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Nursing and Midwifery (Amendment) Order 2008

I am not absolutely certain about that and would need to write to the noble Baroness about it. I think there is an interim process. The Appointments Commission is an independent organisation. It was appointed to advise the Government and other bodies about making appointments. The NMC will move to a fully appointed council to ensure that professional interests do not unduly influence council members. That is in response to recommendations from Dame Janet Smith. As I have said, the new council members will be appointed by the independent Appointments Commission against specific criteria relating to their skills and expertise. It is intended and expected that all the different elements that make up the current NMC will be represented on that body. That is absolutely clear. On timing, the order will be made before the old council is abolished. We are discussing the proposed constitution with the NMC but it will not be two years; it will be much sooner than that—it may be April of next year or even sooner. Prescribing rights will be held by fully registered nurses or midwives. At the moment only some of the registrants have full prescribing rights. This is not about a solution to an emergency but enlarging that pool so that, were there an emergency, we would not have to deal with that issue at that point. That is probably quite a sensible precaution. Will the Midwifery Committee be abolished? That is not part of this order. It would take another Order in Council to do that so the answer is no. It would take a separate process to do that.