FRED COBAIN MLA (UUP)

Fred Cobain was born in 1946 and is married with one son and one daughter.  He lives in Carrickfergus. A former Lord Mayor of Belfast, he is currently a Counillor for Oldpark in north Belfast. He was Chair of the Social Development Committee in the 1998-2003 Assembly.  Cobain is a former member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board.  He takes a special interest in social issues including fuel poverty and homelessness.  In 2007 Cobain faced a tough challenge from the DUP to hold onto his seat but was duly elected on the final count. Fred is Chair of the Regional Development Committee in the Assembly and a member of the Social Development Committee. Fred is Party Spokesperson on Regional Development issues.

NIGEL DODDS MP MLA (DUP)

Born in February 1958 in Londonderry, Dodds was educated at Portora, Enniskillen. He continued his studies at St. John's College, Cambridge (First class law MA) and the Institute of Professional Legal Studies at Queen's University (CPLS). He became Member of Parliament for North Belfast in the 2001 General Election defeating Cecil Walker (UUP). He also served as Minister for Social Development between November 1999 and July 2000, under the DUP's policy of rotating ministers. He was re-appointed as Minister for Social Development from November 2001 until suspension a year later.  Nigel is Minister for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in the Executive.

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GERRY KELLY MLA (SF)

Gerry Kelly was born on the Lower Falls Road in 1953 and was educated at St Finian's Primary School and St Peter's Secondary in Belfast. He achieved notoriety for his IRA activity, prison breakouts and hardline stances in the early stages of the peace process. He was Deputy Chair of the Social Development Committee in the 1998-2003 Assembly. Kelly played a crucial role in the party’s decision to support policing in Northern Ireland.  Kelly is a Junior Minister in the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister in the Assembly.

CARÁL NÍ CHUILÍN MLA (SF)

Carál was born in New Lodge in north Belfast where she still lives.  She was Sinn Féin councillor on Belfast City Council for Oldpark in North Belfast from 2005-2007.  Carál has been coordinator of Tar Anall, a political ex-prisoners and family centre and was also the co-chair of the North Belfast Partnership Board.  She graduated from the Open University in 1994 with a BSc Social Studies and has a Masters Degree in Management.  In addition to being a life long political activist she has a particular interest in human rights, housing, community development, and the Irish language.  Carál was elected as an MLA for Belfast North in 2007 alongside Gerry Kelly. She is Chief Whip of the Party in Stormont and as such sits on the Business Committee. In May 2008, a year into the Assembly term, Carál left the Health, Social Services and Public Safety Committee as part of a party reshuffle and moved to the Social Development Committee. She has since taken on spokesperson responsibility for DSD issues.

ALBAN MAGINNESS MLA (SDLP)

Born in Belfast in 1950, Alban Maginness is married with eight children. He was educated at St Malachy's College, Belfast, the University of Ulster at Coleraine and Queen's University Belfast, where he qualified in law. He was called to the Northern Ireland Bar in 1976 and to the Bar of Ireland in 1984. He was the first nationalist Lord Mayor of Belfast (1997- 1998 ). He is the Party Spokesperson on Justice.  Alban has been an MLA for Belfast North since 1998 and was successfully re-elected in 2007 as the only SDLP representative in the constituency. Alban is a member of the Social Development Committee in the Assembly.

NELSON McCAUSLAND MLA (DUP)

Born in 1951 Nelson McCausland was educated at Worcester College Oxford and at Queen's University Belfast. A former teacher he is a member of the Belfast Education and Library Board. He was elected to Belfast City Council in 1989 and was the High Sheriff of Belfast in 1997. He has represented the Council on the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and the Community Relations Council. He has been the Director of the Ulster Scots Heritage Council since 1997. Nelson joined the DUP in 2001 from the UUP.  McCausland successfully stood for re-election in 2007, coming through on the 11th count. Nelson is a member of the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee, the Employment and Learning Committee and the Assembly Executive Review Committee in the Assembly. In April 2008 he replaced Jeffrey Donaldson MP MLA on the Education Committee, after Donaldson was made a Junior Minister in OFMDFM the previous month. McCausland is DUP Party Spokesperson on Culture, Arts and Leisure.