Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 7:28 pm on 8 July 2002.
I have considerable sympathy with the Minister's argument, and I support the Government's aim of improving care home standards. Let me point out, however, that in forthcoming years not private homes but local authority homes will find it most difficult to meet those standards because, for reasons that the Minister has given, they have suffered from underinvestment for many years.
Will the Minister say something about the Welsh Assembly's call for the Government to make personal care freely available in Wales?