Ms Niamh Muldoon:

That advice concerned whether a non-registered practitioner could have an interest in a practice. It did not concern ownership specifically or whether the council had a role in that regard. The advices were more focused on that matter in 2018 and 2019. As I noted, a decision was taken in December 2017 in the absence of a period of consultation, so those amendments were stayed in the code to allow for further advices and a period of consultation. It was that 18-month period of consultation which culminated in the Grant Thornton report and the decision of the council in July of this year.