Cable Attacks Blair over Health Cuts

10.45.46am GMT Fri 26th Jan 2007

At Prime Minister's questions in Parliament on Wednesday, Vincent Cable, MP, attacked the Prime Minister directly over the £8m cuts proposed in the borough's primary care trust - impacting on the mentally ill and people with learning disabilities. He challenged the prime minister to confirm that the Health Secretary's promise to repay the money within three hears would be honoured; but Tony Blair wouldn't answer:

Q2. [110675] Dr. Vincent Cable (Twickenham) (LD): May I tell the Prime Minister that a Government decision to rob the prudently managed primary care trust in my constituency of £8 million to plug other deficits in the health service is resulting in damaging cuts for the mentally ill and people with a learning disability? Can he give a categorical assurance that the Health Secretary's pledge to repay that and other top-sliced funding in three years will be fully honoured?

The Prime Minister: It is precisely for that reason that we are introducing the new financial measures that will mean that the situation about which the hon. Gentleman is complaining will not arise in the future. I might just point out that his party is opposed to those reforms, but I am sure that he will accept that his area has received an increase in funding of something like 30 per cent. I understand the challenges and difficulties that arise as we transit to a better financial system, but the one thing that the hon. Gentleman cannot complain about is the amount of money that the Government have put into primary care in his area.

Vincent Cable said: what is so appalling about these cuts is that the local health authority has done everything it was asked to do; run its finances prudently; and has worked closely - as required to do - with the local council. It is being forced to cut services to the most vulnerable people in society - particularly people with learning disabilities - for no good reason".

"The government claims to believe in localism and local choice but when local organisations do well the government robs them of their money to lug holes somewhere else in the system. The long term effect is disastrous".