Upcoming at the Assembly 5 November

By Sean Kelly from NICVA

Published on 02 Nov 2007

An overview of upcoming business at the Assembly from 05 November 2007 to 09 November 2007.

Monday 5 November2007

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

The UUP’s Danny Kennedy will ask the Minister to detail the efficiency targets he has set for the health service over the next three years.

Strangford MLA Jim Shannon will ask the Minister what action he is taking to (i) control outbreaks of MRSA in Northern Ireland; and (ii) provide home-care relief for those patients who are unable to return home, as a result of contracting MRSA in hospital.

David McNarry (UUP) will ask the Minister to detail the impact that a reduced budget for his department will have in relation to frontline services and patients. Party colleague John McCallister will later ask a similar question when he requests the Minister to make a statement on the implications for his department, following the publication of the Northern Ireland budget.

Sinn Féin’s Francie Molloy will ask the Minister what plans he has to continue the provision of funding through the Children and Young People's Fund for Home Start schemes in Armagh and Dungannon, in light of the fact that this funding will end in six months.

Patsy McGlone (SDLP) will ask the Minister to detail (i) how much funding has been allocated to treat long-term alcohol addiction; (ii) a breakdown of funding by Health and Social Care Trust, in number and percentage terms; and (iii) the residential inpatient facilities for treating patients with severe alcohol addiction and dependency problems, the capacity of these facilities, and which Trust areas have no such facilities.

Naomi Long (Alliance) will ask the Minister to outline his policy on the admission of people over 65 to hospital, and on their treatment, once they have been admitted.

Strangford MLA Kieran McCarthy will ask the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety what plans he has in place for staff in Health and Social Services Boards, who could be displaced as a result of the Review of Public Administration.

Questions to the Minister for Regional Development

Tom Elliott (UUP) will ask the Minister to give his assessment of the impact on the financial models, upon which the proposals of the Strand One Report of the Independent Water Review Panel are based, if increased affordability tariffs are proposed. Later Mr Elliott’s party colleague Fred Cobain will ask the Minister to confirm that there will be no additional redundancies as a result of proposals for 40% efficiency targets for Northern Ireland Water, as proposed by the Strand One report.

Basil McCrea (UUP) will ask the Minister for his assessment of the impact that future revaluations of domestic rating will have on the newly proposed water bills, while party colleague Leslie Cree will ask the Minister what contact he has had with the Rates Collection Agency in respect of its ability to act as a billing agency for the proposed introduction of water bills; and to outline the likely costs associated with such a development. Also in relation to water charges the Alliance Party’s Anna Lo will ask the Minister to provide an update on his plans for water charges, in light of the Hillyard Report while Sinn Féin’s Daithí McKay will ask the Minister to provide details on the Hillyard Report; and what is his assessment of the views of this report in relation to the introduction of water meters.

Pat Ramsey (SDLP) will ask the Minister what funding bid he has submitted to support the Belfast to Derry/Londonderry rail service while party colleague John Dallat will later ask what action has been taken to source European (TENs) funding for the upgrading of the Belfast to Derry/Londonderry railway.

Questions to the Minister for Social Development

The SDLP’s Thomas Burns will ask the Minister to outline the funding bid she has made to meet the recommendations of the Semple Review.

Paul Butler (Sinn Féin) will ask the Minister to detail what alternative plans her department has developed as a contingency, if it is not fully successful in its bid for £1.1 billion for a new build housing plan, in light of the current budget restraints and the ongoing Comprehensive Spending Review.

Sinn Féin Party leader Gerry Adams will ask the Minister what plans she has to gift-aid the site of the old Andersonstown PSNI station to the local community, for a purpose to be determined through local consultation, led by the West Belfast Partnership Board.

West Tyrone MLA Barry McElduff will ask the Minister to detail her strategy to adequately fund the voluntary and community sector.

Alban Maginness (SDLP) will ask the Minister if she will make a statement regarding the transfer of functions from her department to local government under the Review of Public Administration.

Sinn Féin’s Alex Maskey will ask the Minister what is her assessment of the 2006/07 target to provide 1,400 new build social and affordable housing units; to detail the number actually built; and what plans she has to ensure that the shortfall will not be repeated, and to make up for the shortfall. The DUP’s Sammy Wilson will later ask the Minister what action she is taking to ensure that there is an adequate provision of affordable and social housing in Northern Ireland.

Sinn Féin’s Cathal Boylan will ask the Minister to detail the number of neighbourhood renewal partnership schemes which have constituted voluntary or community groups as the lead partner; and to state whether or not such groups are encouraged to become the lead partner.

Mitchel McLaughlin (Sinn Féin) will ask the Minister what action she will take to ensure that there is continuity of funding for community groups in South Antrim which are approaching the end of the current round of funding allocations.

The SDLP’s Dominic Bradley will ask the Minister for her assessment of the impact of the recently announced 14% increase in Economy 7 charges.

Naomi Long (Alliance) will ask the Minister what plans she has to ensure that new build affordable homes meet the requirements of disabled people.

Motions for Debate

Fisheries Conservancy Board
A cross-party motion has been tabled by the UUP, DUP, Sinn Féin and SDLP MLAs proposing that:

“This Assembly calls on the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to appoint a commissioner, or senior civil servant, to manage the Fisheries Conservancy Board in an effective manner, until legislation is made to provide for his department to take over the running of the Board.”

Tuesday 6 November 2007

Motions for Debate

Teaching Jobs
Dominic Bradley of the SDLP has tabled a motion that:

“This Assembly abhors the fact that there are 3,871 teachers on the substitute roll who have not yet been in full-time permanent employment in teaching; and calls on the Minister of Education to formulate a strategy to bring these teachers into full-time teaching over the next three years.”

Adjournment

‘Homelessness in Foyle’ debate proposed by Martina Anderson (Sinn Féin]

Committee Business

Click here to see full Assembly Committee Business Diary

Tuesday 6 November 2007

11.00am - Assembly and Executive Review Committee
12.30pm - Business Committee
1.30pm - Agriculture & Rural Development Committee
2.00pm - Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee

Wednesday 7 November 2007

10.00am - Finance and Personnel Committee
10.30am - Employment and Learning Committee
10.30am - Regional Development Committee

Thursday 8 November 2007

10.00am - Environment Committee
10.30am - Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee
11.00am - Social Development Committee
2.00pm - Public Accounts Committee
Health, Social Services & Public Safety Committee - Visit to Scotland regarding the inquiry into Suicide