Oral Answers to Questions

Stephen Twigg Excerpts

Tuesday 29th June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Burns]

May I reassure the hon. Lady that in my lexicon no one “deserves” to wait longer. What I want, and my right hon. and hon. Friends want, is a first-class health service that makes decisions based on clinical reasoning and gives treatment swiftly and relevantly to those who need it. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made some changes to some of the targets to ensure that clinicians and clinical decisions dominate, not political decisions by politicians and bureaucrats.

[Stephen Twigg (Liverpool, West Derby) (Lab/Co-op)]

16. What progress he has made on establishing his proposed commission on funding long-term care; and if he will make a statement.

[The Minister of State, Department of Health (Mr Paul Burstow)]

The coalition agreement sets out our plans to establish an independent commission, which will consider how we ensure responsible and sustainable funding for long-term care. Further details on the commission will be announced shortly.

[Stephen Twigg]

I am grateful to the Minister for his response. Can he assure us that when the commission is established it will consider all options for funding long-term care, including a compulsory inheritance levy?

[Mr Burstow]

The Government’s intention is not to fetter the commission but to allow it to do its job.