Clause 45 - Care Trusts where voluntarypartnership arrangements
Health and Social Care Bill
12:15 pm
Mr John Hutton (Minister of State, Department of Health; Barrow and Furness, Labour)
I do not think that that will be possible. I will look at the issue in detail and advise the hon. Gentleman and the Committee.
We have had a long debate and I sense that Committee members are keen to move on to other parts of the Bill. Having heard the doubts that they have expressed about the clause, perhaps right hon. and hon. Members should ask themselves one fundamental question: is it right to pursue closer integration between health and social care services under the umbrella of a new organisation that will have a fair and balanced representation of local authority interests and will lead to better front-line services for those who use the NHS and social services? In the first instance, older people may well be the principle beneficiaries of care trusts, but other client groups can benefit too, particularly people who suffer from mental health problems. We have to ask ourselves whether we believe that it is right to develop a new framework within which health and social services are more closely integrated? I believe that we should answer yes.
Question put and agreed to.
Clause 45, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.