Question Time

Health Minister Edwin Poots told MLAs he had commissioned research into the introduction of minimum pricing for alcohol, on 29 May 2012.

The minister criticised shops selling alcohol at low prices that encouraged people without much money to drink "until they are really blitzed" and damaged their livers.

The UUP's Michael Copeland referred to a proposed minimum alcohol price of 40 to 45 pence per unit.

The minister replied that a charge of up to 70p per unit could be imposed, and that the higher the price the greater the effect in combating the ill-effects of alcohol.

Mr Poots told MLAs he would encourage Year 9 schoolgirls to take advantage of a vaccine to protect themselves against cervical cancer.

In reply to a question from Sinn Fein's Caitriona Ruane, the minister said the UK was the leader in Europe in terms of the Human Papilloma Virus vaccine, and Northern Ireland was the leader in the UK.

In OFMDFM questions, the TUV's Jim Allister asked what plans there were for a gift to be given to the Queen from her subjects in Northern Ireland in recognition of her Diamond Jubilee.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said the Executive would consider a proposal from Peter Robinson to make a gift to mark the event.

Mr McGuinness said there were hundreds of thousands of people in the north who held Queen Elizabeth in the highest esteem and he respected their right to do so.