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Personal Care at Home Bill

I am most grateful to my right hon. Friend for giving way before he moves on from his quite proper riposte to and, to some extent, rebuttal of the statement made by the hon. Member for South Thanet (Dr. Ladyman). In his earlier intervention, the hon. Gentleman justified the necessity of introducing the Bill, notwithstanding his adherence—quite rightly—along with the rest of us to the process of the Green Paper, suggesting that it was somehow impossible to obtain consensus and that it was all the Conservatives' fault. He prayed in aid the idea that there was no consensus because we Conservatives were not prepared to sign up to compulsory contributions. That has been a concern for us, and we have certainly found a way forward with voluntary contributions. However, the Government have not said that they are in favour of compulsory contributions either. On the contrary, they have said that there is a Green Paper process and that they have not come to any kind of conclusion. It is impossible for the hon. Gentleman to assert that any consensual discussions have collapsed when there have not been any such discussions. Moreover, the reason that he prayed in aid was not even proposed by his Government.