tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746061689746893784.post9024479070223692174..comments2023-08-14T08:14:45.281-07:00Comments on Finchers: The Lords have failed the NHS today.Finchers Consultinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585633183853596999noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746061689746893784.post-29285613817448966422011-10-12T09:29:34.256-07:002011-10-12T09:29:34.256-07:00You are so right - it's easy to criticise the ...You are so right - it's easy to criticise the Bill - not so easy to come up with the magic bullet. Reform is needed but not necessarily restructure. I would prefer to see resources directed towards strong leadership and integration of services instead of all this messing about.Finchers Consultinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02585633183853596999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746061689746893784.post-61700666205114976402011-10-12T09:20:29.076-07:002011-10-12T09:20:29.076-07:00It can still run out of time. This parliamentary s...It can still run out of time. This parliamentary session ends at the end of April I believe so there's still a long way to go - and for opponents, still all to play for. <br /><br />But noone has constructed a killer argument against reform?Chairman Chegwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05121249354671874141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746061689746893784.post-38722731778094355112011-10-12T09:00:10.087-07:002011-10-12T09:00:10.087-07:00Thanks Rob - I was working on the basis that if th...Thanks Rob - I was working on the basis that if the Bill was further delayed it would eventually fail as it would run out of time? I guess now everyone must just get on with it and make the best of a bad job so to speak.Finchers Consultinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02585633183853596999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746061689746893784.post-45595979783686770462011-10-12T08:51:19.783-07:002011-10-12T08:51:19.783-07:00Interestingly, it is the concept of democracy that...Interestingly, it is the concept of democracy that limits the Lords' powers. The HoL is essentially there to scrutinise and improve legislation - it has no democratic mandate to kill legislation. <br /><br />The mechanics of the system work like this: if a bill is voted for in the Lords, it is immediately sent for Royal Assent. However, if any amendments are made in the Lords, the bill is returned to the Commons which debates each amendment the Lords have made. The Commons can then accept the amendment, amend the amendment, completely replace a Lords amendment with one of its own or simply reject a Lords amendment.<br /><br />If any of the last three are done in the Commons, the bill returns to the Lords with an explanation as to why the government has taken the course of action it has. This is a ‘statement of reasons’. The Lords can accept this and pass the bill. However, it can also reject the ‘statement of reasons’. When this happens, the amendments concerned (and therefore the bill itself) goes to and from the Commons and Lords until an acceptable compromise is reached. <br /><br />If both Houses fail to agree on their differences, the bill dies. This is an extremely rare event and has only happened on very infrequent occasions since 1945.<br /><br />The bottom line here is that if an elected government decides to pursue a certain policy, an electoral victory gives it the right to do so – and really the Lords have no right to interfere in this process.<br /><br />You can argue about whether the Coalition itself has the democratic mandate to make these changes to the NHS (working where I do I won't/can't comment either way) but relying on the Lords to kill the legislation was always a non-starter I'm afraid.Chairman Chegwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05121249354671874141noreply@blogger.com