§ 13. Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the state of the private care home sector. [19667]
§ Jacqui SmithOn 9 October, we announced an extra £300 million investment over this year and next year for local councils to spend on community care services. This major cash investment will be used to reduce bed blocking and will help to stabilise the care home sector, giving them greater confidence in the future.
We also launched a new agreement, 'Building Capacity and Partnership in Care', on 9 October. The agreement focuses on councils and the independent sector working together as partners throughout the commissioning process. This should promote a more strategic, inclusive and consistent approach to capacity planning at local level.