Written evidence to be reported to the House
Health and Social Care Bill
12:30 pm
Stephen O'Brien (Shadow Minister, Health; Eddisbury, Conservative)
I am very grateful that you have given us an opportunity to understand the principle that lies behind your point of view. Picking up now on the thread of discussion, are you happy that it is actually JPs who are going to be the people that can force individual citizens of this country to submit to medical treatment? Obviously you might not want to pass a judgment as to how draconian or not you think that is, and on the broad consent of and contract with people whom, after all, public health is done for and on behalf of—rather than done to, one hopes. Could you give a view both on the use of JPs and whether that is a proportionate part of the approach?