Care Standards Bill [Lords] — 18 May 2000

Order for Second Reading read.

I beg to move,

That this House, whilst supporting the principles of improved quality of delivery of social care, and in particular greater protection to the most vulnerable, declines to give a Second Reading to the Care Standards Bill [Lords] because its approach is unnecessarily bureaucratic and intrusive, it fails to extend proper regulatory protection to all patients in acute hospitals, it makes insufficient progress towards improving adoption procedures, it will impose substantial additional cost burdens on social care providers at a time when the quality of care provision is being eroded by inadequate funding, without putting in place mechanisms to balance the obligations of higher quality with a guarantee of proper levels of payment, and it depends excessively on regulations which renders proper scrutiny of the Bill impossible.

Those things which can be measured with a tape measure do not generally impinge on the quality of care afforded.

indicated that the staffing ratios set out in "Fit for the Future?" will not be adopted. He has also given assurances that reasonable time scales will be set for homes to meet the final standards that will be required through the new regulatory pattern.--[ Official Report, House of Lords , 28 March 2000; Vol. 611, c. 714.]

put to bed against their will and woken as early as 4.30 am to get ready for breakfast; not properly cleaned even though they regularly soiled themselves; left to sit for hours without activities and woken at two hour intervals during the night to be taken to the toilet because they are not given incontinence pads.

The organisation and funding of long term care needs to be established before confident regulation of care homes can be developed.

without affection, life has little meaning for most people, and none at all for children.

at least 4.1 sq m for each resident (communal space must include a social room and a dining room).

Single rooms, in current use, must have at least 10 sq m of usable floor space (12 for wheelchair users).

we are absolutely committed to establishing an independence Children's Commissioner for Wales who can advise the Assembly on the delivery of services for children.

would be able to promote the rights and interests of all children.

Private fostering covered a wide range of situations in which potentially vulnerable children were being placed in the care of strangers, without any checks being undertaken as to their suitability to the care for children.

The way in which some of the placements were being made raised some very real concerns about the welfare of these children.

to introduce regulation by the national care standards commission of day care centres which provide nursing or personal care.

a review within one year of the commission being established to decide the details of exactly how and when the regulatory regime will come into force.--[ Official Report, House of Lords , 28 March 2000; Vol. 611, c. 650.]

Will my hon. Friend put confirmation of that on the record of this House and elaborate on it?

Question put, That the amendment be made:--

The House divided: Ayes 120, Noes 274.

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