§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the levels of abuse of elderly people in care; if he will publish this assessment; and if he will make a statement. [76484]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 15 March 1999]: The Department does not keep data on incidents of abuse in adult care homes. However, the Department has provided funding to Action on Elder Abuse for its national helpline service. Furthermore, we are funding an analysis of the first one thousand calls which that helpline has received. National guidelines for dealing with incidents of abuse to vulnerable adults are currently being developed, and this work is financed and led by the Department.