Northern Ireland Assembly Flax Flower Logo
No.09/07

MINUTE OF PROCEEDINGS

TUESDAY 5 JUNE 2007

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

1. Personal Prayer or Meditation

Members observed two minutes’ silence.

2. Executive Committee Business

2.1 First Stage – Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

Mr Michael McGimpsey, Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, introduced a Bill to amend the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 in relation to the provision of health care; to amend the Smoking (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 to provide that in certain circumstances premises may not be smoke-free only in relation to performers; and for connected purposes.

Bill passed First Stage and ordered to be printed (NIA Bill 2/07).

3. Private Members’ Business
3.1 Motion – Rural Health Taskforce

Proposed: That this Assembly calls for the establishment of a Rural Health Taskforce with the objective of delivering a focused and co-ordinated response to the health needs of people living in rural areas, including:

[Ms C Ní Chuilín]
[Mr B McElduff]

3.2 Amendment No. 1

Proposed : Leave out all after ‘Assembly’ and insert:

‘notes the ongoing work of the Rural Medicine Working Group and urges the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to ensure that rural communities have access to safe and sustainable health services.’

[Rev Dr R Coulter]
[Mr J McCallister]

3.3 Amendment No. 2

Proposed: Insert after ‘alliances’:

[Dr K Deeny]

Debate ensued.

Amendment No. 1 being put, the Amendment was made (Division 1).

Amendment No. 2 was not put.

The Question being put, the Motion, as amended, was carried without division.

3.4 Motion – Provision of Speech and Language Therapy

Proposed: That this Assembly notes the inequalities in the provision of speech and language therapy throughout Northern Ireland, and calls on the Executive to provide adequate and equitable resources and financial support.

[Mr P Ramsey]
[Mr D Bradley]

Debate ensued.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr Dallat) in the chair.

The sitting was suspended at 12.57 pm.

The sitting resumed at 2.00 pm.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr Dallat) in the chair.

Debate resumed on the motion.

The Question being put, the Motion was carried without division.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr McClarty) in the chair.

3.5 Motion – Commissioner for Older People

Proposed: That this Assembly calls upon the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to prioritise, as a matter of urgency, the appointment of a Commissioner for Older People, as previously supported by the Transitional Assembly.

[Mrs M Bradley]

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the Motion was carried without division.

3.6 Motion – Post Offices

Proposed: That this Assembly notes the grave threat to rural communities with the closure of up to two hundred Post Offices in Northern Ireland, and calls upon the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister to use their office to support the retention of Post Offices by advocating the use of Post Office services for governmental and council business as far as is practicable.

[Mr J Shannon]
[Lord Morrow]
[Mr A McQuillan]

3.7 Amendment

Proposed: After ‘rural’ insert:

‘and urban’; and

leave out all after the second ‘Minister’ and insert:

‘to formulate an effective strategy on a cross-departmental basis to maximise the use of postal services by government departments.’

[Mr D Bradley]

Debate ensued.

The A mendment being put, the Amendment was made without division.

The Question being put, the Motion, as amended, was carried without division.

4. Adjournment

Proposed: That the Assembly do now adjourn

[The Speaker]

The Assembly adjourned at 4.47 pm.

Mr William Hay
The Speaker
5 June 2007

NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY

5 JUNE 2007

DIVISIONS

 Division No. 1
 Rural Health Taskforce – Amendment No. 1

Proposed: Leave out all after ‘Assembly’ and insert:

‘notes the ongoing work of the Rural Medicine Working Group and urges the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to ensure that rural communities have access to safe and sustainable health services.’

[Rev Dr R Coulter]
[Mr J McCallister]

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 44

Noes: 36

Ayes

Mr Armstrong, Mr Beggs, Mr Bresland, Lord Browne, Mr Buchanan, Mr Campbell, Mr T Clarke, Rev Dr Robert Coulter, Mr Cree, Mr Dodds, Mr Easton, Mr Elliott, Mrs Foster, Mr Gardiner, Mr Hamilton, Mr Hilditch, Mr Irwin, Mr Kennedy, Mr McCallister, Mr McCausland, Mr McClarty, Mr B McCrea, Mr I McCrea, Dr W McCrea, Mr McFarland, Mr McGimpsey, Miss McIlveen, Mr McNarry, Mr McQuillan, Lord Morrow, Mr Moutray, Rt Hon Ian Paisley, Mr Poots, Ms Purvis, Mr G Robinson, Mrs I Robinson, Rt Hon P Robinson, Mr Ross, Mr Savage, Mr Shannon, Mr Simpson, Mr Spratt, Mr Weir, Mr S Wilson.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Armstrong and Mr McClarty.

Noes

Mr Boylan, Mr D Bradley, Mrs M Bradley, Mr Brady, Mr Burns, Mr Butler, Mr Dallat, Dr Deeny, Mr Doherty, Mr Durkan, Dr Farry, Mr Gallagher, Mrs Hanna, Ms Lo, Mr Lunn, Mr A Maskey, Mr P Maskey, Mr F McCann, Mr McCartney, Dr McDonnell, Mr McElduff, Mrs McGill, Mr McGlone, Mr M McGuinness, Mr McHugh, Mr McKay, Mr Murphy, Mr Neeson, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr O’Dowd, Mr O’Loan, Mrs O’Neill, Mr P Ramsey, Ms S Ramsey, Ms Ritchie, Mr B Wilson.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr P Maskey and Mrs O’Neill.

The Amendment was made.

NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY

PAPERS PRESENTED TO THE ASSEMBLY

ON 5 JUNE 2007

  1. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly
  2. Bills of the Northern Ireland Assembly

Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill (NIA Bill 2/07)

  1. Orders in Council
  2. Publications Laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly
  3. Assembly Reports
  4. Statutory Rules

(The department identified after each rule is for reference purposes only.)
S.R. 2007/292 General Dental Services (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2007 (DHSSPS)

  1. Consultation Documents
  2. Departmental Publications
  3. Agency Publications
  4. Westminster Publications
  5. Miscellaneous Publications

NORTHERN IRELAND LEGISLATION

EXECUTIVE BILLS

PROCEEDINGS AS AT 5 JUNE 2007

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: Detailed investigation by a Committee which concludes with the publication of a report for consideration by the Assembly.
Consideration Stage: 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: 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
Executive Bills

Title & Bill Number

First Stage

Second Stage

Committee Stage Extension

Committee Stage

Report

Consideration Stage

Concluded

Further Consideration Stage

Final Stage

Royal Assent

**Welfare Reform Bill

(NIA Bill 1/07)

4.06.07

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

(NIA Bill 2/07)

5.06.07

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Budget Bill

(NIA Bill 3/07)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taxis Bill

(NIA Bill 4/07)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Libraries Bill

(NIA Bill 5/07)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Bills which are granted accelerated passage do not pass through a Committee Stage.