisheries in Northern Ireland: Response to the Study Recommendations and Public Consultation (DETI) Appropriation Act 2001 Chapter 8 House of Commons (Removal of Clergy Disqualification) Act 2001 Chapter 13 Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 Chapter 16 International Criminal Court Act 2001 Chapter 17 Armed Forces Act 2001 Chapter 19 Social Security Contributions (Share Options) Act 2001 Chapter 20 SI No 1853 The Sex Offenders Act 1997 (Northern Ireland) Order 2001 SI No 1877 The Representation of the People (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 2001 FOR INFORMATION – WESTMINSTER PROCEEDINGS NORTHERN IRELAND LEGISLATION: Only legislation laid under Paragraph 2 (1) of the Northern
Ireland Act 2000 is included in this Section.
For an explanation of Parliamentary consideration of Northern Ireland Legislation, see HCIO Factsheet No. 15
Reproduced from House of Commons Weekly Information Bulletin 12 May 2001. NORTHERN IRELAND LEGISLATION: EXECUTIVE BILLS
* Leave granted for Bill to carry over from last Session. NORTHERN IRELAND LEGISLATION: PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BILLS
THE NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY LIST OF MOTIONS Items marked † are new or have been altered PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BUSINESS MOTION Exclusion of Sinn Féin This House resolves that Sinn Féin does not enjoy the confidence of the Assembly because it is not committed to non-violence and exclusively peaceful and democratic means and, therefore, consistent with the Northern Ireland Act 1998, determines that Members of Sinn Féin shall be excluded from holding office as Ministers for a period of 12 months from the date of this resolution. [Mr C Wilson] Mobile Phones That this Assembly calls upon the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to ensure the complete implementation of the recommendations made by the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones as laid out in the Stewart Report and further implement a change in legislation to ensure that no telecommunications masts are constructed within three hundred yards of any dwelling without full public consultation. [Mr J Shannon] Local Government Elections That this Assembly calls on the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to announce that the Local Government elections will take place in May 2001. [Mr E Poots] Award to RUC This Assembly calls for an official Assembly award to be made to the RUC and its reserve in recognition of its officers’ duty, service and bravery in the face of terrorism and crime and for its impartial defence of the entire Northern Ireland community. [Mr I Paisley Jnr] Councillors That this Assembly calls upon the Minister of the Environment to bring forward proposals to reward financially the long-term contributions of many Councillors and to assess the work of Councillors to ensure that they are financially rewarded at an appropriate level. [Mr O Gibson] Irish Justice System That this Assembly notes with concern the failure of the Irish Justice system to resolve the rape/incest case of the daughter of British citizen Sarah Bland. [Mr I Paisley Jnr] Road Spending Plans That this Assembly calls on the Minister for Regional Development to explain current road spending plans in the context of the recent publication of the consultation paper ‘Developing a Regional Transportation Strategy’. [Ms M McWilliams] District Council Childcare Facilities That this Assembly calls on local authorities to set themselves a common objective of providing childcare facilities for elected representatives and staff. [Ms M Gildernew] Morning After Pill That this Assembly regrets the decision of the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to sign The Prescription Only Medicines (Human Use) Amendment (No.3) Order 2000. [Dr E Birnie] United Christian Broadcasters That this Assembly supports the award of broadcasting radio licences to United Christian Broadcasters Ltd and welcomes the decision of the European Court of Human Rights on 7 November 2000 placing no restriction on religious bodies applying for and being granted licences for local broadcasting, at the same time this Assembly deplores the decision of the Radio Authority on 26 April 2000 to refuse a local digital multiplex licence for the Northern Ireland region to United Christian Broadcasters. [Mr G Savage] Domestic Energy Efficiency Scheme That this Assembly welcomes the achievement of the Department for Social Development in tackling fuel poverty through the existing Domestic Energy Efficiency Scheme (DEES) and calls on the Minister for Social Development to ensure that the DEES II Scheme will be an effective mechanism to finally eradicate this problem. [Ms M Gildernew] Bi-Centenary of the Act of Union 1801 That this Assembly deplores the intention of the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to preside over the commemoration of the Bi-Centenary of the Act of Union 1801. [Mrs M Nelis] TG4 That this Assembly calls on the relevant Irish and British Broadcasting Authorities to ensure the complete availability of TG4 throughout Ireland. [Mr B McElduff] Alcohol Bye-Laws That this Assembly believes that current levels of enforcement of alcohol bye-laws are inadequate to address the problem of outdoor drinking; and that increased resources should be made available for the enforcement of the bye-laws and for a province-wide education programme to alert younger people to the dangers of under-age drinking. [Mrs J Carson] Morning After Pill That this Assembly expresses concern at the decision by the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety making the ‘morning after pill’ available to 16 year olds without debate in the Assembly or the Health Committee, and calls on the Minister to reverse her decision. [Mrs I Robinson] Security Policy That this Assembly calls on Her Majesty’s Government, in the absence of actual decommissioning, to implement an effective security policy to recover all illegal weapons and explosives from the terrorist organisations. [Mr P Roche] Child Protection That this Assembly calls on the Ministers responsible for the protection of children, in view of the anomalies in the current vetting system, to take the necessary interim steps to improve the position on vetting those suitable to work with children. [Ms P Lewsley] Fluoridation of Drinking Water That this Assembly calls on the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to discontinue the fluoridation of drinking water. [Mr J Dallat] Traceability Scheme That this Assembly calls on the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to take all steps necessary to ensure the integrity of the Traceability Scheme for Northern Ireland Beef and to investigate the labelling and subsequent sell-on of all beef processed in Northern Ireland Meat Plants. [Mr G Savage] Inter-Departmental Working Group That this Assembly calls on the Executive to establish an Inter-Departmental Working Group to make recommendations on the removal of paramilitary flags, emblems and graffiti from public property. [Mr K McCarthy] ‘Barriers to Growth and Survival’ Report That this Assembly notes the Report, ‘Barriers to Growth and Survival’ published by the Federation of Small Businesses in November 2000; and calls on the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to initiate an investigation into the high level of interest charges imposed by banks in Northern Ireland on small businesses. [Mr B Armstrong] Audit Office Report That this Assembly notes the recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on ‘Road Opening by Utilities’ (NIA 35/00), published on 22 February 2001. [Mr J Kelly] Social Exclusion of Young People That this Assembly calls on the Minister of Further and Higher Education, Training and Employment to review urgently those policies aimed at reducing the social exclusion of young people in Northern Ireland and to initiate programmes and initiatives which will reduce the number of young people in Northern Ireland entering long-term unemployment. [Mr J Dallat] Gender Equality That this Assembly calls on the Minister of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment, given the reports of skills shortages in the employment sector, to review training provision for women in Northern Ireland and to promote a more co-ordinated training service to enhance gender equality in the training sector. [Mrs P Lewsley] Nursery Schools Admissions That this Assembly recognises the problems caused by the current admissions criteria for Nursery Schools and calls upon the Minister of Education to review the criteria in order to remove the disadvantage which it causes for working parents. [Mr S Wilson] Foot-and-Mouth Disease That this Assembly expresses grave concern about the impact of the foot-and-mouth disease on the agricultural industry in Northern Ireland; calls on the government to provide compensation for those who have suffered loss of livelihood as a consequence, and urges the Northern Ireland Executive to seek substantial and special funding from the Treasury in London to deal with this matter. [Mr E McGrady MP] Funding for Childcare Provision That this Assembly calls upon the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to make adequate funding available for all aspects of childcare provision in Northern Ireland. [Mr J Shannon] Hepatitis C That this Assembly, recognising the plight of those infected with Hepatitis C contracted as a result of health service treatment with contaminated blood products, calls on the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to provide assurances about the propriety of further treatment to reduce the risks of further infection and further calls on the Minister to seek compensation for those infected during health service treatment. [Mr J Kelly] 7th Report of Community Attitudes Survey That this Assembly welcomes the publication of the 7th Report of Community Attitudes Survey by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) and welcomes its findings that 77% of those surveyed, "believed the police deal fairly with everyone." (Table 2.31, NISRA, Community Attitudes Survey, 7th Report, December 2000) [Mr R Beggs] Terrorist Attacks on Northern Ireland Railways That this Assembly condemns the ongoing terrorist attacks on the railway infrastructure throughout Northern Ireland. [Mr W Hay] Allocation of Schools Capital Spending That this Assembly disapproves of the unbalanced and party political allocation of schools capital spending announced in February 2001 by the Minister of Education. [Mr S Wilson] Award to UDR That this Assembly calls for an official Assembly award to be made to the UDR in recognition of its members’ duty, service, bravery and courage in the face of unrelenting terrorism and crime in Northern Ireland and for its defence of the entire community. [Mr I Paisley Jnr] Sellafield Nuclear Plant That this Assembly calls for the run-down and closure at the earliest possible date of nuclear processing activities carried out at Sellafield. [Mr K McCarthy] Single European Currency That this Assembly congratulates the European Movement on its efforts to generate interest in the debate on a Single European Currency and calls on the Assembly to support its efforts. [Ms J Morrice] GAA That this Assembly condemns the anti-British ethos of the Gaelic Athletic Association, particularly Rule 21 within its written constitution which discriminates against members of the Security Forces from participation, and calls on Government funding to the GAA to be stopped with immediate effect until such discriminatory rules are removed from the GAA’s constitution. [Mr N Boyd] Organic Farming That this Assembly calls on the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to bring forward plans for environmental enhancement schemes, incentives and support to ensure that targets for organic farming of 3% are increased towards 20%. [Mr G McHugh] Function and Funding of Training Organisations That this Assembly calls on the Minister of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment to review the function and funding of Training Organisations. [Mr A Maskey] Financial Assistance to the Agribusiness Sector That this Assembly notes the serious impact of foot-and-mouth disease on the agribusiness sector, and calls on the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to consider giving financial assistance to those most affected, in particular the livestock marts which play a vital role in the agricultural sector. [Mr G Kane] Financial Assistance for Foster Carers That this Assembly calls on the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to bring forward legislative proposals to address the inconsistencies in the arrangements at Board and Trust level for providing financial assistance to those offering foster care for young people in the community. [Ms S Ramsey] Processing of Incapacity Benefit and Disability Living Allowance That this Assembly calls on the Minister for Social Development to review the process involved in respect of claims for Incapacity Benefit and Disability Living Allowance, in the light of its impact on the chronically sick and disabled. [Mrs M Nelis] Plastic Bullets That this Assembly calls on the British Government to impose an immediate and total ban on the use of plastic bullets. [Mrs M Nelis] Assistance for Hepatitis ‘C’ Sufferers That this Assembly notes the financial help given to HIV sufferers in the rest of the United Kingdom and elsewhere, notes the recent legal challenge for similar assistance for Hepatitis ‘C’ sufferers, and accordingly calls on the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to take steps to provide financial assistance to Hepatitis ‘C’ sufferers in Northern Ireland. [Mrs I Robinson] European Court of Human Rights That this Assembly believes the European Court of Human Rights should consider the cases of innocent victims created by the activities of illegal paramilitary groups. It further deplores the award of compensation to the families of unashamed armed terrorists. [Mr D Kennedy] Voluntary Play Group Sector That this Assembly values the work of the Voluntary Play Group sector and calls on the Minister of Education to re-assess the current funding criteria so that high quality play groups will not be jeopardised by the removal of financial support by the Department of Education. [Mr R Beggs] Statutory Rule Subject to Negative Resolution That the Seed Potato Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 (2001 No 188) be annulled. [Mr D Ford] Lagan Valley Hospital That this Assembly notes with concern the current underfunding of the Down/Lisburn Trust, and calls on the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to provide adequate resources to retain Ward 14 of the Lagan Valley Hospital. [Mr B Bell] |
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