Monday 29th October 2012

(12 years, 1 month ago)

Lords Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Earl Howe Portrait Earl Howe
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

The question that the noble Lord, Lord Laming, asks is not a naive one at all—it is a very important one. The draft legislation that has been prepared is very narrowly drawn and its effect will be to ratify retrospectively those decisions taken by the panels that assess doctors for approval and treat those decisions by the panel as if they had been lawfully made. So it does not apply directly to patients but to the approval of the clinicians involved.

Baroness Barker Portrait Baroness Barker
- Hansard - -

Could the Minister say something about the role of regulators and professional bodies, and why none of them picked up this issue over time? Will that matter form part of Dr Harris’s review?

Earl Howe Portrait Earl Howe
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Yes, it will, my Lords.