Clause 25 - Dissolution etc.
Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill
6:45 pm
Mr John Hutton (Minister of State, Department of Health; Barrow and Furness, Labour)
Again, I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman because I presume that this is a probing amendment. As he said, the Bill provides for secondary legislation to prescribe the process for dissolution, including requirements on the regulator to consult when making his decision about the future of an NHS foundation trust. It is expected that the consultation requirements will cover a range of interests, including bodies with responsibility for NHS services: the strategic health authority obviously, primary care trust commissioners, patient forums, the oversight and scrutiny committee of a local authority, staff representatives, the Secretary of State, significant creditors, the governors if not removed under clause 23(4), and members of the NHS foundation trust. It is right that the independent regulator should consult those groups so that they have the relevant evidence required in coming to such an important decision about the future of the trust and that is why the amendment would not materially benefit the Bill, although I understand the intention behind it. I hope that the hon. Gentleman is satisfied with my assurance about the breadth and depth of the consultation.