Health and Social Care Bill

John Pugh Excerpts
Monday 31st January 2011

(13 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Healey Portrait John Healey
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Well, my hon. Friend is right in this respect: people will come to see clearly that they cannot trust the Tories with the NHS; they will come to see clearly what these changes really mean for their services; and they will come to see clearly what the future of the NHS holds.

John Pugh Portrait John Pugh (Southport) (LD)
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I cannot follow the previous contribution, but the right hon. Gentleman has mentioned democratic accountability, so will he accept that in 10 years of Labour government, nothing was done about democratic accountability in the NHS? We simply had rule by quangos.

John Healey Portrait John Healey
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No, I do not accept that, but I will tell the hon. Gentleman that the measures in this Bill will undermine many of his principal concerns and policy priorities about opening up the NHS to the public and to Parliament. I hope that he will take a close look at what the Health Secretary really plans.