§ Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she can now add to her statement of 1st May about the proposed amendment of the National Health Service (Service Committees and Tribunal) Regulations 1974, particularly in view of the comments made on these regulations in the 7th Report from the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments.
§ Mrs. CastleYes. After consultation with the Council on Tribunals and other interested bodies I have now made the National Health Service (Service Committee and Tribunal) Amendment Regulations 1974 (Statutory Instrument No. 907/1974), which were laid before Parliament yesterday and will come into operation on 1st July. The amending regulations restore the right of any barrister or solicitor, including therefore any Member of Parliament so qualified, who is acting without payment to address a service committee and to examine or cross-examine witnesses. The prohibition on any paid advocate acting in that capacity, which the joint committee describes as a very broad provision, has existed since the inception of the National Health Service and, because of the need for continuing powers to have complaints considered, it would not be practicable to withdraw the regulations pending a reappraisal of the appropriateness of this provision. This and other provisions of the regulations will, however, be open to further consideration during the comprehensive review of service committee procedure which, as I mentioned in my statement to the House on 1st May—[Vol. 872, c. 1149–56]—I shall be initiating before the end of this year in consultation with the Council on Tribunals and the other interested bodies. I have given the appropriate bodies advance notice of the forthcoming review and have invited them to let me know in the meantime of any particular points they wish to bring to my attention.