Colin McGrath
South Down · Social Democratic and Labour Party · Northern Ireland
“Minister, regardless of where people stand on the exact figure, surely we can all agree that a health service cannot function without the doctors whom it trains.”
“Minister, climate change is happening, and extreme weather events are taking place. We saw that in Downpatrick a number of years ago when the town centre was ravaged by flooding, and it has taken the businesses affected many years to try to get over that flooding.”
“Minister, given that capital funding is, generally, being decimated, the extent of which may increase as a result of the Executive's not agreeing a Budget, what impact will that have on any final road maintenance strategy, and are any contingencies being put in place to manage that?”
“<BR /> <BR />Since March 2025, the parliamentary excellence programme has delivered dedicated sessions with the Executive Office on the strategic framework and its delivery plan, enhancing Members’ understanding of the cross-government approach and their role in scrutiny, legislation and constituency engagement.”
“<BR /> <BR />More broadly, the Assembly Commission supports Members and Committees in carrying out their scrutiny functions, including in relation to the Executive Office’s work on that framework.”
“As the Member mentioned, one example is the Assembly's Women's Caucus, which has a particular focus on supporting women in public life and highlighting the increasing challenges that women face in the digital sphere, including online abuse.”
The complete record
Every one of 2,662 lines we hold for Colin McGrath, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 29 of 54.
“Knowing that the Minister loves Question Time so much, I submitted a question for urgent oral answer. That was accepted, and I will ask it later. <BR /> <BR />On the theme of difficult questions, at the beginning of February, we submitted a question for priority written answer, which was to be answered within five days. It asked what percentage of the departmental budget is spent on general practice. Is that a difficult question to answer? Might you have that information to hand now?”
“That includes families who had not considered adoption until they heard about the passage of the legislation and the additional help and support that there will be for people who enter that process. Although adopting one child will not change the world, for that child, it will change their world forever. That is something that we have to try to support and assist. <BR /> <BR />The SDLP will support the Bill. We look forward to seeing its outworking in the lives of children and families right across the North.”
“The legislation, which all quarters of the House have helped to deliver, should be fit to meet the needs of the 21st century and our ever-evolving society. <BR /> <BR />One has only to look at the tragic displacement of millions from Ukraine, including many children. There will, undoubtedly, be many children who are not travelling with their parents and, as a result of the conflict, will find themselves looking for a home. People across the world are willing to open their homes to those who are in need and to help families that have been ripped apart. The plight of those people speaks to the very core of the legislation and the spirit in which it was drafted. <BR /> <BR />It is my hope that, as a result of the legislation, more families from across the North will consider adopting children.”
“You are helping other young people, who, because of your contribution, may not face problems that they otherwise would have faced. That is an absolutely fantastic achievement, and we really appreciate the contribution that you have made to the Bill. <BR /> <BR />Unfortunately, news has come to light today about a children's mental health charity that did not meet the needs of children and young people and significant failings that took place there. The needs of our children and young people must be paramount in all that we do. Children who need a forever home carry with them a range of needs that are complex and varying. Their needs and care are paramount. The legislation that we are passing today at its Final Stage will do just that; it will help and assist.”
“<BR /> <BR />Our thanks go to all those who helped and assisted, from Keith and the Committee team to the Committee members, the departmental staff, and the organisations that came in and spoke to us. When all of us adults, who are being paid, get round the table and do our work, we can achieve things. However, setting that aside, I will always remember the session that we had with the young people, because their voice is the most important. They have the real-life experience and are able to tell us exactly what the problems were. We were able to interpret that, make amends and work with the Department to deliver real change that will help other young people. The young people from VOYPIC who participated in the process can be really proud that their work will help people in the future.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill, not least because it is at its Final Stage and shows this place at its very best. When we come together, work hard together and put in the hard work at the Committee Stage together, we can deliver change that helps people in their lives. Surely the purpose of this place is to do all that we can to try to help and assist people. That was not a small task with the Bill, as Members have said. Sometimes, Bills go through here with one or two clauses. There were 160 clauses in the Bill as introduced, never mind the number of schedules. Just reading it was a mammoth task, never mind trying to assess what it would do and the changes that we wanted to make to it.”
“<BR /> <BR />How frustrating it must be for somebody who tracks down where they were born or from where they were adopted but finds that the paperwork has not been kept, which does not allow them to make the final connection of being able to work out who their parents were and tracing them. Those people must remain at the forefront of our minds, and the Bill does that. <BR /> <BR />The SDLP supports the Bill and is content that the scrutiny provided via the Adoption and Children Bill, which, at a time, included these clauses, was sufficient to allow the progression of the present Bill. <BR /> <BR />I support the Bill at Second Stage and look forward to seeing it progress in the next few days.”
“Many people who were adopted or grew up in institutions many years ago have been left with significant blanks in their history. If such documentation is preserved, it could help to fill in those blanks, which is why the Bill is so important. <BR /> <BR />All of us have a right to know who we are, where we have come from and who our parents were. While we often debate matters of identity in a very limited way in this place, understanding one's identity in history has a much deeper meaning for those who have come through those institutions. The retention of such information will ensure that anyone who wishes to access that information at a point in the future will know that it has been kept and preserved and has not been destroyed or removed.”
“I likewise support the Bill at Second Stage, and I welcome the opportunity to do so. I do not intend to speak for long, because we had substantial discussions on the clauses in the Health Committee, and we all indicated our support at that stage. It was only because they were ruled to be out of scope of the Adoption and Children Bill that those elements had to fall out of it. None of us wanted to see the clauses lost, because we knew exactly how important they were and that we must try to see them across the finish line. I commend Mr Chambers for introducing his private Member's Bill to do that. <BR /> <BR />The Bill will ensure that records of people and their backgrounds that were held by institutions and others between 1922 and 1995 are maintained. That is only right and proper.”
“I offer our support for the accelerated passage of the Bill. The importance of trying to get it through in the short period that we have left has been eloquently outlined. Hopefully, with the support of the House, accelerated passage will make sure that it becomes a reality.”
“I am interested in developing that point. If you include the "reasonable excuse" message and a court decided that there was a reasonable excuse for the behaviour and it continued, would that not make you unhappy and more or less nullify the purpose of the legislation?”
“I thank the Member for giving me the opportunity to respond to him. That is after the legislation has been passed. We can provide clarity in the legislation. Providing confusion, which then requires people to go to the courts afterwards, seems to be a clunky way to go about legislating. If we put the clarity in the legislation, there is no need to go to the courts afterwards, but, if you put ambiguity into legislation, it simply creates problems. We are trying to remove those problems by providing the clarity as best we can. To that end, as I said, we support amendment Nos 1, 2, 3 and 5 and oppose amendment No 4.”
“In fact, the legislation is not about abortion; it is about the capacity of an individual to enter a building without fear of harassment or intimidation or of someone trying to make them feel ashamed. The SDLP will be —.”
“I thank the Member for the intervention. I am not 100% across the Act that she mentioned, but I certainly take the point that, if we leave too vague a definition in legislation, it creates confusion and problems. <BR /> <BR />I am concerned that the individuals who will be subject to the ramifications of the Bill will, if offered a get-out clause, do their very best to bend those rules and push "reasonable excuse" to its absolute farthest to find some sort of space in the legislation to continue their behaviour. I am afraid that it is just too ambiguous, so we have difficulty with supporting it. <BR /> <BR />Contrary to some of the emails that we have received over recent weeks, this is not about censorship.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak at Further Consideration Stage, although I will not speak for too long. The SDLP supports the Bill sponsor's amendment Nos 1, 2, 3 and 5. The amendments from the Bill's sponsor further tidy up the legislation, which is to be welcomed. They are mostly technical in nature, with the exception of amendment No 5, which provides further clarity on the need to publish a list of protected premises. <BR /> <BR />I am a little concerned that the amendment tabled by Mr Allister offers those who would be subject to the legislation a get-out clause, including the defence of "without reasonable excuse".”
“Does the Minister agree that, while he wants to be able to take decisions that may save lives, for him to be criticised for doing so by people who are in a party that refuses to give us an Executive to take those decisions is downright cheeky? It is absolutely cheeky of people to sit here and say, "We are not going to give you an Executive. If the Executive need to take decisions to save lives, how dare anybody else do that?". It is the ultimate act of cheek. I wish that Members of certain parties would reflect on what they are depriving people of.”
“<BR /> <BR />We want to see more of this sort of day, because it speaks to the fact that we are moving away from the virus. It is, however, still here. It is still present, and it therefore has the potential to spread. Some of the simplest methods to stop its spread are good hand hygiene, social distancing and continuing to wear a face mask. I know that many of us will continue to wear one when we are in places where we are in close contact with people. That is the type of intervention that will continue to help. I welcome this important step today, and I am delighted that the SDLP can support it.”
“I thank the Minister for bringing forward the regulations. As other Members have said, this is the sort of day that we hoped for when we introduced all those rules two years ago. We hoped that we would get to the stage at which we could start to undo the legislative requirements of people. It is key that we note that we are where we are today because so many people have gone the extra mile and done what they can, be that simply putting on a face mask when going into a shop. That may have helped to stop the virus spreading to all the people in the shop, who could have become very sick and ended up in hospital. We also thank our health service staff, who went the extra mile to do the work that they did. Like everybody else, they had to wear a mask and will still need to do so.”
“With those words, I hope that we can realise that, in getting the Bill to Final Stage tonight, we are doing what we can to help people. That is why we in the SDLP are delighted to support the Bill.”
“<BR /> <BR />I will close with words that I read by an individual with autism who spoke about the need for greater support and services. He said:”
“As we go forward, there is work to be done on how assessments are carried out of individuals who seek things like the personal independence payment (PIP), as that process seems to be particularly unfair and puts them at a disadvantage. Elements of the Bill will, hopefully, help to address those shortcomings in other Departments and in the work that is taking place. Much of the minutiae of that will be for a future Assembly to try to work with. <BR /> <BR />In bringing my comments to a close, I advocate the Bill as important legislation. It proves that this place can work and that, when we get together and have the right agenda for the right reasons, we can deliver results that help people in our community. If that is not the motivation for any of us to be in the Chamber, we need to go off and think about why we are in it.”
“I know from my work in the Patrician Youth Centre in Downpatrick that it also has a programme for young people with autism, providing them with that special space and with opportunities to go out and mix with other young people. It is wonderful that the work that many in the Chamber have done in the past few years is helping to make those initiatives come alive and that people with autism are being given the opportunity to fully participate in society. <BR /> <BR />Such examples also show the importance of the collection of data, which is very much part of the Bill, and of how that data is brought together and used to provide the services and direct the resources that are needed in our community. <BR /> <BR />I hope and firmly believe that the legislation will help those living with autism and their families.”
“As a result of that, the local community has stepped up, and I commend initiatives in the areas that I represent. Those include the ADHD Hub in Newcastle, which was set up so that the families of those who have a diagnosis of ADHD have somewhere to go and make a contribution to their community. There is also the Downpatrick Autism Family Support Group, which was set up as a means to provide support for families in the Downpatrick area.”
“We also have the all-party group to thank, and we had the support of Autism NI, which has helped to make sure that this important amending Bill has made its way through. <BR /> <BR />Autism is a complex issue, not only because there are many and varied needs in the spectrum of autism but because, for those who are living with autism, it does not always present itself in such a way that impacts on physical health or mobility but more on social and communication capacities. As MLAs, we have all heard the stories from constituents of how autism is affecting their lives. For instance, it has only been in the past few years that we have seen the advancement of information on ADHD, which has required a tremendous level of education and consultation.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill this evening. In doing so, I pay tribute to all those who have helped the legislative process and brought the Bill to its conclusion. In particular, I thank the Bill sponsor, Pam Cameron. It is great that any Bill gets through this place, but, as it is a private Member's Bill, I congratulate the Member on her work to make this a reality. It is the first private Member's Bill to go through with people watching from the Public Gallery. That is really appropriate as the Bill will reach out to the community to help and support it. It is absolutely wonderful that, on the first day that we have people in the Public Gallery, we see something like this reach its conclusion.”
“We must deliver a system that is fit to meet the needs of the 21st century and our ever-evolving society. With each stage of the process, we are getting closer to delivering legislation that will provide that. The SDLP is happy to support the amendments, and I look forward to seeing the legislation being delivered.”
“Without overburdening the Assembly, it is always better, where possible, for legislation to come here and be subject to the draft affirmative procedure, because that allows for more engagement and discussion amongst MLAs before decisions are taken. With the negative resolution procedure, the discussion takes place after the decisions have been taken. We are content with that amendment. <BR /> <BR />Amendment Nos 4 and 5 are to do with the reporting process. As a result of the amendments, that will take place once every three years, with a sunset clause after 10 years. We are content with that because it is somewhat similar to the original draft, but I am glad that we got it drilled down and have been able to agree it. <BR /> <BR />I reiterate that the focus must be on the children and young people who are in need of a home.”
“It is a technical amendment, and the SDLP is content with it. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 2 tidies up a previous Committee amendment to ensure that there is an obligation on the Department to ensure a child's education and learning. There was much discussion about exactly what those terms meant and how they would be enacted in reality with children in their day-to-day lives. The tidy-up in the amendment was welcomed by everyone at the Committee, and we are content with it. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 3 will ensure that three key areas are subject to draft affirmative procedure rather than negative resolution procedure.”
“I welcome that we are progressing the Bill to its next stage. Throughout the process, the Minister, the Department, and the Committee — everybody involved — have been focused on the end goal of delivering legislation that places children at the centre of our efforts. The legislation that we deliver in the Chamber must deliver for children in their lives. It is essential that we get this done and across the line before the end of the mandate, because the reform is long awaited and we cannot allow it to fall. I am glad to see that we are progressing towards that achievement. <BR /> <BR />The amendments continue that effort and are a result of the Committee's deliberation and engagement with the Minister and Department. Amendment No 1 provides further clarification on how the process of guardianship will progress.”
“In fact, I understand that about 40% of the medicines currently in development are for rare or very rare conditions, and they include many cell and gene therapies that are personalised to individual patients. We therefore cannot afford to be left behind in the fight against such diseases. Developing new and better medicines for such debilitating and genetic conditions takes time and effort, to say nothing of funding. We must place that task in the hands of our scientists and virologists, with trust and optimism that they know what they are doing and what they are trained to do, which is to improve the lives of people everywhere. The SDLP supports the motion.”
“The regulations aim to provide the early access to medicines scheme with a legal basis for delivering the relevant medicines. Patients with the rarest conditions are facing challenges about which we are still very much learning. Very often, those conditions are identified in young children, so it is only right and proper that we do all in our power to try to make life easier for those children and their families, whose lives are turned upside down as a result of some genetic conditions. The hope for us, however, is that many new medicines are being developed and that they have the promise of being genuinely life-changing for those who suffer from such conditions.”
“Likewise, the SDLP supports the motion. We all know the importance of having access to those vaccines, so, if we can ensure that the process by which they reach our vaccination centres is streamlined and more efficient, it will only benefit the public by providing better access, which is exactly what we need most. <BR /> <BR />Quite literally, the vaccines save lives. Unfortunately, many communities across the world have not had access to them yet. As we emerge from the pandemic, it is my hope, and that of the SDLP, that access to a range of vaccines in the global neighbourhood, particularly in developing nations, will be more streamlined and efficient, as it is here, to ensure that those who need them most can get them. We support the motion.”
“I have listened with interest on a number of occasions to references to, I think, articles 9, 10 and 11. To expand on them, however, I will say that each one of those articles clearly states that if, in the exercise of those freedoms, an individual is breaching public order, impacting on other rights or impacting on public safety, consideration can be given to providing a way of restricting those rights. It is clear that, if people breach those rights, they can be held to account. Do you agree that that means that what is in the Bill is compliant with those articles?”
“People could be going to those buildings for other reasons, but they are subjected to all the behaviour that people raised concerns about. The police, especially, raised concerns, saying that they had been called on a number of occasions, and that there was always the possibility that that could have in relation to people who were going into the building for entirely different reasons. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, the Bill does not impede anyone objecting to abortion services. The SDLP can therefore support the Bill and the amendments tabled by the Bill sponsor and Ms Bradshaw and will oppose amendment No 6 from Mr Allister.”
“<BR /> <BR />Amendment No 8 necessitates the publication of a list of protected premises and safe access zones, thereby ensuring transparency for the public in relation to the protections that are afforded on those premises. <BR /> <BR />I draw particular attention to amendment No 11 and say to the Bill sponsor that it is important. Regardless of one's view on abortion, it is not acceptable to record sounds or images of a woman who is trying to access those services and then to share those sounds or images on social media. It is not acceptable to record members of staff who work on the premises, and it is not acceptable to record anybody else who goes into the premises. I am nearly sure that the services that people have concerns about are not the only services that are available in those buildings.”
“It creates a 100-metre area that would be protected. That is helpful, as it allows a very defined area of protection for those accessing such services. There is also flexibility to increase that distance to 150 metres, if needed. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 7, tabled by Ms Bradshaw, details the need for signage to identify that people are in a protected area. There was much conversation about that amendment, as it relates to a specific area about which we needed to be mindful and sensitive. We are happy to support that amendment. That concern was detailed to us by the PSNI in particular, as it is concerned about its ability to enforce the zones if there are no clearly identifiable signs to indicate that they are zones.”
“This is not a debate about abortion. Nowhere are we being asked to debate the legislative position on abortion, and nowhere are we being asked to compromise any of the deeply held views and principles that people may have on abortion. Anyone who tries to paint a picture of this being a debate about abortion is playing politics with the emotional and psychological well-being of women who access these services. <BR /> <BR />We are debating a series of amendments that have been tabled as a result of the progression of the Bill through the Health Committee. The amendments are mostly technical in nature. They tidy up some of the clauses, and I am grateful to the Bill sponsor for working on them to clarify matters. For instance, amendment No 4 seeks to establish a set of parameters for a safe access zone.”
“On that issue, it is important to note, in the Committee's defence, that the decision was taken that the people who were offering their view were offering it on abortion and not on access to the clinics. The decision was taken to listen to the people who had a view on that issue. To have taken all the issues on board, we would have been reopening debates that the Bill did not cover. That approach is quite diligent; it is not biased, as you put it.”
“Waiting times are impacting across the health service. At the weekend, I had more reports in my constituency of an ambulance taking 30 minutes to arrive, and, regrettably, the person passed away. That happens regularly. What are you doing about those waiting times?”
“It is crucial that the North relates to the mandatory reporting by pharmaceutical and medical device industries of payments made to teaching hospitals, research institutions and clinicians. It is important legislation, as there are instances in which a conflict of interest could arise in relation to healthcare provision. That could happen where the healthcare professional and others have financial links to pharmaceutical and medical device companies. It is such medical devices and pharmaceutical products that formed the basis of the 'First Do No Harm' report, and transparency is key when we address that matter. The SDLP is happy to support the motion.”
“The recommendation that has been mentioned most — recommendation 8 — is about the transparency of payments to clinicians and the need to improve that. In so doing, the register of the GMC would be expanded to include a list of financial and non-financial interests for all doctors, and their particular clinical interests and recognised and credited specialisms.”
“The LCM that we are discussing today is important, and it marks an important step in addressing the issue of transparency of payments that are made to clinicians. As has been mentioned, this flows from the 2018 Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, which was undertaken by Baroness Cumberlege and resulted in the 2020 report, 'First Do No Harm', with its nine recommendations.”
“The SDLP is happy to support the LCM as it affects and impacts on most parts of these islands.”
“<BR /> <BR />While this LCM forms part of the UK Health and Care Bill, let the message be loud and clear from this place today that we are unequivocal that such violence against women and girls will not be tolerated.”
“That is what the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is telling us, and we must take the issue very seriously. <BR /> <BR />The stigma with which women and girls are labelled is medieval, dangerous and has no place in our society. The stigma and practice only impose additional pressure on women and girls and the value and respect that is allotted to those who save themselves for marriage. However, those myths do not disappear in a moment but, rather, are eradicated through the promotion of healthy life choices, healthy relationships and sexuality education, community engagement, quality information and advice and, where necessary, a counselling service.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the legislative consent motion and to give my support to it. It will bring the North into alignment with the rest of these islands. <BR /> <BR />The practice of virginity testing and hymenoplasty is disgraceful and amounts to a violation of a girl or woman's human rights. It has been opposed by multiple medical societies across these islands, and today we have the opportunity to address the legislative element here. <BR /> <BR />While we do not know the true scale or demographic of the women and girls who are subjected to these procedures, there has been real concern for those who are seeking the procedure because, if they are not seen to be virgins, they are at risk of stigma or, in some instances, violence from within their communities.”
“Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, and thanks to the Minister for his statement. I have had some connection issues and have not heard all the questions and answers, so I apologise if this issue has already been mentioned. I am a bit concerned about the Invest NI office that is based in London. I have been made aware that, in a short period last year, seven of its nine staff resigned. Will the review include the problems that there are in that office in London, which are fairly obvious, given how many people have resigned? Can the Minister comment on that?”
“The SDLP is happy to support the amendments and to help those with autism.”
“It was important to the Committee that it was made absolutely clear that an autism reviewer must be independent of the Department; hence the need for the amendment. Such an individual would be able to work with groups and organisations such as those that I mentioned to ensure that the best support was offered across the board. There are similarities with the role, mentioned earlier, of the mental health champion, Professor Siobhán O'Neill, and the tremendous work that she has done. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Bill's sponsor for her work in bringing the Bill forward, the Committee Clerk and staff and all who gave evidence to help us in our deliberations. We must get it right. Children, young people and adults with autism need to know that government is working for them.”
“For instance, how does the Department of Education adequately provide support systems in our schools for those with autism, and how does the Department for Communities respond to adults with autism who struggle to get the personal independence payment (PIP) because they have a limitation not on their physical health but on their emotional and social faculties? Those are important issues that Departments need to consider. I hope that an incoming Executive will address that. A number of components to the draft Programme for Government outcomes frameworks would fit in well with that. Clause 6 namechecks the Department of Health and Department of Education specifically, but it would be a matter for a future Executive to deal with as a whole. <BR /> <BR />The final amendment pertains to clause 5, which concerns an autism reviewer.”