Member

I assure noble Lords that the Government ran a 12-week public consultation on the proposed amendments to the code of practice, which closed in January 2024. I highlight the fact that the DUP was the only political party to respond to the consultation and was supportive of it; I am grateful for its participation. Seven responses were received, six of which were in favour of the revisions, with one response commenting that, as a matter of policy, it would not be appropriate for them to comment. Of the six who responded in favour, five suggested other slight amendments to the code. These were duly considered, with a number being accepted. The full details of these suggestions were published in the consultation response document on the NIO web pages in March 2024.