§ 12. Mr. Corbynasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of residents in private or voluntary care homes for the elderly are physically disabled.
§ Mr. MajorI regret that the information is not currently available. However, the Department is engaged in discussions with the local authorities with a view to introducing an improved data collection system. This will provide information on the number of persons in residential care by disability as well as by age.
§ 43. Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider amending the Registered Homes Act 1984 to permit his Department to prescribe, as pre-conditions to legislation, minimum numbers of beds for (a) private nursing homes and (b) residential care homes.
§ Mr. WhitneyI refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him on 16 December 1985, at column80. For private nursing homes, there is no minimum number of beds prescribed so that if only one bed is provided for use at night the home is subject to registration. There are no plans to amend the Registered Homes Act 1984.
§ 70. Mr. Andrew Bowdenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to publish the Ernst and Whinney report on residential care homes.
§ Mr. NewtonI refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, south (Mr. Ashley) on 24 February.