Clause 16 - Intervention orders
Health and Social Care Bill
10:30 am
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative)
It is an important subject, but the clause deals with the Secretary of State's ability to exercise draconian intervention powers. The hon. Gentleman seems suggest that the practices that he refers to are widespread. Under the amendment, the logical conclusion is that the Secretary of State would intervene on a massive scale in the running of a large number of health authorities and trusts. Do the Liberal Democrats want that to happen?