Clause 17
Health and Social Care Bill
9:15 am
Stephen O'Brien (Shadow Minister, Health; Eddisbury, Conservative)
I accept the hon. Lady’s fair question. In principle, I think that she is very sympathetic to what we are trying to achieve here. It is clear that a Bill that does not contain anything of this nature would look rather weak because it leaves everything for others to decide. It would be far better not to seek to be comprehensive, because things will move on and change. At this stage it is absolutely clear that the three things cited are fundamental and unlikely to change, and therefore, rather than have a comprehensive list, it is important to identify a focus of activity to allow for prioritisation. At the moment, in terms not only of the Bill but of the way in which the Government are dealing with the matter in general, this issue is not sufficiently high on the agenda, and this an attempt to raise it. I accept that the amendment could have been more comprehensive, but the danger of that is that one then ends up trying to include everything, rather than prioritising.