Queens Speech announced draft care and support bill
3 June 2012
To the disappointment of those who have campaigned heavily over recent months and years, the Queen's speech included only a draft care and support bill with no mention of financial arrangements for care and support as championed by the Dilnot Commission.
The government has thus delayed plans to overhaul long-term care of elderly and disabled people, despite promising "legislation in the second session of this parliament" when the coalition took office. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley will instead be given "drafting authority" to prepare a bill ready for the next session.
The main elements of the draft Bill are:
- modernising the legal framework for care and support, to support the vision of the forthcoming White Paper on care and support
- responding to the recommendations of the Law Commission, which conducted a three-year review into social care law
- establishing Health Education England as a non-departmental public body
- establishing the Health Research Authority as a non-departmental public body
- carrying out engagement and pre-legislative scrutiny on the draft Bill, as many in the social care sector have called for
A coalition of 78 charities and campaign groups including Age UK and the Local Government Association has sent an open letter to David Cameron urging him to take urgent action to end the "lottery" under which some older people lose their homes and life savings to pay care home bills while others are left to "struggle on alone, living in misery and fear".
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