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Anne Begg Excerpts
Tuesday 7th June 2011

(13 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Paul Burstow Portrait Paul Burstow
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I will take away that point, reflect upon it and write to the hon. Lady rather than give her an off-the-cuff answer of any sort.

Anne Begg Portrait Dame Anne Begg (Aberdeen South) (Lab)
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Like my right hon. Friend the Member for Croydon North (Malcolm Wicks), I too believe that we are kidding ourselves if we think that this is a one-off and it is not happening day in, day out. There will be vulnerable adults living in their own homes today, behind locked doors, who are in fear of the carers who are paid to look after them. Might not another way of getting an eye into the locked environment be the use of telecare to make sure that someone outside is aware of what is happening in these locked institutions?

Paul Burstow Portrait Paul Burstow
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I would not want to give the impression that we would see that as a substitute for any of the other points that have been made on this urgent question today, but undoubtedly telecare, telemedicine and assisted technologies have their part to play, both in improving the quality of care and increasing independence for individuals. That is why the Government support that as part of the way in which we see the future for social care unfolding.