Health Bill [Lords]

Sadly, because of the Government’s raft of new amendments, we are rather pressed for time, so I shall be brief. The purpose of amendment 19 is simple: it is to put the core principles of our NHS on to the statute book. As a concession to the Government, we offer them the core principles as they have most recently drafted them. The constitution itself has been not been considered by Parliament despite the fact that changes to it will be made by regulation, and it has been signed in a private ceremony by a Prime Minister who pledged to return power to Parliament. [Interruption.]