Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill
8:55 am
Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham, Conservative)
I am grateful to the Minister for moving the motion. It was agreed that of the 20 sittings on this Bill, 10 would be
allocated to the clauses on foundation hospitals. I am disappointed that the Government did not stick to the first agreement, choosing another programme at a later stage. However, the Committee is grateful that the Minister has rectified that and has given us the 10 sittings that we originally requested.
I also wish to place on record that, depending on the progress that the Committee makes on scrutinising the Bill, I rely on the Government to revisit the programme if necessary. The Bill should have full scrutiny if at all possible, unlike so much legislation that passes through the House, large chunks of which remain unscrutinised by any Committee.
We have agreed to sit twice on a Wednesday in order to get the sittings that we originally requested, which the Government failed to give us in the initial programme motion, but that could cause timetabling conflicts. I am not making a party political point, but sitting on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays can put tremendous strain on the Opposition, as the Under-Secretary and the Minister know, in preparing for a rapid roll-forward on complex legislation. On Wednesdays, there are many other activities in the House, not least Select Committee meetings and important evidence sessions, which may involve members of this Committee. Even more conflicts are being forced on Members of Parliament in order for them to fulfil their roles as scrutinisers of Government proposals for legislation.
Both Ministers will agree that concentrating the timetable into Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays creates problems. I hope that they will bear with us if, from time to time, some Conservative members of our eminent Committee have to leave to attend to other duties. However, I repeat that I am grateful to the Minister for reinstating the original agreement, and I support the programme motion.