If he is not, we owe it to the outside world, especially the stakeholders lobbying Parliament today, to show where people stand on tackling the Crisis in Adult Social Care and protecting the many vulnerable people affected by that crisis.
There is a national Crisis in Adult Social Care, but I shall reflect on the situation in Lancashire, which really needs some attention.
It will not have escaped people's notice that today the Secretary of State was silent on the biggest issue of all: the unfolding Crisis in Adult Social Care.
I beg to move, That this House notes the growing Crisis in Adult Social Care; welcomes many of the proposals in the Care and Support White Paper including national minimum standards on eligibility, stronger legal rights for family carers, portability of care packages and improvements to end-of-life care; notes that many of these ideas were proposed by the previous administration, but believes they are now in danger of appearing meaningless without the ability to properly fund them; is concerned that the Government is considering a cap on individual costs as high as £100,000; is committed to the important Dilnot Commission principle that protection against the risks of high care costs should be provided for everyone; and calls on the Government to honour the commitment in its 2010 NHS White Paper to introduce legislation in the second session of this Parliament to establish a legal and financial framework for adult social care.
I want to talk about the reality for my constituents, and to plead with the Minister to work with all the political parties in this place to find a long-term solution to the growing Crisis of Adult Social Care.
That is all in the context of a Crisis in Adult Social Care.
Other factors that need to be seriously considered include the looming Adult Social Care Crisis, impending pharmacy cuts - which could mean that 25% of community pharmacies close - lack of GP provision and uncertainty regarding junior doctors.
In my short contribution tonight, I want to focus on the growing Crisis in Adult Social Care.
At present, we have a Crisis in Adult Social Care and in the NHS.
When will they end this dangerous fantasy and start addressing the serious Crisis in Adult Social Care?