Personal Social Services (Hansard, 22 February 1994)

§ 1. Mr. Patrick Thompson
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the money available to councils for spending on personal social services has changed over the years 1990–91 to 1994–95; and if she will make a statement.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health(Mr. John Bowis)
Total standard spending for personal social services has increased in real terms by 48 per cent.

§ Mr. Thompson
Does my hon. Friend agree that under this Government no area of local government activity is more generously funded than the social services, particularly community care? Bearing in mind the lamentable performance of some Labour authorities, will he ensure that they behave more responsibly and sensibly? In particular, will he apply that scrutiny now to Norfolk county council?

§ Mr. Bowis
My hon. Friend is right. The figures reflect the priority that the Government place on policies for the elderly, the disabled, children and those with mental health problems, and he will have noticed the increase this year. He is also right to note the need to keep a sharp watch on councils run by the Labour and Liberal parties. The figures for this year show that Norfolk's funds for social services will increase from £72 million to £86 million. If he looks around, as I have looked around, at examples of Labour authorities running social services, he will see not only the reckless record on spending in so many areas but the appalling record on delivery. Sadly, he has only to look, as I recently have, at Labour's record in authorities such as Islington and Nottingham to see that children are at risk as a result.

§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
I am disappointed that the Minister seeks to make party political points from a policy on which we all agree. To make community care work, is 132 it not also necessary to look at other facilities that social services have to deliver, such as meals on wheels, home helps and particularly home adaptation for the elderly? Will he ensure that, as well as the direct programme, local authorities have the resources to carry out those services as well?

§ Mr. Bowis
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to say that the resources for social services as a whole do not just come from the community care special transitional grant. That grant has been good news, but if he looks at the overall resources for social services, which fund all those domiciliary and day centre provisions, he will notice that over the last four years social services provision has risen from £3.6 billion to £6.4 billion. That is a Government putting their money where their policies are.

§ Mr. Sims
Is not community care in most parts of the country working well, particularly where there is co-operation with the private and voluntary sector so that care packages can be put together that are suited to their recipients? Is my hon. Friend satisfied that all authorities are making as much use of the private and voluntary sector as they can?

§ Mr. Bowis
My hon. Friend is right to say that in the delivery of community care we look to good-quality provision from all sectors, including the private and voluntary sector. He asked the direct question whether I am satisfied that all authorities are ensuring that those sectors can contribute as they should. The straight answer is no. Too many obstacles are being placed in the path of good-quality private and voluntary sector provision by the dogma of Labour and Liberal authorities. We support the provision of the independent sector for reasons not of dogma but of better-quality care for people in need.

§ Mr. Hinchliffe
Going back to the question, does the Minister accept that there are important differences between standard spending assessments and actual levels of spending? Will he confirm the figures produced by the House of Commons Library, which show that reductions in Government support for local authority funding for social services since 1979 have cost social services departments £6.2 billion—money which was desperately needed to implement 14 new Acts of Parliament that increased the responsibilities of local authority social services? If the Government have been so generous, why did they actively encourage local authorities to introduce charges for day care, home care and a whole range of services for vulnerable elderly and disabled people—services which were previously free?

§ Mr. Bowis
I do not think that within that tirade we heard a word of thanks from the hon. Gentleman for the figures for Wakefield increasing from £29 million to £40 million. That is the pattern within the overall increase from £3.6 billion to £6.4 billion for social services this year. The hon. Gentleman now needs to remember and recall, for the benefit and education of the ranks behind him, that not only are we giving money to social services, but we expect in return good use of those resources. If local authorities do not use resources effectively, they cannot deliver as good-quality services as we expect.

§ Mr. Brandreth
Will my hon. Friend confirm that last year Cheshire received an extra £10 million to help with the transition to care in the community in addition to a 21 133 per cent. increase in social services funding in the preceding three years? Will he take the opportunity to salute those in the national health service and in social services at ground level who are making care in the community work within the generous resources that are being made available?

§ Mr. Bowis
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Cheshire is receiving an increase this year from £84 million to £97 million. He is right to praise those on the ground and in the field who, day by day, are providing good-quality services. If he wants a contrast, I invite him to join me on the Clapham omnibus that goes through my constituency eastward to Lambeth where he will see the Labour party in action with a record of decay, dereliction and scandal. That is the opposite of what we want.