---

Business of the House

May I join the Leader of the House in thanking you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, for the extra duties that you have performed in the Speaker’s absence over recent weeks? I thank the Leader of the House for giving us the forthcoming business. I note that today, the last day before the recess, there are 39 written statements by Ministers, with no chance for questions to Ministers. Given his responsibilities to the House, will the right hon. Gentleman ensure that in future fewer written statements and more oral statements are made by Ministers? On Tuesday, the Foreign Office published its White Paper, ““Active diplomacy for a changing world””, which moves the Government away from an ethical foreign policy to a policy of ““active diplomacy””. Will the right hon. Gentleman make Government time available for a debate on that White Paper? According to a survey by the Faculty of Public Health, only a third of primary care trusts believe that they can deliver public health effectively. This month, there have been more than 4,700 job cuts in the health service, the Daily Express reports that cuts in vaccination programmes could put children’s lives at risk, the right hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Frank Dobson), a former Health Secretary, complains that £200 million has been spent on consultants—not medical consultants but management consultants—and the man the Chancellor asked to sort out NHS funding, Sir Derek Wanless, said today:"““The issues about the NHS are the issues about where the money’s gone . . . Less has been achieved than might have been achieved””." What a fitting epitaph for this Government. And yet, with all of this, the Health Secretary says in an interview in today’s Financial Times, that this year the health service has"““had its best year ever””." Perhaps it was the best for deficits and job cuts, but not for patients. Will the right hon. Gentleman ensure a debate in Government time so that the Health Secretary can come to this House and hear from Members what is going on in the health service for which she is responsible? May we have a debate on equal opportunities? In his Budget the Chancellor cut tax relief on home computers, which could hit women particularly hard. The Government have scrapped the scheme of NHS golden hellos, and have cut funding for the NHS flexible careers scheme. Both schemes were intended to help women return to the health service. They are also cutting funds for the Equal Opportunities Commission. Those are hardly signs of a Government who are committed to equal opportunities and helping women in the workplace. We need a debate on the Government’s policy for women. May we have a debate on the elderly? According to a survey by GE Life, about one in five people think that they will have to work part-time to supplement their incomes in retirement—double the current number. And what can they look forward to in retirement? The Chancellor has cut help with their rising council tax bills. A report from the Healthcare Commission, the Audit Commission and the Commission for Social Care Inspection said that older people were subject to ““patronising and thoughtless”” attitudes. Age Concern has said"““too many older people in need of public services are . . . treated as second-class citizens.””" The elderly will not even be able to take up evening classes. The Association of Colleges tells us that funding will be frozen, charges will shoot up and classes will close. Finally, may we have a debate on the meaning of Cabinet government? We have been waiting for a ministerial reshuffle for some time, and the time may have come. After all, a week after the Budget statement the Minister for Higher Education and Lifelong Learning told us that people were being taxed to the limit, saying"““We are probably about at the limit of what people are prepared to pay to improve public services.””" Admittedly, attacking the Chancellor may be the way in which to keep a job at the moment. The Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for International Development has said that ““the Prime Minister himself”” is the key issue for voters, and that he should"““allow a smooth and rapid succession for Mr. Brown””." Just at the time when the Prime Minister has changed his mind and supports elections to the House of Lords, the Leader of the House has told the Press Gallery that he is against a democratically elected second Chamber. Somehow I feel an Easter recess reshuffle coming on. I wish the right hon. Gentleman a very peaceful and uninterrupted recess.