Great Britain: Parliament: Joint Committee on Human Rights
Published: 2008-02-06
Total Pages: 124
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In this report the Committee recommends amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill to ensure that private (or voluntary) sector care homes which accommodate publicly-funded residents are brought within the scope of the Human Rights Act. It also calls on the Government to implement recommendations in its earlier report on the human rights of older people in health care (HL 156-I/HC 378-I, session 2006-07, ISBN 9780104011447). The Committee's concerns arise from the meaning of "public function" and "public authority" in the Human Rights Act. It believes it was clear that Parliament intended the Act's requirement of public authorities to act compatibly with the European Convention on Human Rights to cover private-sector providers of publicly-funded services, and is disappointed that the Government has deferred a decision on a new statute to reinstate the original intention of the Act.