Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Hunting and NHS Targets.
Hunting
Asked how the Prime Minister would vote in the Hunting Bill this evening the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that the Prime Minister would be voting for the Government position and Bill. Asked whether he would be voting on the amendments the PMOS said that he would be voting in favour of the Government Bill set out by Alun Michael, which advocated registered hunting with the principles of cruelty and utility. In answer to further questions he said they would have to wait for the outcome of tonight’s votes. He reminded journalists it was a free vote.
NHS Targets
Asked about the merits of NHS targets given the comments by Dr Ian Bogle the departing BMA chairman the PMOS said that the Government saw target setting as an important lever in raising standards. The PMOS gave the example of waiting time indicators, which were all going in the right direction and that was in large part through the discipline of targets. Waiting times mattered to patients. The Government’s approach to the NHS had never been simply one of setting targets irrespective of quality of care. A framework for the NHS had been set and within that framework medical practitioners had the autonomy to do the job as they saw fit and care for their patients. The Government believed that other measures it had put in place in terms of the framework agreements on cardiology, cancer and mental health had been equally important in addressing quality of care issues. Of course we wanted to devolve decision making down to the front line, which was what we were doing in terms of giving more autonomy to doctors and nurses, but national frameworks were an important part of our public service reform programme for the NHS.
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