An MHK has expressed concern about the number of changes the Department of Home Affairs was making to its own bill.

DHA members Clare Barber (Douglas East) and Dr Alex Allinson (Ramsey) tabled a total of 24 amendments during the clauses stage of the Domestic Abuse Bill last week.

That included MHKs giving permission for the introduction of new clauses that would give the courts the power to prevent defendants in domestic abuse cases from carrying out cross-examinations of alleged victims, in a bid to stamp out further abuse. Those will be debated later this month.

There were also new amendments tabled to update amendments, once they were approved.

Chris Robertshaw (Douglas East) underlined his support for the bill - which for the first time gives a legal definition to domestic abuse -but expressed reservations at the approach taken to the legislation by the Department of Home Affairs.

He said: ’I welcome the fact that the department is now putting itself in order on the floor of the House with regard to all these amendments and they have picked them up. But would the minister explain to us why we appear to be doing work which I would submit perhaps should have been done before this bill actually arrived?’

That have made things simpler for MHKs to follow, he said.

’We are getting a little bit busy in terms of amendments to amendments and significant amendments to original clauses,’ Mr Robertshaw added.

Home Affairs Minister Bill Malarkey said he understood the frustration of some MHKs at the number of department amendments laid against its own bill, but defended the approach taken.

’This is a brand new bill, which we have very carefully had scrutinised and which we did a presentation on,’ he said.

’Many of the amendments that will go down as government amendments were as a result of the consultation that we had.

’Since the bill was published, we were approached by several other members from this House with other small amendments.’

He added: ’I am hoping, once these amendments have all been done, what we will have is a first-class bill which will lead the way when it comes to domestic abuse, and certainly well ahead of the UK, whose bill has just totally collapsed.’