---

Health and Social Care Bill

I share the slight disappointment of the hon. Member for Romsey (Sandra Gidley) at the ungracious tone adopted by the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr. O'Brien). We made it clear throughout Committee that we were in listening mode, and open to constructive suggestions as to how to improve the Bill further. The hon. Gentleman referred to the contribution of his noble Friend Earl Howe when the Bill passed through the other place—and Earl Howe described the Government amendments as diamonds and gems. If the hon. Member for Eddisbury wants me to outline the exact differences between these amendments and those that he proposed in Committee, I shall be happy to do so, but let me say that his amendments were closer in form to stones and pebbles than to diamonds and gems. That is why we tabled our own amendments; if we had not, he would have criticised us for not listening and not improving the Bill. Thanks to the contributions of noble Lords from the Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour parties, as well as Cross Benchers in the other place, the Bill has been considerably improved, and I had hoped that the hon. Gentleman would have found it in himself to welcome that. The hon. Member for Romsey asked about rights. The answer to her question is that the rights include human rights, but are not exclusively about them. Lords amendment agreed to. Lords amendments Nos. 2 to 5 agreed to.