Official Report (Hansard) Tuesday 25 September 2012 Volume 77, No 6 Session 2012-2013 Contents Ministerial Statement British-Irish Council: Environment ..................................................................................................... 1 Committee Business Paediatric Congenital Cardiac Services ............................................................................................ 8 Oral Answers to Questions Education ........................................................................................................................................... 25 Employment and Learning ................................................................................................................. 31 Private Members' Business Civil Service (Special Advisers) Bill: Second Stage .......................................................................... 37 Adjournment Craigantlet Hills: Roundabout and Dual Carriageway ....................................................................... 65 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 25 September 2012 The Assembly met at 10.30 am (Mr Speaker in the Chair). Members observed two minutes' silence. Agriculture. The UK Government were Ministerial Statement represented by Jeremy Eppel, the deputy director for international biodiversity and British-Irish Council: Environment evidence in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Mr Attwood (The Minister of the Environment): In compliance with the As the junior Minister would confirm, the requirements of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, I meeting focused on biodiversity and covered wish to make the following report on the twelfth strategies, awareness campaigns, the British-Irish Council (BIC) meeting in management of invasive species, ecosystems environment sectoral format, which was held in approach, public engagement and strategies Vogrie Country Park, Midlothian, Scotland on used to monitor and survey habitats and Friday 7 September 2012. The Northern species. Ireland Executive were represented by me and Jonathan Bell MLA, junior Minister in the Office Prior to the meeting, Ministers took part in a of the First Minister and deputy First Minister. BioBlitz with local schoolchildren to gather This report has been endorsed by junior information and boost records of species in Minister Bell, and he has agreed that I should Vogrie park. In Northern Ireland, 80% of our make the statement on behalf of both of us. schools are members of the Eco-Schools project, and, indeed, I hope to make some The meeting was part of an ongoing series of announcements in respect of that project in the meetings in the British-Irish Council since the near future. That project and BioBlitz are ways first summit of 17 December 1999, which of embedding an appreciation of biodiversity, identified the environment as one of the issues ecosystems and the environment in general in for discussion. The Scottish Government were the education of our young children. Although it represented by Paul Wheelhouse MSP, might have been a bit awkward for five or six Minister for Environment and Climate Change. Ministers to run around a forest with 20 or 30 It was, in fact, his first meeting on his second children, it was very instructive to their day as Minister for Environment and Climate understanding of habitats and species. Change, having replaced Stewart Stevenson, who is a really dynamic person. When I met Ministers discussed the development of Stewart Stevenson, my view was that he was biodiversity policy and delivery mechanisms for the modern-day incarnation of Braveheart. He dealing with invasive species across member has been a member of the Scottish National Administrations. Ministers also noted the Party since the 1960s; God knows there were opportunity to share the outcome of current very few members of the nationalist party back pilots that look at practical tools and resources then. Paul Wheelhouse also chaired the for the delivery of ecosystem services on the meeting. The Irish Government were basis of the findings of the UK National represented by Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister Ecosystem Assessment. The issue of for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. The ecosystems is a bit abstract, but we should Welsh Government were represented by John think about the wildfires in peatland areas last Griffiths AM, Minister for Environment and year, which affected 8% of our peatland in the Sustainable Development. The States of North. It cost the Fire Service £8 million to Jersey were represented by Deputy Robert manage those fires in the space of a dozen or Duhamel, Minister for Planning and so days, never mind the interference with Environment. The States of Guernsey were recreation and the damage that was done to represented by Roger Domaille, Minister for the biodiversity and farming interests. That Environment Department. The Isle of Man conveys what ecosystems are about. If you Government were represented by Phil Gawne maintain that peatland, you can mitigate those MHK, Minister for Environment, Food and 1 Tuesday 25 September 2012 risks. In that way, what is somewhat obscure Ministers agreed that the next ministerial can become very real. meeting would be hosted by the Isle of Man Government and that the theme of that meeting Ministers welcomed the news that, as a result would be sustainable consumption and of the British-Irish Council, the Joint Nature production; for example, marine spatial Conservation Committee will enhance the planning. Bearing in mind the Marine Bill that is existing network to allow the Channel Islands to about to come before the Assembly for share their monitoring and surveillance data consideration and the fact that we are with the wider society through the National somewhat behind the curve when it comes to Biodiversity Network Gateway. They also marine spatial planning, the gathering in the Isle welcomed the fact that that