Minutes of Proceedings

The Assembly met at noon, the Speaker in the Chair.

1. Prayers

Members observed two minutes' silence.

2. Assembly Business

2.1 Motion: Committee Membership

Proposed:

That Mrs Rosemary Barton replace Mr Andy Allen as a member of the Business Committee.

Mr Robbie Butler
Dr Steve Aiken

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

2.2 Motion: Committee Membership

Proposed:

That Mr Paul Frew and Mr Stephen Dunne replace Mr Alex Easton and Mrs Pam Cameron as members of the Committee for Communities; that Mr Maurice Bradley ceases to be a member of the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs; and that Mr Paul Frew replace Mr Gordon Lyons as a member of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee.

Ms Joanne Bunting
Mr Trevor Clarke

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

3. Executive Committee Business

3.1 Second Stage: Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill (NIA Bill 30/17-22)

The Minister of Health, Mr Robin Swann, moved the Second Stage of the Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill (NIA Bill 30/17-22).

Debate ensued.

The Principal Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

The debate stood suspended for Question Time, the Speaker took the Chair.

4. Question Time

4.1 Communities

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister for Communities, Ms Deirdre Hargey.

4.2 Economy

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister for the Economy, Mr Gordon Lyons.

The Deputy Speaker, Mr Beggs, took the Chair.

5. Executive Committee Business (cont'd)

5.1 Second Stage: Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill (NIA Bill 30/17-22)
(cont'd)

Debate resumed.

The Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill (NIA Bill 30/17-22) passed Second Stage (Division).

5.2 First Stage: Adoption and Children Bill (NIA Bill 37/17-22)

The Minister of Health, Mr Robin Swann, introduced a Bill to restate and amend the law relating to adoption; to make further amendments of the law relating to children; and for connected purposes.

The Adoption and Children Bill (NIA Bill 37/17-22) passed First Stage and was ordered to be printed.

5.3 Motion: The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 8) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Proposed:

That the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 8) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 be approved.

Minister of Health

Motion: The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 9) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Proposed:

That the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 9) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 be approved.

Minister of Health

Motion: The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 10) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Proposed:

That the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 10) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 be approved.

Minister of Health

Motion: The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 11) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Proposed:

That the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 11) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 be approved.

Minister of Health

Motion: The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 12) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Proposed:

That the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 12) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 be approved.

Minister of Health

Motion: The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 13) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Proposed:

That the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 13) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 be approved.

Minister of Health

Motion: The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 14) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Proposed:

That the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 14) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 be approved.

Minister of Health

Motion: The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Proposed:

That the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 be approved.

Minister of Health

Motion: The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Proposed:

That the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 be approved.

Minister of Health

A single debate ensued on all nine motions.

The Deputy Speaker, Mr McGlone, took the Chair.

The Question being put, the motion on the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 8) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 was carried.

The Question being put, the motion on the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 9) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 was carried.

The Question being put, the motion on the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 10) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 was carried.

The Question being put, the motion on the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 11) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 was carried.

The Question being put, the motion on the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 12) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 was carried.

The Question being put, the motion on the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 13) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 was carried.

The Question being put, the motion on the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 14) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 was carried.

The Question being put, the motion on the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 was carried.

The Question being put, the motion on the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 was carried.

5.4 Legislative Consent Motion: Environment Bill

Proposed:

That this Assembly endorses the principle of the extension to Northern Ireland of the provisions of the Environment Bill as brought to the House of Lords on 26 May 2021.

Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

The Question being put, the motion was carried.

6. Adjournment

Proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

The Speaker

The Assembly adjourned at 5.45pm.

Mr Alex Maskey
The Speaker
20 September 2021

Northern Ireland Assembly

20 September 2021 - Division

Second Stage: Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill (NIA 30/17-22)

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 69
Noes: 6

AYES

Dr Aiken, Mr Allen, Mr Allister, Dr Archibald, Ms Armstrong, Ms Bailey, Mrs Barton, Mr Beattie, Mr Blair, Mr Boylan, Ms P Bradley, Ms S Bradley, Ms Bradshaw, Ms Brogan, Mr K Buchanan, Mr Butler, Mrs Cameron, Mr Carroll, Mr Catney, Mr Chambers, Mr Delargy, Mr Dickson, Ms Dillon, Ms Dolan, Mr Dunne, Mr Durkan, Ms Ennis, Ms Ferguson, Ms Flynn, Mr Gildernew, Ms Hargey, Mr Harvey, Mr Hilditch, Mr Humphrey, Ms Hunter, Mr Kearney, Mrs D Kelly, Mr G Kelly, Ms Kimmins, Mrs Long, Mr Lyttle, Mr McAleer, Mr McCann, Mr McCrossan, Mr McGlone, Mr McGrath, Mr McGuigan, Mr McHugh, Ms McLaughlin, Mr McNulty, Ms Mallon, Mr Middleton, Mr Muir, Ms Á Murphy, Mr C Murphy, Mr Nesbitt, Mr Newton, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr O'Dowd, Mrs O'Neill, Mr O'Toole, Ms Rogan, Mr Sheehan, Ms Sheerin, Mr Stewart, Ms Sugden, Mr Swann, Mr Weir, Miss Woods.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Chambers, Ms Hunter.

NOES

Mr T Buchanan, Ms Bunting, Mr Easton, Mr Frew, Mr Irwin, Mr Robinson.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr Frew, Mr Robinson.

The following Members voted in both Lobbies and are therefore not counted in the result: Mr M Bradley, Mr Clarke, Miss McIlveen, Mr Storey

The Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill (NIA 30/17-22) passed Second Stage.

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

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

Ms Bunting voted for Mr M Bradley, Ms P Bradley, Mr K Buchanan, Mr T Buchanan, Mrs Cameron, Mr Clarke, Mr Dunne, Mr Easton, Mr Frew [Teller, Noes], Mr Harvey, Mr Hilditch, Mr Humphrey, Mr Irwin, Miss McIlveen, Mr Middleton, Mr Newton, Mr Robinson [Teller, Noes], Mr Storey and Mr Weir

Mr Butler voted for Mr Aiken, Mr Allen, Mrs Barton, Mr Chambers [Teller, Ayes], Mr Nesbitt, Mr Stewart and Mr Swann.

Mr O'Dowd voted for Dr Archibald, Mr Boylan, Ms Brogan, Mr Delargy, Ms Dillon, Ms Dolan, Ms Ennis, Ms Ferguson, Ms Flynn, Mr Gildernew, Ms Hargey, Mr Kearney, Mr G Kelly, Ms Kimmins, Mr McAleer, Mr McCann, Mr McGuigan, Mr McHugh, Ms Á Murphy, Mr C 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 [Teller, Ayes], 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 15 September 2021 to 20 September 2021.

1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly

2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly

Adoption and Children Bill (NIA Bill 37/17-22)

3. Orders in Council

4. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly

Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service Charitable Trust Fund Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21 (Department of Health)

5. Assembly Reports

Generating Electricity from Renewable Energy (NIA 123/17-22) (Public Accounts Committee)

Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules to the Assembly and the Appropriate Committees Second Report of Session 2021 – 2022 (NIA 124/17-22) (Examiner of Statutory Rules)

6. Statutory Rules

SR 2021/255 The Business Tenancies (Coronavirus) (Restriction on Forfeiture: Relevant Period) (Northern Ireland) (No. 3) Regulations 2021 (Department of Finance)

SR 2021/257 The Postal Administration Rules (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Department of Justice)

For information only

SR 2021/253 (C.10) The Employment Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 (Commencement No. 4) Order (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Department for the Economy)

SR 2021/256 The Road Races (Tour of the Sperrins Rally) Order (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Department for Infrastructure)

7. Written Ministerial Statements

8. Consultation Documents

9. Departmental Publications

10. Agency Publications

11. Westminster Publications

12. Miscellaneous Publications

PROXY VOTING NOTICES – MONDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2021

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

* Vote in person for vote on Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill (NIA 30/17-22) only. Proxy vote with J Bunting for all other business.