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Health and Social Care Bill

I hope that my hon. Friend does not take exception to the fact that our Committee proposed amendments. We see that as an extension of our general scrutiny role, particularly if the Government do not accept the recommendations in our reports. In that event, inevitably, our only alternative is to bring them to the Floor of the House by tabling amendments, and we may do that rather more frequently in the future, not just in relation to my hon. Friend's Department, but more generally. The debate we had on the YL case emphasises the importance of the comprehensive approach that my Committee advocated from an early stage, as exemplified by a private Member's Bill of mine in the last Session and another Bill of mine in this Session. All the questions and criticisms that have been raised would have been dealt with by such an approach. The question of devolution, which the hon. Member for Romsey (Sandra Gidley) raised, could be dealt with by a comprehensive approach in a dedicated Bill. The question of patient transport services, as addressed in amendments to the Bill, could also be dealt with. My hon. Friend the Member for Luton, North (Kelvin Hopkins) raised issues to do with self-funders, and they could also be dealt with. I am not entirely sure that I agree with him on that point, however, because even if there was no means-testing, the people concerned would still be in a private sector home, so without things being resolved in accordance with the YL case problems would still arise. My hon. Friend the Member for Luton, North also raised more general issues that stray into the wider Bill of Rights debate. Those of us who are involved in the human rights world come across three major issues. One is horizontality, which I mentioned earlier—applicability between private individuals and companies. His comments strayed into that area, and also into the second big issue: social and economic rights. However, he kept off the third one: third generation rights, which are to do with environmental issues.