To ask the Minister of Health for an update on implementation of the Child Deaths Overview Panel, as proposed in the Why Children Die policy launch of March 2015.

Article 3(5) of the Safeguarding Board (Northern Ireland) Act 2011 requires the SBNI to establish processes to review child deaths in north of Ireland. This function was not commenced by my Department, as the Jay Report published in August 2016 suggested that the function could be located within the Public Health Agency (PHA). My officials are currently in discussions with the PHA to determine how best to take forward the review of child deaths in the north. Account will need to be taken of new Mortality and Morbidity arrangements, which were put in place in February 2016.

Under those arrangements, all child deaths in the north are reviewed at multi-disciplinary Mortality and Morbidity meetings and reported to the Health and Social Care Board and Public Health Agency, detailing any lessons learned and actions agreed.