Baroness Masham of Ilton: My Lords, is the Minister aware that it can be very difficult for disabled people to get good carers? Sometimes they are ripped off by agencies charging huge fees. Will the Government look into the whole process of caring for disabled people?
Baroness Masham of Ilton: My Lords, do people who need passports to work abroad receive them faster? That was the question which was relevant to holidays.
Baroness Masham of Ilton: My Lords, I must apologise to some of the maiden speakers for having missed their speeches. I had to attend the All-Party Group on Drug Misuse. We had a government Minister attending, and the room was booked in my name. I shall read their speeches. I quote from the gracious Speech: "My Government's ten year programme of modernisation for health and social care will provide faster, more...
Baroness Masham of Ilton: My Lords, is the Minister aware that Catterick Military Hospital has been run down? Therefore the largest military camp in the country has to use a National Health Service hospital. There are many airfields in the area. Civilians are worried about the pressure being put on the local National Health Service hospital. Some who previously used the military hospital now have to travel over 40...
Baroness Masham of Ilton: My Lords, I hope that Hansard will correct my name as it appears on the list of speakers and identify me as a female. For some reason, the Whips' Office keeps putting me down on the list as Lord Masham! I expect that I am trapped in the computer as a Lord. I am pleased to congratulate the Government on the introduction of this Bill. I agree with them that vulnerable young people need...
Baroness Masham of Ilton: My Lords, does the Minister agree that if a women who is HIV positive is pregnant, it is wise to conduct a caesarean before 38 weeks to stop trauma to the baby and to prevent HIV infection?
Baroness Masham of Ilton: My Lords, if the Government have to intervene, what would be the result? What would happen?
Baroness Masham of Ilton: My Lords, I am pleased that the noble Baroness, Lady Massey of Darwen, is asking this Question today. Christmas is a time when many people like to be with their families. It is a time of giving and sharing. I am pleased that, by taking part in this short debate, this small band of noble Lords is sharing some thoughts on the needs of children living with HIV/AIDS. There are many difficult...
Baroness Masham of Ilton: My Lords, before the Minister leaves education, can he say whether the core curriculum is part of the strategy?
Baroness Masham of Ilton: I am very pleased that special schools have been included, but why were they not included in the first place? It is well known that some of these schools were strongly considered to be at risk and that serious abuses have taken place throughout the country.
Baroness Masham of Ilton: I hope that a satisfactory solution will be found. I have been a patient in a National Health Service hospital which had private beds. I visited some of the private patients. Many were in side wards. They were foreign, lonely and deprived. I thought that they were being ripped off. Sometimes their rooms were not dusted. Sometimes they were overlooked and not fed. It would be wrong to leave...
Baroness Masham of Ilton: Perhaps I may respond to the noble Baroness, Lady Gardner of Parkes. The patients I saw had unfortunately no choice because they had broken their backs or necks. They were sent for treatment by foreign governments. I hope that the Minister will visit soon the Stoke Mandeville Hospital where he will see the situation for himself. He will also see how important is the income generated by those...
Baroness Masham of Ilton: Will the Minister tell the Committee whether, where line 24 of Clause 2 states, "by medical practitioners", nurse practitioners are included?
Baroness Masham of Ilton: My Lords, is the Minister aware that the deputy headmaster of a successful school near Leeds died over the weekend from meningitis when it was thought he had influenza? Will the Minister try to protect patients who have other conditions so that they are not neglected and sent home after being told it is flu? Does the Minister agree that when there is a big influenza problem, as there is now,...
Baroness Masham of Ilton: Before we move on, perhaps I may further press the Minister about the definition of residential homes. Do residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities come under this clause?
Baroness Masham of Ilton: Perhaps I may add a word about those who live at home and have carers. I implore the Minister to do something about regulation of the agencies and possibly the carers. The situation is impossible at present. Charges are extraordinary. In some agencies there is no regulation at all. Some charge an amazing amount. Perhaps I may talk to the Minister outside the Chamber about this matter. We need...
Baroness Masham of Ilton: Perhaps I may ask the Minister about means testing. I believe he said that a care home with nursing was means tested.
Baroness Masham of Ilton: Is it correct that a care home is not means tested, whereas a residential home is? If someone has to be in a home for weeks, who pays the mortgage and electricity bills, and the expenses of the children, or does the individual come out with large debts? If he is disabled and goes into hospital and perhaps into residential care, he loses his benefits. What happens when the bills pile up?
Baroness Masham of Ilton: I support Amendment No. 45. I want to give the Committee an example of a private hospital. My husband--I hope that he does not mind my quoting him--had to move from a National Health Service hospital, where he received exceedingly good care, to a private hospital. The NHS did not have a consultant to carry out an assessment for a particular condition. After six days in the private hospital in...
Baroness Masham of Ilton: Before the Minister sits down, perhaps I may ask a question. If an establishment does not adhere to an acceptable standard, will it lose its registration and be shut down after a warning? If not, what will happen?