Official Report (Hansard)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Official Report (Hansard) Tuesday 12 June 2012 Volume 75, No 6 Session 2011-2012 Contents Executive Committee Business Inquiry into Historical Institutional Abuse Bill: First Stage ..............................................................317 Local Government (Boundaries) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012 ......................................................317 Speaker’s Business Appointment of Junior Minister ....................................................................................................338 Oral Answers to Questions Employment and Learning ...........................................................................................................338 Enterprise, Trade and Investment .................................................................................................344 Executive Committee Business Local Government (Boundaries) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012 (continued) .....................................350 Committee Business Standing Orders: 49A .................................................................................................................384 Private Members’ Business Mixed Housing ...........................................................................................................................385 Arms Trade Treaty .......................................................................................................................407 Adjournment Magilligan Prison ........................................................................................................................412 Suggested amendments or corrections will be considered by the Editor. They should be sent to: The Editor of Debates, Room 248, Parliament Buildings, Belfast BT4 3XX. Tel: 028 9052 1135 · e-mail: [email protected] to arrive not later than two weeks after publication of this report. Assembly Members Agnew, Steven (North Down) Lynch, Seán (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Allister, Jim (North Antrim) Lyttle, Chris (East Belfast) Anderson, Ms Martina (Foyle) McCallister, John (South Down) Anderson, Sydney (Upper Bann) McCann, Fra (West Belfast) Attwood, Alex (West Belfast) McCann, Ms Jennifer (West Belfast) Beggs, Roy (East Antrim) McCarthy, Kieran (Strangford) Bell, Jonathan (Strangford) McCartney, Raymond (Foyle) Boylan, Cathal (Newry and Armagh) McCausland, Nelson (North Belfast) Boyle, Ms Michaela (West Tyrone) McClarty, David (East Londonderry) Bradley, Dominic (Newry and Armagh) McCrea, Basil (Lagan Valley) Bradley, Ms Paula (North Belfast) McCrea, Ian (Mid Ulster) Brady, Mickey (Newry and Armagh) McDevitt, Conall (South Belfast) Brown, Ms Pam (South Antrim) McDonnell, Dr Alasdair (South Belfast) Buchanan, Thomas (West Tyrone) McElduff, Barry (West Tyrone) Byrne, Joe (West Tyrone) McGimpsey, Michael (South Belfast) Campbell, Gregory (East Londonderry) McGlone, Patsy (Mid Ulster) Clarke, Trevor (South Antrim) McGuinness, Martin (Mid Ulster) Cochrane, Mrs Judith (East Belfast) McIlveen, David (North Antrim) Copeland, Michael (East Belfast) McIlveen, Miss Michelle (Strangford) Craig, Jonathan (Lagan Valley) McKay, Daithí (North Antrim) Cree, Leslie (North Down) McKevitt, Mrs Karen (South Down) Dallat, John (East Londonderry) McLaughlin, Mitchel (South Antrim) Dickson, Stewart (East Antrim) McMullan, Oliver (East Antrim) Dobson, Mrs Jo-Anne (Upper Bann) McNarry, David (Strangford) Doherty, Pat (West Tyrone) McQuillan, Adrian (East Londonderry) Douglas, Sammy (East Belfast) Maginness, Alban (North Belfast) Dunne, Gordon (North Down) Maskey, Alex (South Belfast) Durkan, Mark H (Foyle) Maskey, Paul (West Belfast) Easton, Alex (North Down) Molloy, Francie (Mid Ulster) Eastwood, Colum (Foyle) Morrow, The Lord (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Elliott, Tom (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Moutray, Stephen (Upper Bann) Farry, Dr Stephen (North Down) Murphy, Conor (Newry and Armagh) Flanagan, Phil (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Nesbitt, Mike (Strangford) Ford, David (South Antrim) Newton, Robin (East Belfast) Foster, Mrs Arlene (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Ní Chuilín, Ms Carál (North Belfast) Frew, Paul (North Antrim) Ó hOisín, Cathal (East Londonderry) Gardiner, Samuel (Upper Bann) O’Dowd, John (Upper Bann) Gildernew, Ms Michelle (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) O’Neill, Mrs Michelle (Mid Ulster) Girvan, Paul (South Antrim) Overend, Mrs Sandra (Mid Ulster) Givan, Paul (Lagan Valley) Poots, Edwin (Lagan Valley) Hale, Mrs Brenda (Lagan Valley) Ramsey, Pat (Foyle) Hamilton, Simon (Strangford) Ramsey, Ms Sue (West Belfast) Hay, William (Speaker) Robinson, George (East Londonderry) Hazzard, Christopher (South Down) Robinson, Peter (East Belfast) Hilditch, David (East Antrim) Rogers, Sean (South Down) Humphrey, William (North Belfast) Ross, Alastair (East Antrim) Hussey, Ross (West Tyrone) Ruane, Ms Caitríona (South Down) Irwin, William (Newry and Armagh) Sheehan, Pat (West Belfast) Kelly, Mrs Dolores (Upper Bann) Spratt, Jimmy (South Belfast) Kelly, Gerry (North Belfast) Storey, Mervyn (North Antrim) Kennedy, Danny (Newry and Armagh) Swann, Robin (North Antrim) Kinahan, Danny (South Antrim) Weir, Peter (North Down) Lo, Ms Anna (South Belfast) Wells, Jim (South Down) Lunn, Trevor (Lagan Valley) Wilson, Sammy (East Antrim) Northern Ireland Assembly Tuesday 12 June 2012 The Assembly met at 10.30 am (Mr Speaker in the Chair). Members observed two minutes’ silence. Executive Committee Business Local Government (Boundaries) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012 Inquiry into Historical Institutional Mr Attwood (The Minister of the Environment): Abuse Bill: First Stage I beg to move Mr M McGuinness (The deputy First Minister): That the draft Local Government (Boundaries) I beg to introduce the Inquiry into Historical Order (Northern Ireland) 2012 be approved. Institutional Abuse Bill [NIA 7/11-15], which is a Bill to make provision relating to an inquiry into The order is made under section 50 of the institutional abuse between 1945 and 1995. Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972, which stipulates that it must be laid in draft and Bill passed First Stage and ordered to be printed. approved by resolution of the Assembly. The purpose of the draft order is to give effect, with modifications, to the recommendations of the Local Government Boundaries Commissioner. The commissioner, as Members will know, recommended the boundaries and names of the 11 districts that are listed in section 1 of the Local Government (Boundaries) Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 and the number, boundaries and names of the wards into which each district is to be divided. Members will be aware that my recommendation late last year to the Executive was a 15-council model, under which there would have been greater recognition of local character and identity, upfront costs would have been less, and the logistical and management issues would have been eased. However, as Members are also aware, the Executive voted in favour of an 11-council model. In doing so, they agreed two modifications to the commissioner’s recommendations. They are outlined in the statement of reasons for modifications of the recommendations of the Local Government Boundaries Commissioner, which was laid in the Assembly along with the draft Order. The two modifications relate to the boundaries between the new Belfast district area and the new Lisburn/Castlereagh district area, one at Galwally and one at Ballyhanwood. The modification at Galwally places the Forestside shopping centre and the building that serves as 317 Executive Committee Business: Tuesday 12 June 2012 Local Government (Boundaries) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012 Castlereagh Borough Council’s headquarters in to support the RTC and to co-ordinate the the new Lisburn/Castlereagh district rather than operational delivery of reform. in the new Belfast district, as recommended by the commissioner. I have set up nine task-and-finish working groups to focus on the key areas of transferring At Ballyhanwood, two undeveloped fields have functions: finance; human resources; been moved from the new Belfast district to legislation; pilots and community planning; the new Lisburn/Castlereagh district, as any programme delivery; communications; and future development on this site is likely to be in system convergence. I have asked the voluntary keeping with land use at the Dundonald leisure transition committees to reconvene and to park. Neither modification has an impact on the begin the preparations for convergence. Along electorate in the two affected local government with the statutory transition committees and districts, although they will have an impact on shadow councils, when established, those the citizens and communities of those areas. No reform structures will help to ensure that the 11 residential properties move in the Ballyhanwood new councils are fully equipped to take up office modification, and only 10 residential properties after the next local government elections. move as part of the Galwally modification. Beyond the politics of local government, the I also circulated a paper to Executive colleagues operation and practice of the reform of local on a further modification at Warrenpoint. I government is a significant undertaking. In understand that my proposal to the Executive my view, it is a matter of regret that the once had wide political support in the relevant area in a lifetime opportunity presented by RPA at and had community endorsement; however, this stage will not see the transfer of many when my paper was circulated, the Office of significant functions from central government the First and