HC Deb 16 October 1990 vol 177 cc1043-4
4. Mr. Harry Barnes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are taken by his Department to monitor the ability of individual local authorities to carry out their statutory social work functions.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

The Department's social services inspectorate keeps the Department informed about the provision of personal social services by individual local authorities.

Mr. Barnes

Does the Department of Health read the reports and take action based on them, because it seems to me that the Department has little idea of what goes on in local government? For example, when the hon. Member for Derbyshire, South (Mrs. Currie) asked a question it seemed that she had also written the brief from which the Minister gave her answer, as it did not relate in any way to the problems and needs of Derbyshire. What extra money will be provided for the function and operation of the Children Act? The local authorities concerned have asked for £140 million. Will anything like that sum be available?

Mrs. Bottomley

The information about what happens in Derbyshire comes from our "Key Indicators" document. That valuable document, which we produce annually, gives information about precisely how local authorities are spending their resources. In Derbyshire, one in three people over 75 receives a home help, free of charge. I do not believe that that is targeting resources or looking to value for money. That does not show a sense of responsibility in the provision of services.

With regard to resources for the Children Act, the hon. Gentleman, like others, will have to await the decisions and outcome of the autumn statement when he will discover the precise sums involved. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will encourage Derbyshire social services to use that money cost effectively and to resist the gimmicks so often identified by my hon. Friends.

Mr. Gerald Bowden

In monitoring the social work functions of local authorities, has my hon. Friend the Minister had an opportunity to consider the way in which the London borough of Southwark discharged its duties at Grove Park children's home? If the disclosures in The Sunday Correspondent magazine are correct, is not it evident that children in the so-called care of Southwark are at even greater risk than if they were not in Southwark's care?

Mrs. Bottomley

My hon. Friend has mentioned that home, which is in his constituency, to me before. The outrage and horror of many who saw precisely what was happening at the Grove Park children's home is shared by us all, and I am pleased to say that the home has closed. I have asked the social services inspectorate to report to me urgently on the provision of residential care for the difficult, turbulent bunch of teenagers in the capital cities. The easiest ones to foster are fostered, but residential homes have to cope with an extremely difficult and troublesome group. We look to the social services inspectorate once again to report back on that and I will certainly have urgent discussions with my hon. Friend the Member for Dulwich (Mr. Bowden) about it.