I am about to come on to that point, about which I had the benefit of a conversation yesterday with representatives from the Local Government Association, who are canvassing such an idea. Under the powers to delegate functions, it would of course be possible for local authorities to act in combination to operate a national scheme, but I dare say that that may be one argument that the Government could use to counter the case for it. There is, however, a case for the Government giving more thought to having a clear national offer around deferred payment, because this whole area of financial advice is so important. The personal social services research unit says that 40% of self-funders could benefit from existing financial products, so it would be good for people get such advice so that they can consider the alternatives to a deferred payment scheme, which is part of the point here.

The £23,250 means test is being unfairly characterised, partly because it happens to be the same figure as the threshold for access to financial support for care itself, which allows for some inadvertent conflation. That was certainly not intended by Lord Lipsey, who raised some important points. It is the case that this specific proposal, which was also present in consultation papers issued by the previous Government, excludes the property that the person is living in. The proposal aims to address those who have considerable wealth beyond the property in which they live.

Earlier, the shadow Minister rightly told Government Members that we need to focus on those in the middle. The way in which the Government are trying to craft the rules for access to deferred payment is doing exactly that. It is about addressing those in the middle, not those with super-wealth, who will be able, through good  financial advice, to access other products more suited to their circumstances, or to self-insure using their resources. That issue has not been fairly discussed. The Government have none the less consulted on it, but I have not yet heard the outcome of the Government’s deliberations. It would be useful to know when the Minister expects to share with us whether the Government intend to stick to the £23,250 figure, because they need to move past this argument.

My final point is a question. In a scenario where a person takes out a deferred payment in one area to move into a care home there, then perhaps for reasons of family or something else, they choose to move to another care home which is not in that local authority’s area, who will have responsibility for the deferred payment? Does it stay on the loan book of the local authority which issued it in the first place, or will it transfer to the other local authority? I am not sure that the Bill makes this clear. It would be another reason why perhaps a national framework would be useful for this purpose. It would be helpful to the Committee, and I suspect others outside, if the Minister answered that.

Finally, I hope that those who follow our business in this Committee—and they follow it closely on these matters of financial advice—will take up the Minister’s challenge. I will be only too pleased then to come back to him with some further answers.