Whaitiri Meka: Health (Protection) Amendment Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWhaitiri Meka: Health (Protection) Amendment Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 27 May 2015. Volume:705;Page:4089. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MEKA WHAITIRI (Labour—Ikaroa-Rāwhiti): Talofa Mr Deputy Speaker. Talofa e ngā mema o te Whāre nei. It gives me pleasure to take a short call on the Health (Protection) Amendment Bill. Listening to all the contributions tonight can I also acknowledge obviously the collegial way in which the Health Committee worked.In listening attentively to the contributions made tonight I do want to raise a couple of facts in relation to them that have come to my attention. Every year 325 New Zealanders die from melanoma. Sunbed use increases the risk of melanoma by 75 percent. A Consumer New Zealand survey found that 40 percent of sunbed operators failed to implement basic safety checks. I understand that the majority of submitters at the select committee believed that banning sunbeds would result in a decline in skin cancers.If I can take us back Labour supports this bill. It is great to see that the Government is finally acting on the work started by our colleague the Hon Annette King. The amendments in this bill are from the Public Health Bill introduced by Annette King some 7 years ago which was in regard to infectious diseases. That bill stemmed from the concern that the current legislation does not fully support public health practice as being articulated by staff in health agencies over a sustained period of time.The bill gives effect to the Government’s decision in October 2013 to improve the range of measures available to protect the public from the harm associated with some infectious diseases and with artificial UV tanning. The aim of the bill is to increase the range of infectious diseases that are notifiable to medical officers of health without identifying the information of patients or diseased persons. This will include HIV infection gonorrhoea infection acquired immune deficiency syndrome—AIDS—and syphilis. It also aims to improve and manage persons with infectious diseases by providing new management options including directions issued by a medical officer of health court orders urgent health risk orders and interventions. It also aims to strengthen legislative provisions for the contact tracing of people who may have an infectious disease or who may have been exposed to one. It also aims to introduce a ban on the provision of commercial artificial UV tanning services to people under 18 years old.Tonight we have heard that the tension in the select committee particularly with the Opposition members has been around the full banning of commercial UV operations—i.e. tanning beds. Of course Labour will be introducing an amendment for the House’s consideration when we come to the Committee of the whole House which is around why we propose an outright ban.In terms of the select committee like previous speakers I too want to acknowledge the way in which those members have operated and come to the House. I understand that 71 submissions were received and 22 submissions were heard before the select committee. I was not a member on that committee but I do acknowledge the way in which people have conducted themselves.I understand too that scientific data was presented to the committee. That scientific data indicated coming back to the contentious issues of banning sunbeds that sunbeds emit a higher concentration of UV radiation than the sun. Personally I cannot say that I have experienced sunbeds. There are probably very few in my family whom I can actually tap on—Kris Faafoi: Not me.MEKA WHAITIRI: Not you either Mr Kris Faafoi. But there is a serious nature around the impacts of UV sunbeds and so all jests aside it is important that we do acknowledge those who lose their lives. A previous speaker Jacqui Dean mentioned something that I do have to differ with her on in terms of her statement about taking a mallet to a walnut. I would hate to be the one who is sitting in front of the families of the 325 people who do lose their lives every year through these sunbeds.I look forward to the bill coming back to the House and to its being debated in the Committee stage. Labour therefore supports it and we look forward to the support of the Committee in terms of our amendments. Thank you very much.