Official Report (Hansard) Tuesday 15 January 2013 Volume 80, No 6 Session 2012-2013 Contents Assembly Busines s……………………………………………………………………………………….. 1 Private Members' Business Inclusivity, Mutual Respect, Peace and Democracy ......................................................................... 2 Housing: Private Rented Sector Licensing Scheme.......................................................................... 23 Oral Answers to Questions Health, Social Services and Public Safety ........................................................................................ 24 Justice ................................................................................................................................................ 30 Assembly Business ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 37 Private Members' Business Housing: Private Rented Sector Licensing Scheme (Continued)...................................................... 38 Adjournment Car Parking: Newry…………………………………………………………………………………………. 45 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) Molloy, Francie (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 15 January 2013 The Assembly met at 10.30 am (Mr Speaker in the Chair). Members observed two minutes' silence. has been said in the House, and he has Assembly Business misquoted the Member. Mr Givan: On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker: Order. I want to say to the whole Will you advise the House what action can be House — [Interruption.] Order. Let us all be taken against a Member who breaches the careful in whatever contribution we make in the code of conduct? In particular, I refer to the House. Let us not make a bad situation outside personal conduct of Members who have: the Chamber worse. Let us all be careful. We all have a responsibility, as political parties in "a duty to uphold the law and to act on all the House, to behave in an appropriate manner. occasions in accordance with the public [Interruption.] Order. Let us all move on. trust placed in them." Furthermore, in respect of promoting good relations, Members must: "act in a way that is conducive to promoting good relations...and promoting a culture of respect for the law." Specifically, the Member for South Belfast Mr Maskey said on Sunday that Short Strand residents were behaving impeccably, despite evidence of residents wearing balaclavas, wielding baseball bats and throwing bricks and bottles at the protesters. Furthermore, last night and this morning, he said on various media outlets that his response to the violence visited on members of the Short Strand community, which is to be condemned, would be to meet it with violence. In those circumstances, what action can be taken against a Member who has flouted the code of conduct for Members? Mr Speaker: First, Members will know that I give them some latitude on points of order. Secondly, this is not a point of order. Thirdly, it is not an issue for the Speaker. I direct the Member to the Standards and Privileges Committee or to Clerks in Parliament Buildings. It is certainly not a matter for the Speaker, and it is not a point of order. Mr G Kelly: Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker, is it in order for the Member across the Floor to misquote another Member in the House? Whatever happened outside the House, as you have pointed out, Mr Speaker, is not necessarily anything to do with you. This 1 Tuesday 15 January 2013 of the objective of the Belfast Agreement to Private Members' Business bring about a political process that would offer peace. That was because, for far too long, far Inclusivity, Mutual Respect, Peace and too many journalists stood at the white tape, Democracy waiting to tell the world the name of the man who had been murdered or whose jobs had Mr Speaker: The Business Committee has been bombed out of existence. I could not tell agreed to allow up to one hour and 30 minutes you how many deaths I reported while for the debate. The proposer of the motion will presenting 'Good Morning Ulster' in the 1980s. have 10 minutes in which to propose and 10 Sometimes, that took me deep into the human minutes in which to make a winding-up speech. cost of the Troubles through reporting the One amendment has been selected and impact of a murder by talking to a priest, a published on the Marshalled List. The proposer minister, a neighbour or colleague, perhaps a of the amendment will have 10 minutes in which close relative who knew the deceased as a son, to propose and five minutes in which to make a a father, a husband and a relative. Such winding-up speech. All other Members who people spoke from the heart about the human wish to speak will have five minutes. cost. I would also like to inform the House that a valid On other days, only politicians were available, petition of concern was presented today in and it seemed to me that they simply blamed relation to the amendment. Under Standing each other. Some mornings, it was as if the Order 28, the vote on the amendment cannot politicians had forgotten that there was a body be taken today. Both votes, therefore, will be in the morgue, such was the bitterness of the taken at the start of business on Monday. mud-slinging. It seems to me that we are back However, the debate can take place in the there again: mud-slinging. It was the leaflets. It Chamber today. I also remind Members that was the vote. It was a democratic vote. It was another effect of the petition is that the vote on pure provocation. This debate is an opportunity the amendment will be on a cross-community to call "Time out" on that and to reflect. The basis. leaflets have been distributed. The vote has been taken. The consequences reveal that there are problems that we all have to deal with. Mr Nesbitt: I beg to move Fifteen years ago, I reported the promise of the That this Assembly reaffirms its commitment to Belfast Agreement, a promise that better times the principles of inclusivity, mutual respect, lay ahead: better times and better politics, as peace and