§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce legislation to remove from the General Medical Council its current responsibilities for regulating the conduct and monitoring the competence of members of the medical profession. [126414]
§ Mr. DenhamWe have no plans at present to remove functions from the General Medical Council. Indeed, we have recently consulted on proposals to strengthen its fitness to practise procedures and the Order amending the Medical Act 1983 will be laid before Parliament soon.
The General Medical Council is undertaking a "Structural and Legal Review" of its fitness to practise procedures. The GMC must not delay in publishing its proposals for modernisation. We will need to consider how far they meet the rising expectations of the public and Parliament for fundamental changes to the way the GMC deals with doctors who do not meet the expected standards of conduct and performance set by the profession.