Farron welcomes news that NHS Bill will go back to committee stage for further review

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has welcomed the news that the NHS Bill will go back to the committee stage at allow for further revisions to the bill.

Tim has been a leading voice criticising Andrew Lansley's reforms. Many residents in South Lakeland have contacted Tim about this bill. Tim has taken all those concerns on board and has been working hard behind the scenes to make sure the bill is reformed to make sure the NHS stays free at the point of delivery and in the hands of the public.

Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, today made a speech stating that the NHS Bill will move back from the House of Lords to the Committee Stage in the House of Commons. Committee stage is where detailed examination of government bills take place.

In his recent e-newsletter to 3000 local residents, Tim said: "This bill needs to be dealt with sensitively to ensure that the NHS remains free and accessible to all. We also need to ensure that there is no pointless upheaval - restructuring can be hugely costly and time consuming and we should avoid that."

After hearing the news this morning Tim said: "I am a passionate defender of Westmorland General Hospital and other local health services. I also want to see the NHS stay fully in public hands. I am against any plan for privatisation. So hearing that the NHS Bill will be going back to the committee stage is great news, and will allow us to further review the bill and give me an opportunity to further raise the concerns of local residents."