I want to intervene briefly because we want to vote on these matters today. The amendment subtly gets to the problem at the heart of the Bill, which totally underestimates the new pressures that will build up within foundation trusts on management to change the nature of the patient body...

I want to intervene briefly because we want to vote on these matters today. The amendment subtly gets to the problem at the heart of the Bill, which totally underestimates the new pressures that will build up within foundation trusts on management to change the nature of the patient body...

So that we can have it absolutely on the record, is the noble Lord saying that a teaching hospital in central London—

So that we can have it absolutely on the record, is the noble Lord saying that a teaching hospital in central London—

Will the noble Lord explain, in very simple language that people outside can understand, what is to prevent a central London teaching hospital with an international reputation ending up taking almost half its business from overseas patients who pay by private means?

Will the noble Lord explain, in very simple language that people outside can understand, what is to prevent a central London teaching hospital with an international reputation ending up taking almost half its business from overseas patients who pay by private means?

It is a very important question.

It is a very important question.

We all know of cases where in the real world GPs have said to their patients, ““Go private and go early. Effectively, jump the queue””. That is going on all over the country and in certain parts it is happening on a great scale. If that is the case, what...

We all know of cases where in the real world GPs have said to their patients, ““Go private and go early. Effectively, jump the queue””. That is going on all over the country and in certain parts it is happening on a great scale. If that is the case, what...

I object to the procedures of the House of Lords being changed by a junior Minister.

I object to the procedures of the House of Lords being changed by a junior Minister.

My Lords, I intervene briefly to do precisely what the noble Baroness has just done; namely, draw attention to an individual case that might influence the judgment of the Committee. In a former incarnation as a Member of Parliament, I received in my post an anonymous letter from a person...

My Lords, I intervene briefly to do precisely what the noble Baroness has just done; namely, draw attention to an individual case that might influence the judgment of the Committee. In a former incarnation as a Member of Parliament, I received in my post an anonymous letter from a person...

Following up on what the noble Lord, Lord Walton, said in his intervention about professional bodies, why can we not build into consumer law a requirement on private providers to provide a contractual obligation to their private customers?

Following up on what the noble Lord, Lord Walton, said in his intervention about professional bodies, why can we not build into consumer law a requirement on private providers to provide a contractual obligation to their private customers?

Will this cover private contractors where they provide a service to the National Health Service? What would happen in a dual provision facility whereby, let us say, half the clients were private and the other half were from the National Health Service? Would this provision apply only to those who...

Will this cover private contractors where they provide a service to the National Health Service? What would happen in a dual provision facility whereby, let us say, half the clients were private and the other half were from the National Health Service? Would this provision apply only to those who...