Official Report (Hansard) Tuesday 2 June 2020 Volume 128, No 7 Session 2019-2020 Contents Executive Committee Business The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020...................................................................................................................................... 1 The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020...................................................................................................................................... 18 Sentencing (Pre-consolidation Amendments) Bill: Legislative Consent Motion ................................ 18 Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill: Legislative Consent Motion ......................................... 21 Budget (No. 2) Bill: Further Consideration Stage .............................................................................. 26 Budget (No. 2) Bill: Final Stage ......................................................................................................... 26 Committee Business Domestic Abuse and Family Proceedings Bill: Extension of Committee Stage ................................ 39 Private Members' Business EU Withdrawal Transition Period: Extension ..................................................................................... 41 Abortion Legislation: Non-fatal Disabilities ........................................................................................ 61 Assembly Members Aiken, Steve (South Antrim) Kearney, Declan (South Antrim) Allen, Andy (East Belfast) Kelly, Ms Catherine (West Tyrone) 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) Buchanan, Keith (Mid Ulster) McHugh, Maolíosa (West Tyrone) Buchanan, Thomas (West Tyrone) McIlveen, Miss Michelle (Strangford) Buckley, Jonathan (Upper Bann) McLaughlin, Ms Sinead (Foyle) Bunting, Ms Joanne (East Belfast) McNulty, Justin (Newry and Armagh) Butler, Robbie (Lagan Valley) Mallon, Ms Nichola (North Belfast) Cameron, Mrs Pam (South Antrim) Maskey, Alex (Speaker) Carroll, Gerry (West Belfast) Middleton, Gary (Foyle) Catney, Pat (Lagan Valley) Muir, Andrew (North Down) Chambers, Alan (North Down) Mullan, Ms Karen (Foyle) Clarke, Trevor (South Antrim) Murphy, Conor (Newry and Armagh) Dickson, Stewart (East Antrim) Nesbitt, Mike (Strangford) Dillon, Ms Linda (Mid Ulster) Newton, Robin (East Belfast) Dodds, Mrs Diane (Upper Bann) Ní Chuilín, Ms Carál (North Belfast) Dolan, Ms Jemma (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) O'Dowd, John (Upper Bann) Dunne, Gordon (North Down) O'Neill, Mrs Michelle (Mid Ulster) Durkan, Mark (Foyle) O'Toole, Matthew (South Belfast) Easton, Alex (North Down) Poots, Edwin (Lagan Valley) Ennis, Ms Sinéad (South Down) Robinson, George (East Londonderry) Flynn, Ms Órlaithí (West Belfast) Rogan, Ms Emma (South Down) Foster, Mrs Arlene (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Sheehan, Pat (West Belfast) Frew, Paul (North Antrim) Sheerin, Ms Emma (Mid Ulster) Gildernew, Colm (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Stalford, Christopher (South Belfast) Givan, Paul (Lagan Valley) Stewart, John (East Antrim) Hargey, Ms Deirdre (South Belfast) Storey, Mervyn (North Antrim) Harvey, Harry (Strangford) Sugden, Ms Claire (East Londonderry) Hilditch, David (East Antrim) Swann, Robin (North Antrim) Humphrey, William (North Belfast) Weir, Peter (Strangford) Hunter, Ms Cara (East Londonderry) Wells, Jim (South Down) Irwin, William (Newry and Armagh) Woods, Miss Rachel (North Down) Northern Ireland Assembly Tuesday 2 June 2020 The Assembly met at 10.30 am (Mr Principal Deputy Speaker [Mr Stalford] in the Chair). Members observed two minutes' silence. our health service, we are in a position to bring Executive Committee further relaxations to the Assembly this Business morning. I want to turn to the two motions before us The Health Protection (Coronavirus, today, which are that the Health Protection Restrictions) (Amendment No. 2) (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020. Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 and the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Mr Principal Deputy Speaker: Members, the (Amendment No. 3) Regulations (Northern next two motions are to approve statutory rules Ireland) 2020 be approved. relating to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Members will recall the proceedings on 21 April, Restrictions) regulations. There will be a single when the Assembly considered and approved debate on both motions. I will ask the Clerk to the original regulations that had been made read the first motion and I will then call on the using emergency provisions in the primary Minister to move it. The Minister will commence legislation. They had been made and came into the debate on both motions. When all who wish operation on 28 March in the knowledge that to speak have done so, I will put the Question Assembly scrutiny would follow. The content of on the first motion. The second motion will then the original regulations is something with which be read into the record and I will call on the we are all now very familiar. They contain Minister to move it. The Question will then be restrictive measures, and the Department of put on that motion. If that is clear, we will Health has a responsibility, and is required, to proceed. keep them under constant review so that they are retained for no longer than is absolutely Mr Lyons (Junior Minister, The Executive necessary. Office): I beg to move The regulations have built-in protections to ensure that there are frequent and robust That the Health Protection (Coronavirus, reviews of the measures. Regulation 2(2) Restrictions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations requires that the restrictions and requirements (Northern Ireland) 2020 be approved. are reviewed at least once every 21 days, and regulation 2(3) requires that any restrictions or Mr Principal Deputy Speaker: Thank you. The requirements must be terminated as soon as Business Committee has agreed that there the Department of Health considers that they should be no time limit on the debate. are no longer necessary to prevent, protect against, control or provide a public health Mr Lyons: There are two motions before the response to the incidence or spread of Assembly today. With your permission, Mr infection. Those are powerful legislative Principal Deputy Speaker, I will address both of provisions, and, since 28 March when the them in my remarks. This is the third time that regulations were first introduced, they have Minister Kearney and I have come before the provided the basis for several reviews Assembly in relation to these regulations, which conducted by the Executive. have a wide-reaching impact on almost every corner of our lives. We acknowledge the impact A first review, completed on 15 April, resulted in that they are having. As I have said before, this no changes, but, on 24 April, it was agreed that is not only a health crisis but a social and the requirement to close burial grounds to economic crisis as well. I want to thank people members of the public should be lifted and that for their patience and for the personal sacrifices it would also be helpful, when doing so, to that they have made; because of their clarify the circumstances in which a person may adherence to the rules, along with the work of leave the place where they are living to take 1 Tuesday 2 June 2020 exercise. At a further review on 7 May, it was Regulation 5 also deals with restrictions on decided to continue to maintain all the movement. It is amended to include the need to remaining restrictions and requirements for the access services provided by a district council or time being. On 15 May, the Executive agreed other public body, including household waste or the easing of other restrictions, leading to the recycling centres, as a reasonable excuse for a amendment regulations that are the subject of person to leave the place where they are living. today's debate. Regulation 5 is also amended to allow people to undertake outdoor activity. We are now in a position where we can begin to carefully relax some of the restrictions. These A new regulation 6A has been added to allow cautious steps demonstrate how seriously the outdoor gatherings of up to six people from Executive take the review of the regulations and different households or any number of how they will not hesitate to move decisively members from the same household. when it is the time to do so, based on the Regulation 7 has been amended to clarify the criteria that we have set out. application of enforcement provisions insofar as children are concerned. Regulation 9 has been The amendment regulations give effect to a amended to allow for the procedure to