Adult Social Care: Funding

Lord Lansley Excerpts

Thursday 16th March 2017 Lords Chamber

[Lord O'Shaughnessy]

As I have said to several noble Lords, the intention of the review is to put the adult social care system on a sustainable and long-term basis and to make sure that it is fair and transparent and that it delivers high-quality care. It will address all the issues required to do that.

[Lord Lansley (Con)]

My Lords, will my noble friend acknowledge that he does not start this process with anything like a blank sheet? In particular, does he recognise that there is continuing merit in the recommendations of the Dilnot commission? I will not elaborate on that, save to say that they include the fact that it was a manifesto commitment of the Government at the last election.

[Lord O'Shaughnessy]

I thank my noble friend for bringing that to the House’s attention—some might describe it as a hospital pass, if noble Lords will excuse the pun. The Government remain committed to implementing Dilnot from April 2020. My noble friend is quite right that this is not a blank sheet of paper. There have been some really important reforms over the last seven years, including the better care fund and the Care Act. In the Budget, we have more funding for the short-term sustainability of the social care system, as well as a commitment to the Green Paper.