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Official Report (Hansard) Tuesday 18 September 2012 Volume 77, No 4 Session 2012-2013 Contents Speaker's Business Order in the Chamber………………………………………………………………………………………. 1 Ministerial Statement Banks: Funding for Lending Scheme ................................................................................................ 2 Committee Business Standing Orders: 49A, 57(1), 69A and 69C ...................................................................................... 9 Private Members' Business Ulster Covenant: Centenary .............................................................................................................. 15 Oral Answers to Questions Justice ................................................................................................................................................ 24 Social Development ........................................................................................................................... 30 Assembly Business……………………………………………………………………………………….. 37 Private Members' Business Ulster Covenant: Centenary (continued) ........................................................................................... 37 Parades ............................................................................................................................................. 44 Adjournment Health Provision: Armagh City and District ....................................................................................... 66 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) Lyttle, Chris (East Belfast) Allister, Jim (North Antrim) McAleer, Declan (West Tyrone) Anderson, Sydney (Upper Bann) McCallister, John (South Down) Attwood, Alex (West Belfast) McCann, Fra (West Belfast) Beggs, Roy (East Antrim) McCann, Ms Jennifer (West Belfast) Bell, Jonathan (Strangford) McCarthy, Kieran (Strangford) Boylan, Cathal (Newry and Armagh) McCartney, Raymond (Foyle) Boyle, Ms Michaela (West Tyrone) McCausland, Nelson (North Belfast) Bradley, Dominic (Newry and Armagh) McClarty, David (East Londonderry) Bradley, Ms Paula (North Belfast) McCorley, Ms Rosaleen (West Belfast) Brady, Mickey (Newry and Armagh) McCrea, Basil (Lagan Valley) Brown, Ms Pam (South Antrim) McCrea, Ian (Mid Ulster) Buchanan, Thomas (West Tyrone) McDevitt, Conall (South Belfast) Byrne, Joe (West Tyrone) McDonnell, Alasdair (South Belfast) Campbell, Gregory (East Londonderry) McElduff, Barry (West Tyrone) Clarke, Trevor (South Antrim) McGahan, Ms Bronwyn (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Cochrane, Mrs Judith (East Belfast) McGimpsey, Michael (South Belfast) Copeland, Michael (East Belfast) McGlone, Patsy (Mid Ulster) Craig, Jonathan (Lagan Valley) McGuinness, Martin (Mid Ulster) Cree, Leslie (North Down) McIlveen, David (North Antrim) Dallat, John (East Londonderry) McIlveen, Miss Michelle (Strangford) Dickson, Stewart (East Antrim) McKay, Daithí (North Antrim) Dobson, Mrs Jo-Anne (Upper Bann) McKevitt, Mrs Karen (South Down) Douglas, Sammy (East Belfast) McLaughlin, Ms Maeve (Foyle) Dunne, Gordon (North Down) McLaughlin, Mitchel (South Antrim) Durkan, Mark (Foyle) McMullan, Oliver (East Antrim) Easton, Alex (North Down) McNarry, David (Strangford) Eastwood, Colum (Foyle) McQuillan, Adrian (East Londonderry) Elliott, Tom (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Maginness, Alban (North Belfast) Farry, Stephen (North Down) Maskey, Alex (South Belfast) Fearon, Ms Megan (Newry and Armagh) Molloy, Francie (Mid Ulster) Flanagan, Phil (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Morrow, The Lord (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Ford, David (South Antrim) Moutray, Stephen (Upper Bann) Foster, Mrs Arlene (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Nesbitt, Mike (Strangford) Frew, Paul (North Antrim) Newton, Robin (East Belfast) Gardiner, Samuel (Upper Bann) Ní Chuilín, Ms Carál (North Belfast) Girvan, Paul (South Antrim) Ó hOisín, Cathal (East Londonderry) Givan, Paul (Lagan Valley) O'Dowd, John (Upper Bann) Hale, Mrs Brenda (Lagan Valley) O'Neill, Mrs Michelle (Mid Ulster) Hamilton, Simon (Strangford) Overend, Mrs Sandra (Mid Ulster) Hay, William (Speaker) Poots, Edwin (Lagan Valley) Hazzard, Chris (South Down) Ramsey, Pat (Foyle) Hilditch, David (East Antrim) Ramsey, Ms Sue (West Belfast) Humphrey, William (North Belfast) Robinson, George (East Londonderry) Hussey, Ross (West Tyrone) Robinson, Peter (East Belfast) Irwin, William (Newry and Armagh) Rogers, Sean (South Down) Kelly, Mrs Dolores (Upper Bann) Ross, Alastair (East Antrim) Kelly, Gerry (North Belfast) Ruane, Ms Caitríona (South Down) Kennedy, Danny (Newry and Armagh) Sheehan, Pat (West Belfast) Kinahan, Danny (South Antrim) Spratt, Jimmy (South Belfast) Lo, Ms Anna (South Belfast) Storey, Mervyn (North Antrim) Lunn, Trevor (Lagan Valley) Swann, Robin (North Antrim) Lynch, Seán (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Weir, Peter (North Down) Lyttle, Chris (East Belfast) Wells, Jim (South Down) Northern Ireland Assembly Tuesday 18 September 2012 The Assembly met at 10.30 am (Mr Speaker in the Chair) Members observed two minutes' silence. are not in their place for contributions when it Speaker's Business comes to debates or the opening of a debate. In fact, they come in and make a contribution Order in the Chamber but do not stay for the debate, leaving after their own contribution. That is totally and absolutely wrong. Mr Speaker: Before we begin today's business, perhaps at this early stage in the new session I We also have Members who, for whatever need to say some words about order in the reason, do not even turn up at Question Time. Chamber. It would certainly be timely to remind They put a question down on the Order Paper the whole House — Members and Ministers — and then do not turn up. They need to of what is expected of parliamentarians in the understand that Departments and Ministers Chamber. spend some time and huge resources trying to find an answer to some of the questions that Members should know that I expect debates to are on the Order Paper for which Members just follow standards of good temper and do not turn up. From now on, we are going to moderation and that disagreeing with others is name Members — as happened yesterday — no reason not to show courtesy and respect to who are not in their place and give no reason all Members. It is not in order to make personal for not being there. remarks about other Members, for example about where they live or their family I say to the whole House this morning that we circumstances. I say that to the whole House. need to get real around some of these issues. Some Members have continued to make These are long-standing conventions, not only personal comments about Members' families here but in any other elected institution, so we and, as I said, about where they live. need to be absolutely clear in our work here as parliamentarians in the Assembly. That goes I would have thought that, by now, it would be for elected Members, but it also goes for clearly understood that it is not in order to Ministers. Let us move on this morning. I hope speak directly to other Members or to address that I have, once again, set the record straight. them as "you". That would not happen anywhere else, and it should certainly not I should say that we also had Members happen in this Chamber. All remarks should be yesterday who, for whatever reason, got up in addressed to the Speaker. Some Members their place to ask supplementary questions that seem to think that it is enough simply to in no way related to the original question on the address their remarks to each other, rather than Order Paper. They must have just thought that through the Chair. they would get up and ask that particular question, even though they knew that it did not Finally, it is not in order to deliberately relate to the original question. From now on, misrepresent what other Members have said or the Member will be asked to take their seat, and to put words into their mouth. We have also we will move on. In the past, if the Minister had that in the Chamber since Members wanted to answer the question, we would returned after the summer recess. normally have allowed them to do so, even if it was totally and absolutely outside the scope of I hope that is clear. I know that these may the original question on the Order Paper. That seem like minor issues, but they are not. They is now going to stop. You try to give Members are long-standing conventions in any some flexibility around some of these issues, Parliament and contribute to order and dignity and then they abuse the flexibility. From now in the Chamber. I speak to the whole House on, that stops. Your question must, as far as this morning and to all sides of the House. I possible, relate to the original question on the have repeated these particular points over and Order Paper. If not, we are just going to ask over again. Once again, we find that Members 1 Tuesday 18 September 2012 Members to take their seat and we are going to move on, because, if I give Members latitude, Ministerial Statement they then abuse that latitude. Let us move on. Banks: Funding for Lending Scheme Mr Wilson (The Minister of Finance and Personnel): After all those instructions, Mr Speaker, I hope I do not offend the rules in any way during this statement or the answers to the questions on it. Thank you for the opportunity to