Moved by
That the Bill do now pass.
(Con)
My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend , who is suffering from Covid, I
beg to move that this Bill do now pass.
(Con)
My Lords, noble Lords may wish to have a short debate before we
pass the Bill.
The Lord Speaker ()
Actually, I hesitated very slightly there, but nobody seemed to
be standing up. If somebody wishes to stand up, the Floor is
theirs.
(Lab)
The Lord Speaker is most kind: I will be quicker in future.
I thank the noble Lord, , who is not able to be in his
place today, for his considerable consideration and work during
this Bill’s passage. I am grateful to him for having given your
Lordships’ House the opportunity to discuss such important
issues, which are particularly timely considering the passage of
the Health and Care Bill. As noble Lords will be aware, while
discussion on the Bill was welcome, it has unfortunately not
found favour across the House. I certainly look forward to the
Bill being an encouragement to the Minister to come forward with
ways to support the sector properly. I look forward to a real and
sustainable plan for fixing the issue that faces us. So, I extend
my thanks to all Members of your Lordships’ House for their
contributions during the passage of the Bill, and to the noble
Lord, , and I look forward to hearing
from the Minister.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health
and Social Care () (Con)
My Lords, I begin by thanking the noble Baroness, and the Lord
Speaker for allowing us time for this debate. I congratulate my
noble friend on securing the time for Third
Reading of the Bill, which proposes a state-backed insurance
company for social care. I am sure noble Lords across the House
will wish my noble friend a speedy recovery. I thank him for his
thoughtful proposal to address the long-standing issue of
unpredictable social care costs. As many noble Lords will
recognise, there have been many reports over the last few decades
and they have just sat there gathering dust on shelves: to date,
we still do not have a proper system. The Government
wholeheartedly agree with much of the analysis underpinning the
Bill and I shall mention but a few of the ideas that stood out
for us.
First, we are well aware of the challenges around the private
market delivering insurance for social care costs, so we
recognise the benefits of delivering insurance through a public
not-for-profit company owned and guaranteed by government. I also
particularly admired how the proposal addresses affordability by
allowing people to pay for the insurance premium through equity
on their home. Lastly—this is probably the Bill’s strongest
selling point—it would be cost-neutral to the Exchequer. I
recognise the opportunity this presents for the savings to be
invested in financial support for those not able to access the
insurance offer—for example, people who do not own a home.
I reassure my noble friend that his proposal has been carefully
considered in the lead up to the announcement of our reform
package from October 2023, but I point out that one of the key
benefits of the cap and extended means test is that it is a
universal offer—universal for everyone, irrespective of age or
home ownership. We believe that a universal cap means people can
plan ahead for their care from the outset. Knowing that the cap
is there will benefit everyone, not just those who own a home.
The home ownership landscape is changing over time, and within
that context the Government have developed a package of reforms
which is future-proof and gives support and certainty to the
current generation, as well as future generations.
In addition to the cap, from October 2023, anyone with assets of
less than £20,000 will not have to make any contribution for
their care from their savings or the value of their home,
ensuring that those with the least are protected. Anyone with
assets below £100,000 will be eligible for some means-tested
support, helping people without substantial assets and ensuring
that many more people benefit from funded support earlier in
their care journey. We believe that our reforms significantly
improve the current system. In developing the reforms, we had to
make tough choices, balancing the generosity of the reforms with
how much extra we ask taxpayers to contribute and pay for them.
My noble friend may disagree with our current formulation of the
cap, but we believe the plan is credible, deliverable and
affordable. Therefore, while the Government are not convinced
that the Bill is the right course of action, we agree with his
intelligent analysis that underpins it and, as the noble
Baroness, Lady Merron, said, we will debate this further.
I again thank my noble friend for putting forward this
proposed Bill, and for his engagement in discussing our reforms
after this debate.
(Con)
My Lords, I know that my noble friend will be very grateful for the
compliments from both Front Benches and he will be glad that he
stimulated so much thought in the minds of the Government,
judging by the remarks of my noble friend the Minister. He will
probably be watching this from his sick bed but if not, I am sure
he will read it tomorrow in the Official Report.
Bill passed and sent to the Commons.
