§ Mr. HendryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence he has to support the view that the measures contained in the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 which allow social services authorities to sponsor individual residents of housing association homes will eliminate the need for special needs management allowance and transitional special needs management allowance.
§ Sir George YoungLocal authorities have long had the power to sponsor clients placed in homes run by housing associations. One of the basic rules of the Housing Corporation's distribution of the resources available for revenue grants to such homes has been that Exchequer grant should not be paid in cases where clients are sponsored by their social services authority. To help with the introduction of the new community care arrangements, however, the Government agreed with the Housing Corporation that for the current financial year this "sponsorship" rule should be relaxed. No decisions have been taken yet about the arrangements beyond this financial year, but before they are taken we will take into account the representations which housing associations and others have made about this issue.
§ Mr. RaynsfordTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he has given to the findings contained in the report of the National Federation of Housing Associations, "Funding of Registered Care Homes", a copy of which has been sent to him.
§ Sir George YoungI plan to meet the chairman and director of the NFHA later this month to discuss the issues raised in its report.