Mr. Robert Watt:

I am not going to comment on further allegations that were made in a session where we were not invited to participate. I am not in a position to do that.

Obviously, representations are made by Deputies all the time on behalf of their constituents on a variety of issues. We respond to those as best we can. That is a legitimate part of the system, which we all respect. That has value and that is how the system works. Nobody in the Department of Health has an issue with that. We respond to thousands of representations every month on a whole variety of different issues. That is part and parcel of what we do.

I am not going to comment on the allegations because I do not really understand exactly what is being said and I do not think it is appropriate.

On the question about breach of trust, I hope by the time that the families have an opportunity to engage with us in the process and review the practices, that they will not feel any trust has been broken. Based on what I have seen, I do not think the allegations are valid. On that basis, if their trust is broken, based on a belief of what was contained the "Prime Time" programme, then I do not think there is a basis for that trust to be breached.

I absolutely appreciate people's concerns. We have reached out to families and representatives to try to address their concerns. I hope at the end of this process that families will be in a better place when it comes to how the State acted properly in terms of settling cases and doing so in a fair and proper manner. That is obviously for families to decide ultimately at the end of this process. I hope that is an outcome that we get.