Clause 7 - Funding of strategic health authorities
NHS Reform and Health Care
11:00 am
Mr John Hutton (Minister of State, Department of Health; Barrow and Furness, Labour)
The hon. Gentleman is right. The extension of powers is a new provision in a new Bill, but it represents a continuation of the powers that the Secretary of State already holds on health authorities, which are the commissioning bodies. PCTs will have that function and if we believe in the Secretary of State having the powers, it is logical to extend them to the new bodies. We believe that, and I am slightly puzzled that the hon. Gentleman does not. His party rightly wants to hold the Secretary of State to account, because that is the job of this House.