Schedule 5
Health Bill [Lords]
10:00 am
Mike O'Brien (Minister of State (Health Services), Department of Health; North Warwickshire, Labour)
The complainant might not wish his MP to see the complaint if it is a matter of privacy. Under the current scheme, the ombudsman can supply copies of statements and another information to Members of Parliament on request. That seems the right approach. I believe that it works perfectly well, and we need to be cautious about interfering with a process that seems to work reasonably well. Hon. Members can obtain information on cases. They are aware of that, for example, when they have correspondence on the matter with constituents. However, intruding an MP into what may be a personally felt case, where a report is shared between people on a confidential basis, may not be what the individual wants. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will withdraw his amendment.