Previous Section | Home Page |
Column 390
Knapman, RogerKnight, 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.
Column 391
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,
Next Section
| Home Page |