§ Mr. Christopher Hawkinsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now consider setting up independent bodies to monitor and control general practitioners' use of deputising services; and if he will consider imposing Government controls on the hours worked and qualifications of the doctors employed by such deputising services.
§ Mr. John PattenNo. Present arrangements for the control and monitoring of the use made by general medical practitioners of deputising services are adequate and unambiguous and responsibility for seeing that these are complied with rests with family practitioner committees, advised by professional advisory committees. My hon. and learned Friend has written to family practitioner committees asking them to review local arrangements and to give him an assurance that existing provisions are being applied.