Committee (1st Day)

Part of Health and Social Care Bill – in the House of Lords at 7:45 pm on 25 October 2011.

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Photo of Earl Howe Earl Howe The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health 7:45, 25 October 2011

My Lords, the noble Lord is caricaturing the position. The Secretary of State, in the case of education and training, would continuously hold Health Education England to account against a set of pre-agreed outcome measures. That is not standing at a distance from what Health Education England does. It is being intimately concerned with what it is doing. I do not want the noble Lord to caricature the Government's position. I understand that he is not happy with the separation of functions, but that is a matter of policy; his policy differs from that of the Government. I do not want him to go away thinking that this is a totally hands-off affair. The Secretary of State will have legal responsibility and accountability for what Health Education England does and that will be manifested through the outcomes framework.