Disabled People: Independent Living
Debate between Baroness Hollis of Heigham and Baroness Northover
Baroness Northover
I thank the noble Lord for his comments and pay tribute to him for his tireless work on behalf of disabled people. He kept the previous Government up to the mark and I am sure that he will do the same for us. We will listen hard to what he says. I am encouraged by his comments, and he might note that the Budget emphasised that the poorest and most vulnerable in the current financial crisis must be looked after first: that must be our priority as we seek to tackle the difficult financial situation. That came through overwhelmingly in the Budget that we have just heard.
Baroness Hollis of Heigham
My Lords, does the noble Baroness not agree that had her Government—here I refer to the previous Question—been willing to tackle the issue of the £4 billion overpayment to Scotland, we would not now need to contemplate cuts to disability living allowance that will affect disabled people right across the land?
Baroness Northover
My Lords, we face major financial problems way beyond the one that the noble Baroness has outlined and pinpointed. It is extremely important in this situation that what we do is fair; that we make sure that the most vulnerable in society are protected; and that we take forward the better protection of disabled people. One reason why we are setting up a commission on long-term social care is so that we can take this forward, building on what the previous Government did. I pay tribute to what they did in this field, and we will take that forward.