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Health and Social Care Bill

I shall add a few words to what my noble friend has said. In his usual way, he has presented the case well. I share his view that the Minister will not be totally enamoured of the amendment, but it is very important that the commission is seen to have the confidence of the general public though transparency, as my noble friend has said. We know that in the cockpit of the NHS are Ministers; our top board in the NHS is composed of politicians, who are ultimately responsible for performance. It is a very political organisation, which affects so many different lives—people at their most raw and when they are suffering. We know at election time that the NHS is an enormous issue. There is huge merit in introducing this added safeguard. The CQC should be removed from any sort of whiff of interference by the top board. When one is a Minister and responsible for the performance of the National Health Service, it is very painful and irritating to be criticised by a regulatory body. I remember when the Audit Commission was responsible for the National Health Service as well as local government. We dreaded its reports; we knew that it was going to come out with things that needed addressing. In fact, that was very healthy. But for all of us, in individual as well as in corporate lives, criticism is extremely uncomfortable. However, these things need to be said—and it is interesting that the Government have with enormous skill established Monitor. That is another regulatory body that really is independent. When the department felt that it should be responsible for what was going on in foundation trusts in terms of healthcare-acquired infections, Monitor came in very strongly and said, ““No, that is part of our regulation, not yours””. It was that very clear accountability that enabled it to do that, in addition to having a powerful chairman appointed and a very effective board. This amendment would ensure that the commission was totally independent. It is still of course accountable to Parliament. I like the way in which the ombudsman regulates and the fact that it has a select committee to which it reports. There are mechanisms that we know work, which enhance the reputation of the regulator, and we feel that this is an issue that needs addressing. Clearly, we would like the commission to report directly to Parliament.