Official Report (Hansard) Tuesday 19 January 2016 Volume 111, No 4 Session 2015-2016 Contents Assembly Business Public Petition: Cairn Wood Forest Park ........................................................................................... 1 Ministerial Statement British-Irish Council: Housing ............................................................................................................ 2 Executive Committee Business Police Pensions (Consequential Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 ... 6 Rates (Amendment) Bill: Accelerated Passage ............................................................................... 7 Rates (Amendment) Bill: Second Stage ........................................................................................... 9 Departments Bill: Consideration Stage ............................................................................................. 20 Budget 2016-17 ................................................................................................................................. 20 Oral Answers to Questions Employment and Learning ................................................................................................................. 26 Education ........................................................................................................................................... 35 Executive Committee Business Budget 2016-17 (Continued) ............................................................................................................. 45 Adjournment Stormont Estate ................................................................................................................................. 81 Assembly Members Agnew, Steven (North Down) McCallister, John (South Down) Allen, Andy (East Belfast) McCann, Fra (West Belfast) Allister, Jim (North Antrim) McCann, Ms Jennifer (West Belfast) Anderson, Sydney (Upper Bann) McCarthy, Kieran (Strangford) Attwood, Alex (West Belfast) McCartney, Raymond (Foyle) Beggs, Roy (East Antrim) McCausland, Nelson (North Belfast) Bell, Jonathan (Strangford) McCorley, Ms Rosaleen (West Belfast) Boylan, Cathal (Newry and Armagh) McCrea, Basil (Lagan Valley) Boyle, Ms Michaela (West Tyrone) McCrea, Ian (Mid Ulster) Bradley, Dominic (Newry and Armagh) McCrossan, Daniel (West Tyrone) Bradley, Ms Paula (North Belfast) McElduff, Barry (West Tyrone) Buchanan, Thomas (West Tyrone) McGahan, Ms Bronwyn (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Cameron, Mrs Pam (South Antrim) 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) Cochrane-Watson, Adrian (South Antrim) 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) McKinney, Fearghal (South Belfast) Dickson, Stewart (East Antrim) McLaughlin, Ms Maeve (Foyle) Diver, Gerard (Foyle) McLaughlin, Mitchel (Speaker) Dobson, Mrs Jo-Anne (Upper Bann) McMullan, Oliver (East Antrim) Douglas, Sammy (East Belfast) McNarry, David (Strangford) Dunne, Gordon (North Down) McQuillan, Adrian (East Londonderry) Durkan, Mark (Foyle) Maginness, Alban (North Belfast) Easton, Alex (North Down) Maskey, Alex (West Belfast) Eastwood, Colum (Foyle) Middleton, Gary (Foyle) Farry, Stephen (North Down) Milne, Ian (Mid Ulster) Fearon, Ms Megan (Newry and Armagh) Morrow, The Lord (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Flanagan, Phil (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Moutray, Stephen (Upper Bann) Ford, David (South Antrim) Murphy, Conor (Newry and Armagh) 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) Ó Muilleoir, Máirtín (South Belfast) Hale, Mrs Brenda (Lagan Valley) O'Dowd, John (Upper Bann) Hamilton, Simon (Strangford) O'Neill, Mrs Michelle (Mid Ulster) Hanna, Ms Claire (South Belfast) Overend, Mrs Sandra (Mid Ulster) Hazzard, Chris (South Down) Pengelly, Mrs Emma (South Belfast) Hilditch, David (East Antrim) Poots, Edwin (Lagan Valley) Humphrey, William (North Belfast) Robinson, George (East Londonderry) Hussey, Ross (West Tyrone) Robinson, Peter (East Belfast) Irwin, William (Newry and Armagh) Rogers, Seán (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) Lo, Ms Anna (South Belfast) Somerville, Neil (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Lunn, Trevor (Lagan Valley) Storey, Mervyn (North Antrim) Lynch, Seán (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Sugden, Ms Claire (East Londonderry) Lyons, Gordon (East Antrim) Swann, Robin (North Antrim) Lyttle, Chris (East Belfast) Weir, Peter (North Down) McAleer, Declan (West Tyrone) Wells, Jim (South Down) Northern Ireland Assembly Tuesday 19 January 2016 The Assembly met at 10.30 am (Mr Speaker in the Chair). Members observed two minutes' silence. public use on the same basis as enjoyed by Assembly Business many people for decades. Public Petition: Cairn Wood Forest I commend Councillor Muir for his work on the Park campaign and for establishing the petition, which has provided many people with an Mr Speaker: Mr Chris Lyttle has sought leave opportunity to submit their support for saving to present a public petition in accordance with Cairn Wood. Debbie Nelson, for instance, said: Standing Order 22. The Member will have up to three minutes to speak on the subject. "Cairn Wood is a priceless habitat for thousands of birds and animals, one of the Mr Lyttle: I am very grateful for the opportunity very few remaining areas with a population to present the petition, which has been signed of red squirrels, protected birds of prey by over 2,500 people who are concerned with species and a huge wealth of flora. To dispose of it to goodness knows what fate is the planned sale of Cairn Wood forest. a disgrace.". Many people are involved in the campaign to save Cairn Wood forest, and I thank those who Sally McVeigh in Newtownards said: have travelled to the Assembly for the presentation of the petition. From speaking to "For many years, I have enjoyed walking them, it is clear that they strongly believe that, if and running in Cairn Wood. It is a place to Cairn Wood were sold to a private bidder, we be enjoyed by all. It is a peaceful, natural would lose a valuable public asset and a haven environment and should remain that way." that is enjoyed by many people from my constituency of East Belfast and from the Ivan Greenfield in Bangor asked: constituencies of North Down and Strangford and beyond. "How can someone decide to sell Cairn Wood without public consent?" It is my understanding that Ards and North Down Borough Council was offered the Carolyn Busby in east Belfast said: opportunity to purchase the site in 2014 but, sadly, declined, despite calls by my Alliance "Cairn Wood is a dog-walking paradise." Party colleagues to consult users and to undertake an economic appraisal to establish Recently, the Minister revealed that there is viability and potential costs of ownership. With opposition from various groups. I urge her to the council refusing to examine the issue, it listen to those comments and to the thousands appears that Northern Ireland Water proceeded of people who have signed the petition, to explore the sale. That was unknown to including, it would seem, her constituency and councillors until 20 November 2015 when my party colleague Jim Shannon MP. I urge her colleague Alliance councillor Andrew Muir therefore to give urgent and serious attention to received a phone call from a constituent the issue before it is too late. As Peter Mason concerned that Cairn Wood was up for sale on from Holywood stated: a property website. Since then, Alliance's Councillor Muir has secured the support of Ards "Once sold, never retrieved. Sell in haste and North Down Borough Council in the and regret at leisure." campaign to stop the sale, and, last Wednesday, councillors voted in favour of his Let us hope that that is not the legacy that the motion to call on the Minister for Regional Minister leaves in relation to Cairn Wood. Development to keep Cairn Wood forest in 1 Tuesday 19 January 2016 Mr Lyttle moved forward and laid the petition on Guernsey were represented by Mike Hadley, the Table. deputy Minister in the Housing Department. The Isle of Man Government were represented Mr Speaker: I will forward the petition to the by the honourable Juan Watterson MHK, Minister for Regional Development and send a Minister for Home Affairs. Minister Storey co- copy to the Committee. chaired the meeting alongside junior Minister McCann. Together, they represented the Northern Ireland Executive. Ministerial Statement Ministers welcomed a presentation by John British-Irish Council: Housing McCord from the Department for Social Development, Northern Ireland, on the report entitled 'Innovative Policy Interventions to Fund Lord Morrow (The Minister for Social Housing Initiatives', which sets out the range of Development): At the outset, I should explain policies that are being adopted across all BIC that I am reporting on a meeting that I did not member Administrations to fund housing attend. Furthermore, I apologise for the provision.