:00:25. > :00:32.Security matters force their way back onto the Assembly's agenda
:00:33. > :00:35.as MLAs condemn last week's attempt to kill a prison officer in East
:00:36. > :00:38.And Members consider a new and potentially unpopular
:00:39. > :00:41.option in the battle against obesity.
:00:42. > :00:43.So, on the programme tonight: Following recent terrorist activity,
:00:44. > :00:59.It was a despicable murder attempt and thankfully it did not succeed
:01:00. > :01:04.but as the Secretary of State has said we have to be lucky all of the
:01:05. > :01:06.time, the bad people only half to be lucky once.
:01:07. > :01:15.as the Assembly considers a sugar tax.
:01:16. > :01:20.60% of the adult population is overweight or obese.
:01:21. > :01:23.And joining me with his thoughts on today's business is our
:01:24. > :01:28.Political Correspondent, Chris Page.
:01:29. > :01:32.Stormont may be on the verge of being dissolved, with election
:01:33. > :01:35.and referendum campaigns on the horizon - but today the House
:01:36. > :01:41.MLAs from across the chamber condemned the dissident Republican
:01:42. > :01:45.attack on a prison officer in East Belfast last week.
:01:46. > :01:48.Several speakers even referred to members of their family who had
:01:49. > :01:52.The Matter of the Day was brought by the Ulster Unionist Andy Allen,
:01:53. > :01:55.who explained that he knows all too well what the prison officer
:01:56. > :02:19.I myself was at the receiving end of an bomb blast. Let me say to the
:02:20. > :02:23.prison officer there is light at the end of that tunnel. I am living
:02:24. > :02:33.proof. We will not allow these people to take as back to the past.
:02:34. > :02:37.The impact that it has on people's families, the sacrifices that
:02:38. > :02:44.thousands of families have made over the past number of decades, checking
:02:45. > :02:49.under your car, not able to drive on certain roads, having to avoid
:02:50. > :02:56.certain areas in Northern Ireland. That was normal to me. When I look
:02:57. > :03:00.back it was far from normal. We need to send a clear message to those who
:03:01. > :03:06.launched this attack. They have little or no support within the
:03:07. > :03:10.community. There is no place for this type of attack. We have to send
:03:11. > :03:15.a clear message that this Assembly and all the particle parties,
:03:16. > :03:21.whatever disputes or issues that needs to be resolved, they will be
:03:22. > :03:25.done by peaceful and democratic means. The people who carried out
:03:26. > :03:35.this attack did so with a mix of insanity and vanity and are
:03:36. > :03:39.deploying a failed strategy. People of my generation and generations to
:03:40. > :03:43.come wants to move on. They are fed up with this nonsense. These people
:03:44. > :03:48.who think they can drag us back to the past while at the same time
:03:49. > :03:53.talking about the future. I met the officer concerned if months ago. He
:03:54. > :03:57.is an officer who has a certificate number of years service. He is
:03:58. > :04:09.playing a key part in the prison service. He is also somebody active
:04:10. > :04:13.in the community. He is the kind of citizen that this society needs. He
:04:14. > :04:19.is the kind of person who is a benefit to the public service as
:04:20. > :04:26.well as to the wider community. He had no reason to be attacked. It is
:04:27. > :04:34.often forgotten that prison officers continue to be on the front line
:04:35. > :04:39.because there continues to be a concerted deliberate driven campaign
:04:40. > :04:52.to try and retake control of the prisons. And it is modelled upon and
:04:53. > :04:56.build upon the template of the past. I was the daughter of a prison
:04:57. > :05:18.officer. We had full splits in our lives. It was a real threat. That
:05:19. > :05:22.was normality for my family. That was 15 years ago. That is sad to
:05:23. > :05:25.think that in 2016 we are still faced with that type of threat.
:05:26. > :05:28.Claire Sugden, not alone in having a very personal reaction to last
:05:29. > :05:32.And both that terrorist attack and the arms find near Larne came up
:05:33. > :05:35.during the final Question Time of the mandate for the First
:05:36. > :05:39.Arlene Foster called on the public to be vigilant and pass any
:05:40. > :05:41.information they might have on to the police.
:05:42. > :05:43.She also expressed concern over the suggestion that the Easter 1916
:05:44. > :05:51.anniversary could be a motivation for more attacks.
:05:52. > :05:59.Does the First Minister accept that it is a badge of dishonour and shame
:06:00. > :06:09.on her administration and these institutions that the definition of
:06:10. > :06:14.victim continues to include victim makers? Can she tell as a
:06:15. > :06:24.consequence of that definition... The member will resume his seat.
:06:25. > :06:30.Resume your seat. I would expect ministers to
:06:31. > :06:33.remember, one question at a time. Zero prisoners groups have had
:06:34. > :06:41.victim 's funding. That is the first thing to say. The second thing to
:06:42. > :06:45.say is that it was my party that tried to change the definition of
:06:46. > :06:49.the victim. It is this party that wants to do that. There are others
:06:50. > :06:55.in this House that do not want to see that happen. We will continue to
:06:56. > :06:58.try and bring forward legislation in the next mandates to deal with that
:06:59. > :07:03.matter but we need others to join with us to do that. That is the
:07:04. > :07:11.reality. The victims definition was set before devolution. That is
:07:12. > :07:16.something that is not tall to people and we have to deal with that
:07:17. > :07:21.reality. I am not dealing with fantasy politics. I want to take
:07:22. > :07:26.this opportunity, when he has made reference to European victims day,
:07:27. > :07:32.to say how much I condemn the attack on the prison officer last weekend.
:07:33. > :07:37.It was a despicable murder attempt and thankfully it did not succeed.
:07:38. > :07:43.But as the Secretary of State has said we have to be lucky all of the
:07:44. > :07:49.time, the bad people only have two be lucky once. I call upon,
:07:50. > :07:54.particularly given the activities in Larne at the weekend, I call upon
:07:55. > :08:05.the public to be vigilant. I member of the public who brought the arms
:08:06. > :08:08.cache to the attention of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and we
:08:09. > :08:12.must make sure that the entire public gives their support to the
:08:13. > :08:15.Police Service of Northern Ireland oscillatory can bring these people
:08:16. > :08:17.to justice and make sure that Northern Ireland continues on a
:08:18. > :08:24.positive and productive journey to the future. What Ash... Will the
:08:25. > :08:36.First Minister give that actions by the security forces will be taken to
:08:37. > :08:38.thwart receptivity? We were all very concerned to hear the assessment
:08:39. > :08:41.from the assistants Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer do it in and around the
:08:42. > :08:49.southern and Republicans and the fact that they were going to use
:08:50. > :08:57.Easter 1916 as an excuse to perpetrate violence and mayhem. I
:08:58. > :09:02.absolutely believe that we as politicians need to give strong
:09:03. > :09:06.leadership. We need to say it is not acceptable and reject it. We have to
:09:07. > :09:10.support the Police Service of Northern Ireland so that they can
:09:11. > :09:16.bring these people to justice. That is why although the find as Larne
:09:17. > :09:19.was disturbing the fact that we could find it as I could thing.
:09:20. > :09:37.Security issues work to the forefront. Yes, a 52-year-old prison
:09:38. > :09:48.officer injured when a bomb exploded and in vehicle he was driving. For
:09:49. > :09:54.all the talk about MLAs disagreeing, this is an issue where they are at
:09:55. > :10:00.one. Nobody in the chamber would dissent from what was said today.
:10:01. > :10:06.Nobody would refuse to condemn it. It is significant that on the first
:10:07. > :10:10.day that there was a first Assembly session after that attack the first
:10:11. > :10:13.item was that debate in which Assembly members were given an
:10:14. > :10:17.opportunity to express their views on what happened.
:10:18. > :10:20.It was interesting to see one MLA speaking as the victim of a similar
:10:21. > :10:23.blast and to speaking as the children of prison officers stopped
:10:24. > :10:34.that right. The Independent MLA is the daughter
:10:35. > :10:39.of a prison officer. Another MLA is the son of a prison officer. A
:10:40. > :10:43.reminder that so many MLAs have been affected directly by the Troubles.
:10:44. > :10:59.Then we heard about the MLA affected by another conflict. And he was so
:11:00. > :11:04.badly injured by a blast that he is a wheelchair user.
:11:05. > :11:08.A Health Bill which proposes to ban smoking in cars carrying children
:11:09. > :11:10.has been making its way through the House -
:11:11. > :11:13.but it also calls for a study to be carried out by the department
:11:14. > :11:15.investigating the possibility of introducing a levy
:11:16. > :11:31.Diet is linked to diabetes and cancer. We are aware of the health
:11:32. > :11:38.risks associated with high levels of sustained sugar intake. The average
:11:39. > :11:43.intake amongst school-aged children and teenagers is almost three times
:11:44. > :11:47.higher than the new 5% maximum recommended level and around twice
:11:48. > :11:52.the maximum recommended level in adults. In terms of people being
:11:53. > :12:00.overweight and obese, 60% of the adults published as obese or
:12:01. > :12:12.overweight. 28% of children and young big are overweight or obese.
:12:13. > :12:18.GP costs. Descriptions, costs are 92 million per year. There is a clear
:12:19. > :12:22.area of concern in relation to strain on the service. It is
:12:23. > :12:28.important to reflect that sugary soft drink 's are of particular
:12:29. > :12:35.concern. But it does need to be part of a broader strategy. This
:12:36. > :12:41.Amendment was recognition of that. This is not the panacea to all of
:12:42. > :12:45.our issues but it is a positive public health initiative. Obesity is
:12:46. > :12:48.the epidemic of the 21st-century. The STL P believes that this chamber
:12:49. > :12:52.should do all within its powers to prevent it from a cunning in the
:12:53. > :13:08.first place. With regard to the amendments there are a number of
:13:09. > :13:16.issues. A number of questions for the Minister. Will this be an
:13:17. > :13:23.academic piece of literature? In his remarks he referred to a robust
:13:24. > :13:27.study. When does a robust study not become a consultation? The Minister
:13:28. > :13:34.and the officials have decided a public consultation is not
:13:35. > :13:37.necessary. That is disappointing. Given how little value many
:13:38. > :13:43.executive departments actually give to consultations the outcome will be
:13:44. > :13:47.little changed. At this stage rather than only have a consultation for
:13:48. > :13:52.the sake of consultation I will give the park and the benefit of the
:13:53. > :13:57.doubt with this study exercise. It is my hope that this report, aside
:13:58. > :14:00.from being expert led and ambitious in its thinking, will still test
:14:01. > :14:07.public opinion on the introduction of a levy. It is taking the time to
:14:08. > :14:13.examine the issue properly that is at the heart of the issue before us.
:14:14. > :14:18.Beth the results are positive my Department or the Assembly could
:14:19. > :14:22.then move towards a consultation on what specifically to do in respect
:14:23. > :14:26.of this issue of a levy or a tax on sugar sweetened jinx.
:14:27. > :14:28.Road safety took centre stage at today's questions
:14:29. > :14:31.The Road Traffic Amendment Bill was completed in January
:14:32. > :14:37.Mark H Durkan was keen to outline the need for the legislation.
:14:38. > :14:44.In terms of drink-driving, the bill makes provision for two new lower
:14:45. > :14:48.drink-drive limit and also increases speed limits have been stopped and
:14:49. > :14:52.tested by the police. A consultation paper is due to be issued this
:14:53. > :14:57.month, this will contain proposals to introduce a set of five statutory
:14:58. > :15:01.rules that are needed to bring the new drink-driving meshes into
:15:02. > :15:04.operation. I am compliment that with the continued support of my brief
:15:05. > :15:10.safety partners, the new drink-driving regime will be
:15:11. > :15:13.invented for the end of 2016. In relation to graduated driving
:15:14. > :15:20.licensing, the obligation is to make sure the drivers are skilled over
:15:21. > :15:24.time in lower risk environments. The bill provides for a minimum six
:15:25. > :15:28.months learning period and introduction of training to be
:15:29. > :15:34.evidenced by a logbook. It removes the current 45 mph restriction for
:15:35. > :15:37.learner drivers and also introduce a passenger restriction for new young
:15:38. > :15:41.drivers for the first six months after they have passed their test.
:15:42. > :15:44.Right away, we have been in contact with the approved driving
:15:45. > :15:49.instructors, they are going to be talking to people about this from
:15:50. > :15:55.the very first driving lesson, it will also be public information to
:15:56. > :16:00.support's is as important parents know this before their children out
:16:01. > :16:05.driving and the responsibility that children have in terms of what
:16:06. > :16:08.passengers making curry and when. I also launched two new campaigns
:16:09. > :16:13.later this month, the first addressing mobile phone use when
:16:14. > :16:16.driving and the second, young driver distraction, particularly when
:16:17. > :16:24.carrying passengers. The Minister may be aware where other corner of a
:16:25. > :16:30.road which has been the scene of five territories of young in recent
:16:31. > :16:44.years. That corner was removed from the scheme years ago, will you see
:16:45. > :16:48.this scheme expedited? I thank the member for that question. That truly
:16:49. > :16:54.is a frightening and shocking statistic and certainly as an
:16:55. > :16:56.elected representative, never mind is Minister for responsibility of
:16:57. > :17:01.road safety, I will work with you and everyone to address what is
:17:02. > :17:07.clearly an issue at that precise location. On the record take in this
:17:08. > :17:12.chamber before, speaking of concern that I have had about I suppose the
:17:13. > :17:17.restructuring of the Government departments and where I foresee
:17:18. > :17:25.potential problems in that growth but there are also opportunities
:17:26. > :17:32.which will actually subsume the road safety element so you have people
:17:33. > :17:36.within the same department who are responsible for brief safety and
:17:37. > :17:43.those who are responsible for the road network. Can I ask the Minister
:17:44. > :17:47.to outline what actions the department has taken to take action
:17:48. > :17:55.against defective headlight switch may decrease accidents on rural
:17:56. > :17:58.roads? Of the department does have responsibility for brief safety and
:17:59. > :18:03.it does have response rate to ensure the roadworthiness of vehicles which
:18:04. > :18:09.is the cause and factor in many collisions Honorius through the MOT,
:18:10. > :18:13.we do check the headlights on vehicles, that is one of the most
:18:14. > :18:17.important aspects of the tests add any found to be faulty ball be
:18:18. > :18:22.There's plenty of last minute legislation making a final dash
:18:23. > :18:25.through the Assembly and today it was the turn of the Education
:18:26. > :18:27.It's reached Further Consideration Stage,
:18:28. > :18:30.and John O'Dowd was keen to point out the important work that's been
:18:31. > :18:39.This bill recognises outmost where schools already treat this issue
:18:40. > :18:47.very seriously, believing in schools remains a problem. There are
:18:48. > :18:51.edited... The consistency of which all schools stick to address the
:18:52. > :18:54.problem. The framework which it will provide will give all schools
:18:55. > :18:59.Beatles and management and information they require to monitor
:19:00. > :19:07.their own performance, identify issues at an early stage. The duties
:19:08. > :19:10.that are introduce reflect this practice, endorses those system and
:19:11. > :19:14.practices that they already have in place. We always hear that
:19:15. > :19:19.schooldays are the best days of our lives and we want all our children
:19:20. > :19:24.to be happy at school. Because it is within that environment that our
:19:25. > :19:28.children but the mac achieve their potential with no fear of bullying.
:19:29. > :19:36.If there is billing, we want to deal with that. -- bullying. During the
:19:37. > :19:45.consideration stage of this bill, the end this's assembly agreed...
:19:46. > :19:51.With the amendments, that have been made since, the bill has been made
:19:52. > :19:55.better. In terms of BTM edits today, the community has not taken any form
:19:56. > :20:01.of view, the Minister has indicated that either they aren't of technical
:20:02. > :20:06.nature or largely don't alter the bill's content. I suppose from that
:20:07. > :20:12.point of view, members will want to view the contributions to decide
:20:13. > :20:15.accordingly. A brief description of the incidents should be included in
:20:16. > :20:22.the guidelines that the Minister and his team will draw up afterwards and
:20:23. > :20:26.they certainly when ever is someone draws or drill down into any
:20:27. > :20:29.information of the incident, they will be able to understand what has
:20:30. > :20:34.happened from the beginning to the end. I think on the face of it we do
:20:35. > :20:38.need to include the method. It is like in including an additional
:20:39. > :20:43.column of analysis and you can see physical, verbal, cyber bullying
:20:44. > :20:48.throughout that and in my mind, it makes for better and analysis. I'd
:20:49. > :20:53.like to thank all of those who have contributed to today's debate and
:20:54. > :20:58.the positive engagement in such a timely manner. The Dell is a
:20:59. > :21:02.positive step forward to improve schools abilities to tackle the
:21:03. > :21:08.problems as rigorously and effectively as they can. To ensure
:21:09. > :21:10.more children are protected from the damage that bullying can cause.
:21:11. > :21:13.John O'Dowd striking a positive note on plans to tackle bullying.
:21:14. > :21:15.The South Belfast MP, Alasdair McDonnell, has walked out
:21:16. > :21:17.of a Parliamentary committee meeting, taking exception
:21:18. > :21:19.to a contribution from the Labour MP, Kate Hoey.
:21:20. > :21:21.The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee was at Stormont hearing
:21:22. > :21:24.evidence about how a UK exit from the European Union could affect
:21:25. > :21:29.First though, Lady Sylvia Hermon asked the DUP MP, Gavin Robinson,
:21:30. > :21:31.what impact a vote to leave could have on the border
:21:32. > :21:44.The United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland already have border
:21:45. > :21:50.arrangements of cooperation. We both look after one another and were
:21:51. > :21:55.quite closely out of what is the unified European Union border
:21:56. > :22:00.process, that is the first thing to say. I think this is demonstrated by
:22:01. > :22:04.the evidence that we have that they are scared of us leaving because
:22:05. > :22:10.they will lose their big friend in Europe. You don't expect there to be
:22:11. > :22:19.any change along the border to while policing arrangements? I say this,
:22:20. > :22:25.it's not that I foresee any change our party takes it pretty ill with
:22:26. > :22:29.the fear concerns around border operations, border post, like when
:22:30. > :22:35.they've had a common travel area before the European Union and they
:22:36. > :22:39.take it pretty ill for those who suggest that Northern Ireland will
:22:40. > :22:42.descend back into violence should we not benefit from a continued
:22:43. > :22:47.relationship with the European Union. I think that touches to a
:22:48. > :22:51.base level in politics other level are concerned and fear that is not
:22:52. > :22:59.suitable and nor is it of a credit to anyone who should raise it. I'm
:23:00. > :23:04.not suggesting that you were... The three levels of relationship that
:23:05. > :23:06.when trying within the good Friday agreement, relationships within
:23:07. > :23:12.Ireland, relationships between Northern Ireland and the south and
:23:13. > :23:15.the relations at an east-west basis, that was the brainchild of John Hume
:23:16. > :23:20.who took his inspiration from the European Union and who understood...
:23:21. > :23:31.You might laugh but that is what happened. I'm laughing at John Hume,
:23:32. > :23:38.did a good job. Order, order. You have to control that member. Order,
:23:39. > :23:45.order. That is not acceptable. That is the second time today. I think
:23:46. > :23:50.John Hume played an amazing part in that, my point was in terms of the
:23:51. > :23:55.EU relationship. The EU understood and if you look at the peace lilies
:23:56. > :24:01.I've come here, that was the result of a direct understanding of relish
:24:02. > :24:12.chip. Because of people like John Hume, and other people, all those
:24:13. > :24:15.people who contributed that but the context, the political context of
:24:16. > :24:20.that has been within the European Union. Of course the McCanns were
:24:21. > :24:26.very helpful who brought the Americans on board. Within the
:24:27. > :24:33.European Union, to nation states, the British Government and the Irish
:24:34. > :24:33.Government and I think it is quite obvious.
:24:34. > :24:36.The SDLP leader, Colum Eastwood, and Chris Page is here
:24:37. > :24:48.And all expected ten of events when Alasdair McDonnell walked out of
:24:49. > :24:54.that meeting. Up until that point, it looks like a fairly routine
:24:55. > :24:58.committee hearing. All part of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee,
:24:59. > :25:02.the enquiry into the that the debate of the European Union for Northern
:25:03. > :25:07.Ireland. They are holding most of the debate in the house is up
:25:08. > :25:09.Parliament in London but they are here at the moment. Alasdair
:25:10. > :25:14.McDonnell took exception to something that Kate Perry said, the
:25:15. > :25:18.origins of the peace process and left. Kate Hoey clarified that she
:25:19. > :25:25.had been laughing and then the committee continued to question the
:25:26. > :25:29.witness. Do we know anything more that was behind Alasdair McDonnell's
:25:30. > :25:33.decision to walk out? He referred that is being the second time,
:25:34. > :25:39.whether it was the second time that Kate Hoey had annoyed or irritated
:25:40. > :25:42.him? Judging what he had said on the way out he did feel that previously
:25:43. > :25:47.in that committee hearing Kate Hoey had said something that he didn't
:25:48. > :25:50.like. He said to the community chairman, Laurence Robertson, that
:25:51. > :25:58.he should control that member, that member being Kate Hoey. He said what
:25:59. > :26:05.she had said was not acceptable so clearly Alasdair McDonnell was
:26:06. > :26:13.upset, Kate Hoey didn't feel she had done anything wrong. Let's talk
:26:14. > :26:16.about Jim Wells. He got the DUP nomination in self-doubt after much
:26:17. > :26:21.speculative about whether he would or would not. What you surprise?
:26:22. > :26:25.There had been discussion about whether Jim Wells would come back as
:26:26. > :26:26.the DUP candidate in self-doubt after what happened to him last
:26:27. > :26:39.year. -- herself down. He maintained all the way through
:26:40. > :26:43.but he doesn't feel he has done anything particularly wrong, he was
:26:44. > :26:47.looking to get back into the assembly after the May elections, he
:26:48. > :26:51.wants to standard again, he now houses which, the DUP have announced
:26:52. > :26:54.today all 44 of their election candidates and he is one of them.
:26:55. > :27:04.The other question would be what the DUP with doings East Belfast, Sammy
:27:05. > :27:10.Douglas is running there again. We now know the answer, it is Joanne
:27:11. > :27:19.bunting, she was a counsellor, she was on the Council for 11 years, the
:27:20. > :27:30.DUP regard her as a very good pick. In fact, the partly with third --
:27:31. > :27:34.would feel they are gearing up very well for the selection also in about
:27:35. > :27:39.two months' time and it has all become clear. The speakers are
:27:40. > :27:46.holding a women in politics bentonite. Some pretty strong words
:27:47. > :27:51.tonight, he said the unrepresented sheen women in assembly is
:27:52. > :27:54.indefensible. He is calling on the next assembly to try and approve
:27:55. > :27:58.that. He is stepping down in the next couple of weeks.
:27:59. > :28:03.Join me again at the same time tomorrow night -