§ Lords amendment: No. 5.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Ms Hazel Blears)I beg to move, That the House agrees with the Lords in the said amendment.
§ Madam Deputy SpeakerWith this we may take Lords amendment No. 30.
§ Ms BlearsAmendments Nos. 5 and 30 enable the Secretary of State for Health to delegate the appointment of the chair and members of the Commission for Health Improvement and the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health to the NHS Appointments Commission. Indeed, we go further than this, demonstrating that we are committed to the independence of these bodies and distancing the appointments process from the Secretary of State.
The amendments enable the Secretary of State to delegate to the NHS Appointments Commission such of his functions as may be appropriate in relation to the tenure of office, terms of appointment, dismissal, and so on, of the chair and members. The details of how such arrangements with the Appointments Commission might work in practice are subject to negotiation with Sir William Wells and his team.
As I have said, similar arrangements have been made for the appointment of the chair and members of the Commission for Health Improvement—
It being one hour after the commencement of proceedings on consideration of Lords Amendments, MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER, pursuant to Order [this day], put forthwith the Question already proposed from the Chair.
Lords amendment agreed to.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER then proceeded to put forthwith the Questions necessary for the disposal of the business to be concluded at that hour.
Lords amendments Nos. 17 to 30 agreed to.