Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood has accused David Cameron of planning to dismantle public services within the UK with new legislation.
The Prime Minster has announced plans to create a law that would give private companies the automatic right to bid for contracts in the NHS and local government. The only exceptions built into the forthcoming Open Public Services White Paper would be the judiciary and security services.
Ms Wood, AM for South Wales Central, recently asked the First Minister to undertake preparatory work to ensure Wales was shielded from Cameron’s proposals.
During plenary, she said: “Ending the internal market within the NHS was a key commitment within the ‘One Wales’ agreement between Plaid Cymru and Labour in 2007.
“Do you share my concerns that our progressive efforts in this field could be undermined by David Cameron’s proposals to open up NHS contracts to the private sector by giving it an automatic right to bid for public work?
“More details are expected with the publication of the forthcoming Open Public Services White Paper, but can anything be done now in terms of preparatory work by the Welsh Assembly Government to ensure that we maximise the exemptions to that Bill as they apply to Wales?
“My view is that any covert attempts to dismantle and privatise the NHS should be opposed as vigourously as possible.
“I hope that, over the next crucial weeks, in terms of this piece of legislation, this Government will be on the ball as far as this Bill is concerned because it would be all too easy to become distracted by the forthcoming Assembly elections.”
Afterwards, Ms Wood: “Cameron and his cabinet of millionaires believe that privatisation is best, not just for the NHS but for nearly every aspect of the public sector, but they are bound to say that when they are funded and lobbied by wealthy businessmen with significant interests in this course of action.
“Introducing an element of profit-making into public services is extremely detrimental. Not only is it accompanied by significant erosions to the terms and conditions of workers, but it is actually counter-productive to efficiency and the quality of service.
“There are not many people that would argue that privatisation has been beneficial to the rail industry which is why Plaid Cymru has unveiled policies to re-introduce an element of state control for our train services.
“This would ensure profits are reinvested on things like rolling stock rather than diverted to the pockets of shareholders.”
Ms Wood added: “Cameron is trying to finish what Mrs Thatcher started in the 1980s and unless we fight these moves, our vital public services will be fundamentally changed forever.”
