CONSTITUTION OF CENTRAL COUNCIL (Hansard, 7 February 1979)

§ Mr. Hodgson
I beg to move amendment No. 1, in page 1, line 14, leave out "nominated" and insert "elected".
451 This matter was debated in Committee and I shall therefore be brief. The clause deals with the constitution of the Central Council—the new top company set up as a result of the Briggs recommendation. The Briggs report recommended, and the Bill embodies, a two-tier structure comprising a series of national boards, one each for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, covered by the Central Council.
The Bill allows the election of a member of the nursing profession to the national boards, but allows only nomination from the national boards to the Central Council. My hon. Friends and I feel that this is less satisfactory than a scheme of election from each national board.
With the passage of time, a national board may become set in its ways and there may be a clique of people on it who may become concerned with the perpetuation of their own viewpoint and interests. In that case, it may be difficult for the national board to send to the Central Council a nominee who does not accept the conventional wisdom circulating on the board. Therefore, we believe that a form of wording that demands the word "election" would make it more difficult for such a self-perpetuating clique to be formed. It is hoped that such a provision will not be necessary and that the national boards will remain open to outside influences and be flexible in their approach and thinking. However, we know that that is not always the case and we propose the amendment to guard against that danger.
When I moved a similar amendment in Committee, the Minister said: The hon. Member for Walsall, North used the word 'elect'. We have used the word 'nominate'. I would suggest that, in practice, both words mean the same, because the process by which the national board decides on who will serve in a representative capacity on the Central Council from the national board will, I am sure, be done by a process of election, if necessary, by the national board."—[Official Report, Standing Committee B, 28 November 1978; c. 30.] The critical words are "I am sure" and "if necessary". The Minister cannot be sure. He means that he hopes that that will be done, but hope is not enough and we need to be certain that the national boards will continue to use a scheme of 452 elections for sending representatives to the Central Council.

§ Mr. Moyle
We considered this matter in Committee and I said that I thought that both words meant the same in practice but that since the hon. Gentleman had expressed his concern I would consult the Briggs co-ordinating committee to see whether its members felt that there was a virtue in changing the words.
A majority of members argued for no change and, as that reinforced my prejudice, I had little difficulty in agreeing with them. I therefore ask the House not to adopt the amendment.

§ Mr. Hodgson
In the light of what the Minister has said and the consultation that he had with the co-ordinating committee, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.

§ Mr. Moyle
I beg to move amendment No. 3, in page 2, line 7 at end insert— (4A) The Secretary of State shall have especially in mind the need to secure that qualifications and experience in the teaching of nurses, midwives and health visitors are adequately represented on the Council.". The aim of the amendment is to ensure that there is a proper representation of teachers of nursing, midwifery and health visiting on the Central Council and the national boards. I was pressed in Committee, particularly by the right hon. Member for Down, South (Mr. Powell), to accept such a provision and I am advised that the wording of the amendment will put the principle into operation.

§ Mr. J. Enoch Powell (Down, South)
I am obliged to the Minister for having adopted the suggestion which other Members and I made in Committee and for having thrown it into a form which is clearly more appropriate than that in which it was debated in Committee.
The amendment gives me the opportunity to make an observation. In Committee, I used a number of expressions that I regarded as common coin among hon. Members in regard to parliamentary draftsmen and the well-known fact that, however carefully hon. Members draft their amendments, they never satisfy the parliamentary draftsmen or Ministers.
453 I am sure that all hon. Members who indulge in that sort of well-worn humour realise that an amendment that may seem perfectly satisfactory as they have drawn it has to be looked at in a wider light to make sure that it does not incur any difficulties in other parts of the Bill. I hope that those who assist us by the drafting of Bills and amendments do not mistake the natural merriment which hon. Members indulge in from time to time at the expense of the parliamentary draftsmen as evidence of ingratitude.