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NHS Redress Bill [HL]

My Lords, the Minister said much that was helpful, but I am extremely disappointed that he has not acknowledged the central point of principle here. He acknowledged it obliquely by listing those elements of the scheme that will provide a measure of independence. Yes, we can assume that the legal and medical advice received by a complainant will be independent. The ombudsman is clearly independent, as is the Healthcare Commission, but my concern is that patients look at the scheme and see a closed process that is not transparent as it deliberates. A report will be produced at the other end, but you cannot see that report at the outset. I do not wish to accuse the Minister of disingenuousness, but that is the word that springs to mind when he protests that we have not fleshed out how independence would be imported into the scheme. The Government have not fleshed out many of the details of the Bill; it is a skeleton Bill and we have had extensive debate on many aspects of it, but much needs to be fleshed out in regulation. I have outlined one way in which the element of independent oversight could be imported; that is to say that the person charged with responsibility to deliver a full and fair investigation of the facts should come from outside the trust being investigated. That is not a complicated proposal. The noble Lord, Lord Hughes, helpfully drew our attention to a parallel from the police service. That is exactly right. It is not an unworkable system—