Welfare Reform Bill

Part of Private Members’ Business – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 3:30 am on 23 January 2007.

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Photo of John O'Dowd John O'Dowd Sinn Féin 3:30, 23 January 2007

I will not respond to a point of order if it is not a point of order. As Mr Morrow keeps telling Members, the ruling of the Speaker is final.

Everybody agrees that we need a system that encourages and allows people to return to work. However, that system should not penalise people for being mentally ill, for suffering from a disability or for having a neurological condition. The Welfare Reform Bill that is now passing through the British House of Lords does not have that scope. I welcome the comments of Jim Shannon, who also raised deep concerns about the Bill.

The amendment is, without doubt, well intentioned. There was a mix-up that could have been resolved if we had had a chance to talk to the SDLP beforehand. However, were my party to support the amendment, the words “including neurological patients” would be eradicated from the motion, to be replaced with “especially those people with mental ill health”.

The mental ill-health lobby’s voice has been well heard through the lobbying that has been done this afternoon. Members could include those suffering from mental ill health under “vulnerable groups” in the text of the motion, as we could those with neurological illnesses. I accept that the amendment was made in good faith. However, history will not record it that way. This is one of those cases in which we are damned if we do and damned if we do not. Members will have to see how the vote goes.

(Madam Speaker in the Chair)

Question put, That the amendment be made.

The Assembly divided: Ayes 25; Noes 10.

Ayes

Billy Armstrong, Mary Bradley, Wilson Clyde, Robert Coulter, John Dallat, Diane Dodds, Nigel Dodds, Jeffrey Donaldson, Mark Durkan, Alex Easton, Tom Elliott, Sean Farren, Tommy Gallagher, Derek Hussey, Dolores Kelly, Danny Kennedy, Alban Maginness, Nelson McCausland, Lord Morrow, Ian Paisley Jnr, Edwin Poots, Pat Ramsey, Margaret Ritchie, Jim Shannon, Peter Weir.

Tellers for the Ayes: John Dallat and Margaret Ritchie.

Noes

Francie Brolly, Fra McCann, Barry McElduff, Martin McGuinness, Mitchel McLaughlin, Francie Molloy, John O’Dowd, Sue Ramsey, Caitriona Ruane, Kathy Stanton.

Tellers for the Noes: Fra McCann and Kathy Stanton.

Question accordingly agreed to.

Main Question, as amended, put and agreed to.

Resolved:

That this Assembly expresses deep concern about the implications of the Welfare Reform Bill, particularly the introduction of a new coercive regime into benefit administration, and its impact on a number of vulnerable groups, especially those people with mental ill health.

Adjourned at 4.10 pm.

Annotations

Alix Cull
Posted on 28 Jan 2007 2:30 pm (Report this annotation)

It woud appear that in the U.K. "Education education education" has been ignored. Education includes attitudes to people with disabilities including mental disabilities. Many people with mental illness are unable to read or write. How then, can they be expected to fill in all the incrdible bureaucracy which abounds in the U.K.? They need treatment, care and compassion, and more trained psychaitric staff, with more support for their families.