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Health and Social Care Bill

I am about to deal with the amendments Nos. 14 to 18, which refer to professional qualifications and training. I hope that this will reassure my hon. Friend. The amendments are intended to implement the recommendation of the JCHR about professional regulation, which suggested that"““basic principles such as dignity, fairness, respect and equality be included in qualifications, accreditation and re-licensing for health professionals.””" We do not consider the amendments to be either necessary or appropriate to achieve the objective that I think we all share. They seek to impose various duties on the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence, the Office of the Health Professions Adjudicator and the General Social Care Council. Each of those bodies is a public authority, and as such they must already carry out their functions in a manner that is compatible with the European convention on human rights. We therefore see no need to impose specific duties on them, and do not consider that any benefit would be gained from our doing so. I trust that my assurance that the Government will examine the issue of publicly arranged health and social care provision and the Human Rights Act again in the context of the Bill will enable my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon to withdraw new clause 1, and I hope that I have persuaded him that his other amendments are not necessary either.