Personal Care at Home Bill

My Lords, I wish to support this amendment for all the good reasons given by my noble friend Lord Best and others, but I do not wish to see this Bill sunk. I wish to see some handcuffs on the Bill and of the options among the amendments, this seems to me the most elegant set of handcuffs. It has the advantage that it will have, at least, a way of dealing with the initial—and real—concerns of local authorities, and the problems not just of cash but of the provision of services in such a short time. I think, however, that the best thing about the Bill is the direction of travel and I would not wish to see that lost. The advantage of this amendment is that if the Bill were to go through, it would give every incentive to an incoming Administration of whatever political hue—even if it were a coat of many colours—to seek the consensus which everyone in this House hopes will be the basis for real future planning in this very important area. For this reason I hope this amendment will be moved and passed.