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Primary Care Trusts and Ambulance Trusts

I thank my hon. Friend for his statement, which will be widely welcomed. It is good news in my constituency of Darlington, in particular. I also thank Ministers for listening to the views of the many local people who campaigned in large numbers to retain Darlington’s primary care trust. Does he agree that his statement is a sure sign that, in the future, we will need to strengthen still further the working arrangements between not just health and social services, but housing services, so that more people—particularly old people—get access to the locally delivered, locally commissioned seamless services that they surely deserve?