NHS Reorganisation

Turning to the west midlands, the hon. Member for Lichfield (Michael Fabricant) made a powerful and persuasive case in which he underlined and celebrated the achievements of Staffordshire ambulance service. It is indeed an ambulance service from which many in the country could learn. He was, perhaps, over-hasty in writing off the performance of the rest of the west midlands, but there is a clear message that we should take from his remarks, and it was underlined by my hon. Friends the Members for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Paul Farrelly) and for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Flello): there must be localisation of control. Surely the question in this consultation, though, is how we export that excellence, not just to other parts of the west midlands but to other parts of the country, and how we ensure that Staffordshire gets better in future. Surely it has not reached its full potential. My hon. Friend the Member for Carlisle (Mr. Martlew) was dissatisfied with current arrangements and welcomed a change. I know that his input into consultation arrangements will be well informed by his previous experience. The hon. Member for Wyre Forest (Dr. Taylor) had a great deal to say about consultation. I was heavily involved in consultation on the White Paper. I would recommend it to Members in all parts of the House. There could well be more listening to be done on health policy. I listened very hard to the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Julia Goldsworthy). I was trying to detect any hint of what Liberal Democrat health policy might be. I know that the right hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber (Mr. Kennedy) instigated a sweeping policy review not long ago, saying that he would approach it with a blank sheet. That blank sheet, it seems, is his legacy, and from tonight’s debate we can deduce that it will withstand the test of time. I can think, therefore, of no better quote than that of the former vice-chair and chair of the Hodge Hill Liberal Democrat party, who led a mass defection to Labour on Saturday night. He said that there is a lack of leadership not just in Westminster but in local communities. I think that I can see what he meant.