Clause 33
Health Bill [Lords]
6:15 pm
Stephen O'Brien (Shadow Minister, Health; Eddisbury, Conservative)
All I would say, Mr. Key, is that if you were testing whether we were awake and paying attention to your every utterance, I am glad to say we have all passed the test admirably. One could say that you left out 57 because it is all the varieties. At this stage, any humour is better than no humour. Those of us who come from the north-west are very proud of the fact that the 57 varieties come from the Wigan factory, which one passes on the M6.
This tranche of amendments—a good fistful of amendments—will be deceptively short in its proposition. It is simply to ask the Minister why the complaints avenue is limited to adult social care, and what is the equivalent available to children? That is something that we spent a huge amount of time on in the Health and Social Care Bill, which was roundly rejected at the time by one of the Minister’s predecessors. However, it would be a shame to let the Minister off the hook too quickly and easily. Therefore, with your permission, Mr. Key, anticipating that you might wish to suggest that we do not delay on a clause stand part debate, I might set the context in which all the amendments can sit.