8 September 2011
The Health and Social Care (Re-committed) Bill - the Bill which aims to abolish primary care trusts and strategic health authorities in England in favour of GP commissioning - was debated in the House of Commons yesterday.
Political monitor DeHavilland reports:
“During the final day’s sitting of the Report Stage of the Health and Social Care Bill, a raft of Government amendments were approved whilst two Labour amendments and one from a Conservative backbencher were voted down.
“Shadow Wales Minister Owen Smith argued that under the Bill the Secretary of State will have ‘no power to direct and therefore no power to deliver absolutely a comprehensive, universal health service as we have come to expect and understand it.’
“To this end, he tabled amendment 1176 to Clause 1 of the Bill, which would ensure that ‘the Secretary of State must for that purpose provide or secure the provision of services in accordance with this Act.’
“Amendment 1176 was pressed to a vote and defeated by 304 votes to 255.
“The Bill now moves to its third Reading.”
