Upcoming at the Assembly - 19 November

Monday 19 November2007

Questions to the Minister for Education

Strangford MLA Kieran McCarthy will ask the Minister to detail the role that her department will play in developing and expanding programmes to educate young people on the dangers of binge drinking and illicit drug use.

Alliance leader David Ford will ask Minister what plans she has to introduce education in comparative religion to all schools in Northern Ireland.

The DUP’s Simon Hamilton will ask the Minister what plans she has to bring forward proposals to replace the 11+ with an alternative form of academic selection. Additional questions on the transfer of children from primary to post-primary education will follow later from Alastair Ross (DUP) and the SDLP’s Dominic Bradley.

Stephen Farry (North Down) will ask the Minister if she will explain why no reference to integrated education was included in the Draft Programme for Government and the associated Public Service Agreements.

Dolores Kelly (SDLP) will ask the Minister what plans she has to develop the new Inclusion and Diversity Service; and to outline whether or not these plans will include a north/south dimension.

The UUP’s Tom Elliott will ask the Minister what plans she has for sectoral representation in the Education and Skills Authority.

Tommy Gallagher (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) will ask the Minister what plans she has to encourage and support cross-border educational exchanges involving schools, youth groups, and teachers.

The Minister will be asked a series of questions on the classroom assistants’ dispute by the UUP’s Danny Kennedy, Leslie Cree and Basil McCrea and by the Alliance party’s Anna Lo.

Questions to the Minister for Environment

DUP MLA, Peter Weir will ask the Minister to detail the opportunities for stakeholder views to be taken on board, prior to conclusions being reached, in relation to the review of the decisions of the Review of Public Administration on the functions that will be transferred to councils. Party colleague Gregory Campbell will ask the Minister to detail the progress that has been made in relation to (a) the number of councils; and (b) the system of governance within the proposed new councils, in light of the decisions of the Review of Public Administration.

John Dallat (SDLP) will ask the Minister what steps she is taking to ensure that driving examiners are trained in sufficient numbers; and are available within reasonable distance, to facilitate the needs of learner drivers with disabilities.

Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Tommy Gallagher will ask the Minister to detail the number of meetings of the All-Ireland Waste Enforcement Network that have been held since 8 May 2007; and to outline whether or not any other meetings are due to take place in 2007.

Alan McFarland (UUP) will ask the Minister what plans she has to issue new guidelines for the transparent operation of the planning process, in relation to national heritage sites, national parks and environmentally sensitive sites.

Carmel Hanna (SDLP) will ask the Minister what is her assessment of the extent of support in Northern Ireland for an independent environmental protection agency. Trevor Lunn (Alliance) will later ask the Minister if she will provide an update on progress in relation to implementing the Northern Ireland Assembly's resolution of 25 September 2007, on the introduction of an independent environmental protection agency. Basil McCrea (UUP) will ask Minister to outline the volume and percentage of work currently undertaken by her department that would be removed if an independent environmental protection agency was established.

The UUP’s Danny Kennedy will ask the Minister for her assessment of whether or not Northern Ireland is prepared to implement European Union Directives on waste, and associated targets, in full.

Sinn Fein’s Gerry McHugh will ask the Minister what action she is taking to (a) encourage households to reduce plastic and other waste material; and (b) encourage retailers to reduce the amount of plastic packaging sold to the public in shops and supermarkets.

Finally, Kieran McCarthy MLA (Strangford), will ask the Minister to make a statement on progress on updating the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985.

Questions to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment

Roy Beggs (UUP) will ask the Minister for his assessment of the Start a Business programme and its contribution to encouraging enterprise.

Michelle McIlveen (DUP) will ask the Minister what plans he has to encourage more women to become involved in business in Northern Ireland. A similar question will follow from the UUP’s Leslie Cree who will ask the Minister what steps he is taking to encourage more women to become involved in setting up their own business.

Lagan Valley MLA, Jonathan Craig will ask the Minister to outline the support that Invest NI is giving to the creative arts industry in Northern Ireland.

Ian McCrea (DUP) will ask the Minister to provide an update on the preparations for the United States of America/Northern Ireland Investment Conference in 2008; and to detail the key objectives of this conference. A similar question will follow later from the Alliance Party’s David Ford.

Allan Bresland (West Tyrone) will ask the Minister what steps he is taking to promote enterprise in areas of higher unemployment and with higher levels of social deprivation.

Motions for Debate

Closure of the Seagate Operation in Limavady
Sinn Fein MLAs Mitchel McLaughlin and Francie Brolly have proposed a joint motion:

‘That this Assembly expresses concern at the impact on the economy, particularly in the north west, of the closure of the Seagate operation in Limavady, with the loss of 900 jobs; and calls on the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to work with the Minister for Employment and Learning to agree a co-ordinated strategy to assist Seagate workers back into employment’.

Irish-Medium Club Bank
DUP MLA’s Michelle McIlveen and Mervyn Storey joint motion:

‘That this Assembly opposes the introduction of a club bank arrangement for establishing Irish-Medium schools in Northern Ireland’, will be voted on without debate.

Tuesday 20 November2007

Motions for Debate

Dangerous Dogs Legislation
Trevor Lunn and Naomi Long of the Alliance Party have proposed a joint motion:

‘That this Assembly calls on the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, in light of recent revelations about dog fighting in Northern Ireland and of attacks by dogs on persons and other dogs in recent years, to review the dangerous dogs legislation with a view to providing enhanced protection in terms of both animal welfare and public safety’.

Smoking Age Increase in Northern Ireland
Jim Shannon (DUP) has proposed a motion:

‘That this Assembly notes the increase in the age restriction on purchasing tobacco that has been implemented in Great Britain; and calls upon the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to implement the same age restriction in Northern Ireland, as a matter of urgency’.

Adjournment

Referral of patients from Daisy Hill hospital to the Regional Acquired Brain Injury Unit, debate proposed by Dominic Bradley (SDLP)

Committee Business

Click here to see full Assembly Committee Business Diary

Tuesday 20 November 2007

• 11.00am - Regional Development Committee
• 1.30pm - Agriculture and Rural Development Committee
• 3.30pm - Education Committee

Wednesday 21 November 2007

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

Thursday 22 November 2007

• 10.30am - Environment Committee
• 10.30am - Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee
• 10.30am - Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee
• 11.00am - Social Development Committee
• 2.30pm - Health, Social Services and Public Safety Committee (Visit to Antrim)

Friday 23 November 2007

• 10.30am - Education Committee
• Health, Social Services and Public Safety Committee