Last week was the first week Parliament sat following the
summer recess. It is always a busy week returning after six weeks of recess,
but this year it was busier than usual.
We saw a number of important debates on current issues such
as the situation in Afghanistan and the ongoing pandemic. I was pleased to be
able to make a number of contributions in the Commons.
The biggest debate in Parliament last week was the
announcement and then vote on the government’s plans to raise addition funding
for the NHS and Social Care. After careful consideration this was something I
decided to support.
We are all aware of the incredible pressure our health and
care system is facing. It is predicted that the waiting list for those waiting
for treatment, scans and operations could reach as high as 13 million people in
the next couple of years, unless action was taken.
Additionally, we know that the social care system is facing
greater pressure than ever before and there is a need to not only provide
greater funding but reform the way the system works.
I am pleased that alongside the additional money raised
through the Health and Care Levy, we will also be putting in place cap of
£86,000 on the amount anyone will have to pay towards their own social care
costs. Once that limit is reached no one will have to pay for their own care
costs. This will mean that people will not be forced to sell their homes to pay
for their care costs. Those with assets
below £100,000 will not have to pay the full cost of their care.
The government will also be coming forward with proposals to
reform the way social care functions and ensure it works much more closely with
the NHS to avoid the backlog in people being discharged from hospital as is
currently the case.
With our own hospital under incredible pressure, it is vital
we ensure the NHS has the resources it need to deal with the list of those
waiting for treatments. Raising taxes is never something a Conservative
government does lightly. But this government has shown time and again that it
will not shy away from the tough decisions.
We could have sat by and stuck to the line that our
manifesto stated we would not raise taxes, but I do not believe it would have
been right to not act and allow the NHS waiting list to rise as predicted. We
could of course have added the funding to the £400billion we have already
borrowed, but that would have simply pushed the challenge down the road for our
grandchildren to pay back.
The decisions to add 1.25% to employee and employer National
Insurance, from next April, by way of a Health and Care Levy is, in my view,
the least worse possible option to address the challenges we face. It means
those with the broadest shoulders, on the highest salaries, will pay the most.
We have also extended the levy to all those in work above state pension age, as
well as putting a levy on dividend earnings so those who get their income from
investments will also contribute.
This will raise more than an additional £12billion a year.
Most of which in the first two years will go to the NHS to catch up with the
backlog of those needing treatment. We will also initially put £1.8billion
extra into social care which will increase as the NHS backlog is reduced.
I appreciate some will not agree with this decision but
having considered all of the possible options I do not believe there was a
better alternative. We could not sit and do nothing, and raising the funds in this
way means that all those in work earning over £9600 per year will make a
contribution, while the highest 14% of earners will pay more than 50% of the
costs.
Whilst we continue to do everything needed to bring an end
to this pandemic, we must also look to the coming years and take the decisions
needed to ensure we can recover and return to normal as soon as possible.
Ensuring the NHS has the funding it needs to deal with the backlog in
treatments and social care is reformed are part of ensuring we can do this. So
I am pleased to support the government in these very challenging decisions.
