Examination of Witnesses (Questions 30-39)
COMMUNITY HEALTH
COUNCILS
13 JANUARY 2005
Q30 Chairman: Can I now welcome to the
table Peter Johns and Tommy Morgan. You are both very welcome
to our session this afternoon. Can you introduce yourself for
the record, and we will then go straight into questions by the
joint working panel, which consists of the Welsh Affairs Select
Committee from Westminster, and the Local Government Public Services
Committee here at the Assembly.
Mr Morgan: I am Tommy Morgan,
the Chair of the Board of Welsh Community Health Councils. I would
like to take this opportunity to thank you for allowing us to
speak here today. We welcome the opportunity to make this submission,
and we have some general points to make as well as some specific
points.
Mr Johns: I am Peter Johns, Director
of the Board of CHCs in Wales.
Q31 Ms Dunwoody-Kneafsey: Do you in principle
welcome the aims of the Bill?
Mr Johns: Most definitely, yes.
Q32 Ms Dunwoody-Kneafsey: Would you like
to expand on that?
Mr Johns: I thought you liked
direct answers.
Q33 Ms Dunwoody-Kneafsey: We do, but
just a little bit more!
Mr Johns: We welcome it because
one of the difficulties we have identified in our submission to
you is the fact that there are often cross-boundary issues which
create difficulties. Having one agency that deals with complaints
through the whole process is a great advance as far as we are
concerned.
Q34 Mr Lloyd: (Translated from Welsh):
Thank you, Chair. Are there any other issues that you would like
to see contained in this Bill which are not currently included?
Would you like to see any additional points added to what is already
there?
Mr Johns: First of all, I apologise
that I cannot respond in Welsh because I am a Cornishman, not
a Welshman. The points in our submission cover the bits and pieces
that we felt were appropriate to bring forward from our point
of view, and I do not have any comments to make other than that.
Q35 Mr Jones: Did you play any role in
consultations for the Bill?
Mr Johns: I personally did not.
I have been in my job for two years, and I do not recall having
had any opportunity to respond to that previously. I may have
overlooked it, but not as far as I am aware.
Q36 Mr Jones: As far as you know, were
you approached by government?
Mr Johns: I cannot recall that
I was, but it may be an oversight on my part as much as on anybody
else's.
Q37 Mr Jones: Did you take part in consultation
anyway?
Mr Johns: No.
Q38 Mr Jones: You have not been consulted.
Mr Johns: No.
Q39 Mr Jones: Are you happy with the
Bill as it stands?
Mr Johns: Yes, subject to minor
points we have picked up on, generally, yes.
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