Clause 8 - Arrangements to safeguard and promote welfare
Children Bill [Lords]
10:00 am
Dr Stephen Ladyman (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Health; South Thanet, Labour)
Government amendment No. 203 and the technical amendment associated with it—amendment No. 208—include special health authorities in the Bill. When we first drafted the Bill, we excluded those authorities, in error, because we did not envisage their having a role in supporting children. However, it then occurred to us that NHS Direct is a special health authority and might have an important role in supporting children. We tabled the amendment to include special health authorities in the Bill, so that NHS Direct could be included, but we have not named NHS Direct explicitly, because a future Government might envisage the creation of new special health authorities that would equally have a role. If the Opposition are foolish enough to insist on the other amendments grouped with Government amendment No. 203, I shall discuss those later in the debate.