Official Report: Wednesday 25 May 2016
The Assembly met at 12:00 pm (Mr Speaker in the Chair).
Members observed two minutes' silence.
Mr Speaker: I wish to inform Members that 22 Bills received Royal Assent. The Water and Sewerage Services Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, the Budget Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 and the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 became law on 23 March 2016.
Mr Speaker: I wish to inform Members that the Assembly and Executive Reform (Assembly Opposition) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 became law on 23 March 2016.
Mr Speaker: I wish to inform Members that the Health and Social Care (Control of Data Processing) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, the Environmental Better Regulation Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 and the Legal Complaints and Regulation Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 became law on 11 April 2016.
Mr Speaker: I wish to inform Members that the Employment Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 and the Credit Unions and Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 became law on 22 April 2016.
Mr Speaker: I wish to inform the Assembly that the Housing (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, the Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, the Rural Needs Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 and the Shared Education Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 became law on 9 May 2016.
Mr Speaker: I wish to inform Members that the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, the Houses in Multiple Occupation Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, the Health and Personal Social Services (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, the Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 and the Land Acquisition and Compensation (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 became law on 12 May 2016.
Mr Speaker: I wish to inform Members that the Licensing Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 became law on 12 May 2016.
Mr Speaker: As with similar motions, this will be treated as a business motion, and, therefore, there will be no debate.
That Ms Carál Ní Chuilín and Mr Declan McAleer replace Ms Caitríona Ruane and Mr Gerry Kelly as members of the Business Committee. — [Ms Ruane.]
Mr Speaker: I will conduct the process for filling the office of Minister of Justice in accordance with the procedures set out in Part 1A of schedule 4A to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and Standing Order 44A. I will begin by asking for nominations. Any Member may rise and nominate another Member to hold the office of Minister of Justice. If Members rise from more than one party, I will call first the Member from the largest of those parties to make a nomination, which is the convention for other items of business.
The Act requires that one nomination must be processed before a further nomination can be made. I will, therefore, take only one nomination at a time and put the Question on that nomination. If the Assembly resolves by parallel consent that the Member nominated shall be Minister of Justice and that person takes up office as required by the Act and Standing Orders, no further nominations may be made. I will call for further nominations only if those conditions are not fulfilled.
The Business Committee agreed that a Member making a nomination may speak for up to three minutes, following which there will be an opportunity for debate on the nomination, with Members also having an opportunity to speak for up to three minutes.
As the person nominated to fill the vacancy shall not take up office until he or she has affirmed the terms of the Pledge of Office in schedule 4 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, after the Question has been determined, I will ask the person nominated to affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office.
Before we proceed, Members may find it useful if the Pledge of Office is read into the record:
"To pledge:
(a) to discharge in good faith all the duties of office;
(b) commitment to non-violence and exclusively peaceful and democratic means;
(c) to serve all the people of Northern Ireland equally, and to act in accordance with the general obligations on government to promote equality and prevent discrimination;
(ca) to promote the interests of the whole community represented in the Northern Ireland Assembly towards the goal of a shared future;
(cb) to participate fully in the Executive Committee, the North-South Ministerial Council and the British-Irish Council;
(cc) to observe the joint nature of the offices of First Minister and deputy First Minister;
(cd) to uphold the rule of law based as it is on the fundamental principles of fairness, impartiality and democratic accountability, including support for policing and the courts as set out in paragraph 6 of the St Andrews Agreement;
(ce) to support the rule of law unequivocally in word and deed and to support all efforts to uphold it;
(cf) to work collectively with the other members of the Executive Committee to achieve a society free of paramilitarism;
(cg) to challenge all paramilitary activity and associated criminality;
(ch) to call for, and to work together with the other members of the Executive Committee to achieve, the disbandment of all paramilitary organisations and their structures;
(ci) to challenge paramilitary attempts to control communities;
(cj) to support those who are determined to make the transition away from paramilitarism;
(ck) to accept no authority, direction or control on my political activities other than my democratic mandate alongside my own personal and party judgment.
Paragraph 6 of the St Andrews Agreement says: We believe that the essential elements of support for law and order include endorsing fully the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the criminal justice system, actively encouraging everyone in the community to co-operate fully with the PSNI in tackling crime in all areas and actively supporting all the policing and criminal justice institutions, including the Policing Board."
Mr Speaker: I will now proceed with the nomination process. Do I have a nomination for a Member to hold the office of Minister of Justice?
Mr McGuinness (The deputy First Minister): With your permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to nominate — it gives me great pleasure to do so — Claire Sugden as our new Minister of Justice.
Many in the House will know that, over the last number of weeks, the First Minister and I have been charged with the responsibility of putting an Executive together. We made clear from the very outset our determination to do so. There was a lot of discussion in that process about who would be Minister of Justice, and it is no secret that the First Minister and I offered the position to the Alliance Party. Sadly, the Alliance Party turned that offer down. Our thoughts then turned to who would be Minister of Justice. We recognised that, unless we had a Minister of Justice, we would not be able to put a Government together and, in all probability, an election would follow. There ensued other discussions between the First Minister and me with a view to finding a Justice Minister and a candidate for the position whom we had confidence in to take on what is a very onerous and challenging responsibility.
Claire came into the House, as we all know, after the sad occurrence of the death of David McClarty. She has been in the House for several years, and we have been very impressed by her performance. We had that conversation with her initially and a number of conversations since, and she has expressed herself very determined to do the job in order to ensure that our society continues to move forward and to assist us in putting a Government together. She can be assured of the First Minister's and my full support. I have no doubt whatsoever that she will enjoy the full support of all our ministerial colleagues appointed in this sitting of the Assembly. She is a very progressive young woman and is obviously highly political. She certainly enjoyed the support of her constituents in the Assembly election. We have every confidence in her ability to do the job, and it gives me great pleasure to nominate her as our new Minister of Justice.
Mr Speaker: Claire Sugden has been nominated. Claire Sugden, do you accept the nomination?
Mr Speaker: The nomination is now open for debate. I remind Members that they may speak for up to three minutes.
Mr Hamilton: This is my first opportunity to congratulate you, Mr Speaker, on your appointment as Speaker of the House.
It is a great pleasure to speak in support of the nomination made by the deputy First Minister of Claire Sugden to be our new Minister of Justice on what is, for many reasons, a historic day in the political history of Northern Ireland. Claire's appointment as Justice Minister will symbolise the new generation of leadership that is emerging not just in the Assembly and the Executive but right across Northern Ireland.
As the deputy First Minister said, Claire has proven herself in this place since replacing David McClarty as a Member for East Londonderry. Many inside and outside the Chamber have been very impressed by her contributions to debates and the proceedings of the House. She has at all times been thoughtful, measured and constructive. I think that we have all seen that she possesses the skills and abilities to be a very good Minister. Of course, she has — no mean feat for an independent Member — proven herself to the electorate of East Londonderry with what was a tremendous result in the recent Assembly election.
Claire is, like me, the child of a prison officer. I know that that personal experience, as well as her undoubted capabilities, will stand her in good stead and make her an excellent Justice Minister serving all the people of Northern Ireland.
Mr Nesbitt: Let us start with a quiz question, shall we? The clue is that the Member is in the House:
"This house of cards is falling, and good will come of that only if the jokers at the top come crashing down too and do not get up again."— [Official Report, Vol 107, No 3, p1, col 2].
I will let that one float.
First Minister McGuinness prides himself on being the custodian of the Good Friday Agreement. He will single-handedly defend the values and principles of 1998 against the whole world. What is more important as a building block than d'Hondt, the mechanism that ensures that, unless you have the seats here in the Chamber, you do not get the seats down the hill around the Executive table? D'Hondt is the basis of this cross-community devolved set of administrative set-ups.
After 2010, what happened in 2011? With 16 seats, the Ulster Unionist Party got one seat at the Executive table, and the SDLP, with 14, got one, but Alliance, with eight, got two. What a corruption of 1998, but that is nothing compared with what is happening today, because with just one seat in the Chamber, never mind d'Hondt, you get a seat at the Executive table. Is it any wonder the Ulster Unionist Party opposed the devolution of policing and justice in 2010? What happened to the snowmen of the DUP and "Not in my lifetime; not in the lifetime of this institution"?
Mr Storey: The Member says "snowmen". He has a short memory.
Mr Nesbitt: I would give way to the Member. The Member obviously wants to speak. The Member clearly wants to speak from a sedentary position.
Mr Speaker: I ask the Member to address all his remarks through the Chair.
Mr Nesbitt: I certainly shall, Mr Speaker, and I hope I get the opportunity.
We are not in favour of this, because it is a corruption of the Good Friday Agreement. The person who said:
"This house of cards is falling, and good will come of that only if the jokers at the top come crashing down too and do not get up again." — [Official Report, Vol 107, No 3, p1, col 2],
is our new Justice Minister, who is propping them up again. I remind the DUP of this, which was said by the same person in October 2015:
"one side of the House, the largest political party has decided that its dirty, inconsistent mess is more important than moving Northern Ireland forward." — [Official Report, Vol 108, No 3, p52, cols 1-2].
Sounds like a great choice.
Mr Eastwood: I will begin, on a personal basis, by wishing Claire Sugden well. In the same vein, I congratulate David Ford on a job well done. It is clear, though, that we are in absolutely no position to support a nomination for somebody when we have corrupted the process. We corrupted it once before, and we are doing it again now. Our strong view is that the position of Justice Minister should be allocated by d'Hondt. What is even more disturbing is that, even though we have had some evolution in our politics this last few weeks, the opportunity to evolve our politics even further today has been missed. It is very clear to our electorate that this is a position for which no nationalist need apply.
Mr Ford: It is clear from the announcement that has already been made in the Great Hall that Claire Sugden is to be the Minister of Justice, and, like Colum Eastwood, I personally wish her well. The deputy First Minister referred to the fact that the post was first offered to Alliance. It is no secret that we put forward five proposals that we believe would have made this place function better and delivered better for the people of Northern Ireland and that those proposals were rejected by the First Minister and deputy First Minister.
As is their right, they have sought to look elsewhere, and they have now asked Claire Sugden to carry out the job. That is their right, and clearly there are the numbers in the House to carry that. Though I cannot personally support that nomination — it is not because I have a fixation with the d'Hondt system, which I do not — I certainly wish Claire well in the task that clearly lies ahead of her. She has, as the deputy First Minister said, onerous responsibilities to carry out. I am certainly well aware of the major issues that are faced by the Department of Justice, the massive issues that confront that Department over budget, Programme for Government, the specific issues for justice and the ongoing issue of reforms that have been put in place over the last few years and that need to be continued.
The fact that the new Minister has, at least, a lack of public preconditions gives me some concern as to how that will be carried through. Indeed, as in the words of Harold Macmillan some years ago, there is no doubt that, like Health and unlike most other Departments, Justice has "events" to face. There will be significant — very significant — challenges ahead.
I know from my background that I am handing over a Department that has made a positive contribution over the last six years, which has seen Justice fully embedded into the devolved sphere and participating, with other Departments, in a joined-up — to some extent — government, but there is much that lies ahead that needs to be done, and there are very significant challenges. What we have achieved was based on the proposals that Alliance put forward before we accepted the job in 2010. That work must continue. From the point of my colleagues, we will judge the new Minister not on her age or her gender; we will judge her on how far that reform programme continues.
Mr Agnew: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I wish Claire Sugden very well and every great success in the role. On a personal level, we have worked together in what was formerly known as the "naughty corner", and I know that she is very capable of doing the job. That said, there has been an opportunity wasted to take another step in normalising politics in Northern Ireland. I question why, in 2016, we are still treating Justice differently and maintaining a provision that says, "We have to keep them-uns out." We have heard from the First Minister, who said that there could not be a Sinn Féin Justice Minister, although there can be a Sinn Féin Health or Education Minister. We will see how those Ministries are divvied out today. We still treat Justice differently, and that sends a signal that we are not ready to move on. That is a shame.
It is no secret that my party had discussions with the First and deputy First Ministers in relation to the Justice post. We were very clear that we would serve in Government only if we felt that we could progress our agenda and achieve more in Government than out of Government. The reality was that our agenda was very different from that of the DUP and Sinn Féin, which is why I am delighted that Clare Bailey and me will be in opposition and will be here to hold those parties to account. We will do all that we can to progress the Green Party manifesto through our work from these Back-Benches, through private Member's Bills and through holding the Executive to account.
Mr Allister: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Claire Sugden is an able, likeable, affable person; no one could think otherwise, but she has to know, as indeed we all know, that this is a nomination of desperation — the desperation of Sinn Féin and the DUP to extricate themselves from the cul-de-sac of their own construction: when policing and justice were devolved prematurely, when several political lifetimes turned into the several days of the Hillsborough talks, and, in consequence, they had this impasse.
I like Claire Sugden as a person. Indeed, I like some of the things that she has said politically. In one of those thoughtful, measured speeches that Mr Hamilton referred to her making, she famously and accurately described the leaders of the Administration as "jokers". How right she was. Yet today, for the sake of office, she is willing to become the patsy of the jokers. That says a lot about this position — seduced into office by the jokers. Less than two weeks ago, Ms Sugden boasted in the House that she was an independent. No longer, I am afraid. Today, she has become the placewoman of Marlene. Whether or not she finds making up the numbers on the dark side as fulfilling as she thinks, time alone will tell.
Mr Speaker: That concludes the debate. Before we proceed to the Question, I remind the House that the Northern Ireland Act 1998 requires that the resolution must be passed by parallel consent.
Question put, That Ms Claire Sugden be the Minister of Justice.
Ayes 63; Noes 30
AYES
Mr Anderson, Ms Archibald, Mr Bell, Mr Boylan, Mr M Bradley, Ms P Bradley, Mr K Buchanan, Mr T Buchanan, Ms Bunting, Mrs Cameron, Mr Clarke, Ms Dillon, Mr Douglas, Mr Dunne, Mr Easton, Ms Fearon, Mrs Foster, Mr Frew, Ms Gildernew, Mr Girvan, Mr Givan, Mrs Hale, Mr Hamilton, Mr Hazzard, Mr Hilditch, Mr Humphrey, Mr Irwin, Mr Kearney, Mr Kelly, Mrs Little Pengelly, Ms Lockhart, Mr Logan, Mr Lynch, Mr Lyons, Mr McAleer, Mr F McCann, Mr McCartney, Mr McCausland, Mr McElduff, Mr McGuinness, Miss McIlveen, Mr McKay, Mr McMullan, Mr McQuillan, Mr Maskey, Mr Middleton, Mr Milne, Lord Morrow, Mr Murphy, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr Ó Muilleoir, Mrs O'Neill, Mr Poots, Mr Robinson, Mr Ross, Ms Ruane, Ms Seeley, Mr Sheehan, Mr Stalford, Mr Storey, Ms Sugden, Mr Weir, Mr Wells
Tellers for the Ayes: Mr McCartney, Mr Robinson
NOES
Mr Agnew, Mr Aiken, Mr Allister, Mr Attwood, Ms Bailey, Mrs Barton, Mr Beattie, Mr Beggs, Ms S Bradley, Mr Butler, Mr Chambers, Mrs Dobson, Mr Durkan, Mr Eastwood, Ms Hanna, Mr Hussey, Mr Kennedy, Mr McCrossan, Mr McGlone, Mr McGrath, Mr McKee, Mr McNulty, Mr McPhillips, Ms Mallon, Mr Mullan, Mr Nesbitt, Mrs Overend, Mrs Palmer, Mr Smith, Mr Swann
Tellers for the Noes: Mr Butler, Mr McCrossan
The following Members voted in both Lobbies and are therefore not counted in the result: Ms Armstrong, Ms Bradshaw, Mr Dickson, Dr Farry, Mr Ford, Mrs Long, Mr Lunn, Mr Lyttle
Question accordingly agreed to.
Resolved (by parallel consent):
That Ms Claire Sugden be the Minister of Justice.
Mr Speaker: I now ask Claire Sugden to affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office as set out in schedule 4 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Ms Sugden: I affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office as set out in schedule 4 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Ms Claire Sugden appointed Minister of Justice.
Mr Speaker: I can now confirm that Claire Sugden, having affirmed the terms of the Pledge of Office, has taken up office as Minister of Justice in accordance with the Northern Ireland Act 1998. I offer Claire Sugden my hearty congratulations.
Some Members: Hear, hear.
Mr Speaker: The next item of business is the appointment of Ministers. I will conduct the process for filling those offices in accordance with the procedure set out in section 18 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and Standing Order 44. I will ask the nominating officer of each political party, in the order required by the formula contained in section 18(5), to select an available ministerial office and nominate a person to hold it who is a member of his or her party and a Member of the Assembly. If a nominating officer declines to nominate, I will invite the nominating officer of the next political party determined by the formula to nominate a Member to hold ministerial office. When all ministerial offices have been filled, then, in accordance with Standing Order 45A, I will ask any parties that declined to nominate if they choose to be recognised as part of the official Opposition.
I call on Arlene Foster, as nominating officer of the political party for which the formula laid down in section 18 gives the highest figure, to select a ministerial office and nominate a person to hold it who is a member of her party and a Member of the Assembly.
Mrs Foster: I select the Department for the Economy, and I nominate Simon Hamilton.
Mr Speaker: Will Simon Hamilton confirm that he is willing to take up office and affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office?
Mr Hamilton: Mr Speaker, I confirm that I am willing to take up the office of Minister for the Economy and I affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office as set out in schedule 4 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Mr Simon Hamilton appointed Minister for the Economy.
Mr Speaker: Simon Hamilton is now Minister for the Economy. I offer Mr Hamilton my hearty congratulations.
I call on Martin McGuinness, as nominating officer of the political party for which the formula laid down in section 18 gives the highest figure, to select a ministerial office and nominate a Member to hold it who is a member of his party and a Member of the Assembly.
Mr McGuinness: I would like to choose the Department of Finance and appoint Máirtín Ó Muilleoir as our new Minister of Finance.
Mr Speaker: Will Máirtín Ó Muilleoir confirm that he is willing to take up office and affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office?
Mr Ó Muilleoir: Deimhním, a Cheann Comhairle, go bhfuil mé toilteanach oifig an Aire Airgeadais a ghlacadh, agus dearbhaím téarmaí an ghealltanais oifige a leagtar amach in sceideal 4 de Acht Thuaisceart Éireann 1998. I confirm that I am willing to take up the office of Minister of Finance and I affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office as set out in schedule 4 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Mr Máirtín Ó Muilleoir appointed Minister of Finance.
Mr Speaker: Máirtín Ó Muilleoir is now Minister of Finance, and I offer him my hearty congratulations.
I call on Arlene Foster, as nominating officer of the political party for which the formula laid down in section 18 gives the highest figure, to select a ministerial office and nominate a Member to hold it who is a member of her party and a Member of the Assembly.
Mrs Foster: I select the Department of Education, and I nominate Peter Weir.
Mr Speaker: Will Mr Peter Weir confirm that he is willing to take up office and affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office?
Mr Weir: I confirm that I am willing to take up the office of Minister of Education and I affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office as set out in schedule 4 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Mr Peter Weir appointed Minister of Education.
Mr Speaker: I offer Peter Weir my hearty congratulations.
I call on Mr Mike Nesbitt, as nominating officer of the political party for which the formula laid down in section 18 gives the highest figure, to select a ministerial office and nominate a Member to hold it who is a member of his party and a Member of the Assembly.
Mr Nesbitt: Mr Speaker, I am not nominating to the Executive.
Some Members: Hear, hear.
Mr Speaker: The nominating officer for the Ulster Unionist Party has declined to nominate a member of his party. I will, therefore, assume that his party is declining all ministerial offices that may arise under the formula, and I will now move on to the next party.
I call on Mr Martin McGuinness, as nominating officer of the political party for which the formula laid down in section 18 gives the highest figure, to select a ministerial office and nominate a Member to hold it who is a member of his party and a Member of the Assembly.
Mr McGuinness: I select the Department for Infrastructure, and I nominate Chris Hazzard as the Minister for that Department.
Mr Speaker: Will Mr Chris Hazzard confirm that he is willing to take up office and affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office?
Mr Hazzard: Glacaim le hoifig an Aire Infreastructúir. I confirm that I am willing to take up the office of Minister for Infrastructure, and I affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office as set out in schedule 4 to the Northern Ireland Act.
Mr Chris Hazzard appointed Minister for Infrastructure.
Mr Speaker: I heartily congratulate Mr Chris Hazzard on his appointment.
I call on Mrs Arlene Foster, as nominating officer of the political party for which the formula laid down in section 18 gives the highest figure, to select a ministerial office and nominate a Member to hold it who is a member of her party and a Member of the Assembly.
Mrs Foster: I select the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and I nominate Michelle McIlveen.
Mr Speaker: Will Michelle McIlveen confirm that she is willing to take up office and affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office?
Miss McIlveen: I confirm that I am willing to take up the office of Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and I affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office as set out in schedule 4 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Miss Michelle McIlveen appointed Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.
Mr Speaker: I call on Mr Colum Eastwood, as nominating officer of the political party for which the formula laid down in section 18 gives the highest figure, to select a ministerial office and nominate a Member to hold it who is a member of his party and a Member of the Assembly.
Mr Eastwood: I will not be nominating a Minister to this Executive.
Mr Speaker: The nominating officer for the Social Democratic and Labour Party has declined to nominate a member of his party. I will, therefore, assume that his party is declining all ministerial offices that may arise under the formula, and I will now move on to the next party.
I call on Arlene Foster, as nominating officer of the political party for which the formula laid down in section 18 gives the highest figure, to select a ministerial office and nominate a Member to hold it who is a member of her party and a Member of the Assembly.
Mrs Foster: I select the Department for Communities, and I nominate Paul Givan.
Some Members: Hear, hear.
Mr Speaker: Will the Member confirm that he is willing to take up office and affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office?
Mr Givan: I confirm that I am willing to take up the office of Minister for Communities, and I affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office as set out in schedule 4 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Mr Paul Givan appointed Minister for Communities.
Mr Speaker: I offer Mr Paul Givan my hearty congratulations.
I call on Mr Martin McGuinness, as nominating officer of the political party for which the formula laid down in section 18 gives the highest figure, to select a ministerial office and nominate a Member to hold it who is a member of his party and a Member of the Assembly.
Mr McGuinness: I select the Department of Health and nominate Michelle O'Neill as the new Minister of Health.
Mr Speaker: Will Michelle O'Neill confirm that she is willing to take up office and affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office?
Mrs O'Neill: Glacaim le hoifig an Aire Sláinte. I confirm that I am willing to take up the office of Minister of Health, and I affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office as set out in schedule 4 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Mrs Michelle O'Neill appointed Minister of Health.
Mr Speaker: Michelle O'Neill is now the Minister of Health, and I offer her my hearty congratulations.
I thank the House for its patience. That concludes the appointment of Ministers under the d'Hondt process. I offer my congratulations to all who have taken up office.
The nominating officers of the Ulster Unionist Party and the Social Democratic and Labour Party were entitled to nominate a person to hold a ministerial office but declined to do so. In accordance with Standing Order 45A, I will now ask those parties whether they choose to be recognised as part of the official Opposition. Mr Mike Nesbitt, does your party choose to be recognised as part of the official Opposition?
Mr Nesbitt: We ask to be recognised as part of the official Opposition and intend to initiate a new era for the Northern Ireland Assembly. We will not take our seat, as you know, at the Executive table. We should take our seat over there, because First Minister McGuinness should sit beside First Minister Foster, as they do so comfortably at Stormont Castle.
Mr Speaker: Mr Colum Eastwood, does your party choose to be recognised as part of the official Opposition?
Mr Eastwood: Yes, we would like to be recognised as a member of the official Opposition. I congratulate all the Ministers who have been appointed. They will have our support when they deserve it, but we will hold them to account when we need to.
Mr Speaker: The Ulster Unionist Party and the Social Democratic and Labour Party will now be recognised as the official Opposition.
Mr Speaker: I have received correspondence from the First Minister and deputy First Minister on the appointment of junior Ministers. The letter states:
"Pursuant to the procedure for the appointment of junior Ministers specified in paragraph 3(1) of the determination made on 8 December 1999, as approved by the Assembly on 14 December 1999, we have appointed Alastair Ross MLA and Megan Fearon MLA as junior Ministers in the Executive Office."
Mr Speaker: Will Alastair Ross affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office?
Mr Ross: I affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office as set out in schedule 4 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Mr Alastair Ross appointed a junior Minister.
Mr Speaker: Will Megan Fearon affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office?
Ms Fearon: Glacaim le hoifig Aire shóisearaigh sa Choiste Feidhmiúcháin. I confirm that I am willing to take up the office of junior Minister in the Executive Office, and I affirm the terms of the Pledge of Office as set out in schedule 4 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Ms Megan Fearon appointed a junior Minister.
Mr Speaker: That concludes the business of appointing the junior Ministers. I offer to both of them my congratulations as they take up office.
Mr Speaker: As this is a business motion, there will be no debate.
That, in accordance with Standing Orders 46 and 47, this Assembly determines that nine Statutory Committees shall be established, as follows:
- the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs;
- the Committee for Communities;
- the Committee for the Economy;
- the Committee for Education;
- the Committee for the Executive Office;
- the Committee for Finance;
- the Committee for Health;
- the Committee for Infrastructure; and
- the Committee for Justice.
Terms of reference, quorum and composition of the Committees shall be as prescribed in Standing Orders 48 and 49. — [Ms Ní Chuilín.]
Mr Speaker: I shall ask the nominating officer of each political party, in the order required by the formula contained in Standing Order 48, to select an available Statutory Committee and nominate a person who is a member of his or her party and a Member of the Assembly to be the Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson.
I have received notification from the nominating officer of the Social Democratic and Labour Party advising me that Mr Alex Attwood will serve as nominating officer for the party for the remainder of today's business.
I remind parties of the requirement of Standing Order 48(5) that nominating officers shall prefer Committees in which they do not have a party interest over those in which they do. For the avoidance of doubt, that means I will expect parties to refrain, as far as possible, from selecting Committees that coincide with the ministerial offices held by their party.
I now call on Mrs Arlene Foster, as nominating officer of the party that has the highest figure under the formula, to select an available Statutory Committee and nominate a person who is a member of her party and a Member of the Assembly to be its Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson.
Mrs Foster: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I select the Committee for Justice, and I nominate as Chairman Mr Paul Frew.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr Paul Frew appointed Chairperson of the Committee for Justice.
Mr Speaker: I call on Mr Martin McGuinness to select an available Statutory Committee and nominate a Member to be its Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson.
Mr McGuinness: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I select the Committee for the Economy and nominate Conor Murphy as the Chair.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr Murphy: Glacaim leis an phost. I am willing to take up office.
Mr Conor Murphy appointed Chairperson of the Committee for the Economy.
Mr Speaker: I call again Mrs Arlene Foster to select and nominate.
Mrs Foster: I select the Committee for Finance, and I nominate for Chairperson Emma Little Pengelly.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which she has been nominated?
Mrs Emma Little Pengelly appointed Chairperson of the Committee for Finance.
Mr Speaker: I now call on Mr Mike Nesbitt to select an available Statutory Committee and nominate a Member to be its Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson.
Mr Nesbitt: Mr Speaker, I select the Committee for the Executive Office and nominate myself as Chair. [Laughter.]
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated? [Laughter.]
Mr Mike Nesbitt appointed Chairperson of the Committee for the Executive Office.
Mr Speaker: I call again on Mr Martin McGuinness to select and nominate.
Mr McGuinness: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I select the Committee for Education and nominate Barry McElduff as the Chairperson.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr McElduff: A Cheann Comhairle, tá mé sásta glacadh leis an ról. I do accept.
Mr Barry McElduff appointed Chairperson of the Committee for Education.
Mr Speaker: I call again on Mrs Arlene Foster to select and nominate.
Mrs Foster: I select the Committee for Health, and I nominate Paula Bradley for Chairperson.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which she has been nominated?
Ms Paula Bradley appointed Chairperson of the Committee for Health.
Mr Speaker: I now call on Mr Alex Attwood to select an available Statutory Committee and nominate a person of his party to be its Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson.
Mr Attwood: Mr Speaker, on behalf of the SDLP, we choose the Committee for Communities, and I am pleased to nominate Mr Colum Eastwood MLA.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr Colum Eastwood appointed Chairperson of the Committee for Communities.
Mr Speaker: I call again on Mrs Arlene Foster to select and nominate.
Mrs Foster: I select the Committee for Infrastructure and nominate Mr William Humphrey.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr Humphrey: Mr Speaker, I am pleased to take up office as nominated.
Mr William Humphrey appointed Chairperson of the Committee for Infrastructure.
Mr Speaker: I call again on Mr Martin McGuinness to select and nominate.
Mr McGuinness: I select the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and propose Linda Dillon as the Chairperson of that Committee.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which she has been nominated?
Ms Linda Dillon appointed Chairperson of the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.
Mr Speaker: I call on Mr David Ford to select an available Statutory Committee and nominate a person of his party to be its Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson.
Mr Ford: I nominate Chris Lyttle as Deputy Chair of the Committee for Education.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr Chris Lyttle appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Education.
Mr Speaker: I call again on Mr Mike Nesbitt to select and nominate.
Mr Nesbitt: Mr Speaker, I select the Committee for the Economy and appoint Steve Aiken as Deputy Chair.
Mr Speaker: Is Mr Steve Aiken willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr Aiken: Yes, I am willing to take up the office to which I have been nominated.
Mr Steve Aiken appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for the Economy.
Mr Speaker: I again ask Mrs Arlene Foster to select and nominate.
Mrs Foster: Mr Speaker, I request a short adjournment to consider matters as allowed under Standing Orders.
Mr Speaker: Can I ask the Member how long she anticipates?
Mr Speaker: A request has been made for an extension to the time limit, and Standing Order 48(8) requires Assembly approval for such a request.
Question put and agreed to.
Resolved:
That the Assembly approves an extension of the time limit by 10 minutes.
I call again on Mrs Arlene Foster to select and nominate.
Mrs Foster: I select the Committee for Justice and name Pam Cameron as Deputy Chair.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member who has been nominated willing to take up the office for which she has been nominated?
Mrs Cameron: Yes, Mr Speaker, I am willing to take up office.
Mrs Pam Cameron appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Justice.
Mr Speaker: I call again on Mr Martin McGuinness to select and nominate.
Mr McGuinness: I select the Committee for Communities and Michelle Gildernew as the Deputy Chair.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which she has been nominated?
Ms Michelle Gildernew appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Communities.
Mr Speaker: I call again on Mrs Arlene Foster to select and nominate.
Mrs Foster: I select the Committee for Health and nominate Gary Middleton as Deputy Chair.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr Gary Middleton appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Health.
Mr Speaker: I call again on Mr Alex Attwood to select and nominate.
Mr Attwood: On behalf of the SDLP, I select the Committee for Finance and Claire Hanna.
Ms Claire Hanna appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Finance.
Mr Speaker: I call again on Mr Martin McGuinness to select and nominate.
Mr McGuinness: I select the Committee for the Economy, and the vice Chair will be Alex Maskey. [Interruption.]
It is what? Is it gone? Apologies. Can I have an adjournment for a few minutes, please?
Mr Speaker: A request has been made for an extension of the time limit: Standing Orders require Assembly approval for such a request. The Question is that the Assembly approve an extension of the time limit by — can I ask Mr McGuinness for a time?
Question put and agreed to.
Resolved:
That the Assembly approves an extension of the time limit by 5 minutes.
Mr Speaker: I ask Members to take their ease.
I call again on Mr Martin McGuinness to select and nominate.
Mr McGuinness: I select the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and nominate Declan Kearney as Deputy Chair.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr Kearney: A Cheann Comhairle, tá mé toilteanach an post a ghlacadh. I am willing to accept the position.
Mr Declan Kearney appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.
Mr Speaker: I call again on Mrs Arlene Foster to select and nominate.
Mrs Foster: I select the Committee for Infrastructure and nominate William Irwin as the Deputy Chair.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr William Irwin appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Infrastructure.
Mr Speaker: I call again on Mr Mike Nesbitt to select and nominate.
Mr Nesbitt: I select the Deputy Chair of the Committee for the Executive Office and nominate Sandra Overend.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which she has been nominated?
Mrs Sandra Overend appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for the Executive Office.
Mr Speaker: Thank you, Members. That concludes the appointment of the Chairpersons and Deputy Chairpersons of the Statutory Committees. I offer my congratulations to all who have been appointed.
Mr Speaker: I am required to supervise the appointment of a Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson to each Standing Committee other than the Business Committee, in accordance with the procedure set out in Standing Order 51. I shall ask the nominating officer of each political party, in the order required by the formula in Standing Order 51(2), to select an available Standing Committee and nominate a person who is a member of his or her party and a Member of the Assembly to be Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson.
Before we commence, I remind parties of the requirement of Standing Order 56(3) that neither the Chairperson nor Deputy Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee shall be a member of the same political party as the Minister of Finance or of any junior Minister appointed to the Department of Finance.
I call on Mrs Arlene Foster, as nominating officer of the party that has the highest figure under the formula laid down in Standing Orders, to select an available Standing Committee and nominate a person who is a member of her party and a Member of the Assembly to be the Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson of it.
Mrs Foster: I select the Committee on Procedures and nominate Gordon Lyons as Chairperson.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr Gordon Lyons appointed Chairperson of the Committee on Procedures.
Mr Speaker: I call on Mr Martin McGuinness to select an available Standing Committee and nominate a person who is a member of his party and a Member of the Assembly to be Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson of it.
Mr McGuinness: I select Standards and Privileges and propose Cathal Boylan as Chair of that Committee.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr Boylan: Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I accept.
Mr Cathal Boylan appointed Chairperson of the Committee on Standards and Privileges.
Mr Speaker: I again call on Mrs Arlene Foster to select and nominate.
Mrs Foster: I select the Assembly and Executive Review Committee and nominate Christopher Stalford as Chair.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr Christopher Stalford appointed Chairperson of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee.
Mr Speaker: I now call on Mr Mike Nesbitt to select an available Standing Committee and nominate a person who is a member of his party and a Member of the Assembly to be Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson of it.
Mr Nesbitt: I select the Public Accounts Committee and nominate Robin Swann as Chair.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr Robin Swann appointed Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee.
Mr Speaker: I again call on Mr Martin McGuinness to select and nominate.
Mr McGuinness: I select the Audit Committee and Declan McAleer as its Chair.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr Declan McAleer appointed Chairperson of the Audit Committee.
Mr Speaker: I again call on Mrs Arlene Foster to select and nominate.
Mrs Foster: I select the Committee on Standards and Privileges and nominate Adrian McQuillan as Deputy Chair.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr Adrian McQuillan appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Standards and Privileges.
Mr Speaker: I now call on Mr Alex Attwood to select an available Standing Committee and nominate a person who is a member of his party and a Member of the Assembly to be Deputy Chairperson of it.
Mr Attwood: I choose the Deputy Chair of the Public Accounts Committee and nominate Daniel McCrossan.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr Daniel McCrossan appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee.
Mr Speaker: I again call on Mrs Arlene Foster to select and nominate.
Mrs Foster: I select the Deputy Chair of the Committee on Procedures and nominate Edwin Poots.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr Edwin Poots appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Procedures.
Mr Speaker: I call again on Mr Martin McGuinness to select and nominate.
Mr McGuinness: I select the Assembly and Executive Review Committee and nominate Ms Michaela Boyle as its Deputy Chair.
Mr Speaker: The Member is unable to be in the Chamber today, but I have received confirmation from her that she is willing to accept the nomination.
Ms Michaela Boyle appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee.
Mr Speaker: Finally, I call on Mr David Ford to select and nominate.
Mr Ford: From the enormous list in front of me, I select the Audit Committee and nominate Trevor Lunn as its Deputy Chair.
Mr Speaker: Is the Member willing to take up the office for which he has been nominated?
Mr Trevor Lunn appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Audit Committee.
Mr Speaker: That concludes the appointment of Chairpersons and Deputy Chairpersons of the Committees.