Dr.
Pugh: I am going to put away my 20-page speech, breaking
the habit of a lifetime and going for cheap popularity by deferring my
remarks until Report. I thank hon. Members for creating a reasoned and
relaxed environment, to which I think the Minister has
made a substantial contribution, and I thank you,Miss Begg, for
having chaired proceedings in a similar relaxed and rational
way.
Andy
Burnham: I am grateful for those general statements of
support for the Bill. There is obviously a difference of opinion as to
the means by which we get to the goal that I think we share. The
argument is on the means and the hon. Member for Billericay is
absolutely right to say the scheme must have the confidence of
patients. Let me just say quickly two things to
him. There will be a
three-year review, and that is the point at which we will test some of
these matters. The process has to be conducted fairly and properly or
it will not have the confidence of patients. There will be an in-built
presumption that the process will be done in the right way, or else the
scheme will not work and patients will not have confidence in it. They
will walk away and go to the courts. In-built in the scheme is the
presumption that people will conduct the inquiry fairly and properly
and try to work towards resolution, which in the end is what we all
want. There is an element of a two-stage process, but we do not have
the two schemes we would have had under the measures put forward by the
hon. Member for Billericay. Let us return to those matters on Report,
because there is clearly still some mileage in them.
Let me, too, now thank you,
Miss Begg, for chairing our proceedings so well. The hon. Member for
Congleton (Ann Winterton) has good reason to be grateful to you,
because you have spared her the joys of this Committee.
I thank the Clerk, Dr. John
Benger, who is used to my rambling in the Health Committee, and who has
had more of it here. I also thank the Hansard writers, the
attendants and, of course, the police, for dealing with annoying
electrical noises this morning.
I thank my colleagues on the
Committee, who have contributed well, and I think that there is no
difference between us. My hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham,
Erdington has been pressing me for a little more on Report, and we will
think about that; we will carry on discussions with him and see where
they lead us. My hon. Friend has contributed extremely well to our
proceedings, representing the organisation with which he is involved
properly and in a fine way, and I pay tribute to him.
May I, too, thank the Whip, my
hon. Friend the Member for Ogmore (Huw Irranca-Davies)? We have two
Welsh firsts in the Committee: we have the framework power, and this is
my hon. Friend’s first Committee. So we have two firsts for the
Welsh, although they are not enjoying such prominence in Germany, but
never mind—perhaps another time.
Lastly, I thank the hon. Member
for Billericay for the way in which he and his hon. Friends have
conducted the proceedings. This has been an amiable Committee, and I
look forward to continuing our discussions on Report.
Question put and agreed
to. Bill, as
amended, to be
reported. Committee
rose at twenty-four minutes to Eleven
o’clock.
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