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Private Medical Units (Licensing)

Volume 891: debated on Friday 9 May 1975

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asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if she will propose making decisions on whether or not to licence a unit or home for private medicine the subject of consultation and agreement from an independent body;(2) whether the licensing procedure she proposes to introduce for private medical units will concern standards only or will limit the number and size of medical units.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether she will make the refusal to licence a hospital or nursing home seeking to operate outside the NHS subject to parliamentary approval;(2) whether, under her proposed licensing system, she will make regular reports to Parliament of the number of applications she has received from hospital and nursing homes seeking to operate outside the NHS and the outcome of such applications;(3) whether her proposed licensing system for hospitals and nursing homes, outside the NHS, will seek to place a limit on the number and size of such units.

As I told the House during the debate on hospital pay beds on 5th May—[Vol. 891, c. 1099–1101.]—I shall be consulting fully with medical and other staff of the National Health Service and with interests outside the service about the best way of carrying out the Government's proposals. When these consultations are complete I will consider what action is required.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the licensing procedure she has in mind for private medical units will be the subject of legislation.

The extension of my existing powers of licensing, which the Government are considering, would require legislation.