§ Ms Bridget PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial assistance he has made available to(a) local authorities and (b) private and voluntary sector residential homes for the elderly to help them bring those homes up to the standards set by the Government. [37215]
§ Jacqui SmithThe resources provided for personal social services are increasing by, on average 3.4 per cent. per annum in real terms over the next three years. We expect home owners will cover the costs of meeting the standards through the fees they charge. Local authorities are funded to meet these additional costs. Through the agreement between the statutory and independent social care, health care and housing sectors, "Building Capacity and Partnership in Care", issued in October 2001, we made it clear that service commissioners should not set contract prices for care places mechanistically. We expect them to have regard to providers' costs and efficiencies and planned outcomes for service users.