LORD TONY GREAVES CHEERS GOVERNMENT DELAY ON NHS BILL (Pendle Liberal Democrats)

Pendle Liberal Democrats <info@pendlelibdems.org.uk>

LORD TONY GREAVES CHEERS GOVERNMENT DELAY ON NHS BILL

April 5, 2011 6:24 PM

Liberal Democrat peer and Pendle Councillor Tony Greaves has given two hearty 
cheers to the news that the Government has called a three-month delay for 
reflection on the Health and Social Care Bill in the House of Commons.
 
Tony Greaves said: "I am delighted that there is now a chance for open debate on 
this Bill. My third cheer would have been for the Government to withdraw the Bill 
and start again. Even so this is good news and very much down to the influence of 
the Liberal Democrats."
 
Tony Greaves proposed a motion at the last Pendle Council meeting which said 
that the Council "welcomes the Government's commitment to the founding 
principles of the NHS: available to all, free at the point of use, and based on need, 
not the ability to pay; but believes that many of the present proposals run counter 
to these principles and calls on the Government either to withdraw the Bill in its 
present form or to support its amendment by Parliament."
 
This motion was carried by a large majority with only some of the Conservative 
Councillors voting against it (with five of them abstaining).
 
Tony Greaves said: "Pendle Council spoke on behalf of the great majority of people 
in Pendle who, like people around the country, are very concerned at the prospect 
of this massive top-down reorganisation at a time of severe spending restrictions.
 
"I am glad that the Government is now starting to listen to the rising tide of 
concern and I am very pleased that the Council added its voice to this when it 
supported my motion."
 
Ends

The motion passed by Pendle Council reads as follows:
 
NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE IN PENDLE
 
Pendle Council expresses its concern at the likely effects in Pendle of the 
government's proposed reorganisation of the health service and
(a)  notes the decision of the Special Representative Conference of the British 
Medical Association to call on the government to withdraw the Health and Social 
Care Bill so that the more controversial parts of it can be considered again;
(b) notes the decision of the Liberal Democrat Conference to reject the 
government's "damaging and unjustified market-based approach", and its call for 
an open and accountable system of local decision-making including elected 
Councillors and for substantial and substantive amendments to the Bill in Parliament.
Pendle Council believes that the NHS is an integral part of a democratic society, 
reflecting the social solidarity of shared access to collective healthcare, and a 
shared responsibility to use resources effectively to deliver better health.
It welcomes the Government's commitment to the founding principles of the NHS: 
available to all, free at the point of use, and based on need, not the ability to pay; 
but believes that many of the present proposals run counter to these principles 
and calls on the Government either to withdraw the Bill in its present form or to 
support its amendment by Parliament.
Council further seeks a cross-party meeting with the Member of Parliament for 
Pendle to discuss these matters.