Clause 12 - Free provision of certain community care services
Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Bill
4:30 pm
Ms Patsy Calton (Cheadle, Liberal Democrat)
I shall be brief, following the brief speech of the hon. Member for West Chelmsford, but I do not want the occasion to pass without mention of the Christmas tree or the skeleton bill. The Liberal Democrats share the concerns of Conservative Members—the official Opposition—about the impact that the negative resolution procedure will have. We would like the amendment to be passed, and we hope that the Government will listen to the concerns expressed.
Having come recently from local government, I am surprised to see what happens here, because in local government, scrutiny is all. The Government promote scrutiny, as do Labour members of local authorities. When we come to this place, however, we find that scrutiny is not given the same standing as it has out in the rest of the country. I wonder why not. Surely it cannot be that the Government apply one principle here and a different principle in other parts of the country.