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Live Reporting

Iain McDowell and Erinn Kerr

All times stated are UK

  1. Goodnight

    After that passionate adjournment debate, the assembly is adjourned and our Stormont Live coverage for the day comes to an end.

    Parliament Buildings at Stormont

    But we'll be back tomorrow morning, with the first and deputy first ministers appearing before the Executive Office Committee, so please do join us then.

    Goodnight for now!

  2. 'More painful cuts coming unless radical change is made'

    Education Minister Peter Weir rises to respond to the appeals from MLAs, and he acknowledges that children benefit greatly from their visits to outdoor centres, and he says there would be "major implications" if the proposed closures go ahead.

    But he says that it all boils down to funding, and the education budget is "£52m down on what it was previously".

    Child

    Therefore the "room for manoeuvre" for him and the Education Authority is "not as wide" as it was in the past, and the pressures will keep coming in the next financial year, he adds.

    "Unless there's a very radical change, there will be other cuts that will have to be made, which are more painful, which are more politically difficult for this house than the outdoor centres," he says.

    Ultimately, he says, the decision lies with the Education Authority board and he urges MLAs to come up with an workable alternative for the centres.

  3. 'Outdoor centres have wide-catchment area'

    The Green Party's Steven Agnew says this evening's debate has shown that it is not only South Down that will be affected by the closure of outdoor education centres, if they go ahead.

    Pointing to the fact that MLAs from Antrim, Belfast and elsewhere have spoken on the matter, he says: "These places have a wide catchment area."

    Delamont

    Sinn Féin's Chris Hazzard says that in his five years in the assembly he has never seen so many MLAs in the chamber for an adjournment debate.

    He says an "appropriate way forward" needs to be found that matches the needs of the children who use the centres and the budget pressures the education department faces.

  4. 'Axeing outdoor centres all about cost-cutting'

    Alliance Party MLA Chris Lyttle, the deputy-chair of the Education Committee, also speaks in favour of keeping the centres open.

    A girl climbing a wall

    He says it has become clear that the proposed closures are "more about cost-cutting than improving education provision", and there is "shock" that busy and "exciting" centres are being earmarked for the axe.

    DUP MLA Carla Lockhart says the centres are "fabulous", but she adds that Northern Ireland is going through "changing times" and there is "no bottomless pot of money".

  5. 'Children's positive experience can't be measured'

    SDLP MLA Sinead Bradley asks the minister to put the proposals on a pause, saying that the centres are popular for good reason.

    Proposals to close these centres "contradict" the proposals in the executive's programme for government, she adds.

    Children

    "How do we measure the added confidence that these young people get from visiting these centres?" she asks.

    DUP MLA William Humphrey warns MLAs that the closure proposals have not come from the minister, but have instead been made by the Education Authority.

    He says the education budgets is "not infinite".

  6. 'Minister shouldn't pass buck over centres' closures'

    Sinn Féin's Caitríona Ruane supports the outdoor education centres and says she has seen "first-hand the good work that they're doing".

    Outdoor centre

    The South Down MLA hopes Education Minister Peter Weir will "take his own mind" over the closures, and asks him "not to pass the buck", adding that he has a "substantial budget" that he could use to keep them open.

    Ulster Unionist MLA Harold McKee, another representative of the constituency, says the cost of keeping the centres open "far outweighs" any benefits of closing them.

  7. 'Closing outdoor education centres a potential tragedy'

    Today's adjournment debate focuses on the South Down constituency and the Education Authority's recent proposals to close outdoor education centres.

    Its proposer is SDLP MLA Colin McGrath, who says it would be "a loss and a tragedy" if the centres are forced to shut their doors.

    Outdoor education centre

    He asks why would cuts be made to something that creates a space for young people to learn "communication skills, team work and life skills".

    He claims that during the consultation process, the occupancy of the centres was compared against buildings in the hotel business, and he adds that the decision has been made for "all the wrong reasons".

    "I can almost hear the judicial reviews warming up now," he said.

  8. 'Motion brought forward on behalf of everyone'

    The DUP motion is wound up by Paula Bradley, who says she brought it forward "on behalf of everyone, no matter what their gender or sexuality, because I believe stigma has to be reduced".

    She has an emotional, personal connection to the issue, saying the disease affects someone she loves, who was diagnosed 10 years ago.

    Paula Bradley

    She hopes the story to come out of the debate will be a "positive" one rather than focusing on Mr McCann's "altercation" with Mr Clarke.

    Ms Bradley giver her support to the Alliance Party amendment, which is passed on an oral vote, and the amended DUP motion is also backed without opposition by MLAs.

  9. 'DUP breaking new ground with HIV motion'

    Wrapping up the Alliance Party amendment to the motion, Trevor Lunn says it is "about making a clear statement that people with HIV will not be disadvantaged compared to elsewhere in the UK".

    Red ribbon

    The costs of introducing the HIV drug known as prep appear to be relatively low, he adds.

    He gives credit to the DUP, saying that the party is "breaking new ground" by proposing its motion, and he congratulates Mr Clarke on his "very personal speech".

  10. 'Fear of stigma creates barriers to healthcare'

    Heath Minister Michelle O'Neill responds to the debate that she say is "long overdue".

    "For me, this is an equality issue and respect has to be at the heart of how we do our business here," she tells members.

    Pills

    Fear of stigma and marginalisation can "create barriers" for those with HIV to go for health tests, the minister says, and it is therefore essential to "empower people to access support".

    The minister says DUP MLA Trevor Clarke's admission that he did not know until recently that men could get contract HIV is a positive sign of a society moving forward.

    She says she is considering how funding could support voluntary groups helping people with HIV, and she is open to looking at a sexual health strategy.

  11. 'Everyone exists on the spectrum of sexuality'

    People Before Profit's Eamon McCann says that to suggest that members should support the motion on HIV because the disease affects heterosexual people, is "in itself homophobic".

    He accuses DUP MLA Trevor Clarke of "unconscious homophobia" after he admitted to only recently discovering that heterosexuals can get HIV.

    An LGBT rainbow flag

    The Foyle MLA goes on to say that "everyone exists on the spectrum of sexuality" and added that he would have kissed more men if it was not for the "stubble factor".

    Green Party MLA Clare Bailey says that unfortunately some people who suffer from HIV are "fearful" of disclosing their condition to their friends, family or healthcare professionals in case of receiving differential treatment.

    That, she says, is what makes the condition so "unique".

  12. 'Let's keep HIV awareness on the agenda'

    SDLP MLA Claire Hanna says she hopes the DUP's proposal of the motion marks a change in approach by all parties to HIV and other issues faced by the LGBT community.

    Claire Hanna

    She says World Aids Day on Thursday gives the opportunity to "revisit the facts" around the disease, particularly around how it is transmitted.

    "This is our opportunity to keep HIV and Aids education, awareness and treatment on the agenda, publicly and politically," she adds.

  13. 'Gay people denied most basic human rights'

    People Before Profit's Gerry Carroll says that to tackle HIV there is a need to address homophobia, because men who have sex with men are disproportionately affected by the disease.

    He says it is a "growing problem" that needs to be addressed.

    Child threatening another child

    Mr Carroll says while gay people in Northern Ireland do not have the same rights to marry and express their sexuality as heterosexual couples they will remain "marginalised" and "denied the most basic human rights".

    "It's important that we have these conversations here and fight against the stigma which stops these conversations happening on the ground," he says.

  14. 'Safe sex and clean needle use must be promoted'

    Returning to the debate on HIV, Sinn Féin's Pat Sheehan points out that the narrative that it is a disease only affecting gay men is a "myth".

    Needles

    Safe sex and care around using needles should be promoted, he says, and he praises groups like Positive Life in the work they do against the disease.

    He says he supports both the DUP motion and the Alliance Party motion.

  15. 'Record number of private members' bills proposed'

    A record 21 proposals for private members' bills have been tabled at the assembly since the start of the mandate in May, Assembly Commission member Alex Maskey tells MLAs.

    Paper

    Due to the demand, an extra £155,000 has been made available to recruit additional staff at the assembly's bill office to support work on private members' bills, he adds.

    Earlier this year, the speaker suspended the submission of private members' bills due to the workload the bill office was facing.

  16. 'Women want to be appointed on merit, not quotas'

    Staffing at the assembly is raised by Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly, who asks about its gender action plan.

    Assembly Commission member Jim Wells points out that two of the five senior posts at the assembly, including the role of chief executive, are held by women - a year ago there was none.

    Gender

    "The ultimate aim of the plan is to ensure we do have gender balance at the assembly," Mr Wells says, and he says, but it will be skewed by the mostly male security staff.

    Green Party MLA Claire Bailey asks whether gender quotas could be deployed in the employment of staff.

    But Mr Wells disagrees, saying: "Many of the female members of staff in this building would like to think they've been appointed entirely on merit rather than because of quotas."

  17. Question Time for Assembly Commission

    Stormont

    Members of the Assembly Commission are now taking question from MLAs.

  18. 'Body cameras could deter attacks on prison staff'

    Prison officers could be given cameras to wear to help prevent attacks on them, the justice minister says.

    Responding to a question from the DUP's Alex Easton, she says there have been 58 attacks on staff up to October this year.

    A policeman wearing a body camera

    Body-worn cameras have recently been trialled in prisons' care and supervision units, she adds. Police officers in Northern Ireland started wearing the devices this month.

    And Ms Sugden says she has asked about the feasibility of deploying the cameras more widely to deter "violent or disruptive prisoners".

  19. 'Police college to resume intake in January'

    Ulster Unionist MLA Rosemary Barton asks the minister to outline any conversations she has had with the PSNI's chief constable about the suspension of training at a police college in Belfast.

    Ms Sugden says she has regular meetings with George Hamilton but they have not discussed that particular issue.

    PSNI passing out parade

    However, she says she has been advised that work is under way to "implement the recommendations of the review" of the college, with a view to resuming intakes in January.

    She says some changes have already been made, including to the compulsory residential requirement of the training.

    "I'm confident that the PSNI and the Policing Board are working together with a view to full implementation of the recommendations as soon as possible," she adds.