This week at the Assembly - 25 February

By Sean Kelly from NICVA

Published on 25 Feb 2008

An overview of upcoming business at the Assembly from 25 February 2008 to 29 February 2008.

Monday 25 February 2008

Questions to the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety

Alex Attwood (SDLP) will ask the Minister what steps he is taking to ensure that older members of the community (i) receive fair and equal treatment in hospitals; and (ii) are not disqualified from required treatment as a result of their age.

The UUP’s David McClarty will ask the Minister to provide details of future funding for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.

Sinn Féin’s Sue Ramsey will ask the Minister to provide a timetable for the completion of the new regional hospital for children and women on the site of the Royal Group of Hospitals.

Trevor Lunn (Alliance) will ask the Minister to outline the current status of the implementation of the Bamford Review of Mental Health.

Foyle MLA Mary Bradley will ask the Minister what action he is taking to address the health inequalities associated with child poverty.

The SDLP’s Carmel Hanna will ask the Minister to detail the support services and back-up that is available for people who ring the regional suicide helpline. Later Paul Butler (Sinn Féin) will ask the Minister to detail the number of nurses who have been trained in suicide awareness and prevention, while party colleague Fra McCann will ask the Minister what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations from the inquiry into the suicide of Danny McCartan.

Strangford MLA David McNarry will ask the Minister to detail the funding available for Home Start in Newtownards, the Ards Peninsula and the Comber area.

Questions to the Minister for Regional Development

Trevor Lunn (Alliance) will ask the Minister to outline the ratio of spending on roads, versus public transport, during the period covered by the Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland.

Foyle MLA Martina Anderson will ask the Minister to detail (i) the action he is taking; and (ii) timeframe he is working to, in relation to reviewing the Regional Development Strategy.

The DUP’s Nelson McCausland will ask the Minister to provide an update on the W S Atkins study on the potential for a light rapid transit system for Belfast. A similar question will follow later from the SDLP’s Alex Attwood who will ask the Minister to outline the progress that has been made to develop a light rail transport system for Belfast.

Sinn Féin’s Daithí McKay ( North Antrim) will ask the Minister to give a timescale within which he will initiate the special island policy for Rathlin Island, including the timescale for implementation and rollout.

Questions to the Minister for Social Development

The UUP’s John McCallister will ask the Minister to outline the steps that she is taking, in conjunction with other Executive Ministers, to tackle social deprivation.

David Simpson (DUP) will ask the Minister to outline the current status of the Travellers' site at Legahory in Craigavon.

Alliance leader David Ford will ask the Minister to outline her plans for developing further integrated housing schemes.

Newry and Armagh MLA Mickey Brady will ask the Minister, in light of the current level of unclaimed pension credit benefit, to detail her plans to ensure that as many people as possible who are entitled to this benefit, receive it.

Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams will ask the Minister to detail the existing funding provided by her department for youth services within Belfast, that will be due to run out in March 2008.

West Tyrone MLA Barry McElduff will ask the Minister what plans she has to develop a more streamlined data-sharing arrangement with the Department of Education, aimed at maximising the uptake of free school meals and other allowances.

Jonathan Craig (Lagan Valley) will ask the Minister to detail the steps that she is taking to recover debts, in relation to the Child Support Agency, that have been outstanding for up to 15 years.

Martina Anderson (Sinn Féin) will ask the Minister to provide a time frame for implementing the recommendations arising from the Positive Steps report into the future of the community sector.

The DUP’s David Hilditch will ask the Minister to detail the discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in relation to the provision of social housing in the Carrickfergus area.

The Alliance Party’s Anna Lo will ask the Minister to detail the steps that she is taking to improve the standard of housing in the Village area of South Belfast.

South Belfast MLA Alex Maskey will ask the Minister to list the specific bids made by her in this year's Budget and in-year monitoring rounds, in relation to the regeneration of the Village area, South Belfast.

Robin Newton (DUP) will ask the Minister to detail the number of applicants for public sector housing from Belfast District 2, and Castlereagh District, who were offered hostel accommodation, due to appropriate housing not being available, in each of the years 2003/2004, 2004/2005 and 2005/2006.

Kieran McCarthy (Strangford) will ask the Minister whether or not the Northern Ireland Housing Executive is planning to review the potential housing needs of older people, in light of demographic changes.

Foyle MLA Mary Bradley will ask the Minister to provide an overview of the report of the expert panel appointed to examine issues of housing affordability.

Trevor Lunn (Alliance) will ask the Minister what plans she has to implement the Semple recommendations on 20% of private developments being social housing.

Sinn Féin’s Claire McGill will ask the Minister for her assessment of the current targets for the eradication of child poverty.

Executive Committee Business

Budget

The Executive will discuss the ‘Further Consideration Stage’ of the Budget Bill proposed by the Minister of Finance and Personnel.

Motions for Debate

Post-Primary Transfer

DUP MLAs Mervyn Storey and Michelle McIlveen together with Trevor Lunn (Alliance) and Ken Robinson (UUP) have proposed a joint motion “That this Assembly notes with concern the lack of clarity in the Minister of Education’s proposals for post-primary transfer; and urges her to bring details of her proposals immediately before the Executive and the Assembly, to ease the concerns of parents, pupils and teachers.”

Adjournment

Housing in North Belfast(Alban Maginness]

Tuesday 26 February 2008

Executive Committee Business

Budget

The Executive will discuss the ‘Final Stage’ of the Budget Bill proposed by the Minister of Finance and Personnel.

Adjournment

Pre-schooleducational provision in the Lagan Valley constituency (Jeffrey Donaldson)

Committee Business

Click here to see full the Assembly Committee Business Diary including times and venues.

Tuesday 26 February 2008

1.30pm - Agriculture and Rural Development Committee

Wednesday 27 February 2008

10.00am - Finance and Personnel Committee
10.30am - Regional Development Committee
10.30am - Employment and Learning Committee
2.00pm - Committee for the OFMDFM