"this law reassigned several areas of healthcare to the purview / competence of agency X"

[mavisol]

The context: previously these areas were the purview / competence of agency Y, and now, under this new law, these areas are the purview / competence of agency X.

So, is it OK to say (see the subject line)?

Many thanks in advance!

Comments

[whswhs]

I don't think I've ever seen "competence" used that way, which doesn't mean it's necessarily wrong. Is the passage British English, rather than the American English that I speak? "Purview" sounds ok, but I think that "purview/competence" looks stilted-it really can't be read aloud and sound natural. If the two are meant as synonyms, they should just pick one; if they mean different things, "purview and competence" would read better.

[mavisol]

It's synonyms; I simply haven't decided yet which one to choose. English (British or American) is not my native language:)))

[dellaran]

"Competence" in this context sounds like a term the European Union government might use; they seem to invent new words, or stretch meanings of words, to fit the particular characteristics of the EU's governmental bodies. As an American, I think "purview" sounds a little more natural, or possibly "authority" -- but "competence" may be a more precise term, and really, any of them would be appropriate. When I read your proposed sentence, nothing in it triggers my "bad grammar" senses, and nothing in it sounds like a non-native speaker's construction.

However, now that I read ragnhildr's suggestion ("reassigned responsibility for several areas of healthcare"), I think that's probably the best way to say it. It has a simpler structure and uses simpler words.

[biascut]

Competence doesn't work there in British English either. But purview does.

[ragnhildr]

I would be inclined to say this law reassigned responsibility for several areas of healthcare to agency x.