Mr.
Stephen O'Brien: On the basis that the Minister has said
that the Government are not infallible and that he has tried to put a
human face on them, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the
amendment.
Amendment,
by leave, withdrawn.
Mr.
Stephen O'Brien: I beg to move amendment 143, in
schedule 3, page 47, line 35, at
end insert— ‘(d) In
assessing whether there are or may be grounds to remove him from office
under paragraph (b) the Secretary of State may
consult— (i) the Care
Quality Commission; (ii)
Strategic Health Authorities;
and (iii) the Audit
Commission’. The
amendment would balance the Secretary of State’s powers
regarding Monitor’s non-executives. Given the
Government’s swings on foundation trusts, we need to ensure that
we understand the issues carefully, as my hon. Friend the Member for
Hemel Hempstead has highlighted elsewhere.
The amendment
would allow the Secretary of State to consult the other players in the
regulation of the NHS—the Care Quality Commission, strategic
health authorities and the Audit Commission—before taking action
against Monitor’s non-executive
directors.
Mr.
Mike O'Brien: Suspension would be used only on rare
occasions, when serious concerns raised about performance or conduct
required further investigation. The Secretary of State intends to
delegate his power to suspend members of Monitor to the Appointments
Commission. The commission is independent and expert, and it has
established a clear policy for determining whether there is a case for
suspension.
Where there
are allegations of incapacity or misbehaviour, the commission will
undertake a swift initial investigation to assess whether are there
sufficient grounds to bring suspension proceedings. The commission will
therefore take the action. Its chair could use emergency powers to
suspend someone following consultation with her executive or, in her
absence, the deputy chief executive, and with at least two of the
commission’s appointed commissioners.
Mr.
Stephen O'Brien: I beg to ask leave to withdraw the
amendment.
Amendment,
by leave, withdrawn.
1
pm The
Chairman adjourned the Committee without Question put (Standing Order
No.
88). Adjourned
till this day at Four
o’clock.
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