Minutes of Proceedings

The Assembly met at 10.30am, the Speaker, in the Chair.

1. Prayers

Members observed two minutes' silence.

2. Executive Committee Business

2.1 Statement: 2020-21 Further Funding Allocation

The Minister of Finance, Mr Conor Murphy, made a statement regarding 2020-21 Further Funding Allocation, following which he replied to questions.

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

2.2 Statement: Publication of Neurology Recall Cohort 2 Outcomes Report

The Minister of Health, Mr Robin Swann, made a statement regarding the Publication of Neurology Recall Cohort 2 Outcomes Report, following which he replied to questions.

The Speaker took the Chair.

3. Private Members' Business

3.1 Motion: Conversion Therapy

Proposed:

That this Assembly rejects the harmful practice widely referred to as conversion therapy; notes that the UK Government National LGBT Survey in 2018 reported that 2% of respondents had undergone conversion therapy with a further 5% having been offered it; acknowledges the damage this practice causes to the mental health of those who are subjected to it; further acknowledges that this practice has been widely rejected by medical professionals; declares that it is fundamentally wrong to view our LGBTQ community as requiring a fix or cure; and calls on the Minister for Communities to commit to bringing forward legislation before the end of the current Assembly mandate to ban conversion therapy in all its forms.

Mr Doug Beattie
Mr John Stewart

Amendment

Proposed:

Leave out all after 'professionals;' and insert:

"recognises that legitimate religious activities such as preaching, prayer and pastoral support do not constitute conversion therapy, cannot be defined as such and must be protected; and calls on the Minister for Communities to consult widely on the way ahead, including relevant legislative options, to ban the practice of conversion therapy."

Mrs Pam Cameron
Mr Robin Newton

Debate ensued.

The sitting was suspended at 1.02pm.

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

4. Question Time

4.1 Finance

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Finance, Mr Conor Murphy.

5. Private Members' Business (Cont'd)

5.1 Motion: Conversion Therapy (cont'd)

Debate resumed.

The Question being put, the amendment was negatived (Division 1).

The Question being put, the motion was carried (Division 2).

The Deputy Speaker, Mr McGlone, took the Chair.

5.2 Motion: Putting Cancer Services at the Centre of the Covid-19 Recovery

Proposed:

That this Assembly recognises the serious and negative impact of Covid-19 on cancer diagnosis, treatment and surgery across Northern Ireland; notes with deep concern that during the pandemic, tests, treatments and clinical trials have been disrupted or cancelled, with many patients not accessing help for possible cancer symptoms; highlights in this context the need to place the restoration of patient-centred and high-quality cancer services at the heart of the recovery from COVID-19; endorses the statement by 47 cancer charities, under One Cancer Voice, which seeks to plot a course out of the pandemic towards world-leading cancer services; stresses the need to direct resources to clear the cancer backlog as quickly as possible, drive faster and earlier diagnosis and encourage people with signs and symptoms of cancer to seek help; and calls on the Minister of Health to publish urgently an ambitious and fully-funded roadmap for restoring and enhancing local cancer services.

Mrs Pam Cameron
Mr Jonathan Buckley

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

6. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

Mr Declan McAleer spoke to his topic regarding the Progress of the A5 Dual Carriageway.

The Assembly adjourned at 6.10pm.

Mr Alex Maskey
The Speaker
20 April 2021

Northern Ireland Assembly

20 April 2021

Division 1

Motion: Conversion Therapy – Amendment

Proposed:

Leave out all after 'professionals;' and insert:

"recognises that legitimate religious activities such as preaching, prayer and pastoral support do not constitute conversion therapy, cannot be defined as such and must be protected; and calls on the Minister for Communities to consult widely on the way ahead, including relevant legislative options, to ban the practice of conversion therapy."

Mrs Pam Cameron
Mr Robin Newton

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 28
Noes: 59

AYES

Mr Allister, Mr M Bradley, Mr K Buchanan, Mr T Buchanan, Mr Buckley, Ms Bunting, Mrs Cameron, Mr Clarke, Mrs Dodds, Mr Dunne, Mr Easton, Mrs Foster, Mr Frew, Mr Givan, Mr Harvey, Mr Hilditch, Mr Humphrey, Mr Irwin, Mr Lyons, Miss McIlveen, Mr Middleton, Mr Newton, Mr Poots, Mr Robinson, Mr Stalford, Mr Storey, Mr Weir, Mr Wells.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Givan, Mr Newton.

NOES

Dr Aiken, Mr Allen, Ms Anderson, Dr Archibald, Ms Armstrong, Ms Bailey, Mrs Barton, Mr Beattie, Mr Blair, Mr Boylan, Ms S Bradley, Ms Bradshaw, Ms Brogan, Mr Butler, Mr Carroll, Mr Catney, Mr Chambers, Mr Dickson, Ms Dillon, Ms Dolan, Mr Durkan, Ms Ennis, Ms Flynn, Mr Gildernew, Ms Hargey, Ms Hunter, Mr Kearney, Mrs D Kelly, Mr G Kelly, Ms Kimmins, Mrs Long, Mr Lunn, Mr Lynch, Mr Lyttle, Mr McAleer, Mr McCann, Mr McCrossan, Mr McGlone, Mr McGrath, Mr McGuigan, Mr McHugh, Ms McLaughlin, Mr McNulty, Ms Mallon, Mr Muir, Ms Mullan, Mr Murphy, Mr Nesbitt, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr O'Dowd, Mrs O'Neill, Mr O'Toole, Ms Rogan, Mr Sheehan, Ms Sheerin, Mr Stewart, Ms Sugden, Mr Swann, Miss Woods.

Tellers for the Noes: Ms Ennis, Ms Sugden.

The amendment was negatived.

The following Members' votes were cast by their notified proxy in this division:

Ms Armstrong voted for Mr Blair, Ms Bradshaw, Mr Dickson, Mrs Long, Mr Lyttle and Mr Muir.

Mr K Buchanan voted for Mrs Dodds, Mr Dunne, Mrs Foster, Mr Lyons, Mr Middleton and Mr Weir.

Mr Butler voted for Mr Aiken, Mr Allen, Mrs Barton, Mr Chambers, Mr Nesbitt, Mr Stewart and Mr Swann.

Mr O'Dowd voted for Ms Anderson, Dr Archibald, Mr Boylan, Ms Brogan, Ms Dillon, Ms Dolan, Ms Ennis [Teller, Noes], Ms Flynn, Mr Gildernew, Ms Hargey, Mr Kearney, Mr G Kelly, Ms Kimmins, Mr Lynch, Mr McAleer, Mr McCann, Mr McGuigan, Mr McHugh, Ms Mullan, Mr Murphy, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mrs O'Neill, Ms Rogan, Mr Sheehan and Ms Sheerin.

Mr O'Toole voted for Ms S Bradley, Mr Catney, Mr Durkan, Ms Hunter, Mrs D Kelly, Ms Mallon, Mr McCrossan, Mr McGlone, Mr McGrath, Ms McLaughlin and Mr McNulty.

Northern Ireland Assembly

20 April 2021

Division 2

Motion: Conversion Therapy

Proposed:

That this Assembly rejects the harmful practice widely referred to as conversion therapy; notes that the UK Government National LGBT Survey in 2018 reported that 2% of respondents had undergone conversion therapy with a further 5% having been offered it; acknowledges the damage this practice causes to the mental health of those who are subjected to it; further acknowledges that this practice has been widely rejected by medical professionals; declares that it is fundamentally wrong to view our LGBTQ community as requiring a fix or cure; and calls on the Minister for Communities to commit to bringing forward legislation before the end of the current Assembly mandate to ban conversion therapy in all its forms.

Mr Doug Beattie
Mr John Stewart

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 59
Noes: 24

AYES

Dr Aiken, Mr Allen, Ms Anderson, Dr Archibald, Ms Armstrong, Ms Bailey, Mrs Barton, Mr Beattie, Mr Blair, Mr Boylan, Ms S Bradley, Ms Bradshaw, Ms Brogan, Mr Butler, Mr Carroll, Mr Catney, Mr Chambers, Mr Dickson, Ms Dillon, Ms Dolan, Mr Durkan, Ms Ennis, Ms Flynn, Mr Gildernew, Ms Hargey, Ms Hunter, Mr Kearney, Mrs D Kelly, Mr G Kelly, Ms Kimmins, Mrs Long, Mr Lunn, Mr Lynch, Mr Lyttle, Mr McAleer, Mr McCann, Mr McCrossan, Mr McGlone, Mr McGrath, Mr McGuigan, Mr McHugh, Ms McLaughlin, Mr McNulty, Ms Mallon, Mr Muir, Ms Mullan, Mr Murphy, Mr Nesbitt, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr O'Dowd, Mrs O'Neill, Mr O'Toole, Ms Rogan, Mr Sheehan, Ms Sheerin, Mr Stewart, Ms Sugden, Mr Swann, Miss Woods.

Tellers for the Ayes: Ms Sheerin, Miss Woods.

NOES

Mr Allister, Mr M Bradley, Mr K Buchanan, Mr T Buchanan, Mr Buckley, Ms Bunting, Mr Clarke, Mr Dunne, Mr Easton, Mr Frew, Mr Givan, Mr Harvey, Mr Hilditch, Mr Humphrey, Mr Irwin, Mr Lyons, Miss McIlveen, Mr Middleton, Mr Newton, Mr Poots, Mr Robinson, Mr Stalford, Mr Storey, Mr Wells.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr Newton, Mr Wells.

The amendment was carried.

The following Members' votes were cast by their notified proxy in this division:

Ms Armstrong voted for Mr Blair, Ms Bradshaw, Mr Dickson, Mrs Long, Mr Lyttle and Mr Muir.

Mr K Buchanan voted for Mr Dunne, Mr Lyons and Mr Middleton.

Mr Butler voted for Mr Aiken, Mr Allen, Mrs Barton, Mr Chambers, Mr Nesbitt, Mr Stewart and Mr Swann.

Mr O'Dowd voted for Ms Anderson, Dr Archibald, Mr Boylan, Ms Brogan, Ms Dillon, Ms Dolan, Ms Ennis [Teller, Noes], Ms Flynn, Mr Gildernew, Ms Hargey, Mr Kearney, Mr G Kelly, Ms Kimmins, Mr Lynch, Mr McAleer, Mr McCann, Mr McGuigan, Mr McHugh, Ms Mullan, Mr Murphy, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mrs O'Neill, Ms Rogan, Mr Sheehan and Ms Sheerin.

Mr O'Toole voted for Ms S Bradley, Mr Catney, Mr Durkan, Ms Hunter, Mrs D Kelly, Ms Mallon, Mr McCrossan, Mr McGlone, Mr McGrath, Ms McLaughlin and Mr McNulty.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on 20 April 2021

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

Legislative Consent Memorandum: Private International Law (Implementation of Agreements) Bill (Department of Justice)

5. Assembly Reports

6. Statutory Rules

For information only

Explanatory Memorandum SR 2021/95 The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Amendment No. 11) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Department of Health)

7. Written Ministerial Statements

8. Consultation Documents

9. Departmental Publications

Memorandum on the Fourth Report from the Public Accounts Committee Mandate 2017-2022 (Department of Finance)

Follow-up Review of No Excuse Domestic Violence and Abuse Inspection (Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland)

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 20 April 2021

2017-2022 Mandate
Executive Bills
         

2017-2022 Mandate
Non-Executive Bills          

/ Bills progressing by accelerated passage

PROXY VOTING NOTICES – TUESDAY 20 APRIL 2021

The following Members notified the Speaker, under Standing Order 112, that they wished to avail of proxy voting arrangements for the sitting on Tuesday 20 April 2021: