Robin Swann
North Antrim · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for his detailed statement. I know how passionate he is about the subject and how many times he has brought it to the Executive.”
“It has been reported that today will potentially be the warmest day of the year. As we move into the summer and our summer holidays, I want to raise public awareness of wildfires across Northern Ireland, which have been detrimental to farmland and our environment over the past number of years.”
“Wildfires are still having a detrimental impact on our environment and, occasionally, on livestock, but that reduction shows the impact of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service's proactive approach to educating the general public and engaging with rural communities and schools on its fire safety message, which is to stay alert, not…”
“There has been a lot of talk of sport in this place over the past few days, with everybody concentrating on UEFA. One sport that is going on across Northern Ireland at the minute is cross-community and goes across all age groups without fear, favour or distinction: pigeon racing.”
“I want to put on record that, since this place passed the amendment that recognised pigeon racing as a sport under the 2016 Act, over the past five years, pigeon racing clubs across Northern Ireland have been able to obtain £113,000 of rates rebates through the sports and recreation rate relief, allowing many of those clubs to continue ra…”
“There was much coverage on social media over the weekend of an incident in Staines in England, in which a police car rammed a young calf to bring it under control. It has restarted the conversation about animal cruelty. <BR /> <BR />I am dealing with a specific case in my constituency.”
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“Smoking rates in Northern Ireland's most-deprived areas are typically more than two and a half times higher than those in the least-deprived areas, and, subsequently, children of those smokers are more likely to smoke. Those inequalities manifest themselves in health outcomes, with the incidence of lung cancer in the most-deprived areas being two and a half times higher than that in the least-deprived areas. Therefore, smoking-attributable death rates in our deprived areas are double those in the least-deprived areas. My Department has a long-standing strategic aim of achieving a tobacco-free society. The generational approach to eliminating tobacco use that is proposed in the Bill offers a groundbreaking means by which to address this key public health threat for young people and future generations.”
“Tobacco use is the number-one cause of preventable illness and premature death. Each year, more than 2,000 people in Northern Ireland die from smoking-attributable conditions, as smoking increases the risk of more than 50 serious health conditions. For example, it accounts for 70% of lung cancer cases and over one in four of all cancer deaths. Tobacco use also increases, substantially, the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and strokes, and it increases the risk of premature birth and low birth weight. It is also of great concern that people with serious mental health conditions die 10 or 20 years earlier, and the biggest single factor in that is smoking. <BR /> <BR />Smoking is also a major cause of health inequality.”
“<BR /> <BR />Given the overwhelming public support in Northern Ireland for the measures, it is my duty to seek the same provisions as those offered in the other devolved Administrations. I believe that we would face considerable public criticism if we were to reject this opportunity. It is also expected that there will be strong opposition to the Bill from the tobacco industry and that legal challenges are possible. I believe that they would be better dealt with by a UK Government on behalf of all the UK. <BR /> <BR />I turn now to why I believe we need these measures. I am sure that Members are well aware of the harms caused by tobacco and of the growing concern over vaping, especially by young people. Those harms are the reasons why the legislation is so important for Northern Ireland. I will recap on some of the key facts on tobacco.”
“<BR /> <BR />Whilst the Bill contains provisions that clearly fall within the competence of the Assembly, as they address public health or consumer protection matters, bringing forward our own primary legislation could pose a number of risks. Therefore, Northern Ireland's inclusion in the Bill offers the most expedient way of bringing forward these measures. If we were to progress through our own primary legislation, there would be opportunity costs, as we would have to redirect resources to such legislation. It is also unlikely that we would be able to bring the measures forward at the same pace as the rest of the United Kingdom, and that would put Northern Ireland's population at a disadvantage in these important public health measures.”
“There is particularly strong support for the measures from the people in Northern Ireland. The consultation received 27,025 responses from individuals, 1,221 of which were from Northern Ireland, which equates to 4·5% of the total responses. That represents a high response rate in relation to the Northern Ireland population. Some 62·5% of UK respondents reported that they were in favour of the smoke-free generation proposal, with the highest support coming from Northern Ireland, at 79%. Similarly, support was much higher in Northern Ireland for the other proposals, which included 75·6% supporting a restriction on vape flavours; 85·3% supporting a restriction on the display of vapes; and 66% supportive of prohibiting the use of all imagery, colouring and branding.”
“<BR /> <BR />On a technical point, and for the record, I bring to the House's attention an amendment that I requested to the powers in clause 53, which the Westminster Bill's scrutiny Committee has accepted. On the advice of the Department of Justice's offences and penalties experts and the Office of the Legislative Counsel (OLC), I have requested that the penalty for any such offence created by regulations align with those for the age-of-sale offence. That is to be a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum. That, in turn, allows for the use of a fixed penalty notice in relation to offences created through subsequent regulations. <BR /> <BR />I will summarise the results of the UK-wide public consultation that was held late last year. The results were published on 29 January.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Secretary of State has committed to further consultation on regulatory proposals for product standards for vapes, such as flavour restrictions, and there will be ongoing engagement with the devolved Administrations to ensure an agreed, evidence-based approach to such regulations. <BR /> <BR />Regulations on provisions about point-of-sale display, free distribution of vapes and age-of-sale restrictions on non-nicotine vapes will be made locally by my Department and will be subject to the draft affirmative resolution procedure in the Assembly. We have agreed to a Committee for Health request to engage with it and also with the Youth Assembly on subsequent regulations.”
“<BR /> <BR />In addition, the age restrictions that currently apply to nicotine vapes will be able to be extended to include non-nicotine vapes through Northern Ireland regulations, and we will be able to address current loopholes in the free distribution to children of non-nicotine vapes and nicotine products. It is intended that Parts 4 and 5 of the Bill, which deal with product standards, such as flavours, packaging and manufacturing notifications, will be addressed through UK-wide regulations made by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. They may relate to public health issues or consumer protection, so Northern Ireland's inclusion in those regulations will be subject to our consent.”
“The key provisions on e-cigarettes, or vapes, are regulation-making powers, which will allow for a number of measures to be put in place. Those include restrictions on vape flavours and packaging and bans on point-of-sale displays for all nicotine products and vapes. There are already similar measures in place for tobacco products. <BR /> <BR />The current e-cigarette manufacturer notification system operating in GB will also be able to be extended to include other nicotine products and non-nicotine vapes, and those provisions may also be extended to Northern Ireland with our consent. Currently, manufacturers that access the Northern Ireland market are required to notify nicotine-containing e-cigarettes on the EU common entry gate (EU-CEG) system, but there are no EU requirements for non-nicotine vapes or other nicotine products.”
“<BR /> <BR />The policy intention is therefore to stop people from ever starting to smoke, thus preventing a lifetime of addiction. The impact will be that children currently aged 15 and under, who are not currently legally permitted to be sold tobacco, will not be able to be sold tobacco legally when they turn 18 and beyond. The onus will be on the seller, and any offences will be committed by the seller and not the individual who makes the purchase, unless the purchaser is doing so on behalf of someone who is under the legal age of sale, which is so-called proxy purchasing. <BR /> <BR />The Bill will make the necessary age-related changes to existing compulsory retail signage and proxy purchasing offences.”
“<BR /> <BR />It may be helpful to Members if I now summarise the provisions of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The current legal age for the sale of tobacco is 18. The Westminster Bill will make it an offence for anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 to be sold tobacco products. The measures are in line with the recommendations made in the Khan review of England's smoke-free ambition, which was published in 2022. <BR /> <BR />I make it clear from the outset that there is no intention to criminalise smoking. Existing adult smokers will not be stopped from buying or smoking cigarettes, although I urge them to seek the help of local cessation services to help them quit, owing to the very harmful impacts of any amount of tobacco smoke on health.”
“I subsequently indicated to the UK Government my support for the inclusion of Northern Ireland, subject to the necessary consent from the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly. On 21 February, the First Minister and the deputy First Minister agreed in principle to the progression of a legislative consent motion (LCM) and to a legislative consent memorandum concerning Northern Ireland's inclusion in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. <BR /> <BR />The Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 20 March. My Department provided oral and written briefings on the Bill to the Committee for Health, and it agreed to support the motion at its meeting on 18 April. I thank my Executive colleagues and the Committee for Health for their support and timely response.”
“In October 2023, the UK Government announced their intention to create a smoke-free generation in England by stopping children who turned 15 this year, or younger, from ever legally being sold cigarettes. They proposed that the consultation be UK-wide, with a view to aligning our policy approaches where doing so would improve outcomes, and allowing for collective action to tackle the harm caused by tobacco use and youth vaping. <BR /> <BR />A UK-wide consultation concluded in December 2023. Following that consultation, Health Ministers in Scotland and Wales agreed in principle to those countries being included in a UK-wide Bill, subject to the necessary legislative consents. The return of our Assembly allowed a brief opportunity for a review of Northern Ireland's position on the matter.”
“— needs the quality services that our people deserve, and it needs commitment from across the Assembly Chamber.”
“I urge all Members to stand alongside me on this, and, more importantly, to stand alongside health and social care in Northern Ireland because, to reduce waiting lists and to deliver transformation, our health service —”
“<BR /> <BR />The bottom line is that I cannot deliver what I do not have the money to fund. The 2024-25 Budget, which the Executive recently approved, was deeply disappointing. As a direct consequence, Health will face significant budgetary pressures this year. I have no doubt that, despite the best efforts of my Department and the wider health and social care system, we will deal with the fallout and consequences of that financial shortfall not only in primary care but across health and social care. Sadly and, unfortunately, the fallout from that will impact directly on the lives of people across Northern Ireland. Therefore, I continue to press my case to get the funding that we need for health and social care. That is what I believe our population deserves and what our workforce deserves.”
“That model remains key to stabilising vital primary care services in our communities, providing a continuum of high-quality services right through from prevention to treatment, management and care of patients with more complex needs. <BR /> <BR />I am committed to the further implementation of the MDT model across Northern Ireland. My Department has long since developed the plan for the implementation of MDTs. Unfortunately, as with other initiatives, the pace and roll-out of MDTs has been seriously and repeatedly constrained by the ability of the necessary recurrent funding to support it. I will point out that, in the transformation pot that the Finance Minister identified, funding for MDTs will be one of the bids that I will make from that, so I look forward to support from across the House in whatever way possible for that bid.”
“Since its establishment in January 2023, 46 GP practices have applied and received approval in principle for funding under that scheme, and some 25 practices that have applied have received final approval and payment for a recruited GP. <BR /> <BR />We have continued to boost capacity in the wider primary care workforce by investing £25 million per year in the primary care MDT programme, £90 million annually in the general practice pharmacy programme and £3·1 million to recruit advanced nurse practitioners. Members have discussed, and I know, how valuable MDTs are in areas where they have been established and the difference that MDT roles have made.”
“My Department very much values the fellowship scheme and the chance that it provides for recently qualified GPs to have access to an attractive portfolio of opportunities. Looking to the future, my Department is considering how the scheme might be further developed, subject to available funding, to extend the range and scope of fellowship placement opportunities and to provide for educational bursaries to be available for all fellows. <BR /> <BR />Other steps that my Department is taking to support the GP workforce include the introduction of the attract, recruit, retain scheme in order to support the recruitment of GPs in areas where it is hard to recruit. That scheme is already in place.”
“The number of places will be retained at that level even with the challenging budget position that I have. My Department has worked with GP representatives and other stakeholders in the Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency (NIMDTA) and our universities to increase the exposure of undergraduates to general practice as part of the curriculum to not only, hopefully, encourage more GP trainees but ensure that there are sufficient GP training practices to meet the demand for and support of GPs in training. <BR /> <BR />The GP fellowship scheme is also supporting recently qualified GPs to transition from the training environment to independent practice, with opportunities for personal and professional development.”
“Earlier this month, I visited Moy health centre to see a new GP-led service in the Armagh and Dungannon GP Federation to improve lung health. That early respiratory diagnostic hub will provide advanced lung-function testing, meaning quicker diagnosis, which will reduce respiratory admissions and help deliver better management of respiratory diseases. Those are just a couple of examples of how primary care is evolving, providing a broader range of services closer to people's home and improving the patient experience, as Ms Dillon referenced. <BR /> <BR />In order to help primary care to deliver and grow, it is critical that we train, develop, support and retain the GP workforce. In my previous term as Minister, I increased the number of GP training places to 121 by direction. As referenced, that was an increase of 86% since 2015-16.”
“I will not deal with a case about a specific patient on the Floor, but if the Member wants to write to me with specific details, we can follow up on that. <BR /> <BR />It is important to recognise that primary care is changing and that it offers a range of services that previously have been outside its scope and have been provided in secondary care. As an example of that, in April, I announced that regional vasectomy services in Northern Ireland will be fully transferred from secondary care to primary care to be provided by GPs, with the required funding moving from trust budgets into primary care. Innovative initiatives to extend the range of services that are provided in primary care are also happening at a local level.”
“That group is also exploring how technologies can further develop improvements in accessing services for practices and patients alike. <BR /> <BR />I will give way to the Member.”
“As Minister, I need to be honest and say that we have a growing and ageing population that is living with more complex chronic conditions, and, over time, that is leading to increased demands on our GP services. In a standard week, as has been mentioned, our general medical services clinical teams carry out over 200,000 consultations, of which half are currently done face to face. I fully understand that there will be times when people are frustrated that they cannot get through to their GP practice without numerous redials, and, again, that is why my Department has been actively looking at practical ways in which we can best respond to and deal with increasing demand. <BR /> <BR />Our GP access working group is working to continuously improve the management of patient demand and to optimise workflow within practices.”
“<BR /> <BR />Central to that is exploring how we can make primary care and general practice more resilient; improve demand management and access to GP-led services; and strengthen the GP workforce. On demand management and access to GP services, we have already started to do that. A set of principles has been developed that will support more coordinated and streamlined management of the interface between primary and secondary care, clarifying the appropriate responsibility for patient management right across those two sectors. <BR /> <BR />I am asked regularly, including by Members of this place, when general practice will be back to normal or back to how it used to be.”
“<BR /> <BR />The motion refers to the Northern Ireland Audit Office's recently published report on access to general practice, and I have welcomed the publication of that report because it holds up a mirror to the current state of general practice. Its findings reflect my and my Department's assessment of the challenges facing our service. However, I want to be clear on this: the issues impacting on general practice are complex and require a sustained, long-term response. There is simply no short-term fix, and it will take time as well as resources, but we are committed and determined to deliver for primary care, for its workforce and for patients.”
“That is an interim measure, as has been identified, pending the identification of a long-term model for future provision. That was a promise that I made to general practitioners before I left office the last time, and it is a promise that I have kept. My Department is committed to identifying solutions to address this issue, and work is continuing on options appraisals through the business case process, which will result in the identification of a proposed way forward for GP indemnity here. However, I am under no illusion that the new 2024-25 contract will resolve all the challenges faced by general practice: given the limits on the funding available to me, to put it quite simply, it will not do that and I do not believe that it can.”
“The 2024-25 contract replaces the quality and outcomes framework (QOF) with a clinical care domain, which itself is part of a wider Northern Ireland contract assurance framework, and the funding that was previously associated with QOF, as well as a number of specified enhanced services, will now be incorporated, for the first time, into the core GMS contract. It is important to stress that, in bringing QOF and enhanced services into the core contract and under the new contract assurance framework, GPs will still be required to deliver these services to their patients as is clinically appropriate. <BR /> <BR />I know that GPs have previously raised concerns about indemnity. I am pleased, therefore, that this year's contract, for the first time, provides dedicated funding of £5 million to practices to support the costs of indemnity.”
“Importantly, the new contract arrangements will provide GPs with greater certainty about their income throughout this year, as well as reducing administrative burdens and associated costs to practices.”
“Whilst the budget provided to me by the Executive does not allow me to make a substantial increase in the overall value of the contract, I am pleased that the agreement makes significant progress against one of the key aims identified by GPs, which is the inclusion of provision for dedicated funding for indemnity costs.”
“For instance, only last week, I was pleased to announce that agreement had been reached on the 2024-25 general medical services contract. In the past, that was never the subject of debate or a ministerial statement, but I will take forward the concerns that have been raised, and maybe future Health Ministers will make that the subject of a statement. I appreciate the constructive and positive approach to those negotiations that was taken by the leadership of the Northern Ireland General Practitioners Committee to get us to that position.”
“That may be uncalled for. <BR /> <BR />On a serious point, we cannot continue with a situation where, in some instances, GPs face such sustained pressure that they feel that the only course of action left to them is to hand back their contract. I am firmly of the view that it is not enough for primary care or general practice simply to survive. That is why I said that it was important to stabilise it before we move on to what is my ambition as Health Minister, which is for it to thrive. I want to build the resilience and capacity of the service so that it is sustainable for the long term and is better supported to deliver improved outcomes for patients. <BR /> <BR />As Mr Chambers mentioned, some of the points in today's motion have been superseded by discussions and engagements that have long been under way.”
“Absolutely. I will come back to the Health Committee Chair's point later in my contribution. <BR /> <BR />It was interesting that Mr Carroll referred to the healthcare model in Cuba. I looked around the Chamber to see how many Members were, like me, here in 2012 and remember that Health Committee members — Jim Wells and Sue Ramsey, I think it was — visited Cuba then to see how that healthcare model worked and whether they could bring back recommendations. I am not sure how far that has progressed since then.”
“I checked that, and I think that it happened in 2017, somewhat before my tenure, but I will get back to the Member when I have checked who held the Ministry around that time.”
“I therefore understand the ongoing challenges that patients and GPs, along with their teams, face, not least the impact of increasing demand and the resultant burgeoning workloads. <BR /> <BR />The fact that 26 general practice contracts were handed back between 2022-23 and the end of April this year has been mentioned a number of times. That is a testament to the pressures that GPs and their teams have to deal with daily, but it is right to recognise that officials in my Department have worked hard to ensure that, where contracts have been handed back, no practice has closed and patients have continued to access GP services in their area. That achievement is a testament to the work of my departmental officials. <BR /> <BR />Mrs Erskine mentioned the closure of Roslea.”
“I welcome the debate today and the opportunity to recognise and pay tribute once again to the vital role played by primary care as part of our health and social care system. We have heard from many Members about matters such as community provision, community pharmacy and waiting lists, and that is recognition that no part of our health and social care system stands alone in regard to how we want to support all our patients or where pressures are felt. <BR /> <BR />Many Members who spoke today acknowledged the enormous contribution made by GPs, their practice teams and, indeed, the other health and social care professionals who, together, make up the primary care workforce.”
“I hope that it is clear to Members from what I have said that, in our view, it creates an unacceptable risk of traffic chaos in and around critical hospitals with the associated risks to staff, patients and the public. <BR /> <BR />Proper consideration needs to be given to how we manage and control the limited capacity in hospital car parks and to how provision and maintenance will be funded when parking charges are abolished. I therefore urge all Members to support the Bill today. I commend the Bill to the House.”
“Acknowledging that, I remain entirely sympathetic to the intention behind the legislation. We have a fundamental problem to address. I am conscious that I am asking the Assembly to take a difficult decision today. Unfortunately, given the budgetary challenges facing all Departments, there will be more difficult decisions to come. I know that Members supported the current legislation for the best of motives. It reflected a genuine desire to show solidarity with health service staff, patients and patients' families. However, if Members do not pass this incredibly important Bill today, the stark reality is that hospitals will have no means to control parking, preserve blue-light routes and protect designated spaces.”
“Again, the Chair of the Committee raised that with regard to information that the Committee received about patients often waiting for 90 minutes to access a hospital. I am concerned that, owing to the delay in being able to implement the traffic management solution, the current legislation, although clearly well-intentioned, will potentially make things worse for patients and staff by adding to the demand for spaces, which will add further pressure to trust staff, who are already dealing with huge challenges. <BR /> <BR />I know the value that Assembly colleagues place on private Members' Bills. Therefore, I do not make the proposal to postpone the operation date of the Act lightly. I do so to protect access to hospital sites for service users and because Health and Social Care no longer has the resources to deliver its services.”
“As I said in my opening comments, a commitment was given in the Chamber at the Bill's other stages, and we are now looking at including the eligibility and how patients can access those free permits in appointment letters. That is being explored across all trusts. <BR /> <BR />I thank Mr McGrath and Mr Carroll for their comments. Both raised issues that were covered during the debates at earlier stages of the Bill around the legal challenges and the appointment of a contractor. How that can be covered and how it came about and occurred was covered at those earlier stages as well. <BR /> <BR />Many of us are aware of the traffic issues at Health and Social Care hospital sites.”
“I thank the Members who contributed to the debate. I will make a few comments on their contributions. On behalf of my Department's officials, I thank the Chair for her commitment and support. I guarantee that the Committee will receive the regular updates that it has asked for on the delivery of the legislation and the intention to develop the eligibility criteria. <BR /> <BR />I have stated previously that the current free parking eligibility is for patients who may have a number of outpatient appointments over an extended period; patients who may benefit from lengthy or frequent visits from relatives or friends; and patients who are outside the prescribed treatment categories but will make lengthy and/or frequent visits.”
“<BR /> <BR />I urge all Members to support the Bill.”
“<BR /> <BR />During the deferral period, trusts are also committed to increasing capacity by exploring off-site parking sites and incentives such as park-and-ride facilities; reviewing and extending the current free parking eligibility where the duration and/or frequency of visits leads to significant charges for patients or their families; and also, as we committed to, increasing awareness of free parking eligibility and the travel cost recovery scheme by, for example, advertising the details of that on patient appointment letters. <BR /> <BR />My primary concern is to protect access to hospitals for appropriate users. I therefore seek agreement to the Bill to defer the removal of charges for two years, and I hope that the Bill will receive Royal Assent as close as possible to the operational date of the current Act.”
“It will also allow the trusts more time to explore how car use can be reduced — that is a fundamental point and not just because of our responsibilities to climate change — because, at present, demand for car parking spaces significantly exceeds capacity on some hospital sites. Therefore, increasing that demand by abolishing all charges is not without risk.”
“No additional capital or revenue funding has been made available to my Department for the implementation of the legislation and, in the light of the 2024-25 Budget settlement, the loss of that revenue, combined with the ongoing requirement to maintain the car parks, would only add to the significant pressures that my Department faces. <BR /> <BR />My Department therefore proposes to use the deferral period to fully implement the infrastructure required to manage free car parking and work towards funding the implementation of free car parking after the deferral period.”
“I hope that Members recognise that such an outcome creates an unacceptable risk of traffic chaos in and around critical hospitals, bringing those associated risks to staff, patients and the public. <BR /> <BR />Whilst the delay in introducing free hospital parking has, in this instance, been driven by other factors, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge that the financial context for the Department of Health has worsened considerably since the original Act was passed just over two years ago. Car parking charges are currently used to help meet some of the expenditure associated with the operational upkeep and management of car parks.”
“Indeed, many may have personal experience of them. They will therefore understand why I am concerned that a delay in bringing into operation an effective traffic management solution will make the situation significantly worse for patients and staff by adding unmanageable demand for spaces and by adding further pressure on trust staff who are already dealing with huge challenges. In particular, I am informed that this would have had a significant impact in the Belfast and South Eastern Health and Social Care Trusts, which, regionally, have the highest number of charged-for parking spaces and offer many regional healthcare services. <BR /> <BR />If Members do not pass this Bill, the stark reality is that hospitals will have no means to control parking or, importantly, to protect the ability of emergency vehicles to come and go unimpeded.”
“However, due to the technical realities of implementation, which include, for example, assessment of the infrastructure required and locations at each site, delivery, installation and testing of equipment, and any necessary communication and engagement with members of the public and staff, the system will not come online until the autumn at the earliest, which is after the new law comes into effect on 12 May. <BR /> <BR />Many colleagues supported the current legislation because of the benefits to staff, patients and visitors. Therefore, as I have said, as fair recognition of the hard work and dedication of the staff, and to allow the Executive to deliver some of the intent of current legislation, staff parking permits will be free of charge from 12 May. <BR /> <BR />Many Members will be aware of the traffic issues at hospital sites.”
“As I have stated repeatedly during the passage of the Bill, although I remain entirely sympathetic to the intentions behind the Hospital Parking Charges Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, delays to the operational implementation of the traffic management system to control parking once charges are abolished meant that the original commencement date of this weekend was simply no longer within reach. Compared with the uncertain position even a number of weeks ago, I can now confirm that the traffic management system contract to control parking, preserve blue-light routes and protect designated spaces once charges are abolished was awarded on 1 May.”
“Today's Final Stage concludes the legislative process for the Hospital Parking Charges Bill in the Assembly. The debate on the Bill has been useful and informative, and I thank all Members for their contributions to the process. I express my gratitude once again to the Health Committee for working within difficult time frames and for supporting the Bill's receiving accelerated passage. <BR /> <BR />It is clear just how many important issues the Bill touches on and how important it is that we get it right. What we are talking about here today will have an impact on staff, patients and visitors.”