Official Report: Minutes of Evidence

The Chairperson (Ms Maeve McLaughlin): I wish to inform members that the Minister has written to us with a copy of the amendments that he has tabled for Further Consideration Stage, which is scheduled for Monday 7 March. The correspondence and the amendments can be found in your tabled pack and copies of the Bill as amended at Consideration Stage on your tables.

There are 14 amendments in total. Twelve relate to nicotine products and tobacco, the levy on sugar-sweetened drinks and human transplantation. The remaining two are consequential amendments to the long title.

I will now seek your views, if, at this stage, you have any, on the amendments relating to nicotine products and tobacco. Do members have any comments at this stage? No? OK.

It would have been useful to receive clarity from the officials, and maybe they can clarify things. I note specifically that, in some parts of the amendments, we talk about the removal of "vehicles" and the insertion of other places. I am just querying the rationale for the wording. We could seek an update from the Department in writing in advance of Monday's debate.

Secondly, there is the amendment on the levy on sugar-sweetened drinks. My only thought is that we are talking about changing the time from one year to two, and I seek an explanation of that. The original amendment was very specific about the consultation being conducted a year after the commencement of the Act. I am not sure what the reason for the two-year time frame is. I raise that for potential clarification. Are there any other comments on that amendment?

The third amendment is in relation to human transplantation. Any thoughts at this stage? OK.

At this point, we can either decide to support the departmental amendments or simply note them. From what I am hearing, I think that members are content to note.

Mr McCarthy: I was going to support them. What is the difference?

The Chairperson (Ms Maeve McLaughlin): I would like clarification of a number of things.

Mr McCarthy: I know. Fair enough.

The Chairperson (Ms Maeve McLaughlin): I am just mindful that members are only starting to work their way through the amendments. There is the space to debate them on the Floor of the Assembly. If members are content to note, that is completely appropriate.