Health Bill [HL]

My Lords, I cannot add very much to what the noble Baroness has said. The virtue of this amendment, as drafted, is that it would allow the Government to make changes to the rules governing the private patient income cap at a time entirely of their choosing. It would not tie the Government down and it would allow Ministers to reformulate these rules in whatever way they decide, as long as any changes conform to the key principle spelt out in the amendment. In the absence of any likely legislative vehicle for making a change of this kind, at least in the near future, I hope that the amendment will be considered seriously by the Government.