§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many(a) residential and (b) nursing homes were operating for (i) each health board and (ii) each regional council area in Scotland in the latest year for which figures are available;
(2) how many (a) residential homes have been closed down in each regional council area and (b) nursing homes have been closed down within each health board area because of the enforcement of the current regulations on the operation of these facilities in each of the last five financial years.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe information on the number of residential care homes as at 31 March 1994, is as follows:
Region Local authority homes Private and voluntary Homes1 Total Borders 11 40 51 Central 17 29 46 Dumfries and Galloway 13 31 44 Fife 44 35 79 Grampian 47 76 123 Highland 21 68 89 Lothian 40 265 305 Strathclyde 124 324 448 Tayside 44 107 151 Orkney 3 3 6 Shetland 4 6 10 Western Isles 17 4 21 Scotland 385 988 1,373 1 Only includes private and voluntary homes registered with the local authority. With regard to nursing homes, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 27 October 1994, Official Report, columns 729–30.
Information on the number of residential care homes closed is only available for the last three years. The table below shows the total number of closures. Information on the reasons for these closures is not collected centrally.
350W
Number of closures of registered private and voluntary residential care homes Region 1 April 1991 to 31 March 1992 1 April 1992 to 31 March 1993 1 April 1993 to 31 March 1994 Borders — 4 — Central — — — Dumfries and Galloway — — 1 Fife 1 — 1 Grampian 1 — 1 Highland 4 — — Lothian 9 — 1 Strathclyde 6 8 4 Tayside 6 3 3 Orkney — — — Shetland — — — West Isles — — — Scotland 27 15 11 With regard to nursing homes, this information is not held centrally. This is a matter for individual health boards as registering authorities who have the power under section 2 of the Nursing Homes Registration (Scotland) Act 1938, as amended, to cancel registration at any time if they consider that standards are not being maintained.
§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the guidelines which currently exist for the operation of nursing and residential homes; and what representations he has received from regional councils and health boards seeking changes to the current regulations.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonWith regard to nursing homes, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 27 October 1994,Official Report, columns 728–79.
The Scottish Office guidance on the registration and inspection of residential care establishments has been included in circulars issued to local authorities following the implementation of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, the Registered Establishments (Scotland) Act 1987 and the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990. Those matters have been discussed at meetings with representatives of regional councils and are among the issues presently being considered by officials.