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The House met at half-past Two o'clock.
PRAYERS.
1 Road Transport Bill,-Ordered, That the Explanatory Notes relating to the Road Transport Bill be printed [Bill 12-EN].
2 Opposition Day [4th allotted day],-It being an allotted day at the disposal of the second largest opposition party in pursuance of Standing Order No. 14 (Arrangement of public business), the House proceeded to consider opposition business.
Social Exclusion, Poverty and Job Losses in Wales,-A Motion was made, and the Question being proposed, That this House notes that there is growing poverty throughout Wales, both in rural and urban areas with a widening gap between rich and poor; further notes the Government's failure to avoid the problems in the manufacturing industry as evidenced by the huge job losses announced by Corus which will add greatly to the problems of social exclusion in Wales; further notes that the Welsh Affairs Committee in the Third Report of Session 1999-2000, House of Commons Paper No. 365, 'Social Exclusion in Wales' reported on the matter, concluding that: Government should consider regional variations in tax to encourage investment, that it may well be necessary for the basic state pension to be increased in line with average earnings, that Government should initiate a comprehensive national benefit take-up campaign, that increasing the level of benefits is central to tackling social exclusion, and that the Barnett formula should be reassessed to reflect a needs-based formula -(Mr Elfyn Llwyd);
An Amendment was proposed to the Question, in line 2, to leave out from the word 'House' to the end of the Question and add the words 'notes the Government's central aim is a fair and prosperous society that offers opportunity for all, and that both economic prosperity and social justice depend on people being able to achieve their full potential; endorses the Government's commitment to eradicating child poverty, to providing employment opportunities for all who can work, to rewarding saving, and to ensuring that older people live secure, active and fulfilling lives and to tackling the root causes of poverty and social exclusion; further notes and expresses concern at the announcement by Corus on 1st February 2001; believes that the Corus action is a short term solution which is damaging for the individuals affected and the communities concerned; and calls on the company to think again about the planned closures and redundancies and instead work with the trade unions, Government and the National Assembly for Wales to identify a better way forward', instead thereof.-(Mr Hugh Bayley.)
And the Question being put, That the original words stand part of the Question;
Tellers for the Ayes, Mr Elfyn Llwyd, Mr Simon Thomas: 37.
Tellers for the Noes, Mr Mike Hall, Mr Tony McNulty: 271.
So the Question was negatived.
And the Question, That the proposed words be there added, being put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 31 (Questions on amendments):-It was agreed to.
The Deputy Speaker forthwith declared the Main Question, as amended, to be agreed to.
Resolved, That this House notes the Government's central aim is a fair and prosperous society that offers opportunity for all, and that both economic prosperity and social justice depend on people being able to achieve their full potential; endorses the Government's commitment to eradicating child poverty, to providing employment opportunities for all who can work, to rewarding saving, and to ensuring that older people live secure, active and fulfilling lives and to tackling the root causes of poverty and social exclusion; further notes and expresses concern at the announcement by Corus on 1st February 2001; believes that the Corus action is a short term solution which is damaging for the individuals affected and the communities concerned; and calls on the company to think again about the planned closures and redundancies and instead work with the trade unions, Government and the National Assembly for Wales to identify a better way forward.
Personal Care for the Elderly,-A Motion was made, and the Question being proposed, That this House welcomes the NHS Plan's commitment to a care system founded on the principles of equity and fairness; regrets that the Plan discriminates against older people with chronic and long-term illness by continuing to means-test them for their own care; believes that the Plan creates a fault-line between nursing and personal care; further believes that the Plan fails even to provide nursing care free on the basis of need, limiting the concession to registered nurse time; and calls on the Government to implement the Royal Commission's proposals for personal and nursing care to be provided on the basis of a person's assessed need instead of means -(Mr Paul Burstow);
An Amendment was proposed to the Question, in line 2, to leave out from the word 'House' to the end of the Question and add the words 'welcomes the NHS Plan's commitments to a care system founded on the principles of equity and fairness; welcomes the measures the Government has announced to reform the funding of long term care and to invest in new health and social care services for older people; notes that this matches the extra spending on long term care recommended by the Royal Commission; believes that the implementation of free nursing care on the basis of need and not ability to pay will bring an end to a major injustice affecting tens of thousands of older people in nursing homes; welcomes the new investment announced in the NHS Plan of £900 million annually by 2003-04 in new intermediate care services for older people; supports the priority the Government has rightly attached to improving front line services for older people; and calls on the Liberal Democrats to set out what services they would cut in order to fund their proposals', instead thereof.-(Mr John Hutton.)
And the Question being put, That the original words stand part of the Question;
Tellers for the Ayes, Mr Andrew Stunell, Mr Donald Gorrie: 41.
Tellers for the Noes, Mr Graham Allen, Mr Ian Pearson: 271.
So the Question was negatived.
And the Question, That the proposed words be there added, being put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 31 (Questions on amendments);
Tellers for the Ayes, Mr Ian Pearson, Mr Graham Allen: 270.
Tellers for the Noes, Mr Andrew Stunell, Mr Don Foster: 41.
So the Question was agreed to.
The Speaker forthwith declared the Main Question, as amended, to be agreed to.
Resolved, That this House welcomes the NHS Plan's commitments to a care system founded on the principles of equity and fairness; welcomes the measures the Government has announced to reform the funding of long term care and to invest in new health and social care services for older people; notes that this matches the extra spending on long term care recommended by the Royal Commission; believes that the implementation of free nursing care on the basis of need and not ability to pay will bring an end to a major injustice affecting tens of thousands of older people in nursing homes; welcomes the new investment announced in the NHS Plan of £900 million annually by 2003-04 in new intermediate care services for older people; supports the priority the Government has rightly attached to improving front line services for older people; and calls on the Liberal Democrats to set out what services they would cut in order to fund their proposals.
3 Supreme Court of Northern Ireland,-A Motion was made, and the Question being put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 118 (Standing Committees on Delegated Legislation), That the draft Maximum Number of Judges (Northern Ireland) Order 2001, which was laid before this House on 11th December, be approved-(Jim Dowd):-It was agreed to.
4 Representation of the People,-A Motion was made, and the Question being put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 118 (Standing Committees on Delegated Legislation), That the draft Representation of the People (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2001, which were laid before this House on 16th January, be approved-(Jim Dowd):-It was agreed to.
5 Adjournment,-A Motion was made, and the Question being put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 25 (Periodic adjournments), That this House, at its rising on Thursday 15th February, do adjourn till Monday 26th February 2001-(Jim Dowd):-It was agreed to.
6 Adjournment,-A Motion was made, and the Question being proposed, That this House do now adjourn-(Jim Dowd);
And the Motion having been made after Ten o'clock, and the Debate having continued for half an hour, the Speaker adjourned the House without Question put, pursuant to the Standing Order, it being then four minutes to Eleven o'clock, till to-morrow.
[Adjourned at 10.56 p.m.
Michael J. Martin
Speaker
Mr Speaker will take the Chair at half-past Two o'clock.
Papers presented or laid upon the Table:
Papers subject to Negative Resolution:
1 Charities,-Charities (Exception from Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2001 (S.I., 2001, No. 260), dated 1st February 2001 [by Act] [Mr Secretary Straw].
2 Disabled Persons,-Rail Vehicle Accessibility (ScotRail Class 334 Vehicles) Exemption Order 2001 (S.I., 2001, No. 277), dated 2nd February 2001 [by Act] [Mr Secretary Prescott].
3 Education,-(1) Education (Designated Institutions) Order 2001 (S.I., 2001, No. 209), dated 24th January 2001, and
(2) Education Standards Fund 2000 (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2001 (S.I., 2001, No. 210), dated 26th January 2001
[by Act] [Mr Secretary Blunkett].
4 Social Security,-Employment Zones (Amendment) Regulations 2001 (S.I., 2001, No. 261), dated 30th January 2001 [by Act] [Mr Secretary Blunkett].
Other Papers:
5 Industrial Organisation and Development,-Report and Accounts of the British Potato Council for 1999-2000 [by Act] [Mr Nicholas Brown].
6 National Lottery,-Report and Summary Financial Statement of the Arts Council of Wales for 1999-2000, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon [by Act] [Mr Secretary Murphy].
7 Sessional Returns, 1999-2000,-Returns to Orders [12th December] for Returns relating to-
(1) Business of the House;
(2) Closure of Debate, Proposal of Question and Allocation of Time (including Programme Motions);
(3) Sittings of the House;
(4) Private Bills and Private Business;
(6) Delegated Legislation and Deregulation Orders;
(7) European Legislation, &c.;
(9) Chairmen's Panel; and
in Session 1999-2000 [by Order]; to be printed [No. 100] [Clerk of the House].
APPENDIX II
Reports from Select Committees
Public Accounts,-Minutes of Evidence taken before the Public Accounts Committee [The Sale of United Kingdom Gold Reserves]; to be printed [No. 224-i] [Mr David Davis].
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