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Health and Social Care Bill

Most of what I want to say has been covered by the Minister and the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr. O'Brien). We have an interesting example of how the new evidence sessions have been useful. I cannot recall a single submission from the great and good in Second Reading briefings or the like on legally qualified chairs. We raised the issue in what was almost a throw-away question, when I said:"““Would you like to see any other changes to the Bill?””" Lady Justice Smith responded:"““There is one matter, which you might feel is quite small.””––[Official Report, Health and Social Care Public Bill Committee, 8 January 2008; c. 37, Q64.]" It ended up being something that exercised a great deal of time in Committee. I think that that is right, because, as others have pointed out—Lady Justice Smith has been quoted at length—there are good reasons why legal chairs could make a difference. The costs bear that out as well. However, I was also quite taken with the Government's argument that a legally qualified chair may not be necessary in every case. What I do not think we teased out in enough detail in Committee is where the bar might be set. The document referred to by the hon. Member for Eddisbury gives costings for 20 per cent., 25 per cent. and 50 per cent.—