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Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill

I am grateful for that contribution, not least because the noble Baroness is so experienced; I pay tribute to her for her work in the mental health field. I will not repeat my speaking notes on the clause. I am very aware, from our previous debate, that the sort of issue that the noble Baroness raised is precisely the sort of reason why we have been advocating the gatekeeper function. We must be very careful about what could happen. There are clearly tensions in this situation. She is absolutely right that there should be a guarantee that if this sort of opportunity is offered, it must be of benefit to the institution as well as being right for the LINk. I take that point entirely. We can also learn from experience. These powers were those of the patients’ forums. It is important for us and all potential LINk organisations to be able to look at this.