Amendments proposed to the Health Bill [Lords] - continued	House of Commons
back to previous text

---

Duty to publish annual statement on pharmaceutical price regulation scheme

   

Mr Simon Hughes
Dr Evan Harris
Mr Paul Burstow
Sir Robert Smith

NC6

To move the following Clause:—

    'The Secretary of State shall publish an annual statement on any voluntary or statutory scheme he has agreed with the industry body, which shall include—

(a) the criteria he will use for the purposes of exercising his powers under sections 30 (1) (a) and (b) and 32 (1) (a) and (b);

(b) the categories of information which, in response to a request from the industry, he is prepared to treat as commercially confidential and his reasons for so doing;

(c) details of the outcome of his consultation with the industry and bodies representing consumers and the public interest over the establishment of the scheme;

(d) the mechanisms he intends to put in place for independent audit of the negotiations over the scheme and for publishing the results of such an audit;

(e) an indication as to when he will next review the scheme.'.

---

Duty of Secretary of State to seek to recover costs of treating smoking-related illnesses

   

Mr Michael Fabricant
Dr Evan Harris
Mr Paul Burstow

NC7

To move the following Clause—

    '—(1) It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to take all reasonable steps, whether by instituting proceedings in tort or otherwise, to recover from any company, or agent of a company, which manufactures tobacco products the costs of treatment and care arising from smoking-related illnesses or disabilities incurred by Health Authorities, NHS trusts and Primary Care Trusts.

    (2) In this section "tobacco products" has the meaning given in section 1 of the Tobacco Products Duty Act 1979.

    (3) "Smoking-related illnesses or disabilities" includes illnesses or disabilities attributable to the consumption of tobacco products, whether or not their consumption involves the taking into the mouth or inhalation of smoke'.

---

Restriction on power of NHS Trusts to make appointments

   

Mr Simon Hughes
Dr Evan Harris
Mr Paul Burstow
Sir Robert Smith

NC8

To move the following Clause:—

    '. —(1) NHS Trusts may not—

(a) advertise for, or seek to employ doctors in, clinical non-academic posts other than posts described as—

    (i) consultant

    (ii) staff grade

    (iii) associate specialist

    (iv) hospital practitioner

    (v) clinical assistant

    (vi) pre-registration house officer

    (vii) senior house officer

    (viii) specialist registrar;

(b) advertise for, or seek to employ junior doctors in, the following posts—

    (i) pre-registration house officer

    (ii) senior house officer

    (iii) specialist registrar,

    unless those posts have valid educational and dean's approval;

(c) appoint a medically qualified doctor to a position described as a specialist without a Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training, unless the appointment is an approved appointment to a post of associate specialist.

    (2) In subsection (1)(b) "dean's approval" means the approval of the head of the appropriate Royal College.'.

---

Standing Conference on Treatment Priorities and Funding

   

Mr Simon Hughes
Dr Evan Harris
Mr Paul Burstow
Sir Robert Smith

NC9

To move the following Clause:—

    '(1) The Secretary of State shall establish a Standing Conference on Treatment Priorities and Funding (referred to in this Act as the Standing Conference) which shall have the duty of—

(a) conducting an annual review of, and making reports and recommendations to the Secretary of State on, treatment priorities and funding in the NHS after consultation with the National Institute for Clinical Excellence; and

(b) establishing a clear set of values and guidelines for the decision-making process to be applied by Health Authorities, Special Health Authorities, Primary Care Trusts and NHS Trusts with the purpose of ensuring that patients are entitled to equal and consistent treatment, clear treatment options, and reasons where treatment is denied.

    (2) The reports of the Standing Conference shall be published annually and shall take account of—

(a) the views of the public on the priority of treatments;

(b) the efficacy of treatments;

(c) the cost benefit of treatments; and

(d) the affordability of treatments.

    (3) The members of the Standing Conference shall be appointed by the Secretary of State and shall consist of an equal number of professional and lay members involved in the delivery of health care.

    (4) In exercising its functions under the National Health Service Act 1977, the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 or this Act, the Secretary of State shall have regard to the reports and recommendations of the Standing Conference.'.

---

Definition of Qualifying Body

   

Mr Simon Hughes
Dr Evan Harris
Mr Paul Burstow
Sir Robert Smith

NC10

To move the following Clause:—

    '. —(1) Section 2 of the National Health Service (Primary Care) Act 1997 is amended as follows—

    (2) In subsection (3), in the definition of "qualifying body" there is substituted for the words after "means"—

"(a) a company which is limited by shares all of which are legally and beneficially owned by persons falling within paragraphs (a), (b), (c) or (e) of subsection (2); or

(b) an institution, whether corporate or otherwise, which is established for charitable purposes and is subject to the control of the High Court in the exercise of the court's jurisdication with respect to charities.".'.

---

   

Mr John Denham

101

Title,     line     4,     leave out from 'functions' to 'confer' in line 6.

---

---

Prepared 11 May 1999