Order Paper
Reference: OP 64/22-27
Date: 18 November 2024
The Assembly to sit at noon.
1. Prayers
2. Members’ Statements
3. Question Time
4. Opposition Business
Motion: Breaches of the Ministerial Code of Conduct
Proposed:
That this Assembly condemns the refusal by DUP Ministers to attend North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) meetings in 2021, obstructing essential cross-border cooperation and defying the Good Friday Agreement; acknowledges the findings of the Assembly Commissioner for Standards into this matter, which found that these Ministers breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct, thereby undermining public trust in government; affirms that all ministers are duty-bound to uphold the Ministerial Code of Conduct in good faith; asserts that the NSMC must not be held hostage for political means; and calls on the First Minister and deputy First Minister to work with the British and Irish Governments to initiate a review of Strand Two of the Good Friday Agreement, to ensure it remains fit to support and enhance cross-border cooperation, and contributes, alongside other reforms, to the functioning of secure and stable institutions for all communities in Northern Ireland.
Leader of the Opposition
Motion: Future EU Relationship
Proposed:
That this Assembly notes the beginning of the democratic consent process; calls for the Executive to continue their efforts to operate the Protocol/Windsor Framework as smoothly as possible; further calls on the Secretary of State to ensure that any independent review into the functioning of the Windsor Framework, as provided for under Schedule 6a of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, investigates and makes proposals to the UK and EU on other related post-Brexit issues affecting all communities in Northern Ireland, including, but not limited to, disruptions to cross-border trade in services and provision of public services, improved access to Erasmus for Northern Ireland-based students and institutions, increased participation for Northern Ireland residents and community organisations in the fullest possible range of EU programmes, increased support for Northern Ireland businesses to maximise the advantages of dual market access, options for Northern Ireland representation in the European Parliament reflecting our rights as EU citizens and obligations under EU law, and any other measures which could bring economic or social benefits to this region befitting its unique post-Brexit status.
Leader of the Opposition
Motion: Universal, Affordable Child-centred Childcare
Proposed:
That this Assembly recognises the provision of affordable and child-centred childcare as a key piece of social and economic infrastructure; acknowledges the impact that rising childcare costs are having on families; further acknowledges the funding challenges faced by providers; notes that the existing free hours childcare model is insufficient in addressing these challenges; calls on the Minister of Education to prioritise the publication of an Early Learning and Childcare Strategy, including an ambition to reduce costs for all families by 50 per cent by 2030; and further calls on the Minister to work with the Minister of Finance to ensure that any additional Barnett consequential funding, resulting from increased funding for childcare in England, will be ring-fenced for the same purposes in Northern Ireland.
Leader of the Opposition
Motion: Belfast City Centre Dereliction
Proposed:
That this Assembly expresses deep concern over dereliction in Belfast City Centre, particularly the Tribeca Belfast site, which has contributed to a growing sense of squalor and decay; recognises the consequences of prolonged dereliction, including lost revenue from unpaid rates on vacant properties, reduced footfall and lower community morale; calls on the Minister of Finance to address city centre dereliction through the introduction of a vacant land tax to discourage long-term land banking, and to ensure that land in prime locations is used effectively for the benefit of the economy and community, including options to reflect the historic significance of the Assembly Rooms in the enlightenment of Belfast; and further calls on the Minister to work with Land and Property Services to conduct a full review of rates due across the Tribeca Belfast site, and to work with the Minister for Communities and the Minister for the Economy to engage proactively with Belfast City Council on their proposals for the site.
Leader of the Opposition
5. Adjournment
