Clause16 - entry and inspection of premises
NHS Reform & Health Care Professions Bill
9:30 am
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford, Conservative)
Clause 16 deals with the entry and inspection of premises, which—whether it relates to the national health service or any other area of service provision or commerce—is a critical power given to the authorities to enforce the provisions of legislation. In the past, various sectors and service providers have complained that powers of entry and inspection have been carried out in an over-bureaucratic and almost officious way.
Without wanting to get into arguments about Europe, a consistent source of complaint has been the fact that inspection powers that are brought on to the statute book via European provisions are often fine-tuned by British Governments, of whatever party, to make them much more onerous. That has been a particular problem in respect of food hygiene and standards. It is important to ensure that the provisions on inspection and rights of entry fulfil the intentions of the Bill without making it unnecessarily burdensome and officious, which is in no one's interests.
The clause gives the Secretary of State powers to issue regulations governing the nuts and bolts of powers of entry and inspection. In the first sitting of the Committee, my hon. Friends and I, and the hon. Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Dr. Harris), pointed out to the Minister that the Bill contains numerous regulation-making powers, yet we have not seen any draft regulations. It would have been extremely helpful to the work of the Committee, especially on this clause, had we been given a greater insight into what the Secretary of State may intend if he is minded to issue regulations.