Schedule 3 - Minor and Consequential Amendments
Health (Wales) Bill
9:30 am

Mr Chris Grayling (Epsom and Ewell, Conservative)

On a further point of clarification, the schedule refers to section 20A of the Community Health Councils (Access to Information) Act 1988 and to the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Those provisions are not referred to elsewhere in the Bill's documentation. May I clarify that section 20A refers to the amended title for schedule 1 rather than any other legislative reference?

Mr Don Touhig (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Welsh Office; Islwyn, Labour/Co-operative)

The amendments would ensure that the WCH is subject to all the normal rules that apply to public bodies, such as public admission to meetings, disqualification of members serving as MPs, freedom of information and so forth. Following amendments to the 1977 Act, CHCs will be subject to existing rules on access to and freedom of information. That is the

whole purpose of the schedule and I hope that that deals with the hon. Gentleman's point.

Mr Chris Grayling (Epsom and Ewell, Conservative)

May I check that the reference to section 20A relates to the National Health Service Act 1977 and that the section affects changes made to schedule 1?

Mr Don Touhig (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Welsh Office; Islwyn, Labour/Co-operative)

Section 20A is the new section inserted into the 1977 Act.

Question put and agreed to.

Schedule 3 agreed to.