Im going to say it, Lansley has been fair

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has had quite a ride with his Health and Social Care Bill. I think given that this is his baby, I believe Andrew Lansley has done a good job of listening and compromising. Hopefully this will result in better legisation and therefore better government.

At least with a coalition the details of disagreements are much more open then internal party disagreement (not that these don't still exist.)

I am of course a typical Lib Dem and I am fully signed up to the changes voted on at the Lib Dem conference (See the Social Liberal Forum details here.) But I also don't think us Lib Dems should drop any gloating or victory signs. At least until the election campaigning starts when all guns can start firing again. After all this is a coalition government and not a Tory or Lib Dem one. Its not a battle, its just a way of developing policy given our different outlooks on the world.

Amendments to NHS Health Bill

I fully support DR Evan Harris (former MP Oxford West and Abingdon) on the amendments put forward at the Liberal Democrat conference on the health bill. I watched Evan Harris give details of the amendments and his concerns which are supported by him and Baroness Shirley Williams at Februarys Liberal Democrat South Central regional conference.

The amendments which can be viewed at the social Liberal forum here. I support the cutting of the size of administration and removal of the huge hierarchy such as cutting out some of the levels such as PCT's, but some extra safe guards are required, these amendments would give them;

These amendments include;

• NHS commissioning to be retained as a public function and not given to private companies.

• Spending decisions should not be made in private.

• Annual plans to be done in conjunction with new health and wellbeing boards and GP commissioning boards.

• Private providers should be allowed where there could be an issue of cherry-picking.

• Continued separation of commissioning of services.

• Half the members of the new commissioning consortiums must be be up of local councillors.

Now we wait an see if this has any effect on the proposals or if the fears of my party appear to be toothless.