Why did First Minister quiz Executive colleague on agreed statement?

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 10th Sep 2007

At this morning's Assembly plenary, Alliance Leader David Ford asked why the First Minister and Deputy First Minister were allowed to question the Agriculture Minister.

After raising the issue as a Point of Order during the Assembly Plenary, David Ford said: "This debacle illustrates the lack of cohesion in the Executive. The Agriculture Minister was supposed to speak for the whole Executive. Yet Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness decided to ask her questions, and the Speaker allowed this.

"This constitutional novelty would be hilarious if it wasn't for fact that fact that these people are running Northern Ireland. Not only did it make the proceedings a laughing stock, it also raised serious questions about the ability of the Executive at a time when we face many serious issues."