HL Deb 16 May 1950 vol 167 cc291-3

2.43 p.m.

Amendments reported (according to Order).

Clause 14:

Constitution of Medical Disciplinary Committee.

(4) The quorum of the Committee shall be five; and the Committee shall make arrangements for securing that, except where it appears to the President or a member of the Committee authorised by him to act on his behalf that there are circumstances requiring the presence of a greater number of members of the Committee, not more than nine members of the Committee shall attend for the hearing of any case.

LORD SHEPHERD moved to add to subsection (4): but that at any such hearing at least one of the members who are neither registered medical practitioners nor the holders of qualifying diplomas shall be eligible to attend.

The noble Lord said: My Lords, during the Committee stage the noble Lord, Lord Nathan, proposed an Amendment that there should be at least one lay member of the Disciplinary Committee of the General Medical Council on any committee of nine or on any quorum of five when cases were under consideration. We were unable to accept the noble Lord's Amendment in the terms in which it was stated. By agreement we have now brought forward this Amendment to take its place. I beg to move.

Amendment moved— Page 8, line 34, at end insert the said words,—(Lord Shepherd.)

LORD LLEWELLIN

My Lords, the Amendment of the noble Lord, Lord Nathan, was moved as an Amendment to an Amendment of mine. Both the noble Lord, Lord Shepherd, and I thought that the Amendment then moved was not in quite satisfactory terms. I was all in favour of the principle, as was the noble Lord, Lord Shepherd. I gather that the Government draftsmen have now considered the matter. My view is that this Amendment meets the point upon which we are all agreed. Therefore, I have much pleasure in supporting it.

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

Clause 21:

Appointment of visitors of medical schools.

21.—(1) The Council may appoint persons, not being members of the Council, to visit places where instruction is given to medical students under the direction of any body having power to grant a qualifying diploma, not being a Commonwealth or foreign diploma.

LORD SHEPHERD moved, in subsection (1) after "visit" to insert: subject to any directions which the Privy Council may deem it expedient to give and to compliance with any conditions specified in such directions.

The noble Lord said: My Lords, we have endeavoured since the Committee stage to reach a conclusion about the appointment of visitors by the General Medical Council to schools and examinations. I am glad to say that at last we have reached agreement, and that agreement is embodied in the script of the Amendment which is now before your Lordships. Under this Amendment the initiative for the despatch of visitors to schools and examinations will be taken, as provided in the clause, by the General Medical Council. Naturally, when they have reached a decision, they will communicate with the authorities concerned and discuss the conditions under which the visit will be made. Obviously there will need to be talks and, we hope, agreement. If agreement is reached the visits will proceed and there need not be a recourse to the Privy Council.

Noble Lords will remember that on the Committee stage I indicated that discussions had already taken place between the General Medical Council and the University of London. Very satisfactory results arose from those discussions. It is proposed that the persons who are to make the visits should by agreement be appointed to act both as external inspectors on behalf of the University and as visitors for the General Medical Council, so that two separate inspections will be avoided. On the other hand, at the time of the discussion, should no agreement be reached between the two bodies, some trouble will arise unless there is some provision to meet it. Under the Amendment, the university or the school on their side and the General Medical Council on the other side, if they so wish, may approach the Privy Council asking that directions may be given as to the procedure to be followed. That is to say, should there be differences of opinion, something in the nature of an appeal would arise. We sincerely trust that, as a result of this Amendment and the spirit that animates the parties concerned, there will be an easy working arrangement achieved. I beg to move.

Amendment moved— Page 13, line 13, after ("visit") insert the said words.—(Lord Shepherd.)

On Question, Amendment agreed to.