Health and Social Care Act 2012: Risk Register

Lord Hughes of Woodside Excerpts

Wednesday 4th December 2013 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

The noble Baroness would have cause to complain if, in accordance with the debates that we had in this House on accountability, my right honourable friend did not hold the NHS to account on some of the areas of its activities where there were concerns. That is exactly what he does, and he does it quite properly.

[Lord Hughes of Woodside (Lab)]

Is it not the case, in relation to the Chilcot report, that it is not the Government who are holding it up but something else? Will the Minister not hide behind red herrings like that? It is he and his Government who are refusing to publish the risk register, and they surely must do so.

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, over the passage of time a view can be taken about the sensitivity of the Department of Health risk register. That is what we have undertaken to do and what we will do. Next spring, we will reach one of the regular review points for the risk register. I can tell the noble Lord that work to review the register has already started in anticipation of that date.