To ask the Minister of Health, pursuant to AQW 27403/22-27, for an update on when the Bill of Amendment (i) to address the deficiencies identified; and (ii) to implement the Health and Social Care (Control of Data Processing) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, will be brought forward.

The Health and Social Care (Control of Data Processing) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 Act received Royal Ascent on 11th April 2016. Following unavoidable interruptions, planning resumed in 2022 for the introduction of the required regulations to enable the sharing of identifiable health data for secondary usages, beyond the limited and specific conditions available at present.

The process to draft regulations included a full review of the Act (2016) with guidance from the Department Solicitors office. This review identified a substantive issue in the wording of the 2016 Act, regarding the scope of applicable data which could have encroached on the original intent of the legislation.

My Department is currently progressing work to bring a "Bill of Amendment" to address the deficiencies identified. I am now seeking to introduce the Bill in the early new year (2026), to ensure timely advancement and allow for the necessary legislative scrutiny. The timetable for introduction will remain subject to the NI Assembly’s legislative schedule and processes.