Clause 5
Health Bill [Lords]
6:00 pm
Stephen O'Brien (Shadow Minister, Health; Eddisbury, Conservative)
The amendments are brief. They do the same thing and would insert the statement of accountability into clause 5 on the same terms as the handbook. Clause 5 is about the availability, review and revision of the handbook. Through the amendments, the statement of accountability would also have a legislative foundation for its availability, review and revision. We had many discussions about that when we debated amendment 3 and I will not rehearse those, except to ask the Minister why the handbook is in the clause when the statement of accountability is not. Logically, it should be both or neither. I hope his reply will clarify that.