Baroness O'Loan (CB)

I am concerned about the figure of £37 million being articulated as the absolute cost of this service. I find it somewhat difficult to believe that it could be the cost. If we have regard to the costs of similar public organisations that are already set up, the running costs alone run into millions. We are going to be talking about a national service for England and Wales that, presumably, will be provided in the patient’s location—the death will take place not where we want it but where they want it—and therefore there will be a lot of costs. I firmly believe that they have not been costed into the figures that the noble and learned Lord and the Minister have given us. When I go shopping, I see whether I can afford what I want to buy. Yet we, as a Parliament, are being asked to decide whether we want to do this. One of the things that we should responsibly take into account is cost, otherwise we would not have had an impact assessment. We are being asked to consider it on the basis that it will cost £37 million and that that is peanuts—well, I wish I had £37 million pounds put into palliative care now. This is not an accurate figure. This is the only point that I want to make. Can the noble and learned Lord put his hand on his heart and say to me that he really believes that this is what the service will cost, given the number of people who may avail of it and the number of safeguards that need to be introduced into the Bill because of its very significant flaws?