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Health and Care Bill - Schedule 12 - Minor and consequential amendments
08 September 2026
Lead MP
Karin Smyth
Debate Type
Bill Debate
Tags
Parliamentary Procedure
Other Contributors: 24
At a Glance
Karin Smyth raised concerns about health and care bill - schedule 12 - minor and consequential amendments in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. This amendment aims to make minor and consequential changes to the Health and Care Bill to ensure clarity and coherence in the legislation. It includes updates to reflect current practices and to align with existing regulations, thus ensuring that the bill functions effectively in its intended context.
Karin Smyth
Lab
Bristol South
The amendment is necessary to address minor issues that have been identified since the initial drafting of the bill. It includes adjustments to improve clarity and to ensure that the bill aligns with current health and care practices. This ensures that the legislation can be implemented smoothly without ambiguity.
Jim Allister
DUP
North Antrim
Jim Allister questioned the compatibility of new clause 94 with section 45B of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020, which promised no further export procedures impacting intra-UK trade, particularly from Northern Ireland to Great Britain. He expressed concern over the potential constraints imposed by a licensing programme for medical devices moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.
Bernard Jenkin
Con
Harwich and North Essex
Bernard Jenkin sought to intervene but the nature of his contribution was not detailed in the provided text.
Judith Cummins
Lab
Bradford South
Responds to interventions from Bernard Jenkin, Stuart Andrew, Layla Moran, and Rachel Taylor, highlighting concerns about the CQC leadership becoming conflicted and the importance of maintaining the safe space for frontline staff to report issues. Supports the call for a review of radiotherapy access and waiting times.
Grahame Morris
Lab
Easington
Supports new clauses 113 and 114, emphasising the need for a national framework of agreed metrics for radiotherapy and annual reporting by integrated care boards. Highlights the cross-party consensus on health inequalities and the need to address the variation in access to radiotherapy. Points out that only 35% of cancer patients received radiotherapy in 2021, despite half of all cancer patients having an evidence-based indication for it. Also mentions the lack of dedicated radiotherapy expertise in many integrated care boards.
Helen Morgan
Lib Dem
Rotherham
Ms Morgan argued that the amendments would restore Healthwatch and the HSSIB, which are essential for patient safety. She also proposed new clauses to create standard mechanisms for whistleblowing and to address the corridor care crisis by ending corridor care within a year and launching an independent inquiry.
Asked to give way but no further content provided.
Liz Twist
Lab
Blaydon
Ms Twist welcomed the Government’s new clauses and supported new clause 159, which seeks to establish national waiting time standards for mental health services to ensure parity of esteem with physical health services. She highlighted the severe consequences of the current division between physical and mental health care waiting lists.
Gosport
Caroline Dinenage supports new clause 41, highlighting the need for regulation in the funeral sector. She cites the Elkin and Bell case and the Robert Bush case to illustrate the dangers of the current regulatory vacuum. She calls for a statutory scheme to be brought forward within six months of the Bill passing.
Amanda Martin
Con
Pudsey
Amanda Martin supports Caroline Dinenage's call for regulation in the funeral sector. She acknowledges that reputable funeral directors are in need of robust regulation to protect their professional integrity and the interests of grieving families.
Stuart Andrew
Con
Pudsey
Stuart Andrew supports Caroline Dinenage's proposal, referencing the Donna Ockenden report on Nottingham's mortuary issues, to highlight the need for better regulation in the funeral sector to prevent similar cases of negligence and abuse.
Chris Hinchliff proposes new clause 81 to support families of seriously ill children. He argues that parents face significant challenges when their child becomes seriously ill and highlights the need for a single named coordinator to provide a comprehensive plan that covers financial, practical, and emotional support. This would address the current gap in the safety net for families and reduce the stress and complexity they face.
Clive Jones supports new clause 137, which aims to maintain the prioritisation of cancer outcomes within the health system. He points out that the Health Bill removes the statutory requirement to prioritise cancer outcomes, raising concerns about the potential deprioritisation of cancer targets amidst competing priorities. Jones seeks assurances from the Minister that cancer outcomes remain a priority and that the capacity to drive forward essential cancer work is protected.
Bernard Jenkin
Con
Harwich and North Essex
Supports amendments 1 to 4 which would remove the abolition of HSSIB from the Bill. The Government has failed to make a case for removing this crucial safety investigation function. It raises constitutional questions but focuses on the removal of HSSIB from the Bill.
Jeff Smith
Lab
Manchester, Withington
Proposes new clauses 86 and 87 to apply principles of patient involvement and choice to psychedelic-assisted therapy treatments. These treatments have shown success in treating PTSD, trauma, and mental health issues. The current system restricts research involving schedule 1 controlled substances. Other jurisdictions are ahead of the UK on this issue and the Government should facilitate research and compassionate access to treatment.
Anna Sabine
SNP
Glasgow South
Supports new clauses 116 and 117. New clause 116 calls on the Secretary of State to assess the availability of medical cannabis on the NHS for children. New clause 117 calls for a strategy to tackle waiting times and unequal access to speech and language therapy, which is crucial for those experiencing voice loss.
Ramsay questioned whether the government's plans to scrap Healthwatch would be reviewed, citing concerns from the CEO of Healthwatch Norfolk about patient safety and scrutiny.
Bernard Jenkin
Con
Harwich and North Essex
Jenkin requested to give way to the minister, likely to raise concerns about the clause or amendments related to Healthwatch.
Van Mierlo requested to give way to the minister, likely to discuss issues related to Healthwatch or other aspects of the bill.
Costigan congratulated the minister on her position and enquired if the changes proposed in the bill would further reduce waiting lists and address corridor care issues in the NHS, to which the minister agreed.
Taylor requested to give way to the minister, likely to discuss concerns about the clause or amendments related to the bill.
Sewards questioned the minister about the Prime Minister's commitment to regulate the funeral sector, expressing concern that this priority might be overlooked.
Intervenes to thank the Secretary of State and raises the issue of dementia data scattered across the health system. Suggests bringing this data into a single place to drive progress on early diagnosis and treatment, which he considers an important priority for the Government.
Damian Hinds
Con
East Hampshire
Welcomes the Secretary of State back to the Department but expresses concern over the lack of detail behind a significant IT project. Criticises the Bill for removing patient voice and for initiating another top-down reorganisation of the NHS, despite previous reforms not solving the NHS's problems. Hinds acknowledges the importance of the Bill's provisions but remains sceptical of its overall impact on patient care.
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