My Lords, I welcome these amendments and I thank the Minister for having considered the matter. On Question, amendment agreed to. Clause 18 [Co-operation between health bodies and other organisations]:

My Lords, I welcome these amendments and I thank the Minister for having considered the matter. On Question, amendment agreed to. Clause 18 [Co-operation between health bodies and other organisations]:

My Lords, I am glad that I tabled the amendment, because that was a helpful reply which contained not only some welcome reassurance, but some valuable clarification of the Government’s intentions, which, I am sure, the profession will duly note with appreciation. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Clause 35 [Applications...

My Lords, I am glad that I tabled the amendment, because that was a helpful reply which contained not only some welcome reassurance, but some valuable clarification of the Government’s intentions, which, I am sure, the profession will duly note with appreciation. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Clause 35 [Applications...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Palmer, has made an extremely powerful case with which I find myself immediately in sympathy. It is one of life’s truths that what we do not have to pay for we do not value. We have all benefited during our lives from the National Health Service....

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Palmer, has made an extremely powerful case with which I find myself immediately in sympathy. It is one of life’s truths that what we do not have to pay for we do not value. We have all benefited during our lives from the National Health Service....

My Lords, I am more than willing to oppose the Government at every suitable opportunity, but this is a case where I urge your Lordships to agree to what is now being proposed. I have had extensive discussions with the British Beer and Pub Association, which represents about 60 per cent of pubs and...

My Lords, I am more than willing to oppose the Government at every suitable opportunity, but this is a case where I urge your Lordships to agree to what is now being proposed. I have had extensive discussions with the British Beer and Pub Association, which represents about 60 per cent of pubs and...

My Lords, I assure the noble Lord, Lord Monson, that the commitment to liberty and individual rights in the party which I have the honour to represent is no less strong now than it has always been. However, I am not sure whether voting for or against this amendment should be seen as a...

My Lords, I assure the noble Lord, Lord Monson, that the commitment to liberty and individual rights in the party which I have the honour to represent is no less strong now than it has always been. However, I am not sure whether voting for or against this amendment should be seen as a...

My Lords, once again, I thank the Minister. That does give me a great deal of reassurance. I thank him for what he has said and I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Clause 49 [Code of practice relating to delegated functions]:

My Lords, once again, I thank the Minister. That does give me a great deal of reassurance. I thank him for what he has said and I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Clause 49 [Code of practice relating to delegated functions]:

My Lords, I thank the Minister for these amendments and for his helpful reassurances, which pick up a number of points and concerns about patient confidentiality that we debated in Grand Committee. On Question, amendment agreed to.

My Lords, I thank the Minister for these amendments and for his helpful reassurances, which pick up a number of points and concerns about patient confidentiality that we debated in Grand Committee. On Question, amendment agreed to.

moved Amendment No. 33:"Page 30, line 39, after ““applications”” insert ““(other than proposals based on price or discount)””" The noble Earl said: My Lords, Clause 35 sets out new provisions governing applications submitted to PCTs for the provision of pharmaceutical services. In Grand Committee, I raised serious concerns about this clause and, I am sorry to say,...

moved Amendment No. 33:"Page 30, line 39, after ““applications”” insert ““(other than proposals based on price or discount)””" The noble Earl said: My Lords, Clause 35 sets out new provisions governing applications submitted to PCTs for the provision of pharmaceutical services. In Grand Committee, I raised serious concerns about this clause and, I am sorry to say,...

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for his reply. I appreciate his efforts to set out the Government’s thinking in this area. I am disappointed that he is not persuaded by my argument. The noble Lord is right that, in many cases, over-the-counter medicines form a relatively small element of a typical...

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for his reply. I appreciate his efforts to set out the Government’s thinking in this area. I am disappointed that he is not persuaded by my argument. The noble Lord is right that, in many cases, over-the-counter medicines form a relatively small element of a typical...

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for that assurance. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Clause 38 [General ophthalmic services contracts]:

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for that assurance. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Clause 38 [General ophthalmic services contracts]:

moved Amendment No. 33A:"Page 35, line 35, at end insert—" ““(6)   Before making regulations under sections 28WA to 28WE, the Secretary of State shall consult such persons or organisations as appear to him to be representative of persons providing ophthalmic services.”” The noble Earl said: My Lords, in Grand Committee we had a series of short...

moved Amendment No. 33A:"Page 35, line 35, at end insert—" ““(6)   Before making regulations under sections 28WA to 28WE, the Secretary of State shall consult such persons or organisations as appear to him to be representative of persons providing ophthalmic services.”” The noble Earl said: My Lords, in Grand Committee we had a series of short...

moved Amendment No. 30:"Page 22, line 16, leave out ““may”” and insert ““shall””" The noble Earl said: My Lords, we had some extremely useful and constructive debates in Grand Committee on the issue of pharmacy supervision, and I return to the subject only briefly because there are perhaps two or three points on which...

moved Amendment No. 30:"Page 22, line 16, leave out ““may”” and insert ““shall””" The noble Earl said: My Lords, we had some extremely useful and constructive debates in Grand Committee on the issue of pharmacy supervision, and I return to the subject only briefly because there are perhaps two or three points on which...

moved Amendment No. 32:"Page 26, line 12, leave out ““qualifications and””" The noble Earl said: My Lords, in Grand Committee, the Minister explained that it is the Government’s intention to consult all interested parties on the content of the regulations that will set out the requirements that a pharmacist must meet in order...

moved Amendment No. 32:"Page 26, line 12, leave out ““qualifications and””" The noble Earl said: My Lords, in Grand Committee, the Minister explained that it is the Government’s intention to consult all interested parties on the content of the regulations that will set out the requirements that a pharmacist must meet in order...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his considered answer. I took heart from what he said, because it seemed to convey the balance and common sense that I had hoped to hear from him. I welcome his commitment to full consultation on this issue; I am sure that the profession will expect and welcome...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his considered answer. I took heart from what he said, because it seemed to convey the balance and common sense that I had hoped to hear from him. I welcome his commitment to full consultation on this issue; I am sure that the profession will expect and welcome...

My Lords, the noble Baroness, Lady Barker, has made some powerful points, and I agreed with much of what she said. I want to come at this issue from a slightly different angle. In Grand Committee the Minister gave some welcome reassurances on the general principle of one pharmacist/one pharmacy, which I and other...

My Lords, the noble Baroness, Lady Barker, has made some powerful points, and I agreed with much of what she said. I want to come at this issue from a slightly different angle. In Grand Committee the Minister gave some welcome reassurances on the general principle of one pharmacist/one pharmacy, which I and other...

I think that I could take those ideas away to consider for the Report stage and I am grateful to the Minister for his detailed remarks. I would simply say to him that there is consultation and there is consultation. Of course it is reassuring to know that at least some consultation will take...

I think that I could take those ideas away to consider for the Report stage and I am grateful to the Minister for his detailed remarks. I would simply say to him that there is consultation and there is consultation. Of course it is reassuring to know that at least some consultation will take...

I take the point that access to over-the-counter medicines is an important issue; that is not in any doubt. However, I still genuinely question whether this clause as a whole is necessary. It has been put to me very forcefully by those involved in the pharmacy profession that in practice there are...

I take the point that access to over-the-counter medicines is an important issue; that is not in any doubt. However, I still genuinely question whether this clause as a whole is necessary. It has been put to me very forcefully by those involved in the pharmacy profession that in practice there are...

moved Amendment No. 83:"Page 28, line 31, leave out from ““may”” to ““to”” in line 32 and insert ““by order make provision for a Primary Care Trust””" The noble Earl said: Amendments Nos. 83, 84 and 85 pick up a concern raised by the Select Committee on Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform, which commented that the power given...

moved Amendment No. 83:"Page 28, line 31, leave out from ““may”” to ““to”” in line 32 and insert ““by order make provision for a Primary Care Trust””" The noble Earl said: Amendments Nos. 83, 84 and 85 pick up a concern raised by the Select Committee on Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform, which commented that the power given...

moved Amendment No. 82:"Page 26, line 17, at end insert—" ““(   )   No regulations may be made under this section unless the Health Ministers have previously consulted such organisations as appear to them to be representative of persons providing pharmaceutical services.”” The noble Earl said: Our debates on the last few groups of amendments show...

moved Amendment No. 82:"Page 26, line 17, at end insert—" ““(   )   No regulations may be made under this section unless the Health Ministers have previously consulted such organisations as appear to them to be representative of persons providing pharmaceutical services.”” The noble Earl said: Our debates on the last few groups of amendments show...

That reply from the Minister provides clarity and a good measure of reassurance to those in the pharmacy profession who have spoken to me about these issues. I am grateful to him. For now, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendment No. 81 not moved.]

That reply from the Minister provides clarity and a good measure of reassurance to those in the pharmacy profession who have spoken to me about these issues. I am grateful to him. For now, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendment No. 81 not moved.]