TABLE Sitting Proceedings Time for conclusion of proceedings 1st Clause 1 and Clauses 17 and 18 5 p.m. 2nd Clause 16 and Clauses 2 to 6 — 3rd Clause 16 and Clauses 2 to 6 (so far as not previously concluded) 10 p.m. 4th Clauses 19 to 28 — 5th Clauses 19 to 28 (so far as not previously concluded) 5 p.m. 6th Clauses 14 and 15, Clauses 7 and 8, Schedule 1, Clauses 9 to 13 — 7th Clauses 24 and 15, Clauses 7 and 8, Schedule 1, Clauses 9 to 13 (so far as not previously concluded) 10 p.m. 8th Clauses 29 and 30, Schedule 2, Clauses 31 to 40, Schedule 3, Clause 41, Clause 69, Clauses 42 to 44 — 9th Clauses 29 and 30, Schedule 2, Clauses 31 to 40, Schedule 3, Clause 41, Clause 60, Clauses 42 to 44 (so far as not previously concluded) 5 p.m. 10th Clauses 45 to 58 — 11th Clauses 45 to 58 (so far as not previously concluded) 10 p.m. 12th Clause 59, Clauses 61 to 66, Schedules 4 and 5, new Clauses and new Schedules — 13th Clause 59, Clauses 61 to 66, Schedules 4 and 5, new Clauses and new Schedules (so far as not previously concluded) 5 p.m.
Health and Social Care Bill
2:30 pm
I look forward to your chairmanship of the Committee, Mr. Maxton. I am sure that we shall have an interesting few weeks scrutinising this important Bill. I look forward also to being one of the first Ministers to take through a Bill under the new ways of working. Given the spirit of the programming meeting this morning, I am sure that the Committee will be co-operative in ensuring that the Bill is properly scrutinised.On Second Reading and again this morning, several hon. Members said that a number of key areas needed our attention—patient scrutiny, the extension of free nursing care and other more technical matters, such as pharmaceutical services.
The timetable is reasonable, which I hope will help you, Mr. Maxton, and the Committee and those outside who want to follow our proceedings. The Government will endeavour to table amendments in a timely fashion, so that hon. Members have a chance to consider them. However, once the Bill was published, it became available to a wide range of outside organisations, and we may want to respond to their comments and proposals by proposing further amendments.
It may help the Committee to know that we may wish to publish additional information as the Bill makes its way through the Committee stage, either for the information of the Committee or for wider discussion in the health service, but we want to do it in a way that is helpful to the Committee. For example, during the next 24 hours we shall be publishing a discussion document on the new arrangements for traffic lighting and performance system in the national health service—a consultation document on the health service—but we want to ensure that copies of that document are on the Members' letter board this evening ahead of our debate next Tuesday.