NHS Reform and Health Care Professions Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 2:45 pm on 29 November 2001.
Don Touhig
Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Welsh Office, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales
Schedule 4 on page 60 inserts new schedule 5B into the National Health Service Act 1977. It sets out provisions for local health boards as regards orders, status, membership and related matters. Under paragraph 5 on page 61, the Assembly will appoint the chairman and, if appropriate, the vice-chairman. Paragraph 13 on page 64 enables the local health boards to do whatever they consider necessary to exercise their functions. Paragraph 17 on page 64 enables the Assembly to make regulations that allow local health boards to produce reports, audit and publish accounts and publish other documents as required.
Don Touhig
Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Welsh Office, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales
I believe that they are in the existing legislation. When the Bill is enacted, the Assembly will have powers under existing legislation to bring the health boards into existence as Shadow bodies.
Simon Burns
Shadow Spokesperson (Health)
Perhaps the Minister can help me because, as an English Member of Parliament, I am not that familiar with the issue. There are no powers in the Bill to allow health boards in Wales to act as Shadow bodies, but how can there already be legislation to allow them to do so if there are no health boards in Wales at present?
Don Touhig
Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Welsh Office, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales
I believe that the legislation is already on the statue book and gives the Assembly devolved powers to do that. I am getting advice on the issue, which I shall share with the Committee. Local health groups—I am sorry, but I cannot read the writing. In any case, local health groups already exist as sub-committees of the five local health authorities. We shall enhance the functions of those groups so that they can act as Shadow bodies.
Question put and agreed to.
Schedule 4 agreed to.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
The shadow cabinet is the name given to the group of senior members from the chief opposition party who would form the cabinet if they were to come to power after a General Election. Each member of the shadow cabinet is allocated responsibility for `shadowing' the work of one of the members of the real cabinet.
The Party Leader assigns specific portfolios according to the ability, seniority and popularity of the shadow cabinet's members.
A Member of Parliament (MP) is elected by a particular area or constituency in Britain to represent them in the House of Commons. MPs divide their time between their constituency and the Houses of Parliament in London. Once elected it is an MP's job to represent all the people in his or her constituency. An MP can ask Government Ministers questions, speak about issues in the House of Commons and consider and propose new laws.
