PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Health Professions: Regulation (15 July 2015)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when his Department plans to bring forward the Law Commission Bill on regulation of health and social care professions for parliamentary consideration; and if he will make a statement.

Asked by:
Karin Smyth (Labour)

The Government is grateful for the work of the Law Commissions of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in reviewing the system of health and (in England) social care professional regulation. The four United Kingdom country response was published on 29 January 2015 which accepted wholly or in part the vast majority of the Law Commissions’ recommendations. Progress has already been made to implement some of the Law Commissions’ recommendations through the Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Act 2015. Amendments have also been made via secondary legislation to the Medical Act 1983 and the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 to reform parts of the General Medical Council’s and the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s fitness to practise procedures. The Government is considering how the Law Commissions’ work can best be taken forward.

Answered by:
Ben Gummer (Conservative)
21 July 2015