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Personal Care at Home Bill

My Lords, at this stage I must set out very briefly a few issues responding to my noble friend Lord Warner’s amendment and points other noble Lords have made. In a personal comment to the noble Lord, Lord Warner, I say that he should have some faith and join us in making this happen on 1 October. I also say that to my noble friend Lord Lipsey. The support that many stakeholders and charities have given this Bill has not just come today; it has been going on for months and months. That discussion continues right through the production of the draft guidance. All these organisations are taking part in good faith and I ask noble Lords to join them in doing so. We have a duty in this House to ensure we appropriately consider the matters put before us in this Bill. The right place to do this is in Committee and indeed at other stages of this Bill. Noble Lords have suggested that we are just going to have a day in Committee. That is, of course, not true: we will also have the other stages of this Bill. We should not be here to impede the passage of such a Bill. Let me be clear: this amendment from my noble friend is a wrecking amendment. It would do that, and it would in effect prevent the people who are most in need of receiving this personal social care at home from having it provided. Noble Lords who have worked with me in the past on Bills will know I am completely committed to discussing these issues right across the House, and I will do that from tonight, if they wish. I remind noble Lords once more that we have the opportunity in Committee to discuss this further, and I suggest that is when we should do it. I ask the House to reject my noble friend’s amendment, see it for what it is, and let us get on with our job. Division on Lord Warner’s amendment. Contents 23; Not-Contents 105. Amendment disagreed. Bill read a second time and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.