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Column 390

Knapman, Roger

Knight, Greg (Derby North)

Knowles, Michael

Lawrence, Ivan

Lee, John (Pendle)

Lester, Jim (Broxtowe)

Lightbown, David

Lilley, Peter

Lloyd, Peter (Fareham)

Lord, Michael

Luce, Rt Hon Richard

Lyell, Sir Nicholas

Macfarlane, Sir Neil

MacKay, Andrew (E Berkshire)

Maclean, David

McNair-Wilson, Sir Michael

Major, Rt Hon John

Mans, Keith

Marlow, Tony

Marshall, John (Hendon S)

Marshall, Michael (Arundel)

Martin, David (Portsmouth S)

Maude, Hon Francis

Mayhew, Rt Hon Sir Patrick

Mellor, David

Meyer, Sir Anthony

Miller, Sir Hal

Mills, Iain

Mitchell, Andrew (Gedling)

Mitchell, Sir David

Moate, Roger

Morris, M (N'hampton S)

Morrison, Sir Charles

Moss, Malcolm

Moynihan, Hon Colin

Mudd, David

Needham, Richard

Neubert, Michael

Newton, Rt Hon Tony

Norris, Steve

Onslow, Rt Hon Cranley

Page, Richard

Paice, James

Pattie, Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey

Porter, David (Waveney)

Powell, William (Corby)

Raison, Rt Hon Timothy

Redwood, John

Riddick, Graham

Shaw, David (Dover)

Shaw, Sir Giles (Pudsey)

Shaw, Sir Michael (Scarb')

Skeet, Sir Trevor

Speed, Keith

Speller, Tony

Stanbrook, Ivor

Stern, Michael

Stevens, Lewis

Stewart, Allan (Eastwood)

Stewart, Andy (Sherwood)

Stradling Thomas, Sir John

Summerson, Hugo

Taylor, John M (Solihull)

Taylor, Teddy (S'end E)

Tebbit, Rt Hon Norman

Thompson, D. (Calder Valley)

Thorne, Neil

Thurnham, Peter

Townend, John (Bridlington)

Tracey, Richard

Trippier, David

Trotter, Neville

Twinn, Dr Ian

Waddington, Rt Hon David

Walker, Bill (T'side North)

Walters, Sir Dennis

Wardle, Charles (Bexhill)

Watts, John

Wheeler, John

Widdecombe, Ann

Wilkinson, John

Wilshire, David

Winterton, Mrs Ann

Wood, Timothy

Tellers for the Noes :

Mr. Stephen Dorrell and

Mr. Tom Sackville.

Question accordingly negatived.

Question, That the proposed words be there added, put forthwith pursuant to Standing Order No. 30 (Questions on amendments), and agreed to.

Madam Deputy Speaker-- forthwith declared the main Question, as amended, to be agreed to.

Resolved,

That this House notes the success of the Government's policies in creating a climate in which industry has achieved record levels of output, productivity and investment ; welcomes the continuing increase in investment by United Kingdom companies in civil research and development ; endorses the Government's policy of supporting collaborative research and development both in the United Kingdom and in Europe ; approves the measures being taken by the Government to make education and training more responsive to the needs of industry and commerce ; and welcomes the success of the United Kingdom in attracting advanced technology inward investment as a further indication of the strength of the United Kingdom economy.

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Column 391

Care in the Community

7.13 pm

Mr. Ronnie Fearn (Southport) : I beg to move,

That this House condemns the Government's lack of policy and action on community care ; believes that projected demographic changes call for a long-term strategy to cover the many types of care that an elderly population will require ; further believes that the proposals contained in the White Paper, Working for Patients, will diminish the effectiveness of family practitioner services and the future provision of community care ; and calls for the necessary funding to be made available to allow the health and care services to expand and develop in a way which will contribute to freedom from ill-health and freedom to live life to its full potential through providing packages of care that recognise the needs of the client, the family and informal carers within the community.

Madam Deputy Speaker (Miss Betty Boothroyd) : Mr. Speaker has selected the amendment standing in the name of the Prime Minister.

Mr. Fearn : For many years, we have heard a great deal of Government rhetoric about care in the community, but we have not seen any Government action to make that concept a reality. The Wagner report, the Firth report and the Griffiths report were all virtually ignored for no other reason but that their recommendations did not fit Government ideology. Another reason for delay is the realisation by Ministers that community care, which they adopted as a means of reducing hospital and community service costs, will not relieve pressure on the public purse.

Uncertainty about future organisation and finances means that planning for community care services has come to a standstill. It is now extremely urgent that decisions are taken. Confusion over areas of responsibility, accountability and funding, which has worked to the detriment of those in need, cannot be allowed to continue. The Government must respond.

I do not hold out much hope that the Cabinet working group chaired by the Prime Minister will come forth with proposals that will meet the requirements that the majority of those involved in community care believe are needed. A proper system of care in the community requires a commitment to provide adequate funding--a commitment of a kind for which the Prime Minister is not renowned. Also, the recently published abysmal results of a year's work by top officials conducting the National Health Service review do not inspire confidence in the Government's ability to produce workable and acceptable solutions.

How such a supposedly widespread review and reform of the Health Service can be completely void of any reference to community care, particularly when the proposed reforms would have a direct and disturbing effect on community services--as was pointed out in our recent booklet, "Dead On Arrival"--is beyond me. It transpires that "Working for Patients" has little to do with patients and more to do with costs. I hope that the members of the Cabinet working group on community care will not make the same mistake. When they consider the proposals, I hope that they will keep uppermost in their minds several basic concepts.

Among them is the necessity to put people first, recognising the rights of carers and their clients as individuals to exercise a degree of choice and control. Others are the right of the individual to live life to the full and the provision of support, including financial support,

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