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Health and Social Care Bill

My Lords, I rather suspected that that would be the Minister’s reply. I do of course thank him for what he has said. I also thank the noble Baronesses, Lady Barker, Lady Masham and Lady Finlay, for their support. It is reassuring to hear that the contract with private providers will require adequate indemnity cover to be in place. I had assumed that that would be so, but the issue runs broader than that, as the noble Baroness, Lady Barker, said. If the Minister does not feel that any amendment to the Bill is appropriate, it would be helpful to have some assurance from him that commissioners of NHS services from private providers would in the normal course of things aim to make it a condition of their contract with the provider that they join the clinical negligence scheme for trusts to cover their NHS patients. We cannot insist that they take out cover of a particular kind to cover their private patients, as that has nothing to do with the NHS. In the case of NHS patients, however, it has everything to do with the commissioner. Such an assurance would go a long way and does not seem that outlandish a thing to ask for, given that a number of other conditions to private-provider contracts will be mandatory, not least adherence to the NHS complaints procedure in respect of NHS patients. If the Minister feels able to look at this again, I am sure that that will be welcomed in many quarters. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendments Nos. 73 and 74 not moved.] Clause 156 [Orders and regulations: Parliamentary control]: