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Official Report (Hansard) Monday 12 September 2011 Volume 66, No 1 Session 2011-2012 Contents Assembly Business ........................................................................................................................1 Executive Committee Business Budget (No. 2) Bill: Royal Assent .....................................................................................................2 Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) Bill: Royal Assent .................................................................2 Ministerial Statements North/South Ministerial Council: Trade and Business Development ...................................................2 North/South Ministerial Council: Special EU Programmes ................................................................6 Higher Education and Student Finance ...........................................................................................11 Committee Business Committee Membership ................................................................................................................23 Private Members’ Business Green Economy ............................................................................................................................24 Oral Answers to Questions Regional Development ..................................................................................................................29 Employment and Learning .............................................................................................................34 Private Members’ Business Green Economy (continued) ...........................................................................................................41 Railways: Londonderry Line ...........................................................................................................52 Written Ministerial Statements Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister: Memorandum of Understanding and Supplementary Agreements ............................................................................................. WMS 1 Culture, Arts and Leisure: Reported Fish Kill at Loughbrickland Lake ........................................ WMS 1 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) Buchanan, Thomas (West Tyrone) McDonnell, Dr Alasdair (South Belfast) Byrne, Joe (West Tyrone) McElduff, Barry (West Tyrone) Campbell, Gregory (East Londonderry) McGimpsey, Michael (South Belfast) Clarke, Trevor (South Antrim) McGlone, Patsy (Mid Ulster) Clarke, Willie (South Down) 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) Ritchie, Ms Margaret (South Down) Hilditch, David (East Antrim) Robinson, George (East Londonderry) Humphrey, William (North Belfast) Robinson, Peter (East Belfast) Hussey, Ross (West Tyrone) Ross, Alastair (East Antrim) Irwin, William (Newry and Armagh) Ruane, Ms Caitríona (South Down) Kelly, Mrs Dolores (Upper Bann) Sheehan, Pat (West Belfast) Kelly, Gerry (North Belfast) Spratt, Jimmy (South Belfast) Kennedy, Danny (Newry and Armagh) Storey, Mervyn (North Antrim) Kinahan, Danny (South Antrim) Swann, Robin (North Antrim) Lewis, Mrs Pam (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 Monday 12 September 2011 The Assembly met at 12.00 noon (Mr Speaker in the Chair). Members observed two minutes’ silence. Assembly Business about the review that was supposedly carried out on special advisers? Mr Allister: On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I ask for your guidance and information on some Mr Speaker: I will take your first point of order matters relating to the business of the House. first. I always encourage Ministers to come to It is more than four months since the Executive the House before they go to the press. However, came to office, yet no indication has been made on that particular issue, the Executive took their to me, as a Member, of any prospect of any decision and the Minister made a very brief plan for how they propose to govern through a statement to the press. published Programme for Government. I ask that you, as Speaker of the House — I received a letter on Thursday at 5.00 pm, which noted the Minister’s clear indication to Mr Speaker: Before you say any more, I must come to the House with a further statement. tell you that that is not a point of order. That is Therefore, on this occasion, I believe that the clearly a matter for the Executive, not for the Minister acted appropriately. I agree with the Assembly. The Member may disagree with me Member that there have been occasions on on that, but in this House, at this minute, that which Ministers have been inclined to go to the is not a point of order. I ask the Member not to press before coming to the House. However, on proceed down that road and to consider where this occasion, the Minister acted appropriately he may end up. in going to the press with a brief statement and then coming to the House with a further Mr Allister: You did not hear my question. It was whether you, as Speaker, have any information and wider statement. I believe that the Minister as to when we might expect a Programme for in question, Dr Farry, acted in an appropriate Government. manner. Mr Speaker: Let me impress upon the Member Sorry, what was your second point of order Mr as clearly as I can that that is not a point of Allister? order. It is not an appropriate point of order for Mr Allister: It was whether there was any indication the House. I will now move on. of a statement from DFP on the supposed review Mr Allister: On a point of order, Mr Speaker. It is carried out on special advisers. on a different matter: the business of the House Mr Speaker: It is a matter for the Executive and and the level of deference shown to the House. for individual Ministers as to when they come Yet again, a matter that should have been to the House with statements. The Member announced to the House, namely the important will know that all I can do is to encourage statement on tuition fees, was directed publicly Ministers to come to the House with statements to the media several days before any statement as frequently as possible. However, on all to the House. Have you, as Speaker, any view occasions, it is up to Ministers, and the First about what that does to the standing of the Minister and the deputy First Minister, to determine House? when to come to the House with any statement The third matter that I want to raise is whether on any matter. That is not really the job of the you have any information as to when, if at all, Speaker. All I can do is to encourage Ministers the House will receive a statement from the to come to the House with statements at Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) appropriate times. 1 Monday 12 September 2011 Executive Committee Ministerial Statements Business North/South Ministerial Council: Trade Budget (No. 2) Bill: Royal Assent and Business Development Mr Speaker: