Health and Social Care Bill

Baroness Northover Excerpts

Tuesday 13th March 2012 Lords Chamber

[Lord Patel]

My Lords, Amendment 249 is related to statutory registration. We have been talking about voluntary or statutory registration for the past three hours. I shall be happy if at any time the noble Earl interrupts to stop me trying to make a case for statutory registration for public health specialists because he has already made up his mind that he is likely to accept if not this amendment then statutory registration. I believe that the noble Baroness, Lady Northover, is trying to intervene.

[Baroness Northover]

My Lords, a great deal of attention has been paid to public health in this House and we very much welcome that and the efforts by the noble Lord, Lord Patel, and others. We recognise that public health specialists play a critical leadership role in protecting the public from harm. The Government recognise the strong support for a compulsory statutory regulation system for all public health specialists. I think that that is what the noble Lord was going to say. We agree that it is absolutely essential that all public health specialists, including those not currently subject to compulsory statutory regulation—

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees (Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen)]

The noble Lord has not moved the amendment.

[Baroness Northover]

The noble Lord may withdraw it in a moment.

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees]

The noble Lord must move the amendment. Does the noble Lord wish to move the amendment?

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Patel]

I should like the noble Baroness to finish her sentence, because I think she was leading on to say professions other than in medicine or dentistry.

[Baroness Northover]

If noble Lords are happy, I will continue. I will be happy to answer any questions. All public health specialists, including those not currently subject—

[Lord Hunt of Kings Heath]

I think that the noble Lord, Lord Patel, wanted an early indication as to whether the noble Baroness was going to accept the amendment and then allow the debate. He is not looking for a winding-up speech at this point.

[Baroness Northover]

Noble Lords will know that the Government have already announced their intention to regulate all public health specialists so that we address the anomaly whereby some were regulated and others were not. If that is the answer that the noble Lord was looking for, put briefly, I hope that he will welcome it.

[Lord Patel]

I welcome those comments. As I understand it, the noble Baroness, Lady Northover, is saying that the Government intend through secondary legislation to establish statutory regulation of all public health specialists, including those not in medicine and dentistry. I am grateful for that. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.