Upcoming at the Assembly - 04 February

Monday 4 February 2008

Questions to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister

DUP MLA Alex Easton will ask the Minister to provide details about their recent trip to Brussels.

Trevor Lunn (Alliance) will ask the Minister what plans OFMDFM has to introduce Freedom of Information legislation that is specific to Northern Ireland. An additional question on the Freedom of Information legislation will follow later from DUP MLA George Robinson.

Upper Bann MLA David Simpson will ask the Minister to outline the work his Office has carried out in relation to child protection and welfare.

David Burnside (UUP) will ask the Minister what discussions his Office has had with the Eames/Bradley Consultative Group on the Past.

Strangford MLA Simon Hamilton will ask the Minister to confirm whether or not sufficient funding has been made available for victims and survivors.

The DUP’s Mervyn Storey will ask the Minister to detail the work it has undertaken with the Minister of Education further to her announcement to the Assembly on 4 December 2007 in relation to post-primary transfer.

Newry and Armagh MLA Mickey Brady will ask Minister what plans his Office has to engage all relevant stakeholders when assessing the case for an independent Commissioner for Older People. The DUP’s Jim Shannon will later ask the Minister to provide a timescale for the appointment of a Commissioner for Older People.

Alex Attwood (SDLP) will ask the Minister to confirm how and when his Office was advised of the decision by United Kingdom Ministers to implement the EU Gender Goods and Services Directive; and to outline the reasons that were advanced for this course of action.

Sinn Féin’s Claire McGill will ask the Minister what consideration his Office has given to emulating the strategy devised by the governments of Denmark and Finland in relation to reducing child poverty.

Naomi Long (East Belfast) will the Minister to detail the steps his Office has taken, since the Assembly debates on the draft Programme for Government and the draft Budget, in developing a policy on A Shared Future. Later party colleague Sean Neeson will ask the Minister to detail the current status of the document 'A Shared Future - Policy and Strategic Framework for Good Relations in Northern Ireland'.

The Alliance Party’s Anna Lo will ask the Minister to detail what steps his Office is taking to influence the outcome of asylum cases being dealt with by the United Kingdom Home Office, that directly affect people living in Northern Ireland.

Michelle McIlveen (DUP) will ask the Minister to provide a timescale for the re-establishment of the Ministerial sub-committee on children.

Questions to the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development

Dominic Bradley (SDLP) will ask the Minister to detail (i) the commencement date and (ii) proposed timetable, for the delivery of the £500 million Rural Development Programme Fund. Later Sinn Féin MLA Cathal Boylan will ask the Minister to provide an update on the latest views of the oversight committee in relation to the establishment of delivery mechanisms for the new Rural Development Programme.

South Antrim MLA Mitchel McLaughlin will ask the Minister to detail the implications for her department of the Budget.

Simon Hamilton (Strangford) will ask the Minister to detail the financial assistance she will provide to the fishing industry following the outcome of the recent EU Fisheries Council.

The SDLP’s P J Bradley will ask the Minister to detail her department's policy in relation to the growing of genetically modified agricultural crops.

UUP MLA Billy Armstrong will ask the Minister to detail the criteria used in deciding to dispose of Forest Service land at Pomeroy, to facilitate a proposal by Pomeroy Community Development Limited.

Questions to the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure

Alex Attwood (SDLP) will ask the Minister to outline how much money is available in the draft Budget for investment in community sports facilities.

Declan O'Loan (North Antrim) will ask the Minister to outline the implications of the draft Budget in relation to the ability of Northern Ireland to compete in the creative industries market.

Daithí McKay (Sinn Féin) will ask the Minister to detail the financial support, including capital funding, that is available from his department in relation to development proposals brought forward by sporting clubs.

West Tyrone MLA Pat Doherty will ask the Minister to detail the work of the (i) Gaelic Athletic Association; (ii) Irish Rugby Football Union; and (iii) Irish Football Association; in promoting physical health, wellness and lifestyle initiatives.

Sam Gardiner (UUP) will ask the Minister to detail the micro businesses that have been developed as a result of the Unlocking Creativity Initiative in the past three years. Later party colleague Ken Robinson will ask the Minister to detail the educational attainment outputs that have resulted from the Unlocking Creativity Initiative in the past three years.

Mickey Brady (Newry and Armagh) will ask the Minister to report on the One Book Project that is being promoted by the Library Service.

Lagan Valley MLA Paul Butler will ask the Minister to detail the basis for the funding he is proposing to give the Belfast Festival at Queen’s over the next three years.

DUP MLA Jim Shannon will ask the Minister to detail the financial assistance he has provided to the Northern Ireland Music Industry Commission in the last three years.

Motions for debate

Committee Business - Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the draft Sexual Offences (Northern Ireland) Order 2007

The Chairperson of the Ad Hoc Committee on the draft Sexual Offences has proposed a motion “That the Report of the Ad Hoc Committee set up to consider the draft Sexual Offences (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 should be submitted to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland as a Report of the Northern Ireland Assembly.”

Tuesday 5 February 2008

Executive Committee Business

The Executive will discuss the Final Stage of the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill (NIA 2/07)

Private Members’ Business

Youth Services Budget

The DUP’s Sammy Wilson has proposed a motion: “That this Assembly expresses its concern at the 8% reduction of the Youth Services budget for the year 2008/2009; calls on the Minister of Education to redirect resources from within her budget to make good the cuts which she has proposed in the draft Education budget; and believes that Youth Services would have greater long-term security with local councils after the Review of Public Administration.”

Exploitation of Migrant Labour and Human Trafficking

Dolores Kelly has proposed a motion: “That this Assembly expresses concern at the exploitation of migrant labour and the growth of human trafficking; and calls for the ratification of the 1990 United Nations Migrant Rights Convention and the 2005 Council of Europe Convention on Action against the Trafficking in Human Beings.”

Adjournment

‘Post-primary education in County Fermanagh’ (Lord Morrow)

Committee Business

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

Tuesday 5 February 2008

1.30pm - Agriculture and Rural Development Committee

Wednesday 6 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

Thursday 7 February 2008

10.30am - Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee
10.30am - Environment Committee
10.30am - Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee
10.30am - Social Development Committee
2.30pm - Health, Social Services and Public Safety Committee

Friday 8 February 2008

10.30am - Education Committee