§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with agencies concerned with the personal social services with regard to proposals for a general social services council to set standards and regulate those working in this sector.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyAn independent action group convened by the National Institute for Social Work is currently considering all aspects of the proposals for a general social services council. That action group will be consulting widely with interested organisations before reaching its conclusions and presenting recommendations. We await the report with interest.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implications for statutory provisions of the cutting or freezing of local authority personal social service budgets during the next financial year.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe standard spending figure for personal social services for 1992–93 is £4,850 million, about 6 per cent. higher than local authorities' social services budgets for the current year. Personal social services standard spending has increased by 33 per cent. over two years.