Clause 3
Health Bill [Lords]
5:00 pm
Stephen O'Brien (Shadow Minister, Health; Eddisbury, Conservative)
I can see where the hon. Lady derived the impetus for the amendments, and I agree with the principle behind them. It is certainly right that every citizen, taxpayer and service user should be able to access the constitution, the handbook and all the other associated documentation and rules. I worry slightly that the duty as drafted might apply only to people with more than one disability, but presumably that was not her intention.
I am slightly concerned that by its very inclusion—I think that this is the second point that the hon. Lady was seeking to make in the amendment when she said that the equalities legislation will cover all such issues—the amendment would open up a divide in the public discourse between patients, staff and members of the public and people with disabilities, which is something that we have all been seeking to combat for years. I am not suggesting that that was the hon. Lady’s intention, but we need to be careful lest we create separate categories. All patients are patients, and some of them, I accept, have disabilities. The same goes for staff and members of the public. As long as we are clear that there is no such intent, as I am sure is the case, we are allied in backing the spirit of the amendments.