Northern Ireland Assembly Flax Flower Logo
No.21-07/08

MINUTE OF PROCEEDINGS
MONDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2007

 The Assembly met at noon, the Speaker in the Chair

1. Personal Prayer or Meditation

Members observed two minutes’ silence.

2. Motion – Suspension of Standing Orders

Proposed:That Standing Orders 10(2) to 10(4), inclusive, be suspended for 26 November 2007.

[Mr D McNarry]
[Mr T Burns]

The Question being put, the Motion was carried with cross-community support nemine contradicente.

3. Executive Committee Business
3.1 Statement – Northern Ireland Events Company

Mr Edwin Poots, Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, made a statement to the Assembly regarding the Northern Ireland Events Company, following which he replied to questions.

3.2 First Stage – Public Health (Amendment) Bill NIA 8/07

Mr Michael McGimpsey, Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, introduced a Bill to amend section 2A of the Public Health Act ( Northern Ireland) 1967.

Bill passed First Stage and ordered to be printed (NIA Bill 8/07).

3.3 Motion – Accelerated Passage Pensions Bill (NIA 7/07)

Proposed: That the Pensions Bill proceed under the accelerated passage procedure, in accordance with Standing Order 40(4).

[Minister for Social Development]

Debate ensued.

The Question being put, the Motion was carried with cross-community support nemine contradicente.

3.4 Second Stage – Pensions Bill (NIA 7/07)

Ms Margaret Ritchie, Minister for Social Development, moved that the Second Stage of the Pensions Bill (NIA 7/07) be agreed.

Debate ensued.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr Molloy) in the chair.

NIA Bill 7/07 passed Second Stage.

4. Committee Business
4.1 Motion – Draft Programme for Government and draft Investment Strategy

Proposed: That this Assembly notes the draft Programme for Government 2008-2011 and the draft Investment Strategy 2008-2018.

[Chairperson, Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister]

4.2 Amendment

Proposed: At end insert:

‘; but expresses its concern at the limited vision, scope and proposals contained in the documents.’

[Mr D Ford]
[Mrs N Long]
[Dr S Farry]
[Mr T Lunn]

Debate ensued.

The debate was suspended for Question Time.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr Dallat) in the chair.

5. Question Time
5.1 Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister

Questions were put to, and answered by, the deputy First Minister, Mr Martin McGuiness.

5.2 Minister for Employment and Learning

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister, Sir Reg Empey.

5.3 Minister of Finance and Personnel

Questions were put to, and answered by, the Minister, the Rt Hon Peter Robinson.

6. Committee Business (cont’d)
6.1 Motion – Draft Programme for Government and draft Investment Strategy (cont’d)

Debate resumed on the Motion.

The Speaker in the chair.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr Molloy) in the chair.

The Amendment being put, the Amendment fell (Division 1).

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

7. Adjournment

Proposed: That the Assembly do now adjourn.

[The Speaker]

The Assembly adjourned at 9.22 pm.

Mr William Hay
The Speaker
26 November 2007
NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY
26 NOVEMBER 2007
 DIVISIONS
 Division No. 1
 Draft Programme for Government and draft Investment Strategy – Amendment

Proposed: At end insert:

‘; but expresses its concern at the limited vision, scope and proposals contained in the documents.’

[Mr D Ford]
[Mrs N Long]
[Dr S Farry]
[Mr T Lunn]

The Question was put and the Assembly divided.

Ayes: 24

Noes: 50

Ayes

Mr Beggs, Mr D Bradley, Mrs M Bradley, Mr P J Bradley, Mr Burns, Mr Cobain, Mr Cree, Mr Elliott, Dr Farry, Mr Ford, Mrs Hanna, Mrs D Kelly, Ms Lo, Mrs Long, Mr Lunn,
Mr A Maginness, Mr McCarthy, Mr B McCrea,  Mr McGlone, Mr McNarry, Mr O’Loan,
Ms Purvis, Mr P Ramsey, Mr B Wilson.

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Lunn and Mr McCarthy.

Noes

Mr Boylan, Mr Brady, Mr Bresland, Mr Brolly, Lord Browne, Mr Buchanan, Mr Butler,
Mr T Clarke, Mr W Clarke, Mr Craig, Mr Dodds, Rt Hon J Donaldson, Mr Easton, Mrs Foster, Mr Hamilton, Mr Hilditch, Mr Irwin, Mr A Maskey, Mr P Maskey, Mr F McCann, Ms J McCann, Mr McCartney, Mr McCausland, Mr I McCrea, Mrs McGill, Mr McHugh, Miss McIlveen, Mr McLaughlin, Mr McQuillan, Lord Morrow, Mr Moutray, Mr Newton, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr O’Dowd, Mrs O’Neill, Mr Paisley Jnr, Rt Hon Ian Paisley, Mr Poots, Ms S Ramsey, Mr G Robinson, Mrs I Robinson, Rt Hon P Robinson, Mr Ross, Mr Shannon, Mr Simpson, Mr Spratt, Mr Storey, Mr Weir, Mr Wells, Mr S Wilson.

Tellers for the Noes: Mr Buchanan and Mr Moutray.

The following Member voted in both Lobbies and is therefore not counted in the result: Mr Kennedy.

The Amendment fell.

NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY
PAPERS PRESENTED TO THE ASSEMBLY FROM
21 NOVEMBER TO 26 NOVEMBER 2007
  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
    Belfast Education and Library Board Annual Report 2004-05 (NIA 56/07-08)
  5. Assembly Reports
    Report on the Transfer of Surplus Land in the PFI Education Pathfinder Projects (11//0708R) (PAC)
    Report on the Taxis Bill (NIA 4/07) (10//0708R) (DOE)
    Examiner of Statutory Rules Session 2007-2008: Sixth Report to the Assembly and Appropriate Committees (NIA 66/07-08)
  6. Statutory Rules
    (The department identified after each rule is for reference purposes only.)
    S.R. 2007/474 The Disability Discrimination (Premises) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2007 (OFMDFM)
    For information only:
    S.R. 2007/438 The Social Security ( Ireland) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007 (DSD)
    S.R. 2007/468 The Children (Allocation of Proceedings) (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007
    S.R. 2007/469 The Family Homes and Domestic Violence (Allocation of Proceedings) (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007
    S.R. 2007/477 The Prohibition of Traffic (Woodvale, Belfast) (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007 (DRD)
    S.R. 2007/478 The Cycle Tracks ( Chichester Street, Belfast) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007 (DRD)
  7. Consultation Documents
    High Level Equality Impact Assessment on the Transformation of Business Services in Health and Social Care - Shared Service (DHSSPS)
    Strangford Lough - Prohibition of Fishing in Strangford Lough 'Non Disturbance' Zones (DARD)
  8. Departmental Publications
    Radioactivity in Food and the Environment (RIFE) 2006
    Northern Ireland Report on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (OFMDFM)
  9. Agency Publications
  10. Westminster Publications
  11. Miscellaneous Publications