§ Ms. WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his policy on the need for provision of respite care in the proposals for community care.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyRespite care has an important part to play both in supporting carers and enabling dependent people to continue living in the community. Local authorities already have power to arrange short term admissions to care for this purpose. It is for the authority concerned to decide what facilities to provide in individual cases, taking account of the views of the person concerned and their carers.
Authorities are required to charge for residential care they provide or arrange but have discretion to limit the charge payable in the first eight weeks of any admission to the statutory minimum—currently £37.50 a week.