§ Mr. EtheringtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve the standard of(a) nursing and (b) residential home care of elderly people in Sunderland; and if he will make a statement. [115078]
§ Mr. HuttonNursing home standards are maintained and improved through the Nursing Homes Registration and Inspection Unit, which is the responsibility of 521W Sunderland Health Authority and Sunderland Social Services. Residential care homes standards are maintained and improved through the Registration and Inspection Department, which is the responsibility of the City of Sunderland Council. In the future, the inspection and regulation of nursing homes and residential care homes will become the responsibility of the National Commission for Care Standards.