Official Report (Hansard) Monday 14 September 2015 Volume 107, No 3 Session 2015-2016 Contents Assembly Business……………………………………………………………………………………….. 1 Ministerial Resignations: Mr Jonathan Bell, Mr Simon Hamilton, Miss Michelle McIlveen and Mr Mervyn Storey.................................................................................................................................... 1 Committee Deputy Chairperson Appointments ................................................................................. 1 Matter of the Day Future of the Northern Ireland Political Institutions ........................................................................... 1 Assembly Business Committee Membership .................................................................................................................... 7 Ministerial Statement Dairy Sector: Action to Address the Current Crisis .......................................................................... 7 Private Members' Business Civil Service (Special Advisers) (Amendment) Bill: First Stage ........................................................ 16 Multiple Deprivation Indicators .......................................................................................................... 16 Oral Answers to Questions Agriculture and Rural Development .................................................................................................. 23 Culture, Arts and Leisure ................................................................................................................... 32 Private Members' Business Childcare ............................................................................................................................................ 42 Assembly Members Agnew, Steven (North Down) 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) McElduff, Barry (West Tyrone) Bradley, Ms Paula (North Belfast) McGahan, Ms Bronwyn (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Buchanan, Thomas (West Tyrone) McGimpsey, Michael (South Belfast) Byrne, Joe (West Tyrone) McGlone, Patsy (Mid Ulster) Cameron, Mrs Pam (South Antrim) McGuinness, Martin (Mid Ulster) Campbell, Gregory (East Londonderry) McIlveen, David (North Antrim) Clarke, Trevor (South Antrim) McIlveen, Miss Michelle (Strangford) Cochrane, Mrs Judith (East Belfast) McKay, Daithí (North Antrim) Cochrane-Watson, Adrian (South Antrim) McKevitt, Mrs Karen (South Down) Craig, Jonathan (Lagan Valley) McKinney, Fearghal (South Belfast) Cree, Leslie (North Down) McLaughlin, Ms Maeve (Foyle) Dallat, John (East Londonderry) McLaughlin, Mitchel (Speaker) Dickson, Stewart (East Antrim) McMullan, Oliver (East Antrim) Dobson, Mrs Jo-Anne (Upper Bann) McNarry, David (Strangford) Douglas, Sammy (East Belfast) McQuillan, Adrian (East Londonderry) Dunne, Gordon (North Down) Maginness, Alban (North Belfast) Durkan, Mark (Foyle) Maskey, Alex (West Belfast) Easton, Alex (North Down) Middleton, Gary (Foyle) Eastwood, Colum (Foyle) Milne, Ian (Mid Ulster) Farry, Stephen (North Down) Morrow, The Lord (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Fearon, Ms Megan (Newry and Armagh) Moutray, Stephen (Upper Bann) Flanagan, Phil (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Murphy, Conor (Newry and Armagh) 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) Ó Muilleoir, Máirtín (South Belfast) 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) Hanna, Ms Claire (South Belfast) Poots, Edwin (Lagan Valley) Hazzard, Chris (South Down) Ramsey, Pat (Foyle) Hilditch, David (East Antrim) Robinson, George (East Londonderry) Humphrey, William (North Belfast) Robinson, Peter (East Belfast) Hussey, Ross (West Tyrone) Rogers, Seán (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) Somerville, Neil (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Lo, Ms Anna (South Belfast) Spratt, Jimmy (South Belfast) 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) McCallister, John (South Down) Northern Ireland Assembly Monday 14 September 2015 The Assembly met at 12.00 noon (Mr Speaker in the Chair). Members observed two minutes' silence. Development, with effect from 8 September Assembly Business 2015 and that Mr Conor Murphy has been appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Mr Speaker: Before we proceed, I Committee for Enterprise, Trade and acknowledge that I am sure there is a full range Investment, with effect from 10 September of concerns and questions from all sides of the 2015. I am satisfied that the requirements of House about the current situation. I understand Standing Orders have been met. that, and I have allowed a Matter of the Day from Ms Sugden this afternoon to allow the House a brief opportunity to express views on Matter of the Day the current situation. My role is to oversee our procedures and to ensure we carry out our Future of the Northern Ireland business as best we can until we get to easier times. That includes upholding the standards of Political Institutions respect and courtesy in debate, which I reminded Members about last week. Mr Speaker: The first item in the Order Paper Heightened temperatures in the Chamber are is a motion regarding Committee membership. not going to produce any greater clarity or bring As with other similar motions, it will be treated a resolution. Ultimately, these are issues that as a business motion, and there will be no are going to be resolved only in cross-party debate. talks, and that is a place where I encourage Members and parties to engage. I apologise to Ms Sugden. The Matter of the Day is not in my electronic copy, but, as I announced earlier, you have been given leave Ministerial Resignations: Mr to make a statement on the future of the Jonathan Bell, Mr Simon Hamilton, Northern Ireland political institutions, which Miss Michelle McIlveen and Mr fulfils the criteria set out in Standing Order 24. Mervyn Storey If other Members wish to be called, they should do so by rising in their places and continuing to Mr Speaker: Can I make some announcements do so. All Members called will have up to three about developments before we proceed to the minutes to speak on the subject. I remind organised agenda for today? I advise the Members that I will not take any points of order House that I have received notification of the on this, or any other matter, until this item of resignations of Mr Jonathan Bell as Minister of business has been finished. Enterprise, Trade and Investment; Mr Simon Hamilton as Minister of Health, Social Services Ms Sugden: Mr Speaker, thank you for the and Public Safety; Miss Michelle McIlveen as opportunity to speak on this matter. I will begin junior Minister; and Mr Mervyn Storey as by saying how privileged I feel to stand here Minister for Social Development. Their and represent East Londonderry in the Northern resignations took effect from Thursday 10 Ireland Assembly. Whilst we find ourselves in September 2015. exceptional circumstances, I will continue to do the job that I was entrusted with while I can. Committee Deputy Chairperson The 100,000 constituents I work for expect me to represent them in the House. Appointments This house of cards is falling, and good will Mr Speaker: I also advise the House that the come of that only if the jokers at the top come nominating officer of Sinn Féin has informed me crashing down too and do not get up again. I that Mr Fra McCann has been appointed am concerned because we have much to lose, Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Social not just in the message that Northern Ireland 1 Monday 14 September 2015 has failed but with the prospect of being Mr Speaker: Will the Member bring her governed by people who do not know us, who remarks to a close? are, understandably, quite fed up with us and who will not fight for the people or sell our Ms Sugden: So for the good of the people you country for the potential that it has as we can. claim to represent, move on — step aside, if you will — and encourage young politicians like The events that unfolded on Thursday make me Gary Middleton, Steven Agnew, Chris Lyttle, very sad. My constituent Mr Watton — I know Claire Hanna, Megan Fearon, Sandra Overend that he will not mind me saying his name — has and me to be the future of Northern Ireland and been waiting for a disabled parking bay for over these institutions. six months. Mr Watton is very ill. It takes all his strength to walk several feet, and he is certainly Mr Speaker: Thank you. The