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Personal Care at Home Bill

Wanless proposed a variety of different funding mechanisms, but the truth is that neither major party has leapt to pick up the main Wanless proposal. We had a debate on that, prompted by the Government's Green Paper, to which I contributed. I said that the debate had come far too late and that we should have had it 10 years ago, as the Prime Minister at the time had promised. None of that, however, alters the fact that we are now committed down a policy line that half promises precisely the policy option that Wanless ruled out, that the Government ruled out, that the hon. Member for South Thanet (Dr. Ladyman) to his credit has again ruled out, that my party has ruled out and that even the Liberal Democrats have now ruled out—that it all be loaded on to the taxpayer. That is an unsustainable option. The Government have always recognised that it is unsustainable, but they are now half promising to take that route. No wonder they will not publish a projection that shows how much it will cost.