Health and Social Care Bill (Programme) (No. 4)

There have been 1,000 Government amendments to this disastrous Health and Social Care Bill—374 in the other place alone—and it is unacceptable that elected Members in this House have been given so little time to debate amendments that will affect patients and the public in every constituency in England. It is essential that we reach the second group of amendments, on parts 3 and 4 of the Bill, which deal with Monitor, foundation trusts and the Government's plans to raise to 49% the private patient cap in foundation trusts, but I want to start with the Lords amendments to the Secretary of State's duty to ensure a comprehensive service in the NHS. I will remind hon. Members where this all began. On 10 February last year, my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham East and Saddleworth (Debbie Abrahams) challenged the Secretary of State, in his evidence to the Commons Bill Committee, over why he was removing the Secretary of State's responsibility to provide a comprehensive service in the NHS. He said:"““I have not... It is in the original language. It is reproduced the same way.””––[Official Report, Health and Social Care Public Bill Committee, 10 February 2011; c. 166, Q402 and 404.]" On 15 February, my hon. Friend the Member for Halton (Derek Twigg) challenged the Minister of State, Department of Health, the right hon. Member for Chelmsford (Mr Burns) about the removal of the Secretary of State's duty to provide comprehensive NHS services. Again, this was categorically denied. The Minister said:"““Clause 1 retains the overarching…duty which dates from the original 1946 Act””.––[Official Report, Health and Social Care Public Bill Committee, 15 February 2011; c. 178.]" He also said that any amendments to the clause were ““unnecessary””. Today the Government are being forced to eat their words. For the record, it was the determination of Labour Members in the other place, not Liberal Democrat Members, that forced the Government to place the clauses relating to the Secretary of State' duties on promoting a comprehensive service and on autonomy within the remit of the Lords Constitution Committee, chaired by the noble Baroness Jay of Paddington. The result of the Committee's deliberations are the amendments before us today. The amendments do not deliver exactly the same duty as the National Health Service Act 2006, but they are a significant improvement. Pressed on this issue by Labour Members in both Houses and at every stage of the Bill, the Government have been forced to concede. A similar thing has happened on education and training, which is the subject of Lords amendments 7, 21, 26, 35 and 42.