Hansard

I am delighted to take part in today's debate and support the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Bill, which will provide a real improvement in community care services as well as the delivery of free personal and nursing care.

I thank my colleagues on the Health and Community Care Committee for the work that they have done not only on the bill but on the whole community care issue, which we began considering at the beginning of the Parliament's life. I thank our clerks and all the witnesses who gave evidence during the bill's passage.

Age Concern has said that the bill is a milestone for devolution. I echo that view, but the bill is also a milestone for community care services in Scotland. In 1997, the Labour Government set up the Sutherland commission and the road since then has been a long one. It feels as if the route has been equally long and tortuous since the Health and Community Care Committee unanimously recommended that the Parliament should implement in full the Sutherland report, which recommended that free personal and nursing care be provided for Scotland's elderly.

That policy has been consistently supported by the Liberal Democrats both in Scotland and across the UK, so we have no hesitation in supporting the bill today. Today is a good day for the Executive. The bill is a good bill, but today is also a victory for the parliamentary committee process and—as the policy has attracted widespread support across the chamber—for the Parliament as a whole.

I want to acknowledge the work of certain key individuals: Sir Stewart Sutherland, whom I met yesterday and who was delighted that the bill will be passed; Malcolm Chisholm, who not only steered the bill through Parliament but chaired the care development group that produced a delivery framework; and Henry McLeish, whose former role as First Minister should not be underestimated in the delivery of the policy. He was staunch in his support for those of us who have argued consistently for the policy.

The bill is also a victory for all those outside the Parliament who have campaigned long and hard: Age Concern Scotland, Help the Aged, Carers Scotland, the Princess Royal Trust for Carers, pensioners groups, local authorities and social work and health professionals. I should also mention the ordinary men and women of our country who knew that the existing system was unfair and campaigned against it.

Backed up by £250 million over the coming two years, the bill will deliver free personal care and much more. It will deliver better joined-up working between local authorities, health boards and other partners in care. That will be done through a flexible approach that is backed by the possible enforcement of outcome agreements. The bill recognises the crucial role that Scotland's carers play as key partners in the provision of care. It gives individuals greater choice in the provision and delivery of services through direct payments. The bill also paves the way for an end to the postcode lottery of services and the great variations in charging that exist across Scotland. It introduces a deferred payments scheme, which means that Scots will not have to sell their homes to pay for the hotel costs of their care home bill.

Despite difficulties, the stage 2 and stage 3 processes have enhanced the bill. Significant amendments have been made by the minister. The Health and Community Care Committee was especially keen to see a definition of personal care in the bill. It is now there, and it builds not only on the definition of personal care in the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 but on the list of care services in the care development group report. The committee was also keen that there should be enhanced recognition for Scotland's 620,000 carers and for their role as partners in care. We welcome the fact that carers—including, crucially, young carers—will have a right to an independent assessment of their needs.

The Executive introduced amendments that required local authorities to consider the views of the person in need and their carer, before deciding on the services to be provided. Amendments also placed a legal obligation on councils to inform carers of their right to an assessment. Today, Janis Hughes's amendment 19 has extended to the NHS the obligation to inform carers.

Some of Mary Scanlon's points give us cause for concern. An awful lot of work has still to be done. Work has to be done by the implementation working group—which is chaired by Alexis Jay, who, in the past few weeks, has thrown a small spanner in the works, but rightly so—and work has to be done by the human resources working group, which is chaired by Peter Bates.

Today, in passing this bill, this Parliament has done its duty by the people of Scotland. We have sent a clear message that this Executive, this Parliament and, indeed, this country intend to cherish our older people—through community care services, through the regulation of care homes and the setting of care standards, and through the provision of free central heating and of concessionary public transport. Those people have been there for us in the past; now it is our turn to be there for them. Today, the Scottish Parliament has not let them down.