Clause 57 - Commission to exercise Privy Council's appointment functions
Health Bill
6:30 pm
Andrew Lansley (Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Health; South Cambridgeshire, Conservative)
I just want to ask whether the bodies to which the appointment function particularly refers, which are those listed in schedule 6, have made any representations in relation to the transfer of the appointment functions to an Appointments Commission. I must confess that from my recollection of such matters in the Cabinet Office, the Privy Council appointments process is not necessarily one to which I would wish to have myself subjected as one of the bodies. However, they might have an attachment to it born of a sense of the independence of the Privy Council office as distinct from governmental appointments. I would be surprised if they had any objections, but it would be useful to know whether there were any objections to the transfer of the long-standing arrangement.