§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the arrangements are for passing on community health council records to their successor bodies. [121238]
478Wenable them to create additional nursing and residential home beds for the elderly. [122108]
§ Dr. Ladyman[holding answer 30 June 2003]: Most of the financial resources available to local government are unhypothecated and each council must decide, in the light of its priorities and service needs, how much to spend on additional nursing and residential home beds for elderly people. On a like for like basis, funding to local government in England for the provision of personal social services increased by 6.2 per cent. (3.6 per cent. in real terms) in 2002–03 and by 9.1 per cent. (6.3 per cent. in real terms and excluding resource equalisation) in 2003–04.
§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds were available in care homes in Essex in each of the last five years. [122888]
§ Dr. LadymanThe latest available information on the number of care home places in Essex is shown in the table.
§ Ms Rosie Winterton[holding answer 23 June 2003]: Work is underway involving the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health and other bodies to consider what information and knowledge should be transferred from community health councils to the new system of patient and public involvement and how best to do it.