That's all from our live coverage from Stormont for today - we're going to leave the Health Committee to their private consideration of the Domestic Abuse Bill.

We're back on Monday with a plenary session of the assembly - the first full meeting of the assembly on a Monday for several weeks and perhaps a very early sign of things returning to normal on the hill.

Do join us then. In the meantime, stay safe and enjoy the fabulous May sunshine.

Image source, NI Assembly

Colm Gildernew thanks the panel for their contribution and adjourns the committee for a short break.

When they return, the chair opens the committee's deliberation on the bill.

There are some concerns about funding, and the reasonable defence clause.

Other members raise questions around a domestic abuse commissioner and emergency accommodation.

The members agree to go into closed session for further discussion.

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Sinn Féin's Orlaíthi Flynn asks if there was "any consideration gave around statutory entitlement to paid leave for domestic abuse victims".

Ms Trueman replies that guidance has been published for employers on this matter.

She says it outlines a number of support measures including "flexible working" and "paid leave".

But she adds that this is something the Department of Justice will want to consider.

Dr Holland says that the justice minister has written to the economy minister on this issue to seek her views on this issue.

Alliance’s Paula Bradshaw asks the officials if the department will be asking trusts to commission postnatal contraceptive services?

She says, “we know that a lot of men will use pregnancy as a way of coercive control”.

Ms Trueman says it's "not something we have given consideration to as part of this bill".

"I think a lot of that work will be taken forward in the summer in terms of what implementation will look like.

"It’s not something we’ve given consideration too but I will certainly look into it," she adds.

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People Before Profit’s Gerry Carroll asks if any preventative measures can be added to the bill.

He also wants to know about any educational or awareness campaigns and what role the Department of Health will play in relation to that.

Dr Holland asks for clarification from Mr Carroll about what preventative measures he is referring to.

Mr Carroll says he understands it would be hard to put such measures into a bill but would like more to be done around raising awareness.

Dr Holland says a key aspect of the bill is "ensuring as many departments are involved in this as possible".

She says this will help spread the message that "this type of behaviour is wrong", adding "the more than can be done the better".

She says work to raise aware is to "try and capture a number of behaviours that at present aren't criminal" so that "cases are being caught at a much earlier stage".

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Colm Gildernew begins the questions.

He says there will be an impact on health and social care staff in relation to this bill and asks about training.

Ms Trueman says the full extent of training needs is something that "hasn't been scoped at the minute".

But she says the Justice Department is "setting up a multi-agency working group and hopes to look through an implementation plan as the summer progresses".

She says training is an important part and says there is a pilot being taken forward at an A and E department, which she says will be part of wider work to establish future training needs.

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Mr Gildernew asks about exceptions in the bill around coercive control, where "interventions of a partner may be necessary" in relation to actions around issues such as addiction.

He wants to know what safeguards are in place to protect vulnerable people.

Veronica Holland from the Department of Justice says she appreciates the concerns expressed by stakeholders in the voluntary sector and that a "key consideration" is that the "individual presenting that, will have to provide evidence to court as to why that behaviour is being used" and that it "was reasonable".

Lisa Trueman, who is policy lead on domestic abuse at the Department of Health, begins the briefing.

She outlines some of the key aims of the bill from a health perspective.

Ms Trueman say the Health Department works closely with the Justice and Education Departments on the matter of domestic abuse.

She says the statutory, voluntary and community sectors also played an important role in contributing to the development of the bill.

"Any form of domestic abuse is completely unacceptable", she says, so it's important that the bill includes criminalising patterns for coercive and controlling behaviour as well as physical abuse.

"This is a significant step forward, Ms Trueman says.

The department also supports the "child aggravator" included in the bill where the victim is under 18 or a child is present during abuse.

Ms True man concludes by saying the department is supportive of the aims of the bill and it is "needed more than ever" as Covid-19 brings new challenges to people experiencing domestic abuse.

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The chair thanks the panel for their contribution before welcoming the next witnesses who are providing a briefing on the bill.

Mr Gildernew says it’s a “delight to welcome real human people” to the meeting.

They are officials from the Department of Justice:

• Dr Veronica Holland
• Lisa Trueman (above)

Gerry Carroll of People Before Profit asks the panel about the idea of a domestic abuse commissioner.

What are the arguments for and against?

Women’s Aid NI representative Sonya McMullan says the justice minister found it “unclear as to what a commissioner could bring”.

She says she is in favour of a commissioner being in place.

“I really feel we need a champion for domestic violence and abuse,” says Ms McMullan.

Neil Henderson from NSPCC says “I’m not against it” but wants more clarity and debate around the role and purpose of it in Northern Ireland.

Rhonda Lusty from the Men’s Advisory Project NI agrees with Mr Henderson that there should be more discussion of potential role of a domestic abuse commissioner.

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UUP MLA Alan Chambers says of “domestic abuse, it’s not only a horrible crime but a cowardly crime”.

He asks if victims of abuse are still reluctant to speak out or do they feel sufficiently protected?

Sonya McMullan says there are a number of issues, including delays in court and intimidation from family members, and worry in relation to what that could mean for the family.

She says many people still live in situations where there is domestic violence.

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The DUP's Alex Easton asks what level of sentencing the witnesses would like to see.

Neil Anderson says he doesn't have in mind a number of years but these are some of the most serious offences "and the penalty has to represent that" but he's happy to leave the question of sentences up to those who develop the sentencing guidelines and the judges.

Sonya welcomes the fact that the scale of sentences available is higher than that contained in the Westminster bill.

Sinn Féin’s Orlaíthi Flynn joins the meeting by audio link.

She asks what improvements could be made to the bill in relation to mental health and suicide.

Sonya McMullan from Women’s Aid NI says links to mental health and domestic abuse “are huge”.

She outlines the role that "first responders" have when listening to victims, and says it's "so important people get the right response in those first few minutes of disclosure".

"To be acknowledged, to be believed, to be accepted," she says.

Rhonda Lusty from the Men's Advisory Project NI says "more than 70% of men we would see are taking medication for depression and anxiety" and have done for long periods of time.

She says "over 25% of the men we see have attempted suicide at one point" and that in NI, around 74% of the suicide rate relates to men.

Paula Bradshaw of Alliance says she'd like to know how this legislation would deal with false allegations of abuse.

She cites the instance of a constituent who told her he went to pick up his children and was told by their mother that if he did not leave she would "slap a non-molestation order on him and tell the police he'd been violent with her".

Image source, NI Assembly

Rhonda Lusty of the Men's Advisory Project say a large number of the men they see stay in an abusive relationship because of threats that might affect their ability to parent their children and might harm their reputation.

She says abuse "can be perpetrated by anyone" and can be suffered by anyone.

Sonya McMullan of Women's Aid says that, of course, there will be false allegations but in terms of the women her organisation meets with "they want contact to happen, but they want safe contact to happen".

The deputy chair of the committee Pam Cameron says the legislation is “very much overdue”.

She refers to a point made by Neil Henderson of NSPCC about the age limits of the bill being 16 and asks if the other panellists share those concerns.

Sonya McMullan from Women's Aid NI says that aspect "needs to be pulled out a little bit more".

"We welcome the the recognition of course that there's more young people where domestic violence and abuse" is becoming part of teen relationships, she adds.

"We have to have more detail in relation to it," she explains, as, "it is very vague at the moment".

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Rhonda Lusty from the Men's Advisory Project NI says "between the age of 16 and 18 quite a lot goes on".

She agrees that it's "definitely something that will need to be debated further".

Mrs Cameron asks a follow up question about the need for a domestic abuse commissioner.

Ms Lusty replies that the justice minister had mentioned such a post would cost £1m and that it would depend "whether the price is weighed up against the gain".

She and Mr Henderson from NSPCC both agree that this matter could be explored in more detail.

Chairperson Colm Gildernew opens the questions as usual.

He asks about a section of the bill that allows for exceptions, for example interventions in cases of mental illness or addiction.

Mr Anderson says the NSPCC has concerns about the breadth of that clause from a child's perspective.

"I would be urging much tighter elaboration," he says

Last up to present an opening statement is Rhonda Lusty, the co-ordinator of the Men's Advisory Project NI.

She outlines the work the organisation does in helping men who are victims of domestic abuse.

Ms Lusty says police statistics show that between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2019, there were 31,705 domestic abuse incidents and just over 18,000 domestic abuse crimes.

One third of those domestic abuse crimes happened to men, says Ms Lusty.

Image source, NI Assembly

The Men's Advisory Project NI representative says coercive control behind those figures is not seen.

She says domestic abuse still remains under-reported, adding while the statistics are shocking, they only show “a tiny snapshot” of what is going on.

Her organisation supports men from any walk of life, age and sexuality.

"We say domestic abuse is everyone's business but for this to be the case we must include everybody when we consider screening for or providing services to them," she adds.

There should be "no hierarchy of victims" she concludes.

Neil Henderson of the NSPCC (National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children) says they have a broad concern that "the way the bill is currently constructed will drive too much towards criminal justice" and that "not enough will be picked up by health and social care services".

He compares the bill with the one currently being brought through Westminster, which applies to both parties being over 16.

Mr Henderson says the NSPCC does not believe it is appropriate for children, "albeit above the age of criminal responsibility" but below 16, to be taken through the criminal justice system.

He says this has led to "awkward exceptions" being introduced to the bill.

Sonya McMullan from the Women’s Aid Federation NI says the organisation is worried about some of the omissions from the bill.

Ms McMullan says it’s important to look to other jurisdictions and what they have done in relation to these issues.

Victims and survivors of abuse often experience "severe trauma associated with long-term health impacts" as well as "strong links to suicide, self harm and addiction".

"Half of all people who report domestic violence and abuse have children and the impact is hugely documented," says Ms McMullan.

She emphasises that it is a "real opportunity for health and social care to roll out coercive control training to all settings".

"That's really, really important".

Image source, NI Assembly

Ms McMullan suggests creating a position for a domestic abuse commissioner, something she says "we are really going to be campaigning for".

She says that the current Justice Minister Naomi Long says she is "not convinced for the need for a commissioner, but we will continue to campaign for that".

Ms McMullan then outlines how the role has been useful in England during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Colm Gildernew thanks the official and the members recommend the approval of the regulations.

Next, the committee has a series of briefings on the Domestic Abuse and Family Proceedings Bill.

The first is from representatives of stakeholder bodies:

• Ms Sonya McMullan, Women's Aid Federation Northern Ireland• Mr Neil Anderson, NSPCC• Ms Rhonda Lusty, Men's Advisory Project NI