Official Report (Hansard) Tuesday 2 February 2021 Volume 135, No 6 Session 2020-2021 Contents Assembly Business Ministerial Resignations and Appointments ...................................................................................... 1 Committee Business Committee Deputy Chairperson Appointment ................................................................................... 1 Matter of the Day Condemnation of Threats to Workers at Border Control Posts ......................................................... 2 Assembly Business Public Petition: Ballycastle to Ballymoney Greenway ....................................................................... 7 Ministerial Statement Alternative Awarding Arrangements for CCEA Qualifications in Summer 2021 ............................... 8 Executive Committee Business The Road Traffic Offenders (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Order 2020 ....................................... 20 Private Members' Business Functioning of Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill: Final Stage ......................................... 26 Oral Answers to Questions Infrastructure...................................................................................................................................... 29 Question for Urgent Oral Answer Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs ....................................................................................... 38 Private Members' Business Functioning of Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill: Final Stage (Continued) ..................... 45 Assembly Members Aiken, Steve (South Antrim) Irwin, William (Newry and Armagh) Allen, Andy (East Belfast) Kearney, Declan (South Antrim) Allister, Jim (North Antrim) Kelly, Mrs Dolores (Upper Bann) Anderson, Ms Martina (Foyle) Kelly, Gerry (North Belfast) Archibald, Dr Caoimhe (East Londonderry) Kimmins, Ms Liz (Newry and Armagh) Armstrong, Ms Kellie (Strangford) Long, Mrs Naomi (East Belfast) Bailey, Ms Clare (South Belfast) Lunn, Trevor (Lagan Valley) Barton, Mrs Rosemary (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Lynch, Seán (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Beattie, Doug (Upper Bann) Lyons, Gordon (East Antrim) Beggs, Roy (East Antrim) Lyttle, Chris (East Belfast) Blair, John (South Antrim) McAleer, Declan (West Tyrone) Boylan, Cathal (Newry and Armagh) McCann, Fra (West Belfast) Bradley, Maurice (East Londonderry) McCrossan, Daniel (West Tyrone) Bradley, Ms Paula (North Belfast) McGlone, Patsy (Mid Ulster) Bradley, Ms Sinéad (South Down) McGrath, Colin (South Down) Bradshaw, Ms Paula (South Belfast) McGuigan, Philip (North Antrim) Brogan, Ms Nicola (West Tyrone) McHugh, Maolíosa (West Tyrone) Buchanan, Keith (Mid Ulster) McIlveen, Miss Michelle (Strangford) Buchanan, Thomas (West Tyrone) McLaughlin, Ms Sinead (Foyle) Buckley, Jonathan (Upper Bann) McNulty, Justin (Newry and Armagh) Bunting, Ms Joanne (East Belfast) Mallon, Ms Nichola (North Belfast) Butler, Robbie (Lagan Valley) Maskey, Alex (Speaker) Cameron, Mrs Pam (South Antrim) Middleton, Gary (Foyle) Carroll, Gerry (West Belfast) Muir, Andrew (North Down) Catney, Pat (Lagan Valley) Mullan, Ms Karen (Foyle) Chambers, Alan (North Down) Murphy, Conor (Newry and Armagh) Clarke, Trevor (South Antrim) Nesbitt, Mike (Strangford) Dickson, Stewart (East Antrim) Newton, Robin (East Belfast) Dillon, Ms Linda (Mid Ulster) Ní Chuilín, Ms Carál (North Belfast) Dodds, Mrs Diane (Upper Bann) O'Dowd, John (Upper Bann) Dolan, Ms Jemma (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) O'Neill, Mrs Michelle (Mid Ulster) Dunne, Gordon (North Down) O'Toole, Matthew (South Belfast) Durkan, Mark (Foyle) Poots, Edwin (Lagan Valley) Easton, Alex (North Down) Robinson, George (East Londonderry) Ennis, Ms Sinéad (South Down) Rogan, Ms Emma (South Down) Flynn, Ms Órlaithí (West Belfast) Sheehan, Pat (West Belfast) Foster, Mrs Arlene (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Sheerin, Ms Emma (Mid Ulster) Frew, Paul (North Antrim) Stalford, Christopher (South Belfast) Gildernew, Colm (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Stewart, John (East Antrim) Givan, Paul (Lagan Valley) Storey, Mervyn (North Antrim) Hargey, Ms Deirdre (South Belfast) Sugden, Ms Claire (East Londonderry) Harvey, Harry (Strangford) Swann, Robin (North Antrim) Hilditch, David (East Antrim) Weir, Peter (Strangford) Humphrey, William (North Belfast) Wells, Jim (South Down) Hunter, Ms Cara (East Londonderry) Woods, Miss Rachel (North Down) Northern Ireland Assembly Tuesday 2 February 2021 The Assembly met at 10.30 am (Mr Speaker in the Chair). Members observed two minutes' silence. Assembly Business Committee Business Ministerial Resignations and Committee Deputy Chairperson Appointments Appointment Mr Speaker: I have received notification from Mr Speaker: I have been notified that Ms Karen the First Minister and deputy First Minister that, Mullan has resigned as Deputy Chairperson of at midnight on 1 February, Mr Edwin Poots the Committee for Education with immediate resigned the office of Minister of Agriculture, effect. At the same time, I received notification Environment and Rural Affairs and Mr Gordon from the nominating officer for Sinn Féin that Mr Lyons resigned the office of junior Minister. I Pat Sheehan has been nominated to fill the have also been informed by the nominating vacancy of Deputy Chairperson of the officer for the Democratic Unionist Party that Mr Committee for Education, also with immediate Gordon Lyons has been nominated as Minister effect. I am satisfied that the requirements of of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. Standing Orders have been met. Mr Lyons accepted the nomination and affirmed the Pledge of Office in my presence and that of the Clerk/Chief Executive this morning, Tuesday 2 February 2021. I also received correspondence from the First Minister and deputy First Minister that Mr Gary Middleton has been appointed to the office of junior Minister. Mr Middleton accepted the nomination and affirmed the Pledge of Office in my presence and that of the Clerk/Chief Executive today, Tuesday 2 February 2021. I am satisfied, therefore, that the requirements of Standing Orders have been met. I take this opportunity to wish our colleague Edwin Poots a very speedy recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are with Edwin and his family at this time. 1 Tuesday 2 February 2021 about their daily duties in delivering for us in Matter of the Day Northern Ireland. The last thing that we want to do in the Brexit debate is add further barriers. Condemnation of Threats to Workers My appeal today is that we have a calm and at Border Control Posts rationale discussion and work to ensure that all those employees can return to work as soon as Mr Speaker: Mr Stewart Dickson has been possible. given leave to make a statement to condemn threats to workers at border control posts, Mr Irwin: First, I offer my best wishes and which fulfils the criteria set out in Standing prayerful support to my good friend and Order 24. If other Members wish to be called to colleague Edwin Poots, as he takes what, I speak, they should rise in their places and hope and trust, will be a short break from continue to do so. ministerial duties to undergo emergency surgery. I also pass on the good wishes of All Members will have up to three minutes to many of my constituents who have enquired speak on the subject. I remind Members that I about his health in recent weeks. will not take points of order on this or any other matter until the item of business has finished. On the Matter of the Day, the threats to staff at Larne port must be condemned. I ask those Mr Dickson: Thank you very much, Mr behind that sinister activity to desist Speaker, for the opportunity to speak this immediately. People going about their daily morning. Before I commence on the Matter of work should not have to face such sinister the Day, I want to add to your words about attention. I support the council decision to former Minister Poots and to wish him well on remove staff from those positions, given the the difficult health journey ahead of him, some real and obvious safety concerns. I understand of the aspects of which I am personally all too that it was a unanimous decision taken by the entire council. I was contacted on Saturday by aware of. the PSNI on the back of social media We will all be aware of the news today and, misinformation and a veiled threat against me. indeed, over the last week about the That, too, is unacceptable and amounts to an unacceptable threats made against staff at the attack on the democratic process and politics. port of Larne. The matter escalated yesterday, when Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, All that being said, there is also an important together with the Department, had to take and very real issue in the unionist community at action to withdraw environmental health and this time, and that is the absolute rejection of DAERA staff from the port of Larne and the port the Northern Ireland protocol. The protocol is of Belfast. First and foremost, my concern is for viewed in the unionist community as completely the staff, who have been placed under that negative and distasteful. Sadly, as we know totally and utterly unacceptable threat. What we from many years of troubled history in Northern need to do today is ensure that a calm Ireland, there are those at the fringes of the atmosphere is created so that the council, community who will use those opportunities to DAERA, the PSNI and all those involved in the flex their muscles. That is the sad reality of safety and security of the staff can work these circumstances. I urge unionism to unite together on the