Health and Social Care Bill (Programme) (No. 3)

As far as the BMA is concerned, I was interested to read this morning a letter whose lead signatory was Hamish Meldrum, the chairman of the BMA council, whom I know well. It was curious because his objection to the Bill, which he wants to be amended, was about the introduction and extension of the role of ““any qualified provider””. However, that extension is not in the Bill. It is not occasioned by the Bill; it is a consequence of the way in which commissioners—[Interruption.] No, it does not. If there were no Bill, it would be open to strategic health authorities and primary care trusts to extend ““any qualified provider”” and patient choice in the NHS to whatever extent they wished. The Bill does not make that happen. The point is that under the legislation there is a stronger safeguarding process, because the commissioners—