Care Costs (Hansard, 24 July 2002)

§ Mr. Burstow
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the sum to be transferred from local authority budgets to the NHS to cover the nursing contribution payments from 1 April 2003. [71196]

§ Jacqui Smith
[holding answer 22 July 2002]: We are still considering the amount that should be transferred from local authority budgets to the National Health Service to cover the nursing contribution payments in respect of local council supported clients from 1 April 2003. We expect to go out for consultation about that amount shortly.

§ Mr. Burstow
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the recently published report of the Rowntree Trust into the economics of the care home sector. [71679]

§ Mr. Hutton
[holding answer 22 July 2002]: My officials are considering the report by the Joseph Rowntree Trust. We welcome its contribution to the debate about the appropriate level of care home fees. We support any research that that helps councils to set fair and realistic fee levels.
1401W
The Government increased resources for social services by 20 per cent. in real terms between 1996–97 and 2002–3. This represents an average real terms increase of 3 per cent. per annum. In addition, funding will increase by 6 per cent. per year in real terms in each of the next three years. There is evidence that this extra investment is making a difference. Laing and Buisson, the authors of the Joseph Rowntree Trust report, reported last month that most councils have increased their care home fees by at least 3 per cent. in 2002–03 and that almost a third have agreed increases of at least 10 per cent. since last year.

§ Mr. Burstow
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the final free nursing care contribution evaluation report was received by his Department. [71348]

§ Jacqui Smith
[holding answer 22 July 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) of 2 July, Official Report 2002, column 309W. A report has not been received by the Department and will not be received until later this year.