PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICERS (DEPUTIES) BILL (Hansard, 21 March 1957)

§ LORD JESSEL
My Lords, I rise to move that this Bill be read a second time. The purpose of the Bill is to dispense with the requirement that the Minister of Health should approve individual appointments by local authorities (which includes metropolitan boroughs) of standing and temporary deputies to act for the medical health officer or public health inspector. The public health inspector used to be known as the sanitary inspector before his elevation to his present more imposing title. As the result of the recommendations made by the Local Government Manpower Committee in 1951, the necessity for the Minister's consent to be obtained to the appointment of medical officers of health and public health inspectors was abolished by the introduction of new regulations. In the case of their deputies, however, this was not possible, as they had been originally appointed under a different Act, and in their case the change could be made only by Statute. That is what this little Bill seeks to do. Unless your Lordships so desire, I will not weary you with the legal history of this strange anomaly. In another place the Bill was introduced by a supporter of Her Majesty's Government, it was supported by Her Majesty's Opposition, and blessed by the Minister. The Bill seeks to give more freedom to local authorities, which I suggest is alone a reason why we should approve of it. I beg to move.

§ LORD HADEN-GUEST
My Lords, will it be the case that all persons appointed to act as public health officers' deputies, as laid down in the Bill, will, in fact, be qualified medical practitioners? I take it that that is the case. Up to the present time, doctors have not always been available, as they are in short supply. Is it the fact that, under this Bill, when it becomes law, every man or woman officer appointed as deputy to a public health officer must have medical qualification?

§ LORD JESSEL
My Lords, so far as I understand it, there is no alteration in the 726 qualifications of the deputy. The only alteration is that, instead of the appointment requiring the approval of the Minister it can be approved by the local authority.

§ LORD HADEN-GUEST
My Lords, does that mean that it is laid down in this Bill that a person shall not be appointed a deputy medical officer of health unless he is a duly qualified medical practitioner?

§ LORD JESSEL
My Lords, if the Bill says so, I take it that it will be so.

THE EARL OF ONSLOW
My Lords, on behalf of Her Majesty's Government I should like to say that we welcome this Bill, which is small but nevertheless valuable, and we are very grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Jessel, for introducing it to this House. As the noble Lord has already said, the Bill has been designed to get rid of this anomaly that permanent officials can be appointed by local authorities without any reference to the Ministry, while the appointment of a deputy, who might be needed for only a couple of days while someone was ill, has to be approved by the Minister. Therefore, on behalf of Her Majesty's Government, I commend the Bill to the House.