Mary Henry (Independent)

I also agree to the Order of Business.

I would be grateful if the Leader would take up the following matter. Problems have been experienced regarding medical practitioners giving treatment to patients that has not been to their benefit. However, something can be done regarding those people, as appeals can be made to the Medical Council on their behalf. However, if people are not medically qualified and describe themselves as health professionals, counsellors or social care workers, there is no recourse for patients who feel they have been badly treated. A health and social care professionals Bill has been promised for years. In the Government's spring programme of legislation, it was stated that this would be published before the end of the session. We are now in the summer session, and the programme for legislation once again states that the health and social care professionals Bill will be published before the end of the session. I have been watching this and talking about it for years, and I have been on to the Department on numerous occasions with absolutely no satisfaction. That is not the case with the other Bills which appeared in the legislative programme at the same time, such as the Adoptive Leave Bill 2004 and the Health (Amendment) Bill 2004, with which we are dealing today. These will all be passed. However, this important legislation, which is not party political, appears to be getting nowhere in the Department of Health and Children. I ask the Leader to try to ensure a sense of urgency about the issue. It could easily be brought before this House because it is not party political and there are plenty of Members here who could debate it very well.