§ Mr. WyattTo ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons consultation on the Health and Social Care Bill was restricted to six weeks. [16692]
§ Mr. HuttonAs is standard practice with most legislation not subject to pre-legislative scrutiny, there was no formal consultation on the Health and Social Care Bill. However a discussion document on the patient and public involvement proposals within the National Health Service Reform and Healthcare Professions Bill currently before Parliament was published with an invitation to comment which was open for six weeks. It was not a formal consultation exercise and six weeks was considered an adequate period during which to receive comments in keeping with the timetable for the Bill as a whole.