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National Health Service Bill [HL]

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time. The Bill is the first of three linked Bills in my name on the Order Paper. If I may, I shall speak to them together and then move the second and third Motions formally. I am grateful to those at the Law Commission and the Department of Health who have worked on all three Bills. The National Health Service Bill relates to the health service in England. Its structure refers to health service bodies, services, conditions, consultation and scrutiny committees. The National Health Service (Wales) Bill is structured in much the same way. It sets out the promotion and provision of the health service in Wales, followed by discrete parts focused on the structure of the National Health Service in Wales, local authorities and the National Health Service, primary care services, and charging. This is part of the Government’s programme of consolidation, and consolidation is part of the Government’s better regulation agenda. It makes the law easier to use and understand, and it improves the statute book and saves time and money for those who have to consult it. The third Bill is the National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Bill. It makes provision for repeals, revocations, consequential amendments, transitional and transitory modifications and savings in connection with the consolidation of National Health Service law in England and Wales. Although this Bill is an essential part of the consolidation, it is not, strictly speaking, itself a consolidation Bill; rather, it is ancillary to the other two Bills. As such, there has to be a specific Motion to refer it to the Joint Committee. I am very grateful for the work of the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills in supporting the consolidation of statutes that affect so many people in England and Wales. If your Lordships are content to give the National Health Service Bill a Second Reading, it will of course be subject to consideration by the Joint Committee, to which this and the National Health Service (Wales) Bill will be referred in the usual way. The National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Bill will be referred to the other place before making its way to the Committee. I commend the first Bill to the House and beg to move. Moved, That the Bill be now read a second time.—(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) On Question, Bill read a second time, and referred to the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills.