OFFICIAL REPORT (Hansard) Vol u m e 6 (7 September 2000 to 27 October 2000) BELFAST: THE STATIONERY OFFICE LTD £90.00 © Copyright The Assembly Commission. Produced and published in Northern Ireland on behalf of the Northern Ireland Assembly by the The Stationery Office Ltd, which is responsible for printing and publishing Northern Ireland Assembly publications. ISBN 0 339 80004 6 Volume 6 (7 September 2000 to 27 October 2000) ASSEMBLY MEMBERS (A = Alliance Party; NIWC = Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition; PUP = Progressive Unionist Party; SDLP = Social Democratic and Labour Party; SF = Sinn Fein; DUP = Ulster Democratic Unionist Party; UKUP = United Kingdom Unionist Party; UUP = Ulster Unionist Party; UUAP = United Unionist Assembly Party; NIUP = Northern Ireland Unionist Party) Adams, Gerry (SF) (West Belfast) Kelly, John (SF) (Mid Ulster) Adamson, Dr Ian (UUP) (East Belfast) Kennedy, Danny (UUP) (Newry and Armagh) Agnew, Fraser (UUAP) (North Belfast) Leslie, James (UUP) (North Antrim) Alderdice, The Lord (Speaker) Lewsley, Ms Patricia (SDLP) (Lagan Valley) Armitage, Ms Pauline (UUP) (East Londonderry) Maginness, Alban (SDLP) (North Belfast) Armstrong, Billy (UUP) (Mid Ulster) Mallon, Séamus (SDLP) (Newry and Armagh) Attwood, Alex (SDLP) (West Belfast) Maskey, Alex (SF) (West Belfast) Beggs, Roy (UUP) (East Antrim) McCarthy, Kieran (A) (Strangford) Bell, Billy (UUP) (Lagan Valley) McCartney, Robert (UKUP) (North Down) Bell, Mrs Eileen (A) (North Down) McClarty, David (UUP) (East Londonderry) Benson, Tom (UUP) (Strangford) McCrea, Rev Dr William (DUP) (Mid Ulster) Berry, Paul (DUP) (Newry and Armagh) McClelland, Donovan (SDLP) (South Antrim) Birnie, Dr Esmond (UUP) (South Belfast) McDonnell, Dr Alasdair (SDLP) (South Belfast) Boyd, Norman (NIUP) (South Antrim) McElduff, Barry (SF) (West Tyrone) Bradley,PJ(SDLP) (South Down) McFarland, Alan (UUP) (North Down) Byrne, Joe (SDLP) (West Tyrone) McGimpsey, Michael (UUP) (South Belfast) Campbell, Gregory (DUP) (East Londonderry) McGrady, Eddie (SDLP) (South Down) Carrick, Mervyn (DUP) (Upper Bann) McGuinness, Martin (SF) (Mid Ulster) Carson, Mrs Joan (UUP) (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) McHugh, Gerry (SF) (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Close, Seamus (A) (Lagan Valley) McLaughlin, Mitchel (SF) (Foyle) Clyde, Wilson (DUP) (South Antrim) McMenamin, Eugene (SDLP) (West Tyrone) Cobain, Fred (UUP) (North Belfast) McNamee, Pat (SF) (Newry and Armagh) Coulter, Rev Robert (UUP) (North Antrim) McWilliams, Ms Monica (NIWC) (South Belfast) Dallat, John (SDLP) (East Londonderry) Molloy, Francie (SF) (Mid Ulster) Dalton, Duncan Shipley (UUP) (South Antrim) Murphy, Conor (SF) (Newry and Armagh) Davis, Ivan (UUP) (Lagan Valley) Murphy, Mick (SF) (South Down) de Brún, Ms Bairbre (SF) (West Belfast) Morrice, Ms Jane (NIWC) (North Down) Dodds, Nigel (DUP) (North Belfast) Morrow, Maurice (DUP) (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Doherty, Arthur (SDLP) (East Londonderry) Neeson, Sean (A) (East Antrim) Doherty, Pat (SF) (West Tyrone) Nelis, Mrs Mary (SF) (Foyle) Douglas, Boyd (UUAP) (East Londonderry) Nesbitt, Dermot (UUP) (South Down) Durkan, Mark (SDLP) (Foyle) O’Connor, Danny (SDLP) (East Antrim) Empey, Sir Reg (UUP) (East Belfast) O’Hagan, Dr Dara (SF) (Upper Bann) Ervine, David (PUP) (East Belfast) ONeill, Éamonn (SDLP) (South Down) Farren, Dr Seán (SDLP) (North Antrim) Paisley, Rev Dr Ian (DUP) (North Antrim) Fee, John (SDLP) (Newry and Armagh) Paisley, Ian Jnr (DUP) (North Antrim) Ford, David (A) (South Antrim) Poots, Edwin (DUP) (Lagan Valley) Foster, Sam (UUP) (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Ramsey, Ms Sue (SF) (West Belfast) Gallagher, Tommy (SDLP) (Fermanagh and South Robinson, Mrs Iris (DUP) (Strangford) Tyrone) Robinson, Ken (UUP) (East Antrim) Gibson, Oliver (DUP) (West Tyrone) Robinson, Mark (DUP) (South Belfast) Gildernew, Ms Michelle (SF) (Fermanagh and South Robinson, Peter (DUP) (East Belfast) Tyrone) Roche, Patrick (NIUP) (Lagan Valley) Gorman, Sir John (UUP) (North Down) Rodgers, Ms Bríd (SDLP) (Upper Bann) Hanna, Ms Carmel (SDLP) (South Belfast) Savage, George (UUP) (Upper Bann) Haughey, Denis (SDLP) (Mid Ulster) Shannon, Jim (DUP) (Strangford) Hay, William (DUP) (Foyle) Taylor, Rt Hon John (UUP) (Strangford) Hendron, Dr Joe (SDLP) (West Belfast) Tierney, John (SDLP) (Foyle) Hilditch, David (DUP) (East Antrim) Trimble, Rt Hon David (UUP) (Upper Bann) Hume, John (SDLP) (Foyle) Watson, Denis (UUAP) (Upper Bann) Hussey, Derek (UUP) (West Tyrone) Weir, Peter (UUP) (North Down) Hutchinson, Billy (PUP) (North Belfast) Wells, Jim (DUP) (South Down) Hutchinson, Roger (Independent Unionist) (East Antrim) Wilson, Cedric (NIUP) (Strangford) Kane, Gardiner (DUP) (North Antrim) Wilson, Jim (UUP) (South Antrim) Kelly, Gerry (SF) (North Belfast) Wilson, Sammy (DUP) (East Belfast) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE ASSEMBLY First Minister The Rt Hon David Trimble MP Deputy First Minister Séamus Mallon MP Minister of Agriculture and Rural Ms Bríd Rodgers Development Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure Michael McGimpsey Minister of Education Martin McGuinness MP Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Sir Reg Empey Development Minister of the Environment Sam Foster Minister of Finance and Personnel Mark Durkin Minister of Health, Social Services MsBairbredeBrún and Public Safety Minister of Higher and Further Dr Seán Farren Education, Training and Employment Minister for Regional Development Gregory Campbell Minister for Social Development Maurice Morrow JUNIOR MINISTERS OF THE ASSEMBLY Office of the First Minister and the Deputy Denis Haughey First Minister Dermot Nesbitt PRINCIPAL OFFICERS AND OFFICIALS OF THE ASSEMBLY Speaker The Lord Alderdice Deputy Speakers Sir John Gorman Donovan McClelland Ms Jane Morrice Office of the Speaker Private Secretary Ms Georgina Campbell Special Adviser Niall Johnston Counsel Nicolas Hanna QC Clerk to the Assembly Commission Tom Evans and the House Committee Board of Management Clerk to the Assembly Vacant Deputy Clerk Vacant Head of Administration Gerry Cosgrave Clerk Assistant Murray Barnes Editor of Debates Alex Elder Keeper of the House Peter Waddell Director of Research and Allan Black Information Director of Finance and Dennis Millar Personnel Clerk of Bills Alan Patterson Clerk of Business Joe Reynolds Clerk of Committees John Torney Clerks Ms Gillian Ardis George Martin Dr Andrew Peoples Mrs Debbie Pritchard Michael Rickard Alan Rogers Mrs Eileen Sung Mrs Cathy White Martin Wilson Head of Research Vacant Head of Information and Events Ms Gail McKibbin Principal Doorkeeper (Acting) Stephen Scott NORTHERN IRELAND free. Getting the hostages out without further bloodshed ASSEMBLY is something of which the British Army can be proud. Monday 11 September 2000 LEGISLATION PROGRAMME The First Minister (Mr Trimble): With permission, The Assembly met at 10.30 am (Mr Speaker in the Mr Speaker, the Deputy First Minister and I will make a Chair). statement about the legislative priorities of the Members observed two minutes’silence. Executive Committee for the Assembly session from September 2000 until July 2001. In making this statement we will have to be sketchy about the content of some of the measures, but we feel that it is desirable to give Members as much notice as possible about the APPOINTMENT OF MINISTERS subjects that are likely to come forward over the course of this session. Mr Speaker: I wish to inform the House that I should like to begin by updating the legislative Mr Gregory Campbell has been appointed Minister for proposals announced in the Assembly on 31 January. At Regional Development on the resignation of Mr Peter that time we set out a programme of some 12 Bills to be Robinson MP, and that Mr Maurice Morrow has been introduced in the initial session, with a further six being appointed Minister for Social Development on the brought forward later. Of the initial 12 items of primary resignation of Mr Nigel Dodds. These appointments legislation announced, three have been made. These were made under the provisions of section 18 of the Equality (Disability etc.) Order and an Appropriation Northern Ireland Act 1998 and became effective on 27 Order, both of which were made by Order in Council at July 2000. Westminster during the suspension of the Assembly, having been initiated here. The third was an Appropriation Bill which, as Members will know, was made by Assembly Bill before the summer recess and received ASSEMBLY: Royal Assent on 25 July. A further four Bills were COMMITTEE OF THE CENTRE introduced to the Assembly in June, namely the Ground (CHAIRMANSHIP) Rents Bill, a Weights and Measures Bill, a Dogs (Amendment) Bill and a Fisheries Bill. These are now at various stages of the Assembly process, and approval Mr Speaker: I further inform the House that was given by the Assembly on 3 July to carry them Mr Edwin Poots has been appointed Chairman of the forward into the new session. Committee of the Centre. Of the five remaining Bills announced in the initial programme, two represent parity measures, and their timing was dependent on the progress of corresponding ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT: Bills before Parliament at Westminster. These are a SIERRA LEONE HOSTAGES Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Bill and a Health and Personal Social Services Bill. The Great Britain legislation was completed on 28 July, after the Rev Dr Ian Paisley: As the House is aware, the Assembly recess, and both Northern Ireland Bills are headquarters of the Royal Irish Regiment is in the North now being finalised for introduction at the end of this Antrim constituency. I am sure that the residents