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: North/South Ministerial Council Inland Waterways Meeting

The Minister for Infrastructure, Ms Nichola Mallon, made a statement regarding the recent North/South Ministerial Council Inland Waterways Meeting, following which she replied to questions.

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

2.2 Motion: The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Proposed:

That the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 be approved.

Minister of Health

Motion: The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Proposed:

That the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 be approved.

Minister of Health

Motion: The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Proposed:

That the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 be approved.

Minister of Health

A single debate ensued on all three motions.

The sitting was suspended at 12.56pm.

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

3. Question Time

3.1 Health

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister of Health, Mr Robin Swann.

4. Executive Committee Business (cont'd)

4.1 Motion: The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (cont'd)

Motion: The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (cont'd)

Motion: The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (cont'd)

Debate resumed.

The Question being put, the motion on the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 was carried.

The Question being put, the motion on the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 was carried.

The Question being put, the motion on the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 was carried.

The Speaker took the Chair.

5. Private Members' Business

5.1 Motion: North-South and East-West Trade

Proposed:

That this Assembly acknowledges the importance of North-South and East-West trade to our local economy; notes that the EU-UK Joint Committee is working to reduce trade barriers, and to prevent the creation of new barriers so that businesses can trade freely within the legal framework agreed by the Westminster parliament and European Commission; further notes the new trading reality as a result of the end of the Brexit transition period; further acknowledges our continued access to the European single market with its 450 million consumers; and calls on the Executive to develop an overarching economic strategy, including the establishment of an Executive Sub-Committee on the Economy, to give a clear vision and direction to our representative agencies, including Invest NI, InterTradeIreland, Northern Ireland Co-operation Overseas, Northern Ireland Executive Office in Brussels, and the Northern Ireland Bureaux in the United States of America, Canada, and China.

Dr Caoimhe Archibald
Ms Sinéad Ennis
Ms Nicola Brogan
Mr John O'Dowd

Amendment

Proposed:

Leave out all after 'economic strategy'' and insert:

'which recognises the opportunities created by the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland in giving businesses located in Northern Ireland open access to both the European Union single market and UK market, and also recognises the need to create a fairer and more regionally balanced economy as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic; and further calls on the Executive Office to provide clear vision and direction in pursuit of these objectives to our representative agencies, including Invest NI, InterTradeIreland, Northern Ireland Co-operation Overseas, Northern Ireland Executive Office in Brussels, and the Northern Ireland Bureaux in the United States of America, Canada, and China.'

Mr Matthew O'Toole
Ms Sinéad McLaughlin

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the Amendment was negatived.

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

6. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

The Assembly adjourned at 5.28pm.

Mr Alex Maskey
The Speaker
23 February 2021

Northern Ireland Assembly

23 February 2021 Division

Motion: North-South and East-West Trade

Proposed:

That this Assembly acknowledges the importance of North-South and East-West trade to our local economy; notes that the EU-UK Joint Committee is working to reduce trade barriers, and to prevent the creation of new barriers so that businesses can trade freely within the legal framework agreed by the Westminster parliament and European Commission; further notes the new trading reality as a result of the end of the Brexit transition period; further acknowledges our continued access to the European single market with its 450 million consumers; and calls on the Executive to develop an overarching economic strategy, including the establishment of an Executive Sub-Committee on the Economy, to give a clear vision and direction to our representative agencies, including Invest NI, InterTradeIreland, Northern Ireland Co-operation Overseas, Northern Ireland Executive Office in Brussels, and the Northern Ireland Bureaux in the United States of America, Canada, and China.

Dr Caoimhe Archibald
Ms Sinéad Ennis
Ms Nicola Brogan
Mr John O'Dowd

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 49
Noes: 39

AYES

Ms Anderson, Dr Archibald, Ms Armstrong, Ms Bailey, Mr Blair, Mr Boylan, Ms S Bradley, Ms Bradshaw, Ms Brogan, Mr Carroll, Mr Catney, 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 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, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr O'Dowd, Mrs O'Neill, Mr O'Toole, Ms Rogan, Mr Sheehan, Ms Sheerin, Ms Sugden, Miss Woods.

Tellers for the Ayes: Dr Archibald, Ms Ennis.

NOES

Dr Aiken, Mr Allen, Mr Allister, Mrs Barton, Mr Beattie, Mr Beggs, Mr M Bradley, Ms P Bradley, Mr K Buchanan, Mr T Buchanan, Mr Buckley, Ms Bunting, Mr Butler, Mrs Cameron, Mr Chambers, 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 Nesbitt, Mr Newton, Mr Poots, Mr Robinson, Mr Stalford, Mr Stewart, Mr Storey, Mr Swann, Mr Weir, Mr Wells.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr Harvey, Mr Stalford.

The motion was agreed.

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

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

Mr K Buchanan voted for Ms P Bradley, Mr T Buchanan, Mr Buckley, Mrs Cameron, Mrs Dodds, Mr Dunne, Mr Easton, Mrs Foster, Mr Givan, Mr Harvey [Teller: Noes], Mr Hilditch, Mr Irwin, Mr Lyons, Mr Middleton, Mr Newton, Mr Poots, Mr Robinson, Mr Stalford [Teller: Noes], Mr Storey and Mr Weir.

Mr Aiken voted for Mr Beattie

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

Mr O'Dowd voted for Ms Anderson, Dr Archibald [Teller: Ayes], Mr Boylan, Ms Brogan, Ms Dillon, Ms Dolan, Ms Ennis [Teller: Ayes], 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 Bradley, Mr Catney, Mr Durkan, Ms Hunter, Mrs D Kelly, Ms Mallon, Mr McCrossan, Mr McGlone, Mr McGrath, Ms McLaughlin and Mr McNulty.

Ms Bailey voted for Ms Sugden.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Papers Presented to the Assembly on 23 February 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

Northern Ireland Spring Supplementary Estimates 2020-2021 (Department of Finance)

Northern Ireland Estimates Vote on Account 2021-2022 (Department of Finance)

5. Assembly Reports

6. Statutory Rules

SR 2021/41 The Private Tenancies (Coronavirus Modifications) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Department for Communities)

For information only

SR 2021/40 The Direct Payments to Farmers (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)

7. Written Ministerial Statements

8. Consultation Documents

9. Departmental Publications

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 23 February 2021

2017-2022 Mandate
Executive Bills                

2017-2022 Mandate
Non-Executive Bills                

/ Bills progressing by accelerated passage

PROXY VOTING NOTICES – TUESDAY 23 FEBRUARY 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 23 February 2021: