Pam Lewis
South Antrim · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Indeed, I thank her for the assistance that she, as Minister of Justice, gave my constituents Kathryn and Aaron McCollum following the tragic death of their much-loved husband and father. Her assistance was deeply appreciated.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. I very much welcome the amendment to the Justice Bill on this subject, and I thank my colleagues across the Chamber for the good work that they have done on it. What cost is the PSNI carrying for the seizure, storage and disposal of those vehicles? Is that cost creating a barrier to enforcement?”
“It progresses 18 recommendations from the independent review of charity regulation, with a focus on a more risk-based approach that promotes trust and accountability without placing undue burdens on charities.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak as a member of the Communities Committee at Second Stage of the Charities (Amendment) Bill. I thank the Minister and the Chair of the Committee for outlining the details of the Bill.”
“The public must have confidence that charitable funds are being used properly, that trustees understand their responsibilities and that there is effective oversight when misconduct or mismanagement occurs.”
“<BR /> <BR />I welcome the streamlining of accounting and reporting requirements. For small charities, administration can be a real challenge and burden.”
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“More women, per capita, are murdered in Northern Ireland as a result of domestic violence than in any other part of western Europe. That incredibly stark figure was provided recently by Women's Aid. White Ribbon NI was formed recently, and the Assembly has supported the organisation by signing the White Ribbon charter. The organisation asks us all to pledge never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women and girls. White Ribbon NI reacted to the murder of Ashling Murphy by saying:”
“This legislation would stop that pressure. It would end discrimination against babies with disabilities and allow mothers the dignity of having their decision respected. There is no reason why a termination could not take place today, right up to term, on the basis of a disability. The voices of those who are campaigning for this Bill want the law to be changed. For them, the law as it stands makes them feel devalued. <BR /> <BR />I urge the Members opposite to hear the words of Heidi and others, and to give them the equality that they deserve without delay. I urge everyone in the Assembly to listen to those voices for equality and to end discrimination by supporting the Bill.”
“I will not, thank you. <BR /> <BR />They state:”
“These are stories that should never need to be told, and this legislation will stop them becoming a reality here. <BR /> <BR />It is clear that, on occasions, doctors have failed to provide balanced options to women giving birth to children with disabilities. Even the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal College of Midwives, the Society of Radiographers and the College of Radiographers acknowledge that that is the case in their joint statement on pregnancy screening.”
“I will not give way, thank you. <BR /> <BR />Listen to the words of Rachel Mewes, who said:”
“Emma had made her choice, yet she was constantly questioned.”
“<BR /> <BR />We should listen to the experience of mothers in Great Britain, mothers like Emma Mellor, who said:”
“The Bill offers the Assembly the opportunity to take account of Heidi's viewpoint and to end the discrimination against her. Although we can legislate only for this part of the UK, we can take the lead by ending discrimination here. We do not want mothers in Northern Ireland to face the same issues as mothers have faced in the rest of the UK. <BR /> <BR />A 2018 GB survey of 1,410 women who had given birth to a baby with Down's syndrome since 2000 revealed that 69% of them were offered an abortion on receiving news of a diagnosis. Some 46% of women, after advising doctors that they wished to continue with the pregnancy and give birth, were asked for a second time whether they wished to terminate their pregnancy. So much for respecting the choice of those mothers.”
“If you do not hear any other voice in the debate, listen to the voice of Heidi. She speaks powerfully into the Chamber today, and she says to each Member that she feels discriminated against. The law as it currently applies in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK is discriminatory. <BR /> <BR />The judgement in Heidi's case makes it clear there is a remedy for that discrimination, and that remedy is legislation. The judgement states that these:”
“I thank the Member, my party colleague Christopher Stalford, for sponsoring the Bill through the Assembly. I also thank the now First Minister, Paul Givan, who introduced the Bill in the House. While Mr Stalford is sponsoring the Bill today, I am sure that he agrees with me that it is impossible to consider the legislation without acknowledging the contribution of Heidi Crowter and her tireless fight for equality. She is an inspiration for the Bill. During the debate, Members across the Chamber have talked a lot about people with disabilities. Heidi is a powerful voice, and she speaks from experience. She bravely took on this fight for herself and for people like her. <BR /> <BR />Following the judgement in Heidi's judicial review of the abortion law in England and Wales, she said:”
“I will welcome the Minister's response to the concerns of so many in Northern Ireland about the introduction of the measure. My party and I will not support the legislation.”
“Surely the Minister understands how deeply emotive the issue is and that the move will ensure that some will never willingly avail themselves of a vaccine. <BR /> <BR />I have continuously urged everyone who can avail themselves of a vaccine to do so at the earliest opportunity. I support and commend the vaccine roll-out and thank those who have been involved in that mammoth operation to date. I will keep encouraging those who need to be convinced that vaccination is the right move for them as individuals, but the move to mandate vaccine passports is far from helpful. For some, it will compound their suspicions, which makes me sad; indeed, the confrontation that it creates in society on the basis of vaccine status is a dangerous road to go down. <BR /> <BR />It has not been an easy speech for me to make.”
“The introduction of vaccine passports indicates that the Minister and the Department have admitted that they have lost the argument with those who hesitate to take the vaccine. The carrot has turned to a stick. With more people already vaccinated contracting COVID, those who are unvaccinated ask why they should get the vaccine. They need to be persuaded by firm evidence that that approach is wrong. The Department must explain. <BR /> <BR />Passports restrict full participation in our society on the basis of a health choice. It is a choice. The Minister has told us many times that he did not want to go down that route. While I have no issue in using a form of vaccine passport, I believe strongly that the move will be detrimental in convincing those who are hesitant, have concerns or fears or simply choose to wait a little longer.”
“I understand, of course, the desire to bring down the number of those who become very ill with COVID-19. I fully appreciate that our hospitals have been operating under the equivalent of severe winter pressures since the summer, but I ask about the regard for jobs, family incomes and the mental health of those impacted by the decisions; indeed, it is argued that other medical conditions, including mental health, now sit very much secondary to COVID in the Department's priorities. The Minister needs to tell the House how the policy's effectiveness will be monitored. He also needs to tell us what modelling has been done and what it shows about the policy's impact on hospital admissions, cases and deaths.”
“I will not take interventions, if you do not mind. <BR /> <BR />How it has been handled has caused confusion and mixed messaging. From the inception of his proposal, the Minister pursued a maximalist approach. He wanted the small, family-owned coffee shop to be subject to the restrictions and the draconian fines that were being proposed as much as the nightclub. In doing so, he alienated so many people for whom the last two years have been so difficult and those who are striving every day just to see their small businesses survive, to sustain the jobs that they provide and to make ends meet. I urge the Minister to confirm whether he intends to revert to extending this damaging legislation to unlicensed premises such as coffee shops. <BR /> <BR />It is telling that no economic impact assessment has been provided for the measure.”
“I abide by the law, the guidance and the public health messaging, and I do what is asked of me. Do not let my opposition to vaccine passports be misconstrued as an unwillingness to recognise the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, my opposition is largely based on the lack of evidence that the measure is effective. It is having a significant impact on sections of our economy despite there being no evidence that it is effective.”
“I am disappointed by the decision of the Health Minister to ignore the lack of cross-Bench support for the policy prior to its becoming active and to plough ahead with the legislation. Affirmative votes were held in Scotland and Wales, so I ask why the Minister was so reluctant to allow the House its place in respect of the policy. <BR /> <BR />I am double-jabbed. Recently, I was delighted to receive my first flu jab and my COVID booster. Like thousands of people across Northern Ireland, I have taken that step in the belief that it will protect me and my loved ones. I have also downloaded my COVID certificate to my phone, and I regularly take lateral flow tests (LFTs). I also practise good hygiene and wear a mask where required, and I urge everyone to act in the same responsible way.”
“The Health Minister will know that, since the start of the pandemic, I have offered him my support in his efforts to combat the threat posed by COVID-19. At times, I have had concerns about what he has sought to do. I have wrestled with some of the regulations and the timing of their tabling. I have listened to the concerns of constituents, whether they were business owners, the sons or daughters of those in care homes or educators. Striking a balance between living a normal life and protecting the public has been hard. It is therefore a matter of deep regret that I find myself at odds with the Minister today. After 22 months of his message of standing together, bringing the public with us and the importance of political unity, we find ourselves here.”
“I thank the Finance Minister for his statement to the House. I note that he talked about the importance of the Health Minister when it comes to the ability to provide more detail in how the uplift in health funding will be used as part of the draft Budget consultation. Would it not have been more appropriate and transparent for that plan to have been brought to the Executive and agreed prior to the consultation being published? What mitigations are in place to ensure that that funding contributes to the much-needed reform of our health service, along with workforce planning, rather than plugging any gaps or allowing money to disappear down a black hole?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer, although it was very disappointing. What more can be done by the Minister's Department to ensure that support goes to smaller businesses in the tourism industry, such as B&Bs, now that the scheme will not go ahead?”
“It is about increased awareness of the danger, and it is about making smoking in cars with children socially unacceptable. Again, I very much welcome the legislation, and I look forward to it becoming law in 2022.”
“<BR /> <BR />The third of the regulations today relates to allowing fixed penalties for the new offences in relation to the sale or proxy purchase of nicotine-containing products to those aged under 18 years. That is another welcome and appropriate move. There will be some who see legislation such as this as unnecessary, but it is incumbent on the House to ensure that there is no doubt about the harm that nicotine causes for all of us as human beings and more so to a child forced to inhale second-hand smoke in a small, enclosed area such as a car. It is important that we recognise that the worth of such legislative changes is not how many will or can be prosecuted; it is about positively affecting our behaviour, given the knowledge that we now have.”
“Proposals to prevent the sale of nicotine-inhaling products such as e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18 will be made under the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (NI) 2016. That is welcome. Today, we heard during Members' statements about the barbaric abuse of children, and I would argue that forcing a child, especially a small child, to inhale harmful substances is a form of abuse. <BR /> <BR />The provisions mirror existing arrangements already in place to prevent the sale and use of tobacco products by young people. They are a sensible move forward and recognition of the harm that e-cigarettes can cause to children. Again, we see Northern Ireland playing catch-up, as England and Wales moved on this in 2015 and Scotland in 2017.”
“<BR /> <BR />Whilst it may feel like common sense to include e-cigarettes in the draft Smoke-Free (Private Vehicles) Regulations before us, we have to respect, at this point, that the evidence base for the second-hand effects of e-cigarettes and vaping is less conclusive. That is why the legislation will not include e-cigs and vaping at this time. Perhaps the Minister will advise us on whether he expects to have more evidence in the near future on that subject. Will he confirm that, should that evidence base be there in the coming months and years, he will swiftly move to add e-cigs and vaping to the legislation? <BR /> <BR />Without doubt, the planned regulations will play an important role in protecting children from the harms of nicotine and tobacco use.”
“<BR /> <BR />I welcome the fact that the proposed new regulations will extend the current smoke-free provisions to private vehicles where children are present, there is more than one person in the car and the vehicle is enclosed. Also, I welcome that it is proposed that failing to prevent smoking in a smoke-free private vehicle will be made an offence. Giving power to councils and to the PSNI to enforce the laws is a sensible move. <BR /> <BR />We will, of course, be aware of reports such as those from clinicians. For example, a report from the Royal College of Physicians says that smoking in a vehicle can lead to increased risk of asthma, lower respiratory tract infections, middle ear disease, bronchitis, bacterial meningitis, sudden infant death syndrome and reduced respiratory function.”
“I support all three motions: that on the draft Smoke-Free (Private Vehicles) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021; that on the draft Nicotine Inhaling Products (Age of Sale and Proxy Purchasing) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021; and that on the draft Tobacco Retailer (Fixed Penalty) (Amount) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK and Ireland where it is still legal to expose people under the age of 18 to the dangers of second-hand smoke while in an enclosed vehicle, which in itself is enough reason to support the motions before the House. It is not acceptable, and the children of Northern Ireland deserve much greater health protection. It is disappointing that the provision is being enacted only now, despite there having been plans to do so as far back as 2014.”
“We will always be extremely grateful for that face-to-face support, care and advice that we receive through their services. Recently, I visited the fantastic team at Randalstown Pharmacies as part of Ask Your Pharmacist Week and saw at first hand the patient-, family- and community-focused services that it provides. <BR /> <BR />To conclude, I welcome the recent ongoing engagement with the Department of Health and the community pharmacy sector to resolve the matter. I urge the Health Minister to ensure that that ongoing engagement with the community pharmacy sector is expedited and that fair arrangement is made to secure the service's long-term sustainability. Any settlement must recognise the financial and time-consuming burden on staff. We must maintain that invaluable service.”
“Our community pharmacy sector and patients who rely on those services deserve to have them properly commissioned and appropriately funded by the Department of Health. We cannot allow the situation to drag on without resolution. New patients, particularly many vulnerable individuals coming on to the system, will require support to better manage their medicines at home and in the community. <BR /> <BR />Our community pharmacies have never been busier, remaining open to the public throughout the pandemic and now on the front line administering thousands of COVID-19 vaccinations. We cannot thank those pharmacists and their assisting staff enough for their work over the past 20 months. Their service deserves much greater public recognition.”
“<BR /> <BR />The service has been underfunded and overstretched to the point that many new patients may be unable to access it until a settlement can be found with the Department. I will point out that a new patient is not just a new patient in the true sense of the word but a patient who may be in hospital and then discharged with a new prescription. <BR /> <BR />Last week, Gerard Greene, the chief executive of Community Pharmacy NI said:”
“I will highlight an issue of great concern that will affect the vast majority of pharmacies and hundreds if not thousands of people should resolution not be found. <BR /> <BR />According to Community Pharmacy NI, around 37,000 patients in Northern Ireland currently receive the service of weekly medicine dose trays and other similar adherence devices. Those trays, which are sorted by pharmacy staff every week, help many vulnerable and elderly patients to manage their daily medication correctly. <BR /> <BR />Owing to an increasing workload, not least because of vaccinations but also because of mounting financial and staffing pressures on the sector, a large majority of pharmacy owners recently voted no longer to provide the monitored dosage system and similar compliance aids to new patients beyond 1 December 2021.”
“Will the Minister ensure that, if changes to that come about, Northern Ireland does not lag behind when changing tack and keeps up with the roll-out?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement to the House on this important issue. It is important that we do not cause undue panic about the new variant. We do not yet know, however, what the impact of the omicron variant is, so it is vital that the PHA be vigilant in tracking and tracing and in gathering information that can be acted on, if and when required and as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />Given the complexity around age ranges, the vaccines that are available, and where and how vaccinations are available, will the Minister consider the introduction of a one-stop-shop app or telephone line by which the information required to access vaccines can be provided as quickly as possible? Are conversations happening UK-wide about the time between the second dose and the booster dose?”
“Given the pressures on the healthcare sector, particularly in domiciliary care, and the pressure on hospitals to release people to their own homes on the back of care packages, will the Minister give a commitment and an assurance to all of those from supported living and the domiciliary care sector who have worked the qualifying period through the pandemic but may have moved on to other areas of employment outside of the health sector that they will feel the value of receiving the recognition payment? If so, when will that process begin?”
“Let us remember the basic tools in all of this: hygiene, mask wearing, ventilation and the general use of common sense. By now, none of us should need to be told how to behave in a pandemic. Let us do our bit to support our mentally and physically tired healthcare workers and allow them to continue taking care of us. The alternative is more and longer restrictions, which, in the mouth of Christmas, none of us want. Let us take our own personal responsibility seriously.”
“Although many venues took the opportunity to reopen and acted responsibly by adhering to guidance and risk assessments, some venues, one of which has been the epicentre of a serious outbreak, acted anything but responsibly. If we are to emerge from the pandemic and the cycle of restrictions, we need everyone, not just some, to act responsibly or, sadly, everyone will lose out. That is a message that everyone should listen to and they should then act accordingly. <BR /> <BR />We are, once again, reaching a difficult place in the pandemic, and, once again, I implore our population to take the available flu and COVID vaccines that can help us emerge from restrictions and get us back to normality. If you are eligible for the booster, then do your bit for society and take it.”
“<BR /> <BR />The end of the furlough scheme meant taking decisions on staffing. Reaching the point at which capacity could be restored and drinking at the bar in pubs was made legal once again meant the restoration of a more viable business model. Likewise, the removal of the requirement to wear a face mask in certain venues, which we also have before us, is another psychological boost to the patrons who visit those venues. <BR /> <BR />One of the more controversial relaxations was the reopening of nightclubs. I recognise that the amendments before us deal with the practicalities around the return of nightclubs. With hindsight, that relaxation may have been ill-timed.”
“Of course, we also need to consider the rising cost of doing business due to issues with supplies and the cost of energy. <BR /> <BR />There has been a perfect storm for the hospitality industry. Some have not been able to withstand it and have had to close their doors, and long-standing family businesses have been lost from town centres across Northern Ireland and will, sadly, never return. Thankfully, the resilience and support of local communities has seen others pull through in this difficult period. Those businesses had been scraping through to pay bills and keep local people in local jobs, so they needed light at the end of the tunnel, not more tunnel. Therefore, the regulatory amendments before us offered a great deal of hope for the industry and were a timely injection of impetus.”
“I express my solidarity and support for the Minister and his ministerial colleagues. Whether we agree or disagree on topics, there is no place in society for intimidation and vile threats. <BR /> <BR />I support the motions, which, once again, look at the easements to restrictions. Once again, we are belatedly debating changes that have already come into effect. To that end, this is just a formality. The changes provided a timely boost to our hospitality sector. As we all know, cafes, restaurants, pubs and bistros across our constituencies have had a horrendous time as a result of the pandemic, and a drop in footfall and restrictions on capacity as a result of social distancing have caused a significant drop in their revenue. Added to that are pressures on staff to enforce restrictions and the cost of same.”
“You are not being a burden or wasting your doctor's time; you are taking the first crucial step towards getting the help that you need.”
“Northern Ireland urgently needs a new lung health strategy that creates a long-term vision for respiratory health. Northern Ireland also requires meaningful action to be taken towards a renewed tobacco control strategy to carry on the positive work over the past decade on tackling smoking and the effects of smoking. We also need better access to spirometry tests in primary care; training of our technicians in the fundamental elements of COPD care; and to establish people's right to rehab and to live stronger, longer lives. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, I make a plea to everyone. Perhaps there are people listening now, even in the Chamber, who experience breathlessness. I strongly encourage them not to ignore that. Needing to catch your breath can be an indicator that things are not right, so speak to your GP.”
“Roughly 43,000 people here have been diagnosed with COPD, but it is believed that thousands more live with COPD without a diagnosis. <BR /> <BR />Last week, as part of World COPD Day, Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation released a landmark UK-wide survey of COPD care titled 'Failing on the fundamentals'. The findings of the survey that related to Northern Ireland were stark. Most remarkably, only 13·5% of respondents from Northern Ireland stated that they had received all five of the fundamental aspects of COPD care that are recommended by NICE. That is the worst rate of care in the UK. The survey also found that fewer than two thirds of those living with COPD in Northern Ireland know what to do when their condition badly flares up. <BR /> <BR />This is not a problem without a solution.”
“I will speak not only as a Member of the House but as chair of the all-party group on lung health. <BR /> <BR />Last Wednesday was World COPD Day. This afternoon, I raise the issue of the need for better services for all those in Northern Ireland who live with that disease. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the name for a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties. COPD is a permanent narrowing of the airways. It is a progressive condition with no cure, but it can be controlled with treatment and self-management. COPD is a common condition that mainly affects middle-aged or older adults with a history of smoking, although many people who never smoked have COPD. It can also be caused by air pollution or occupational exposure to harmful fumes or dust. Genetics can also play a role.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. In the Ten Towns network area, which includes Antrim, my home town in my constituency, prices will increase by 38% in December. Other major companies, like SSE Airtricity and Power NI, have also announced large increases in gas and electricity bills. Has the Minister had any discussions with the Communities Minister about the potential need for further welfare support for those who are being pushed into debt and poverty by the added pressure of energy bills?”
“I commend the Bill to the House. It will help us to deliver the greater level of accountability and decision-making that was identified by the Donaldson report and the 2015 review of health and social care commissioning arrangements. Importantly, it will also strengthen the challenge to providers' mechanisms, which is vital. Complexity is being stripped out. In my view and that of those who were consulted, the objective is achieved. <BR /> <BR />To conclude, it is always right and proper that thanks go not just to Committee members for their work but to the Committee Clerk and his team, the Bill Clerk and, of course, the departmental officials in what has been an especially challenging time for all. I support the Bill and the amendments.”
“They will make the Bill better law and ensure that the transition is well managed and that the journey is aided and shaped by local views.”
“Any regulation should include the reporting mechanism of the new model. <BR /> <BR />Furthermore, I joined others in outlining our concerns about a possible loss of local input during the transition. The Committee agreed that the Bill should be amended to reflect an additional requirement to retain local commissioning groups in the interim. It was the Committee's view that an amendment of that type would allow the retention of those local commissioning groups until regulations on area integrated partnership boards are laid before and approved by the Assembly in order to ensure that there is no gap in the invaluable local engagement and input. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the Department's positive engagement with and acceptance of those sensible and measured amendments to the Bill.”
“I urge the Minister to accelerate the reform that is so desperately needed across our health service. <BR /> <BR />As the Health Committee scrutinised the Bill, we came to a collective belief that, in providing for the dissolution of the regional board and the transfer of its functions, we ought to support the requirement for the Department to make transfer schemes for assets and staff. However, we felt that, in some areas, the Bill required amendments to make it more robust and to ensure better outcomes. That involved amending the Bill to include provision for legislative powers, to place a statutory duty on the Department of Health to bring forward regulations on the new integrated care system model or framework that must be laid before the Assembly and to require such regulations to be approved by affirmative procedure.”
“As is often the case, it has taken us too long to get to this point of much-needed reform, not helped by the boycott of this place by the party opposite. Vital time was lost in so many ways. <BR /> <BR />Mr Speaker, I am sure that you, like me, want to see a less bureaucratic approach in our public sector across the board. The consultation on the Bill identified that as a key issue among consultees. It is important that the responses received have been taken on board by the Department in the drafting of the Bill. I know that the Minister wants to see reduced bureaucracy across our health service, and he has my full support in driving forward that agenda. While the Bill and its effect will save only around £0·4 million, greater savings and efficiency can be found through further, more-ambitious reform.”
“I thank the Minister and the Committee Chair for outlining the finer details of the Bill and the amendments this morning. As we are all well aware, the purpose of the Health and Social Care Bill is to give effect to the decision to close the Health and Social Care Board. I welcome the fact that we have reached the Consideration Stage of this particular Bill, which has been long awaited. <BR /> <BR />Clarity on accountability in decision-making is vital in any organisational structure, and there is no doubt that the Bill is a framework that delivers improvements in our healthcare structures. The need to strengthen the whole area of organisational structure was identified by the Donaldson report in 2014.”
“Likewise, on the regulations on the specialist services across our healthcare system, we see the positive impact of practitioners from elsewhere in the UK and how those from here, too, can bring their skills and knowledge to mainland UK. <BR /> <BR />I welcome that the powers that are sought in the Bill seek to implement a wider reform programme that will create a more flexible and proportionate regulatory framework for healthcare professionals, and that the proposals seek to achieve more responsible and accountable regulation. This is sensible. It will provide more efficient and flexible regulation, which is a good thing. We, as a party, support this legislative consent motion. Finally, I thank the Health officials for all the very good work that they have done and their patience at Committee.”