Clause 2
Health and Social Care Bill
11:00 am
Ben Bradshaw (Minister of State (Health Services; Minister for the South West), Department of Health; Exeter, Labour)
Well, the issue to which the hon. Lady referred would still come under the auspices of the quality of care, if not the safety of care. It would also come under the function outlined in subsection (3)(d) on vulnerable adults. If the people to whom she referred are elderly and sick, they are by definition vulnerable.
The clause is important to ensure that the commission does not place competing unfair or contradictory expectations on providers of health and social care services. While there is no obligation on the Secretary of State to make use of the clause, having it available under existing legislation will ensure that the commission considers the policy context when carrying out its functions. I therefore ask the hon. Gentleman to withdraw the amendment.