Bill Cash is utterly delighted that the Government has agreed to the public inquiry he has campaigned for, under the Inquiries Act 2005.

 

Cash said:

“The past Labour Government irresponsibly refused to hold such an inquiry and held a number of other types of Governmental inquiries which did not get to the root of the issues. Having a proper inquiry with proper terms of reference and evidence on oath and compulsion of witnesses is vital. This inquiry will now be able to do the job properly as with the Legionnaires Disease inquiry in the 1980s which I called for under Margaret Thatcher’s Government.

 

“This new inquiry into Stafford Hospital has also national implications with lessons to be learned as well as for all my constituents and those in the Stafford catchment area. I want to pay special tribute to Julie Bailey, Ken Lownds and the Cure the NHS campaign for their dogged determination and refusing ever to give up in pursuing the interests of the victims and their relatives who have suffered grievously over so many years.

“I also congratulate the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, for listening to the arguments for such an inquiry and for the Prime Minister, the former candidate for Stafford, for his active involvement and encouragement.”