Debate contribution: Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Ms Kellie Armstrong on 7 April 2025.

MLA

Ms Kellie Armstrong

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

7 April 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill: Second Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4890933

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank the Minister of Finance for moving the Second Stage of the Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill. I certainly welcome the Bill. Its aim, as outlined in the explanatory and financial memorandum (EFM) is:

"to amend the law relating to the manner of notification of deaths and still-births and the manner of giving particulars relating to them."

Importantly, the Bill provides a legislative basis for the introduction of a baby loss certificate scheme in Northern Ireland. The scheme aims to provide formal recognition for parents who have experienced the heartbreaking loss of a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy.

I declare an interest, as I am one of the parents who has grieved such a loss — for me, it was of 13 children — through miscarriage. On behalf of all the many parents whom I have met over the years who have been through miscarriage, I appreciate the formal recognition that will be given to us through the provision of a baby loss certificate that our babies existed. Currently, under existing legislation, the death of a baby is officially acknowledged only if it occurs after the twenty-fourth week of pregnancy. That leaves many parents without formal recognition of their loss. It compounds grief and the sense of isolation. Recognising that gap, the then Finance Minister, Dr Caoimhe Archibald, and the Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, committed to working together to implement a baby loss certificate scheme; indeed, Minister Archibald stated at that time:

"I want all parents and families who have suffered the devastating loss of a baby to feel that their grief is recognised."

She further emphasised that her Department would introduce new legislation to enable the scheme in collaboration with the Department of Health. The Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, echoed that sentiment and acknowledged the profound impact of pregnancy and baby loss on parents. He highlighted the vital role of bereavement midwives in supporting families through such tragedies and expressed his commitment to progressing the necessary work to establish the baby loss certificate scheme as soon as possible. The importance of the scheme was further recognised by the Northern Ireland Assembly's Finance Committee, which called for baby loss certificates to be recognised in law. The Committee emphasised that such certificates are crucial for parents who lose a child in the early stages of pregnancy and provide the means to acknowledge and memorialise their loss. The Committee has expressed readiness to work with the relevant Departments to expedite that change, and I welcome Diane Forsythe MLA's comments earlier in the debate about the consultation period that will be brought forward by the Committee for Finance on the matter. While the commitment across the House is clear, there remains a need for clarification of when the regulations for the issuance of baby loss certificates will be brought forward. Ministers have expressed their dedication to implementing the scheme promptly, but, as of now, a specific timeline has not been provided. It is imperative that the Departments concerned communicate a clear schedule to ensure that grieving parents can access that vital recognition without undue delay.

I thank the Member. I welcome the ambition, because having parents who experience stillbirths and those who have miscarriages on a separate path is difficult. The systems are already in place for people to get their certificate for death and for stillbirth. It may take a bit of time, but there are enough people out there who want this so badly that they will certainly work with the Department. I intend to work with the Department and with the Committee as they take that through. The devil is in the detail on this one, because it is important that, like in England, baby loss certificates are not time-limited from when the loss occurred. I have had the — it is hard to describe it — opportunity, I suppose, to stand in St Anne's Cathedral and St Peter's Cathedral in Belfast surrounded by parents who come together annually to think about the children whom they have lost. I could stand in those churches with parents who are in their 80s, parents who are in their teens and parents who are devastated. They could be with their other children. For many of us, no matter how long ago it was, it is important that there is not a time limit put on that so that we can, at last, get a certificate that acknowledges that our children were here, even for a very short time, whether that is weeks or months.

I absolutely do. It comes back to the tone that has been taken in the debate. I very much thank the Minister of Finance for how he spoke about the issue when he made his opening remarks and moved the Second Stage. It is a very sensitive and difficult subject for so many people. We need to get it right, but we need to have ambition to legislate as quickly as possible. Having no time limit will allow those who experienced their loss some time ago to have their children recognised in the same way as somebody who experienced their loss more recently, such as in the past year. Other issues about the certificates include the wording used, and how they will be produced. I am very grateful that digital registration and the digital production of those certificates is possible. Some parents have difficulty with the language that is used about the loss of their child. Some do not want to hear the word "miscarriage" and would rather hear words such as "born asleep". Others want to talk about the day that their baby died. It is very difficult for parents who have been through baby loss earlier than 24 weeks of pregnancy. It would be really helpful if, as part of the consultation, we consider options for parents when it comes to how they wish that recognition to be voluntarily recorded on those certificates. Being as flexible as possible with those certificates will cater for people who have been suffering grief for many years, very few years, or even months. It will also cater for parents who have difficulty with the language to have the appropriate language on their certificate. What if, for instance, the certificates were to say, "Tick a box to say what gender your child was"? I do not know what gender my children were because they passed away so early in pregnancy. I received a positive pregnancy test, but I do not know whether they were girls or boys. I can dream about what their gender may have been, but it would have been very difficult to have to put down the gender of a child on a baby loss certificate. There are sensitivities, but, across the House, we have the necessary ability and the kindness to deal with them. We are, after all, all citizens of Northern Ireland. We are all in the same place. Some of us may have experienced loss. Some may know somebody who has experienced loss. It is a terrible thing, but having a certificate in your hand that acknowledges that your wee one was here, for however long or short a time it was, will be so important. Unfortunately, I have been to my local council office to register a death. My goodness, that is not a nice experience to go through. I am therefore very grateful that parents, who are probably suffering quite a bit as they grieve for their miscarried child, may be able to do that online rather than have to present themselves in person. That is a much kinder way of doing that. Before I conclude, I say this to the Committee, the Minister and the staff: you have my best wishes, but I ask you to look after yourselves when you go through the process. Having been a bereavement counsellor for the Miscarriage Association, I know that it is very personal, very emotional and quite a difficult subject to go through. If you hear heartbreaking evidence, I ask that you take care of yourselves, because it is difficult. You will hear from people whom you never knew went through that situation. They need their voices to be heard, and you will hear them, so, please, take care of yourselves. The introduction of the baby loss certificate scheme represents a compassionate and necessary step towards acknowledging the profound grief that is experienced by parents who lose a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy. It is a testament to our collective commitment to supporting bereaved families and ensuring that their loss is formally recognised. Let us continue to advocate for the swift implementation of the scheme, because it will provide so much solace and validation for those of us who have suffered a loss that we would not wish on anyone else.

1,470 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:20 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification