Public Bodies Bill [Lords]

Valerie Vaz Excerpts

Tuesday 25th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Valerie Vaz (Walsall South) (Lab)]

I pay tribute to all hon. Members, including Ministers, who served on the Bill Committee. Members will think that we had a good time, and we did. We had a great time, with a lot of laughter. The tears, however, came from the Opposition, partly because of the different bodies that will be abolished.

I want to touch on three major bodies, the first of which is the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Of course, I would mention it; as a woman, I have felt the effects of an increase in equality because of such bodies. The Minister talked about the cost. It costs £1 for every person in Britain. That is a small price to pay for equality. Equal pay is still an issue. The case of Gibson v. Sheffield city council in 2011 involved women carers who were not paid the same as their male counterparts, who got a productivity bonus. There is still much to be done, including for those people who have a background of disabilities. Lesbian and gay issues are still not accepted by everyone.

The other two bodies that I want to touch on are the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Human Tissue Authority, which were born of a need to protect embryos and human tissue. The establishment of the HTA is the result of the retention and use of children’s organs without parental consent and the Bristol heart surgery scandal, which involved 170 babies. The establishment of the HFEA is the result of the report by Baroness Warnock—an eminent and iconic figure—on the special status of the embryo, and it was created under a Conservative Government.

This cannot be money-driven. The Minister is wrong, because those bodies cost £2 million and £1 million respectively. They generate their own income. They are trusted, independent organisations, with two brilliant women as chairs—Professor Lisa Jardine at the HFEA and Baroness Warwick at the HTA. It is no wonder that the Women’s Institute is upset with the Government, because they are getting rid of the EHRC and attacking those two brilliant women.

The future plans for those two organisations include placing them in a research body that has not yet even been founded, with other parts of them going to the Care Quality Commission. Hon. Members should read the report of the Health Committee, of which I have been a member, because it raises grave concerns. Those bodies give the public confidence. They are internationally renowned. They are asked for advice throughout the world. They should be left alone to carry on and do their important work.