Clause 44 - Dispensing of NHS prescriptions
Health and Social Care Bill
3:30 pm
Mr John Denham (Minister of State, Department of Health; Southampton, Itchen, Labour)
I can reassure the Committee that the parliamentary procedure surrounding devolution is so superbly designed that it allows the convenience of the measure being adopted in this way. The Scottish Parliament could adopt the measure but, under the Sewell convention, parliamentary procedures now allow it to agree that the Westminster Parliament can amend legislation that will apply to Scotland in this way. The Scottish Parliament has been through the necessary procedures under Sewell to allow that, so we are effectively responding to a request from the Scottish Parliament to amend its legislation.