Children, Young People and MAternity

As our health spokesman is away I had been deputed to speak in the debate on the National Service Framework. This is generally regarded as a "good thing" but there are some genuine concerns about how this will be implemented and whether it will become a priority of the Primary Care Trusts. The phrase "motherhood and apple pie" springs to mind.

We witnessed the slightly unusual spectacle of the same Government Minister (Stephen Ladyman) opening the debate and summing up on behalf of the Government but no one is quite sure why this was.

There was also the slightly more surreal note introduced by Andrew Lansley - the Tory Health Spokesman - who complained that his speech could have been better but his 18month old had scribbled on the original. Clearly a discerning individual with a great future ahead of her!!!!

Not the most contentious debate in the history of parliament but an important one nonetheless.