John Baron MP votes against Social Care recalculation amendment

MP: Amendment was rushed and creates unfairness

Yesterday John Baron MP voted against the Government’s New Clause 49 amendment to the Health and Care Bill. The amendment recalculates what contributes towards an individual’s £86,000 cap, with the local authorities’ contributions no longer counting towards this cap. The Government won the vote on the amendment by 272 votes to 246.

In the Chamber, John said,

“The Government deserves credit for grasping this nettle, which has evaded governments of both parties for too long, but he must understand that there is a real cause on the Government Benches in respect of the distribution of the relative losses and the worry that those who are less well off will be hit hardest by the Government’s New Clause. Will he address that issue?”

The Minister, Edward Argar MP, said he understood the point John and others were making, and noted that the social care reforms are a major step forward.

John said afterwards,

“The Minister is right to point out that this new system is a large improvement on the current situation, but the Government was wrong to spring this amendment on Parliament with only a few days’ warning. It was not mentioned during the many days of the Bill’s Committee Stage, and no impact assessment has yet been produced. Many of us also are concerned that this amendment creates an unfairness between the rich and the less well-off, and for these reasons I voted against the amendment.”