With ministerial question time complete, MLAs get back to the debate on a Sinn Féin motion calling on the Education Minister Peter Weir to consider introducing mandatory autism training for school staff.

As a reminder, the motion was:

Green Party MLA Rachel Woods put forward an amendment, calling on the minister not just to "explore the introduction" of mandatory training but to actually introduce it.

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Education Minister Peter Weir answers the call by saying there's considerable consensus in the chamber today.

He says he's happy to support the motion and the amendment.

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Sinn Féin's Cathal Boylan asks the economy minister to outline a framework to ban zero hour contracts as set out in the New Decade, New Approach document.

Diane Dodds says she's committed to "protecting vulnerable workers, especially those whose only choice is to accept zero hours contracts".

She says her officials are are preparing policy options.

The SDLP's Pat Catney asks about the hospitality sector, where he spent many years working, saying there's "real fear out there" and it's been "very hard-done by" in relation to rates.

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The Lagan Valley MLA calls on the economy minister to engage with the executive and the finance minister to develop a "new and innovative rating rating system that is fit for purpose in our modern-day economy" .

Diane Dodds says she understands the hardship the rating system can bring and will of course engage with the finance minister on the matter.

It's too soon to put a cost on the potential closure of the RHI scheme, says Economy Minister Diane Dodds.

Her answer comes in reply to a question from the Alliance Party's Lagan Valley MLA Trevor Lunn, who wants to know how legitimate RHI claimants will be compensated.

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Ms Dodds says she'll be "transparent and open" with the assembly when she's ready to outline more details about shutting the RHI - that, she adds, will allow MLAs to "collectively consider how best to take this issue forward".

"I'm positive, given the current financial situation, that the costs of any closure or any future scheme will be of the utmost importance."

Stormont's Department for the Economy has commissioned two reviews in relation to the RHI scheme - one about the tariffs on offer and another about hardship cases caused by the cuts to subsidy payments.

Diane Dodds tells the assembly those reports should be published "reasonably soon".

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She also says her department had offered a "voluntary buyout" option for RHI claimants - a total of 96 applications were received but no offers have yet been made.

There are "complexities" to be dealt with in closing the scheme, adds the economy minister, and she says she wants her officials to engage with RHI claimants in a "way that's fair, in a way that is and compassionate and in a way that addresses the issues that we have experience in the past".

With her time as an MEP officially at an end, the DUP's Diane Dodds settles into the assembly chamber for her first queston time as economy minister.

And surprise surprise, the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme, which falls under her new brief, is the first thing she's asked about.

Sinn Féin's John O'Dowd wants to know more about the proposals to close the so-called cash-for-ash scheme and replace it with a new subsidy initiative that would help to cut carbon emissions.

Mrs Dodds says there's due to be a new energy strategy for Northern Ireland and a new scheme to encourage the use of renewable energy sources for producing heat will form part of that.

She admits that Northern Ireland isn't doing well enough in renewable heat production but says she's "determined" promises that her officials will get things right in a new scheme and won't repeat the mistakes of the RHI.

Sinn Féin's Sinéad Ennis has been a regular critic of the BBC, claiming the corporation has been letting down tens of thousands of GAA fans by not broadcasting gaelic football or hurling in Northern Ireland.

The South Down MLA started a campaign - Fair Play for Ulster Gaels - in 2018 to press the BBC into offering better coverage.

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She says here is "intense frustration" in the GAA community that the broadcaster "that we all pay our licence fee to" is not reflecting the popularity of the sports.

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey says she's "acutely aware" of the issue and will be meeting the BBC in the coming weeks, with GAA coverage set to be one of the the key issues she will raise.

The BBC told the Belfast Telegraph last year that it would like to broadcast many more games live "but that is not only our decision to make" because Irish national broadcaster RTÉ has a "stranglehold on terrestrial broadcasting rights".

DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley asks Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey about her decision to stop the publication of the names of people convicted of benefit fraud.

Ms Hargey says publication was not a longstanding approach as it had been reintroduced in 2011.

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She says benefit fraud is a serious issue and the names are already published through the justice system.

What she wants to do through her decision is avoid the "demonisation" of families.

Sinn Féin's Caoimhe Archibald asks whether social clauses could be included in capital contracts signed off by the executive.

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey says contracts "can't just be looked at in terms of low cost" - they also need to be considered in terms of "social value and targeting objective need".

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DUP MLA Christopher Stalford served on Belfast City Council with the minister says she knows the "experience of social clauses there is not a universally positive one".

He asks if she agrees it's important that inner-city communities should see the benefit of major government contracts "and it simply isn't measured in terms of new buildings going up".

The minister says she does indeed agree with the South Belfast MLA.

Among the many issues in Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey's broad brief is welfare system.

She's asked by the DUP MLA Joanne Bunting about the average waiting for for universal credit payments.

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Ms Hargey says about 95% of universal credit those are paid after the first five-week period but she thinks that's too long and creates hardship for families, "forcing many into debt and having to use foodbanks".

"I want to create a welfare system that is compassionate," she adds.

The minister gives a commitment that she'll "seriously look" at further welfare reform mitigations can be made.

The new Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey steps up for her first question time.

Doug Beattie of the UUP is straight in, asking for an update on the department's responsibility for the protection of historical sites.

He asks about Knock Iveagh, a burial site near Rathfriland in County Down dating back to 3,500 BC.

Mr Beattie says that since 2013 the Historical Environment Division in the Department for Communities has "failed to protect this site, allowing significant development to take place".

He pays tribute to the Friends of Knock Iveagh campaign group, which has opposed the development, and asks the minister what action she intends to take to fix the "government-sponsored vandalism".

The minister says she's aware of issues surrounding the erection of a wind turbine at the site and she's happy to sit down with Mr Beattie and local groups to map a way forward.

Air pollution is at "dangerous level across Belfast", says People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll, who wants to know if Environment Minister Edwin Poots has any plans to tackle the issue.

Mr Poots says it's worth looking at how the executive can do more to encourage people to start driving electric cars as opposed to diesel models.

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He points out that 40% of Northern Ireland's electricity comes from renewable sources whereas in Germany 37% of electric comes from coal-fired power stations.

"Moving to an electric car in Germany may actually be more harming to the environment," he says but driving an electric car in Northern Ireland gives a "genuine good" and there would be "great benefit from moving down that particular route".

DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley asks the environment minister about the illegal dumping of tyres.

"Identifying the polluter in these instances are incredibly difficult," Edwin Poots replies, adding that the practice of dumping of tyres for someone else to deal with is "grossly unfair".

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He says tyre companies receive payments from every driver who has a tyre changed.

"We should be able to identify where each of those tyres go and in instances where those companies' records don't stack up we should be able to bring a prosecution," adds the minister.

A total of 52 people have been convicted of offences linked to the illegal disposal of waste in the past five years, Environment Minister Edwin Poots reveals.

Of those, just one was given a custodial term.

The figures are given in response to a question from TUV leader Jim Allister who says the fact that "just one person has paid with their liberty is disappointing".

The North Antrim MLA claims most of the illegal waste came from the Republic of Ireland and he wants to know what progress there has been in relation to "securing recompense" from Irish authorities.

Mr Poots says 17 sites in Northern Ireland were found to have waste dumped from the Republic and the waste from 11 of them has been sent back over the border.

He says he'll be calling the Irish environment minister to ask when the waste from the other six sites will be taken south.

Sinéad Bradley of the SDLP asks about any plans the agriculture minister has to speak to counterparts in the UK and the Republic of Ireland about setting up an animal cruelty register.

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Edwin Poots says he favours the idea but conviction data is held by the Department of Justice.

He says the creation of such a register would be complex but his officials have been working with justice department officials on the matter and he intends to speak to Justice Minister Naomi Long about the proposal.

It's the turn of Edwin Poots to rise to the lectern and the first question to the new agriculture minister is about post-Brexit subsidy payments to farmers.

Some might be surprised that it's a city MLA - Sinn Féin's Carál Ní Chuilín - posing the question.

She jokes: "The minister should know that I've been following the single farm payments in North Belfast quite eagerly!"

Ms Ní Chuilín wants to know what assurances Mr Poots can give farmers that their businesses will not be negatively affected by the loss of the EU subsidies.

The agriculture minister says he'll make an announcement shortly but points out in the meantime that the government at Westminster has guaranteed payments for this year.

He also says the Conservative Party manifesto contains a promise to continue farm support funding at the existing levels the end of this UK Parliament mandate.

Mr Poots says his department will develop a longer-term policy for farm subsidy payments.

Mark Devenport
BBC News NI political editor

First Minister Arlene Foster says she's "appalled" by what police have described as a "hate crime" attack in Omagh on Saturday night.

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A 50-year-old man has appeared in court in relation to the incident.

Mrs Foster tells MLAs: "It's something I want to condemn wholeheartedly because we must do that in order to make sure people realise that we are a welcoming society here in Northern Ireland and we value the input of people regardless of where they come from."

Sinead McLaughlin of the SDLP asks First Minister Arlene Foster about the future of Northern Ireland's universities.

The new Foyle MLA says she's concerned that the Economy Committee was informed by a senior civil servant there was not an adequate business case for the expansion of Ulster University's Magee campus in her constituency.

That, says Ms McLaughlin, was apparently due to problems with the new development of the university's central Belfast campus.

Mrs Foster says that some of what Ms McLaughlin wants to find out is a matter for Economy Minister Diane Dodds, who faces question time later.

The first minister says the Magee development will require a business case and the question is best directed to Mrs Dodds.