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Care Homes and Sheltered Accommodation (Domestic Pets) Bill

I congratulate the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson) on bringing the Bill before the House, and my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Dr. Palmer) on introducing a previous, similar Bill—the hon. Gentleman has already acknowledged my hon. Friend's contribution. Organisations such as Blue Cross, the Dogs Trust and the Society for Companion Animal Studies have all expressed sympathy with the Bill's aims. I also pay tribute to the Cinnamon Trust, a charity helping older people to keep their beloved pets, and thank it for its advocacy and for supporting prospective care home residents and helping them to make the right decisions about their care. Its work relates to today's debate. I also thank other hon. Members for their contributions and for making clear their support for the Bill. I listened carefully to the comments of the hon. Member for Eastbourne, and I share his concern about the lack of consideration of this matter in places where there is a blanket ban, without thought, on pets. That works against the kind of compassion to which the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) referred. The point made by the hon. Member for Eastbourne about distress is hugely important, and I particularly wanted to reflect on his comments about the major contribution made by pets to the physical, social and emotional well-being of older people in particular. I particularly liked his acknowledgment that pets can be an antidote to loneliness. It shows why the Bill is of importance to the House. The decision to enter a care home or sheltered housing is an important one. I know well that it often coincides with the lack or loss of independence or mobility, so anything that can help people to retain a sense of themselves and their lives—pets have a role to play in that—and to help the transition is to be welcomed.