Clause 16 - Intervention orders
Health and Social Care Bill
11:30 am
Dr Peter Brand (Isle of Wight, Liberal Democrat)
The importance of accountability is clearly recognised. I am, therefore, disappointed that we will have to rely on the grapevine and the odd press release when we want to know the reasons for the Secretary of State's actions. As the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge said, those means of communication are not readily accessible to Opposition politicians. Would it not be much better for the body politic if the Committee were to accept amendment No. 41 and make it a formal requirement for the Secretary of State to publish the reasons for his actions?