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Official Report (Hansard) Tuesday 15 February 2011 Volume 61, No 4 Session 2010-2011 Contents Assembly Business ....................................................................................................................319 Executive Committee Business Budget Bill 2011: Second Stage ..................................................................................................319 Oral Answers to Questions Employment and Learning ...........................................................................................................342 Regional Development ................................................................................................................347 Executive Committee Business Budget Bill: Second Stage ...........................................................................................................354 Employment (No. 2) Bill: Final Stage ............................................................................................436 Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill: Final Stage .........................................................................443 Local Government Finance Bill: Final Stage ..................................................................................443 Private Members' Business Caravans Bill: Final Stage ...........................................................................................................447 Armed Forces and Veterans Bill: Consideration Stage ....................................................................453 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 Anderson, Ms Martina (Foyle) Lyttle, Chris (East Belfast) Anderson, Sydney (Upper Bann) McCallister, John (South Down) Armstrong, Billy (Mid Ulster) McCann, Fra (West Belfast) Attwood, Alex (West Belfast) McCann, Ms Jennifer (West Belfast) Bannside, The Lord (North Antrim) McCarthy, Kieran (Strangford) Beggs, Roy (East Antrim) McCartney, Raymond (Foyle) Bell, Jonathan (Strangford) McCausland, Nelson (North Belfast) Boylan, Cathal (Newry and Armagh) McClarty, David (East Londonderry) Bradley, Dominic (Newry and Armagh) McCrea, Basil (Lagan Valley) Bradley, Mrs Mary (Foyle) McCrea, Ian (Mid Ulster) Bradley, P J (South Down) McDevitt, Conall (South Belfast) Brady, Mickey (Newry and Armagh) McDonnell, Dr Alasdair (South Belfast) Bresland, Allan (West Tyrone) McElduff, Barry (West Tyrone) Browne, The Lord (East Belfast) McFarland, Alan (North Down) Buchanan, Thomas (West Tyrone) McGill, Mrs Claire (West Tyrone) Burns, Thomas (South Antrim) McGimpsey, Michael (South Belfast) Butler, Paul (Lagan Valley) McGlone, Patsy (Mid Ulster) Callaghan, Pól (Foyle) McGuinness, Martin (Mid Ulster) Campbell, Gregory (East Londonderry) McHugh, Gerry (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Clarke, Trevor (South Antrim) McIlveen, Miss Michelle (Strangford) Clarke, Willie (South Down) McKay, Daithí (North Antrim) McLaughlin, Mitchel (South Antrim) Cobain, Fred (North Belfast) McNarry, David (Strangford) Coulter, Rev Dr Robert (North Antrim) McQuillan, Adrian (East Londonderry) Craig, Jonathan (Lagan Valley) Maginness, Alban (North Belfast) Cree, Leslie (North Down) Maskey, Alex (South Belfast) Dallat, John (East Londonderry) Maskey, Paul (West Belfast) Deeny, Dr Kieran (West Tyrone) Molloy, Francie (Mid Ulster) Doherty, Pat (West Tyrone) Morrow, The Lord (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Easton, Alex (North Down) Moutray, Stephen (Upper Bann) Elliott, Tom (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Murphy, Conor (Newry and Armagh) Empey, The Lord (East Belfast) Neeson, Sean (East Antrim) Farry, Dr Stephen (North Down) Newton, Robin (East Belfast) Ford, David (South Antrim) Ní Chuilín, Ms Carál (North Belfast) Foster, Mrs Arlene (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) O’Dowd, John (Upper Bann) Frew, Paul (North Antrim) O’Loan, Declan (North Antrim) Gallagher, Tommy (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) O’Neill, Mrs Michelle (Mid Ulster) Gardiner, Samuel (Upper Bann) Poots, Edwin (Lagan Valley) Gibson, Simpson (Strangford) Purvis, Ms Dawn (East Belfast) Gildernew, Ms Michelle (Fermanagh and Ramsey, Pat (Foyle) South Tyrone) Ramsey, Ms Sue (West Belfast) Girvan, Paul (South Antrim) Ritchie, Ms Margaret (South Down) Givan, Paul (Lagan Valley) Robinson, George (East Londonderry) Hamilton, Simon (Strangford) Robinson, Ken (East Antrim) Hay, William (Speaker) Robinson, Peter (East Belfast) Hilditch, David (East Antrim) Ross, Alastair (East Antrim) Humphrey, William (North Belfast) Ruane, Ms Caitríona (South Down) Irwin, William (Newry and Armagh) Savage, George (Upper Bann) 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) Weir, Peter (North Down) Leonard, Billy (East Londonderry) Wells, Jim (South Down) Lo, Ms Anna (South Belfast) Wilson, Brian (North Down) Lunn, Trevor (Lagan Valley) Wilson, Sammy (East Antrim) Northern Ireland Assembly Tuesday 15 February 2011 The Assembly met at 10.30 am (Mr Speaker in the Chair). Members observed two minutes’ silence. Assembly Business Executive Committee Business Mr Speaker: Order. Before we begin, I wish to advise the House that a valid petition of concern Budget Bill 2011: Second Stage was presented on Thursday 10 February relating The Minister of Finance and Personnel (Mr S to the votes on the clauses and the long title, Wilson): Morning, Mr Speaker. You are looking whether amended or not, of the Armed Forces fresh and well after last night’s long session. and Veterans Bill. The votes on those matters, However, I see that some other Members have which will be on a cross-community basis, may not made it here. take place later today. I beg to move That the Second Stage of the Budget Bill 2011 be agreed. Accelerated passage of the Bill is needed to ensure Royal Assent as early as possible in March and, therefore, legal authority for Departments and other public bodies to draw down and spend the cash and use the resources in the Bill in 2010-11 and to ensure the continuation of public services into 2011-12. As the House is by now well aware, preparation of the detailed Estimates and the related Budget Bill under consideration today, sandwiched between the December monitoring outcome announced to the Assembly as late as 17 January and the urgent need for Royal Assent of the Bill as quickly as possible to allow drawdown on the additional cash voted, is a difficult task for all concerned. I am, therefore, grateful that the Committee for Finance and Personnel has confirmed, in line with Standing Order 42, that it is satisfied that there has been appropriate consultation with it on the public expenditure proposals in the Bill and is content that the Bill may proceed by accelerated passage. I welcome and appreciate the assistance of the Committee in the matter. I will now briefly outline the purpose of the legislation and draw attention to the main provisions of the Bill. The debate follows the Bill’s First Stage yesterday, which, in turn, followed the debate on and approval of the 319 Tuesday 15 February 2011 Executive Committee Business: Budget Bill 2011: Second Stage Supply resolutions for the 2010-11 spring as listed in column 1 of schedule 1 to the Bill. Supplementary Estimates and the 2011- Resources, including the accruing resources, are 12 Vote on Account. The Bill’s purpose is to to be used for the purposes that are specified in give legislative effect to the 2010-11 spring column 1 of schedule 2 to the Bill. Supplementary Estimates and the 2011-12 Vote on Account, which were laid before the Assembly The amounts now requested for 2010-11 on 7 February 2011. Copies of the Budget Bill supersede the Vote on Account in the Budget and the explanatory and financial memorandum Act (Northern Ireland) 2010, which was passed were made available to Members today. this time last year, and the Main Estimate provision in the Budget (No.2) Act (Northern I do not intend to take up valuable debating Ireland) 2010, which was passed in March time with unnecessary repetition of the detail prior to the stage two devolution of policing that I gave Members yesterday. However, in and justice in the Budget (No.3) Act (Northern accordance with the nature of a Second Stage Ireland) 2010, which was passed by the debate, as envisaged under Standing Order 32 Assembly in June. and for the benefit of Members, I will summarise briefly the main features of the Bill. The Bill will also authorise a 2011-12 Vote on Account for cash of £6,645,663,000 and The purpose of the Bill is to authorise the resources of £7,336,432,000 to allow the flow issue of £15,345,417,000 from the Northern of cash and resources to continue to public Ireland Consolidated Fund in 2010-11. That is services in the early months of 2011-12 until an additional £695,505,000 since the Main the Main Estimates and related Budget Bill are Estimates were presented last year. That cash approved later this year in June. Again, the cash will be drawn down on a daily basis as needed and resources are to be appropriated and used from the Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund, for services and purposes set out in column 1 which is managed by my Department on behalf of the Executive. of schedules 3 and 4 respectively. The Bill will also authorise the use of resources