National Care Service

Debate between Alison McGovern and Clive Jones

Thursday 15th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Clive Jones]

Apologies for that, Madam Deputy Speaker.

We are pleased that the Prime Minister has recognised from his own experience that social care needs fixing. The Liberal Democrats are keen to work on a cross-party basis to fix social care. Failure to act on social care would be a catastrophe for families, for the NHS and for local services.

The Liberal Democrats have set the Government three tests for the social care reforms. First, they must put family carers front and centre, with guaranteed rights for every carer, and replace the broken carer’s allowance system. Secondly, the reforms must include a universal safety net of care, including free personal care. Thirdly, the Government must protect people from catastrophic costs so that family finances are not decimated and people do not have to lose the family home.

I am pleased that the Prime Minister committed yesterday to arranging another round of cross-party talks to fix social care. The Liberal Democrats will engage in those discussions and we urge others in the House to do the same.

[Alison McGovern]

The House will have heard the interchange between the leader of the Liberal Democrats and the Prime Minister yesterday. I thank the hon. Gentleman for pointing out the rather extreme impact of this situation on the NHS. We all have a choice; we cannot leave it as it is.

Local Government Finance

Debate between Alison McGovern and Clive Jones

Wednesday 17th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Alison McGovern]

I hear what my hon. Friend says, and I will happily discuss it with him and with my colleague the fire Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Chester North and Neston (Samantha Dixon). If my hon. Friend thinks there are errors, he can by all means send us more details, and we will work on that.

[Clive Jones (Wokingham) (LD)]

Wokingham is the lowest funded unitary authority in the UK and is struggling to find enough money for adult social care and children’s services. I have three quick questions for the Minister. First, has she protected tier 1 local authorities from real-terms cuts? Secondly, have the Government honoured their commitment to a new fair funding formula by removing the recovery grant that undermines it. Lastly, how does the Minister expect local authorities to afford the dedicated schools grant deficits accrued up to 31 March 2028?

[Alison McGovern]

I think those three questions have been answered in what I have already said, so I refer the hon. Gentleman to my earlier answers.