Welfare Reform Bill

No, I will not. I should like to carry on. The Prime Minister has given contradictory statements to the House on this issue. In January, he said that"““our intention is very clear: there should be a similar approach for people who are in hospital and for people who are in residential care homes. That is what we intend to do, and I will make sure that it happens.””—[Official Report, 12 January 2011; Vol. 521, c. 282.]" He has been questioned on the issue at Prime Minister's Question Time on four or five times. On 23 March, when my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition asked him whether there were plans to push through this proposal, he said:"““The short answer is that we are not.””—[Official Report, 23 March 2011; Vol. 525, c. 944.]" Despite that, and despite what we have heard again today—I repeat that I found it completely unconvincing—the intention remains in clause 83 of the Bill that we are being asked to support. There is also the Red Book. Towards the end of the Budget debate—this has been going on for a long time, as I said earlier—I tried to intervene on the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Why did he not give way? He did not, but there is at least consistency from Ministers in that respect when it comes to me. He did not give way.