§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many tribunal cases there have been where it has come to light that the proprietor of a registered home has previous criminal convictions which would have made him unsuitable or ineligible to run a home.
§ Mr. FreemanAs at 31 December 1989 there have been six tribunal decisions confirming an authority's decision either to cancel or to refuse an application for registration because the appellant is not considered to be a fit person to be running a home in the light of a previous criminal conviction.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he gives to the decisions of the registered homes tribunals and whether he has accepted any of their recommendations.
§ Mr. FreemanThe registered homes tribunals are independent statutory bodies. They are mainly concerned with appeals against the decisions of district health authorities and local authorities which are the registering authorities for nursing homes and most independent residential care homes respectively.
The Secretary of State is the registering authority only for voluntary children's homes and no appeal against his decisions has been made to the registered homes tribunal.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health where the decisions of the registered homes tribunal are circulated.
§ Mr. FreemanDistribution of decisions of the registered homes tribunal includes the following:
- Directors of Social Services Local Authorities England
- General Managers District Health Authorities England
88 - Association of County Councils
- Association of Metropolitan Authorities
- British Federation of Care Home Proprietors
- Council on Tribunals
- MIND (National Association for Mental Health)
- National Care Homes Association
- National Council for Voluntary Organisations
- Social Care Association
- Welsh Office
- Libraries of the Houses of Parliament