Finally, most submitters thought the 18-month lead-in period was too long, and some committee members agreed. The committee understands that submitters have been waiting a long time for this bill, and they want action as soon as possible. They have the best interests of children at heart, and so do we, but there needs to be an effective transition between Royal assent and when the offences come into force, and we need to bring everyone along with us. The Ministry of Health needs time to educate the public about the changes being made to the law and for the Health Promotion Agency to develop and deliver an education campaign that will run before the offences come into force. We also need to be practical. Police have told the committee they need a minimum of 12 months, or perhaps even longer, to make sure the new offence can be included in their training programmes and IT systems. The 18 months is needed to make sure everything works before the bill becomes enforceable. 