Dr Peter Brand: This is a fascinating debate about a very small Bill. I am amazed by the amount of support that it enjoys on both sides of the House, because hon. Members have very different ideas about what the PFI achieves and what the Bill encompasses. I was brought up to believe that words mean what they say and, as a new Member of Parliament, I thought that legislation should say what it means. I have...
Dr Peter Brand: We deliver leaflets.
Dr Peter Brand: Does the hon. Gentleman agree that what has happened in community care is a direct consequence of the private sector dictating how things should be provided rather than the community deciding?
Dr Peter Brand: Will the Minister, as a matter of urgency, take on board the need to look at the effects of the single room rent for people who need supportive lodgings, especially people with learning difficulties who live in the community and people recovering from mental illness? They may not be formally in the care of social services departments and may not receive 24 hours per day care, but they need...
Dr Peter Brand: I welcome the fact that the Minister will allow PFI projects to go forward only when they meet the needs of patients and staff, but how confident is he that he knows what the needs of the health service will be over the whole period when a PFI arrangement may be in place, especially where services are involved?
Dr Peter Brand: I am proud to stand here as the newly elected Member for the Isle of Wight. I shall not go through a long historical or geographical description of the island, other than to say that it is the only English constituency that cannot be reached except by ferry. I shall come back to that later. I gladly follow convention by praising my predecessor, Barry Field, who was assiduous in the House in...