Clause 22
Greater London Authority Bill
2:15 pm
Tom Brake (Shadow Minister, Department for Communities and Local Government; Carshalton and Wallington, Liberal Democrat)
I should perhaps have begun my earlier remarks by apologising for not being here earlier because I had to attend a private event in my constituency.
I support the clause, but I also support what the hon. Lady has just said. It is clear that a health inequalities strategy devised by the Mayor has every prospect of being totally derailed by decisions taken on hospital reconfigurations. Had her amendment been selected, I would have spoken in favour of it too. She referred to our local hospital—St. Helier—which is located in an area of great health need. There is a prospect that it might go in the hospital reconfiguration, and if that were to happen, the impact on any health inequalities strategy drawn up by the Mayor would be huge. If he is not involved in consultations, his health inequalities strategy becomes almost meaningless.
The hon. Lady might say that we could take this even further, because the consultation could be extended to local authorities. However, that is outside the remit of the Bill and of this debate. I support the clause, but the Mayor should be given greater powers to be involved with the key decisions so as to provide a first step in terms of democratic accountability in an area of major service provision that is singularly lacking in it.