Simon Hamilton
Strangford · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I have emphasised to the Member and the House before, that, whilst I accept that those are not good enough — that is why we have been developing the plan — there are alternative technologies in place that can present opportunities for those who just cannot get acceptable speeds.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. There are some initiatives that I believe will help and act as a driver to improve broadband access. One such intervention is the broadband universal service obligation (USO), which is being taken forward by Her Majesty's Government.”
“I thank the Member for his question. However, he is conflating two issues. I wrote to his party leader, and indeed to all Assembly party leaders, before making the announcement that I did last week about wanting to publish the details of the businesses in receipt of the non-domestic RHI scheme. It was my intention to do that tomorrow.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Chancellor, in his autumn statement, made some more funding available for telecommunications, and my Department is studying that and seeking to avail itself of that to the fullest possible extent.”
“In addition, my Department is managing a contract for the delivery of the superfast rollout programme, which, by 31 December, will provide access to superfast broadband with speeds of at least 24 megabits per second to a further 38,000 premises, both business and residential, across Northern Ireland, including in the Newry and Armagh cons…”
“I signalled the intention to do this a few weeks ago. The Member and the House will know that inspections of all installations would have taken place over the 20-year lifetime of the RHI scheme.”
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“We will all be the better for that, because that will produce better results and better outcomes for us all.”
“<BR /> <BR />Part of the scoping exercise that we are doing will identify the best place in which to put staff in order to do various things. There are some obvious ones, such as planning for need, whose staff we can see moving to trusts, but there are others who will be best placed back in the Department. The important point to stress is that this is about reforming and transforming the system in which our excellent staff work so that we can get the best out of their talents. The additional layer of bureaucracy in the current system, which is causing so many difficulties in getting innovation on to the ground, needs to be taken away so that we can give our staff, who work incredibly hard, the best system possible in which to operate.”
“Since making my speech on 4 November, I have been at pains to stress that this is not about the staff but about the system in which they work. There are a lot of good staff right across the system, including in the board, who are doing very important and critical work to make our health and social care system work. Clearly, we are not going to do away with the functions and roles that those staff perform. I envisage staff going in various different directions. Some will come into the Department. Some will go to the trusts, particularly those who are involved in planning for need in particular areas. Some may move to the Public Health Agency, which, as I have said, I want to see working much closer alongside the Department and renewing its focus on the important work that it does.”
“I hope to approve that shortly and launch it quickly thereafter to start the important process of consultation that will inform the drafting of legislation that, I hope, will be in place for early introduction in this place in the new mandate. <BR /> <BR />There is work that can be done in the intervening period. We are doing some scoping work to see whether there are changes that could be made that do not require legislation to give effect to the changes that I have proposed. I have met the chairperson and the chief executive of the Health and Social Care Board, and I am glad that they are working with my Department and me to make that a reality.”
“<BR /> <BR />There has been a conflation of two issues in the speech that I made on 4 November: one is the panel that will look at the best configuration of services and how long it might take to implement, and the other is dismantling the Health and Social Care Board and taking out that bureaucracy and that barrier to innovation. I made some comments at the Committee about taking probably 18 months to do that with regard to the board. That is a reflection of what I believe to be the realistic timetable that it will take to get the legislation in place, bearing it in mind that there is an election coming up that will stunt things for a while. Officials have been working assiduously on producing a consultation document.”
“The Member welcomes the changes that I have proposed. He and I have spoken about this in the past, and I think that we agree that there has been a clear need for reform in the health and social care system with regard to administration, bureaucracy and taking out bureaucracy that is not required. That is why there has been the broad support that I have spoken about from other political parties and, importantly, from clinicians and others in the public. In coming to my decision and the announcement that I made on 4 November, I listened to what others were saying, and I think that that is why there has been the consensus that there has been.”
“On 4 November, I outlined wide-ranging, ambitious and radical plans for transforming the health and social care system. The proposed changes seek to reduce bureaucracy. As well as the Department taking firmer strategic control of our health and social care system, I want to make our trusts responsible for the planning of care in their areas and to give them the operational independence to deliver it. I therefore propose that we close down the Health and Social Care Board. Departmental officials are drafting a consultation document that seeks views on those changes. I aim to bring forward that consultation as soon as I can to gather views. I have been encouraged by the positive response to my proposals from other politicians, health and care professionals and from members of the public.”
“We talked about the additional £4 million that the November monitoring round has allowed to be released to deal with emergency department pressures or winter pressures. I also informed them that we would give them greater flexibility to spend that money. In the spirit of the reforms that I announced some weeks ago, I do not want to see trusts having to come to the Department to seek permission to do things that will benefit patient safety and quality of care in the short term.”
“We have talked about them in respect of a range of hospitals over the last number of Question Times when I have been in the House. We know the issues with recruitment, particularly of consultants for emergency departments. Clearly, as we enter into the period of the year — winter — when pressures become even more acute in emergency departments, we understand the difficulties that can arise at this time of year. That is why I met the chief executives of all the trusts yesterday afternoon to discuss their preparedness for the winter, which I suppose we are already at the start of, and I had detailed discussions with them about what they were doing in their areas to address any pressures that are arising or may arise.”
“On the first point, I accept that the target has been set on the basis of clinical advice. Equally, I think we should be open with not only that target but with any targets. If the evidence coming from our clinicians is that the targets are not serving a useful purpose, we should be open to changing them. In conversations that I have had with various royal colleges, some clinicians have questioned the efficacy of some of the targets that we work towards and measurements that we take. So, on the best advice that is there and the figures that we have, I am very open to looking at targets from time to time. <BR /> <BR />I think that we all understand the pressures that emergency departments are under, in particular.”
“<BR /> <BR />In those exceptional circumstances, it is only right that the clinicians and trusts take the judgement to cancel non-emergency surgery. It is clearly not something that we want to see, and it is not something that we want to see happening frequently, but, in the circumstances, we understand the pressure that was put on the hospital. It is only right that they did what they did. Clearly, we want to see those surgeries slotted back in as quickly as possible so that people are not inconvenienced any further.”
“I am aware of the issue that the Member raises about operations for sick children in the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. My understanding is that that has been due to a spike in seasonal bronchiolitis — I am learning a new language in this job — and that all children's wards in Northern Ireland have experienced an increased number in admissions for that condition. I understand too that that is not something that is particular to Northern Ireland; there is a national increase in the number of young children presenting with bronchiolitis. Obviously, in situations where beds in hospitals are full or close to being full, whether it is for paediatrics or any other area of specialism, it is important that we ensure that there is safety for patients and that the quality of care remains high.”
“In 2010-11, there were 41,405 attendances, and in the last full year, 2014-15, the number rose to 45,623. In every year in between it rose, so it has been growing and growing over that period. It is clearly a key part. Notwithstanding the issues around the temporary nature of the divert and around paediatrics, it has an important role to play in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust in providing emergency department services. My understanding, having spoken to officials, is that, even with the investment in the Royal Victoria Hospital and the new emergency department there, that hospital could not cope logistically with the numbers coming into it. Notwithstanding those issues — we always have to put patient safety to the fore — the Mater and its emergency department have an important role to play in the Belfast Trust area.”
“I thank the Member for his comments. Very quickly after the issue arose in the Mater Hospital, Member of Parliament Nigel Dodds contacted my office to facilitate a meeting and discussion that, I am glad to say, the Member and colleagues from the North Belfast constituency, as well as people from the Mater Hospital, were able to attend. I was glad that we were able to do that, because it allowed me to offer, I hope, some reassurance about the future of the Mater Hospital, which I am sure the Member and colleagues will communicate to the community in north Belfast. <BR /> <BR />The question that he asks about attendances at the emergency department in the Mater highlights how important it is in the overall Belfast Trust picture, particularly for emergency services.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Belfast Trust took the decision on 13 November to temporarily suspend ambulance arrivals from 6.00 pm to 8.00 am and to redirect children arriving at the emergency department to the nearby Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, which has a dedicated paediatric emergency department. The emergency department has remained open on a 24/7 basis throughout, and the ambulance divert was lifted on Thursday 26 November. However, the temporary redirection of paediatric patients under 14 years of age to the children's hospital is continuing. The Belfast Trust is monitoring that temporary arrangement.”
“The Mater Hospital has a proud and enduring heritage of providing high-quality services to the people of north Belfast and beyond. I pay tribute to the hospital's staff for their dedication and service to the local community. I fully understand that any change to hospital services causes concern to the local community and their representatives. I reassure Members that the action taken by the Belfast Trust in respect of emergency department services at the Mater was a temporary change made as a precautionary measure in response to concerns expressed by senior medical staff about staffing levels in the hospital's emergency department.”
“I have heard different comments and responses from various parties, including some in the Chamber who have opposed it outright. I have not heard the Member say whether he supports a £1 billion uplift in Health spending or not. If he does not, I would ask him to explain why he does not and to set out why, given all the complaining that he and his party do about Health, he does not believe that it needs that substantial increase in funding.”
“<BR /> <BR />It was as much a challenge to other parties, including the Member's party, to support that needed boost in expenditure for Health and Social Care over the next five years to transform the system and relieve the pressures that it faces. It will be up to others to support that. It is obviously a matter for the Finance Minister given the constraints that she faces in crafting a Budget for next year. I will certainly do my best. I will fight hard for the much-needed, substantial uplift in expenditure on Health and Social Care, because I believe that it is needed, but I understand and fully appreciate the constraints that the Finance Minister faces. Some of those constraints will, of course, be the views of other parties and whether or not they support it.”
“What I pledged, and was very pleased to be able to pledge, was that my party would seek to increase expenditure on Health and Social Care by £1 billion over the next Assembly term. It is my view that that is a financial boost that is required not only to meet the well-publicised pressures that the Department and the system face in the short term but, in the longer term, to get our Health and Social Care service onto a sustainable footing by investing considerable amounts in reform, transformation and innovation within that system. That is something that I am pledged to do. It is something that I have discussed with the party, particularly the Finance Minister, who supports it, understanding the challenge that it presents.”
“That is something that we have been doing vigorously over this Assembly term. Between 2011 and the end of this financial year, we are set to release £825 million, nearly £1 billion, in efficiency savings from the system. That compares very favourably to what was achieved between 2007 and 2011, which Members will recall was a very different time for our public finances. Only £426 million in efficiency savings was released between 2007 and 2011. Since the beginning of this Assembly term in 2011, nearly double the amount has been released in efficiency savings by my party, the Member's party and our colleagues who have been in office. That money has been able to go into the front line to help relieve some of the pressures that our hospitals and social care sector face.”
“I very much welcome the additional resources that were granted to my Department by me when I was in the Department of Finance and Personnel. Whilst many at the time argued that that was not enough, including the Health Minister of the time — I understood and appreciated that it was not enough to meet all the demand that the Department and health service faced — it was in the context of a very difficult Budget and was a significant boost, vote of confidence and reflection of the support across the political spectrum and wider society for health. <BR /> <BR />That £123 million of additional resources would not have been enough in itself to tackle the rising demand as best we could. That is why the Department continued with its pursuit of efficiency savings in this financial year.”
“We need to make reforms that take out layers of bureaucracy in our system and ensure that we have a configuration of services, in health and in social care, that meets the needs of our population and puts to the forefront the need to ensure the highest standard of care and safety for our patients. It will be that relentless focus on reform that I will continue to pursue, and I hope that whoever is in my post after the election will continue to do that.”
“Earlier, in a different context, the Chair of the Health Committee was talking about unhealthy lifestyles and the ticking time bomb that that presents for society. That necessitates reform of our system. <BR /> <BR />In the short term, we need to spend more in health, in part to address the immediate needs and to start to reform and transform our system. We have to be realistic that that increase, particularly at a time of pressure on our budget, is not sustainable in the very long term. So, we need to make those reforms and transformations to get our health service on a sustainable footing.”
“I think that everybody understands and appreciates — I am sure that the Member does — the increasing pressure on health in our society and across most societies, with huge increases in demand for most services. Some of that demand is driven by positive things like technological advances and advances in drugs and medicine. That puts increasing pressure on a system that is facing pressure all the time, which is why I have been focusing on the need to reform our system. It is very clear to me that continuing with the system as it currently operates will not suffice in the future. <BR /> <BR />We are starting to see the pressures build up. We understand the problems that are being caused by having a growing and ageing population. Great that it is that we are all living longer, many of us are living longer with one or more chronic conditions.”
“<BR /> <BR />I welcome the Executive's past support in providing additional funding to my Department, and I will look to their continued support in the future so that my Department is best placed to meet the health and social care needs of the people of Northern Ireland.”
“In overall terms, the total level of current expenditure funding awarded to my Department in 2015-16 is some £123 million greater than that available in 2014-15. That increase takes account of the uplift that was outlined in the Executive's Budget for 2015-16 and the additional non-recurrent in-year allocations made to my Department through the monitoring round process. <BR /> <BR />The Executive's Budget for 2015-16 provided an additional £200 million for front-line health services, but my Department was also required to make some £50 million in savings in other areas of its budget, including the Fire Service and my other arm's-length bodies. In addition, the level of assistance available to my Department in 2015-16 through the monitoring round process is approximately £30 million less than that received in 2014-15.”
“<BR /> <BR />Before I move on to Part 2, I want to address an issue that is not in the Bill but that many believe should be. Many were understandably concerned at the omission from the Bill of a clause banning smoking in cars with children. I have listened carefully to the arguments made by many that Northern Ireland should follow the example of other parts of the United Kingdom, and I can confirm to the House today that it is my intention to bring forward an amendment at Consideration Stage to ban smoking in cars with children.”
“The first provides my Department with regulation-making powers in relation to banning the sale of e-cigarettes from vending machines. While there is no evidence of that happening at this stage, I believe that it is important that we have measures in place to prevent such an eventuality. <BR /> <BR />The second amendment raises the level of fine for sales of tobacco from vending machines to a level 5 fine. That ensures a consistent approach to fines for all underage tobacco or e-cigarette sales offences. I believe that the provisions in Part 1 offer a proportionate response to concerns about youth access to e-cigarettes. This is a new and evolving market. My Department will continue to review the latest developments and research with a view to ensuring the best outcomes for the health of our population.”
“<BR /> <BR />Schedule 1 amends the Tobacco Retailers Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 to allow for offences in relation to the underage sale of nicotine-containing products to be included as an offence that could lead to an application for a restricted sale order or a restricted premises order. This is one of three offences that could result in a retailer being banned from selling tobacco and/or nicotine-containing products for up to three years, so in practice it will mean that, if a retailer commits an underage sales offence in relation to a nicotine-containing product, an enforcement officer could include a ban. <BR /> <BR />Two small amendments were made to Part 1 of the Bill following the consultation process.”
“Part 1 contains provisions that will enable the Department to make regulations prohibiting the sale of nicotine-containing products to minors. A provision to allow the Department to create an offence of the proxy purchasing of these products — in other words, an adult purchasing an e-cigarette on behalf of a minor — is also included. <BR /> <BR />It is not intended that the legislation will apply to licensed nicotine replacement therapy products currently on the market as aids to smoking cessation. To exempt existing nicotine replacement therapy products, the regulation-making powers will allow the Department to apply the age of sale restrictions either to all nicotine products, nicotine products of a specified kind or nicotine products subject to specified exceptions.”
“<BR /> <BR />Action to address concerns about youth access to e-cigarettes is at various stages of development across the United Kingdom and Ireland. A Government amendment was included in the England and Wales Children and Families Act 2014 to restrict the sale of nicotine-containing products to persons over the age of 18. These regulations came into force on 1 October this year. The Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) Bill, introduced in Scotland in June, also seeks to ban underage sales of e-cigarettes, and the Republic of Ireland is committed to introducing similar measures in the near future. <BR /> <BR />It is important that young people in Northern Ireland are similarly protected. To that end, my Department sought and obtained the agreement of the Northern Ireland Executive for the inclusion of relevant provisions in the Bill.”
“<BR /> <BR />There are no age restrictions applied to the sale of e-cigarettes, and there is no requirement in the EU directive for member states to introduce any such restrictions. However, a 2014 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) considered the emerging evidence on the health risks associated with nicotine-containing products. It concluded that there is sufficient evidence to caution children and young people against using these products. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance, and adolescent nicotine exposure is known to have long-term adverse consequences on brain development. In addition, I am concerned that the availability and promotion of e-cigarettes is reversing the progress made by smoke-free legislation to de-normalise smoking.”
“In practice, that means that e-cigarette manufacturers will be obliged to comply with a number of requirements if they wish to sell their products within the European Union. These include a limitation on the nicotine content of e-cigarettes; obligatory reporting of the ingredients of and emissions resulting from the use of e-cigarettes, including toxicological data; the provision of information to consumers, including a health warning on packaging; and restrictions on cross-border advertising and promotion. <BR /> <BR />Application to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for medicines licensing is an option for those manufacturers wanting to promote their product as a smoking cessation aid or to sell products that contain more than 20 mg per millilitre of nicotine.”
“I glad to say that the position on regulation is shortly to change. From May 2016, the new EU tobacco products directive will require that all nicotine-containing products, which contain less than 20 mg per millilitre of nicotine, are regulated as consumer products.”
“<BR /> <BR />E-cigarettes differ from regular cigarettes in that they contain no tobacco. They are made up of a nicotine-based liquid, which is then vaporised and inhaled. No smoke is produced, and, therefore, they can be legally used in places where tobacco-cigarette use is banned. As the e-cigarette market has expanded, concerns have arisen about the health consequences of using these products. A limited amount of research has been carried out, and Members may indeed be aware of a recent report commissioned by Public Health England that estimated that e-cigarettes are about 20 times less harmful than tobacco cigarettes. While this report offers some reassurance, the e-cigarette market remains largely unregulated. Consequently, the quality and safety of existing products on the market cannot be verified.”
“The Bill includes two distinct Parts. The original purpose of the Bill was to amend anomalies in the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2008. Those amendments are now contained in Part 2 of this Bill. Part 1 of the Bill contains provisions dealing with nicotine-containing products, the most common form of which are e-cigarettes. <BR /> <BR />I would first like to speak about Part 1. In the past four or five years, the market for e-cigarettes has grown considerably, and it is now estimated that there are almost three million users in the United Kingdom, the vast majority of whom are ex- or current smokers. A recent Northern Ireland health survey revealed that 14% of people here have tried e-cigarettes at least once and that around 5% of the adult population consider themselves to be current users.”
“So, in taking forward the Bill, we will ensure that the Northern Ireland Social Care Council's conduct model is modernised and reflects best practice, that those who deliver social services are subject to more proportionate sanctions in respect of deficits in performance, and that learning attained through a variety of approaches can be recognised. Together, these changes will increase the confidence of those who should expect to receive the highest standards of care by ensuring that only those who are suitable and competent to work in social care do so. I ask Members to support the Bill, and I welcome the opportunity to work with the Health Committee during its scrutiny of the Bill.”
“As I have said, social care should not be seen as secondary to health; it is every bit as important, if not more so in many regards. Registration and regulation should also encourage improvement, as well as ensuring that poor standards are dealt with. <BR /> <BR />Finally, in respect of Mr Middleton's point about cost implications, I can say that there are no direct financial costs to the implementation of the amendments to the current regime. In fact, we actually expect that efficiencies should be made as the Northern Ireland Social Care Council streamlines its process of ensuring good conduct.”
“While I accept and acknowledge the points that the Member makes, I am mindful of listening to what the sector itself says about what that does in terms of pressure on their costs. That is a difficult balance for us all. I accept the clarification that the Member made on that. It is important to say that, even though people will have issues with their pay, particularly in this sector, that is no excuse for not having regulation or registration and ensuring that the highest standards are maintained. <BR /> <BR />Mrs Dobson, who is no longer with us here, raised the issue of registration. Yes, we are pioneers in the UK in respect of registration. It is right to register a workforce that works with very vulnerable people in society.”
“I think that we are starting to see, understand and appreciate more that this is an area that will require much more of our focus now and into the future, every bit as much as getting the health service right. This is probably one of the biggest challenges that we face as a Department and, indeed, as a society. It is absolutely right that we acknowledge and reward that workforce properly and appropriately, although I note that some of the concerns being expressed by independent providers in the residential and nursing home sector are around the national living wage coming in and increasing their costs and the impact that that will have on the viability of those businesses.”
“I take the point. Without going off on a complete tangent and having the Principal Deputy Speaker bring me in as he tried to do with the Member himself earlier, I think that, if we were guilty of not treating the social care workforce and social care issues with the importance that we should have — I think we probably all were, if I can be bold in saying so — it is now coming into much sharper focus as an incredibly important issue, not just because of what has happened in the last week with the proposed closure of seven homes by Four Seasons, although that brings it into very sharp focus for us. Sometimes, we are focused very much on the health aspects of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, whether that be as Minister or the Committee, and less so on the social services side.”
“I accept that there are issues and challenges with pay. Many people will think that they are not being paid what they should be paid. Whilst I acknowledge that there are issues around pay and remuneration, particularly in the sector, I am sure that he would agree with me that whatever one thinks one should be paid, that is no excuse for poor standards, particularly when dealing with a very vulnerable population, as many of those in the social care workforce are.”
“The changes that will allow for remedial action or improvement are good, sound things to do. I will look at Hansard and come back to the Member on the specific points that he raised. That will help him, and I am sure that it will help the Committee as well. I will make it available to the Committee too, to assist with its scrutiny, while being mindful of the issue around timing. <BR /> <BR />Mr McKinney also went into a discussion around pay and conditions for those in the social care workforce. Many, of course, operate in the independent sector, and pay and conditions are obviously a matter for members of staff and their relationship with their employer. I do not think that he was implying — I hope that he was not — that there was no point strengthening regulation if we did not resolve issues around pay.”
“They are principles that should be applied to all legislation, particularly those pieces that are of a controversial nature. Mr McKinney sped through a range of issues, whilst accepting the principles of the Bill. He supported and acknowledged, as did all Members, the changes proposed in the Bill around training and the development of those in the social care workforce. He also agreed that it was a good thing to put in conditions and undertakings. We were probably all unfamiliar with regulation in this area until this legislation started to develop and we took it through the House in its various stages to where we are now. I do not think that the current position of people remaining on the register or being removed from the register is a particularly sensible way to balance the regulation of our social care workforce.”
“While I appreciate the comments that have been made by the Chair about timing, I do not think that this will prove to be the most challenging or controversial legislation that the Committee will have to scrutinise in this or, indeed, any other mandate. I agree entirely with the points that Mrs Cameron made in that regard. Whilst understanding and appreciating the pressures that the Chair and the Committee have to contend with, I was not prepared to further delay the modernisation of the regulation of the social care workforce. <BR /> <BR />Other Members made points about the timing. I hope I am not quoting Mr McKinney inaccurately, but he talked about the need to have "full", "lengthy" and "robust" scrutiny of legislation: I agree with that point.”
“The Committee has been worked with and coordinated with throughout the process of developing the legislation, so it ought to be well acquainted with what is before it today. <BR /> <BR />The Chair acknowledged that the Committee had been talked through the draft clauses, so, again, the actual legislation as it is formed is not a complete surprise. I understand and appreciate the fact that the Committee has been supportive of the legislation. That has been reflected in the comments that have been made today. There has been no real sign of dissent in Committee, here today or, indeed, through the extensive consultation processes that have been undertaken.”
“There are pressures on departmental resources, as there are in other Departments, that can sometimes take us away from the speedier introduction of legislation. <BR /> <BR />Put simply, I was not prepared not to introduce this legislation — forgive me the double negative. It is important legislation and has been approved by the Executive and, therefore, by the majority of parties in the Assembly. It is a short but important piece of legislation. It is my understanding — I think the Chair acknowledged this — that the Committee has been extensively briefed about this legislation, dating back several years. So, whilst it might be coming at a late stage in the mandate — I accept that — it is not coming as a complete shock or surprise to the Committee.”
“I was in the Chair's position as Chair of a Committee in the previous mandate, when we had to juggle several pieces of legislation in the last couple of months of the Assembly term, so I know the challenges that that presents. I think that I have made clear and other Members have mentioned some of the reasons why this legislation has taken a little longer than we would have liked, and there are good and valid reasons why that has been the case. It is important that all legislation, whatever its source, is properly developed and that we take our time to get it right. I think that everybody would agree that we should seek to get it right at the start. In this case, issues were raised by other Departments that took some time to be addressed.”
“I thank all Members who have contributed to the Second Stage debate for the remarks that they have made. I will do my best to address some of the issues that were raised. I am sure I will miss many, but I assure Members that I will pick those up in due course in correspondence. <BR /> <BR />Mrs Cameron concluded by making remarks about the timing and what was suggested to be the late introduction of the Bill. The Chair certainly laboured that point in her comments as well. I can offer lots of reasons that are probably not uncommon at this time in a mandate across Departments for why legislation sometimes takes a little longer than we would like.”
“<BR /> <BR />I believe that there is strong support for the Bill, which will modernise the council's conduct model and make it fit for purpose by broadening the range of sanctions available in the disposal of individual conduct cases. There is also strong support for extending the care council's powers to formally recognise a broader range of approaches to the achievement of learning in the context of a modern regulatory system for the social work and social care workforces in Northern Ireland.”