Official Report (Hansard) Tuesday 11 June 2013 Volume 86, No 2 Session 2012-2013 Contents Speaker's Business Public Petition: Meningitis B Vaccine ................................................................................................ 1 Ministerial Statements Putting Pupils First: Reforming the Common Funding Scheme ........................................................ 2 Northern Health and Social Care Trust: Turnaround and Support Team Report .............................. 12 Executive Committee Business Budget (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage………………………………………………………………………… 19 Oral Answers to Questions Justice ................................................................................................................................................ 23 Agriculture and Rural Development .................................................................................................. 29 Executive Committee Business Budget (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage (continued)………………………………………………………….. 36 Carrier Bags Bill: Second Stage ........................................................................................................ 73 Adjournment Portavogie Fishing Fleet .................................................................................................................... 85 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) McAleer, Declan (West Tyrone) Allister, Jim (North Antrim) 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) McCorley, Ms Rosaleen (West Belfast) Bradley, Ms Paula (North Belfast) McCrea, Basil (Lagan Valley) Brady, Mickey (Newry and Armagh) McCrea, Ian (Mid Ulster) Brown, Ms Pam (South Antrim) McDevitt, Conall (South Belfast) Buchanan, Thomas (West Tyrone) McDonnell, Alasdair (South Belfast) Byrne, Joe (West Tyrone) McElduff, Barry (West Tyrone) Campbell, Gregory (East Londonderry) McGahan, Ms Bronwyn (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Clarke, Trevor (South Antrim) McGimpsey, Michael (South Belfast) Cochrane, Mrs Judith (East Belfast) McGlone, Patsy (Mid Ulster) Copeland, Michael (East Belfast) McGuinness, Martin (Mid Ulster) Craig, Jonathan (Lagan Valley) McIlveen, David (North Antrim) Cree, Leslie (North Down) McIlveen, Miss Michelle (Strangford) Dallat, John (East Londonderry) McKay, Daithí (North Antrim) Dickson, Stewart (East Antrim) McKevitt, Mrs Karen (South Down) Dobson, Mrs Jo-Anne (Upper Bann) McLaughlin, Ms Maeve (Foyle) Douglas, Sammy (East Belfast) McLaughlin, Mitchel (South Antrim) Dunne, Gordon (North Down) McMullan, Oliver (East Antrim) Durkan, Mark (Foyle) McNarry, David (Strangford) Easton, Alex (North Down) McQuillan, Adrian (East Londonderry) Eastwood, Colum (Foyle) Maginness, Alban (North Belfast) Elliott, Tom (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Maskey, Alex (South Belfast) 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) Nesbitt, Mike (Strangford) Foster, Mrs Arlene (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Newton, Robin (East Belfast) Frew, Paul (North Antrim) Ní Chuilín, Ms Carál (North Belfast) Gardiner, Samuel (Upper Bann) Ó hOisín, Cathal (East Londonderry) Girvan, Paul (South Antrim) O'Dowd, John (Upper Bann) Givan, Paul (Lagan Valley) O'Neill, Mrs Michelle (Mid Ulster) Hale, Mrs Brenda (Lagan Valley) Overend, Mrs Sandra (Mid Ulster) Hamilton, Simon (Strangford) Poots, Edwin (Lagan Valley) Hay, William (Speaker) Ramsey, Pat (Foyle) Hazzard, Chris (South Down) Ramsey, Ms Sue (West Belfast) Hilditch, David (East Antrim) Robinson, George (East Londonderry) Humphrey, William (North Belfast) Robinson, Peter (East Belfast) Hussey, Ross (West Tyrone) Rogers, Sean (South Down) Irwin, William (Newry and Armagh) Ross, Alastair (East Antrim) Kelly, Mrs Dolores (Upper Bann) Ruane, Ms Caitríona (South Down) Kelly, Gerry (North Belfast) Sheehan, Pat (West Belfast) Kennedy, Danny (Newry and Armagh) Spratt, Jimmy (South Belfast) Kinahan, Danny (South Antrim) Storey, Mervyn (North Antrim) Lo, Ms Anna (South Belfast) Swann, Robin (North Antrim) Lunn, Trevor (Lagan Valley) Weir, Peter (North Down) Lynch, Seán (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Wells, Jim (South Down) Lyttle, Chris (East Belfast) Wilson, Sammy (East Antrim) Northern Ireland Assembly Tuesday 11 June 2013 The Assembly met at 10.30 am (Mr Principal Deputy Speaker [Mr Mitchel McLaughlin] in the Chair). Members observed two minutes' silence. The Devine family know better than anyone Speaker's Business how vitally important it is that our children are protected against all types of meningitis and Public Petition: Meningitis B Vaccine septicaemia. Terri's sister Karen, her cousin Sarah-Jane Sweeney and Diane McConnell Mr Principal Deputy Speaker: Mr Jim Wells from the Meningitis Research Foundation has sought leave to present a public petition in travelled to 10 Downing Street last Thursday, accordance with Standing Order 22. The accompanied by MPs Michelle Gildernew and Member will have up to three minutes in which Pat Doherty. They delivered a petition to the to speak on the subject. Prime Minister. Mr Wells: The Devine family from Strabane is Meningitis and septicaemia affect around 3,600 here today and has presented me with its Time people in the UK and Ireland annually. for Terri petition, which calls on the United Meningitis B is responsible for the majority of Kingdom Government to introduce the new cases of this disease in the British Isles. The meningitis B vaccine. It is supported by disease can strike anyone, at any time, at any representatives of the charity, Meningitis age, killing one in 10 and leaving a quarter of survivors with life-altering effects, such as Research Foundation. deafness, brain damage and loss of limbs. On 21 December 2008, Marie and Sean Devine There is a newly licensed meningitis B vaccine. tragically lost their daughter Terri at the tender The Joint Committee on Vaccination and age of 16 to the ruthless disease meningitis B. Immunisation (JCVI) is expected to make its That was just days before Christmas and three recommendation on that tomorrow. The days after Terri first complained of flu-like Meningitis Research Foundation was among symptoms. the specialist organisations submitting data for consideration by the UK Government's JCVI, The Meningitis Research Foundation team in including the reported estimated lifetime cost for Belfast supported the family during that terrible someone seriously disabled by meningitis B, time. Family members threw themselves into which has been estimated to be as much as £3 raising money for the charity, generating million per patient. £60,000. The family also heard, through a Facebook page based in Cumbria, that names At last there is an opportunity to dramatically were being gathered for a petition to encourage reduce the devastating impact of meningitis B. the Government to introduce a vaccine for The Devine family supports the Meningitis meningitis B, which is the condition that Terri Research Foundation, and is urging the had, and that the vaccine was waiting for a Government to introduce the new meningitis B licence. The family has worked hard to gather vaccine as soon as possible. Any delay will signatures and is determined to put as much mean unnecessary deaths and children growing pressure as possible on decision-makers to up with disabilities and needlessly limited have the vaccine introduced as part of the opportunities to reach their full potential. routine vaccination programme. Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, I now present the The family cannot bring Terri back but can help petition to you on behalf of the Devine family, to save the lives of other children. The family hoping, as we all do, that we will be able to have achieved an amazing level of support: eradicate this terrible disease from our society. 22,100 people have signed the Time for Terri petition, which calls for the introduction of the Mr Wells moved forward and laid the petition on meningitis B vaccine as soon as possible to the Table. prevent more deaths and prevent children suffering serious after effects. 1 Tuesday 11 June 2013 Mr Principal Deputy Speaker: I will forward the petition to the Minister of Health, Social Ministerial Statements Services and Public Safety. I will also send a copy to the Chairperson of the Health Putting Pupils First: Reforming the Committee. Common Funding Scheme Mr O'Dowd (The Minister of Education): Le do chead, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle, ba mhian liom ráiteas a dhéanamh ar an 'Athbhreithniú Neamhspleách ar an Scéim Chomónta Maoinithe' a foilsíodh ag deireadh mhí Eanáir agus breac-chuntas a thabhairt ar conas atá sé beartaithe agam rudaí a thabhairt chun tosaigh. With your permission, I wish to make a statement on 'An Independent Review of the Common Funding Scheme', which was published at the end of January, and to outline how