No. 42-07/08

MINUTE OF PROCEEDINGS

TUESDAY 4 MARCH 2008

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

1. Personal Prayer or Meditation

Members observed two minutes’ silence.

2. The Speaker’s Business

2.1 The Speaker informed Members that Mr James Spratt had been nominated to serve as Chairperson of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee and that Mr Spratt had informed the Speaker that he was willing to take up the post. The Speaker confirmed Mr Spratt as Chairperson of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee.

3. Executive Committee Business

3.1 Second Stage - Building Regulations (Amendment) Bill (NIA 11/07)

The Rt Hon Peter Robinson, Minister of Finance and Personnel, moved that the Second Stage of the Building Regulations (Amendment) Bill (NIA 11/07) be agreed.

NIA Bill 11/07 passed Second Stage and stood referred to the Committee for Finance and Personnel.

3.2 Consideration Stage - Public Health (Amendment) Bill (NIA 8/07)

The Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety moved that the Consideration Stage of the Public Health (Amendment) Bill be agreed.

Clauses

The question being put, it was agreed without division that Clauses 1 to 2 stand part of the Bill.

Long Title

The question being put, the Long Title was agreed without division.

Bill (NIA 8/07) passed Consideration Stage and stood referred to the Speaker.

3.3 Statement - Post-Primary Transfer

The Minister of Education, Ms Caitríona Ruane, made a statement to the Assembly on area-based planning within the post-primary sector, following which she replied to questions.

4. Committee Business

4.1 Motion - Standing Committee Membership

Proposed:
That Mr Thomas Burns replace Mr Patsy McGlone as a member of the Public Accounts Committee.

[Mr PJ Bradley]

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

The sitting was suspended at 12.39 pm.

The sitting resumed at 2.00 pm with the Deputy Speaker (Mr Dallat) in the chair.

4.2 Motion - Hospital Acquired Infections

Proposed:
That this Assembly, following the number of deaths associated with hospital acquired infections from 2001 to date, calls on the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to initiate, as a matter of urgency, a full, independent and time-bound public inquiry.

[Chairperson, Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety]

4.3 Amendment

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

‘to consider initiating a full, independent public inquiry following publication of the independent review by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority.’

[Mr J McCallister]
[Rev Dr R Coulter]

Debate ensued.

The Amendment being put, the Amendment fell (Division No. 1).

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

5. Private Members’ Business

5.1 Motion - Youth Services Budget

Proposed:
That this Assembly expresses its concern at the eight per cent reduction of the Youth Services budget for the year 2008/09; calls on the Minister of Education to redirect resources from within her budget to make good the cuts; and believes that Youth Services would have greater long term security with local councils, after the Review of Public Administration.

[Mr S Wilson]
[Miss M McIlveen]

5.2 Amendment

Proposed:
Leave out all after the first ‘the’ and insert:

‘reduction of the Youth Services budget for the year 2008/09; regrets the absence from the budget of a cross-cutting fund for children and young people which could be topped up with in-year monitoring reallocations to support youth services and other projects; and calls on the Minister of Finance and Personnel, the Minister of Education, and the Executive to give appropriate priority to the Youth Services budget in in-year monitoring rounds.’

[Mr D Bradley]
[Mr M Durkan]
[Mr T Gallagher]
[Mrs M Bradley]

Debate ensued.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr McClarty) in the chair.

The Amendment being put, the Amendment fell without division.

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

6. Adjournment

Mr Barry McElduff spoke on plans for an educational campus at the Lisanelly site, Omagh.

Proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.

[The Speaker]

The Assembly adjourned at 6.26 pm.

Mr William Hay
The Speaker
4 March 2008

NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY
4 MARCH 2008

DIVISIONS
Division No. 1

Hospital Acquired Infections – Amendment

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

‘to consider initiating a full, independent public inquiry following publication of the independent review by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority.’

[Mr J McCallister]
[Rev Dr R Coulter]

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 29
Noes: 51

Ayes

Mr Attwood, Mr Beggs, Mr D Bradley, Mrs M Bradley, Mr P J Bradley, Mr Burns, Mr Cobain, Rev Dr Robert Coulter, Mr Cree, Mr Durkan, Mr Elliott, Sir Reg Empey, Mr Gallagher, Mr Gardiner, Mrs Hanna, Mrs D Kelly, Mr Kennedy, Mr A Maginness, Mr McCallister, Mr McClarty, Mr B McCrea, Dr McDonnell, Mr McFarland, Mr McGimpsey, Mr McGlone, Mr McNarry, Mr O’Loan, Mr P Ramsey, Mr K Robinson.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Gardiner and Mr McCallister.

Noes

Mr Adams, Mr Boylan, Mr Brady, Mr Bresland, Mr Brolly, Mr Buchanan, Mr Butler, Mr T Clarke, Mr W Clarke, Dr Deeny, Mr Dodds, Mr Doherty, Rt Hon J Donaldson, Mr Easton, Dr Farry, Mrs Foster, Ms Gildernew, Mr Hamilton, Mr Hilditch, Mr Irwin, Mr G Kelly, Mrs Long, Mr Lunn, Mr A Maskey, Mr F McCann, Ms J McCann, Mr McCarthy, Mr McCartney, Mr McCausland, Mr McElduff, Mrs McGill, Miss McIlveen, Mr Molloy, Mr Moutray, Mr Murphy, Mr Neeson, Mr Newton, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr O’Dowd, Mrs O’Neill, Mr Poots, Mr G Robinson, Mrs I Robinson, Rt Hon P Robinson, Mr Ross, Ms Ruane, Mr Shannon, Mr Spratt, Mr Wells, Mr B Wilson, Mr S Wilson.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr Easton and Miss McIlveen.

The Amendment fell.

PAPERS PRESENTED TO THE ASSEMBLY ON 4 MARCH 2008

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

5. Assembly Reports

6. Statutory Rules
(The department identified after each rule is for reference purposes only.)
S.R. 2008/70 Dairy Produce Quotas (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2008 (DARD)
SR 2008/78 The Penalty Charges (Additional Contravention) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2008 (DRD)

7. Consultation Documents

8. Departmental Publications

9. Agency Publications

10. Westminster Publications

11. Miscellaneous Publications

NORTHERN IRELAND LEGISLATION:

 EXECUTIVE BILLS

PROCEEDINGS AS AT 4 MARCH 2008

Session 2006-2007 

Title & Bill Number	First Stage	Second Stage	Committee Stage Extension	Committee Stage Report		Consideration Stage Concluded	Further Consideration Stage	Final Stage	Royal Assent
				Laid	Printed
**Welfare Reform Bill (NIA Bill 1/07)	4.06.07	12.06.07	N/A	N/A	N/A	18.06.07	19.06.07	25.06.07	29.06.07
Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill (NIA Bill 2/07)	5.06.07	19.06.07	7.11.07	12.10.07	22.10.07	15.01.08	28.01.08	5.02.08	25.02.08
**Budget Bill (NIA Bill 3/07)	11.06.07	12.06.07	N/A	N/A	N/A	18.06.07	19.06.07	25.06.07	29.06.07
Taxis Bill (NIA Bill 4/07)	11.06.07	26.06.07	7.12.07	29.11.07	6.12.07	26.02.08
Libraries Bill (NIA Bill 5/07)	11.06.07	19.06.07	25.02.08	20.02.08	25.02.08

Session 2007-2008

Title & Bill Number	First Stage	Second Stage	Committee Stage Extension	Committee Stage Report		Consideration Stage Concluded	Further Consideration Stage	Final Stage	Royal Assent
				Laid	Printed
**Children (Emergency Protection Orders) Bill (NIA Bill 6/07)	22.10.07	5.11.07	N/A	N/A	N/A	6.11.07	19.11.07	20.11.07	14.12.07
**Pensions Bill (NIA Bill 7/07)	12.11.07	26.11.07	N/A	N/A	N/A	4.12.07	10.12.07	11.12.07	11.02.08
Public Health (Amendment) Bill (NIA Bill 8/07)	26.11.07	4.12.07	N/A	8.02.08	31.01.08	4.03.08
Charities Bill (NIA Bill 9/07)	10.12.07	15.01.08	27.06.08
**Budget Bill (NIA Bill 10/07)	11.02.08	12.02.08	N/A	N/A	N/A	19.02.08	25.02.08	26.02.08
Building Regulations (Amendment) Bill (NIA bill 11/07)	25.02.08	4.03.08

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