Clause 51 - Annual reviews
Health and Social Care(Community Health and Standards) Bill
2:30 pm
Mr David Lammy (Parliamentary Secretary, Department of Health; Tottenham, Labour)
The Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection will develop and propose the criteria for performance ratings. It will use its professional judgment to devise and develop a better performance rating system with constantly improving criteria. The Government accept that we are only two years into an important journey and we want CHAI to continue that development process. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's only interest in this area is to be assured that that process reflects priorities that he has rightly set for the health service in the interests of all patient concerns. That must be right.
I did not think that the settlement was controversial until I heard some of the comments made today. The health service, which was founded by a Labour Government, has been accountable to Parliament through the Secretary of State in this place for more than 50 years. I am surprised, therefore, to hear arguments to take away the Secretary of State's attempt to have some nexus or relationship with those criteria as they are developed.